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Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations

2012-09-22T10:44:38Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */ I'm sure there are others in there, possibly including the Galactica itself, but I only wanted to include the ones I was sure about.

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|TPB=Annual 2012
|prev=Rules of Disengagement
|next=Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?
|caption=
|image=MTMTEAnn2012_cvrA.jpg
|title="Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 12]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=August 2012
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Jimbo Salgado]] & [[Emil Cabaltierra]]
|flashback art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|color by=[[Juan Fernandez]] with [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}
'''The dead rise, Ultra Magnus smiles, and [[Thirteen|everything you know]] is wrong!'''

==Synopsis==
===1: Signs and Portents===
It's just another ordinary day on the ''[[Lost Light]]'': a swarm of long-dormant [[Nanocon]]s, hidden inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s body for years, have suddenly become active again, and [[Brainstorm]] has shrunk [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and a team of [[Autobot]]s with his [[mass-displacement gun]] so they can enter Magnus's body and wipe them out. They are unable to stop the Nanocons before they reach Magnus's mouth, however, and at [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s direction, Magnus is forced to ''smile'' to crush them in his mouth-pistons and prevent their escape. Unfortunately for Magnus, this makes him a laughingstock aboard the ship, and he does not take it well.

Once everyone is back at full size, preparations begin for the day's other big event: having passed his [[Autobot Code]] exam, [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] is getting his probationary Autobot [[insignia|badge]]. While [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] silently rebuffs an invitation to the [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony, the other attendees deal with their own problems: [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] helps [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] through the shock of an inherited memory of death, [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] goes looking for [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] in the bowels of the ship and is horrified when the corpse of [[Ore]]—still enmeshed with the [[quantum generator]]s—begins talking to him, and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] tries to convince Rodimus that he's saying "[['Til all are one]]" a bit too much. As Rodimus and Drift move to discussing their impending arrival on [[Theophany]], home of the [[Circle of Light]], Magnus enters, threatening to leave the ship over his mockery at the hands of the crew. Rodimus calms him down, and Magnus then voices his concern about their failure to make contact with the Circle of Light, despite Drift's assurances that the Circle can take care of themselves.

===2: Sacraments and Ceremonies===
Tailgate's ceremony begins, with the audience members taking bets on how long it will take Rodimus to say "'Til all are one" (Brainstorm wins after five seconds). As Rodimus recounts his own Act of Affiliation, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] notices that [[Ambulon]] is absent, and is informed by [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] that he is in the medibay, where a group of offline Autobots have suddenly reactivated and begun clutching their ears. And that's not the only strange thing going on: Cyclonus arrives just in time to see Rodimus bend to draw Tailgate's Autobot symbol onto his chest, only for him to instead scrawl some words that Rewind translates as "Let me out" in [[Cybertronian languages#IDW Generation 1 comics|Old Cybertronian]]. As Rodimus immediately has no memory of doing so, Drift suspects he was possessed by something, and Ratchet's attempts to be rational are drowned out by word coming through on the comm from Swerve of Ore's sudden return to life as well. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] instructs Swerve to keep Ore calm, lest he panic and trigger the quantum generators, so the talkative little 'bot tells the blinded Ore that he's just in the medibay. When the [[Duobot]] misidentifies his voice as [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and says he sounds like "that Lug-Nut Swerve", Swerve seizes on the mistaken identity and proceeds to confess all his hopes, fears and disappointments, particularly the guilt he carries following his accidental shooting of [[Rung]].

As if things weren't bad enough, the ''Lost Light'' is then hailed by the [[Galactic Council]] ship ''[[The Benign Intervention]]'', whose captain [[K'gard]] informs the Autobots that, as members of a race blacklisted from the council for their war, they are trespassing in one of their sectors. K'gard shocks the Autobots by revealing that the Circle of Light have disappeared from Theophany, and Ultra Magnus—known and respected by the captain—is able to provide legal precedent that grants the Autobots an hour to investigate. Without discussion, K'gard teleports Rodimus and a team down to the planet's surface, where they discover [[Crystal City]] in ruins. Drift, having maintained an unrelentingly positive attitude about everything up until now, finally begins to crack and furiously stabs the ground with his [[Great Sword]]... causing a subsidence that dumps the Autobots into an underground cavern below Crystal City. Simultaneously, K'gard brings Magnus to ''The Benign Intervention'' and extends him a surprising invitation: to join the Galactic Council!

===3: Epiphanies===
Underground, Rodimus and his team discover that the Circle of Light have been powering their city with a [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], one of the living city-ships of the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and they promptly venture inside its gigantic body, straight to its brain. Musing that he used to pray in the shadow of Metrotitans, Cyclonus is convinced by Rewind to recount the "Primal Sacrament," the Transformers' creation myth, and so tells the tale of the [[Guiding Hand]]: how the creator-god [[Primus]] split his life-force into five, creating [[Mortilus]], [[Solomus]], [[Epistemus]] and [[Adaptus]]. Following their creation of the Transformer race, Mortilus turned on the rest of the Guiding Hand and was destroyed after a brutal, costly war that saw Primus required to merge with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself to survive, while Solomus became the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], and Epistemus and Adaptus became the prototypical [[brain module]] and [[transformation cog]] that would be the basis of all others. The first Cybertronians blessed with these traits were the Knights of Cybertron, who set out to spread their gifts across the universe aboard their Metrotitans. Ratchet's complete dismissal of the story as utter nonsense finally brings him and Drift to blows, but before things get physical, Rodimus separates the two and takes Drift for a walk, on which Drift confides that he knows Rodimus is going to be very important in the future.

Spurred by Cyclonus's story of their race's origins, Skids and Chromedome talk about the meaning of life and how it is shaped by interactions with others. Chromedome proceeds to tap into the Metrotitan's brain to find out what happened to the Circle of Light, and is assaulted by a horrific vision of Crystal City being razed by [[Legislator]]s. Worse still is the distressing revelation that the Metrotitan is still alive, psychically screaming in terrible pain, having heard the call to return to the reformatted Cybertron, but lacking the power to teleport its massive bulk after being drained by the Circle of Light for so long. A destructive beam bursts from the tortured titan's eyes, shooting up into space and clipping ''The Benign Intervention'', prompting a furious K'gard to cry treachery, return Magnus to the ''Lost Light'', encase the ship in an incineration shield, and teleport a squad of troopers down to Theophany to finish the Autobots off. The troopers arrive just as Skids is realizing that the Metrotitan's psychic scream is responsible for all the recent weirdness—the offline Autobots and Nanocons reactivating, the message written by the "possessed" Rodimus (which Cyclonus notes actually said "Set me free")—and Drift and Rewind are trying to stop Chromedome re-entering its brain in the pursuit of proof of God, and battle breaks out. Believing the destruction of the ''Lost Light'' assured, Magnus contacts Rodimus to say farewell, but Rodimus has an idea and has Swerve put on the line. He instructs Swerve to tell Ore the truth of his situation, hoping that doing so will cause him to panic, jump-starting the quantum drives and teleporting the ship away to safety, but after Rung, and the long discussion he has had about life and death with the revived Duobot, Swerve refuses on the basis that Ore may die. With no options left and no guarantee of their own safety, Rodimus acquiesces to Brainstorm's original suggestion: shrink the Metrotitan with his mass-displacement gun in order to make him small enough to teleport away. The gun flares, and everything goes white...

It's just another ordinary day on the ''Lost Light''. After the Metrotitan shrank to a small enough size, it teleported away, sending the Autobots back to the ''Lost Light'' and taking the psychically-linked Ore with it, in turn triggering the quantum drives and jumping the ship out of the council's clutches. Or as Swerve relates to Rung, to hear Drift tell it, the Autobots' act of kindness restored the Metrotitan's faith in them, and he sent them all to safety and Ore to the [[Afterspark]]. Whatever the case, the mystery of what happened to the Circle of Light remains, and the ''Lost Light'' sets course for the [[Argon Nebulae]] to investigate a possible Decepticon lead. The universe is too hostile for Rodimus to wing it any more: it's time to take control of their situation.

Back aboard ''The Benign Intervention'', Captain K'gard reports his findings to a superior officer, proposing a "regime change" off the back of his discovery that the Autobots forces are split between Cybertron and the ''Lost Light''. He relates that Magnus turned down his offer to join the council, despite his K'gard's warning that staying with the ''Lost Light'' crew would only change Magnus into something he was not. To that, Magnus had nothing to say... he just smiled.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (1)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (3)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (4)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
*[[Brainstorm]] (8)
*[[Atomizer]] (9)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (10)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (11)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (12)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (13)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (16)
*[[Ore]] (17)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (18)
*''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'' (19)
*[[Rung]] (20)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (21)
*''[[Ambulon]]'' (22)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (23)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (35)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Nanocon]]s (2)
|h3=[[Guiding Hand|The Guiding Hand]]
|c3=
*''[[Primus]]'' (26)
*''[[Mortilus]]'' (27)
*''[[Solomus]]'' (28)
*''[[Epistemus]]'' (29)
*''[[Adaptus]]'' (30)
|h4=[[Galactic Council]]
|c4=
*[[K'gard|Captain K'gard]] (24)
*Troopers of [[The Benign Intervention]] (34)
*Officer of the [[Galactic Council]] (36)
|h5=Others
|c5=
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (14)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (15)
*An unnamed [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] (25)
*''[[Metrotitan (Zone)]]'' (31)
*''More unnamed Metrotitans'' (32)
*''[[Legislator]]s'' (33)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
*Initially solicited for release on August 15th, this double-sized issue eventually arrived three weeks late.
*A sketchbook section in the back of the issue includes designs for the Guiding Hand by Guido Guidi.
*This brings Ultra Magnus's lifetime smile count up to ''three''.

===Transformers references===
*Nanocons were first mentioned in "[[Zero Point]]", where it was left ambiguous whether or not they really existed or were just figments of [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s imagination.
*While perusing the A's of the crew manifest back in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]], Ultra Magnus warned against letting an unnamed character anywhere near a crossbow. That character is implicitly revealed in this issue to be [[Atomizer]], a character first mentioned in James Roberts's prose story "[[Bullets]]", making his first pictoral appearance here.
*[[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]]'s death by drinking [[Gideon's Glue]] also took place in "[[Bullets]]".
*Rodimus's "'Til all are one" montage gives us a few glimpses of scenes "between the panels", including him welcoming Fotress Maximus onto the ship after [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], and cradling Rung's body between the last few pages of [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*The Cybertronian game of [[Cybertronian sport#Fullstasis|Fullstasis]] is mentioned, which first appeared in [[Eye of the Storm|issue #69]] of the original Marvel series.
*The epigraph to chapter two is a quote from [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] that identifies him as hailing from [[Ibex]], a Cybertronian polity previously only seen in [[Exodus!|issue #77]] of the Marvel US series. The quote is from a work he wrote on the [[Primal Prophecies]], which were mentioned in Roberts's "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]".
*While the Galactic Council were first mentioned in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1]]", the notion of other alien races hating and shunning the Transformers was previously seen in IDW continuity back in "[[Spotlight: Drift]]".
*The epigraph for chapter three is a quote from "After the Ark: Nominus Prime and the Illusion of Progress", a tract written by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and mentioned in part 1 of "Chaos Theory".
*During Cyclonus's story about Primus and the Guiding Hand, he stops to ask Rewind a question when he's about to name Primus's "opposite." He never does give the name, but we can guess [[Unicron|who it might be]]; a certain chaos-bringer is keeping up his track record of not being mentioned by name in IDW continuity thus far.
*The Guiding Hand's war is revealed as the alleged reason for the loss of Cybertron's [[Moonbase One|first moon]], first mentioned back in issue #1 and in multiple places since. It is noted that Rodimus once vowed to find it; presumably this was the "moonquest" Swerve said he'd been on in that same issue. However, back in "[[The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", Optimus attested that the disappearance of Luna 1 was '''not''' something which happened in the "ancient past".
*The story concept of [[Metrotitan (body-type)|a Metrotitan]] which appears dead but then "comes back to life" is likely a reference to the old fan-misconception that the [[Metrotitan (Zone)|original Metrotitan character]] in [[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]] was a [[Misconceptions_and_urban_legends_about_Transformers#Japanese_Generation_1_fiction|"zombie Metroplex"]].
*Rewind shows Cyclonus an image of Cybertron as it existed in his time, including annotated images of the [[Pious Pools]] and [[Warrior's Gate]], locations Cyclonus specifically pined for back in issue #1.
*Swerve refers to the [[Afterspark]], first mentioned in "[[The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]". Where that issue implied it to be a hellish, barren wasteland, here, Swerve refers to it with some degree of hope. Really, it's probably just yet another name for the [[Allspark|communal afterlife dimension]], given that the name it was originally known by, the "Allspark", has become nothing but confusing since the introduction of the physical [[AllSpark]] object in other continuities.

===Real-world references===
*Drift's lengthy list of the virtues of Crystal City's denizens, and inability to give a similar list for his own crew, tailing off with "...and us with our... with our...", leading to his crewmates' put down is very similar to an exchange in the UK sci-fi comedy ''Red Dwarf VI'' episode "Legion".
*The fleet of ships in the background of the panel where [[Mortilus]] melodramatically gestures the advance of his warriors includes the recognisable silhouettes of vessles from several other science-fiction franchises, such as the ''USS Enterprise'' from ''[[Star Trek]]'', ''Serenity'' from ''Firefly'', and a Cylon raider from the re-imagined ''Battlestar Galactica''.
*Megatron's quote is a reference to Karl Marx.

===Errors===
[[Image:Duobot heads.jpg|150px|thumb|What are you looking at, baldy!]]
* The artist appears to have misinterpreted how Alex Milne drew Ore's trapped head in issues 2 and 3 — instead of being trapped across the forehead such that the entire top of his head is stuck in the engine and his right cheek is free, his head drawn far more vertically, and the slice above where the top of his head had been embedded is drawn as "bald", missing the helmet he shares with [[Shock]].
* First Aid is erroneously colored as Swerve in the first panel on page 11.
* Skids is drawn with no left hand on page 15.
* Rewind appears to be flying in [[data slug]] mode at the top of page 18.<ref name="FlyingRewind">[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=308201#308201 James Roberts:] I'm afraid this is a misleading panel. Rewind can't fly in giant dataslug mode.</ref>
* On the same page, Drift's entire body save for his head is colored entirely gray.
* On that same page again, Chromedome is blue.
* Cyclonus sports green eyes on pages 20 and 21.
* Swerve appears on page 24 on the Metrotitan's face despite the fact that he's supposed to be talking to Ore on the ''Lost Light''. This appears to be a script error rather than an artistic one, since the dialogue exchange in this panel uses the terms "Crusadercons" (which Swerve came up with in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]]) and "brain-quest" (matching up with Swerve's love of quests)... ''exceeeept'' that means the bubbles appear to be switched, as Rodimus says these things and Swerve replies.
* Tailgate is shown to be in the group that gets teleported to Theophany's surface, and is seen standing with Swerve on the Metrotitan's face. However, he's later shown to be still on the ''Lost Light'' with Ultra Magnus when the Metrotitan teleports everyone away.
* Also on page 24 Rewind reacts with (perhaps sarcastic) surprise when Cyclonus speaks, yet on page 20 he's ''right there'' when Cyclonus reports in to Rodimus and Drift.
[[Image:MtMtEAnn2012-BlasterPink.jpg|thumb|Wait 'til [[e-HOBBY]] see this...]]
* Blaster is erroneously colored pink with a purple head on page 31.
* Ratchet's hands are colored red on page 35.
* Ultra Magnus's shoulder missiles disappear between panels on page 39.

===Crew manifest===
* Ore briefly returns to life before being teleported away with the Metrotitan.
* Swerve is having trouble locating [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], who said his "last words" in "[[Rules of Disengagement]]"
* Although [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] and [[Polaris]] were the only casualties, First Aid confirms that several Autobot sucked out of the ship in "[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]" are off-line and in the medical bay.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Hot Rod & co. look at the collapsed Metrotitan, by [[Tim Seeley]]
*'''Cover B:''' A fantail of pictures showing the cast with Crystal City at the centre, by [[Alex Milne]]
*'''Cover RI:''' Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Ratchet and half a Metrotitan, linking with the ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 cover, by [[Jimbo Salgado]]

<gallery>
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrA.jpg|Cover A
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrB.jpg|Cover B
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrRI.jpg|Cover RI
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Robots in Disguise Annual 2012|Annual 2012]]
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[More than Meets the Eye issue 9|#9]]
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Night and the City|#9]]

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=4499 Preview]

==References==
<references/>

Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations

2012-09-22T10:37:02Z

TrapRat: /* Transformers references */ Seems worth mentioning.

{{Comicstory
|series=mtmte|TPB=Annual 2012
|prev=Rules of Disengagement
|next=Scavengers (Part 2): Who's Afraid of the DJD?
|caption=
|image=MTMTEAnn2012_cvrA.jpg
|title="Primus: You, Me, and Other Revelations"
|publisher=[[IDW Publishing]]
|date=[[September 12]], [[2012]]
|coverdate=August 2012
|written by=[[James Roberts]]
|art by=[[Jimbo Salgado]] & [[Emil Cabaltierra]]
|flashback art by=[[Guido Guidi]]
|color by=[[Juan Fernandez]] with [[Joana Lafuente]]
|letters by=[[Chris Mowry]]
|editor=[[John Barber]]
|continuity=[[IDW Generation 1 continuity|IDW continuity]]
|chronology=[[IDW timeline|Current era (2012)]]
}}
'''The dead rise, Ultra Magnus smiles, and [[Thirteen|everything you know]] is wrong!'''

==Synopsis==
===1: Signs and Portents===
It's just another ordinary day on the ''[[Lost Light]]'': a swarm of long-dormant [[Nanocon]]s, hidden inside [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]]'s body for years, have suddenly become active again, and [[Brainstorm]] has shrunk [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] and a team of [[Autobot]]s with his [[mass-displacement gun]] so they can enter Magnus's body and wipe them out. They are unable to stop the Nanocons before they reach Magnus's mouth, however, and at [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s direction, Magnus is forced to ''smile'' to crush them in his mouth-pistons and prevent their escape. Unfortunately for Magnus, this makes him a laughingstock aboard the ship, and he does not take it well.

Once everyone is back at full size, preparations begin for the day's other big event: having passed his [[Autobot Code]] exam, [[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] is getting his probationary Autobot [[insignia|badge]]. While [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] silently rebuffs an invitation to the [[Act of Affiliation]] ceremony, the other attendees deal with their own problems: [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] helps [[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] through the shock of an inherited memory of death, [[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] goes looking for [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] in the bowels of the ship and is horrified when the corpse of [[Ore]]—still enmeshed with the [[quantum generator]]s—begins talking to him, and [[Drift (G1)|Drift]] tries to convince Rodimus that he's saying "[['Til all are one]]" a bit too much. As Rodimus and Drift move to discussing their impending arrival on [[Theophany]], home of the [[Circle of Light]], Magnus enters, threatening to leave the ship over his mockery at the hands of the crew. Rodimus calms him down, and Magnus then voices his concern about their failure to make contact with the Circle of Light, despite Drift's assurances that the Circle can take care of themselves.

===2: Sacraments and Ceremonies===
Tailgate's ceremony begins, with the audience members taking bets on how long it will take Rodimus to say "'Til all are one" (Brainstorm wins after five seconds). As Rodimus recounts his own Act of Affiliation, [[Skids (G1)|Skids]] notices that [[Ambulon]] is absent, and is informed by [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] that he is in the medibay, where a group of offline Autobots have suddenly reactivated and begun clutching their ears. And that's not the only strange thing going on: Cyclonus arrives just in time to see Rodimus bend to draw Tailgate's Autobot symbol onto his chest, only for him to instead scrawl some words that Rewind translates as "Let me out" in [[Cybertronian languages#IDW Generation 1 comics|Old Cybertronian]]. As Rodimus immediately has no memory of doing so, Drift suspects he was possessed by something, and Ratchet's attempts to be rational are drowned out by word coming through on the comm from Swerve of Ore's sudden return to life as well. [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] instructs Swerve to keep Ore calm, lest he panic and trigger the quantum generators, so the talkative little 'bot tells the blinded Ore that he's just in the medibay. When the [[Duobot]] misidentifies his voice as [[Pipes (G1)|Pipes]], and says he sounds like "that Lug-Nut Swerve", Swerve seizes on the mistaken identity and proceeds to confess all his hopes, fears and disappointments, particularly the guilt he carries following his accidental shooting of [[Rung]].

As if things weren't bad enough, the ''Lost Light'' is then hailed by the [[Galactic Council]] ship ''[[The Benign Intervention]]'', whose captain [[K'gard]] informs the Autobots that, as members of a race blacklisted from the council for their war, they are trespassing in one of their sectors. K'gard shocks the Autobots by revealing that the Circle of Light have disappeared from Theophany, and Ultra Magnus—known and respected by the captain—is able to provide legal precedent that grants the Autobots an hour to investigate. Without discussion, K'gard teleports Rodimus and a team down to the planet's surface, where they discover [[Crystal City]] in ruins. Drift, having maintained an unrelentingly positive attitude about everything up until now, finally begins to crack and furiously stabs the ground with his [[Great Sword]]... causing a subsidence that dumps the Autobots into an underground cavern below Crystal City. Simultaneously, K'gard brings Magnus to ''The Benign Intervention'' and extends him a surprising invitation: to join the Galactic Council!

===3: Epiphanies===
Underground, Rodimus and his team discover that the Circle of Light have been powering their city with a [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]], one of the living city-ships of the [[Knights of Cybertron]], and they promptly venture inside its gigantic body, straight to its brain. Musing that he used to pray in the shadow of Metrotitans, Cyclonus is convinced by Rewind to recount the "Primal Sacrament," the Transformers' creation myth, and so tells the tale of the [[Guiding Hand]]: how the creator-god [[Primus]] split his life-force into five, creating [[Mortilus]], [[Solomus]], [[Epistemus]] and [[Adaptus]]. Following their creation of the Transformer race, Mortilus turned on the rest of the Guiding Hand and was destroyed after a brutal, costly war that saw Primus required to merge with [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] itself to survive, while Solomus became the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]], and Epistemus and Adaptus became the prototypical [[brain module]] and [[transformation cog]] that would be the basis of all others. The first Cybertronians blessed with these traits were the Knights of Cybertron, who set out to spread their gifts across the universe aboard their Metrotitans. Ratchet's complete dismissal of the story as utter nonsense finally brings him and Drift to blows, but before things get physical, Rodimus separates the two and takes Drift for a walk, on which Drift confides that he knows Rodimus is going to be very important in the future.

Spurred by Cyclonus's story of their race's origins, Skids and Chromedome talk about the meaning of life and how it is shaped by interactions with others. Chromedome proceeds to tap into the Metrotitan's brain to find out what happened to the Circle of Light, and is assaulted by a horrific vision of Crystal City being razed by [[Legislator]]s. Worse still is the distressing revelation that the Metrotitan is still alive, psychically screaming in terrible pain, having heard the call to return to the reformatted Cybertron, but lacking the power to teleport its massive bulk after being drained by the Circle of Light for so long. A destructive beam bursts from the tortured titan's eyes, shooting up into space and clipping ''The Benign Intervention'', prompting a furious K'gard to cry treachery, return Magnus to the ''Lost Light'', encase the ship in an incineration shield, and teleport a squad of troopers down to Theophany to finish the Autobots off. The troopers arrive just as Skids is realizing that the Metrotitan's psychic scream is responsible for all the recent weirdness—the offline Autobots and Nanocons reactivating, the message written by the "possessed" Rodimus (which Cyclonus notes actually said "Set me free")—and Drift and Rewind are trying to stop Chromedome re-entering its brain in the pursuit of proof of God, and battle breaks out. Believing the destruction of the ''Lost Light'' assured, Magnus contacts Rodimus to say farewell, but Rodimus has an idea and has Swerve put on the line. He instructs Swerve to tell Ore the truth of his situation, hoping that doing so will cause him to panic, jump-starting the quantum drives and teleporting the ship away to safety, but after Rung, and the long discussion he has had about life and death with the revived Duobot, Swerve refuses on the basis that Ore may die. With no options left and no guarantee of their own safety, Rodimus acquiesces to Brainstorm's original suggestion: shrink the Metrotitan with his mass-displacement gun in order to make him small enough to teleport away. The gun flares, and everything goes white...

It's just another ordinary day on the ''Lost Light''. After the Metrotitan shrank to a small enough size, it teleported away, sending the Autobots back to the ''Lost Light'' and taking the psychically-linked Ore with it, in turn triggering the quantum drives and jumping the ship out of the council's clutches. Or as Swerve relates to Rung, to hear Drift tell it, the Autobots' act of kindness restored the Metrotitan's faith in them, and he sent them all to safety and Ore to the [[Afterspark]]. Whatever the case, the mystery of what happened to the Circle of Light remains, and the ''Lost Light'' sets course for the [[Argon Nebulae]] to investigate a possible Decepticon lead. The universe is too hostile for Rodimus to wing it any more: it's time to take control of their situation.

Back aboard ''The Benign Intervention'', Captain K'gard reports his findings to a superior officer, proposing a "regime change" off the back of his discovery that the Autobots forces are split between Cybertron and the ''Lost Light''. He relates that Magnus turned down his offer to join the council, despite his K'gard's warning that staying with the ''Lost Light'' crew would only change Magnus into something he was not. To that, Magnus had nothing to say... he just smiled.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]] (1)
*[[Skids (G1)|Skids]] (3)
*[[Whirl (G1)|Whirl]] (4)
*[[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (5)
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)
*[[Brainstorm]] (8)
*[[Atomizer]] (9)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (10)
*[[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]] (11)
*[[Chromedome (G1)|Chromedome]] (12)
{{!}}style="background:transparent; border-right: 0px" valign="top"{{!}}
*[[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]] (13)
*[[Swerve (G1)|Swerve]] (16)
*[[Ore]] (17)
*[[Drift (G1)|Drift]] (18)
*''[[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]'' (19)
*[[Rung]] (20)
*[[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] (21)
*''[[Ambulon]]'' (22)
*''[[Optimus Prime (G1)/IDW Generation 1 continuity|Optimus Prime]]'' (23)
*[[Blaster (G1)|Blaster]] (35)
{{!}}}
|c2=
*[[Nanocon]]s (2)
|h3=[[Guiding Hand|The Guiding Hand]]
|c3=
*''[[Primus]]'' (26)
*''[[Mortilus]]'' (27)
*''[[Solomus]]'' (28)
*''[[Epistemus]]'' (29)
*''[[Adaptus]]'' (30)
|h4=[[Galactic Council]]
|c4=
*[[K'gard|Captain K'gard]] (24)
*Troopers of [[The Benign Intervention]] (34)
*Officer of the [[Galactic Council]] (36)
|h5=Others
|c5=
*[[Tailgate (G1)|Tailgate]] (14)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (15)
*An unnamed [[Metrotitan (body-type)|Metrotitan]] (25)
*''[[Metrotitan (Zone)]]'' (31)
*''More unnamed Metrotitans'' (32)
*''[[Legislator]]s'' (33)
}}

==Quotes==

==Notes==
*Initially solicited for release on August 15th, this double-sized issue eventually arrived three weeks late.
*A sketchbook section in the back of the issue includes designs for the Guiding Hand by Guido Guidi.
*This brings Ultra Magnus's lifetime smile count up to ''three''.

===Transformers references===
*Nanocons were first mentioned in "[[Zero Point]]", where it was left ambiguous whether or not they really existed or were just figments of [[Roadbuster (G1)|Roadbuster]]'s imagination.
*While perusing the A's of the crew manifest back in [[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|issue #1]], Ultra Magnus warned against letting an unnamed character anywhere near a crossbow. That character is implicitly revealed in this issue to be [[Atomizer]], a character first mentioned in James Roberts's prose story "[[Bullets]]", making his first pictoral appearance here.
*[[Skyfall (G1)|Skyfall]]'s death by drinking [[Gideon's Glue]] also took place in "[[Bullets]]".
*Rodimus's "'Til all are one" montage gives us a few glimpses of scenes "between the panels", including him welcoming Fotress Maximus onto the ship after [[How Ratchet Got His Hands Back|issue #5]], and cradling Rung's body between the last few pages of [[Interiors|issue #6]].
*The Cybertronian game of [[Cybertronian sport#Fullstasis|Fullstasis]] is mentioned, which first appeared in [[Eye of the Storm|issue #69]] of the original Marvel series.
*The epigraph to chapter two is a quote from [[Beachcomber (G1)|Beachcomber]] that identifies him as hailing from [[Ibex]], a Cybertronian polity previously only seen in [[Exodus!|issue #77]] of the Marvel US series. The quote is from a work he wrote on the [[Primal Prophecies]], which were mentioned in Roberts's "[[Chaos Theory Part 2]]".
*While the Galactic Council were first mentioned in "[[Chaos Theory Part 1]]", the notion of other alien races hating and shunning the Transformers was previously seen in IDW continuity back in "[[Spotlight: Drift]]".
*The epigraph for chapter three is a quote from "After the Ark: Nominus Prime and the Illusion of Progress", a tract written by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and mentioned in part 1 of "Chaos Theory".
*During Cyclonus's story about Primus and the Guiding Hand, he stops to ask Rewind a question when he's about to name Primus's "opposite." He never does give the name, but we can guess [[Unicron|who it might be]]; a certain chaos-bringer is keeping up his track record of not being mentioned by name in IDW continuity thus far.
*The Guiding Hand's war is revealed as the alleged reason for the loss of Cybertron's [[Moonbase One|first moon]], first mentioned back in issue #1 and in multiple places since. It is noted that Rodimus once vowed to find it; presumably this was the "moonquest" Swerve said he'd been on in that same issue. However, back in "[[The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]", Optimus attested that the disappearance of Luna 1 was '''not''' something which happened in the "ancient past".
*The story concept of [[Metrotitan (body-type)|a Metrotitan]] which appears dead but then "comes back to life" is likely a reference to the old fan-misconception that the [[Metrotitan (Zone)|original Metrotitan character]] in [[Transformers: Zone (franchise)|Zone]] was a [[Misconceptions_and_urban_legends_about_Transformers#Japanese_Generation_1_fiction|"zombie Metroplex"]].
*Rewind shows Cyclonus an image of Cybertron as it existed in his time, including annotated images of the [[Pious Pools]] and [[Warrior's Gate]], locations Cyclonus specifically pined for back in issue #1.
*Swerve refers to the [[Afterspark]], first mentioned in "[[The Transformers: The Death of Optimus Prime|The Death of Optimus Prime]]". Where that issue implied it to be a hellish, barren wasteland, here, Swerve refers to it with some degree of hope. Really, it's probably just yet another name for the [[Allspark|communal afterlife dimension]], given that the name it was originally known by, the "Allspark", has become nothing but confusing since the introduction of the physical [[AllSpark]] object in other continuities.

===Real-world references===
*Drift's lengthy list of the virtues of Crystal City's denizens, and inability to give a similar list for his own crew, tailing off with "...and us with our... with our...", leading to his crewmates' put down is very similar to an exchange in the UK sci-fi comedy ''Red Dwarf VI'' episode "Legion".

*Megatron's quote is a reference to Karl Marx.

===Errors===
[[Image:Duobot heads.jpg|150px|thumb|What are you looking at, baldy!]]
* The artist appears to have misinterpreted how Alex Milne drew Ore's trapped head in issues 2 and 3 — instead of being trapped across the forehead such that the entire top of his head is stuck in the engine and his right cheek is free, his head drawn far more vertically, and the slice above where the top of his head had been embedded is drawn as "bald", missing the helmet he shares with [[Shock]].
* First Aid is erroneously colored as Swerve in the first panel on page 11.
* Skids is drawn with no left hand on page 15.
* Rewind appears to be flying in [[data slug]] mode at the top of page 18.<ref name="FlyingRewind">[http://forum.idwpublishing.com/viewtopic.php?p=308201#308201 James Roberts:] I'm afraid this is a misleading panel. Rewind can't fly in giant dataslug mode.</ref>
* On the same page, Drift's entire body save for his head is colored entirely gray.
* On that same page again, Chromedome is blue.
* Cyclonus sports green eyes on pages 20 and 21.
* Swerve appears on page 24 on the Metrotitan's face despite the fact that he's supposed to be talking to Ore on the ''Lost Light''. This appears to be a script error rather than an artistic one, since the dialogue exchange in this panel uses the terms "Crusadercons" (which Swerve came up with in [[Liars, A to D Part 2: Hangers On|issue #2]]) and "brain-quest" (matching up with Swerve's love of quests)... ''exceeeept'' that means the bubbles appear to be switched, as Rodimus says these things and Swerve replies.
* Tailgate is shown to be in the group that gets teleported to Theophany's surface, and is seen standing with Swerve on the Metrotitan's face. However, he's later shown to be still on the ''Lost Light'' with Ultra Magnus when the Metrotitan teleports everyone away.
* Also on page 24 Rewind reacts with (perhaps sarcastic) surprise when Cyclonus speaks, yet on page 20 he's ''right there'' when Cyclonus reports in to Rodimus and Drift.
[[Image:MtMtEAnn2012-BlasterPink.jpg|thumb|Wait 'til [[e-HOBBY]] see this...]]
* Blaster is erroneously colored pink with a purple head on page 31.
* Ratchet's hands are colored red on page 35.
* Ultra Magnus's shoulder missiles disappear between panels on page 39.

===Crew manifest===
* Ore briefly returns to life before being teleported away with the Metrotitan.
* Swerve is having trouble locating [[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]], who said his "last words" in "[[Rules of Disengagement]]"
* Although [[Hyperion (G1)|Hyperion]] and [[Polaris]] were the only casualties, First Aid confirms that several Autobot sucked out of the ship in "[[Liars, A to D Part 1: How to Say Goodbye and Mean It|How to Say Goodbye and Mean It]]" are off-line and in the medical bay.

===Covers (3)===
*'''Cover A:''' Hot Rod & co. look at the collapsed Metrotitan, by [[Tim Seeley]]
*'''Cover B:''' A fantail of pictures showing the cast with Crystal City at the centre, by [[Alex Milne]]
*'''Cover RI:''' Ultra Magnus, Rodimus, Ratchet and half a Metrotitan, linking with the ''Robots in Disguise'' Annual 2012 cover, by [[Jimbo Salgado]]

<gallery>
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrA.jpg|Cover A
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrB.jpg|Cover B
Image:MTMTEAnn2012_cvrRI.jpg|Cover RI
</gallery>

===Advertisements===
* ''[[The Transformers: Robots in Disguise|Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Robots in Disguise Annual 2012|Annual 2012]]
* ''[[The Transformers: More than Meets the Eye|More than Meets the Eye]]'' [[More than Meets the Eye issue 9|#9]]
* ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Night and the City|#9]]

==External links==
*[http://www.newsarama.com/php/multimedia/album_view.php?gid=4499 Preview]

==References==
<references/>

Rattrap (BW)

2012-09-21T05:20:10Z

TrapRat: /* Beast Wars */ I meant to edit this tidbit ages ago. I note that someone has added the thing about the nose in the interim, but omitted the teeth.

{{faction|maximal|maximalbm}}
{{disambig2|the Maximal energon miner/warrior|the Autobot informant|Rattletrap}}
:''Rattrap is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Rattrap-S1.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm not a rat. If I'm any rodent, it's the loyal capybara, king of the rats...no, wait.]]
It's not so much that '''Rattrap''' is a coward... he just doesn't want to die. He's seen enough battles to know the score, so he's not afraid to tell his commanding officer to shove it if he's not fond of the odds. He prefers to sneak around unseen, in gutters or trenches or trash barges or what have you—whatever keeps him out of harm's way. He shouldn't be so worried. When he does encounter conflict, he deals with it masterfully with the arsenal of guns and bombs he keeps on himself at all times. He feels naked without them.

It's hard to like Rattrap, especially if you're his commanding officer. He's sarcastic, irreverent, and rude. Plus he smells (''why'' he smells is a mystery). He's also not the most trusting or forgiving sort, so he's not the best choice to take on a diplomatic run. He'd sooner shoot a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] or [[Decepticon]] than talk to them. Despite his tough-as-nails attitude, he has a [[Transformer romance|strong affection]] for his fellow Maximal [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]].

{{quote|We're all gonna die.|Rattrap, Every episode, ever.}}

==Fiction==
===Toy Bio===
Rattrap is a highly respected, top-notch soldier who is used mostly for reconnaissance, continually prowling the city streets for any Predacon activities. In order to keep up his strength, he's always eating "grunge and grime and any wretched refuse he may encounter along the way." Eeeeewwww... {{storylink|Rattrap#Toys|Rattrap bio}}
{{note|The on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===

====Dawn of Future's Past====
[[Image:Timelines-rattrap.jpg|left|175px|thumb|Remember kids, always wear your helmet when you transform into a bicycle.]]

While preparing for an exploration mission on board the [[Axalon (BW)|''Axalon'']], the Maximal who would later be called Rattrap and [[Cheetor (BW)|his young companion]] were stuck aboard a space station for weeks, running various errands before their mission could officially begin. Rattrap made no secret of his desire to be [[O'Malley's|somewhere else]]. After acquiring additional [[Energon]] for their trip, they returned to the ''Axalon'' where their captain, [[Optimus Primal]], notified his crew they had to travel first to the [[Alpha Quadrant]] to rid themselves of [[Rampage (BW)|some mysterious cargo]].

In the middle of Rattrap's objections, the ''Axalon'' was contacted by the [[Maximal High Council|High Council]]. The [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], a historic Maximal artifact, had been stolen by a rogue group of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] led by a Predacon criminal who had dubbed himself [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]. As the ''Axalon'' was the closest ship with the capabilities to take down the [[Darksyde|Predacons' stolen ship]], Rattrap and his team were ordered to pursue.

However, before long, their ship was attacked by a [[Buzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship|mysterious Predacon ship]]. After taking some damage, Rattrap was elated to see the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', a second Maximal ship, arrive and help deter their unknown attackers. However, the ''Chromia 10'' and its pilots were severely damaged in the scuffle before Rattrap was able to destroy the unknown Predacon ship with the ''Axalon'''s forward guns.

The battle over momentarily, Rattrap's ship was hailed by Megatron's, and the Predacon criminal introduced himself quickly to them before his ship opened fire on the Maximals. The ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a [[transwarp]] portal, and Rattrap and the Maximals followed. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese)|[[Orlando Viggiani]] (Portuguese), [[Paulo Porto]] (Portuguese, in some episodes), [[Claudio Moneta]] (Italian), [[Robert Missler]] (German), [[Pierre Laurent]] (French), [[Martín María Soto Portilla|Martín Soto]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Jesús Rodríguez (Rolo)]] (Castilian Spanish)}}

He was the best miner in the Vespa system. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}}

[[Image:BWPart1 coverfire.jpg|right|230px|thumb|That's what friends are for!]]
After following the Predacons through a transwarp portal and appearing above a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged in the ensuing space battle, and before both ships crashed into the planet's surface below, the [[stasis pod]]s carrying the rest of Rattrap's crew were ejected into orbit.

The planet was rich with [[energon]]—so much so that prolonged exposure would short out their bodies. The Maximals and Predacons were forced to take organic forms from the local creatures; Rattrap took the form of a ([[Scale|very oversized]]) rat, and was dismayed to find that they were going to have to use the disguises to avoid the energon radiation. Forced into battle, he refused [[Optimus Primal/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]]'s order to rescue [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] on the grounds he'd get shot up. When Optimus went to do the job himself, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] had to hold up Rattrap to get the rat to provide covering fire. Afterwards, Rattrap was unrepentant, pointing out that they'd all come out of it alive.

[[Image:BeastWars2 Dinobot Rattrap glaring.jpg|left|220px|thumb|How's the weather up there?]]
On the way back to base, the Maximals ran into the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] who challenged Primal to a fight over leadership. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}} Rattrap objected to Primal's decision to subsequently let Dinobot join their group, accusing Dinobot of trying to kill Rhinox when the Predacon accidentally caused a rock fall. Primal had some harsh words with him. During a battle atop a mountain laced with energon, Rattrap found himself having a beast mode fight against [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

After Cheetor got himself blasted by Scorponok and got Rhinox's new comlink trashed, Rattrap didn't hesitate to mock the cat for his mistakes. When Cheetor ran off to fix it, though, Rattrap found himself going after him to stop him from doing anything stupid - which failed miserably, as Cheetor was captured by Tarantulas long before Rattrap reached him. The rat and the spider engaged in a heated duel in Tarantulas' underground lair, with Rattrap gaining the upper hand by using a heat box to fool the spider's thermal scanner. After rescuing Cheetor, Rattrap gave an alibi to Optimus about their whereabouts, but then chewed out the cat for almost getting them both scrapped. He left to munch some garbage, but earned a new friend when Cheetor thanked him for saving his life. {{storylink|The Web}}

During an energon storm, Rattrap tried fruitlessly to raise Optimus, only for their leader to arrive and scrub the mission Cheetor was due to go out on. At least this time it was Dinobot who goaded Cheetor into going out, but all of the Maximals were later thanking the cat for saving their lives later on. {{storylink|Equal Measures}} When Optimus went semi-missing in action, swallowed by a [[Vok probe|alien probe]], Rattrap objected strenuously to Dinobot nominating himself as new leader. A vote was left stalemated until Optimus managed to get a signal to the base and named Rattrap group commander in his absence. After a moment of initial indecision, Rattrap commanded capably while Primal was missing (even earning Dinobot's grudging respect). When Primal returned, he offered his compliments as well. Rattrap's response: "Eh, command's a pain in the tail, especially with this pack of hyenas. You can keep it!" {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

Over time, Rattrap grew to respect his commander grudgingly, with the earliest glimmers showing through when Primal and Rattrap infiltrated a flying mountain that was loaded with supercharged Energon. Primal bravely distracted a super-powered Terrorsaur while Rattrap planted explosives to destroy the mountain (and had a brief tussle with Tarantulas). Optimus then got them both off of the exploding mountain with a fearless beast-mode leap off the edge, which ended with them dangling in the treetops far below. Rattrap commented that Primal "did pretty good up there—but don't tell anyone I said so." {{storylink|Power Surge}} Rattrap was a member of the party sent out to attempt to capture a stasis pod after Optimus Primal was taken out as soon as he left the base. The group was cut off from the pod when [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and Terrorsaur took out a snow bridge, and Rattrap radioed base to break the bad news. Fortunately Dinobot and Primal were able to set up a transmitter, and by the time Rattrap and the others got to the pod, the [[protoform]] inside had already been reformatted into [[Tigatron]], who was able to help them fight the Predacons off. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:TerrorsaurcagedRT.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Despite all of Terrorsaur's rage, Rattrap is still just a rat in a cage.]]
Suspicious of why the Predacons had managed to ambush three straight Maximal operations, Optimus sent Rattrap on an undercover mission into the ''[[Darksyde]]'', under the guise of not trusting Rattrap and him defecting to the Predacons. Captured by Terrorsaur as part of the mission, Rattrap pleaded his loyalty to him and was taken to the base, where he knocked out [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]] with a transformation-disabling device, allowing Terrorsaur to seize power. After he was locked in the lower chambers and Megatron made his escape, Rattrap broke out and continued his mission, discovering that the Predacons had acquired a Maximal decoder chip which allowed them to hack the Maximals' communications. He was almost caught by Tarantulas but disabled him and signaled Optimus, who attacked the Predacon base with the other Maximals. In the firefight, Rattrap was forced to fire on Optimus, blasting him from the sky and seemingly confirming his traitorous ways. Dinobot almost destroyed him, but two timely breaks allowed Rattrap and the Maximals to escape. Back on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Optimus congratulated Rattrap on a job well done, adding that he didn't need to make his "defection" that believable (as he rubbed where Rattrap had shot him). Rattrap's response was "Eh, what can I say? I was trying to miss." {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Frenzy is red!" "Maximal lies!"]]
Rattrap distrusted Dinobot and insulted him at every turn. Dinobot wantonly returned in kind, constantly bickering with the "vermin". Dinobot and Rattrap's arguments ranged from being a minor irritation at times to causing serious chaos in the Maximal ranks at others. Rattrap's taunts caused a berserk Dinobot to damage the control module of the newly activated Sentinel defense system, which promptly drove the Maximals out of their own base. Under the circumstances, Rattrap's rarely seen sense of nobility and fair play came to the fore; recognizing the predicament as his own fault, he immediately volunteered to stay inside the base and deactivate Sentinel. His considerable skills at infiltration and demolition allowed him to reach the central computer core and order Sentinel to stand down, though very nearly at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

When Primal was hit by one of [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s [[Cyberbee]]s, injecting a virus and turning Primal into a berserker, Rattrap unexpectedly became the voice of reason, telling Cheetor and Dinobot to settle down. He objected to Dinobot's idea to set their enraged leader on the Predacons, but it became academic when Primal escaped and headed for the ''Darksyde'' anyway. Rattrap and the other Maximals provided cover fire for Cheetor, as the young Maximal mounted a rescue. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}} During an attempt by the Maximals to build a communications tower to contact a [[temporal probe]], which the [[Maximal High Council]] had sent to search for the ''Axalon'', Rattrap managed to save Dinobot's life by blasting [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] over a cliff. Unfortunately he was promptly hit by the same [[transformation lock lens]] which had disabled Dinobot's robot mode. Ultimately the tower was destroyed by Megatron. {{storylink|The Probe}}

[[Image:Victory Megatron crushes Rattrap.jpg|right|thumb|270px|[[Rubber Ducky]] isn't his ''only'' squeaky toy.]]
Rattrap planted a spy cam in the ''Darksyde'', and the Maximals were surprised to watch the Predacons apparently manage to blow themselves up. He proceeded to try to push as many of Dinobot's buttons as possible, but without getting a rise. The Maximals managed to salvage enough to get their own ship working. As Rattrap was telling Tigatron about a "sweet little hole-in-the-wall", it was revealed that the Predacons weren't slagged after all. Megatron managed to get on board and blasted everyone but Rattrap, attempting to crush the Maximal with his bare hands (or at least his beast-mode jaws). Fortunately Rhinox came around in time to come to Rattrap's rescue, though the ship still crashed. Afterwards, Rattrap and Dinobot resumed their usual bickering. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

After Rhinox was captured by the Predacons, Rattrap managed to tap into his friend's comlink, and the Maximals listened in horror as Rhinox was converted into a Predacon by Megatron's [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]]. Though Rattrap was determined that they should go in there immediately, Primal held them back, allowing the evil-ized Rhinox to wreak havoc in the Predacon base. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Tricked by a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]], Primal sent Rattrap with the clone to investigate a possible Predacon base. Instead, while Rattrap was crossing a log over a lava flow, the clone kicked the log out from under him. Rattrap survived, landing on a rock and using a grenade to get himself out of the chasm. He swiftly warned Primal and Cheetor, but by the time they reached base, Dinobot had already... dealt with the clone. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

[[Image:The Trigger Rattrap optimus.jpg|left|230px|thumb|You call it "hi-jacking". I call it "forced donation".]]
Rattrap and the other Maximals later welcomed [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] to the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. {{storylink|The Spark}} During a contact with Tigatron, Rattrap was alarmed to hear his comrade was under Predacon attack. After news came in by Cyberbee that Tigatron had discovered an alien-built [[Brigadoon|flying island]], the Maximals were alarmed to hear that Blackarachnia and Scorponok were trying to take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Rattrap and Primal headed for the island, tangling with Terrorsaur and Waspinator on the way, Rattrap commandeering Terrorsaur as his new ride. After they reached the island, Blackarachnia took control of it. Rattrap's leg became trapped, and he told Tigatron to go on, dealing with the problem himself by using the island's own defense system. This also provided a crucial distraction, allowing Tigatron to destroy the island's power source. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

Megatron's latest gambit involved the Predacons stealing the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki> [[rectifier coil]], forcing the Maximals to remain in their beast modes at all time. The Maximals soon succumbed to their base animal insincts, wandering out into the jungle, but were aided by Tigatron, who helped them to delete the block between their instincts and Maximal programming. Rhinox and Rattrap improvised a ratball special during the ensuing battle. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Rattrap was part of the group of Maximals who were searching for energon when Scorponok triggered an explosion, blinding them all. Lead by Rhinox, they attempted to make their way back to the ''Axalon'', but were attacked by a snake. Though Rattrap failed to rescue Cheetor, he did manage to save his companion in a way, by proving a more attractive meal. Luckily for him, Rhinox got rid of the snake. They continued on, managing to nearly reach the Maximal base when they came under attack by Terrorsaur and Waspinator. Rhinox was able to guide the other Maximals in fighting the Predacons off while blinded. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} After a violent storm damaged the Maximal base, making it vulnerable, the Predacons mounted an attack with the help of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who had possessed Waspinator's body. The Predacons triumphed, expelling the Maximals into the wilderness, however the Predacon occupation didn't last long, as internal conflict in their ranks allowed the Maximals to retake their base. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[Image:Low Road Rattrap Dinobot fight.jpg|thumb|right|230px|YOU THERE! STFU!]]
Another costly incident resulted when Rattrap and Dinobot were ordered to clear rampant wild bean vines growing outside the Maximal base. A prank by Rattrap quickly turned into a brawl between the two. Their struggle continued even when the Predacons launched a sneak attack, requiring Rhinox to exit the base to provide covering fire for them. Tarantulas used the distraction to inject Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], which eventually wore down his systems to the point of near-deactivation. Primal ordered Rattrap and Dinobot to find Tarantulas's lair and retrieve an antidote, commenting: "They'll either learn to work together or they'll destroy each other...right now, I don't care which." Despite continuing their argument the whole time, Rattrap and Dinobot managed to find [[Tarantulas's lair]], and retrieve the counter-virus. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

After Megatron called for a truce, Rattrap was sent with Airazor to infiltrate the ''Darksyde'' to find out what was going on. They were immediately detected and asked to leave, but they'd provided the necessary distraction for Tigatron to get into the Predacon base. Rattrap later took part in a (non-violent) operation to aid Tigatron's escape, and Tigatron reported that Megatron had discovered that the aliens were coming. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} Rattrap and Airazor were first to reach the alien landing site, but Rattrap was blasted, while Airazor became trapped in the [[Bio-Dome|"nutty alien bungalow"]] which sprouted up. After dealing with Waspinator in a not at all non-violent manner, Rattrap attempted to cut into the structure using a laser, but was unsuccessful. fortunately Scorponok's sting allowed him to enter the construct with Optimus, and he was able to pull Airazor out, only to find the truce was over and he was at Predacon gunpoint.

[[Image:OtherVoices1 Rattrap beast mode.jpg|thumb|left|RataTOING!!!]]
Rattrap and Airazor were subsequently able to overpower the Predacons and make a retreat when Optimus's escape from the bungalow provided a distraction. High above, one of the moons opened up, revealing what Rattrap would later dub the "[[Planet Buster]]". {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} Returning to base, the Maximals discovered it had been compromised, and Rattrap and Airazor found Blackarachnia in the hold with a spacecraft Tarantulas had constructed from a stasis pod. Optimus would later pilot the stasis pod, using it to destroy the Planet Buster and save the Maximals, though at the cost of his own life. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

The destruction of the Planet Buster caused a [[quantum surge]], mutating Cheetor and Rattrap into new [[Transmetal]] forms. Rattrap gained a new wheeled mode which afforded him more speed. Almost immediately, Megatron, who had also received an upgrade, attacked, and the two Maximals found their new forms being tested in battle. Rattrap was able to use his wiles to trip Megatron, but ended up being crashed into by Cheetor. {{storylink|Aftermath}} After finding a stasis pod containing a [[blank]], Rhinox put himself into some sort of trance-like state. With everyone else out in the field, Rattrap was left alone in the base, and Cheetor naturally soon radioed to warn him that the Predacons were on their way. Naturally any use of the base defenses would interfere with what Rhinox was doing, so, joined by Dinobot, Rattrap set out to defend the base with Cheetor. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|thumb|right|250px|They should make a kart game for the Wii out of this scene.]]
Outnumbered two to one, the trio fought on, capturing [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]], one of the two [[Fuzor]]s who had revived and been co-opted into the Predacon forces by Megatron. Though Dinobot favored termination, Rattrap and Cheetor had Silverbolt put in a [[CR chamber]]. The Maximals continued to defend the base, and were on the verge of defeat, until Optimal Primal appeared, reborn in a Transmetal body, and fought the Predacons off. Resuming command, Optimus asked Rattrap to remove his junk from the commander's quarters. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

With Silverbolt now a Maximal, he and Rattrap were out patrolling when they were sent to investigate a Predacon signal and tangled with Blackarachnia, Tarantulas and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. To Rattrap's chagrin, his comrade refused to strike Blackarachnia because of her gender. When the cave the Predacons were protecting exploded, Rattrap congratulated Silverbolt on his shot, but Silverbolt denied doing anything. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

Rattrap's relationship with Dinobot was sorely tested when Dinobot temporarily returned to the Predacon side. For one long moment, as Dinobot was faced with a test of Predacon loyalty at Megatron's behest, Rattrap truly believed that Dinobot was about to slag him. But Dinobot proved unable to kill his erstwhile teammate; he instead turned on Megatron. Optimus left the final decision over whether Dinobot could stay a Maximal to Rattrap, who reluctantly agreed. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:OtherVisits2 Rattrap with gun.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]
Rattrap and Dinobot were assigned to knock out a Predacon jamming tower. They eventually managed it, but by then Tigatron and Airazor had been shot into space by an alien device. After rendezvousing back at base, the Maximals headed out to the site, where the alien device sprouted into a huge [[Metal Hunter|construct]] and blasted everyone with an energy wave. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transmetals and Fuzors recovered quickly, and Primal and Rattrap worked to drop the [[refractive web]] which Tarantulas had placed over the machine. Unfortunately they were too late to prevent Megatron taking control of ship, and Primal was taken prisoner. Rattrap was able to take Tarantulas captive, returning the Predacon to the ''Axalon'', where they formulated a plan of attack. While the other Maximals provided a distraction, Tarantulas and Rattrap got on board the ship, and Rattrap was able to rescue Optimus. The craft itself was destroyed when Tarantulas sabotaged the transwarp drive, but luckily Primal and Rattrap got clear in time. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:CodeofHero Rattrap salutes.jpg|thumb|right|260px|Like I said, you're just a blasted, slag-spouting saurian, but... it's nice to know where ya stand.]]
Rattrap still give Dinobot grief about his recent betrayal—not the usual flippant insults, either, but genuine barbs that cut Dinobot to the quick. Rattrap's words helped motivate Dinobot into what would ultimately be his heroic final sacrifice to save the future of the human race. Rattrap arrived at the battlefield along with the other Maximals to find Dinobot damaged beyond recovery. His reaction was perhaps the strongest of any of the team. The two shared final words of both insult and reconciliation, Rattrap gingerly holding Dinobot's hand as he died. As Dinobot's spark left his body, Rattrap was the first to stand and, with utter sincerity, salute the fallen hero. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

While searching for a jamming tower, Rattrap, Cheetor and Silverbolt discovered a crashed stasis pod containing a [[Transmutate (character)|strangely mutated Transformer]]. As they fought the Predacons over, it, it let out a sonic cry which shorted out the Maximals. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

[[Image:Rattrap-slimpickins5.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap fights to prevent Predacon infiltration, subversion, and pollution of the Maximals' precious bodily fluids.]]
When Rhinox's calculations suggested that the [[transwarp wavefront]] from the Planet Buster explosion would soon be detected by [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the Maximals celebrated their impending rescue. Instead they got Predacon secret agent [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who Rattrap trusted only slightly less than he initially did Dinobot. Despite his misgivings, Rattrap took part in the assault on the ''Darksyde'', and was present for Megatron's apprehension. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Rattrap raised the alarm when Cheetor was knocked out by Silverbolt, who wanted to go capture Blackarachnia himself. A while later, Rattrap's distrust of Ravage proved well founded — Ravage was turned against them by Megatron, and Rattrap had to radio a warning to Primal. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

As Ravage's [[Transwarp cruiser]] attacked the ''Axalon'', Rattrap used his wheeled beast mode to launch himself out of the base and onto Ravage's ship. Tearing his way through its hull, he tossed a pair of [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion grenade|fusion grenade]]s right into the hands of the startled Tarantulas, who could do nothing but scream as they blew him to bits and destroyed the cruiser's engines. Rattrap bailed out as the Transwarp cruiser crashed its destructive way to earth, having pretty much single-handedly saved the Maximals and their base from destruction.

The next day, as the Maximals tried to infiltrate the Autobot vessel the Ark, Rattrap fired the shot that brought down the Ark's shields and—almost—gave the Maximals a chance to stop Megatron's last-ditch scheme to alter history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Though Blackarachnia turned against Megatron and assisted the Maximals in starting to repair the damage Megatron had done to [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], Rattrap was not particularly sympathetic, threatening to shoot her, even on pain of injury by Silverbolt. When Optimus hesitated in shooting Megatron, Rattrap volunteered to do it himself, and Primal batted him aside. Later still, Rattrap spared no sarcasm in mocking Silverbolt, after the other Maximal gave a long melodramatic speech over Blackarachnia, offering the services of his invisible violin. The Maximals were forced to move in to the cavern housing the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] after [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] destroyed the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Beast Noirs]]
Rattrap wasn't impressed with new arrival [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], declaring him rude and joking the Predacons would make fish sticks out of him. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Rattrap was picked for a mission to enter the submerged remains of the ''Axalon'' and retrieve Sentinel, mostly because he was the only one small enough to fit in the [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] which Blackarachnia had built. Attacked by Rampage, he was glad to see Depth Charge coming to the rescue, though Depth Charge was more interested in fighting Rampage than helping with the mission. Extracting the Sentinel module, Rattrap returned to the surface where Silverbolt was waiting, however the pair quickly ran into a group of Predacons whole stole Sentinel. Though Rattrap and Silverbolt got it back, they collided with Depth Charge, resulting in Sentinel falling into [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s hands. Rattrap later had some uncomplimentary things to say about Depth Charge, but was forced to admit the other Maximal ''had'' saved his life. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

Rattrap's suspicions of Blackarachnia continued when he spotted her lurking around restricted areas. When later telling Rhinox about it, Rattrap made it clear he still didn't trust the ex-Predacon. He and Rhinox found themselves defending the base alone against a Predacon incursion, when the others were all out battling a group of [[Cyber raptor]]s. Just as it seemed the Predacons would triumph, Depth Charge arrived to lend a hand, and saved Rattrap's bacon. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}} Rattrap monitored Cheetor, after the latter had turned up, having been missing presumed killed. He was startled by noises coming from Cheetor's quarters, and was even more shocked when a strange feral beast burst through the door, apparently spiriting away Cheetor. A while later, Cheetor once again returned, but it was clear all wasn't right, and Rattrap was surprised to discover that the young bot had been mutated by the strange properties of the [[transmetal driver]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

Blackarachnia didn't appreciate Rattrap's insinuations about her loyalty when the Maximals were investigating the possibility of removing her Predacon shell program. His suspicions were seemingly confirmed a while later, when Silverbolt's scan detected Blackarachnia heading for Predacon territory. Although Rattrap's first instinct was to tell Optimus, Silverbolt managed to talk him out of it by bringing up Rattrap's friendship with Dinobot. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

[[Image:Go with the Flow Rattrap Una.jpg|thumb|250px|left]]
Rattrap was amused by Cheetor's attempts to educate [[Chak]] and [[Una]], two young [[Protohuman]]s. When Una was kidnapped by the Preds in order to complete Megatron's [[disruptor cannon]], Rattrap was teamed up with Depth Charge to go rescue the kid. During the flight, they were shot down by Megatron's cannon, disabling Depth Charge and leaving Rattrap to go on alone. Though outnumbered by the Predacons, Rattrap was aided by Una herself, and the pair made their escape, using Depth Charge as a raft. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}} When Blackarachnia's shell program began to degrade, and she downloaded the Ark's access codes into Optimus, Rattrap commented "You couldn't pay me to let that spider inside my processor," which prompted Cheetor and Silverbolt to tell him to keep his opinions to himself. He still defended the base to try and prevent the operation to save Blackarachnia from failing, even if it did fail in the end (she got better). {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}} Megatron's next plan saw Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal, disabling the other Maximals and locking them in a cage. Blackarachnia released them all in time to fight off a newly-upgraded Megatron. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

When the Predacon base was destroyed by the arrival of [[Tigerhawk]], Rattrap was the first, and only Maximal prepared to celebrate, but was puzzled when anyone failed to return his high-five. {{storylink|Other Victories}} He was skeptical that Tigerhawk's arrival had anything to do with the [[Covenant of Primus]], and was later dismayed to learn that Megatron had pulled an ace out of his sleeve, in the form of the ancient [[Decepticon]] warship, the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', and they were going to have to defend the Ark against the oncoming attack. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

With the ''Nemesis'' airborne, the Maximals were forced to try to implement [[Operation Eternity]]. Rattrap found himself having to pack up his collection of Predacon parts, which has particularly full of Waspinator bits, as Rhinox explained that they might need to move the Ark. The Maximals struggled to get the ship working, and Blackarachnia found that Rattrap's sword-tail made a perfect power conduit... once she snipped off the tip. OW. Of course, it quickly melted when they tried and failed to fire up the engines.

As the victorious Maximals left Earth in a refitted Autobot shuttle, Rattrap was more than surprised to learn that [[Dinobot II|old chopper face's clone]] was responsible for saving them, but very happy—they were going home, and they wouldn't have to see Megatron until after they got there, as he was strapped to the roof of their shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

Rattrap should have known that nothing was ever that easy for them.
{{-}}

====Dreamwave Summer Special====
[[Image:AintNoRat Rattrap target.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
As Rattrap piloted the Autobot shuttle back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he observed his companions sleeping in back, and drifted off himself, beginning to dream...
:''Out testing an experimental vehicle built by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]], Rattrap ran into [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]], who yanked him out of the small craft. Rattrap's appeals to the Predacon's honor appeared to have an effect, and Dinobot halted his blow for a few moments, before appearing to resume his attack. They were interrupted when a [[Bonecrusher (BW)|bison]] knocked them both from a cliff, and Rattrap was saved from falling to his death by a [[Optimus Minor|monkey]]. Bonecrusher, Optimus Minor and [[Wolfang (Maximal)|Wolfang]] introduced themselves to a startled Rattrap, but Optimus Minor asked him not to tell Primal, as the three Maximals did not wish to fight in the Beast Wars.''
Rattrap was woken up by Primal, but wouldn't elaborate on what he had been dreaming. {{storylink|Ain't No Rat}}
{{--}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{Note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron combined his spark with that of the original Megatron, he had Quickstrike plant a device in the Maximal base. The device magnified the Maximals' aggression. For Rattrap, this simply meant that his complaining became even more incessant until Cheetor started chasing him around. Eventually Optimus Primal was able to help them overcome the device's effects, and they fought off Megatron instead. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{Note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
While [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] and Rattrap were bickering in the [[technorganic orchard]], Megatron's spark animated a [[Motorcycle Drone|Cycle drone]] and attacked them. After a brief scuffle, the thing exploded, sending the pair diving for cover. Rattrap later worked out that Megatron's spark had become depolarised and attempted to repolarise it. Unfortunately his attempts clued Megatron in to what had happened, and before Rattrap ultimately succeeded, Megatron used the knowledge to destroy Rhinox. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor'': [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Kappei Yamaguchi]] (Japanese), [[Ignacio Castaño]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Alexandre Moreno]] (Portuguese), [[Daniel Abundis]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Gerald Schaale]] (German), [[Fabrizio Manfredi]] (Italian)

[[Image:MasteroftheHouse Rattrap.jpg|thumb|270px|left|Look, if you're not going to keep your technorganic body clean, it'll be taken away from you.]]
After the Beast Wars ended, the Maximals finally made it back to Cybertron, only to be shot down, hunted and attacked by legions of [[Vehicon (BM)|mindless tank drone Transformers]]. The drones unleashed a virus on the Maximals, devolving them back into their organic beast forms and erasing any prior memory of the event. Rattrap was hiding in a [[Monorail transport|monorail car]] when [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] stumbled upon him. Although Rattrap wanted to hide in the train car, Primal snatched him up and escaped just as the tank drones fired upon him. Primal's newfound intuition soon reunited the pair with [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. Primal then led them to the ancient [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] computer, which reformatted them into new, techno-organic bodies, curing the virus.

In his new form, Rattrap became a large green rat with a "toolkit" on his back, containing such things as flashlights and computer ports. When they first faced a platoon of [[Motorcycle Drone|Cycle drone]]s, the Maximals discovered that they were unable to transform. Rattrap asked if maybe they could return the upgrade, but Optimus soon stumbled on the fact that they needed to focus their inner selves in order to transform. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

Optimus set about teaching the other Maximals how to transform, but Rattrap had an immense amount of trouble, unable to get anything to happen. Their base discovered, the Maximals split up to find a new one, Rattrap accompanying Optimus on his search. When they later tried to gain entry to the [[Council Citadel]], Rattrap found his inability to transform caused him to be pretty much useless in battle. He was only saved from some Tank drones by Optimus interrupting [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s concentration. {{storylink|Master of the House}}

The other Maximals kept the Vehicons busy while Rattrap broke into the [[Cybertron Archives]], only to find the ancient library had been wiped clean. After a disorderly retreat, Rattrap followed Blackarachnia to the spaceport, where they encountered three new [[Vehicon general]]s. They managed to evade the trio and accessed the spaceport records of their arrival, discovering that there had been six of them on the shuttle. Blackarachnia headed for the shuttle's location, and Rattrap overheard a communication from Megatron indicating that he was going to access her mind when she accessed the shuttle computer. Rattrap dashed to the shuttle and cut the connection in time, and the pair were subsequently rescued from the three generals by Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

[[Image:Mercenary Pursuits Rattrap 2heads.jpg|right|230px|thumb|"My grandmother was caught snogging with Star Upper in a private zoo in 1919, so now I have a talking boil on my neck."]]
The discovery of information about [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] reawakened memories of them in the Maximals, who set out to find the missing pair. During the search, Rattrap found a transformation enhancer in a laboratory and, frustrated at his inability to transform, used it. Unfortunately it caused unpredictable effects, resulting in the four Maximals being captured by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]. Taken to Megatron, the Maximals were in danger of having their sparks extracted, however Rattrap's spontaneous random transformations broke him free of the energon bonds, and he was able to free everyone. With the help of Tankor, who Optimus temporarily convinced to help them, the Maximals escaped. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}}

Rattrap's failure to master transforming continued to frustrate him, causing him to snap at Primal and bluntly suggest the Maximal leader save his concern for Rhinox and Silverbolt. The Maximals subsequently encountered another Maximal, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who had survived Megatron's purge. After a brief battle with [[Aero Drone]]s, during which Rattrap was forced to hide, Nightscream took the Maximals to the tree he had been living off. Rattrap, Blackarachnia and Optimus ate fruit from the tree, causing their beast instincts to overcome them, until Cheetor blasted the tree. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}

[[Image:Rattrap bm robotmode.jpg|left|280px|thumb|They see me rollin', they hatin'.]]
With Optimus Primal weakened after reformatting Nightscream, Cheetor was left in charge, and he, Rattrap and Blackarachnia went on a mission to a Vehicon factory in search of information. While under orders to access the computer, Rattrap saw Nightscream in what looked like deadly peril... and finally found that his concern for others allowed him to transform. Though he realised straight away that his new robot mode lacked weapons, he attempted to save Nightscream anyway, only to discover he'd bungled an ambush his friends were planning. While trying to stop the factory operating, he managed to send a massive surge through the computer system, destroying the factory- at the same time temporarily crippling Megatron and putting his drone armies out of commission.

Back at base, Cheetor chewed out his behaviour. To make matters worse, he compounded the problem by transforming to robot mode within the base to prove that he could- something that potentially allowed the Vehicons to track their position. Though he suddenly realised that the power surge he'd caused had made Megatron weak, the other Maximals refused to follow his suggestion that pressing to the attack might be a good idea, and he would later overhear them discussing what to do about him. Upset, he left the base and went to Megatron, offering to protect the Vehicon leader overnight in return for "noisemakers", and was provided with a massive armored suit. As the other Maximals arrived, accusing him of being a traitor, tensions mounted between the two. Indeed, this controversial decision almost brought him to blows with the other Maximals, until Primal arrived and talked him down, telling the other Maximals that Rattrap was stronger than they knew. As a result Rattrap abandoned the armored suit and walked into the sunlight with the other four Maximals. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

Not long afterwards, the Maximals found a factory full of empty Transformer bodies, which Rattrap examined. and discovered that the sparks had been forcibly ripped out. After another skirmish with the Vehicons, Blackarachnia revealed she'd discovered that the three generals held the sparks of their missing friends. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} While Nightscream and Blackarachnia kept the other Vehicon generals busy, Rattrap and Cheetor went on a special mission. Rattrap hacked into Tankor's processor, unlocking memories about what had happened when they reached Cybertron. It didn't take long before he realised that Tankor was actually Rhinox. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} Though Cheetor was skeptical, they revived Tankor, only to find themselves being chased across the city by the enraged Vehicon. Eventually, Primal was able to reawaken Rhinox's personality, only for the Maximals to discover their friend had turned against him. Though Rattrap was about to reprogram Tankor, he was prevented by Optimus, and could only watch as their friend left. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Rattrap takes cover.jpg|thumb|220px|right|''Lemmywinks journeyed a distance far and fast, to find his way out of a gay man's ass...'']]
While Rattrap was trying to extract memories from Nightscream, the young Maximal's snide comments about the fact they had lost the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] angered him. The Maximals attempted to find the chamber containing the fruit tree again, leading to a fight with the Vehicons during which everyone was knocked out, and Nightscream abducted. The Maximals managed to find him, leading them to battle more Vehicons, and the discovery of a [[fossil cave]] which they would use for their base. {{storylink|Survivor}} With Optimus and Cheetor now constantly coming to blows over leadership decisions, Rattrap would often find himself in the middle of their arguments. The latest such argument was cut short when the Maximals discovered a quantity of [[organic goo]], which was followed by the appearance of Tankor, who used the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] to turn Nightscream into [[technomatter]] before himself overloading. As they'd discovered that the organic goo would cure the technomatter sickness, Rattrap accompanied Primal and Cheetor in trying to obtain a [[Vehicon Mole|mole drone]] in order to drill for more goo. Having commandeered one and cured the technomatter, Rattrap found himself in the middle of another argument, and this time left them to it, forcing them to talk about their disagreement. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Catalyst Rattrap vine uhoh.jpg|thumb|left|250px|He hurt it through the grapevine.]]
Searching the computers for more locations to find the organic goo, Rattrap stumbled on a catalyst planted there by Tankor. He used it to superaccelerate the plant growth, only to find himself literally carried away by the vines, and having to be rescued by the other Maximals. They would later use the fast-growing vines to rescue Blackarachnia, against Optimus's wishes, an act that almost spelled doom for the orchard. {{storylink|The Catalyst}} Nonetheless, Rattrap used the catalyst to create plant-bombs that ensnared Vehicons in instant-growth vines. When Optimus discovered the location of the [[plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]], which would end all technological life on Cybertron, the other Maximals persuaded him not to use it. Instead, they had Rattrap attempt to hack into the computers to found a way to disable the Keys. Unfortunately Tankor had other plans, and disabled Rattrap by zapping him into technomatter. {{storylink|End of the Line}}

Restored to technorganic health when the conflicting energies of the Keys and the Plasma Energy Chamber cancelled each other out, the Maximals visited the Council Citadel, where they discovered the remains of Optimus, Megatron and Tankor. Rattrap checked out the city's central core and reported it was flat-lining. Though he was greatly discouraged, Cheetor announced they had to find the lost sparks. After an altercation with the two remaining Vehicon generals, the Maximals went to the Oracle chamber, where they found Primal floating with in the Oracle. Though he asked for them to forgive him, Rattrap told him there was nothing to forgive. With some encouragement from the Maximals and an encounter with the Matrix, Optimus chose life, returning to them.

[[Image:PrometheusUnbound Rattrap harness.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"''I'' was Number One all along!!"]]
Returning to the surface, the Maximals were startled when a giant [[Grand Mal|likeness of Megatron]] floated into view. {{storylink|Fallout}} While Optimus tried to contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to look for the Vehicon generals, and found [[Noble]], a completely organic [[Transformer]] who had seemingly no control over his transformations into a huge beast dubbed Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} Noble made Rattrap extremely uneasy and he had little sympathy for Nightscream's friendship with the beast. The Maximals broke into the Council Citadel, eventually reaching the throne room, where Rattrap tapped into Megatron's [[control harness]] and attempted to access the encrypted data. He was pulled from the harness by Noble, who it turned out was Megatron himself, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, and soon took up residence in the giant floating head, reactivating the Vehicon drones. After the Maximals retreated to a safe place, Rattrap expressed his sorrow to Nightscream that Noble had turned out to be a con job. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

Rattrap developed a new device, combining a spark extractor with a [[DNA scanner]], which he hoped to use to reformat the Vehicon generals back into their friends. While searching for Nightscream, he spotted the young Maximal being dragged away by Savage, who was by then sparkless and operating completely on instinct. Believing the worst, Rattrap attempted to quietly rescue Nightscream, but accidentally alerted Savage. The pair fled, and managed to lose Savage by diverting his attention to [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]. They found that Blackarachnia had used Rattrap's device to turn [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] back into [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and Rattrap was overjoyed to have at least one of their friends back. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}} A [[Hate Plague]] virus created by Megatron infected the Maximal ranks, causing the Maximals to fight among themselves. With Optimus's help, they realised what was happening and managed to work together to overcome the virus. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}}

A spaceship crash led the Maximals to discover [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a Maximal formatted as a plant-based life form, who was able to lend a hand with the failing technorganic crops. {{storylink|Home Soil}} Though the Maximals were finding they had an easier time dealing with just Thrust, Megatron soon introduced two new Vehicon generals — [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] — who almost got the better of the Maximals until a vision prompted Botanica to lend a hand. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}}

[[Image:Sparkwar2 Rattrap generators.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"All right, so it's not a TARDIS generator, it's just a jammy dodger..."]]
Searching for a way to evade the Vehicons, Rattrap developed [[scrambled field generator]]s, which hid their life signs. Rattrap and Botanica were paired up to search for the lost sparks, but spent most of their search bickering, only to encounter Strika. Fleeing, they hid in a handy building which turned out to contain a [[Holo-chip|holographic entertainment unit]], much to Rattrap's delight. While he was immersed in an illusion, Strika attacked. Botanica yanked him out of the holographic world, and he subsequently used the device to keep Strika occupied. Though he was inordinately pleased with himself, Botanica dragged him from the building, saying the hologram wouldn't hold Strika for long. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}}

As the Maximals intended to infiltrate the floating head in search of the missing sparks, Rattrap provided upgraded versions of his scrambled field generators. They were used to great effect, as Rattrap, Primal, Blackarachnia and Botanica snuck aboard the flying head, only to discover that Megatron had begun to devour the missing sparks as part of his ascension. After Megatron made the mistake of killing Noble, Nightscream used his sonic attack to blast and apparently dissipate Megatron's spark. With the floating head plummeting, Rattrap managed to activate the manual controls so that Optimus could take control of it. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

After the Maximals had celebrated their foe's demise, Optimus assigned Botanica and Rattrap to tend to the [[technorganic orchard]], much to Rattrap's dismay. He continued to complain, even as he worked on the orchard, and got into an intense argument with Botanica, which abruptly ended when they accidentally [[Kiss|locked lips]]. Startled and embarrassed, they both decided to delete their memories of the incident. As it turned out, Megatron wasn't gone after all, and his spark possessed a Cycle drone, which wreaked havoc in the orchard until Botanica destroyed it. Rattrap swiftly found a way to track the spark, and managed to repolarize it, allowing it to finally possess a body for good — that of a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

[[Image:BMEndgame1 Rattrap Botanica dying.jpg|thumb|right|250px|"See?! Botanica's no longer GOING to be in the show! ''I HOPE YOU'RE SATISFIED, FANDOM.''"]]
Soon the Maximals found themselves sieged aboard the giant head. The ship's shields cut Botanica from Cybertron's organic core, slowly starving her. Desperate to save her, Rattrap loaded her into a lifepod and used a device to eject her through the shields. Unfortunately this also allowed Megatron to learn the shield harmonics, enabling the Vehicons to bypass the shields as well. Rattrap defended his actions, but the ship was doomed. He erected a stasis field around the [[spark containment unit]] as the ship plunged to the ground. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} With the ship completely depowered, Botanica showed up with a power cable, and Rattrap was extremely happy to see her, though he clumsily hid it. As they prepared to defend the ship, Botanica thanked Rattrap for saving her life. Optimus was able to get the Oracle to provide them with spark powerups.

[[Image:Rattrap bm treehugger.jpg|left|250px|thumb|A little man and a big plant.]]
During the battle against the Vehicon drones, Botanica sensed Mole drones attacking the orchard, and took Rattrap and Nightscream down to fight them off. The Mole drones moved in on Botanica, but Rattrap used his spark power to whisk her out of danger. Megatron was able to use his access to the Oracle to cut off the Maximals' spark power, and, overcome by the Mole drones, Rattrap and Botanica had their sparks ripped out by Cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}}

Though no longer able to physically help, the Maximals were able to offer brief words of encouragement to Primal during his final battle with Megatron. When Primal's sacrifice triggered the reformatting of Cybertron, their sparks were freed and quickly returned to their bodies. As they witnessed the newly greened Cybertron and the restored population, Rattrap leapt joyfully into Botanica's arms. So he's a tree hugger. Deal with it. His and Botanica's romantic moment was interrupted by [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] (now regular wasp size and with his [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] head) complaining about how he never gets what he wants, Rattrap just swatted him away. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}

{{--}}

====''Universe''====
During the [[Quintesson]] invasion of the newly techno-organic Cybertron, Rattrap was with Botanica when she sensed a disturbance in the earth. He and Nightscream joined her in tracing her feelings underground, where they encountered a Quintesson named [[Al-Badur]]. After Al-Badur proved his good intentions (for the moment) by disabling a large number of the invading [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]]s, Rattrap and his friends agreed to follow the Quint to the site of the [[Wrecker]]s' battle.

The combined Autobots and Maximals were drafted to assist [[Sentinel Maximus]] in his conflict with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]]. Naturally, Al-Badur betrayed them when he saw a chance, trapping Sentinel and Cryotek behind a force field over a spatial portal, and nearly snaring Rattrap and the others as well. Worse still, the unique composition of the Quintesson portal chamber resisted the effects of the reformatting, and was completely blocked off from the planet's organic core. Without that link, Botanica was fading fast. Rattrap and Nightscream got her to safety and returned to help, but ultimately there was nothing to be done. Sentinel Maximus grabbed hold of Cryotek and pulled him into the yawning portal, sacrificing himself to remove the Predacon gangster from Cybertron.

Afterwards, Rattrap and the others mourned their losses, including the fabled Autobot leader [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus]]. They were nearly caught up in [[Rook (Universe)|Rook]]'s media coverage on the way out of the underground, but Rattrap side-stepped the camera-bot. He offered the Wreckers' ally [[Devcon (G1)|Devcon]] a restored commission as Peace Marshall in the Iacon territories, but the hunter declined. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Rattrap legs.jpg|left|180px|thumb|Legs! Precious, beautiful legs!]]
Rattrap was among the Maximals gathered at Memorial Spaceport to greet the wayward [[Autobot]]s [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]] and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]] back to Cybertron approximately one year after the reformatting of Cybertron. He welcomed Trailbreaker back in his own unique fashion (involving intoxicants, naturally). Seconds later, Rattrap bore witness as the five travelers were abducted by Unicron. {{storylink|Abduction}}

[[Image:Escape-extraRattrap.jpg|right|thumb|150px|THERE. ARE. TWO. RATTRAPS.]]
A technorganic Rattrap from another universe was among those who were abducted by Unicron. He was freed along with the others and presumably returned to his home universe.

When Optimus Primal was restored to life and returned to Cybertron with the abductees, Rattrap was there to witness their arrival. {{storylink|Escape (Universe)|Escape}} Despite Primal's miraculous return, some of the Maximals voiced concerns that he might not be the same 'bot they once knew, but Rattrap vowed that this time, he was with Primal all the way.

Not long after, needing to blow off steam, Rattrap headed down to the [[Undercity]]. While firing off a blaster at nothing in particular, he was attacked on Cybertron by Blackarachnia, who had been abducted and corrupted by the Chaos Bringer. Rattrap noted that he'd never trusted Blackarachnia, and she replied that he was right not to do so. She was seconds away from delivering a killing strike, but Rattrap was saved by the recently resurrected [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. After the spider was driven off, Depth Charge started to leave. Rattrap pleaded with him that there was obviously something big afoot, but Depth Charge would not be swayed, taking his leave as the injured Rattrap passed out. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:11rattrap.GIF|right|142px|thumb|This is why Japan shouldn't touch the fiction. No seriously guys, we [[Dickbot the blender guy|got this]].]]

Following the [[Quantum surge]], [[Optimus Primal]] was dead and the [[Maximal]]s were left scattered all over [[Earth|Energoa]]. Now a [[Transmetal]], Rattrap proceeded to freak out all over the Maximal base as [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] attacked in force with his [[Cobra Corps]] and [[Scorpion Corps]]. With [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]]'s defenses gradually depleting, Rattrap remarked that they were all going to die.

Suddenly, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] appeared above the base, only to be attacked by Sentinel. [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] moved to shut Sentinel down and let her in, but Rattrap stopped him, saying that if he shut it down, they'd die for sure. Rhinox angrily reminded him that Maximals don't turn their backs on one another and shut Sentinel down. Feeling a bit guilty, Rattrap proceeded to use himself to cushion Airazor's crash-landing.

With the defenses down, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] was able to sneak in and attack. Ripping off Rattrap's arm, Blackarachnia was only spurred to leave after seeing what she thought was Rhinox committing suicide. As the base collapsed, Rattrap, Airazor and Rhinox were kept safe by a small force field, protecting a machine Rhinox hoped would return Optimus Primal to his old body. As Rhinox brought Primal's spark out of [[Transwarp space]], Rattrap blasted it from a laser cannon toward a dish positioned by Airazor, allowing Primal to return to his new Transmetal body. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Rattrap is a playable character in the Maximal mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only list said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Rattrap can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Megatron (BW)|several]] [[Scorponok (BW)|Predacons]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|included]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|as]] [[Inferno (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Rattrap fills the role of the nameless Maximal. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game===
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}[[Image:N64_Rattrap.jpg|frame|right|Use the cheat codes or he's not in character!]]
''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), ??? (Japanese)

Rattrap displays an otherwise unseen ability to quickly burrow underground in his beast mode, and subsequently errupt from the earth in order to surprise his opponent.

The Beast Wars were ultimately won thanks to a spy mission successfully completed by Rattrap. The resulting sneak attack meant the end of Megatron, who perished in the battle's explosive finale. The remaining Predacon troops were subsequently taken prisoner. The Beast warriors then boarded the ancient Autobot shuttle, and returned to Cybertron. Back on his home planet, Rattrap can finally enjoy peace and tranquility, as he relaxes at restaurants, taverns and bars, proclaiming: "Ahh... Ya know, we're all gonna di... dine!" {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Rattrap's fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Rattrapbeastwarsbasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Less cute than advertised.]]
*'''Rattrap''' (Basic, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-5'''
**''Accessories'': 2-part [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion pistol|pistol]]

: Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Rattrap transforms from a large rat to robot mode with a spring-action, [[Autotransformation|one-step transformation]]. His beast mode "shell" halves each hide a part of his handgun.

: In Japan, the initial releases of Rattrap were identical to the [[Hasbro]] version. At the very end of the Japanese ''Beast Wars'' line (early 1997), several toys were given altered decos to make them more show-like. For Rattrap, this mainly meant his robot-mode head got a humongous glob of shiny copper paint (that didn't really match his copper plastic in tone). This copper was also used on his hands. His beast-mode eyes were changed from yellow to red and dark gray paint added to his rat nose, although oddly the [[paint operation]]s on his rodent teeth were dropped altogether.

: This mold was also used to make [[Packrat]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BasicJ2pack}}
*'''Rattle Vs Terrorsaurer''' (Vs pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-5'''
**''Accessories'': 2-part [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion pistol|pistol]]

: In Japan, Rattrap was available both separately and in a two-pack with the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]. This set contained the pre-[[redeco]]ed versions, identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|Transmetal1}}
[[Image:BWRattrapTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Find one without a chrome shedding problem, win a prize!]]
*'''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 1998/1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-43'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Part of the second wave of Deluxe [[Transmetal]]s, Rattrap transforms from semi-organic robot to a robotic rat. He has a third "beast-vehicle" form, folding his hind feet up into the extending rear wheels, flipping up his front legs, and pulling out a pair of [[Exhaust port|exhaust pipes]]. (Eyuw, the smell!) His beast-mode tail becomes a whip for robot mode. Despite the show's portrayal, his hubcaps are not removable, he does not have a handgun and his back kibble does not rotate 180 degrees. Transmetal Rattrap is one of several toys notable for being subject to severe chrome-flaking over time.

: There is a minor variant to this toy: about midway through the production run, a small "catch" was added to the neck's swivel joint to lock his robot head in place in robot mode. This [[retool]]ed version was then used for all subsequent releases of the toy.

: For the Japanese ''Beast Wars Metals'' release of Transmetal Rattrap, the chrome was given a much more maroon tone and the tan changed into gray. Also, the "RATTRAP" [[tampograph]] on his beast-mode back was changed to "CYBERTRON" with the [[Maximal]] [[Insignia|faction symbol]]. The orange used was also darker and more subdued.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Transmetal Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|MetalsVs}}
[[Image:BW-toy RattrapVsTerrorMetals.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Flash Showdown: Metals Rattle VS Metals Terrorsaurer'''
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-43'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: In Japan, Transmetal Rattrap was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with Terrorsaur. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|WalMart}}
[[Image:Walmartrattrappackrat.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Yoink!]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 1999)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: The first store-[[exclusive]] Transformer in the ''Beast Wars'' line, Transmetal Rattrap was given a deep blue color scheme. He was only available as a [[Walmart]] exclusive, even having the Walmart logo emblazoned on the bubble as part of the design.

: This toy was later [[Repurposing|repurposed]] as a Transmetal form for [[Packrat]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/WalmartRattrap/walrat.htm More information on Walmart Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|Puzzle}}
[[Image:BW-toy RattrapPuzzle.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Rattrap Cheesepants]]
* '''Metals Rattle Special Version''' (Pack-in Deluxe, 1999)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: The Deluxe Transmetal Rattrap toy was given a white and orange deco and packed in with a 500-piece ''Beast Wars Metals'' jigsaw puzzle from Central Hobby.

:Oddly, this toy uses the Hasbro "RATTRAP" tampograph on the rat-mode back rather than the Takara "CYBERTRON" and symbol mark. This is likely due to the fact it was released long before Metals was released in Japan.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Cybertron/PuzzleRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on puzzle Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FK}}
[[Image:Rattrap transmetal2000.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not actually a black repaint.]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Deluxe Transmetal, 2000)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: As part of the second "[[Fox Kids]]" Transmetals series, this version of Rattrap was one of the last releases in the original retail ''Beast Wars'' line. The toy got a more primary red color scheme, with bright gray robot bits and deep blue chrome.

: This toy was released in Japan as part of a [[JafCon]] convention exclusive set (without changes) along with the "Fox Kids" Transmetals versions of [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] and [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/FKTMRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Fox Kids Rattrap at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BMtoy-RattrapMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Is that whiteface?]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Happy Meal, 2000)

: Part of the ''Beast Machines'' McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Rattrap transforms into a technorganic rat modeled more after the cartoon model than the toy. As such, his robot mode does not have normal legs, only extendable wheels. His toy also features light piping that in theory illuminates the Maximal [[spark]] on his stomach. Being made of softer plastic and having no removable parts, he is very suitable for the younger set.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattrap (Mcdonald's) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

[[Image:BMtoy-RattrapRedRooster.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ever want to know what the children would look like?]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Little Red Rooster meal, 2000)

: The McDonald's Happy Meal Rattrap was also released in Australia through the Red Rooster restaurant rai—uh, chain. Like the other three pieces used, it came in four color schemes: the original colors (with opaques replacing the transparents), a reversed red-with-green, a deep blue with very light blue, and a light blue with deep blue.

:These versions of the mold were retooled from the original, removing almost all arm articulation (and a step in the transformation), plugging up the light piping, and reducing the number of parts and plastic colours used by the toy. Oddly, even though Little Red Rooster Meal Rattrap no longer has light piping he has a red paint ap (on all 4 versions) on his back to simulate the red circle of transluscent plastic on the original's back.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattraps (Red Rooster's) at TFU.info (scroll down)]''
{{-}}

[[Image:Rattrapbeastmachinesmega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Nobody's truly disabled so long as they have <strike>courage</strike> a third mode!]]
* '''Rattrap''' (Mega, 2001/2005)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BR-03'''
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Rattrap was the last release in the ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' toyline before the change to the "Battle for the Spark" packaging, not appearing on shelves until long after the rest of his Season 1 compatriots. Reportedly, Rattrap was delayed for redesign purposes.

:Rattrap transforms into a large [[technorganic]] rat. In beast mode, turning his tail moves his head and ears. In robot mode, he has a flip-down visor and moving jaw. His robot legs can also fold up so he can use his wheels, which also have flip-out blades. His beast tail becomes a hand-held whip. He possesses an orange spark crystal, concealed within his body, making it visible only in mid-transformation.

: This toy was later released as part of the [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]-exclusive [[Beast Machines: Transformers (toyline)|''Beast Wars Returns'' line]], made available only at Japanese Toys "R" Us stores. So far, it appears that there are no notable differences between the Hasbro and Takara versions aside from packaging.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Beast Machines Rattrap (Mega) at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10th-Rattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Not phallic at all.]]
* '''Rattrap''' (10th Anniversary, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Tail-whip

: Part of the second wave of ''Beast Wars'' 10th Anniversary product, the original [[#TM1|Transmetal Rattrap toy]] was given a slight deco modification, mainly a brighter, more neutral gray plus a Maximal sigil on his chest. He came with the right arm to the "build-a-bot" [[Transmutate (character)|Trans-Mutate]], plus a DVD of the episode "[[A Better Mousetrap]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Timelinestoy-RattrapDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Mmmm, cheese wheel.]]
* '''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Blaster, "Golden Disc Key"

: "Axalon Rattrap" is a redeco of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Ransack (Cybertron)|Ransack]], transforming into a Cybertronic motorcycle. Plugging a [[Cyber Planet Key]]—or in this set's case, a [[Golden Disc Key]]—into the rear portion of his bike mode flips out a pair of non-firing guns. This assembly detaches to form a hand-held blaster in robot mode. This is thus far the only version of the ''Cybertron'' Ransack mold to have the "correct" rear wheel assembly position.

: Rattrap came in a boxed 5-pack with "Axalon" versions of [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]], [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and "[[Darksyde]]" [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]. This set was also made available as a bagged set in more limited numbers.

: This mold was also the basis for non-toy characters [[Quickslinger (Cybertron)|Quickslinger]] and the "[[Theft of the Golden Disk]]" video incarnation of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/BCRattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Axalon Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
*'''Beast Wars Movie Coin''' (1997)

:Released only in Japan, Rattrap was one of three characters from Beast Wars to receive a movie coin, the other two being Rhinox and Scorponok.
::*''[http://www.tfmuseum.com/tf-02112.html Rattrap Movie Coin at TFMuseum.com]''

* '''Beast Wars magnet set''' (1997)

: The original cast of ten from the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon was rendered in adorable [[Super deformed|super-deformed]] style for a set of magnets. Awwwww.

[[Image:Rattrapmutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Rattrap was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Choco===
[[Image:BWchoco rattrap.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Rattle vs Terrorsaurer''' (candy toy, 1997)
**''ID number:'' '''5'''

:Part of [[Kabaya]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Choco|Beast Wars Choco]]'' line of [[candy toy]]s, this small soft-rubber figurine of Rattrap—known in Japan as a ''keshigomu''—came in a set with a similar figure of Terrorsaur, along with a bio card and candy-covered chocolates. The figures were available in either translucent purple or smoky grey rubber.

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Gum DX===
[[Image:BwgumDX rattrap.jpg|right|thumb|300px|DX indeed.]]
*'''Rattle''' (candy toy kit, 1997)
**''ID number:'' '''3'''
**''Accessories:'' [[Fusion weaponry#Fusion pistol|Gun]]

: Part of a set of four Kabaya [[candy toy]]s, the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Gum|Beast Wars Gum]]'' version of Rattrap is an unpainted and unassembled plastic kit that "transforms"—that is to say, breaks down into its component parts and is rebuilt in a different configuration— from rat to robot mode. Although based closely on the [[#Basic1|the original toy]], it is much smaller (and cheaper, of course), featuring only a few sparse [[sticker]]s for details. It is cast entirely in grayish-tan and pale yellow plastics, as are the other three toys in the set: [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Ramune===
[[Image:Bwramune_rattrap.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Rattle''' (candy toy, 1997)
**''ID number:'' '''5'''

: A tiny plastic Rattrap figurine molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 5 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Dinobot, Cheetor, Megatron, Optimus Primal, and Rhinox. As always, terrible candy is included.
{{-}}
===Metallic Beast Ramune===
[[Image:Metallicbeastramune rattrap.jpg|right|thumb]]
*'''Rattle''' (candy toy kit, 1999)
**''ID number:'' '''2'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail-whip

:Kabaya decided against producing transforming model kits to tie in with ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (franchise)|Beast Wars Metals]]'', instead releasing the ''[[Metallic Beast Ramune]]'' kits: hollow non-transforming figures partially made of colorless, translucent plastic, inside which chromed plastic pieces were placed for that familiar shiny Transmetal look. Rattrap was one of the four characters released in this series, and was available with either blue or golden chrome parts, including a chromed version of his tail-whip weapon.
{{-}}
===Metals Hero Ramune===

*'''Rattle''' (candy toy, 1999)

:Like their earlier ''Beast Wars Ramune'' line, Kabaya's ''[[Metal Hero Ramune]]'' series consisted of non-transforming figures of the ''Beast Wars'' cast, now in their Transmetal bodies. Rattrap was one of seven figures available in the wave, cast as a hollow PVC figurine attached to a base.

===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroesmegatronrattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|More creepy than cute.]]
* '''Rattrap vs. Megatron''' (2008)

: Part of the "Beast Wars Series", Rattrap comes packaged with [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]]. Like most of the ''Robot Heroes'' line, his design is a mix between the toy and cartoon depictions, notably having a grayish rather than copper-colored head. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Maximal/Rattrap/rattrap.htm More information on Robot Heroes Rattrap at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Concept-Rattrap.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Handi-capable!]]
* In an extremely strange precursor of things to come in ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]'', Mainframe's original concept for Rattrap during ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' was to capitalize on the exposed "brain" of the toy and make Rattrap a deeply flawed character. Originally, Rattrap's scanning and transformation technology was to fail, leaving him basically half-formed, with an exposed brain, wiring, "veins", an asymmetrical body, arms of uneven lengths, and malformed organic sections in robot mode. On top of all that, he was hooked up to a "colostomy bag-like heating cable" to stress his need for life support. Rattrap's overall story arc would have been, of course, about him accepting and overcoming his near-fatal flaws. This approach was entirely nixed by the limits of CGI in rendering convincing organic innards at the time... and the fact that his model would have been massively far off from the actual toy probably also factored into it. However, the idea of a defective Transformer ''was'' later revisited in season 2 with the introduction of [[Transmutate (character)|Transmutate]]. The idea of Rattrap dealing with the limitations of an "inferior" body seems to surface in ''Beast Machines'' as well.

* On Transmetal Wal-Mart Rattrap/Packrat: According to [[3H Productions|3H]], they were on the phone discussing exclusives with their at-the-time Hasbro contact, when he (the Hasbro guy) realized that the not-yet-released blue Wal-Mart Rattrap could have been named Packrat. However, it was a few days too late to make the change without a massive production delay. Had he simply been looking at the right wall of his office a few days earlier, which had the Packrat/[[Fractyl]] box-set on it...{{fact}}

* At one point in the series, Rattrap says, "What in the name of my [[Relatives|great-aunt]] [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] is going on!?" This is an in-joke referring to [[Susan Blu]], who was not only voice director on ''Beast Wars'', but the voice of Arcee in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon series]] and Transmutate in the ''Beast Wars'' episode [[Transmutate (episode)|of the same name]]. He was originally going to say the line again when he saw Transmetal 2 [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (and she was to reply, "Not your great-aunt Arcee!") in the early script of "[[Crossing the Rubicon]]", but the lines were cancelled.<ref>Page 96, "Beast Wars Glossary" in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* He likes plundering, insulting, gambling, and cheese.<ref>Page 10, "Character Profile" in ''[[Beast Wars Universe]]''</ref>

* In the jovial Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', one of Rattrap's most notable "shticks" was that he would constantly break the fourth wall by "smelling" what the audience was eating. For instance, he would randomly announce "Smells like the Suzuki's are having curry". The Japanese found this very amusing. The rest of the world; ''not so much''.

* To piggyback on the popularity of the ''[[Pokeformers|Pokémon]]'' phenomenon of the late '90s, or perhaps just to parody it, Rattrap's beast mode in the ''[[Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]'' manga was redesigned to resemble ''Pikachu'' heavily. While many characters received "humorous" redesigns for the manga, Rattrap's remains the most reviled.

* Rattrap makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-him cameo appearance in "Nor Iron Bars a Cage", an episode of Mainframe's ''Shadow Raiders''. He's standing next to Emperor Sternum in a long shot, but sneakily turns into a different animation model entirely for the close-up. The scamp!

* By splicing together footage for [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDgP9EbSFm0 their promo], [[Toonami]] allowed Rattrap the distinct pleasure of shooting Jonny Quest and sending him plummeting to a gruesome demise.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Rattle''' (ラットル ''Rattoru'')
*''French:'' '''Rattrape''' (Canada), '''Rattrap''' (Canada, Transmetal)
*''Italian:'' '''Rattilus''' (original toy), '''Metal Rattilus''' (Transmetal)
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dà Hūi Shǔ''' (Taiwan, 大灰鼠, "Big Grey Rat")
*''Polish:'' '''Szczurotrop''' ("Rat Trail")
*''Spanish:'' '''Rattrap''' (Spain), '''Ratatrampa''' (America)
*''Portuguese:'' '''Ratoeira'''

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Maximal leaders]]
[[Category:Reconnaissance specialists]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Surveillance specialists]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Maximals]]
[[Category:Wal-Mart exclusives]]

MECH

2012-03-28T05:25:49Z

TrapRat: I was going to just add the MECH soldier, since there's no individual entry for them more generally, but since this article is about the whole organisation, I figured I'd mention Silas too.

{{disambig2|the evil organization|the mechanical suits from ''Crossovers''|Mech}}

:''MECH is a human organization from the [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)|Prime]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:OperationBreakdown-WeAreMECH.jpg|thumb|400px|All he needs is a cat. Possibly a robot cat.]]
'''MECH''' is an organization working in opposition to the [[United States of America|United States]] government. They seek to create a "newer world order" through the application of cutting-edge technology. For MECH, procuring such technology includes stealing it. It isn't clear what "MECH" stands for, if anything.

Known members include:
*[[Silas]], the leader.
*[[MECH Navigator|An unnamed navigator]] who flies helicopters and counteracts [[Raf Esquivel|hackers]].
*[[MECH Commando|An unnamed soldier]] who acts as a bodyguard for Silas
*[[MECH Surgeon|An unnamed surgeon]] who provides the Transformer components for MECH.

{{quote|The world in which we live is a different one than previously imagined. One which has spawned its own [[Decepticon]]s in human skin.|[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] on MECH|"[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]"}}

==Fiction==
===''Prime'' cartoon===
Aiming to secure the [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System]], Silas shot down [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]]'s jet. When Fowler continued his journey by truck, Silas sent MECH agents in cars to try and intercept the convoy, only to experience resistance from the vehicles, which were in reality [[Autobot]]s. The convoy came under attack from [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]], resulting in the Autobots revealing their true forms and thus though MECH's further attempt to secure the D.N.G.S. resulted in failure, they at least learned of the Autobots' presence on [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

MECH's next operation concerning the Transformers involved capturing [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] on the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]]. Though a group of Autobots, including [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] who directly assaulted the MECH base, managed to free Breakdown, MECH had been able to extract enough information that Silas could initiate [[Project Chimera]]. {{Storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

Silas's team encountered the rogue [[Decepticon]] [[Airachnid]], who cut a deal with them: if Silas could find [[Jack Darby]] for her, she would give them [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]. Silas was successful in locating Jack's mother [[June Darby]] and they used her to lure Jack and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to a factory in [[Jasper]]. MECH didn't get a chance to extract any technology from Arcee before Fowler arrived, but Silas was able to observe Airachnid [[scanning]] a helicopter. {{storylink|Crisscross}} Fowler was still on edge enough a bit later to at first blame a Decepticon theft on MECH. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

[[Image:OperationBumblebee2 MECH aims guns.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
As [[Project Chimera]] neared completion, MECH set a homing beacon trap for a Transformer to investigate. When Bumblebee fell for the bait, they ambushed the Autobot and removed his [[transformation cog|T-cog]]. Back at base, they attempted to install it in their custom-made robot, only to meet with failure, however they'd been followed by the ex-Decepticon [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]], who entered into an alliance with them. {{Storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}} After securing the necessary [[energon]], MECH tried again, but their activation of the robot was interrupted by Bumblebee. MECH was forced to retreat, minus both the cog and the robot, however they were able to obtain another cog from Starscream. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}
{{--}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
With Silas on a drive for revenge against Jack Darby for the incident with Airachnid, MECH began blowing up high schools in Jasper County in an attempt to draw the boy out. It didn't seem to work out as well as Silas hoped. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.5|School Is... Out!}}

==Toys==
===Prime===
{{-}}{{anchor|EntertainmentPack}}
*'''Starscream vs. Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' 2 missile pods
: This Entertainment Pack includes small unarticulated figurines of [[Silas]] and a MECH soldier, both armed with non-removable assault rifles. Although sculpted in the same style and [[scale]] as the previous Entertainment Pack figures of [[Jack Darby|Jack]], [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]], unlike the three kids Silas and his soldier have neither articulated heads nor are their figure stands removable.
: The MECH characters come packed-in with a redecos of the First Edition deluxe figures of Bumblebee and Starscream, as well as a DVD containing the episodes ''[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]'', ''[[Sick Mind]]'' and ''[[Out of His Head]]''.

==Notes==
* The chartreuse cars MECH agents drive appear to be based on Chevrolet Corvettes, circa 1980.
* In a highly unusual move, MECH soldiers have been shown to be suprisingly expendable. A large number have suffered (heavily) implied deaths from everything from having their cars knocked off the road and spinning into another MECH vehicle, to having helicopters blow up without the customarily obvious parachuting to safety, to simple, [[Operation: Breakdown|spine]] [[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2|shattering]] blunt trauma. ''And'' not only are humans implied to be dying in a Transformers show, the majority have been taken out by Autobots. Damn. Add in the torture and evisceration threats and it's just not safe to walk the streets anymore.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mech}}
[[Category:Human organizations]]
[[Category:Prime]]
[[Category:Terrorists]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 2

2012-03-28T05:00:15Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Please correct me if I'm wrong about the gap between uses of Starscream's transformed-hand-gun, but I'm quite certain short of checking over every single episode myself.

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 31
|prev=Operation Bumblebee, Part 1
|next=Loose Cannons
|image=OperationBumblebee2-Forge.jpg
|caption=Whosoever holds this hammer, if they be worthy, shall possess the power of [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]].

|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 2"
|airdate=[[March 17]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee discovers that MECH and Starscream are responsible for his troubles; Ratchet confronts demons from his Cybertronian past.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:OperationBumblebee2 Starscream MECH find Energon.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
With [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] on a medical bed, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] tells [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] off for taking the scout into battle. When Bumblebee comes around, he faces Ratchet's ire as well, and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] grounds Bumblebee until his [[transformation cog|T-cog]] can be recovered. Ratchet has another idea though—he offers to donate his own T-cog in a transplant. Though Optimus is uncertain, Ratchet convinces him.

[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] is pleased with the new device [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] has secured—a [[force field]] generator—although Megatron's demonstration leaves him startled.

Elsewhere, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] and [[Silas]] find an [[energon]] deposit, though Silas would appreciate it if Starscream didn't talk so much.

Ratchet selects [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to do the operation, though she's less than enthusiastic. She starts by putting Ratchet in induced [[stasis lock|stasis]], but before she can do the same for Bumblebee, an alarm signals the appearance of another relic from the [[Vaults of Iacon]]. Optimus calls a halt to the operation so he, Arcee and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] can investigate. No sooner have they left than [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] contacts the base. He's disappointed only Bumblebee's there to take his call, but passes on the news that he's got the possible coordinates of a [[MECH]] base. Unable to understand Bumblebee, he searches for someone who speaks English, but Ratchet is barely coherent, still recovering from stasis. [[Jack Darby|Jack]] volunteers to pass the message on.

[[Image:OperationBumblebee2 Breakdown Knockout find Forge.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Optimus and his team reach the top of a mountain to find Knock Out and [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] uncovering the [[Forge of Solus Prime]]. With it, the Autobots could conceivably create a new T-cog for Bumblebee.

MECH infuses the newly-found energon into their creation, but as it begins to stir, Bumblebee bursts through the door. Though unarmed, Bumblebee throws an industrial-sized barrel at Starscream, knocking him flat, and proceeds to shrug off the weapons fire from the MECH goons.

As Knock Out and Breakdown free the forge, the Autobots charge them. While Bulkhead tackles Breakdown, Optimus and Arcee find they have a bit of a problem getting past Knock Out's shield generator, and he pushes them back towards the edge of the cliff.

Bumblebee knocks a bunch of MECH troopers flat, jumps on their robot and tears his T-cog from its innards. No sooner is this done than he's hit by a blast from Starscream. As MECH withdraw, Starscream grabs the T-cog and threatens to destroy it.

[[Image:OperationBumblebee2 Starscream threatens T-cog.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Ratchet recovers, only to find Fowler shouting at him about MECH coordinates, and the kids reveal Bumblebee has gone to deal with it.

Meanwhile, Bumblebee has had enough of Starscream's gloating and belts the ex-Decepticon, knocking him flat. As the T-cog flies up into the air, Bumblebee jumps for it, but a quick blast by Starscream spells the end of that attempt. While Starscream leaves, Bumblebee is left with his shattered T-cog. Starscream meets up with MECH outside the compound, but Silas is less than impressed with him for losing the T-cog, and Starscream is soon surrounded by MECH troops.

Optimus and Arcee are forced back to the cliff edge. While Breakdown is distracted by their predicament, Bulkhead takes the opportunity to grab the Forge of Solus Prime and smack the Decepticon with it. Breakdown lands on Knock Out and for a few moments Bulkhead stands triumphant, at least until Megatron steps out of the [[GroundBridge]] and blasts him. Collecting the Forge, the Decepticons leave. Ratchet reports the situation with MECH to Optimus.

[[Image:OperationBumblebee2 Bumblebee damaged T-cog.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
Starscream comes around to find MECH gone. When he sees Optimus's team arrive at the MECH base, he tries to transform, only to find his T-cog had been taken, and runs off panicking into the woods. Meanwhile, Bumblebee walks out to join his comrades, sadly holding his own damaged T-cog. Optimus radios Ratchet to prepare for surgery.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron attempts to use the Forge, only to discover that it requires the power of a [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] to work.

Ratchet finishes operating, restoring Bumblebee's old cog. Though Bumblebee's first few attempts to transform fail, he eventually manages it, and takes Raf for a drive. Ratchet, for his part, seems happy that it worked.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (5)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (8)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (9)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (15)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (16)
|c3=
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (3)
*[[Silas]] (10)
*[[Jack Darby]] (12)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (13)
*[[William Fowler]] (14)
|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (11)
}}

==Quotes==

"You and I both know there exists a way to make him whole again." 
"A transplant. But that would require a donor." 
"You need look no further than the Autobot standing before you."
:—'''Ratchet''' tells '''Optimus Prime''' that he is willing to make a sacrifice.

"...I think I just leaked a little transmission fluid."
:—'''Knock Out''' sums up how intimidating his master truly is.

"Do you ever not speak?"
:—'''Silas''' says what we're all thinking to Starscream.

"Mine's bigger!"
:—'''Bulkhead''' compares hammers with Breakdown.

"Time to jet! Because I ''can''!"
:—'''Starscream''', who really should learn to keep his mouth shut.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*Once again, Starscream's eyes are completely red for the first half of the episode. It's only after Bumblebee hits him with a barrel that they are only red circles. Maybe hitting him with a heavy object is the key to making them normal.
*After the Autobots pass through the GroundBridge to MECH's headquarters in search of Bumblebee, Optimus had his battle mask drawn. When the camera pans to show Starscream behind them, his mask retracts silently, and almost invisibly.

===Continuity errors===
*In the previous episode, the [[MECH Surgeon]] is shown to be able to lift (and run with) Bumblebee's T-cog without much difficulty. Silas tells Starscream to bring it with him, instead of just picking it up and taking it himself; he's even standing right in front of it. Then again, Silas could just be exerting dominance onto Starscream, metaphorically flexing his "I'm the leader" muscles.

===Continuity notes===
*Once more, Starscream mentions being the one to "offline" [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]. The way he phrases it is odd though, as if to suggest that Cliff is the ''only'' Autobot he has ever killed, which seems unlikely.
*For the second time in the series, Ratchet actually ''laughs.''

===Transformers references===
* While delirious, Ratchet refers to [[Fuzor]]s, and even names [[Bantor (Prime)|Bantor]], a reference to [[Bantor (BW)|''Beast Wars'' Bantor]].
* Optimus mentions [[Solus Prime]], one of the [[Thirteen]].
* Knock Out unfavorably compares the results of Megatron's failed forging experiment to a "[[Fortress Maximus (disambiguation)|Fortress-Maximus]] Grade [[Nucleon Shock Cannon]]".
* Megatron once again calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes during his gloating.

===Real-world references===
*Knock Out broadly references award shows such as the Oscars and Emmys.
*"Put a tiger in your tank" was a slogan of [[wikipedia:Exxon|Exxon]].

===Trivia===
* When Agent Fowler relays the information on MECH's whereabouts to Bumblebee, he says it really slowly and condescendingly, as if he believes Bumblebee has trouble understanding English, rather than just mute. Fowler's kind of a jerk.
*During the fight in the hangar, Bumblebee punches several MECH soldiers, sending them flying through the air. Silas survived this, so it stands to reason everyone else did, too. Cartoons, everybody! (A soldier does not crack the robot's lens; that was his rifle.)
*This episode confirms that (at least the current cast of) Cybertronians are incapable of self-propelled flight outside of a flight-capable alternate mode. This is in stark contrast to previous continuities. Especially ones in which even Cybertronians who ''didn't'' have flight-capable vehicle modes were capable of self-propelled flight through air and the vacuum of space.
*Starscream transforms his hand into a blaster for the first time since waaay back in ''[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]''. The real-world explanation for why he chooses the blaster here instead of his more obvious forearm-mounted rocket is probably similar to the previous instance, in that it is easier for the animators to convey his threat with a glowing barrel than an unmoving missile. Or maybe Starscream just isn't stupid enough to fire an explosive point-blank at something he's holding in his own hand.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Darkness Rising, Part 4

2012-03-28T04:51:54Z

TrapRat: /* Trivia */ I'm 95% sure this is accurate in terms of the gap between ueses, but please correct me if I'm wrong, as I haven't re-watched every episode simply to check this.

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 4
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 3
|next=Darkness Rising, Part 5
|image=DarknessRising4-beholddarkenergon!.jpg
|caption=Decepticons, transform and rise up!...Well, if you still ''can''.
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 4"
|airdate=[[December 2]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''While Optimus and Ratchet battle Megatron's Terrorcon horde, the others attempt to rescue Agent Fowler.'''

==Synopsis==
As [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]'s army of [[Dark Energon]]-powered [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] march, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] are horrified at the desecration. The Dark Energon flowing through Megatron gives him control over this new army, and he directs them to destroy the two Autobots. When the Terrorcons keep getting up as fast as Optimus can blast them down, Ratchet discovers that dismemberment is a more effective way of dealing with them.

[[Image:darkrising4_botgroup.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Pretty sure war zones don't count for Bring Your <s>Daughter</s> Partner to Work Day, Bulky.]]

At the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]], [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] rescues [[Jack Darby|Jack]] and [[Rafael Esquivel|Raf]], who are under fire from the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon sentries]]. They explain they were worried about [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]], who pops up from Bulkhead's back seat. Bulkhead drops everyone off behind some cover before driving under the Decepticon ship, scaling a nearby cliff, and jumping on board. After dealing with a bunch of Decepticons, Bulkhead realizes that Miko's not with the other kids, and she pops out of his chest, having stowed away. Miko finds herself in the middle of the fight between Bulkhead and the cons, which the Autobot swiftly terminates with the help of a piece of deck plating. While the pair move into the ship, problems are occurring outside; Jack and Raf are captured by the Decepticons and taken on board the ship, where [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] abruptly appear and rescue them. The two parties run into each other in a corridor, and Jack and Raf let Arcee know where [[William Fowler|Fowler]] is, having heard their guard talking.

[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]'s interrogation of Fowler is finally beginning to bear fruit, when the distant sound of gunfire can be heard, and Fowler stops being helpful. Starscream gives him a jolt with the [[Energon prod]], stunning him into unconsciousness, and sends the two guards to find out what's going on.

Back at the Terrorcon battle, Ratchet notes that exposure to the Dark Energon is sapping their strength. The fight on, but first Optimus, then Ratchet disappear under piles of Terrorcons. Megatron laughs...but with a cry, Optimus breaks free and helps Ratchet up.

[[Image:Optimus Prime Ratchet Zombies Darkness Rising 4.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Megatron has desecrated our ancestors, and ''I'' wanted to do that!"]]

The Autobots clear out a room on the Decepticon ship for the kids to hide in. Miko and Jack immediately begin arguing over their situation, which upsets Raf. Jack and Miko try to reassure him, before Jack notices a huge computer display. Raf thinks it has important information on it.

Fowler's interrogation is complicated by the man's now-dazed state. It's further complicated when Bulkhead and Bumblebee appear in the doorway. They aim their guns at Starscream, who aims his at Fowler, only to feel a tap on the head. He looks up to find Arcee is balanced in a shaft right above him, aiming her gun downwards.

The kids know they've found important information, but are at a loss as to how to get it back to Optimus. As Raf's contemplating using a flash drive, a Decepticon walks in. The kids dive for cover, but Raf goes back for his backpack and is spotted by the Decepticon.

The Mexican standoff in the brig is broken when Fowler distracts Starscream, and the Autobots start firing. Starscream decides discretion is called for, and he flies off down the nearest corridor.

The Decepticon starts firing on Raf. Jack heroically runs out and tackles Raf behind one of the Decepticon corpses, before instructing Miko to take a picture. She snaps a picture of the Decepticon, before Jack redirects her at the computer screen. The kids leg it from the room, followed by the Decepticon, who is promptly taken out by Bulkhead. Reunited, the kids and Autobots make their escape.

Optimus and Ratchet finish off the Terrorcon horde, and Optimus starts climbing up to Megatron. Megatron compliments Optimus on his performance, but boasts that the battle was simply a prelude to the main event and flies off. Ratchet wonders ominously what Megatron has in store for them.

[[Image:darkrising4_phonesnap.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Kay th-enx bay-eye?"]]

Back at base, Ratchet's damaged arm is tended to, and Optimus tells off Bulkhead for letting the kids accompany him into battle. Miko defends Bulkhead and tries to claim they were doing "recon" by showing the snapped schematics, but Jack's upset about the fact they were all almost killed and decides he wants out of the whole affair. After some sad farewells (except from Ratchet), they send him home by [[ground bridge]].

[[Image:Tfprimestarscreamsteppedon.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Just like [[The Transformers (cartoon)|old times!]]]]
Back on the Decepticon ship in orbit, Megatron abuses Starscream for disobeying his orders, which has resulted in damage to the ship, which threatens to delay Megatron's plans. Starscream manages to quell his master's anger by announcing he has a way to get their plans back on course.

Miko pays Jack a visit and tries to talk him into returning to the Autobots, but he's content to go back to his normal life.

Ratchet, meanwhile, is checking out the data Miko photographed, and he realizes that it's the specs for a [[space bridge]] part. Bulkhead thinks it's great that Megatron's thinking of leaving, but Optimus points out that he's probably intending to bring an army to [[Earth]] with it, and there's only one place he can find enough Transformer corpses to build a new army: [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (10)
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (11)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (4)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drone]]s (5)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (14)

|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (6)
* [[Rafael Esquivel]] (7)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (9)
* [[William Fowler]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] (1)

}}

==Quotes==
"Megatron has desecrated the resting place of our fallen ancestors... and his own!" 
"Not even the dead are free from his war-mongering."
:—'''Ratchet''' states the obvious in a slightly novel way while '''Optimus''' rues the depth of Megatron's evil.

[[Image:DarknessRising4-BulkheadandMiko.jpg|thumb|250px|[http://youtu.be/NNuHNcZaF2s?t=31s That's disturbing...]]]
"I heaved on your floor mats. Sorry!"
:—'''Miko'''

"Wake up, you pathetic lump of flesh!" 
"Grandma? Is it cookie time?"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Fowler'''

"I wouldn't." 
"Oh, but I MIGHT..."
:—'''Arcee''' threatens '''Starscream''', who doesn't feel very threatened.

"I like pie. Can we stop for pie?" 
"You found Fowler! ROCK ON!"
:—'''Fowler''' and '''Miko'''

"No point in long good-byes. Here's the door."
:—'''Ratchet''' showing he doesn't give a damn

"NO ONE RIDS ME OF OPTIMUS PRIME BUT ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! '''DO YOU?!'''"
:—'''Megatron''' lays down the law.

"I've been raised to be responsible. To my schoolwork, to my mom, my job."
:—The Spectacular '''Jack''' Darby

==Notes==
===Continuity errors===
*Did Optimus forget that Arcee was supposed to be in charge? He tells Bulkhead off, but Bulkhead wasn't supposed to be in charge in the first place. Of course, Optimus could simply have been referring to the fact Bulkhead got the kids in danger (which, admittedly, was in part his fault).
**Then again it's mostly Miko's fault: SHE snuck along with Bulkhead without him even knowing, after which Jack and Raf went to find her. So don't blame it all on Bulkie.

===Transformers references===
*As in part 1, Cybertron appears with the same model as that used in ''War for Cybertron''.
*Optimus's guns and swords look very similar to another [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]]'s.
*Optimus's response to Jack wanting to leave is very similar to the response Optimus Prime gave to [[Theodore Galloway]] in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Die dunkle Macht erhebt sicht, Teil 4'''" (The Dark Force Rises, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14|14 October]] [[2011]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Közeleg a sötétség, 4. rész'''" ("The Darkness Is Nearing, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La rimonta delle tenebre, quarta parte'''" ("Darkness Rising, Fourth Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 25|25 September]] [[2011]]

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ak ui Buhwal 4'''" (악의 부활 4, "Return of the Evil, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 6|6 September]] [[2011]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8|8 December]] [[2011]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 7|7 November]] [[2011]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El regreso del mal, Parte 4'''" ("The Return of Evil, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 7|7 November]] [[2011]]

===Trivia===
*While not the first time [[Flame (Marvel)|someone]] has used zombies as soldiers, Megatron seems intent on making them the bulk of his forces.
*The Terrorcons Optimus and Ratchet fight do not seem to be as tough as Cliffjumper's was (seeing as how he was still functioning despite being cut in half), but that could be chalked up to Cliff's corpse being "fresh".
*This episode shows one of the few times a Transformer has switched to robot mode while carrying a human passenger. This has happened previously in "[[The Human Element]]" and "[[The Secret of the Ruins]]," even in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of The Moon]]'' films, but in all those cases the passenger was ejected during transformation. It will also happen later in [[Convoy (episode)|"Convoy"]], in which Agent Fowler somehow ends up in Prime's hand.
*Instead of simply aiming his forearm rockets in the Mexican stand-off, Starscream transforms his hand into a blaster, something he will not do again until much later, in the Season Two episode ''[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]''. The real-world explanation for this is likely that it is easier for the animators to convey his intent to fire by showing a glowing blaster barrel than a stationary missile. In-universe, one might just say that Starscream is smart enough to know that firing an explosive projectile at point-blank range inside a confined space is a bad idea.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Bumblebee (WFC)

2012-03-21T00:43:17Z

TrapRat: /* Prime */ I did the Starscream one, so I thought I'd add it here too. Plus I got rid of the comins soon tag since, hey, it's out.

{{faction|autobot|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Bumblebee}}
:''Bumblebee is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:PrimeBee.jpg|thumb|300px|"I don't understand why I sleep all day..."]]
'''Bumblebee''' is a young and eager Autobot, one of the last generation to be created before the loss of the [[AllSpark (Prime)|AllSpark]]. He's full of energy and determination to do the right thing, and can always be counted on to volunteer for action. His small size matched with his impressive speed make him an excellent scout and messenger.

He's been on Earth longer than any other Autobot, and he's grown to like and understand [[human]]s, particularly [[Raf Esquivel]] and [[Axel Frazier]]. If you're a Decepticon and you want to threaten any humans, you better not think you can get away with it just because Bumblebee's small and can't talk: he can't talk because his [[voice box]] was ''destroyed'' in combat and he's still kept fighting, because Bumblebee will take any risk and make whatever sacrifice ''necessary'' to win the war.

{{quote|Bumblebee, it wouldn't kill you to exercise caution.|[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Exodus''===
Bumblebee was part of the last generation of Cybertronians that emerged from the [[Well of All Sparks]] after it had stopped producing life in a lull at the beginning of the [[Autobot]]-[[Decepticon]] war. Like all born during the war, he joined the Autobots. He became part of [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]]'s inner circle with [[Jazz (Prime)|Jazz]], [[Ironhide (Prime)|Ironhide]] and [[Prowl (Prime)|Prowl]], and also befriended [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]], learning first aid skills from him in the few battles they fought together.

When Optimus ejected the [[AllSpark]] from the Well into space, Bumblebee distracted [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] at [[Tyger Pax]], and paid the ultimate price when the tyrant destroyed his vocoder. Ratchet repaired it, but Bumblebee was only able to speak from time to time. When Megatron stole the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] underneath the [[Autobot High Council|High Council Tower]], Bumblebee followed him to the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] below the ruins of [[Crystal City]] and witnessed him use it to corrupt Cybertron's [[core]] with [[Dark Energon]].

Bumblebee informed Optimus of what he saw, but first he had to serve as part of the extraction unit in Optimus's rescue of [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] from [[Kaon]]. Afterwards Optimus, Bumblebee and [[Jetfire (Prime)|Jetfire]] journeyed to the core through the Well. Due to the heavy build up of Dark Energon, Bumblebee found it a distressing experience and lost it when they reached the core, silently tearing out the protruding Corruption Spikes. Though fearful of what would happen, Optimus was able to remove the Chamber and begin Cybertron's healing.

Back at [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Optimus announced [[Ark (Prime)|Project Generation One]] to evacuate Cybertron, for the planet could not sustain a fraction of the life it currently supported if it were to survive. Bumblebee boarded the ''[[Eight Track (Prime)|Eight Track]]'' with the other elite Autobots and drew out and entered [[Trypticon (Prime)|Trypticon]]. Avoiding Trypticon's corridor drones and [[Minicons]] they blew up the Dark Energon Facility, causing him to crash. Bumblebee boarded the ''Ark'', which flew him and his friends through the last [[space bridge]] to a [[Milky Way|spiral galaxy]] with the AllSpark detected nearby. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus}}

===''Exiles''===

After passing through the unstable [[Space Bridge]], Bumblebee and the Autobots aboard the Ark found themselves in the vicinity of a Cybertronian colony world called [[Velocitron]]. Bumblebee was part of Optimus Prime's initial landing team, who made contact with the planet's rulers, [[Override (Prime)|Override]] and [[Ransack (Prime)|Ransack]]. It was a time of great stress between Velocitron's rulers, and the Autobots' arrival from mythical Cybertron only exacerbated the situation. Although the Autobots secured an ally in Override, they left Velocitron on the brink of civil war during their departure.

The next leg of their journey through the Space Bridge brought the Autobots to fabled [[Junkion]], a world composed entirely of space junk. Bumblebee and the Autobots met [[Wreck-Gar (Prime)|Wreck-Gar]] and his ever-busy people, the Junkions, who maintained an entire planet made of derelict ships and space junk that gravitated together over time. Optimus Prime's Matrix-induced visions led him on a quest through one of the four Space Bridge nodes surrounding Junkion, and he selected Bumblebee and [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]] to accompany him. Through the Bridge they came across the lonely tomb of [[Solus Prime]], fabled artifacer of the [[Thirteen]]. Her holographic spirit was called forth by the Matrix and informed the Autobots that the [[Requiem Blaster (Prime)|Requiem Blaster]], most deadly of her creations, rested on Junkion and must be kept out of Decepticon hands.

Returning to Junkion, Bumblebee joined the other Autobots in a struggle with the Decepticons aboard the newly arriving ''Nemesis''. The Requiem Blaster was uncovered inside a ship at the planet's core. A weapon capable of drawing infinite power from nearby stellar sources, the Requiem Blaster had its own gravity field, and had literally been the core around which Junkion's "junk" had formed. The fighting over the Requiem Blaster ripped the planet apart, but both sides eventually called off the melee and abandoned the Blaster after learning the location of the Allspark itself. Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, and the rest of the Autobots boarded the Ark and began the long race to reach their civilization's greatest prize before Megatron could. {{storylink|Transformers: Exiles}}

===''Prime'' comic===
[[Image:PrimeComicBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|200px|]]
Bumblebee and Optimus were on [[Earth]] when they detected [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s arrival and went to their rescue. After Optimus crushed [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]], Bumblebee sent the Decepticon flying with a single punch, and escorted the others back to base. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (comic)}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
During the Great War, Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]]. The interrogation by Megatron was brutal, but he was later found and a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved his life, though his [[voice box]] was a loss. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

[[Image:Predatory-ArceeBeeCliff.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Hey Cliff, aren't you supposed to be a red version of me?]]
Bumblebee and Cliffjumper invaded [[Airachnid]]'s lair to rescue Arcee and [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]. Bumblebee blasted a couple of Vehicons, but they were too late to save Tailgate. They carried Arcee out as she told them she'd been unable to save her partner. {{storylink|Predatory}}

On [[Earth]], Bumblebee was patrolling a desert area when Optimus ordered everyone back to [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]] so that they could use the [[GroundBridge]] to provide Cliffjumper with backup. They did so, but arrived at the battle site too late — Cliffjumper had been taken by the Decepticons, and apparently killed. The Autobots held a brief memorial for their friend.

[[Image:Bumblebee Bulkhead Arcee Darkness Rising 1.jpg|left|thumb|350px|''Voice actor:'' [[Snake-Eyes]] (English)]]

When Arcee and [[Jack Darby]] were pursued by Decepticons, Bumblebee joined in the chase as it moved onto the freeway. After a brief attempt to slow the Decepticons, he joined Arcee in facing the foe in a drainage canal, accidentally crushing a toy car belonging to [[Raf Esquivel|Rafael Esquivel]]. During the fight Bumblebee was knocked to the ground, and only Raf's timely distraction allowed him to temporarily get the better of the Decepticons, until [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] arrived and helped them scare the Decepticons off.

Optimus was disappointed that humans had gotten involved, and had Bumblebee and Arcee bring them back to the base. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} When [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] detected Cliffjumper's signal, Bumblebee was part of the team that went to try and rescue their comrade. Though he and the others valiantly fought through the multitudes of Decepticons at an energon mine, their mission was ultimately a failure, and they had to return to base hastily as the mine exploded. Prime later assigned him to watch over Raf to keep the boy safe from the Decepticons. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}

[[Image:DarknessRising3-BumblebeeArceevehicles.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Drive on the right side of the road, Bumblebee!]]

The next day, Bumblebee discovered that he was a lot better than Raf at computer games, though Raf blamed it on Bumblebee's greater experience in driving. When they reached the base, Optimus and Ratchet left on a mission, placing Arcee in charge. Arcee promptly went out out on patrol, taking Bumblebee with her and leaving Bulkhead in charge. As they drove through the Nevada desert, Bulkhead reported that [[William Fowler|Fowler]] had been abducted by the Decepticons. When it turned out there was no one left at base to bridge them back, Arcee and Bumblebee were forced to drive there. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}}

[[Image:DarknessRising4-Bumblebeeshoot.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Sting like a bee = die by fire]]

Bumblebee and Arcee arrived at the Decepticon ship in time to rescue Raf and Jack from a pair of Decepticons. They quickly located Bulkhead and Miko, also moving through the ship, but after it became obvious that the humans were in too much danger as they fought their way through the ship, the Autobots cleared out a room for them to hide out in. They eventually reached the brig where Fowler was being held, and Bumblebee and Bulkhead burst through the main door while Arcee slipped in through a top vent. A standoff ensued, until Fowler distracted Starscream long enough for the Autobots to start firing. Starscream thusly chased off, the Autobots took off with Fowler and rescued the kids on the way out. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

Once the Autobots had located the whereabouts of the Deepticon [[space bridge]] — Earth orbit — Optimus, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee used the GroundBridge to reach it. They were spotted by Megatron and Starscream, who sent a force of flying Decepticons to attack them. While they battled, Ratchet determined a way to destroy the space bridge, so Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead went to implement the plan. They committed the necessary act of sabotage before Megatron fired on them. Bumblebee collected Arcee on his way to jumping into the GroundBridge and carried her back to base where she recovered enough to stand on her own. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}

[[Image:Masters&Students-BeeQuake.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bumblebee comes up with his own version of punch buggy blue.]]
Bumblebee helped Raf with his science project, building a small replica of a volcano while they discussed how Bumblebee had not yet risen to the rank of Warrior. As Optimus pointed out, Bumblebee still had much to learn before he could reach that level. Optimus subsequently picked Bumblebee to go on a mission to investigate Decepticon activity, but warned the smaller Autobot to hold back. When Optimus came to blows with [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], Bumblebee decided to disregard the earlier order and charged into battle. Though he was no match for Skyquake, he and Optimus led the Decepticon into a trap and seemed victorious, until Skyquake [[scanning|scanned]] Fowler's jet. Bumblebee managed to end the fight by jumping onto Skyquake's jet form and causing critical damage, jumping to Fowler's jet as Skyquake crashed to the ground. After some repairs, Optimus commended him on his performance. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Bulkhead and Bumblebee discovered a strange pod in the [[Arctic]] which they brought back to base. When the kids arrived at base, Bumblebee was keen to play some videogames with Raf, but he and Bulkhead were roped into helping Ratchet repair the GroundBridge, which broke shortly after Optimus and Arcee used it to go to the Arctic. The cause of the problem was revealed when Raf found a [[Scraplet]], which started gnawing on Bumblebee. Raf killed it with a crowbar before it could do much more damage, but Bumblebee ended up having to search the base with Raf for more of the Scraplets. After finding quite a lot of Scraplets, they returned to the control room, where another mass of them overwhelmed Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Ratchet. Though the kids were able to get rid of the attacking Scraplets, Bumblebee was out of it for the rest of the incident, and ended up on a repair bed, being tended to by the kids. {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

When [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] landed on Earth, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee turned out to welcome him and arrived in time to see him trash some Vehicons. The Autobots celebrated their new friend's arrival, and Bumblebee and Raf danced The Robot to Miko's guitar playing. He also stood around a lot while Bulkhead proved that "Wheeljack" was a Decepticon spy and the real Wheeljack turned up. After everything was resolved, the Autobots had another party to welcome the real Wheeljack, and Bumblebee got to bust out some more dance moves. He and Arcee turned out with Bulkhead to see Wheeljack off when the Autobot returned to space. {{storylink|Con Job}}

[[Image:Convoy-Bumblebeeboxing.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[Jazz (Movie)|YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?! YOU WANT A PIECE?!]] And please don't say you want two, because I know you're not Megatron. ]]

Bumblebee took part in the Autobot convoy to transport Fowler's [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System]] across the US countryside. When [[MECH]] attacked them, he bashed into one of the cars they were using, flipping it over. The Autobots successfully passed the D.N.G.S. over to a train, but were shortly after confronted by a squadron of flying Vehicons, and were forced to return to their robot modes to fight. Bumblebee got to try out some boxing moves on a Vehicon, but while the Autobots were occupied, MECH made another attempt to obtain the D.N.G.S. which was foiled by Optimus. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

When an [[Energon Harvester]] was located in a museum, the Autobots surrounded the building while the kids went in to steal it. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] appeared at the front of the museum to attack Optimus, and as Breakdown charged at the museum, Bumblebee and Arcee attempted to stop him. Bumblebee was hit by a missile, sending him tumbling, and then by Arcee who'd just missed catching another missile. He, Arcee and Prime later attempted to track down the Decepticons before the Harvester could be used, but they ended up coming to Bulkhead's rescue after he found and stopped the Decepticons himself. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

[[Image:SpeedMetal-BBvsBreakdown.jpg|thumb|250px|I want a new dance partner.]]
When Arcee refused to go street racing with Jack, Bumblebee was more receptive, though they asked Raf's permission beforehand. Unfortunately also participating in the race was Knock Out, who started firing on Bumblebee. After calling base and letting them know what was up, Bumblebee used an oil slick to slow down Knock Out, and hid under a bridge. They would have escaped detection had another human, [[Vince]], not confronted Jack about apparently pulling out of the race, and Vince was subsequently captured by Knock Out. After Arcee and Bulkhead arrived, the three Autobots pursued Knock Out to a storage facility, where Bumblebee and Bulkhead were ambushed by Breakdown. They defeated Breakdown and caught up with Knock Out. The other 'Con had already been stopped by Optimus, who was very interested in some explanations. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

When Optimus was infected with [[Cybonic plague]], Bumblebee and Arcee GroundBridged to the ''Nemesis'' to find a cure. Bumblebee discovered Megatron had survived their last battle and was recovering in sickbay. Unable to find the cure on the Decepticons' computer, Bumblebee offered to use the [[cortical psychic patch]] to enter Megatron's mind and locate it. Finding himself in a [[Kaon]]ian dreamscape, Bumblebee saw Megatron killing Optimus repeatedly. Megatron realized he could not harm Bumblebee and demanded to know why he was intruding on his mind. Bumblebee reminded him of the space bridge explosion and implored him to give him the cure, playing on his desire to kill Optimus for real rather than have him succumb to a virus. Megatron showed him the cure but demanded Bumblebee help him out of his stasis lock. Ratchet was recording what Bumblebee saw though, and because they had the cure, Arcee disconnected Bumblebee and GroundBridged back to base. However, Megatron's spark had left his body and escaped into Bumblebee's... {{storylink|Sick Mind}}

[[Image:OutOfHisHead-evileye.jpg|left|thumb|250px|He is no longer the boy you once knew, [[Obi-Wan Kenobi|Obi-Wan]].]]
Bumblebee began to experience visions of Megatron, causing him to stop dead during a basketball game with Bulkhead. After Megatron forced him to crush one of Ratchet's devices, Bumblebee told Ratchet about the visions, and Ratchet induced a power down to give Bumblebee's mind time to recover. Bumblebee reactivated, under the control of Megatron, and, retrieving a piece of Dark Energon from an old battlefield, bridged to the Decepticon warship over the Arctic. Although Ratchet and Raf tried to stop him, even managing to get Bumblebee to reassert control for a few moments, Bumblebee successfully brought Megatron back online and transferred his mind back to his body. Free of Megatron's influence, Bumblebee beat a hasty retreat with Ratchet and Raf. Later at base, Ratchet checked Bumblebee was completely free of Megatron, and the small Autobot thanked Raf for coming to help him. {{Storylink|Out of His Head}}

After a Dark Energon signature was detected, Optimus took a team including Bumblebee to investigate. They instead found Starscream trying to resurrect Skyquake. During the ensuing conflict, the Autobots discovered their human friends had followed them to the battlefield, and the three kids were caught in a freak GroundBridge accident, causing them to disappear.The Autobots returned to base to try and locate their friends, but it wasn't until Bumblebee suggested trying to ring the kids that they found Miko's cellphone, and the kids were able to send a text to it. Ratchet subsequently engineered a portal to rescue the kids from the other dimension they'd become trapped in. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

When Breakdown was captured by MECH, Bumblebee and the others were more than happy to leave them to it, but Optimus insisted that they rescue the Decepticon to avoid Cybertronian technology falling into MECH hands. The team arrived in [[Kamchatka Peninsula]] and Bumblebee spotted some vehicle tracks, but they opted to follow the energon signal Ratchet had detected instead. After they escaped the bomb that the trace led them to, the team tracked down Bulkhead in time to chase off Starscream and some Vehicons. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

Arcee and Bumblebee were in the middle of a fight with some Vehicons when Arcee got a call informing her she had to be in Jack's garage ASAP. After checking if Bumblebee could handle it, Arcee left. Evidently he was able to, as he was later in the Autobot base when Jack and Arcee turned up with [[June Darby]]. {{storylink|Crisscross}}

[[Image:Partners-BeepunchesAirachnid.jpg|thumb|250px|Booya!]]
Bumblebee was part of the team that investigated the wreck of a crashed [[Harbinger|Decepticon ship]] and found Airachnid and Starscream. He guarded the bound Starscream while the others decided what to do with the Decepticon. Prime, Bulkhead and Bumblebee went to check out the rear half of the ship, crashed some distance away, and were ambushed by Airachnid who had found an experimental weapon named the [[Immobilizer]]. She froze Prime and Bulkhead, but Bumblebee managed to trick her by kicking up a dust cloud with his guns, and then pretending to be frozen after she fired the Immobilizer into it. Once she turned her back, he crept up and sucker punched her before blasting the Immobilizer. After she fled, Bumblebee went back to find Arcee, and interrupted her when she was about to offline Starscream. They returned the pieces of Immobilizer to base, along with Bulkhead and Optimus, and Ratchet was able to repair the device and unfreeze their comrades. {{storylink|Partners}}

Bumblebee accompanied Prime and Arcee as they tried to retrieve a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] before the Decepticons did. Ultimately the Decepticons made off with the cylinder, and later Bumblebee listened as Ratchet told them the cylinder's contents had ended up in Bulkhead's brain, though the Autobots were excited to find that the equations being scrawled by Bulkhead were a set of formula for synthetic energon. Unfortunately it later turned out that the data was eating Bulkhead's brain. Bumblebee and Arcee accompanied Optimus on an unsuccessful attempt to get the cylinder back from Megatron, and they ended up fighting a bunch of Vehicons. Later they came to Miko and Bulkhead's aid to save the pair from Knock Out and Breakdown, and were present when Miko managed to rouse the comatose Bulkhead with her guitar. {{storylink|T.M.I.}}

During a mission to stop Knock Out and Breakdown who were transporting energon, Bumblebee, Prime and Bulkhead were separated from Arcee. They caught up to find that Ratchet had already dealt with the Vehicons who'd been attacking Arcee, and they returned to base where Ratchet revealed he'd taken the synthetic energon he'd been working on. Ratchet, amped up on the substance, insisted on going on their next mission, which meant Bumblebee got left at base operating the GroundBridge. The other Autobots returned minus Ratchet, who had gone to tackle Megatron on his own. Once they'd gotten a fix on Ratchet's signal, they left Bumblebee at base again. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

[[Image:PrimeEp23-BumblebeeRaf.jpg|thumb|left|250px|I didn't mean to break it]]
Bumblebee was taking Raf to play with Raf's remote-control car when he was called on to join the battle at a military base. Unfortunately Megatron found them before he could drop Raf off, and Bumblebee was hit by a blast from Megatron's cannon. Though Bumblebee himself was mostly unaffected, Raf was gravely injured. Bumblebee arrived at the battle and had to be restrained from attacking Megatron so he and Arcee could take Raf back to base. Bumblebee watched helplessly as Ratchet and June Darby tried to save the boy. At one point, the frustration became too much, and he knocked a chunk out of the wall with his fist, but Arcee talked him down, and eventually Ratchet worked out that an energon infusion would save Raf. Bumblebee gave some of his own energon for the procedure, which was ultimately successful. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

After the other Autobots saved Optimus from Megatron, Bumblebee bridged them back to base. June decided to take Raf to the hospital, and didn't intend to bring him back, so Bumblebee had to sadly watch them drive from the base. When it transpired that the Dark Energon volcano was causing global disasters, he went to find June and Raf, and managed to save them from a tornado by grabbing the front end of their car. After he returned to base with them, the assembled Autobots and humans worked out that [[Unicron]] was at the center of the Earth. He and the other Autobots began investigating the sites of the earthquakes Unicron had generated. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Though Optimus ordered the other Autobots to remain at base, Bumblebee, Arcee and Bulkhead joined him anyway. They fought increasingly larger stone Unicrons, until they encountered a huge one which Bumblebee thought might be the real thing but Prime told him wasn't. He and Bulkhead zoomed behind it to try and blast it, but it knocked them both aside as if they were nothing. To their surprise, help came in the form of Megatron who blasted the giant before it could crush Prime, and offered to help them fight Unicron. When Optimus gave the trio the choice of whether to accompany him and Megatron to Earth's core, Bumblebee opted to go for Raf's sake. He, Arcee and Bulkhead greeted Megatron to the Autobot base by aiming their guns at him. Before long, they stepped through the GroundBridge once again, this time into Earth's core. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

As they made their way through Unicron's internals, they encountered [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]] which aggressively attacked them. When during the fight Bulkhead almost fell to his doom, Bumblebee grabbed his arm and held him long enough for Optimus to help. He, Bulkhead and Arcee remained outside Unicron's spark chamber to hold off the antibodies, but after Unicron's defeat, they entered to find Optimus had lost his memory. The trio had to GroundBridge back to base without their leader. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

The Autobots puzzled over how to get their leader back but made little progress. When Fowler warned them of an attack on a military base, Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee went to try and deal with it, but Knock Out and Breakdown succeeded in getting away with the power source they needed. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Bumblebee and the others fruitlessly searched for the space bridge.until the breakthrough came in the form of information from Starscream. Using said information, the Autobots stormed the mine containing the space bridge and secured it so they could send Jack and Arcee through to Cybertron. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}} Ratchet, Bulkhead and Bumblebee monitored Jack's progress from the Earth end of the space bridge. When Megatron arrived to take back control, Bumblebee was grabbed by the head and tossed aside. Luckily it all turned out, and Bumblebee and the others returned to base with Optimus Prime restored. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

[[Image:OperationBumblebee1 Bumblebee's new ride.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]
During a mission to retrieve a Cybertronian artifact, Bumblebee followed Megatron into the Decepticon GroundBridge and snatched the [[spark extractor|Spark Extractor]] right out of his hand. Responding to another signal, Bumblebee was ambushed by MECH, who took his [[transformation cog|T-cog]]. Unable to transform, he became more and more testy despite the attempts of Raf to cheer him up. Bumblebee finally talked Bulkhead into taking him along on on a mission to find another artifact, only for his lack of a T-cog to become a liability as he tried to chase Knock Out. The pursuit ended when Bumblebee plunged out-of-control off a cliff. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

{{spoiler|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2|March 24, 2012}}
When he came around back at base, Optimus restricted him to base. After an attempt to transplant Ratchet's T-cog into him was aborted, Bumblebee was pointed in the direction of the MECH base and opted to go on a one-bot assault. Though he floored Starscream and MECH in the process of getting the cog back, the vital component was blasted by Starscream. After some repair work by Ratchet, the T-cog was reinstalled in Bumblebee, and his ability to [[transformation|transform]] restored. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

{{-}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
Bumblebee took part in the testing of Ratchet's newly developed [[Safe]]. After Bulkhead uncovered a nuke which attracted the attention of some Vehicons, Bumblebee, Optimus and Arcee went out to deal with the 'Cons. As Bumblebee knocked the Vehicons into the air, Optimus and Arcee blasted them, though Bumblebee was less than happy with the arrangement as he wanted to get to shoot them. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.1|The Safe and the Failsafe}} Optimus took the other Autobots, including Bumblebee, on a trip to [[Valley of Fire State Park]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Bumblebee was playing video games with Raf when Fowler reported that the Decepticons had commandeered a [[Yamal|nuclear-powered ship]] near [[Antarctica]]. Optimus, Bumblebee and Ratchet GroundBridged to the ship, but on arrival Ratchet was knocked out by Starscream's [[static lance]]. Bumblebee attacked the Decepticon, dodging a swipe of the lance and then delivering a kick. Once he had possession of the lance, Bumblebee threw it to Optimus, who used it to defeat Megatron. After guiding the ship to its destination, the trio returned to base, which had been turned into an ice rink for some reason. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Raf and Bumblebee stopped off at [[Plug and Play]] to pick up Raf's copy of ''[[Invasionauts II]]''. Later at the base, Bumblebee found that Raf had let a bunch of Vehicons into the base, and was about to shut the [[GroundBridge]] down, when Raf stopped him. Raf, who had been temporarily hypnotised by the game, instead shut the bridge down in a way that sucked the remaining Vehicons back through and kept the location of the base concealed from the enemy. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}}

{{spoiler|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|March 29, 2012}}
After the [[President of the United States]] was kidnapped, the Autobots traced the culprit, Starscream, to the [[Grand Canyon]]. Bumblebee and Arcee teamed up to take out the cannons manned by Vehicons that Starscream had brought along. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|All the President's 'Bots!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
:''Voice actor'': [[Johnny Yong Bosch]] (English), [[Renato Novara]] (Italian)

[[Image:WfC-IGN-Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|The time has come and so have I... I'll laugh last 'cause you came to die.]]
During the Decepticons siege of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]], Bumblebee volunteered to be a message courier when communications became unreliable. Bumblebee was searching for the one called [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] when he was caught by a pair of Decepticons, only to be saved by Optimus and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]. Informing Optimus of the death of [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Zeta Prime]], Bumblebee accompanied Optimus and Ratchet to a command center where they were contacted by [[Jetfire (Prime)|Jetfire]], who was leading the aerial counterattack and wanted Zeta to activate the [[planetary gun]]s. After informing Jetfire of Prime's death, Bumblebee helped Optimus and Ratchet make their way to the orbital defenses control room, where they activated the guns. Their next stop was the [[Decagon]], where they could reestablish communications and coordinate Iacon's defense. They hit serious Decepticon resistance, including several [[Decepticon war machine]]s, but ultimately, with help from Jetfire and [[Ironhide (Prime)|Ironhide]], the three made their way to the Decagon, where they faced the last obstacle: [[Air Commander|Sky Commander]] [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]. Beating the traitorous Seeker, Bumblebee witnessed a desperate communication from Zeta Prime, who was being held in the [[Kaon]] [[Kaon Prison Complex|Prison Complex]]. Optimus resolved to rescue Zeta, and Bumblebee accompanied him.

[[Image:WFC_Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Autobots... [[Johnny Yong Bosch|It's Morphin' Time?"]]]]
Bumblebee, Optimus, and [[Sideswipe (Prime)|Sideswipe]] allowed themselves to be captured raiding supplies outside Kaon, and taken to the prison within the city. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] ordered them taken to recycling. Bumblebee didn't think that sounded bad, until Sideswipe told him to consider ''what'' they were recycling. As they made their way through the prison, Bumblebee's horror grew, until he was in a near panic when they placed against the firing wall. Fortunately, [[Air Raid (Prime)|Air Raid]] finally arrived and killed the [[Heavy Soldier]]s about to execute them. Air Raid was forced to let himself be captured to let the others escape. Finally finding some weapons, the three made their way to a [[wall crawler]] and descended into the prison. Bumblebee asked if this was good or bad, and Optimus replied that it was purely a matter of perspective, while Sideswipe said he was enjoying himself. Soon, they reached a room where Megatron revealed that he had allowed Zeta's message to be broadcast simply to lure Optimus into a trap. After they fought off some Decepticons, Megatron simply teleported them to a prison cell without their weapons. Fortunately, Optimus managed to break the wall with his axe, freeing them. Optimus then explained he could not open the other prisoners' cells, despite Bumblebee's pleas. Heading to retrieve Air Raid, the three Autobots rescued the flier, who took them to the control which would open all the prison's hard locks. Unfortunately, Zeta was trapped under the facility, so the control wouldn't release him. While Air Raid took the freed Autobots back to Iacon, Bumblebee accompanied Optimus and Sideswipe underground to free Zeta, racing through the caverns as the Decepticons blew out the ground. Reaching Zeta Prime's cell, Optimus, Bumblebee, and Sideswipe had to fight through Soundwave's minions to rescue the Autobot leader, but Soundwave stole some of Zeta's life energy and fled, killing the Prime. Taking his body back to Iacon, Bumblebee and Sideswipe bore witness to the [[Autobot High Council]] declaring that Optimus was now Optimus [[Prime (rank)|Prime]], leader of the Autobots.

During the evacuation of Cybertron, Megatron used Trypticon Station to fire on the Autobots' escape pods. After the Aerialbots destroyed Trypticon's conversion cog and sent him plummeting to the planet's surface, Bumblebee accompanied Optimus Prime and Ironhide to look for the crash site. Once Trypticon was found to still function, Bumblebee assisted in fighting him, overloading his shoulder cannons with energon batteries and destroying his heat vents. After greatly damaging Trypticon, Oprimus Prime declared Trypticon had lost and knocked him into an energon lake with his axe. Afterward, Bumblebee was present at the unveiling of the Ark, where he reminded Optimus Prime that Megatron was "still out there". {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
:''Voice actor:'' Johnny Yong Bosch (English)
{{quote|Watch out, Decepticons! I'm kinda a big deal!|Bumblebee, making you glad he can't talk in the cartoon.}}
[[Image:WFCDS Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|89px|Small, but noisy.]]
When a distress call from Zeta Prime was received by the Autobots, they sent Bumblebee to find Optimus so they could repair the communications system. Bumblebee and Optimus were seen battling Decepticons together by an Autobot rookie when he arrived at the Autobot base. When Optimus was later disabled by [[laser guard]]s, Bumblebee was instrumental in reviving him, and helped him defeat [[Dirge (WFC)|Dirge]]. After the Autobots retook [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Bumblebee exploded verbally at Ironhide, complaining that they'd already lost the war. Optimus told him that that attitude was just what Megatron wanted.

Prime's transmissions led the Autobots to infiltrate Kaon Prison, a place Bumblebee found terrifying to the point where Ironhide had to try and calm him and Optimus told them both to quiet down. They eventually found Zeta Prime, in time for their leader to expire. After Optimus was made the new Prime, the Autobots tried to enlist the help of [[Grimlock (WFC)|Grimlock]] and [[Swoop (WFC)|Swoop]]. Bumblebee slyly goaded Grimlock into challenging Optimus to a contest, however instead the Autobots ended up rescuing Swoop who'd been kidnapped by the Decepticons. The Autobots were forced to venture down to Cybertron's core to disable the Dark Energon corruptors, so that Cybertron's core could begin repairing itself, however the planet was left unable to sustain Transformer life.

As the Autobots began to evacuate in arks, Trypticon station began firing on them. Optimus prepared to take a team to the station to attack it from the inside, and Bumblebee was the first to volunteer to go along. They infiltrated the station and destroyed its power core, causing it to plunge from orbit. To the Autobots' surprise, the station transformed into a monster which Bumblebee found terrifying, but he still took part in the battle to destroy it. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
:''Voice actor'': Johnny Yong Bosch (English), [[Renato Novara]] (Italian)

In order to find out more about "Trypticon", Bumblebee and Ironhide were ordered to infiltrate a Decepticon datacore and extract the info stored inside it. Looking for a back way in, Ironhide uncovered a transit shaft, but it was too small for him to reconnoiter. Splitting up, Bumblebee took the shaft while Ironhide circled around to find another way in. Inside the datacore, they retrieved the intel on Trypticon, but were unable to escape without being noticed. The ruckus they raised in Kaon caught Megatron's attempt, and he arrived to fell both Autobots before they made it out of the city-state. Megatron subjected Bumblebee to a neural scanner to forcibly extract Autobot secrets from his mind. Bumblebee struggled to resist the scanner, but still unwillingly gave up some intel before Ironhide broke them both free. They eventually made it out of Kaon in one piece, thanks in part to the air support provided by Air Raid.

After the power supply was cut off to Trypticon from the Geosynchronous Energy Bridge, the Autobots began to prep supplies for their evacuation of the planet. On one such supply convoy, Bumblebee ran defensive reconnaissance to protect the convoy from Decepticon attack. Bumblebee blamed himself for allowing the decepticons to access his mind using the neural scanner, and was extra dedicated to the mission in his effort to redeem himself, even if only in his own eyes. He uncovered an ambush plot on the roadway, and alerted Optimus to the threat. Taking point, he intervened on several other ambush attempts along the way.

After Trypticon Station fell to Cybertron's surface and revealed itself as a gi-normous transforming creature, Bumblebee joined Optimus Prime and Ironhide in racing to the crash site to finish him off. They were separated during the journey, and had to fight through multiple Decepticon vanguards before even reaching Trypticon. Eventually, it was the combined firepower and teamwork of the Autobot forces that brought down the dangerous dinosaur. {{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===

[[Image:FOC-GameInformerPrimeBumblebee.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Oh my God, they killed Kenny! You bastards!]]
{{comingsoon}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianBumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He stars in ''Tron 3.0.'']]
*'''Cybertronian Bumblebee''' (Deluxe Class, 2010)
:*''Accessories: '' handgun
: Based on his appearance in ''War for Cybertron'', Bumblebee transforms from a yellow and black robot into a "Cybertronian courier mode." His toy comes with a handgun and features two wrist-mounted flip-out blades. The handgun (described in the packaging only as "weapon") can be stored inside his rear bumper in either robot or vehicle mode. Bumblebee's head appears to have [[light-piping]]. However his eyes are painted over in blue, thus rendering the gimmick neutered. Due to the nature of his design, his legs are generally loose at the mid-thigh transformation joint.
:Bumblebee is part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Generations|Generations]]'' Deluxes, but he and Cybertronian [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] shipped ahead of their two other wavemates in the United States via [[Toys"R"Us]].

:This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Bumblebee (G1)/toys#United|Bumblebee Cybertron Mode]] and [[retool]]ed into ''Generations'' [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] and ''United'' [[Cliffjumper (G1)#United|Cliffjumper Cybertron Mode]]. In fact, Bumblebee's instructions depict him with Cliffjumper's head, revealing the retool before it was officially announced.

::*''[http://tfu.info/2010/Autobot/GenerationsBumblebee/bumblebee.htm More information on Cybertronian Bumblebee at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TRURageOverCybertronCybertronianBumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|The Grid. A digital frontier. I tried to picture clusters of information as they moved through the computer.]]
*'''Rage over Cybertron''' (Multipack, 2011)
:*''Accessories'': handgun

:A [[redeco]] of Cybertronian Bumblebee with most of the original version's black plastic changed to gray, clear blue headlights and rims, a red tint for the windows, most of the red paint details changed to blue and additional blue circuitry paint details resembling the "overshield" effect from the ''War for Cybertron'' game, available in a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] three-pack with redecos of Cybertronian Optimus Prime and Cybertronian Megatron.
{{--}}

===Prime: First Edition===
{{anchor|NewYork}}
[[Image:NYCC-Arcee-Bumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bumblebee and Arcee, Includes Raf Esquivel and Jack Darby''' (NYCC 2011 exclusive)
:[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] is a [[redeco]] of Deluxe Class Bumblebee (see below) as a New York taxicab and comes with a pink [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] and NY-themed [[Jack Darby]] and [[Raf Esquivel]] figurines. They were sold exclusively at New York Comic-Con 2011.
{{-}}

{{anchor|FirstEdition}}
[[Image:Primetoy-BumblebeeDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Pirates radio clips ''and'' Jazz's transformation scheme.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' ("First Edition" Deluxe Class, 2011)
**''Number:'' '''001'''
**''Accessories:'' Arm-mounted weapon, stand

: Part of the first wave of "First Edition" ''Prime'' figures, this Deluxe-sized incarnation of Bumblebee transforms into a yellow [[Urbana 500]] muscle car. An arm-mounted blaster can be pegged into either of his forearms or stowed underneath the vehicle mode. As with other "First Edition" ''Prime'' figures, he comes with a cardboard display stand which sits at the bottom of the packaging.
{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|Revealer}}
[[Image:PrimeRIDtoy-BumblebeeDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Deluxe, 2012)
**''Japanese release date:'' '''[[March 21]], 2012'''
**''Japanese Number:'' '''AM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 arm-mounted blasters (Hasbro only), "B.2" Arms Micron (Takara only)

: Part of the first wave of "Robots in Disguise" ''Prime'' figures, this is an entirely-new Deluxe Class Bumblebee figure, apart from the "First Edition" version. More of the vehicle's roof is stored on the back of the robot, and the transformation has a "dramatic head reveal." Two weapons are now included, and they can combine to form a larger cannon. The front section features an automorph gimmick, with the shoulders geared together with the head and the top of the hood folding up into Bumblebee's chest when pushed into place.

: The Japanese version of Bumblebee is considerably different. He uses a metallic gold plastic instead of Hasbro's simpler yellow, and is largely devoid of [[paint operation]]s, with only his face, grill and engine block being painted. Most of his detailing, like his car-mode striping, is provided by a separate sheet of customer-applied [[decal]]s. He also has several [[5mm post|5mm-hole]] mounting points on his car form, which are meant to be used with the new [[Arms Micron]] system. As such, he does not come with the Hasbro version's blasters, instead coming with the Arms Micron [[B.2]], who transforms into an oversized version of Bumblebee's wrist-mounted blasters.

{{-}}{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:Cyberverse_legion_bb.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Cyberverse Legion, 2012)
**''Series/Number:'' '''2/001'''
**''Japanese release date:'' '''[[March 21]], 2012'''
**''Japanese Number:'' '''EZ-04'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun

: Part of the first wave of ''Prime'' [[Cyberverse]] Legion Class toys, Bumblebee transforms from Urbana 500 muscle car to robot and back. His blaster is made of rubbery translucent pink plastic and has connection points so that it can be combined with other Cyberverse weapons. Likewise, his vehicle mode has multiple pegholes for Cyberverse weapon mounting. His weapon (modeled after his in-show cannon) is also used by Cyberverse [[Arcee (Prime)#Cyberverse|Arcee]].

{{-}}{{anchor|EntertainmentPack}}
*'''Starscream vs. Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Accessories:'' Double-barreled wrist blaster
: This deluxe-class Bumblebee is a [[redeco]] of his First Edition release in a darker, more orange shade of yellow plastic, similar to the same mould's NYCC exclusive version. He features brighter silver highlights and an inexplicable recoloring of his racing stripes with an aqua blue, which fade back to their regular black halfway along his car mode.
: Bumblebee comes packed-in with a redeco of First Edition Starscream, small unarticulated figurines of [[Silas]] and a MECH soldier, as well as a DVD containing the episodes ''[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]'', ''[[Sick Mind]]'' and ''[[Out of His Head]]''.

{{-}}{{anchor|Weaponizer}}
[[Image:Transformers-Prime-Weaponizers-Bumblebee.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Eight, count 'em eight wheels.]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (Weaponizer, 2012)
**''Accessories:''

{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}{{anchor|ArmsMicron}}
*'''Bumblebee Sword''' (Arms Micron, [[March 31|3-31]]-2012)

: One of the odder Japanese ''Prime'' releases, "Bumblebee Sword" is an [[Arms Micron]] figure that transforms from Bumblebee's robot mode into a twin-bladed weapon, compatible with the "Arms Micron" weapon system.

: He was available as part of the "[[Arms Micron Box]]" set, a ten-piece box featuring him, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)#ArmsMicron|Optimus Prime Blaster]], [[Gob]] and [[Zad]]. These four were also released individually in Gashapon "capsule toy" machines in May the same year.

:Right now, we're ''assuming'' that Bumblebee Sword is the same character as Bumblebee, even though that makes no fictional sense whatsoever.

{{comingsoontoy}}

===Rescue Bots===
[[Image:RescueBots Bumblebee toy.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Dear God, [[Bumblebee (Movie)|they're]] [[Bumblebee (Animated)|crossbreeding!]]]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2011)
:Bumblebee transforms into a yellow muscle car which presumably can be used by the humans in the rescue team to speed to problem sites, while staying within the speed limit, of course. Tugging either end of the vehicle will [[autotransformation|autotransform]] him back into robot mode.
{{-}}

{{anchor|BeeGarage}}
[[Image:RescueBots Garage Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Bumblebee enjoys hiding underneath cars that look like him.]]
*'''Bumblebee Rescue Garage''' (2011)
**''Accessories:'' Bumblebee, Axel Frazier
:The [[Bumblebee Rescue Garage]] comes with a smaller Bumblebee toy not unlike an [[Robot Powered Machines|RPM]] or [[Speed Stars]] toy in function. Standing the vehicle on end reveals Bumblebee's robot mode embossed on its underside. The back of Bumblebee's car mode also has a cavity in which the included Axel Frazier figure can ride.
{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[Image:Bot Shots S1 B001 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''110'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''630'''
***''Sword strength'': '''970'''

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Bot Shots]]'', Bumblebee is a teeny little sports car ''vaguely'' like a Camaro with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when his front bumper is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. He is heavily based on the [[Bumblebee (Movie)|live-action movie Bumblebee]], with his head based on the ''[[Transformers: Classics|Classics]]'' version of [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Bumblebee (G1)#Classics|Bumblebee]].

{{-}}{{anchor|SuperBot}}
[[Image:Bot Shots S1 Super Bot 002 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': ''' Super Bot 002'''
***''Fist strength'': '''???'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''???'''
***''Sword strength'': '''???'''

:Released in the second wave, this version of Bumblebee is cast in clear-orangey-yellow plastics with minimal paint. As this wave's Super Bot, he has higher than normal stats, but is [[shortpacking|shortpacked]] to one a case.

{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShot3Pack}}
[[Image:Bot Shots S1 BP001 Bumblebee.jpg|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Sentinel Prime / Prowl / Bumblebee''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''BP001'''
***''Fist strength'': '''765'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''530'''
***''Sword strength'': '''325'''

: This version of Bumblebee was only available in a three-pack with [[Prowl (Prime)#Bot Shots|Prowl]] and [[Sentinel Zeta Prime#Bot Shots|Sentinel Prime]]. While similar to the first-wave release, this version has a different shade of yellow plastic, black windows instead of blue, light gray tires, and extra silver paint on his torso and grill.

{{-}}{{anchor|BotShotBattleForMatrix}}
*'''Battle for the Matrix''' (Multi-pack, 2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''???'''
***''Fist strength'': '''???'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''???'''
***''Sword strength'': '''???'''

: Part of a large multi-pack, it is unknown at this time what differences —if any—there are between this and the prior versions of Bumblebee.

: The set also comes with [[Megatron (Prime)#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Megatron with his launcher]], [[Brawl (WFC)#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Brawl]], and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)#BotShotBattleForMatrix|Optimus Prime]], as well as a [[Matrix]] prize.

{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
{{anchor|ionblaster}}
*'''Bumblebee Ion Blaster''' (2012)

{{charstubtoys}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
* [[Alex Irvine]] wrote the short story ''[[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]]'', expanding on how Bumblebee lost his vocoder in ''Exodus''.
* [[Jeff Kline]] said why Bumblebee lost his voice will be revealed in season two of ''Prime'',<ref>[http://collider.com/roberto-orci-jeff-kline-interview-transformers-prime/75039/ Collider interview]</ref> though [[Duane Capizzi]] broke the suspense when he said it would be for the same reason as ''Exodus''.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/bonus-q--a-with-transformers-prime-creators---answered-171430/ TFW Q&A]</ref>
*In the end credits for WFC, Bee drives up, and '''HALF''' of the Autobots get out. Weird. Guess his father was a clown car.
* Bumblebee's [[license plate]] in "[[Speed Metal]]" is "'''936 SOH'''".
* Unlike [[Bumblebee (Movie)|that other mute Bumblebee]], who cannot directly communicate at all, and who splices together radio signals as a primitive method of conveying his thoughts, the beeps and tones produced by ''Prime'' Bumblebee seem to be a language of their own, which is fully understood by other Cybertronians (and, oddly, Raf).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bumblebee''' (バンブルビー ''Banburubī'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Dà-huáng-fēng''' (大黃蜂, "Bumblebee")

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Bot Shots]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Autobots]]
[[Category:Prime Mini-Cons]]
[[Category:Rescue Bots Autobots]]
[[Category:Scouts]]
[[Category:Spies]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Autobots]]
[[Category:Transformers Online Autobots]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Autobots]]

Starscream (WFC)

2012-03-20T12:02:42Z

TrapRat: /* Prime */ Saw this was still blanks so I figured I'd add it, since I bought this set.

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Starscream}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] and later independent from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:StarscreamPrime.jpg|thumb|300px|In a cruel twist of fate, perhaps the most legitimately competent Starscream ever, but no one will take him seriously for even a minute.]]
'''Starscream''' was an Air Commander of the [[Energon]] [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]]s, [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s finest air warriors. His dream was to recover the [[Matrix of Leadership]] and become the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] that would return the Transformers to the [[Golden Age]], and he saw opportunity with the rebel upstart [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. A patient and polite schemer, Starscream used to wish Megatron would drop the heroic anti-[[caste system|caste]] charade and be more honest about his lust for power.

These days, he alternatively wishes Megatron would stop being obsessed with his lust for power and chafes under having to work for such a madman. While he serves as Megatron's right-hand man, he constantly looks for a way to become the commander himself and Megatron knows it: Starscream's extremely volatile personality means he is not adept at hiding his true intent. Fortunately for Megatron, Starscream is prone to panic, cowardice and bombastic gestures, meaning that it'd take exceptional circumstances for Starscream to actually manage to get behind him to shove the knife in.

He may be a scientist, but [[Starscream (Prime)#Notes|we're not quite sure]].

{{quote|That shot was perfect, much like the one who fired it!|Starscream after achieving a headshot|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
Starscream may or may not have had a history as a scientist. Regardless of what he did prior, in the early days before the war began he was one of the leaders of the Cybertronian Air Command. When [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] fell into chaos following bombings by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]'s [[Decepticon]] followers, Starscream was posted as [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]]'s bodyguard. He was with the Prime at [[Altihex]] Casino during a performance by comedian [[Armorhide (WFC)|Armorhide]] when the Decepticons attacked. Sentinel's attempt to flee rather than fight back made Starscream ashamed of his leader, so he had [[Skywarp (Prime)|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (WFC)|Thundercracker]] take him to [[Kaon]] Prison rather than the safety of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]. This earned him loyalty with Megatron, but wary of how sour a revolution could quickly turn Starscream opted not to be directly involved in the gladiator's operations, posting his Seekers at [[Moonbase One|Moon Base One]] and [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]] Station. Megatron was intrigued by why Starscream wanted to occupy "that semi-sentient pile of junk" but despite [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Orion Pax]]'s research they found no clues, with information regarding the Station seemingly censored.

Whenever Starscream's Seekers were present, the Decepticons were victorious in battle against the [[Autobot]]s. Starscream however, found Megatron's strategies overly convoluted. As the war devolved into a siege of Iacon, Megatron and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]], by probing into forgotten areas of the [[DataNet]], discovered Trypticon was a storage of [[Dark Energon]], the life essence of [[Unicron]]. When questioned, Starscream explained since even the Air Command was not sure what Dark Energon was, he had forbidden its use, fearing the damage Megatron's gladiators would unleash. Megatron forgave Starscream, noting how he "was smart enough to be afraid of it", and was granted access.

Starscream sent a message to the Autobots proposing a meeting. Optimus only granted him a communication channel. Starscream stated if the Autobots did not know what Dark Energon was (they did) they would need to find out — and asked what would he could expect from them if something happened to Megatron. Optimus replied that he sought a just peace. Starscream said he understood, broke off the conversation and flew to [[Kaon]] Prison where Sentinel was held. Starscream offered Sentinel a chance to redeem his cowardly behavior at Altihex. The ultimate aim of this road to becoming Decepticon leader was to become [[Prime (rank)|Prime]] in a peace settlement with Optimus, and lead Cybertron back to its [[Golden Age]]. Starscream then flew to Moon Base One when Megatron ordered him to Trypticon, where he found the Decepticons had invaded the Station and slaughtered and maimed his scientists.

Megatron and [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] forced Starscream to select two survivors to absorb [[Dark Energon]], for what was a successful experiment. Requiring more for the Decepticon war effort, Megatron ordered Starscream to capture the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]], below the ruins of [[Crystal City]]. Empowered by his first taste of Dark Energon, Starscream activated the device that transmitted Energon to the Station for it to be Darkened. But the Bridge still did not produce enough, and Starscream was ordered to find the Code [[Key of Power]] and [[Key of Justice]] to the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] underneath the [[High Council Tower]] in Iacon. Starscream decided it was time to release Sentinel, renouncing Dark Energon after realizing Megatron had turned his soldiers into addicts. Starscream found the Key of Power within the [[Hall of Justice]] and flew underground to find his plan had failed, as Megatron had mortally wounded Sentinel. He could see within Sentinel's body was the Key of Justice, but was prevented from taking it by [[Blackout (WFC)|Blackout]]. Megatron fought Starscream to a standstill, sparing him because he realized he was a better soldier than a would-be example.

As Megatron entered the Chamber, [[Teletraan-1]] activated the legendary [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] to fly it away. Aware Starscream had a better chance of escaping Omega's awakening, Megatron ordered Starscream and his Seekers to down Omega, in exchange for more Dark Energon. Giving up on his attempt to give up his addiction, Starscream gleefully accepted and they successfully blew Omega out of the sky, allowing the Decepticons to retrieve the Chamber and corrupt the [[core]]. As Cybertron became uninhabitable, the Autobots left on the largest starship ever built - the ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]''. Starscream left the planet with Megatron as they gave pursuit on Trypticon, now a ''Nemesis''-class supercruiser. The two ships entered a [[space bridge]], which separated the two ships to unknown parts of space... {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' comic===
[[Image:Primecomic-Starscream.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Hey, look, a backscratcher!]]
Starscream had been on [[Earth]] at some point, but was assigned by Megatron to scour the galaxy for remnants of space bridge technology. Returning to their dead homeworld, Starscream built a weapons lab in Kaon and began building a space bridge. He was informed by his [[Vehicon (Prime)|Eradicon]]s elsewhere they had apprehended the Autobot spy [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]. Later, after basking in the glory of successfully activating the space bridge that would return them to Earth and its [[Energon]], Starscream realized Cliffjumper was present. The Autobot claimed to be freed by his captors after defecting to the Decepticons, and warned them of [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]: this ruse successfully distracted Starscream long enough for Arcee to activate and overload the space bridge, but he jumped in after them moments before the lab was blown sky high.

Falling to Earth, a dazed Starscream picked up a [[bunny rabbit]], commenting that [[human]]s were smaller than he remembered. [[Scanning]] a fleet of jets flying overhead, he found Cliffjumper and Arcee driving on a road and launched a missile at them. He picked up Arcee's blown off arm and started battering Cliffjumper with it, but the Autobot blew up the rock formation above them and crushed Starscream with the rubble. Having received Starscream's signal, [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] came to his rescue, and the duo pursued and overwhelmed the Autobots. Just as Starscream was about to send them back to the [[AllSpark]], Optimus jumped and landed on him, while gunning Breakdown away. As Starscream greeted his opponent, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] tapped him on the shoulder and sent him flying. Optimus opted not to finish the job, allowing Starscream to escape and fight another day as he got Cliffjumper and Arcee to base. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (comic)|Transformers: Prime}}
{{-}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Steve Blum]] (English), [[Satoshi Tsuruoka]] (Japanese)|[[Leopoldo Ballesteros]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Jin-uk Hong]] (Korean), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Gerald Paradies]] (German), [[José Antonio Macías]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Nicolas Dubois]] (French)}}

[[Image:DarknessRising1-Starscreamsneer.jpg|right|thumb|300px|One look sells him as Starscream.]]
Before Starscream joined Megatron and the Decepticons, he was commander of a squadron of Energon Seekers on Cybertron. {{Storylink|Partners}} When the Decepticons arrived on Earth, Starscream scouted a old 'Con ship called the ''[[Harbinger]]'' that had crashed landed on Earth. However he failed to record the coordinates of the crash site or find the [[Immobilizer]]. {{Storylink|Partners}} [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] had left [[Earth]] for the depths of space three years ago, leaving Starscream in charge. Starscream spent his time sending out [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon grunts]] to search for [[Energon]] deposits{{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}, and managed to set up a lucrative energon mine in secret. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

One energon search was intercepted by the Autobot [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]. Once Cliffjumper was defeated, Starscream had him brought aboard his ship, where his captive asked where Megatron was. Assuring the defeated Autobot that he was his own master, he stabbed Cliffjumper with his fist, causing the Autobot to bleed out and finally succumb to his wounds. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] played back a transmission of Cliffjumper and Arcee's last conversation, and Starscream declared she would be their next target, sending two drones after her. Later, Soundwave picked up deep space transmissions, and a hesitant Starscream opened the space bridge for Megatron's return. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}}

Welcoming him to his energon mine, Starscream asked (quite snarkily) whether Megatron had raised a new army in his three year absence. His leader replied he had recovered [[Dark Energon]], the blood of Unicron himself, to the Seeker's concern; then he asked if Starscream were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, to test its abilities to raise the dead. Starscream ''declined'' his unhinged commander's request, offering Cliffjumper's corpse for the experiment. It resulted in a rabid [[zombie]] whose rampage was only stopped by Megatron slicing it in half: Starscream was left confused and unnerved by the idea Megatron intended to weaponise such things. The zombie's activation made the Autobots think Cliffjumper was alive and they raided Starscream's energon mine to find it. Starscream reported this to Megatron, upset about losing the place, and was ordered to his annoyance to bomb the mine: Megatron believed Optimus survived, however. Feeling he had not spent enough time exploring Dark Energon's secrets, he promptly stabbed a shard into his spark, and Starscream looked in horror as a purple light infused Megatron's body... {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}

[[Image:DarknessRising3-interrogateFowler.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"No, Mister Fowler, I expect you to be saved at the last minute!"]]
With the success of the experiment, Megatron took off for parts unknown, leaving Starscream in charge once more. Starscream confided in Soundwave that he thought Megatron had gone a bit batty, and Soundwave responded by playing a sound byte of their master's last order. When Soundwave later picked up [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]]'s transmissions, Starscream ordered the human be brought to him. This done, he attempted to interrogate Fowler, who not only responded with sarcasm but demanded to see the "manager". Starscream, enraged, called for an [[Energon prod]]. He offered Fowler one last chance, and when it was thrown back in his face, Starscream began jabbing Fowler with the prod, noting that energon and the human nervous system shouldn't mix.{{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}}

[[Image:Tfprimestarscreamsteppedon.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Bosses, always stepping on the little guy...]]
The torture eventually weakened Fowler to the point where he almost gave the location of the Autobot's base. However, the sound of battle outside brought about a bout of sarcasm. An annoyed Starscream shocked Fowler into unconsciousness before ordering a pair of Vehicons to find the source of the commotion. After Fowler regained consciousness, he proved to be dazed and incapable of answering anything. When Bulkhead and Bumblebee arrived and aimed their guns at Starscream, the 'Con in turn threatened to kill Fowler, only to discover that Arcee was perched above him, aiming her gun at his head. A stand off ensued, until another outburst by Fowler distracted Starscream, allowing the Autobots to fire on him. Realizing his disadvantage, Starscream fled. Once Megatron returned to the ship, he was outraged at Starscream's actions and proceeded to beat his subordinate for "delaying his plans". Starscream managed to quell his master's anger by announcing he had a way to get their plans back on course. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

[[Image:DarknessRising5-ohgeez.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Oh my God. It's called toothpaste, use it.]]
As it turned out, his plan was to send Soundwave down to use a radio dish array on Earth to set the space bridge's target. He kept a close eye on the team of Autobots who had appeared on the space bridge, confiding in Megatron that he thought they were up to something. When the space bridge appeared to veer off course, he contacted Soundwave to find out what was going on. Once the technical difficulties were sorted, Starscream opened the space bridge so that Megatron could throw the chunk of Dark Energon though. Starscream moved the ship back to a safe distance when the fighting on the rim of the space bridge became more intense, while imploring his master to withdraw as well. Alas, the space bridge exploded, apparently taking Megatron with it, and Starscream gave a brief eulogy before declaring himself leader. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}

[[Image:Masters&Students-SoundwaveStarscream.jpg|thumb|250px|*ping* "FINE! FINE! I'LL WRITE A THANK-YOU NOTE!"]]

Hiding his joy at Megatron's demise, Starscream gave a speech to the troops, only for it to receive a lukewarm reception at best. Recalling that the Decepticons had left warriors on Earth to guard the energon deposits, Starscream took Soundwave to locate one. They found and reactivated [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], but to Starscream's disappointment, the newly-awakened Decepticon was not keen on accepting him as leader and belted him aside when the opportunity came to attack Optimus Prime. Starscream still believed he could salvage the situation if Skyquake successfully killed Prime under his watch, however a signal Soundwave detected coming from the location of the space bridge explosion meant a reluctant Starscream had to go and check it out. He found Megatron's body floating in space, having barely survived the explosion by virtue of the Dark Energon infusion. Starscream ripped the sliver of Dark Energon from him, but then realised he was being observed by Soundwave's [[Deployer (Prime)|drone]], and was forced to take Megatron back to the sick bay on the ''Nemesis''. Along with the news that Skyquake had been defeated by the Autobots, it was not a good day for Starscream. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Starscream's next plan, conceived when Soundwave detected a transmission from [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]], was to have [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] masquerade as the Autobot and infiltrate the Autobot base in order to learn its whereabouts. Starscream paid a visit to the now-captive Wheeljack, who almost managed to goad Starscream into killing him. Soundwave stopped the killing blow, reminding Starscream that Wheeljack might be useful later. The two Decepticons retired to the upper hull to wait for Makeshift to activate the [[GroundBridge]], but while Starscream grew steadily impatient, Wheeljack broke free and climbed up to attack him. The GroundBridge opened and Wheeljack stormed through, but Starscream's order to his Vehicon troops came too late, as the GroundBridge closed. It opened again a short time later and Makeshift was thrown through, landing on Starscream. Starscream hoped Makeshift had at least discovered the base's location. Makeshift didn't get a chance to say, as Starscream spotted that the Autobots had triggered the grenade on his waist and flew off before it exploded. {{storylink|Con Job}} After Soundwave picked up on [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System|another Autobot operation]], Starscream figured it was a good opportunity to get rid of the Autobots while they were distracted, and sent a squadron of Vehicons on a search and destroy mission (inadvertently exposing their existence to [[MECH]]). {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

[[Image:DeusExMachina-Screamer grins.jpg|left|thumb|250px|"We've had too much Energon shed. I think that a cleansing is in order."]]
To Starscream's discomfort, the crew held a vote and he was obliged to call in [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] to aid in Megatron's recovery. The discovery that an [[Energon Harvester]] was located in an museum on Earth as all the excuse Starscream needed to put that on hold, and the other Decepticons soon obtained the device for him. He took it to [[Greece]] to try it out on an energon vein Breakdown had found there. When Knock Out tried to correct him on who had supplied the device, Starscream icily demonstrated its effectiveness on a passing Vehicon. When [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] attacked them, Starscream turned the device on him as well, but then Bulkhead punched him in the face and broke the Harvester. When the rest of the Autobots arrived, and being ditched by Knock Out and Breakdown, Starscream fled. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

While checking up on Megatron's repairs, Starscream was displeased to learn that Knock Out had engaged in street races with the humans. Starscream instructed Knock Out to seek his permission before engaging in such activity, and was exasperated that Knock Out insisted on calling him "Commander" Starscream, instead of "Lord" Starscream, as he still believed Megatron was headed for death. When Knock Out returned having been bested by the Autobots after another street race, Starscream was furious, both at Knock Out's disobedience, and the fact that he still called him "Commander". Insisting that it was '''LORD''', Starscream decided to make an example of Knock Out, starting with a "cosmetic" punishment. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

Some time later, after the ship's electromagnetic shielding failed, Starscream put the Vehicons to work fixing it. He enticed Knock Out into cooperating on the Megatron issue by offering the other 'Con a post as second-in-command. The pair attempted to persuade Soundwave that Megatron was a lost cause, and they should mercifully terminate their leader's life. Soundwave remained unconvinced and pointed out a strange cable attached to Megatron, which Starscream followed to find Arcee and Bumblebee. When Megatron's life support was damaged during the Autobots' exit, Starscream was overjoyed but reluctantly had to command Knock Out to reconnect the cable to keep Soundwave happy. Knock Out later informed him that though Megatron was still alive, his brain activity had ceased. {{storylink|Sick Mind}}

[[Image:OutOfHisHead-grabby.jpg|right|thumb|250px|That's NOT how ATB Megatron and Starscream combine!]]
Overjoyed at this development, Starscream taunted Megatron's body with the chunk of Dark Energon he'd previously extracted from it, and announced he was going to enact a new, epic plan that would prove him worthy of leadership to the other Decepticons. Once the Decepticons had stolen a large lens from an observatory in [[Hawaii]], Starscream had a heat ray constructed atop the ship, and began using it to melt a glacier to get to a huge energon deposit. Unfortunately the Autobots arrived, and Optimus was able to climb onto the ship. Starscream turned the heat ray onto the Autobot leader, but Optimus managed to slice the weapon, causing it to explode. An enraged Starscream prepared to terminate Optimus, only to be intercepted mid-dive by a resurrected Megatron. Megatron took his startled subordinate back to the ship, where Starscream first tried to weasel his way out of trouble, and then outright flee. Both attempts failed, and Megatron dragged the wailing Starscream away by his head. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

[[Image:Shadowzone-gah.jpg|left|thumb|225px|Damn, in another [[Starscream (Movie)|continuity]] the arm comes off and they mock it in this one.]]
Fortunately for Starscream, Megatron did not terminate his would be usurper. Unfortunately for Starscream, he was so badly damaged at Megatron's hands that he ended up in the ship's infirmary, on the same slab Megatron had occupied. His leader dropped by to gloat, but Starscream had his own plans. He took the chunk of Dark Energon he'd taken from Megatron when he was in a coma, and went to the site of Skyquake's grave, intending to resurrect the warrior as well as imbuing himself with Dark Energon. Unfortunately the Autobots arrived before Skyquake rose, and Starscream had to retreat through the Decepticon Groundbridge, albeit minus his right arm. Back on the ''Nemesis'', he subjected himself to treatment from Knock Out. The medic attempted to interest him in a new arm, but when the Dark Energon shard he'd retained began flashing, Starscream realized that Skyquake must have reactivated after all. He speedily returned to the site under the guise of retrieving his original arm, only to encounter the Autobots human friends and Skyquake's zombified right arm, the latter of which attacked him. With the arrival of the Autobots, he retreated back to the ship and resigned himself to more of Knock Out's care. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

When Breakdown failed to report in after investigating an energon source, Soundwave discovered that he had been captured by [[MECH|humans]]. Starscream suggested mounting a rescue, but Megatron decided that if Breakdown had allowed himself to be captured by those weaker than him, he deserved his fate. Starscream, however, took four Vehicon fliers in a rescue attempt, only to discover that he had been freed by his Autobot rival [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]]. Starscream offered "many sparkfelt thanks", then ordered Breakdown to finish off the Autobot. Breakdown eventually complied, but Bulkhead was able to overpower the weakened Decepticon. Starscream and the Vehicons began to engage, but Starscream ordered a retreat when Optimus Prime and the rest of [[Team Prime|his team]] arrived. Breaking off from the Vehicons, Starscream took time to tell Breakdown not to let Megatron know about his help, and that when the day came, Starscream would call on Breakdown to repay his debt—when the time came to choose sides between Starscream and Megatron. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

Starscream was confused when Megatron insisted they go to an [[Stripped energon mine|old mine]]. When they found mining equipment still there, he tried to blame it on Soundwave, only for Megatron to pluck an [[energon crystal]] from a wall and reveal that he was aware of Starscream's ongoing treachery. Starscream pleaded for his life, until a distraction gave him the opportunity to escape. The mine collapsed when he was in sight of the entrance. He dug himself out and was triumphant, only to realize that Megatron had probably survived and could be a threat in the future. Intending to claim the credit for Megatron's rescue, Starscream dug his way back in, eventually finding Bulkhead and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]]. He threatened the girl until [[Jack Darby]] rescued her. Starscream figured that Bulkhead would at least be a nice bonus gift when he dug out Megatron. That plan, too, was short-lived, as Arcee came to Bulkhead's rescue. Starscream was left supporting the rock that Bulkhead had been supporting. That was how Megatron found him, and Starscream begged for his life once more. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

[[Image:Partners-ScreamPrisoner.jpg|thumb|250px|Why am I always seen like this? Chest and lower body off to one side, head towards y'all....]]
Allowed to remain functional, Starscream again found himself at the end of Megatron's fury when Airachnid revealed that Starscream knew the location of the ''Harbinger'' wreck, which might have contained a certain experimental weapon. Starscream was ordered to lead [[Airachnid]] to the crash site. He did so, but when Airachnid discovered that the ship had broken in half, she bound Starscream in a web and forced him to tell her where the other half of the ship was. Starscream was found that way by the Autobots, and told them that he wanted to switch sides. Skeptical, the Autobots bound him and took him with them. While the other Autobots went to investigate the other half of the ship, Arcee was left guarding Starscream. When he accidentally spilled the fact that he had been the one who killed Cliffjumper, it provoked her into fighting at length with him, and she eventually gained the upper hand. He was only saved from termination by [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]]'s arrival, and Arcee allowed him to limp away. After breaking off his wing cuffs, he decided that he would be an independent from then on. {{storylink|Partners}}

Many months later, Starscream snuck on board the ''Nemesis'' to steal [[energon cube]]s. Though he easily dealt with the Vehicon guards who demanded his arrest, while avoiding some more guards he blundered into the workroom that was being used by the recently-amnesiac Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}} Starscream was initially confused by his appearance, but quickly worked out what was going on after Optimus stated his name as "Orion Pax". When Optimus noted Megatron had said that he was dead, Starscream was quick to plant seeds of doubt in his mind and offered to tell him more, but was interrupted by three Vehicon guards and was forced to flee. While fleeing the ship, he was shot and his leg badly injured, and was forced to make a crash landing. He contacted the Autobots to exchange information for medical help. When [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] and Bulkhead arrived, it turned out they already knew about Optimus's situation, but were interested in what he knew about the space bridge, so he was able to trade the information for aid. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}

[[Image:OperationBumblebee1 Silas meets Starscream.jpg|left|thumb|250px|]] Tracking a signal, Starscream stumbled upon a MECH trap already sprung by Bumblebee. He was intrigued and followed the MECH helicopter and watched as they tried to install the [[transformation cog|T-cog]] they'd taken into a robot. When their attempt to make the robot work failed, Starscream revealed himself, noting their work on Breakdown had apparently revealed nothng to them. While MECH took aim, Starscream convinced [[Silas]] that they had much in common, and offered to share information. Silas agreed to hear him out, and Starcream explained about Energon being needed to power anything Cybertronian, and if they allied, he could show them how to locate Energon deposits so long as he got to use his own share. Silas and MECH agreed, on the condition that there be enough for the army they planned on building, an idea Starscream was all too familiar with. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

{{spoiler|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2|March 24, 2012}}
With Starscream's help, MECH secured a source of energon and Starscream was there when they used it on their robot. As Bumblebee came looking for his T-cog, Starscream helped defend it, but when it looked like Bumblebee might get it back, Starscream blasted it and left. Unfortunately Silas was less than impressed, and after a short nap thanks to MECH's weapons, Starscream woke up minus his own T-cog. {{Storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}

{{--}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
Starscream accompanied [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] on a trip to [[Antarctica]] to attack the [[Yamal|NS ''Yamal'']]. He carried the [[static lance]] that Megatron intended to use to detonate the ship's nuclear reactors, and when the Autobots arrived to intercede, Starscream used the weapon to knock [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] out. He tried to do the same to [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]], but the Autobot dodged the blow and kicked him in the head. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

{{spoiler|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|March 29, 2012}}
Tasked by Megatron with trying to draw the Autobots out, Starscream attacked and captured [[Air Force One]], taking it to the [[Grand Canyon]]. He sent a message demanding Optimus Prime's surrender in exchange for the safe return of the [[President of the United States|President]], but the Autobots turned up in force. Starscream's accompaniment of Vehicons was soon quashed, and Optimus rescued the President, whom Starscream was using as a human shield, by chopping the Decepticon's left arm off. Defeated, Starscream fled. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|All the President's 'Bots!}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
:''Voice actor'': [[Sam Riegel]] (English), [[Gianluca Iacono]] (Italian), [[Leopoldo Ballesteros]] (Spain-Spanish)
[[Image:WFC_Starscream.jpg|thumb|300px|Where are your stupid Macross jokes now?!]]
{{quote|Have no fear, Lord Megatron. Under my leadership, Decepticon victory is assured!|Starscream being all modest|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

For the last thousand years of the [[Great War (Prime)|Great War]], Starscream was in charge of an orbital facility that had the capability of producing [[Dark Energon]], though they maintained only a small stockpile because of its unpredictable and uncontrollable nature. The station's force of neutral soldiers were no match for Megatron's invading forces, while Starscream and [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]]'s repeated warnings that no one could control Dark Energon had no effect on Megatron's determination. Instead, Megatron tempted Starscream with knowledge of his past, reminding him of his demotion from Sky Commander to a mere guard over an all-but-derelict station, and offered to let him join the Decepticons, something Starscream scoffed at — at least, at first. Starscream attempted to destroy the station's stock of Dark Energon before the Decepticon leader could reach it, but failed, and watched, first with amusement as Megatron entered the storage chamber...and then with shock as Megatron infused himself with the substance and bent it to his will within moments. Starscream quickly volunteered his services for the Decepticon cause, causing Jetfire to label him a traitor and leave to warn Zeta Prime. Megatron sent him with [[Thundercracker (WFC)|Thundercracker]] and [[Skywarp (Prime)|Skywarp]] to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] to reactivate the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge|Energon Bridge]]. Starscream performed the mission successfully using his trademark style, flair, and modesty, never mind Megatron's taunting and unreasonable impatience, or Thundercracker's warning him of the danger of certain courses of action, or even Skywarp's cluing in to his constant insults.

During the Battle of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon City]], Starscream led the Decepticons aerial squadrons and [[Brawl (WFC)|Brawl]] led the Decepticons' ground assault, while Megatron, [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]], and [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] went behind enemy lines and tried to secure the [[Omega Key]]. When Megatron's group met up with Brawl, Starscream refused to send Dark Energon bombers, saying that he wouldn't let Brawl waste anymore of "his ships". Megatron took issue with Starscream dubbing the bombers his, and overrode Starscream's refusal. Later that evening, while looking for the "real" Omega Key, they ran into it: [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]]. Starscream assumed Megatron was killed when Omega attacked a dropship Megatron was heading for and declared himself Decepticon commander. Shortly afterward, Megatron managed to communicate with Starscream and ordered him to attack Omega Supreme, getting the massive Autobot off of Megatron's back. By the time Megatron's group were heading for the [[missile turret]]s, Starscream was ready to sound a retreat, which Megatron overrode with the threat of marking any retreating Decepticon as "kill on sight". Fortunately, Megatron arrived moments later and managed to defeat Omega Supreme, making the retreat unnecessary. Later on, he was present at the Core of Cybertron as Megatron corrupted it with Dark Energon.

As the Battle of Iacon continued, Starscream fought through Jetfire and [[Silverbolt (WFC)|Silverbolt]], and attacked [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]]'s group in the [[Decagon]]. However, the Air Commander was injured by Optimus's [[Energon-axe]] and forced to retreat. The wound was apparently bad enough to cause him to sit out the remainder of the conflict. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{charstubfiction}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
:''Voice actor'': Sam Riegel (English), Gianluca Iacono (Italian)
Starscream had been in control of Trypticon Space Station for years, until Megatron and his forces invaded. Megatron wished to revive the Dark Energon project to aid him in his conquest of Cybertron, but Starscream would have none of it. Megatron was able to fight his way to Starscream himself, and after a brief battle, Starscream had lost. He begged for mercy, and Megatrons spared Starscream in exchange for loyalty to the Decepticons. Starscream obliged and Megatron was taken to the core of the station.

After a test run of the Dark Energon's effects on Decepticons in Kaon Prison, Soundwave deduced the element would only destroy the host. A furious Megatron set Starscream to work on fixing the problem, with Starscream continuously bickering with Barricade over his usefullness. The problem was eventually solved in time for an attack on Iacon City. When Megatron felled Zeta Prime and found the Omega Key, the titanic Autobot Omega Supreme was unleashed upon the Decepticons, quickly crushing them with ease.

Megatron was downright furious with Starscream, declaring he had brought Omega Supreme's rampage upon them all. Starscream retorted that if it wasn't for Megatron and his blind troops, none of this would've happened. Starscream invited Megatron to kill him, but warned him it wouldn't do a thing about Omega Supreme out for their blood. Megatron for the moment let it go, and finally felled Omega Supreme, gaining total dominance over Cybertron.

Sometime later, Starscream ambushed an [[Autobot rookie|Autobot recruit-in-training]], and would've killed him if it wasn't for Optimus charging to the rescue. He wasn't seen again after that.
{{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
:''Voice actor'': Sam Riegel (English), Gianluca Iacono (Italian)

Being Megatron's "right-hand man," he wonders how the war could have changed if HE were to be the leader, not Megatron. Still he was ordered by Megatron to do his dirty work, and growing jealous, he waits for the right time, to take his place, as leader of the Decepticons.
{{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''===
Starscream is stated to make a reappearance in ''Fall of Cybertron''. Statements so far state that he'll become a fugitive running from both sides, which may or may not have something to do with the fact that he tries talking [[Grimlock (WFC)| Grimlock]] into joining him while also making insults at him before possibly letting him out, resulting a beating from the angry Autobot.

==Toys==
===War for Cybertron===
[[Image:WFC_Legends_Starscream.jpg|thumb|300px|So I'm ''Cybertron'' Starscream in Generation 1 Starscream colors as ''Prime'' Starscream. Confused? ''Good!'' '''*BLAM!*''']]
*'''Starscream''' (Legends Class, 2010)

: This redeco of Legends Class [[Transformers: Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] [[Starscream (Armada)#LOC|Starscream]] appeared pretty much out of the blue one day, when, without fanfare, it was offered as a promotional giveaway in the United Kingdom to those who purchased the ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'' video game from [http://www.shopto.net ShopTo.Net]. He transforms into a Cybertronic jet fighter and features hidden weapons in his wing-sections/biceps: the right arm hides a blade, while the left arm has a non-firing cannon.

: This toy was later offered as a gift to attendees at the Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong fair 2010 if they made a combined purchase of [[Transformers (2010 toyline)|''Transformers'' toys]] amounting to more than HK$400.

: This mold was also used the make ''Cybertron'' [[Ramjet (Universe)#Cybertron|Ramjet]], [[Skywarp (Armada)#Cybertron|Skywarp]] and [[Sunstorm (LOC)#Toys|Sunstorm]], ''[[Transformers: Universe (2008 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ramjet (G1)#Classic Series|Ramjet]] and [[Thrust (G1)#Classic Series|Thrust]], and [[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (toyline)|''Dark of the Moon'']] [[Starscream (Movie)/toys#BeeStarscream|Cybertronian Starscream]].
{{-}}

===Prime: First Edition===
{{anchor|FirstEdition}}
[[Image:Primetoy-StarscreamDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|He's got legs, and he knows how to attach them to the underside of his jetmode.]]
*'''Starscream''' (Deluxe Class, 2011)
**''Number:'' '''003'''
**''Japanese release date:'' '''[[December 28]], 2012'''
**''Accessories:'' 2 missile pods, stand (Hasbro only)

: Deluxe Class Starscream transforms from a jet resembling a [[Wikipedia:General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]] into a skinny robot and back! He comes with two missile pod accessories that can either attach onto tabs on the underside of his wings, or onto the rear wings on his arms in robot mode. Additionally, he has a [[5mm post|5mm peg]] hole that goes through each arm, which become the sides of his jet mode tail. This allows accessories with the same size peg to be used in either mode. Also, since the tail stabilizers fold into the sides of the tail to become the arms, the hole isn't very deep in robot mode unless you leave these fins folded out. Undocumented in either of his [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] [[instructions]], Starscream has a winglet on the back of each of his legs that can be deployed for slightly increased [[show-accuracy]].

: Some units have the head aerial deformed in-package due to being made of soft plastic. This is due to friction preventing it from hinging back. The aerial is supposed to fold back along the head for transformation, but can be tough enough to get in place due to simply flexing instead of changing position. His knee spikes also tend to deform.

: As with all Hasbro-release "First Edition" toys, a cardboard stand is included. The Takara release omits the stand in order to fit the toy into the bubble in robot mode.

: This mold was also used to make [[Skywarp (Prime)#Toys|''Prime'' Skywarp]].
{{-}}
===Prime===
{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:StarscreamCommander.jpg|right|thumb|200px|]]
*'''Starscream''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2012)
**''Japanese number:'' '''EZ-03'''
**''Japanese release date:'' '''[[March 31]], 2012
**''Accessories'': 2 "missile cannons"

: This Cyberverse-scaled Starscream is cast partly in translucent plastic so that the toy can be lit using the electronic lights featured in the larger playsets. He also comes with two translucent "missile cannon" weapons and a pack-in file card.

{{-}}{{anchor|EntertainmentPack}}
*'''Starscream vs. Bumblebee''' (2012)
: Although packaged under the Robots in Disguise franchise, this deluxe-class Starscream is a [[redeco]] of his First Edition release in lighter gray plastic with several purple highlights, possibly intended to represent his powering up with [[Dark Energon]] in the episode [[Shadowzone (episode)|''Shadowzone'']]. Unlike the original release of this mould, this version features [[Paint operation|paint operations]] on its soft plastic parts, such as his forehead crest and missile-tips.
: Starscream comes packed-in with a redeco of First Edition Bumblebee, small unarticulated figurines of [[Silas]] and a MECH soldier, as well as a DVD containing the episodes ''[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]'', ''[[Sick Mind]]'' and ''[[Out of His Head]]''.
**''Accessories:'' 2 missile pods

{{-}}{{anchor|Powerizer}}
[[Image:PrimeRIDtoy-StarscreamVoyager.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Oh, that can't be aerodynamic.]]
*'''Starscream''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Japanese release date:'' '''[[June 30]], 2012'''
**''Accessories:''
{{comingsoontoy}}

{{-}}

===Bot Shots===
[[Image:Bot Shots S1 B002 Starscream.jpg|thumb|300px|Transform and <strike>Rise Up</strike> Roll Out]]
*'''Starscream''' (2012)
**''Series'': '''1'''
**''Number'': '''B002'''
***''Fist strength'': '''640'''
***''Blaster strength'': '''710'''
***''Sword strength'': '''240'''

:Part of the first wave of ''[[Bot Shots]]'', Starscream is a teeny little fighter jet very very vaguely like an [[Popular Earth vehicle alternate modes#F-22 Raptor|F-22 Raptor]] with a spring-loaded automatic transformation to robot mode triggered when his nosecone is pressed. He has a "spinner" in his chest that shows his three attack types and power levels. His head is very much like his [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Starscream (G1)|counterpart]].

: This mold was [[retool]]ed to make [[Thundercracker (WFC)#Bot Shots|Thundercracker]] and [[Acid Storm (BS)#Bot Shots|Acid Storm]].

===Generations===
*'''Cybertronian Starscream''' (Deluxe, 2013)

: Part of the first wave of [[2013]] ''[[Generations (toyline)|Generations]]'' Deluxe Class toys, Starscream is based on his ''[[War for Cybertron]]'' design and transforms from a robot to a spaceship and back. He appears to come with two missile launchers

{{comingsoontoy}}

==Merchandise==
*'''Starscream''' McDonald's Happy Meal Toy (2012)
: Part of McDonald's ''Transformers: Prime'' promotion, Starscream is depicted as a non-transformable, simplified version of his jet mode, cast in light and dark gray plastic with some blue, black, and purple paint applications. Pressing the raised Decepticon symbol on the fuseage causes the cockpit to pop up on a hinge, revealing two non-firing missiles.

==Notes==
[[Image:Tfprimestarscreamjet.jpg|right|250px|thumb|''ooooo-ooooo/We fade to grey!'']]
*Starscream's backstory in ''Exodus'' is self-contradictory:
:''"Not even Starscream, who had spent much of his scientific career in the labs contained within these refracting walls..."'' (p. 78).
:''"See what?" Starscream asked. Neither Starscream nor Megatron were scientists."'' (p. 158).
:*When asked via Twitter, Exodus's writer [[Alex Irvine]] stated "Let's say he's always been scientifically curious."<ref>[http://twitter.com/alexirvine/status/36051088754868224 Twitter post]</ref>
*Despite being a [[Neutral]] before joining Megatron's cause in War for Cybertron, Starscream begins the game with his glowing details already in Decepticon purple as opposed to Neutral yellow.
*Starscream's thin body and narrow, upward-swept wings in robot mode recalls [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' Starscream]], but his voice, colour scheme, Igor-like posture and subservience to Megatron recalls the [[Starscream (Movie)|live-action incarnation]]. The game design has the movie bulk but with a [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1]] head and colours.
*Starscream's chest design is basically his live-action incarnation's head design. Now that's a visual homage.
**And an unintentional one at that, according to the New York Comic-Con Transformers: Prime panel.
*''Prime'''s Starscream has [[Starscream (SG)|a red Decepticon insignia]].
*[[Steve Blum]] said he was a fan of [[Charlie Adler]] and [[Tom Kenny]]'s portrayals of Starscream, and had Adler give him his blessing after he got the part.<ref>[http://sknr.net/2011/04/20/steve-blum-talks-transformers-prime-guild-wars-2-bulletstorm-more/ Skewed magazine Steve Blum interview.]</ref> Coincidentally, Blum, Adler and Kenny are all in Superhero Squad.
* Screamer appears to have [[Decepticon]] logos on his legs. They disappeared after "[[Masters & Students]]".
* His eyes change color from episode to episode. On some occasions, they are solid red with lighter red dots for his pupils. Other times, they are empty (like Arcee's eyes) with a solid red iris and lighter red pupils.
===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Starscream''' (スタースクリーム ''Sutāsukurīmu'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Tīen-wáng-hsīng''' (Taiwan, 天王星, "Uranus"), '''Hóng Zhīzhū''' (China, 紅蜘蛛, "Red Spider")

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Bot Shots]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Exclusives]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Seekers]]
[[Category:Transformers Online Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

File talk:Primetoy-BulkheadVoyager.jpg

2012-03-18T23:52:53Z

TrapRat: New page: ==Better photo?== Is there any way we can get a better photo of the Hasbro version of the toy than this stock one? Although better than the in-package mistransformation, it is still mistr...

==Better photo?==

Is there any way we can get a better photo of the Hasbro version of the toy than this stock one? Although better than the in-package mistransformation, it is still mistransformed, since the car doors should be over the headlights, and the wheel "wings" on his back should be positioned much higher. [[User:TrapRat|TrapRat]] 19:52, 18 March 2012 (EDT)

Bulkhead (Prime)

2012-03-18T08:49:09Z

TrapRat: /* Prime: First Edition */ I thought I should ad the gunbarrel thing, but I'm less sure about changing the designation of "truck" to SUV. Should it be an "SUV Pickup"? American definitions and all...

{{disambig3|Bulkhead}}
{{faction|autobot|wreckers}}
:''Bulkhead is an [[Autobot]] from the [[Transformers: Prime (franchise)| Prime]] portion of the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:Bulkhead-Prime.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Miss me?]]
'''Bulkhead''' looks huge and menacing, but he's only the former. Once you get to know him, he has a gentle soul. He's afraid of hurting things smaller and more fragile than him, but his new [[human]] friend, [[Miko Nakadai]], has helped him grow past that. He has a low tolerance for jerks and bullies, and is quite happy to let people like that stew in the trouble they've made for themselves, but his better impulses—or at least, needling from those around him—always sway him into helping in the end.

{{quote|After a long road trip, feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!|Bulkhead on crushin' Cons|''[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Exiles''===
Bulkhead was a Wrecker and one of the last Autobots to get on the [[Ark (WFC)|''Ark'']].
{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles}}

===''Prime'' comic===
[[Image:PrimeComicBulkhead.jpg|Right|thumb|200px|]]
Bulkhead was present at the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]] when [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] arrived for the first time. {{storylink|Transformers: Prime (comic)|Transformers: Prime}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Kevin Michael Richardson]] (English), [[Takashi Nagasako]] (Japanese), [[Karl Schulz]] (German), [[Pietro Ubaldi]] (Italian), [[Yeong-Ung Jeong]] (Korean), [[Salvador Serrano]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Salvador Reyes]] (Latin American-Spanish)
Back on Cybertron, before he became a warrior, Bulkhead was a laborer, working in construction. He saw himself as an uneducated simpleton who could only build or break stuff. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} Later Bulkhead was a member of the [[Wrecker]]s, along with his buddy [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] {{storylink|Con Job}}. He also had rivalry with [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} He left early on in the war to join [[Team Prime]] however. {{storylink|Con Job}} Soon after the Autobots arrived on Earth, Bulkhead accidentally stepped into some power lines. Arcee was impressed with the dance he did as a consequence. {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

[[Image:Bulkhead-Primevehicle.jpg|left|thumb|200px|And then [[TakaraTomy|Takara]]'s engineers get a headache.]]
Bulkhead was cruising around a woodland area when [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] ordered everyone to return to base so they could take the [[GroundBridge]] to back up Cliffjumper. Unfortunately by the time they got to the battle site, Cliffjumper and the [[Decepticon]]s were gone.

Sometime later, when Arcee and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] were fighting some Decepticons, Bulkhead came to their assistance, albeit late due to "traffic". One look at the three Autobots sent the Decepticons scurrying away. Bulkhead returned to base, and was there when three humans were brought in. Miko questioned him at length about how cool he was. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} During a subsequent visit by Agent [[William Fowler|Fowler]], Bulkhead asserted that the Autobots had the utmost ability in the use of force, while graphically crushing one of [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]'s tools in his fist, much to his comrade's annoyance.

Bulkhead was part of the ultimately unsuccessful mission to retrieve Cliffjumper from the Decepticons, and smashed his way through a large number of the Decepticons in the [[energon]] mine. After they returned to base empty-handed, Optimus assigned Bulkhead to watch over Miko. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}}

[[Image:DarknessRising3_disembulkhead.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''No'', Bulky, the slogan is get some ''nuts''!]]
Miko managed to persuade Bulkhead to do some off-roading on the way back to base. Once there, Optimus and Ratchet left on a mission, placing Arcee in charge. Arcee promptly left to go patrolling with Bumblebee, leaving Bulkhead in charge. Miko's suggestion that they start a rock band was mercifully interrupted by the appearance of Fowler, who was looking to complain about the recent energon mine explosion to Optimus. He wasn't pleased to discover that the Autobots had let kids become involved in the war, but Bulkhead prevented him from taking the kids into custody. After Fowler left, the base computer picked up a distress signal from his helicopter. Bulkhead was glad to be rid of the man, but the kids pointed out that if the Decepticons had him, he could give away the location of the Autobot base. Bulkhead reluctantly let Raf track where the agent was, and went to the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]] by GroundBridge. He only discovered that Miko had followed him when she accidentally attracted the attention of a Decepticon, and he was forced to disembowel it. Unfortunately Jack and Raf subsequently arrived, and they too attracted the attention of the Decepticons guarding the ship. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}}

[[Image:DarknessRising4-BulkheadandMiko.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Be thankful she didn't do more than heave on your car parts.]]
Bulkhead snatched the pair out of the line of fire and dropped them off behind some cover. He then proceeded to drive under the Decepticon ship, scale a nearby cliff, jump on board, and trash a bunch of Decepticons before realizing Miko wasn't with the other two kids. She turned out to have stowed away inside his chest compartment, and she became a distinct liability as Bulkhead continued to fight the Decepticons. Inside the ship, they eventually ran into Arcee and Bumblebee, who'd rescued Jack and Raf from some more guards. The Autobots cleared out a room for the kids to hide in before proceeding to the brig where Fowler was being held, and Bumblebee and Bulkhead burst through the main door while Arcee slipped in through a top vent. A standoff ensued, until Fowler distracted [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] long enough for the Autobots to start firing. Starscream thusly chased off, the Autobots took off with Fowler and rescued the kids on the way out. Bulkhead carried Fowler and Miko back to base, where he was told off by Optimus for getting the kids involved, though Miko stood up for him. After Jack decided he was better off without the Autobots in his life, Bulkhead took Miko to visit him. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}

[[Image:DarknessRising5-BulkheadMiko.jpg|thumb|250px|D'awwww.]]
Once the Autobots pinpointed the location of the Decepticon [[space bridge]] in orbit, Optimus, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead traveled there by GroundBridge, though the height made Bulkhead nervous. They soon found themselves battling the hordes of flying Decepticons that came their way from the nearby Decepticon ship. Ratchet figured out a way to destroy the space bridge, so while Optimus held Megatron off, Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead went to do that. No sooner had they finished than they were fired on by Megatron, who'd finally twigged to what they were doing. The four Autobots subsequently jumped back through the GroundBridge mere moments before the space bridge exploded, and returned to the Autobot base. Miko was overjoyed to see Bulkhead back safe and sound. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}

Bulkhead assisted Miko with her science project, holding up her model of the solar system so she could paint it. Unfortunately Ratchet decided to take over the project, relegating Bulkhead to the role of transport. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

Bulkhead and Bumblebee discovered a strange pod in the [[Arctic]] which they brought back to base. Bulkhead was disgruntled by Ratchet's insistence at post-mission medical checks. He and Bumblebee later went and picked up the kids, but after the GroundBridge broke, the two Autobots were pressed into service assisting Ratchet in an attempt to fix it. The cause of the problem became apparent when Raf found a [[Scraplet]]. Bulkhead was particularly terrified of Scraplets, as he'd seen bots devoured by them, and was even prepared to abandon the base as a result, but Ratchet pointed out that would mean Optimus and Arcee would perish in the Arctic. Bulkhead went Scraplet-hunting with Miko, but mainly succeeded in embarrassing himself by screaming like a little girl whenever anything happened. Eventually they found a swarm of them and retreated back to the main control room, where another swarm descended on the three Autobots. They were rescued by the three kids, who went to repair an [[energon]] fuel line so the GroundBridge could be used to expel the Scraplets into the Arctic. Once the repair was done and the GroundBridge opened, Bulkhead offered himself up as bait, luring the Scraplet swarm to the Arctic, where they froze in seconds. Bulkhead returned to base for repairs, and was amused when Miko became terrified by a tiny spider. {{storylink|Scrapheap (episode)|Scrapheap}}

[[Image:ConJob-Fistbump.jpg|thumb|300px|left|"Guy love, that's all it is, Guy love, He's mine, I'm his, there's nothing gay about it in our eyes."]]
After he and Miko finished their chores, Bulkhead attempted to deflect her suggestion of dune bashing by bringing up the monster truck rally. They were distracted from any further plans by the news that Wheeljack was on his way to Earth, much to Bulkhead's joy. He, Arcee and Bumblebee arrived at the landing site to find Wheeljack trashing some Vehicons and he gave Wheeljack a bear hug before they returned to base and partied. Bulkhead started telling war stories, but began to grow suspicious when Wheeljack was uncharacteristically quiet. He challenged the newcomer to relate the story of the [[Battle of Darkmount Pass]]. Wheeljack got an important detail wrong: Bulkhead wasn't at that battle. The Decepticon impostor grabbed Miko as a hostage and revealed that the real Wheeljack was a prisoner of the Decepticons. After the real Wheeljack turned up and kicked the fake one's skidplate, Bulkhead took great pleasure in throwing the impostor out via the GroundBridge. Sadly Wheeljack didn't stay long, but offered to take Bulkhead with him. Bulkhead turned him down, having become too attached to Miko and the rest of his friends on Earth. {{storylink|Con Job}}

[[Image:Convoy-Bulkheadmace.jpg|thumb|300px|"You go on, Bulk, we'll cover the rear."]]
Bulkhead took part in a convoy when Fowler needed transport for a hi-tech [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System]] device, though he wasn't happy with Optimus's order to stay in vehicle mode to conceal their presence on Earth. He warned the other Autobots about the incoming [[MECH]] cars and later helped move the D.N.G.S. to a train while the convoy passed through a rail tunnel. It was shortly after this that they were attacked by flying Vehicons, and forced to use their robot modes in the open to fight back. He, Arcee and Bumblebee spent the rest of the time fighting the Decepticons, while Optimus saved the D.N.G.S. {{storylink|Convoy (episode)|Convoy}}

Miko's detention was cut short when Bulkhead arrived to pick her up and she decided to cut out early. He chastised her, and when Ratchet discovered an energon trace in [[Greece]], Bulkhead attempted to use the mission to get Miko to learn about ancient Greece. He spotted a depiction of an [[Energon Harvester]] on an ancient fresco, shortly before his old enemy [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] arrived. Bulkhead protected Miko from a pillar Breakdown tossed at her, but the 'Con then tackled him into the fresco, breaking it. Back at base, Bulkhead alerted the others to the Harvester and before long they had surrounded the museum it was in while the kids worked to steal it. When [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] and Breakdown attacked, Bulkhead charged at Breakdown and was knocked flying by a punch. The Decepticons managed to steal the Harvester, and Bulkhead was left at base while the other Autobots searched for them. While he was trying to work out how to rescue Miko from the museum, Bulkhead realized that the Decepticons would probably go after the energon deposit in Greece, so he went there to confront them himself. After dealing with Knock Out and Breakdown, Bulkhead found Starscream and the Harvester a tougher proposition, but he managed to fight against the device's power long enough to reach Starscream and destroy it, while proudly noting that breaking stuff was what he did best. He and Fowler later retrieved Miko from the museum. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}}

Bulkhead was hanging around base when Jack asked Raf if he could borrow Bumblebee. Arcee later wondered where Jack had gone, and Bulkhead unsuccessfully attempted to act like he had no idea. He accompanied Arcee to find Jack and Bumblebee, arriving in time to find out that Knock Out had abducted a human. The three Autobots tracked Knock Out to a storage facility, where Bulkhead and Bumblebee were ambushed by Breakdown. The fight ended when Bulkhead managed to flatten Breakdown with a lamp post. They caught up with Knock Out shortly after the 'Con had been defeated by Optimus, and his hostage recovered. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[Image:OutHead-BulkheadBreakdown.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Wheeljack is gonna be so jealous.]]
Bumblebee and Bulkhead played basketball together in the base, though Bumblebee's behavior was very odd. When Fowler contacted them later to report that the Decepticons had stolen a lens from a telescope in [[Hawaii]], Bulkhead, Arcee and Optimus traveled to the Arctic to find it. While Optimus scaled a cliff face, the other two Autobots fought Breakdown as a diversion, successfully keeping the Decepticons busy until Optimus got on board the Decepticon ship and destroyed the heat ray. In the aftermath of the battle, they discovered that Megatron had been resurrected, as the Decepticon leader snatched Starscream out of the air. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

When Ratchet detected a fast-moving Dark Energon reading, Optimus took Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Ratchet to investigate. Instead of the expected Megatron, they found Starscream attempting to resurrect [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]]. During the brief fight, the Autobots discovered that the kids had followed them through the GroundBridge and attempted to send them back, only for a Decepticon Groundbridge to interfere. Bulkhead tried to rescue the kids, but was blown back by the exploding GroundBridge portal. When it transpired that the kids had vanished, Bulkhead attempted to ring Miko, only to discover she'd dropped [[Miko's phone|her phone]] at base. It meant, however, that Jack could send a text message from the other dimension the kids were trapped in, and Bulkhead read it on Miko's phone. When Ratchet engineered a way to get the kids back, Optimus, Bulkhead and Arcee rendezvoused with them to protect them from Starscream. Afterwards, Bulkhead returned Miko's phone, though he regretted she didn't get any photos of zombies. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

[[Image:TFPep16DoubleCreatureFeature.jpeg|right|thumb|300px|]]

Out scouting an energon signature on the [[Kamchatka Peninsula]], Bulkhead was ambushed by Breakdown. Though he fought back, he was overcome and later came around to find Breakdown gone and Miko calling to him over the comm. After returning to base, they established that Breakdown had been captured by MECH, and Bulkhead was happy for it to stay that way. Optimus, however, launched a mission to rescue the Decepticon, and Bulkhead was surprised when Prime accepted his wish to stay off the rescue team. Bulkhead remained at base with Fowler and Miko, the latter of whom was firm in her belief that Bulkhead should have gone along, and managed to persuade him to go and try to rescue Breakdown himself. In [[Russia]], Bulkhead followed a MECH car to a disused railway tunnel and broke in to find Breakdown. Though the 'Con was surprised to see him, the pair emerged from the tunnel together to face the MECH forces, and Breakdown even saved Bulkhead from being blasted by Silas's energy weapon. When Starscream turned up with Vehicons, Breakdown was instructed to destroy Bulkhead, but the Autobot easily pummeled the 'Cons until Optimus turned up. Prime was impressed that Bulkhead had put aside his differences to rescue Breakdown, but Bulkhead was merely happy to have gotten the opportunity to hit Breakdown some more. {{Storylink|Operation: Breakdown}}

[[Image:MetalAttraction-stuck.jpg|left|thumb|250px|]]

Bulkhead was at the Autobot base when Jack and Arcee brought [[June Darby|Jack's mom]] in to introduce her to everyone. {{storylink|Crisscross}}

Ratchet assigned Bulkhead to investigate a magnetic disturbance, and Arcee, irritated by Jack's mom's questioning, decided to come along too. Also Miko somehow sneaked through the GroundBridge after them and talked them into letting her tag along. When they came across Breakdown and [[Airachnid]] fighting over a weapon, Bulkhead got Miko to stay put, and the two Autobots joined in the fight. After Breakdown blasted them both with the weapon, a [[polarity gauntlet]], Arcee ended up magnetically fused to Bulkhead's back. With no other alternative, Bulkhead followed the 'Cons on foot, finding them at an abandoned gas station. During the ensuing battle, Breakdown dropped an oil derrick on Bulkhead, temporarily knocking him out, but also demagnetizing him. Airachnid tried to escape in her helicopter form, but Bulkhead grabbed her and threw her at Breakdown. He and Arcee returned to base triumphantly with the gauntlet. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

[[Image:RockBottom-Bulkheadpassion.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]

Arcee and Bulkhead were sent to investigate an [[Stripped energon mine|old energon mine]], but found it was abandoned. When Miko decided to explore, Bulkhead chased her in. While he was taking some samples for Ratchet, a cave in occurred. Bulkhead did his best to protect Miko, but ended up supporting the ceiling so it wouldn't fall on them. With the air likely to run out and his arms failing, he instructed Miko to bang a rock on his foot to make noise and they were eventually found... by Starscream. When the Decepticon threatened Miko, Bulkhead gave him a swift kick, and Jack arrived on a Decepticon mining drill to rescue Miko. Alone with Starscream, things looked grim for Bulkhead until Arcee came to his rescue. The two Autobots found the kids and left the mine, though they did briefly consider finishing the Decepticons. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

Bulkhead joined the others in investigating a [[Harbinger|wrecked Decepticon ship]]. When they found Starscream all webbed up and wanting to switch sides, Bulkhead thought it was a bad idea. The Decepticon pointed them towards the other half of the crashed ship, where Airachnid had gone. Prime took Bumblebee and Bulkhead to check out the rear section of the ship, and they were attacked by Airachnid, wielding an [[Immobilizer|experimental Decepticon weapon]] that froze Bulkhead in his tracks. Bulkhead was locked in position until the Autobots retrieved the weapon and Ratchet used it to unfreeze him. {{storylink|Partners}}

[[Image:TMI-Mikojogsmemories.jpg|thumb|left|300px|This is art!]]
Miko and Bulkhead sneaked into a monster truck rally together. A week or so later, they were reviewing the footage Miko had taken on her phone when Bulkhead was called into the field to help secure a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]]. He was, of course, followed by Miko, and during the battle she inadvertently activated the cylinder, discharging it into Bulkhead's brain. Though at first Bulkhead seemed fine, he began writing complex equations for synthetic energon, and it rapidly became clear that the cylinder's energy was overwriting his mind. While the other Autobots attempted to secure the cylinder, Miko tried to help Bulkhead retain his memories by taking him to the monster truck track. They were found there by Knock Out and Breakdown, who tried to take Bulkhead's head, but during the attempt, Miko again triggered the energy to discharge from Bulkhead into the sky. Bulkhead was left in a comatose state until Miko managed to wake him with her guitar playing. {{storylink|T.M.I.}}

During a mission to intercept Knock Out and Breakdown, Bulkhead, Prime and Bumblebee were separated from Arcee. When they caught up with her, they found that Ratchet had dealt to the Vehicons attacking her, having amped himself up on the synthetic energon he was working on. Back at base, Ratchet managed to throw Bulkhead through a wall while demonstrating the fight with the Vehicons. Their medic accompanied them on another mission, but his changes in personality began to concern Bulkhead and the others. After he knocked Bulkhead flying and went off on his own, the other Autobots were forced to track him down before he could damage himself. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

When an ancient prophecy looked like it was imminent, Arcee and Bulkhead wonder how seriously they should take it. They accompanied Optimus to a military base to stop the Decepticons attacking it, but when they were faced with Raf being gravely injured, Arcee and Bumblebee were sent back to base with the boy, while Prime and Bulkhead stealthily infiltrated the ''Nemesis''. After bashing some Decepticons, they found the stolen power source and Bulkhead bridge back to base, leaving Prime to go and face Megatron on his own. Back at base, Bulkhead watched as Ratchet and June Darby fought to save Raf's life. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}

Bulkhead got the job of keeping Megatron distracted while Arcee and Ratchet got Optimus out of a zone flooded with Dark Energon. Such was Megatron's surprise that Bulkhead managed to hit him a bunch of times before the Decepticon leader recovered and Bulkhead had to retreat through the GroundBridge. Back at base, the Autobots and their human friends puzzled over the natural disasters suddenly plaguing Earth, and discovered that [[Unicron]] resided at the center of the Earth. Bulkhead and the others began investigating the sites of the earthquakes that had struck when the Dark Energon volcano erupted. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Though Optimus ordered the other Autobots to remain at base, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee joined him anyway. As they tried to find safer ground, they battled increasingly larger stone Unicrons, until they encountered a colossal one. Bulkhead and Bumblebee zoomed behind it to try and blast it, but it knocked them both aside with a single swipe. As they tried to prevent it stepping on Optimus, and to their great surprise, help came in the form of Megatron, who offered to help them fight Unicron. When Optimus gave the three Autobots the choice of whether to accompany him and Megatron to Earth's core, Bulkhead opted to go for Miko's sake. He, Arcee and Bumblebee greeted Megatron to the Autobot base at gunpoint, keeping their weapons firmly trained on the Decepticon leader. Before long, they were again stepping through the GroundBridge into Earth's core. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

As they moved through Unicron's internal structure, Bulkhead felt the Dark Energon more keenly than the others, and during their fight against [[Unicron's antibodies]], almost fell from the walkway they were on. Teamwork by Optimus and Bumblebee saved him. They reached Unicron's spark chamber and Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee stayed outside to fend off the antibodies. Following Unicron's defeat, they entered the spark chamber, only for Optimus to fail to recognize them, and they had to GroundBridge back to base without him. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

The Autobots puzzled over how to get their leader back but made little progress. When Fowler warned them of an attack on a military base, Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Arcee went to try and deal with it, but Knock Out and Breakdown succeeded in getting away with the power source they needed. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}}

Bulkhead and the others scoured the globe for the space bridge, but it wasn't until Ratchet and Bulkhead were contacted by a wounded Starscream that they obtained information on the space bridges location. The Autobots stormed the energon mine housing the space bridge and secured it so that they could send Jack and Arcee to Cybertron. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}

Ratchet, Bulkhead and Bumblebee monitored Jack's progress from the Earth end of the space bridge. When Megatron arrived to take back control, Bulkhead attacked him and was easily thrown aside, twice. Luckily it all turned out, and Bulkhead and the others returned to base with Optimus Prime restored. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 3}}

Bulkhead and Bumblebee were responding to an ancient Autobot signal separately, but when Bulkhead arrived, he found Bumblebee unable to transform as his [[transformation cog|T cog]] had been taken. They quickly worked out MECH was responsible. Bumblebee later talked Bulkhead into taking him on another mission, on which they ran into Knock Out and Breakdown. Bulkhead got to fight his arch-nemesis again while Bumblebee chased Knock Out. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 1}}

{{spoiler|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2|March 24, 2012}}
He almost had to perform T cog transplant surgery, but was judged unfit by Ratchet. He did get to go on an artifact retrieval mission, and spent some time hitting Breakdown before getting hold of the [[Forge of Solus Prime]] and using it to knock the Decepticon flying. Unfortunately moments later Bulkhead was bushwhacked by Megatron who got away with the Forge. {{storylink|Operation Bumblebee, Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
[[Image:Titan4.1 Ratchet Bulkhead practise.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"I need practise like Optimus needs a face."]]
As Ratchet unveiled the [[Safe]], Bulkhead was unimpressed that he thought they needed more training. He threw himself into it though, deciding that the best defense was to smash everything he could. In doing so, he inadvertently uncovered and activated a nuclear missile which had been hidden in the base. Unimpressed, Optimus ordered him to hold up the ceiling while Ratchet and Raf dealt with the missile's warhead. Afterwards, Ratchet suggested Bulkhead and Raf design a new Safe. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.1|The Safe and the Failsafe}}

Optimus took the other Autobots, including Bulkhead, on a trip to [[Valley of Fire State Park]]. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

Bulkhead struggled to decorate a [[Christmas]] tree, while enduring a mocking from Arcee and Jack. When Fowler arrived with the news that the Decepticons had taken over a [[Yamal|nuclear-powered ship]], Bulkhead offered him a "Cybertron-size" mince pie. He and Arcee were left to mind the base with the kids while the other went to deal with the Decepticon problem, and the kids suggested the pair try to find something they had in common. They eventually discovered their mutual love of ice skating, and turned the base into an ice rink. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Bulkhead played ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' with Raf, until suddenly the game put Raf into a hypnotic trance and made him open the GroundBridge. Bulkhead was sure he'd get blamed for this somehow, and explained to Optimus that it was only a ''minor'' problem, but moments later the Vehicons started coming through. Bulkhead fought them alongside the other Autobots until Raf was able to loop the GroundBridge, sucking the Decepticons back through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}}

{{spoiler|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|March 29, 2012}}
[[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] woke Bulkhead with the news that the [[President of the United States]] had been kidnapped. Bulkhead and the rest of the Autobots visited the [[Grand Canyon]] where he and Ratchet protected [[Air Force One]] while the others defeated Starscream and rescued the President. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.6|All the President's 'Bots!}}
{{--}}

===Commercial appearances===
Bulkhead was phoned up by the human [[wikipedia:Strawberry Shortcake|Strawberry Shortcake]], who invited him to the Berryfest Princess Parade to have glittery sparkles dumped on him. Unable to get a word in edgewise, he told Optimus that the call was for him. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|Strawberry Shortcake and Bulkhead}}

Bulkhead and Megatron joined Strawberry and the [[My Little Pony|ponies]] Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow Dash in scatting "[[wikipedia:Deck the Halls|Deck the Halls]]". Bulkhead's extended scat sequence, however, did not find favor among the Autobots or Megatron, causing him to awkwardly laugh it off. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers}} Undeterred, Bulkhead rejoined this multiversal musical grouping in singing "[[wikipedia:Jingle Bells|Jingle Bells]]". {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers (Second spot)}}

==Toys==
===Prime: First Edition===
{{anchor|FirstEdition}}
[[Image:Primetoy-BulkheadVoyager.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Let's hope those aren't truck nutz.]]
[[Image:PrimeFEtoy-BulkheadTakaraTomy.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Any color green is good, right?]]
*'''Bulkhead''' (First Edition Voyager, 2011/2012)
**''Number:'' '''002'''
**''Accessories:'' "[[Energon]] battle mace", stand
: Part of the first wave of ''[[Transformers: Prime (toyline)|Prime]]'' "First Edition" Voyager-Class toys, Bulkhead is a [[Humanization|stout]] robot with a bulky torso made of vehicle panels that transforms into an SUV. He comes with an "energon battle mace" that can either [[5mm post|peg]] into his hands, or replace one of his hands when either is flipped into his arm, thus switching it out for a wrist peg-hole. These peg-holes have additional sculpted detail matching the [[Character model|animation model]] of Bulkhead's stubby arm-blasters, indicating an undocumented "firearm mode" configuration for the toy's wrists, akin to "First Edition" [[Cliffjumper (Prime)#Toys|Cliffjumper]]'s guns. The mace itself also features a plain peg-hole at the top, and is stored in vehicle mode by pegging it onto the trunk.

: The patch of clear black [[light-piping]] plastic ([[Gang-molding|gang-molded]] to the rest of his [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] clear black parts) on his head is neutered by having his eyes painted, in equally show-accurate light blue. As with all First Edition toys, he features a cardboard stand.

: In an effort for him to fit in his [[packaging]], he is usually mis-transformed: The panel on his back is hinged up to his head, while the wheels connected to his panel-chest, normally splayed out as a pair of "[[Kibble|wings]]" and tabbed into the sides of the back panel, are left folded up and untabbed on his sides. His headlights, normally swiveled and angled up on his chest, are also left untransformed. The soft, black, slotted struts his hood panels are attached to also aren't pegged ''completely'' into the tabs below his front windshield-chest, with the results being that his crotch piece tabs only lightly to his waist, detaches easily, dislodges when the front bumper is hinged forward into the indent on its back, and that many packaged Bulkheads are encountered with their flies open.

:The Japanese [[TakaraTomy]] release of Bulkhead features darker green plastic and paint.

{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:Cyberverse_commander_bulkhead.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
*'''Bulkhead''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2012)
**'''Accessories''': "Battle mace"
: This Cyberverse-scaled Bulkhead is cast partly in translucent plastic so that the toy can be lit using the electronic lights featured in the larger playsets. He also comes with a translucent "battle mace" weapon and a pack-in file card (the card is only present in the US release).
{{-}}

[[Image:PrimeRIDtoy-BulkheadVoyager.jpg|right|thumb|300px|At this point, one wonders if we're buying a figure with an accessory or an accessory with a figure.]]
*'''Bulkhead''' (Voyager, 2012)
**'''Accessories''': Light-up weapon
: This toy of Bulkhead is a new-mold Voyager Class figure, and, in keeping with the other "Robots in Disguise" Voyager figures, will include a light-up weapon.
{{comingsoontoy}}
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Bulkheadsmile.jpg|thumb|It's really weird the longer you look at it.]]
* Bulkhead is of course an homage to ''[[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Animated]]'' [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], even using a wrecking ball-like mace.
* When [[Derrick J. Wyatt]] was briefly brought in early in the design process of ''Prime'', Bulkhead was originally intended to be [[Ironhide (Prime)|Ironhide]]. However, as the show evolved, the writers said they realized that they were essentially writing a new Bulkhead, and the character was brought in.<ref>http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/site-updates-18/wtftfw-podcast-episode-123-with-derrick-j-wyatt-now-online-171018/ </ref> Later, on a featurette on the Transformers: Prime Season 1 Blu-Ray, [[Rik Alvarez]] admitted that because of the death of [[Ironhide (Movie)| Ironhide]] in [[Dark of the Moon (film)| Dark of the Moon]], they didn't want to confuse kids with a living Ironhide. <ref>http:www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/transformers-prime-season-1-blu-ray-review-174448/</ref> It's likely that the former story was a cover for the latter, for spoiler reasons.
* For such a big guy, he runs really ''fast''.
* Bulkhead's chin piece is actually a cover for his lower lip, as is evident whenever he smiles.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Bulkhead''' (バルクヘッド ''Barukuheddo'')
{{--}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime/characters/bulkhead Bulkhead's character page @ Hubworld.com]

[[Category:Prime Autobots]]
[[Category:Wreckers]]

Talk:Megatron (WFC)

2012-02-26T07:59:59Z

TrapRat:

==Name==
I haven't read Exodus, so I don't know if this is in there, but the Transformers.com timeline says that in addition to being a gladiator, Megatron's standard job was laboring in the mines as a worker designated D-16. http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172
: Yes, that's in ''Exodus.'' Everything in the timeline is either from the book or what the book was written from, depending on whichever came first. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 13:38, 3 July 2010 (EDT)

== Autobot? ==

If he was once good, shouldn't there be an Autobot simbol on the top of the page?—[[User:TOM|TOM]] 15:26, 13 January 2011 (EST)
: No where on this page does it describe Megatron as a former Autobot. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 15:40, 13 January 2011 (EST)
:: He fought along side Optimus Prime during the Great War against Decepticons, before he became one himself. Sounds like an Autobot.--[[User:TOM|TOM]] 18:59, 20 March 2011 (EDT)
:::I recalthat they fought together, but not that they fought "Decepticons" together. A very important distinction. Goingby WfC they both fought the corrupt system together, then split when Megs formed the Cons and Prime formed the Autobots. Don't recal Prime contridicting that.--[[Special:Contributions/76.28.76.206|76.28.76.206]] 19:16, 20 March 2011 (EDT)

== Paring it down ==

I should probably say something here about the edit I just made. I've said it in the past, but I often feel that any fiction sections that are created as the fiction is being produced (so, for the wiki, that's basically the Animated and Prime cartoons) have a great tendency to be overlong, not through anyone's fault, but simply because they're built up week on week, with isolated, perhaps-a-bit-too-detailed episode summaries being added one after the other. Megatron has one of the smallest Prime cartoon sections, since he's only been in like two-thirds of the episodes, but it still seemed ''really'' long for a single 26-episode season with potentially three or four more seasons to be added to it yet as time goes by, and it's nothing compared to some of the Animated ones - and that just sort of sticks out to me, when series of greater length that are written up retroactively after they're done tend to read more quickly and concisely. Obviously, if what I've done offends society and the children, we can revert and I won't object... but frankly, I'm annoyed I couldn't shave off more than 2500 characters. (That WFC section is pretty gigantic too, honestly.) - [[User:Chris McFeely|Chris McFeely]] 09:32, 13 October 2011 (EDT)
: We are twins who share a mind. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 10:53, 13 October 2011 (EDT)

== Cyberverse commander ==

Have the CV Commander infront of me. I see no pack-in file card. A few other things; his swordy bladey thingy doesn't peg in to his vehicle mode as per the instructions- hole is too small on the engine/ fusion cannon. This may be just on mine but i'm bringing it up as a potential mold problem if others have it too. Also, the side of the box has 2/004 printed on it. Does this denote that he is the 2nd out of 4 in the CV Commander line? Surely there'll be more than 4 of them? [[User:Durge|Durge]] 17:56, 2 February 2012 (EST)
:He is number 004 in series 2 of Cyberverse, in all likelihood. Either series 1 is the Legions, or series 1 was DOTM. -[[User:LV|LV]] 19:34, 2 February 2012 (EST)

== Trivia update? ==
I was just wondering, is this:

''"Optimus Prime's recollections in Darkness Rising have him and Megatron fighting side-by-side at the start of the Great War. This is the first time a Megatron has been involved in a Great War that he didn't start, never mind one where he used to be a goodie."''

...strictly accurate anymore?

I'm not saying that I'm actually sure it ''isn't'', and I freely admit that I've not read the two novels, but based on what is said in [[One Shall Rise, Part 3]] and what this page seems to be saying further up, my impression is that Megatron pretty much DID start the war, and was only ever rather debatably a "goodie", depending on how one views his early political idealism. The extent to which Orion/Optimus and Megs fought side-by-side still appears a bit murky to my understanding, and it seems likewise debatable as to whether any such unity was during the Great War proper. Doesn't Ratchet seem to indicate that this took place before either faction really existed, ergo likely before the Great War ''per se''? But yeah, I'm quite unclear on this, so I didn't want to just go ahead and delete/alter it myself.
- [[User:TrapRat|TrapRat]] 02:59, 26 February 2012 (EST)

Megatron (WFC)

2012-02-26T07:31:16Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Suprised this wasn't mentioned, thougth I'd add it in myself.

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Megatron}}
:''Megatron is the [[Decepticon]] leader from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:PrimeMegatron.jpg|thumb|400px|Lord of the [[Dark Energon]] wraiths.]]
The awesomely powerful '''Megatron''' is, in many ways, a fallen hero. He rose up from the oppressed lower working castes of [[Kaon]] to become a champion in the region's illegal [[gladiatorial combat|deathmatches]], cast aside his designation of '''D-16''' and took the legendary name '''[[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'''<ref>Megatron was an abbreviation, so it'd be easier for the masses to chant his name; ''Transformers: Exodus'', Chapter 3</ref> as his own, he called for an end to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s decrepit [[caste system]] and told the downtrodden that freedom of self-determination was the right of all sentient beings!

But absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Megatron's Decepticon revolution, like many such movements, ended up becoming a whole new tyranny. Powerful, charismatic, violent, and full of rage for any who would stand in the way of his ambition and drive, Megatron brought Cybertron ''past'' the brink of destruction. Now he and his former brother-in-arms [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] fight on other worlds. Megatron will never forgive Optimus for "betraying" him, stealing from the Council the rank of Prime which was rightfully his. He has reserved for his old friend the greatest honor possible: glorious death at his hands.

Megatron has been gone for three years, but now he's returned. He's brought the monstrous [[Dark Energon]] to Earth, and quite possibly left his sanity in space.

{{quote|I... am the Dominator, I... am the Destroyer, I am '''Megatron!'''|Megatron|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
[[Image:WFCcomicD16.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Alright! What's the square root of pi?! What's the capital of Sierre Leone?! What's... awww, this 'ask questions later' thing doesn't work at ''all''."]]
Megatron nicknamed himself D-16 after the sector of the mine where he performed demolition operations. As a gladiator, in killing others he began to appreciate the value of life, and in between matches he became something of an intellectual, debating the castes with other miners. After bosses requested he lose a few fights, D-16 killed them and took over Kaon and [[Slaughter City]]. After murdering one boss in front of his employees, D-16 declared himself Megatronus, whom he considered the greatest of the [[Thirteen]]. After hearing his preaching on the [[Communication Grid]] against the [[Guilds of Cybertron]], the concerned [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] sent [[Bumper (WFC)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (WFC)|Fastback]] to investigate. Megatronus killed them, believing two lives were worthless compared to the millions doomed by the castes Sentinel created.

After a victorious battle with the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s, in which the crowd redubbed him Megatron, the gladiator was contacted by the [[Iacon (polity)|Iaconian]] [[Hall of Records|records monitor]] [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Orion Pax]], and they began exchanging their ideas in intense but friendly philosophical discussions. Megatron encouraged Orion to learn self defense and invited him to visit Kaon, which he did to a warm welcome from Megatron (and from none of his gladiators). By this point Megatron was planning to call his movement the Decepticons, and he had begun sending his followers on a search for artifacts of the Primes, as their discovery would be signs their cause was just. His followers began bombing Cybertron, and Megatron distanced himself from their extremism to gain credibility. Orion and his mentor [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] believed him, but the latter was well aware Megatron might have gained a taste for violence after the attention it earned him. Soon enough, Megatron accepted the gift of a kidnapped Sentinel Prime from [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]].

[[Image:WFCcomicHalogendies.jpg|thumb|250px|]]

Alpha Trion organized a hearing for Orion and Megatron with the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. They protested involvement in Sentinel's disappearance. When confronted with the phrase "Decepticon", Megatron denied any knowledge of it but accepted his followers' term wholeheartedly, stating deception was necessary sometimes for the corrupt to see the truth. When [[Halogen (WFC)|Halogen]] revealed Megatron's followers had been trying to locate the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he declared that Orion should become the Prime that he desperately wanted to lead Cybertron into the new [[Golden Age]], and find it. Incensed, Megatron killed Halogen, and when Optimus prevented the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] from attacking Megatron, the ungrateful gladiator declared Optimus had fallen into the trap of power the High Council had given him. He declared Optimus was no longer his brother (though he would continue to refer to him as such privately), and that the Matrix would be his.

In the subsequent war with Optimus' [[Autobot]]s, the Decepticons took control of eighty-five percent of the planet. Wherever Starscream's [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] aided, they were victorious. Megatron was initially merciful to neutrals, but he let Shockwave take control of [[Tarn]] and torture Autobot sympathizers there. When the [[Praxus|Praxians]], a progressive city-state who were disappointed with the direction Megatron took, allied with the Autobots, Megatron decided he would no longer try to convert followers and launched the first genocide of the war, slaughtering all in [[Nova Cronum]] who would not submit to the Decepticons as they attacked.

As the war dragged into a siege of Iacon, Soundwave's spying bore fruit as he discovered [[Dark Energon]], the essence of [[Unicron]], was aboard [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]. Megatron forgave Starscream for hiding its existence from him, acknowledging its potentially dangerous nature. To ensure loyalty, Megatron's gladiators stormed the Station slaughtering and maiming Starscream's scientists. He forced Starscream to pick two test subjects to be Darkened, and following an astonishingly successful result, Megatron absorbed some, invigorating him. Soon Darkened Decepticons appeared on the battlefield, but it proved to be an inefficient resource and they would have to flee if a battle was prolonged. Megatron needed more, and even Starscream's activation of the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] didn't provide enough. Megatron felt he would kill all the Decepticons before he was deprived of Dark Energon and turn rabid.

Fortunately, Soundwave revealed the existence of the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] within [[Teletraan-1]], which required the [[Code Key]]s of Power and Justice to activate it. Starscream recovered the Key of Power, while Megatron and his best soldiers searched for the Key of Justice below the [[High Council Tower]]. Sentinel Prime emerged, to Megatron's surprise. Sentinel confronted him about Bumper and Fastback, and the two dueled. Megatron disarmed and sliced open Sentinel, revealing the Key of Justice within. Starscream made a grab for it, exposing that he had released Sentinel to kill Megatron and take leadership for himself. After fighting Starscream to a standstill, Megatron pardoned him as he found him a better soldier than would-be example, and used the Keys to open Teletraan-1: which activated [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] to fly the Chamber to safety.

The Seekers shot Omega Supreme out of the air, causing him to crash. Optimus's Autobots arrived to fight the Decepticons, but the more they killed them the more Dark Energon left their bodies and empowered Megatron. He was able to knee Omega Supreme and turn him on his back, tearing the Chamber out of his chest. Using the Chamber, Megatron poisoned the [[core]] of Cybertron and Darkened the entire planet. But then the core stopped producing Dark Energon, and Megatron learnt Optimus had gone to the core and received the Matrix. As the Autobots attempted to flee Cybertron via the last [[space bridge]], Megatron used Trypticon to fire on their ships, and used his and Orion's old frequency to criticize Optimus for fleeing. He added he never believed in individual freedom for every Cybertronian, only the illusion of freedom that he as leader would provide and that the Guilds did not. Optimus responded that Megatron had turned his soldiers into addicts and they would turn on him, and used the ''[[Eight Track (WFC)|Eight Track]]'' to board, sabotage and crash Trypticon.

As the Autobots left on the completed ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', the Decepticons fully invaded Iacon. Megatron ordered Trypticon to transform into the ''Nemesis'', boarding it with Starscream, Soundwave, [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] and other elite soldiers, leaving Shockwave in charge. He used his old frequency once again to warn Optimus that he would hound him through the stars and finally kill him for the Matrix. He explained they were still brothers, as they were bonded for life despite their enmity. Optimus was just glad his hunt would get him off Cybertron. The two ships entered the last [[space bridge]] together, and when the ''Ark'' emerged, the ''Nemesis'' was gone. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor'': [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Sean Long]] (BotCon 2011), [[Juan Carlos Lozano]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Ja-hyeong Gu]] (Korean), [[Tony Fuochi|Antonio Fuochi]] (Italian), [[Hans-Jürgen Wolf]] (German), [[Gerardo Vásquez]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Antonio Moreno]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Paweł Szczesny]] (Polish)

[[Image:OneShallRise3-corresponding.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"I'm a fox!" "I'm a hound doooog!"]]

In the waning years of the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatronus (who named himself after [[The Fallen|one of the original thirteen Primes]]) was a gladiator who noticed there was a disparity in freedom among the classes of his race, and that the ruling class was corrupt and all-powerful. In drawing attention to this inequity, he inspired a [[Hall of Records]] clerk named [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Orion Pax]], and the two joined forces to end corruption and bring equality to the masses. Soundwave also helped them. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Orion and Megatronus became close allies, almost like brothers. But soon Megatronus's ideals would become corrupted, and the two would become bitter enemies. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

[[Image:DarknessRising2-Megsflashback.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Things were very red in those days.]]

Megatronus shortened his name to Megatron before he and Orion Pax appeared before the [[High Council]]. Shocking his colleague with his true intentions, Megatron stated that he would overthrow the High Council by force and instate himself as the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. But it was Orion's speech that drew their attention. Jealous, Megatron left angrily and began his conquest, which resulted in countless casualties and left the [[Core]] of Cybertron itself [[Dark Energon|poisoned]]. Denied the [[Matrix of Leadership]] by the High Council, Megatron was obsessed with finding it, but Orion Pax was given it by the Core itself, and Orion became Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

Over the following years, Megatron and Optimus fought many a battle, such as the [[Battle of Technar]] where Megatron ordered [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] to assassinate Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} After his failure, Megatron came to believe only he should finally terminate Prime. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
[[Image:DarknessRising2-MegatronDarkEnergon.jpg|right|thumb|250px|We can relate. We're just like this with our [[BotCon]] toys.]]

The Transformers' war eventually brought Megatron and Prime's teams to Earth, where, after an initial clash, Megatron withdrew to space to search for more troops, leaving Starscream in charge. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} Searching the void for three years, Megatron found something better than mere warriors: he discovered a new source of Dark Energon, the "blood of [[Unicron]]", with which he could reanimate fallen Transformers as an army of the undead. Returning to Earth and resuming command of the Decepticons, Megatron tested the Dark Energon on the deceased Autobot [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]], reviving him as a [[zombie]] "[[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]]" that slaughtered several [[Decepticon Miner]]s, but which posed no threat to Megatron himself. Unfortunately for Megatron, this partial reactivation of Cliffjumper's lifesigns drew Optimus Prime's Autobots to the Decepticons' mining operations. Deciding it was not yet time for a confrontation with Prime, Megatron withdrew aboard the [[Nemesis (Prime)|''Nemesis'']], and continued to brood over the Dark Energon.

[[Image:darknessrising3_Megatronglowy.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Megatron, you fool! Rave glowsticks aren't candy!]]
Megatron's inability to control the zombie Cliffjumper convinced him that he needed to integrate the Dark Energon into his own body in order to control the undead legions he planned to create. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Thrusting a shard of the material into his spark, he was filled with its power, feeling as thought he was connected to Unicron's very thoughts. Requiring a test run for his new power, Megatron headed for the site of an ancient Cybertronian battle on Earth, full of the remains of fallen warriors, where he was confronted by Optimus and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]. Using Dark Energon to raise the dead Transformers as Terrorcons, Megatron successfully found he had complete control of the undead horde, and send them against the two Autobots. [[Image:DarknessRising4-Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|250px|I chew scenery while the zombies chew ''you''.]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} Optimus and Ratchet fought their way through the Terrorcons, only for Megatron to fly off before they could reach him, satisfied with his test results and ready put his plan into action—to open a [[space bridge]] to Cybertron and use Dark Energon to revive the entire planet's dead. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}} Despite the Autobots' best efforts to damage the ''Nemesis'' and prevent the bridge from opening, Megatron succeeded in his plans, and then had his showdown with Optimus Prime atop the bridge itself as he waited for the Terrorcon legions to pass through to Earth. While the two old foes battled, the other Autobots sabotaged the bridge, causing it to explode and destroy both the Terrorcon army, and seemingly, Megatron himself. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}[[Image:Masters&Students-Megatronstasis.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Well, it's better than just [[Megatron (Animated)|being a head]] I suppose.]]
The Autobots were not so lucky, however: the Dark Energon in his spark allowed Megatron to survive the explosion, but just barely. When Starscream found his leader floating in space, he tore the Dark Energon from his body in the hope that he would expire, but was caught in the act by [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]], [[Laserbeak (Prime)|Laserbeak]] and forced to take Megatron back to the ''Nemesis'', where he was placed in [[Stasis lock|stasis]] in the sick bay. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} Starscream was content to leave Megatron in this state to recover or expire as fate saw fit, but the crew of the ''Nemesis'' disagreed, and voted to bring in the Decepticon medic [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] to help heal their wounded leader. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} Even with Knock Out's expertise, it seemed unlikely that Megatron would recover, but his assistant [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] gave his body a good buffing nonetheless; Starscream approved, as it meant their ex-leader would look his best for the memorial service. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[Image:SickMind megs and bee.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Hey, [[Megatron (Animated)|you]] really ''are'' [[Transform and Roll Out|uglier from this angle]]!]]

When Optimus Prime was infected by cybonic plague, Arcee and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] board the ''Nemesis'' to search for an antidote. While they failed to find one in the database, the two Autobots did discover Megatron in stasis, and Bumblebee mind-linked with the Decepticon leader via [[cortical psychic patch]] to try and pluck the cure from his sleeping brain. Bumblebee found himself within Megatron's mind, which took the form of [[Kaon]], where the Decepticon's subconscious was spending its time killing endless visions of Optimus Primes; unfortunately, Bumblebee's intrusion only caused Megatron to become aware of his situation, when he found he was unable to kill Bumblebee. Learning what had befallen Optimus, Megatron initially refused to give up the cure until Bumblebee convinced him that he would gain greater satisfaction from finishing his enemy off with his own two hands. Megatron offered the cure in exchange for Bumblebee's help in escaping his mental prison, but Bumblebee double-crossed him, withdrawing from his mind as soon as the cure was in Autobot hands. At the last moment, Megatron was able to effect his own escape, leaping into Bumblebee's mind along with him. {{storylink|Sick Mind}} [[Image:OutofhisHead megatron revived.jpg|left|thumb|250px|IT'S... AAALLLLLIIIIIIIIVE!]] Recalling the sliver of Dark Energon Starscream had removed from his body, Megatron took full control of Bumblebee's body a short time later and used the GroundBridge to return to the ancient battlefield where he had raised his original Terrorcons, recovering the Dark Energon shard he had used to do so. He returned to the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], where he dealt with Ratchet and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] before again GroundBridging to the ''Nemesis'' and using the Dark Energon to restore his body and return his mind to it. Storming out of the ''Nemesis'' to find Starscream, Megatron snatched his subordinate out of the air in the middle of a battle with Optimus Prime and took him back for his punishment. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

[[Image:Shadowzone-MegsStarscream.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Lulz.]] Despite his treason, Megatron decided not to terminate Starscream, viewing him as no real threat and taking perverse amusement in his repeated failures. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Instead, Megatron proceeded to beat Starscream only to ''near'' death, then had him placed in the infirmary, occasionally visiting to gloat. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

When Breakdown was captured by the humans of [[MECH]], Megatron refuted Starscream's suggestion that they rescue him, announcing that if Breakdown had allowed himself to be captured by those weaker than him, then he deserved whatever he got. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} Breakdown did manage to escape, however, insisted his wounded pride saw him volunteer to recover a [[polarity gauntlet]] for Megatron, in order to prove his worth. Megatron was disappointed when his minion returned without the gauntlet, but was placated with the revelation that he had instead brought back [[Airachnid]]. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

[[Image:RockBottom-Starscreamprays.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Definitely ''not'' [[Bruticus]], Starscream.]]

Discovering that Starscream was still attempting to mine energon for his personal use without his knowledge, Megatron determined that the amusement had come to an end. Taking him to the mine in question, Megatron revealed that he had been aware of Starscream's previous transgressions the whole time thanks to Soundwave, and was about to execute his grovelling lieutenant when [[Jack Darby]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] walked in. In the firefight that followed, stray shots from Megatron's fusion cannon brought the mine down on top of them all, with Megatron being completely pinned by rubble. Jack happened upon the Decepticon leader with a mining drill, and Megatron, knowing that the human would not help him, instead urged Jack to finish him off. Jack refused, saying that wasn't what Optimus would do, and left, but the opening he had created allowed Megatron to begin his escape. After finally extricating himself, Megatron came upon Starscream trying to keep a large rock from crushing him. Starscream insisted that he had come to rescue Megatron, and begged the Decepticon leader to spare him, and Megatron acquiesced with a smirk. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

Though Megatron allowed Starscream to live and continue as his second-in-command, he was furious to learn from Airachnid that Starscream had kept the location of the ''[[Harbinger]]'' from him. He ordered Starscream to lead Airachnid to the crash site and retrieve an [[Immobilizer|experimental weapon]] that was inside. Much to Megatron's fury, Airachnid returned not only without the weapon, but with the news that Starscream had been captured by the Autobots as well. {{storylink|Partners}}
[[Image:StrongerFaster-KnockOutMegatronRatchet.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Steroids?" "Yup." "Ah."]]
When a formula for [[Synthetic Energon]] was transferred from a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into the mind of the Autobot [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], Optimus Prime petitioned Megatron for the return of the cylinder so they could extract the formula, after which they would willingly hand it over. Megatron briefly considered the proposal, but instead sent Knock Out and Breakdown to capture Bulkhead and dared Prime to fight for the cylinder. When his Vehicon troops were defeated, Megatron simply crushed the device and took flight. {{storylink|T.M.I.}} The synthetic energon formula helped the Autobots counter Megatron's next tactic: causing the Autobots to burn through their energon supplies at an accelerated rate by leading them on wild goose chases. Juiced up on the "SynthEn", Ratchet attacked Megatron and Knock Out while they were surveying an energon mine, and sent the Decepticon leader flying with one punch. Unfortunately for Ratchet, Megatron swiftly recovered and subdued the Autobot medic with ease. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

[[Image:PrimeEp23-Megatronjetmode.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Hold still, jet mode, so we can screencap you, dammit!]]

Convinced by Dark Energon-induced visions that an impending prophecy detailed his own destiny, Megatron stepped up the Decepticons' work in constructing a new space bridge so they could obtain more Dark Energon. When they located the last component they needed, Megatron went in personally, grievously wounding Raf with a blast of Dark Energon on the way and creating an unintended distraction that allowed him to make off with the power source he needed. Soon after, Megatron lured Optimus Prime to a volcano he had seen in his visions, and during their battle, it erupted with Dark Energon, imbuing Megatron with the power he needed to fell Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}[[Image:OneShallFall-visionfulfilled.jpg|thumb|255px|right|Look, Prime! Look at the fireworks! Aren't they splendid?!]] The intervention of the other Autobots saved Prime's life, but this was of little concern to Megatron, who now had all the Dark Energon he needed and set his miners to work gathering it up. When Soundwave detected a spark-beat coming from within the Earth, Megatron felt it pounding through his brain and realized what his visions had meant: the lifeforce of Unicron himself dwelt within Earth. Leaving Airachnid in command, Megatron flew into the volcano to address Unicron, but received not the power he hoped the chaos-bringer would bestow on him, but instead Unicron's displeasure at the fact that Optimus Prime still lived. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Spurned, Megatron instead went to the aid of Optimus and his Autobots, who were under attack from Unicron's stone avatars. He offered Optimus his services—he intended to lead them to Unicron's real form so that Optimus could use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the Chaos God. While the Autobots returned to base, Megatron kept the giant stone Unicrons busy, and Prime eventually accepted Megatron's offer. On arrival in the Autobot base, Megatron encountered a couple of humans he recognized, Raf and Jack, as well as a [[Miko Nakadai|new loud one]]. Megatron was first to step through the GroundBridge into the Earth's core, and as the Autobots followed, he warned them that Unicron already knew they were there. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

[[Image:OneShallRise3-together.jpg|thumb|255px|left|"Just this once, we work together! Mortal enemies working together for the common good!" "Be quiet!"]]

Despite the persistent influence of Unicron, Megatron led the Autobots through Unicron's insides, even helping them fight off [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]]. The Dark Energon he was imbued with allowed him to enter Unicron's spark chamber with Optimus, though at that point Unicron's influence became so great that the Chaos God was able to commandeer his body. After Optimus unleashed the power of the Matrix, apparently extinguishing Unicron's spark, Megatron went to kill Optimus, only to discover his foe had lost his memory and now believed himself to be Orion Pax. Megatron convinced Optimus that the other Autobots were enemies, and the pair returned to the ''Nemesis'', where Megatron introduced "Orion Pax" to his men. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

Megatron wasted no time in spinning a tale of Autobot warlord Ratchet and the destruction of Cybertron, and put Orion Pax to work decoding data from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives. Though aware that at some point Orion would find out the truth, Megatron made all precautions to make sure that didn't happen before Orion finished his work. This even extended to getting Soundwave to carefully remove Arcee from the ship one time when she managed to get on board. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}}

{{spoiler|Orion Pax, Part 2|March 3, 2012}}
Megatron attempted to cover for a surprise visit by Starscream, but a short time later, Soundwave notified him that Orion had found information on Optimus Prime and Megatron realized that harsher methods would be necessary to complete [[Project Iacon]]. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Commercial appearances===
:''Voice actor'': [[Frank Welker]] (English)

Megatron, [[wikipedia:Dan Vs.|Dan]] and [[My Little Pony|Pinkie Pie]], a pony, sang a collaborative group song while the scene quickly shifted between a variety of strange alternate universes. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub summer promo 2011}}
{{quote|Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the hot <strike> nuts </strike> nights?|Megatron}}

At some point he ended up in detention at a school because he had "anger issues". {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub promo}}

He later joined back up with Pinkie Pie as well as other ponies Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] in scatting "[[wikipedia:Deck the Halls|Deck the Halls]]"{{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers}} and singing "[[wikipedia:Jingle Bells|Jingle Bells]]". {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers (Second spot)}}

He also demanded the viewers to vote for him in the Naughty or Nice contest, (''he lost'').

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
Under Megatron's leadership, the Decepticons conquered many city states including [[Kalis]], [[Tarn]] and [[Vos]]. When the time came to strike against [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Megatron led a five-con team in under the cover of darkness to bomb the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. They had barely planted the first bomb when they were spotted and fired on. After the other three Decepticons were shot down, Megatron gave Soundwave a bomb and set about causing a distraction while his second-in-command went to plant it. When Soundwave was also shot down, Megatron flew into action, helping up the rest of his team and carrying Soundwave as they retreated under the cover of an exploding bomb. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

With a new plan, Megatron took [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] to attack the [[Yamal|NS ''Yamal'']], a Russian icebreaker near [[Antarctica]]. He intended to use a [[static lance]] to cause the ship's reactors to meltdown exposing energon deposits beneath the ice. Unfortunately Optimus got wind of the plan and came storming in. As Megatron detailed his plan during their one-on-one fight, Optimus took possession of the lance. Megatron attempted to take it back, only for Optimus to hit him with it. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Megatron and Soundwave somehow slipped some code into ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' to hypnotise Raf into opening the GroundBridge so they could send Vehicons through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}}

====Mega-Mouth====

Megatron occasionally takes time out from conquering the universe to...answer fan mail? He also sometimes seems [[Megatron (Movie)|confused]] about which [[universal stream]] he hails from, as he claimed he attacked [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]] {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.1#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #1}} he also explained why he wore a cowl in ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.4#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #4}} and he also said he survived ''Dark of the Moon'', after some fan asked how Megatron could be answering those fanmails. {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.5#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #5}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
:''Voice actor'': [[Fred Tatasciore]] (English), [[Oliviero Corbetta]] (Italian), [[Juan Carlos Lozano]] (Spain-Spanish)
[[Image:WFC_Megatron.jpg|thumb|350px|He wants the whooole wooorld, in his hand!]]
During the early war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron found reference to an energy source called [[Dark Energon]], which had impressive potential as a weapon, and became determined to claim it for himself. One of the few places it was made was in a station in orbit around Cybertron, guarded by a politically neutral force led by [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]. With this knowledge, he took a ship and launched an assault on the station.

The ship was badly damaged in the attack, and so he ordered [[Barricade (Prime)|Barricade]] and [[Brawl (WFC)| Brawl]], piloting it, to ram the station. He and many of his soldiers survived the impact and escaped the core's detonation. They were then confronted by Starscream, who informed them that they would not allow them to take what he had guarded for ten thousand years. After surviving a trap of sentry guns, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl were reinforced by more of Megatron's troops, and set out on their way to find the station's Dark Energon stores and claim them for the war effort. They encountered significant resistance, but managed to shoot their way through, with directional aid from [[Soundwave (Prime)| Soundwave]]. Barricade noted that the station itself seemed quite primitive; Megatron noted it was very old, and that he intended to modernize it... At one point, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]] confronted Megatron nonviolently, asking him to give up his quest, as Dark Energon would result in only horror, death, and destruction, to which Megatron sneered, "You say that as if it were a bad thing."

[[Image:WFC-MegatronmeetsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|300px|At last we meet, my punching bag.]]

Along their way to the Dark Energon, they found that a large portion of the station had been blasted clean off, the debris field traversable but sparse enough to allow easy viewing of Cybertron itself. Soundwave soon found records indicating that a small amount of Dark Energon lost containment and was the sole cause of the destruction, underscoring Megatron's desire for it. When Barricade asked how he expected to control it when no other had, Megatron said that such power was only for the strong, that he was the strongest, and not to question him again.

When they finally reached the storage chamber, and Megatron averted Starscream's destruction of it, he calmly entered into a container full of raw Dark Energon, while Starscream watched and gloated at his imminent destruction...only for him to walk out, not only unscathed, but crackling with power, which he further bestowed upon Barricade and Brawl. A single blast of Dark Energon was enough to destroy an entire company of station security forces, the last line of defense between Megatron and Starscream and his companions.

Jetfire again tried to warn Megatron about the dangers of Dark Energon, but Starscream interrupted, asking to join the Decepticon leader. Megatron asked what Starscream could offer that he could not simply take. Starscream revealed the station's supply of Dark Energon was almost spent, and he knew how to manufacture more—and as luck would have it, there was a dormant [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] which could be used to power it. Jetfire retreated to inform [[Sentinel Zeta Prime| Zeta Prime]]; Megatron let him go, seeming pleased by the notion of letting the Autobots tremble in advance of their actions, and sent Starscream, [[Thundercracker (WFC)| Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (WFC)| Skywarp]] to activate the bridge.

Megatron repeatedly mocked what he perceived as Starscream's slowness in his simple mission, but the Seeker did what he said he could. With a steady supply of Dark Energon, Megatron launched an attack on Iacon City, intending to take a device called the [[Omega Key]] and use it to enter the Core of Cybertron. This time, he took [[Breakdown (Prime)| Breakdown]] and Soundwave with him. The trio took the less-guarded way in—which, since the Autobots were not complete fools (as even Megatron would admit), still had significant military presence. During the attack, Starscream noted that Dark Energon was proving every bit as potent as Megatron had promised. Breakdown let Megatron know of his misgivings about the Sky Commander; Megatron admitted he was treacherous and untrustworthy, but he had useful talents, and his cunning and ambition was intriguing.

The Omega Key had been taken from its normal resting place, however, by Autobot leader Zeta Prime, and so Megatron took his squad on an assault on Zeta's headquarters. They met Brawl, leading an attack on the doors to Zeta Prime's armory, along the way. Even Megatron's touch of Dark Energon could not breach the vault doors, however, and so he called in [[Dark Energon Bombers]]. When they were shot down, Brawl suggested they take out the Autobots' air defense guns, after which bombers were called in again; Megatron's troops then held off a massive assault from what seemed like the entire Autobot army while waiting for the bombing run to finally arrive.

[[Image:WFC Megatron Vs ZetaPrime.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Zeta Prime, you might be more egotistical than me. I mean really, a huge holographic version of you and smaller holograms doing what you can't do without your pointy stick thing?]]

After the vault doors were breached, they reached Zeta Prime himself, who had constructed several layers of security while he waited. An invincible energy field protected him, while he could drop portions of the ceiling with pistons to crush anything beneath them, and construct endless holographic clones of himself outfitted for melee combat, which Megatron personally found nauseating. However, his defenses were not without flaw: periodically, the power core would need to disperse waste heat, and Megatron's team survived long enough to destroy it during this stage. Zeta fell, buried under the wreckage of his own defenses, and Megatron took the device he'd carried...which started to make electronic chirping noises. Zeta, with black humor, noted that the device was not the Omega Key. It merely ''activated'' the Key, which would come to them...

Searching for the Key in the skies aboard another ship, Megatron, with Soundwave and Breakdown at the controls, were abruptly confronted by a massive ship, [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]], who knocked them out of the sky, causing them to crash back in Iacon. There, they played a cat-and-mouse campaign in a desperate attempt to survive the enormous Autobot's vast firepower, though Soundwave noted that the weaponry they bore had little chance of penetrating Omega Supreme's armor. Megatron, for his part, at least contrived to appear unafraid, claiming that if it came to a real fight, the brute wouldn't stand a chance against Megatron's intellect. However, Omega's attacks drove them underground and left them unable to immediately transmit counter to Starscream, who declared Megatron dead and announced he was taking control. Even when they re-established contact, Starscream's aerial forces only briefly distracted Omega, who dispensed large numbers of troops, sucked up Decepticons with a tractor beam, fired weapons of mass destruction, and mined the roads Megatron and his squad were using.

Soundwave, however, had come up with a suggestion—there were weapons emplacements higher up that had the ability to damage Omega Supreme. Taking them from the Autobots was a battle in and of itself, but nothing compared to the fight against Omega Supreme, who could unload entire squadrons of Aerialbots. Nonetheless, Megatron's boldness and tactical acumen finally shot Omega Supreme out of the sky.

[[Image:WFC-hearmynameandtremble.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I stand on your crotch!]]

Gloating, Megatron found that the behemoth was still not defeated, and indeed was drawing power from Cybertron itself to repair his systems, making him stronger, if anything. However, by corrupting the energon batteries with which he was using to feed himself with Dark Energon charges, they were able to weaken him to the point where they could finally blast away his last defenses and brought him to heel. With Omega Supreme defeated, Megatron went underground, directly to the Core, and corrupted it with a massive infusion of Dark Energon, finally bringing Cybertron itself more completely under his control.

At this point, Megatron was clearly convinced, and for good reason, that he'd won, making propaganda broadcasts extolling his greatness and how he had taken away the Autobots' burdens of "liberty" and "choice". When Starscream was defeated and the Decagon retaken, however, he realized the Autobots were not yet going to roll over for him, and sent a distress signal from Zeta Prime, whom he had kept alive in the Kaon prison camp, in order to provoke a rescue attempt from the Autobots. His old acquaintance Optimus took the bait, and Megatron confronted him, telling him that the war could be over tomorrow if Optimus took the Autobots and left. Optimus refused, so Megatron consigned him and his team to the prisons. When they managed to stage a mass breakout, an enraged Megatron ordered his troops to prevent their escape at any cost, to the point of tearing apart portions of Kaon.

This was not enough, however, and they escaped, journeying to the Core, where they kickstarted the cleansing of Megatron's corruption. Doing so, however, would take the Core millions of years of shutdown, rendering Cybertron uninhabitable. Whether Megatron knew this or not, when he saw the Autobots leaving after Optimus's refusal of his earlier offer, he apparently took offense. His earlier plans of renovating Starscream's station had come to fruition; now, it mounted a powerful superweapon, capable of destroying entire structures in one shot. He had it fire upon the Autobot transports as they left. When a team of Aerialbots attempted to disable or destroy it, he called Jetfire, now one of them, and taunted him about his past. He further mocked them when they destroyed the plasma coolant system without apparently having accounted for backups. Finally, during the attack he came into possession of information on Optimus Prime's location, and ordered Trypticon—the name of the weapon, for it was actually a Cybertronian—to fire upon it.

Trypticon, however, was forced into his natural form and defeated after he crash-landed on Cybertron. Megatron's reaction to this went unrecorded. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
Megatron was the Decepticon Leader during the final days of the Great War. After capturing an Autobot facility, and killing a cadet, Megatron revealed his plan to his troops. Megatron intended to conquer Trypticon Space Station, which had the means and power to manufacture Dark Energon: a variant of Energon which greatly increased the stamina and strength of its host. Megatron fought his way through the station to its commander, the Autobot Starscream. Upon Starscream's defeat, Starscream offered his services and the Dark Energon if he was spared. Megatron agreed, and Starscream joined the Decepticons.

After a test run of the Dark Energon in Kaon Prison, Soundwave deduced the element would only kill the host, but Starscream was able to find a way to fix it. Megatron then decided the time was right, and led his army to the inner levels of Cybertron. He was able to activate the uplink to channel energy from the Core of Cybertron itself to Trypticon Station, but he needed the Omega Key to access it once it was shut down with a firewall.

[[Image:WFCDS Defeat Omega Supreme.jpg|thumb|left|256px|Simple enough... OH GOD BULLETS.]]
Megatron learned through a recording from Laserbeak that Autobot Leader Zeta Prime had the Omega Key in his possession and had holed up deep within Iacon. Megatron led a full-scale assault on the city, totally devastating Iacon, until he found Zeta Prime at last. After a hard battle, Zeta fell, and Megatron obtained the Omega Key. However, immediately upon taking it, alarms went off, and Iacon itself was shaking. Zeta Prime, despite being mortally wounded, laughed at Megatron's face, saying the Omega Key was only the key to the ''true'' key: the city-sized Autobot Omega Supreme.

Omega immediately attacked the victorious Decepticons, and quickly decimated their presence in Iacon, save for Megatron's team and a few others. By this point, Megatron was absolutely furious at Starscream: Megatron declared it was he who led them to Omega Supreme and the devastating onslaught he carried out. Starscream bitterly retorted even if Megatron killed him, Omega Supreme would still be out for his blood, helping nothing whatsoever. Megatron angrily let it go for the time being, and led his army to battle. His troops' confidence beginning to falter, Megatron declared they would either be kicking themselves for not acting for the rest of their lives, or heroes in a historic event. His men followed him to battle Omega, and the titan fell. Megatron was free to corrupt the Core of Cybertron with Dark Energon, and obtain near-supremacy of Cybertron.

That kind of went downhill when the new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, extinguished the Dark Energon and destroyed Trypticon Space Station, didn't it?
{{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
:''Voice actor'': [[Fred Tatasciore]] (English), [[Oliviero Corbetta]] (Italian)

Early in the war, when the Autobots learned of the existence of the orbiting superweapon [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]], Megatron sent waves of Decepticon forces to keep them from discovering more about it. Megatron, happy to see the destruction Trypticon was creating, ordered Starscream and Skywarp at gunpoint to return to Trypticon and clean up after it, while he took his troops into battle to scour the area for Autobots to kill. Few Autobots other than the medic, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]], were spared Megatron's initial assault.

When Megatron found out that Starscream had left his post at Trypticon, Megatron grew angry. But the Autobots had infiltrated the [[Datacore]], so Megatron focused his efforts there instead. Bumblebee was captured, and information useful for the taking of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] was pulled from his mind. Megatron assigned Skywarp the task of the initial Iacon assault. The traitorous Starscream returned to Megatron's focus, and the Air Commander was ordered to infiltrate the Core of Cybertron to reactivate the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]]. But Starscream took too long, discovering Megatron had already reached the Core by the time he arrived. In a foul mood, Megatron would test Starscream's loyalty by putting him on the Iacon assault's front lines.

The assault went as planned, and Iacon crumbled. As Barricade and Starscream reached an empty Council Chamber, Megatro alerted them to the evacuation of the surviving Autobots. Three Autobot ships positioned themselves to escape, and so Megatron ordered Thundercracker and Skywarp to take them down.

Though Iacon fell, the Trypticon orbiting superweapon was destroyed by the Autobots... but not before Megatron ripped the datacore from its brain so as to salvage its information on Dark Energon. Megatron was pleased. Despite his loss, he still had the upper hand. {{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3)===
{{comingsoon}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianMegatron.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Fashionably asymmetrical.]]
*'''Cybertronian Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories'': clear purple missile, fusion cannon

: This toy is based on Megatron's appearance in the video game ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'', transforming into a Cybertronian self-propelled gun. The treads of his vehicle can be positioned in either a vertical configuration like a traditional tank or in a horizontal, hovertank configuration. Megatron's spring-loaded cannon can attach to either arm. He also has an insignia on his back, but unlike Optimus, his is not hidden by kibble. Like [[Soundwave (Prime)|''War for Cybertron'' Soundwave]], his head has a light-piping gimmick that has been neutered by his painted eyes.

: Some units of the figure have Megatron's left internal shoulder strut misassembled, preventing that side of the tank-mode from becoming properly flush to the body when transforming. This can be corrected by unscrewing and separating the outer shoulder structure, flipping the strut 180 degrees, and reassembling the shoulder covering.

: Also, the packaging image for his tank mode is flipped.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#United|Megatron Cybertron Mode]] and [[Darkside Megatron]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/GenerationsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Cybertronian Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|EntertainmentPack}}
[[Image:Primetoy-MegatronEP.jpg|right|thumb|300px|His jet mode needs a little scarf attached to the robot head.]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Megatron''' (First Edition 5 figure gift set, 2011)
**''Accessories'': [[Fusion cannon]]
: This Deluxe-Class version of Megatron transforms into his alien ship mode. He comes with his Fusion Cannon, which can either be held with his hands in robot mode, or peg onto his jet mode by folding the handle in and pegging it behind his exposed, peeking head. It is also in this latter configuration for the cannon that the otherwise useless groove and tab on the cannon and its handle can be pegged onto the tab and otherwise useless socket on his right arm, giving him the classic, arm-mounted, yet ''strangely undocumented'' Fusion Cannon configuration shown in his [[stock photography]].

: Speaking of undocumented features, his [[instructions]] show a noticeably different "completed" vehicle mode when compared to his stock photos. Specifically, the instructions completely neglect the extra steps to flip his wings out and form a more [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] vehicle mode, opting instead for a more slender, wingless vehicle mode. To achieve this undocumented form, his underside leg panels must be opened, flipped around and over to the top of the ship, be pegged onto a tab on the side of his intakes, and his pointy wingtips must be flipped out from underneath.

: He also has some clearance issues when transforming. His intakes and the panel that surrounds his head in vehicle mode tend to collide when the intakes are snugly angled into and out of the panel, often resulting in the intakes popping off the (detachable) plastic hinges that they're on.

: He also comes somewhat mis-transformed in the package, with the positions of the intakes and the panel on his back being switched around, with the panel being placed ''after'' the intakes, instead of ''before''.

: He comes with a similarly-scaled [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and PVC figurines of [[Miko Nakadai]], [[Jack Darby]] and [[Raf Esquivel]], as well as a DVD of the "Series Premiere" episode "[[Masters & Students]]".

{{anchor|FirstEdition}}
*'''Megatron''' (First Edition Deluxe, 2011)
**''Accessories'': Fusion Cannon

: The Japanese release of Deluxe class Megatron was packaged by itself on a card. The instructions show the proper vehicle mode, how to attach his fusion canon to his arm, and the figure is transformed correctly in the box.
{{-}}

{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:TF-Cyberverse-Commander-Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px|.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2012)
**''Accessories'': "Cyber sword"
: This Cyberverse scaled Megatron is cast partly in translucent plastic so that the toy can be lit using the electronic lights featured in the larger playsets. He also comes with a translucent "cyber sword" weapon and a pack-in file card.
{{-}}

{{anchor|Powerizer}}
[[Image:PrimeRIDtoy-MegatronPowerizer.jpg|right|thumb|300px|And it's like the sky is new.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Accessories'': "Cannon", "Combat Claw"
: Like the Cyberverse version, this Megatron has a fair amount of translucent purple plastic in the torso and forearms, and a similar general design to his other ''Prime'' toys of the line in both modes, although the plastic is a little more matte than in the stock photo.

:He comes with two weapons; the arm cannon is a MechTech-like weapon, where pushing a plunger at the back swings two blades out from either side and pushes a third one forward, combining to make a larger one below the cannon's mouth. At the same time, a red LED swings out and activates, shining through the plastic blades. The cannon can be mounted on either arm, either in the classic elbow port or from one on the wrist, and the blade can be locked in place by manually swinging the blades out while holding the plunger back.

:He also comes with a combat claw, which mounts on the wrist point on either hand and has a piece which rests in the hand to appear more as if it's being held. The claw can also be mounted in front of the cannon, which does not interfere with the cannon's blade gimmick. Both weapons can also be stored on the back when not in use, and it is possible to trigger the cannon's LED gimmick and lock it on while on the back without unfolding the blade much, resulting in the LED shining through and making the inner chest glow red.
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TRURageOverCybertronCybertronianMegatron.jpg|thumb|300px|Nobody makes fun of Megatron's lovely skirt. Not more than once, anyway.]]
*'''Rage over Cybertron''' (Multipack, 2011)
**''Accessories'': Fusion cannon, missile

:A [[redeco]] of Cybertronian Megatron with purple parts, a translucent purple cannon and purple and red paint details resembling the effects of [[Dark Energon]], available in a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] three-pack with Cybertronian Optimus Prime and Cybertronian Bumblebee.

:The [[stock photo]] to the right has his vehicle mode mis-transformed. His treads are left almost untransformed as his arms, but with his hands folded inside the treads, and the top panel on his left shoulder hasn't been rotated and pegged between his shoulders/tank front. His robot mode is also mis-transformed, with his back panel not being pegged into his back and being left hanging behind his thighs.

{{--}}

===Bot Shots===
*'''Megatron''' (2012)
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Tfprimemegatronjet.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Too fast for screen caps.]]
*Megatron's designation as an energon miner was "D-16".<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 War for Cybertron timeline].</ref> Megatron's original [[Japanese ID number list|Japanese ID number]] was "16". Takara would eventually change the numbering system using a "D" to denote [[Decepticon|Destrons]]. So Megatron's Japanese ID number could retroactively be considered "D-16".
*In ''Transformers: War for Cybertron'', Megatron has multiple glitches when controlled by the computer, among them shrinking (quite hilariously), losing his Fusion Cannon, and having his Tank mode cannon stick straight up (also humorous). He may be the most glitchy character in the game.
*Optimus Prime's recollections in ''Darkness Rising'' have him and Megatron fighting side-by-side at the start of the Great War. This is the first time a Megatron has been involved in a Great War that he ''didn't'' start, never mind one where he used to be a goodie.
*The show design of this version of Megatron takes visual cues from both G1 (the ever-famous [[Megatron (G1)| buckethead]] and lower legs resembling a pistol's handgrip) and [[Megatron (Movie)|the Movie version]] of the Decepticon leader (the sharp angles and bits on his shoulders, along with two-toed feet and a demonic-looking face with sharp teeth), even including the jet mode the latter version appeared in: the ''Prime'' staff used the same rationale that Megatron would not scan an Earth mode out of disgust at humans.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ BotCon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> According to Cybertronian Megatron's packaging bio, Megatron often changes his altmode, probably in an attempt to explain why he's a tank in the game and a jet in the cartoon.
*At a video shown at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, Welker explained his ''Prime'' voice for Megatron would be mostly toned down from his Generation 1 counterpart, to give the character more range.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/transformers-prime---peter-cullen--frank-welker-behind-the-scenes-170264/ Transformers Prime - Peter Cullen & Frank Welker Behind the Scenes] TFW2005</ref> When the show aired, Megatron indeed had a more quiet, sinister version of his voice than the iconic shouty one.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Megatron''' (メガトロン ''Megatoron''), '''Megatronus''' (メガトロナス ''Megatoronasu'')

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Bot Shots]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Megatron (WFC)

2012-02-26T07:26:19Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Suprised this wasn't mentioned, thougth I'd add it myself.

{{faction|decepticon|hofsilver}}
{{disambig3|Megatron}}
:''Megatron is the [[Decepticon]] leader from the [[Aligned continuity family]].''
[[Image:PrimeMegatron.jpg|thumb|400px|Lord of the [[Dark Energon]] wraiths.]]
The awesomely powerful '''Megatron''' is, in many ways, a fallen hero. He rose up from the oppressed lower working castes of [[Kaon]] to become a champion in the region's illegal [[gladiatorial combat|deathmatches]], cast aside his designation of '''D-16''' and took the legendary name '''[[The Fallen|Megatronus]]'''<ref>Megatron was an abbreviation, so it'd be easier for the masses to chant his name; ''Transformers: Exodus'', Chapter 3</ref> as his own, he called for an end to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s decrepit [[caste system]] and told the downtrodden that freedom of self-determination was the right of all sentient beings!

But absolute power corrupts absolutely, and Megatron's Decepticon revolution, like many such movements, ended up becoming a whole new tyranny. Powerful, charismatic, violent, and full of rage for any who would stand in the way of his ambition and drive, Megatron brought Cybertron ''past'' the brink of destruction. Now he and his former brother-in-arms [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] fight on other worlds. Megatron will never forgive Optimus for "betraying" him, stealing from the Council the rank of Prime which was rightfully his. He has reserved for his old friend the greatest honor possible: glorious death at his hands.

Megatron has been gone for three years, but now he's returned. He's brought the monstrous [[Dark Energon]] to Earth, and quite possibly left his sanity in space.

{{quote|I... am the Dominator, I... am the Destroyer, I am '''Megatron!'''|Megatron|''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]''}}

==Fiction==
===Aligned novels===
[[Image:WFCcomicD16.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Alright! What's the square root of pi?! What's the capital of Sierre Leone?! What's... awww, this 'ask questions later' thing doesn't work at ''all''."]]
Megatron nicknamed himself D-16 after the sector of the mine where he performed demolition operations. As a gladiator, in killing others he began to appreciate the value of life, and in between matches he became something of an intellectual, debating the castes with other miners. After bosses requested he lose a few fights, D-16 killed them and took over Kaon and [[Slaughter City]]. After murdering one boss in front of his employees, D-16 declared himself Megatronus, whom he considered the greatest of the [[Thirteen]]. After hearing his preaching on the [[Communication Grid]] against the [[Guilds of Cybertron]], the concerned [[Sentinel Zeta Prime|Sentinel Prime]] sent [[Bumper (WFC)|Bumper]] and [[Fastback (WFC)|Fastback]] to investigate. Megatronus killed them, believing two lives were worthless compared to the millions doomed by the castes Sentinel created.

After a victorious battle with the [[Insecticon (WFC)|Insecticon]]s, in which the crowd redubbed him Megatron, the gladiator was contacted by the [[Iacon (polity)|Iaconian]] [[Hall of Records|records monitor]] [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Orion Pax]], and they began exchanging their ideas in intense but friendly philosophical discussions. Megatron encouraged Orion to learn self defense and invited him to visit Kaon, which he did to a warm welcome from Megatron (and from none of his gladiators). By this point Megatron was planning to call his movement the Decepticons, and he had begun sending his followers on a search for artifacts of the Primes, as their discovery would be signs their cause was just. His followers began bombing Cybertron, and Megatron distanced himself from their extremism to gain credibility. Orion and his mentor [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]] believed him, but the latter was well aware Megatron might have gained a taste for violence after the attention it earned him. Soon enough, Megatron accepted the gift of a kidnapped Sentinel Prime from [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]].

[[Image:WFCcomicHalogendies.jpg|thumb|250px|]]

Alpha Trion organized a hearing for Orion and Megatron with the [[Autobot High Council|High Council]]. They protested involvement in Sentinel's disappearance. When confronted with the phrase "Decepticon", Megatron denied any knowledge of it but accepted his followers' term wholeheartedly, stating deception was necessary sometimes for the corrupt to see the truth. When [[Halogen (WFC)|Halogen]] revealed Megatron's followers had been trying to locate the [[Matrix of Leadership]], he declared that Orion should become the Prime that he desperately wanted to lead Cybertron into the new [[Golden Age]], and find it. Incensed, Megatron killed Halogen, and when Optimus prevented the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] from attacking Megatron, the ungrateful gladiator declared Optimus had fallen into the trap of power the High Council had given him. He declared Optimus was no longer his brother (though he would continue to refer to him as such privately), and that the Matrix would be his.

In the subsequent war with Optimus' [[Autobot]]s, the Decepticons took control of eighty-five percent of the planet. Wherever Starscream's [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]] aided, they were victorious. Megatron was initially merciful to neutrals, but he let Shockwave take control of [[Tarn]] and torture Autobot sympathizers there. When the [[Praxus|Praxians]], a progressive city-state who were disappointed with the direction Megatron took, allied with the Autobots, Megatron decided he would no longer try to convert followers and launched the first genocide of the war, slaughtering all in [[Nova Cronum]] who would not submit to the Decepticons as they attacked.

As the war dragged into a siege of Iacon, Soundwave's spying bore fruit as he discovered [[Dark Energon]], the essence of [[Unicron]], was aboard [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]]. Megatron forgave Starscream for hiding its existence from him, acknowledging its potentially dangerous nature. To ensure loyalty, Megatron's gladiators stormed the Station slaughtering and maiming Starscream's scientists. He forced Starscream to pick two test subjects to be Darkened, and following an astonishingly successful result, Megatron absorbed some, invigorating him. Soon Darkened Decepticons appeared on the battlefield, but it proved to be an inefficient resource and they would have to flee if a battle was prolonged. Megatron needed more, and even Starscream's activation of the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] didn't provide enough. Megatron felt he would kill all the Decepticons before he was deprived of Dark Energon and turn rabid.

Fortunately, Soundwave revealed the existence of the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] within [[Teletraan-1]], which required the [[Code Key]]s of Power and Justice to activate it. Starscream recovered the Key of Power, while Megatron and his best soldiers searched for the Key of Justice below the [[High Council Tower]]. Sentinel Prime emerged, to Megatron's surprise. Sentinel confronted him about Bumper and Fastback, and the two dueled. Megatron disarmed and sliced open Sentinel, revealing the Key of Justice within. Starscream made a grab for it, exposing that he had released Sentinel to kill Megatron and take leadership for himself. After fighting Starscream to a standstill, Megatron pardoned him as he found him a better soldier than would-be example, and used the Keys to open Teletraan-1: which activated [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]] to fly the Chamber to safety.

The Seekers shot Omega Supreme out of the air, causing him to crash. Optimus's Autobots arrived to fight the Decepticons, but the more they killed them the more Dark Energon left their bodies and empowered Megatron. He was able to knee Omega Supreme and turn him on his back, tearing the Chamber out of his chest. Using the Chamber, Megatron poisoned the [[core]] of Cybertron and Darkened the entire planet. But then the core stopped producing Dark Energon, and Megatron learnt Optimus had gone to the core and received the Matrix. As the Autobots attempted to flee Cybertron via the last [[space bridge]], Megatron used Trypticon to fire on their ships, and used his and Orion's old frequency to criticize Optimus for fleeing. He added he never believed in individual freedom for every Cybertronian, only the illusion of freedom that he as leader would provide and that the Guilds did not. Optimus responded that Megatron had turned his soldiers into addicts and they would turn on him, and used the ''[[Eight Track (WFC)|Eight Track]]'' to board, sabotage and crash Trypticon.

As the Autobots left on the completed ''[[Ark (WFC)|Ark]]'', the Decepticons fully invaded Iacon. Megatron ordered Trypticon to transform into the ''Nemesis'', boarding it with Starscream, Soundwave, [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] and other elite soldiers, leaving Shockwave in charge. He used his old frequency once again to warn Optimus that he would hound him through the stars and finally kill him for the Matrix. He explained they were still brothers, as they were bonded for life despite their enmity. Optimus was just glad his hunt would get him off Cybertron. The two ships entered the last [[space bridge]] together, and when the ''Ark'' emerged, the ''Nemesis'' was gone. {{storylink|Transformers: Exodus|Exodus}}

{{charstubfiction}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Exiles|Exiles}}

===''Prime'' cartoon===
:''Voice actor'': [[Frank Welker]] (English), [[Sean Long]] (BotCon 2011), [[Juan Carlos Lozano]] (Spain-Spanish), [[Ja-hyeong Gu]] (Korean), [[Tony Fuochi|Antonio Fuochi]] (Italian), [[Hans-Jürgen Wolf]] (German), [[Gerardo Vásquez]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Antonio Moreno]] (Brazilian Portuguese), [[Paweł Szczesny]] (Polish)

[[Image:OneShallRise3-corresponding.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"I'm a fox!" "I'm a hound doooog!"]]

In the waning years of the [[Golden Age]] of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatronus (who named himself after [[The Fallen|one of the original thirteen Primes]]) was a gladiator who noticed there was a disparity in freedom among the classes of his race, and that the ruling class was corrupt and all-powerful. In drawing attention to this inequity, he inspired a [[Hall of Records]] clerk named [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Orion Pax]], and the two joined forces to end corruption and bring equality to the masses. Soundwave also helped them. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}} Orion and Megatronus became close allies, almost like brothers. But soon Megatronus's ideals would become corrupted, and the two would become bitter enemies. {{storylink|Masters & Students}}

[[Image:DarknessRising2-Megsflashback.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Things were very red in those days.]]

Megatronus shortened his name to Megatron before he and Orion Pax appeared before the [[High Council]]. Shocking his colleague with his true intentions, Megatron stated that he would overthrow the High Council by force and instate himself as the next [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]. But it was Orion's speech that drew their attention. Jealous, Megatron left angrily and began his conquest, which resulted in countless casualties and left the [[Core]] of Cybertron itself [[Dark Energon|poisoned]]. Denied the [[Matrix of Leadership]] by the High Council, Megatron was obsessed with finding it, but Orion Pax was given it by the Core itself, and Orion became Optimus Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

Over the following years, Megatron and Optimus fought many a battle, such as the [[Battle of Technar]] where Megatron ordered [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] to assassinate Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} After his failure, Megatron came to believe only he should finally terminate Prime. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}}
[[Image:DarknessRising2-MegatronDarkEnergon.jpg|right|thumb|250px|We can relate. We're just like this with our [[BotCon]] toys.]]

The Transformers' war eventually brought Megatron and Prime's teams to Earth, where, after an initial clash, Megatron withdrew to space to search for more troops, leaving Starscream in charge. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 1}} Searching the void for three years, Megatron found something better than mere warriors: he discovered a new source of Dark Energon, the "blood of [[Unicron]]", with which he could reanimate fallen Transformers as an army of the undead. Returning to Earth and resuming command of the Decepticons, Megatron tested the Dark Energon on the deceased Autobot [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]], reviving him as a [[zombie]] "[[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcon]]" that slaughtered several [[Decepticon Miner]]s, but which posed no threat to Megatron himself. Unfortunately for Megatron, this partial reactivation of Cliffjumper's lifesigns drew Optimus Prime's Autobots to the Decepticons' mining operations. Deciding it was not yet time for a confrontation with Prime, Megatron withdrew aboard the [[Nemesis (Prime)|''Nemesis'']], and continued to brood over the Dark Energon.

[[Image:darknessrising3_Megatronglowy.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Megatron, you fool! Rave glowsticks aren't candy!]]
Megatron's inability to control the zombie Cliffjumper convinced him that he needed to integrate the Dark Energon into his own body in order to control the undead legions he planned to create. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 2}} Thrusting a shard of the material into his spark, he was filled with its power, feeling as thought he was connected to Unicron's very thoughts. Requiring a test run for his new power, Megatron headed for the site of an ancient Cybertronian battle on Earth, full of the remains of fallen warriors, where he was confronted by Optimus and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]. Using Dark Energon to raise the dead Transformers as Terrorcons, Megatron successfully found he had complete control of the undead horde, and send them against the two Autobots. [[Image:DarknessRising4-Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|250px|I chew scenery while the zombies chew ''you''.]] {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 3}} Optimus and Ratchet fought their way through the Terrorcons, only for Megatron to fly off before they could reach him, satisfied with his test results and ready put his plan into action—to open a [[space bridge]] to Cybertron and use Dark Energon to revive the entire planet's dead. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 4}} Despite the Autobots' best efforts to damage the ''Nemesis'' and prevent the bridge from opening, Megatron succeeded in his plans, and then had his showdown with Optimus Prime atop the bridge itself as he waited for the Terrorcon legions to pass through to Earth. While the two old foes battled, the other Autobots sabotaged the bridge, causing it to explode and destroy both the Terrorcon army, and seemingly, Megatron himself. {{storylink|Darkness Rising, Part 5}}[[Image:Masters&Students-Megatronstasis.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Well, it's better than just [[Megatron (Animated)|being a head]] I suppose.]]
The Autobots were not so lucky, however: the Dark Energon in his spark allowed Megatron to survive the explosion, but just barely. When Starscream found his leader floating in space, he tore the Dark Energon from his body in the hope that he would expire, but was caught in the act by [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]], [[Laserbeak (Prime)|Laserbeak]] and forced to take Megatron back to the ''Nemesis'', where he was placed in [[Stasis lock|stasis]] in the sick bay. {{storylink|Masters & Students}} Starscream was content to leave Megatron in this state to recover or expire as fate saw fit, but the crew of the ''Nemesis'' disagreed, and voted to bring in the Decepticon medic [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] to help heal their wounded leader. {{storylink|Deus ex Machina}} Even with Knock Out's expertise, it seemed unlikely that Megatron would recover, but his assistant [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] gave his body a good buffing nonetheless; Starscream approved, as it meant their ex-leader would look his best for the memorial service. {{storylink|Speed Metal}}

[[Image:SickMind megs and bee.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Hey, [[Megatron (Animated)|you]] really ''are'' [[Transform and Roll Out|uglier from this angle]]!]]

When Optimus Prime was infected by cybonic plague, Arcee and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] board the ''Nemesis'' to search for an antidote. While they failed to find one in the database, the two Autobots did discover Megatron in stasis, and Bumblebee mind-linked with the Decepticon leader via [[cortical psychic patch]] to try and pluck the cure from his sleeping brain. Bumblebee found himself within Megatron's mind, which took the form of [[Kaon]], where the Decepticon's subconscious was spending its time killing endless visions of Optimus Primes; unfortunately, Bumblebee's intrusion only caused Megatron to become aware of his situation, when he found he was unable to kill Bumblebee. Learning what had befallen Optimus, Megatron initially refused to give up the cure until Bumblebee convinced him that he would gain greater satisfaction from finishing his enemy off with his own two hands. Megatron offered the cure in exchange for Bumblebee's help in escaping his mental prison, but Bumblebee double-crossed him, withdrawing from his mind as soon as the cure was in Autobot hands. At the last moment, Megatron was able to effect his own escape, leaping into Bumblebee's mind along with him. {{storylink|Sick Mind}} [[Image:OutofhisHead megatron revived.jpg|left|thumb|250px|IT'S... AAALLLLLIIIIIIIIVE!]] Recalling the sliver of Dark Energon Starscream had removed from his body, Megatron took full control of Bumblebee's body a short time later and used the GroundBridge to return to the ancient battlefield where he had raised his original Terrorcons, recovering the Dark Energon shard he had used to do so. He returned to the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], where he dealt with Ratchet and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] before again GroundBridging to the ''Nemesis'' and using the Dark Energon to restore his body and return his mind to it. Storming out of the ''Nemesis'' to find Starscream, Megatron snatched his subordinate out of the air in the middle of a battle with Optimus Prime and took him back for his punishment. {{storylink|Out of His Head}}

[[Image:Shadowzone-MegsStarscream.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Lulz.]] Despite his treason, Megatron decided not to terminate Starscream, viewing him as no real threat and taking perverse amusement in his repeated failures. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}} Instead, Megatron proceeded to beat Starscream only to ''near'' death, then had him placed in the infirmary, occasionally visiting to gloat. {{storylink|Shadowzone (episode)|Shadowzone}}

When Breakdown was captured by the humans of [[MECH]], Megatron refuted Starscream's suggestion that they rescue him, announcing that if Breakdown had allowed himself to be captured by those weaker than him, then he deserved whatever he got. {{storylink|Operation: Breakdown}} Breakdown did manage to escape, however, insisted his wounded pride saw him volunteer to recover a [[polarity gauntlet]] for Megatron, in order to prove his worth. Megatron was disappointed when his minion returned without the gauntlet, but was placated with the revelation that he had instead brought back [[Airachnid]]. {{storylink|Metal Attraction}}

[[Image:RockBottom-Starscreamprays.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Definitely ''not'' [[Bruticus]], Starscream.]]

Discovering that Starscream was still attempting to mine energon for his personal use without his knowledge, Megatron determined that the amusement had come to an end. Taking him to the mine in question, Megatron revealed that he had been aware of Starscream's previous transgressions the whole time thanks to Soundwave, and was about to execute his grovelling lieutenant when [[Jack Darby]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] walked in. In the firefight that followed, stray shots from Megatron's fusion cannon brought the mine down on top of them all, with Megatron being completely pinned by rubble. Jack happened upon the Decepticon leader with a mining drill, and Megatron, knowing that the human would not help him, instead urged Jack to finish him off. Jack refused, saying that wasn't what Optimus would do, and left, but the opening he had created allowed Megatron to begin his escape. After finally extricating himself, Megatron came upon Starscream trying to keep a large rock from crushing him. Starscream insisted that he had come to rescue Megatron, and begged the Decepticon leader to spare him, and Megatron acquiesced with a smirk. {{storylink|Rock Bottom}}

Though Megatron allowed Starscream to live and continue as his second-in-command, he was furious to learn from Airachnid that Starscream had kept the location of the ''[[Harbinger]]'' from him. He ordered Starscream to lead Airachnid to the crash site and retrieve an [[Immobilizer|experimental weapon]] that was inside. Much to Megatron's fury, Airachnid returned not only without the weapon, but with the news that Starscream had been captured by the Autobots as well. {{storylink|Partners}}
[[Image:StrongerFaster-KnockOutMegatronRatchet.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Steroids?" "Yup." "Ah."]]
When a formula for [[Synthetic Energon]] was transferred from a [[Cybertronian data cylinder]] into the mind of the Autobot [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], Optimus Prime petitioned Megatron for the return of the cylinder so they could extract the formula, after which they would willingly hand it over. Megatron briefly considered the proposal, but instead sent Knock Out and Breakdown to capture Bulkhead and dared Prime to fight for the cylinder. When his Vehicon troops were defeated, Megatron simply crushed the device and took flight. {{storylink|T.M.I.}} The synthetic energon formula helped the Autobots counter Megatron's next tactic: causing the Autobots to burn through their energon supplies at an accelerated rate by leading them on wild goose chases. Juiced up on the "SynthEn", Ratchet attacked Megatron and Knock Out while they were surveying an energon mine, and sent the Decepticon leader flying with one punch. Unfortunately for Ratchet, Megatron swiftly recovered and subdued the Autobot medic with ease. {{storylink|Stronger, Faster}}

[[Image:PrimeEp23-Megatronjetmode.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Hold still, jet mode, so we can screencap you, dammit!]]

Convinced by Dark Energon-induced visions that an impending prophecy detailed his own destiny, Megatron stepped up the Decepticons' work in constructing a new space bridge so they could obtain more Dark Energon. When they located the last component they needed, Megatron went in personally, grievously wounding Raf with a blast of Dark Energon on the way and creating an unintended distraction that allowed him to make off with the power source he needed. Soon after, Megatron lured Optimus Prime to a volcano he had seen in his visions, and during their battle, it erupted with Dark Energon, imbuing Megatron with the power he needed to fell Prime. {{storylink|One Shall Fall}}[[Image:OneShallFall-visionfulfilled.jpg|thumb|255px|right|Look, Prime! Look at the fireworks! Aren't they splendid?!]] The intervention of the other Autobots saved Prime's life, but this was of little concern to Megatron, who now had all the Dark Energon he needed and set his miners to work gathering it up. When Soundwave detected a spark-beat coming from within the Earth, Megatron felt it pounding through his brain and realized what his visions had meant: the lifeforce of Unicron himself dwelt within Earth. Leaving Airachnid in command, Megatron flew into the volcano to address Unicron, but received not the power he hoped the chaos-bringer would bestow on him, but instead Unicron's displeasure at the fact that Optimus Prime still lived. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 1}}

Spurned, Megatron instead went to the aid of Optimus and his Autobots, who were under attack from Unicron's stone avatars. He offered Optimus his services—he intended to lead them to Unicron's real form so that Optimus could use the [[Matrix of Leadership]] on the Chaos God. While the Autobots returned to base, Megatron kept the giant stone Unicrons busy, and Prime eventually accepted Megatron's offer. On arrival in the Autobot base, Megatron encountered a couple of humans he recognized, Raf and Jack, as well as a [[Miko Nakadai|new loud one]]. Megatron was first to step through the GroundBridge into the Earth's core, and as the Autobots followed, he warned them that Unicron already knew they were there. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 2}}

[[Image:OneShallRise3-together.jpg|thumb|255px|left|"Just this once, we work together! Mortal enemies working together for the common good!" "Be quiet!"]]

Despite the persistent influence of Unicron, Megatron led the Autobots through Unicron's insides, even helping them fight off [[Unicron's antibodies|antibodies]]. The Dark Energon he was imbued with allowed him to enter Unicron's spark chamber with Optimus, though at that point Unicron's influence became so great that the Chaos God was able to commandeer his body. After Optimus unleashed the power of the Matrix, apparently extinguishing Unicron's spark, Megatron went to kill Optimus, only to discover his foe had lost his memory and now believed himself to be Orion Pax. Megatron convinced Optimus that the other Autobots were enemies, and the pair returned to the ''Nemesis'', where Megatron introduced "Orion Pax" to his men. {{storylink|One Shall Rise, Part 3}}

Megatron wasted no time in spinning a tale of Autobot warlord Ratchet and the destruction of Cybertron, and put Orion Pax to work decoding data from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives. Though aware that at some point Orion would find out the truth, Megatron made all precautions to make sure that didn't happen before Orion finished his work. This even extended to getting Soundwave to carefully remove Arcee from the ship one time when she managed to get on board. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 1}}

{{spoiler|Orion Pax, Part 2|March 3, 2012}}
Megatron attempted to cover for a surprise visit by Starscream, but a short time later, Soundwave notified him that Orion had found information on Optimus Prime and Megatron realized that harsher methods would be necessary to complete [[Project Iacon]]. {{storylink|Orion Pax, Part 2}}
{{-}}

===Commercial appearances===
:''Voice actor'': [[Frank Welker]] (English)

Megatron, [[wikipedia:Dan Vs.|Dan]] and [[My Little Pony|Pinkie Pie]], a pony, sang a collaborative group song while the scene quickly shifted between a variety of strange alternate universes. {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub summer promo 2011}}
{{quote|Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the hot <strike> nuts </strike> nights?|Megatron}}

At some point he ended up in detention at a school because he had "anger issues". {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub promo}}

He later joined back up with Pinkie Pie as well as other ponies Rainbow Dash and Applejack, and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] in scatting "[[wikipedia:Deck the Halls|Deck the Halls]]"{{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers}} and singing "[[wikipedia:Jingle Bells|Jingle Bells]]". {{storylink|Commercial/Prime|The Hub Carolers (Second spot)}}

He also demanded the viewers to vote for him in the Naughty or Nice contest, (''he lost'').

===Titan Magazines ''Prime'' comics===
Under Megatron's leadership, the Decepticons conquered many city states including [[Kalis]], [[Tarn]] and [[Vos]]. When the time came to strike against [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]], Megatron led a five-con team in under the cover of darkness to bomb the [[Iacon Energon Refinery]]. They had barely planted the first bomb when they were spotted and fired on. After the other three Decepticons were shot down, Megatron gave Soundwave a bomb and set about causing a distraction while his second-in-command went to plant it. When Soundwave was also shot down, Megatron flew into action, helping up the rest of his team and carrying Soundwave as they retreated under the cover of an exploding bomb. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.2|War Story}}

With a new plan, Megatron took [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] to attack the [[Yamal|NS ''Yamal'']], a Russian icebreaker near [[Antarctica]]. He intended to use a [[static lance]] to cause the ship's reactors to meltdown exposing energon deposits beneath the ice. Unfortunately Optimus got wind of the plan and came storming in. As Megatron detailed his plan during their one-on-one fight, Optimus took possession of the lance. Megatron attempted to take it back, only for Optimus to hit him with it. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Ice Breaker}}

Megatron and Soundwave somehow slipped some code into ''[[Invasionauts II]]'' to hypnotise Raf into opening the GroundBridge so they could send Vehicons through. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.4|Tinker, Tailor, Gamer, Spy!}}

====Mega-Mouth====

Megatron occasionally takes time out from conquering the universe to...answer fan mail? He also sometimes seems [[Megatron (Movie)|confused]] about which [[universal stream]] he hails from, as he claimed he attacked [[Sentinel Prime (ROTF)|Sentinel]] {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.1#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #1}} he also explained why he wore a cowl in ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.4#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #4}} and he also said he survived ''Dark of the Moon'', after some fan asked how Megatron could be answering those fanmails. {{storylink|Transformers_Comic_issue_4.5#Mega-Mouth|Mega-Mouth #5}}

==Games==
===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)===
:''Voice actor'': [[Fred Tatasciore]] (English), [[Oliviero Corbetta]] (Italian), [[Juan Carlos Lozano]] (Spain-Spanish)
[[Image:WFC_Megatron.jpg|thumb|350px|He wants the whooole wooorld, in his hand!]]
During the early war on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], Megatron found reference to an energy source called [[Dark Energon]], which had impressive potential as a weapon, and became determined to claim it for himself. One of the few places it was made was in a station in orbit around Cybertron, guarded by a politically neutral force led by [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]. With this knowledge, he took a ship and launched an assault on the station.

The ship was badly damaged in the attack, and so he ordered [[Barricade (Prime)|Barricade]] and [[Brawl (WFC)| Brawl]], piloting it, to ram the station. He and many of his soldiers survived the impact and escaped the core's detonation. They were then confronted by Starscream, who informed them that they would not allow them to take what he had guarded for ten thousand years. After surviving a trap of sentry guns, Megatron, Barricade, and Brawl were reinforced by more of Megatron's troops, and set out on their way to find the station's Dark Energon stores and claim them for the war effort. They encountered significant resistance, but managed to shoot their way through, with directional aid from [[Soundwave (Prime)| Soundwave]]. Barricade noted that the station itself seemed quite primitive; Megatron noted it was very old, and that he intended to modernize it... At one point, the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] [[Jetfire (WFC)|Jetfire]] confronted Megatron nonviolently, asking him to give up his quest, as Dark Energon would result in only horror, death, and destruction, to which Megatron sneered, "You say that as if it were a bad thing."

[[Image:WFC-MegatronmeetsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|300px|At last we meet, my punching bag.]]

Along their way to the Dark Energon, they found that a large portion of the station had been blasted clean off, the debris field traversable but sparse enough to allow easy viewing of Cybertron itself. Soundwave soon found records indicating that a small amount of Dark Energon lost containment and was the sole cause of the destruction, underscoring Megatron's desire for it. When Barricade asked how he expected to control it when no other had, Megatron said that such power was only for the strong, that he was the strongest, and not to question him again.

When they finally reached the storage chamber, and Megatron averted Starscream's destruction of it, he calmly entered into a container full of raw Dark Energon, while Starscream watched and gloated at his imminent destruction...only for him to walk out, not only unscathed, but crackling with power, which he further bestowed upon Barricade and Brawl. A single blast of Dark Energon was enough to destroy an entire company of station security forces, the last line of defense between Megatron and Starscream and his companions.

Jetfire again tried to warn Megatron about the dangers of Dark Energon, but Starscream interrupted, asking to join the Decepticon leader. Megatron asked what Starscream could offer that he could not simply take. Starscream revealed the station's supply of Dark Energon was almost spent, and he knew how to manufacture more—and as luck would have it, there was a dormant [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]] which could be used to power it. Jetfire retreated to inform [[Sentinel Zeta Prime| Zeta Prime]]; Megatron let him go, seeming pleased by the notion of letting the Autobots tremble in advance of their actions, and sent Starscream, [[Thundercracker (WFC)| Thundercracker]], and [[Skywarp (WFC)| Skywarp]] to activate the bridge.

Megatron repeatedly mocked what he perceived as Starscream's slowness in his simple mission, but the Seeker did what he said he could. With a steady supply of Dark Energon, Megatron launched an attack on Iacon City, intending to take a device called the [[Omega Key]] and use it to enter the Core of Cybertron. This time, he took [[Breakdown (Prime)| Breakdown]] and Soundwave with him. The trio took the less-guarded way in—which, since the Autobots were not complete fools (as even Megatron would admit), still had significant military presence. During the attack, Starscream noted that Dark Energon was proving every bit as potent as Megatron had promised. Breakdown let Megatron know of his misgivings about the Sky Commander; Megatron admitted he was treacherous and untrustworthy, but he had useful talents, and his cunning and ambition was intriguing.

The Omega Key had been taken from its normal resting place, however, by Autobot leader Zeta Prime, and so Megatron took his squad on an assault on Zeta's headquarters. They met Brawl, leading an attack on the doors to Zeta Prime's armory, along the way. Even Megatron's touch of Dark Energon could not breach the vault doors, however, and so he called in [[Dark Energon Bombers]]. When they were shot down, Brawl suggested they take out the Autobots' air defense guns, after which bombers were called in again; Megatron's troops then held off a massive assault from what seemed like the entire Autobot army while waiting for the bombing run to finally arrive.

[[Image:WFC Megatron Vs ZetaPrime.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Zeta Prime, you might be more egotistical than me. I mean really, a huge holographic version of you and smaller holograms doing what you can't do without your pointy stick thing?]]

After the vault doors were breached, they reached Zeta Prime himself, who had constructed several layers of security while he waited. An invincible energy field protected him, while he could drop portions of the ceiling with pistons to crush anything beneath them, and construct endless holographic clones of himself outfitted for melee combat, which Megatron personally found nauseating. However, his defenses were not without flaw: periodically, the power core would need to disperse waste heat, and Megatron's team survived long enough to destroy it during this stage. Zeta fell, buried under the wreckage of his own defenses, and Megatron took the device he'd carried...which started to make electronic chirping noises. Zeta, with black humor, noted that the device was not the Omega Key. It merely ''activated'' the Key, which would come to them...

Searching for the Key in the skies aboard another ship, Megatron, with Soundwave and Breakdown at the controls, were abruptly confronted by a massive ship, [[Omega Supreme (WFC)|Omega Supreme]], who knocked them out of the sky, causing them to crash back in Iacon. There, they played a cat-and-mouse campaign in a desperate attempt to survive the enormous Autobot's vast firepower, though Soundwave noted that the weaponry they bore had little chance of penetrating Omega Supreme's armor. Megatron, for his part, at least contrived to appear unafraid, claiming that if it came to a real fight, the brute wouldn't stand a chance against Megatron's intellect. However, Omega's attacks drove them underground and left them unable to immediately transmit counter to Starscream, who declared Megatron dead and announced he was taking control. Even when they re-established contact, Starscream's aerial forces only briefly distracted Omega, who dispensed large numbers of troops, sucked up Decepticons with a tractor beam, fired weapons of mass destruction, and mined the roads Megatron and his squad were using.

Soundwave, however, had come up with a suggestion—there were weapons emplacements higher up that had the ability to damage Omega Supreme. Taking them from the Autobots was a battle in and of itself, but nothing compared to the fight against Omega Supreme, who could unload entire squadrons of Aerialbots. Nonetheless, Megatron's boldness and tactical acumen finally shot Omega Supreme out of the sky.

[[Image:WFC-hearmynameandtremble.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I stand on your crotch!]]

Gloating, Megatron found that the behemoth was still not defeated, and indeed was drawing power from Cybertron itself to repair his systems, making him stronger, if anything. However, by corrupting the energon batteries with which he was using to feed himself with Dark Energon charges, they were able to weaken him to the point where they could finally blast away his last defenses and brought him to heel. With Omega Supreme defeated, Megatron went underground, directly to the Core, and corrupted it with a massive infusion of Dark Energon, finally bringing Cybertron itself more completely under his control.

At this point, Megatron was clearly convinced, and for good reason, that he'd won, making propaganda broadcasts extolling his greatness and how he had taken away the Autobots' burdens of "liberty" and "choice". When Starscream was defeated and the Decagon retaken, however, he realized the Autobots were not yet going to roll over for him, and sent a distress signal from Zeta Prime, whom he had kept alive in the Kaon prison camp, in order to provoke a rescue attempt from the Autobots. His old acquaintance Optimus took the bait, and Megatron confronted him, telling him that the war could be over tomorrow if Optimus took the Autobots and left. Optimus refused, so Megatron consigned him and his team to the prisons. When they managed to stage a mass breakout, an enraged Megatron ordered his troops to prevent their escape at any cost, to the point of tearing apart portions of Kaon.

This was not enough, however, and they escaped, journeying to the Core, where they kickstarted the cleansing of Megatron's corruption. Doing so, however, would take the Core millions of years of shutdown, rendering Cybertron uninhabitable. Whether Megatron knew this or not, when he saw the Autobots leaving after Optimus's refusal of his earlier offer, he apparently took offense. His earlier plans of renovating Starscream's station had come to fruition; now, it mounted a powerful superweapon, capable of destroying entire structures in one shot. He had it fire upon the Autobot transports as they left. When a team of Aerialbots attempted to disable or destroy it, he called Jetfire, now one of them, and taunted him about his past. He further mocked them when they destroyed the plasma coolant system without apparently having accounted for backups. Finally, during the attack he came into possession of information on Optimus Prime's location, and ordered Trypticon—the name of the weapon, for it was actually a Cybertronian—to fire upon it.

Trypticon, however, was forced into his natural form and defeated after he crash-landed on Cybertron. Megatron's reaction to this went unrecorded. {{storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: War for Cybertron'' (DS)===
Megatron was the Decepticon Leader during the final days of the Great War. After capturing an Autobot facility, and killing a cadet, Megatron revealed his plan to his troops. Megatron intended to conquer Trypticon Space Station, which had the means and power to manufacture Dark Energon: a variant of Energon which greatly increased the stamina and strength of its host. Megatron fought his way through the station to its commander, the Autobot Starscream. Upon Starscream's defeat, Starscream offered his services and the Dark Energon if he was spared. Megatron agreed, and Starscream joined the Decepticons.

After a test run of the Dark Energon in Kaon Prison, Soundwave deduced the element would only kill the host, but Starscream was able to find a way to fix it. Megatron then decided the time was right, and led his army to the inner levels of Cybertron. He was able to activate the uplink to channel energy from the Core of Cybertron itself to Trypticon Station, but he needed the Omega Key to access it once it was shut down with a firewall.

[[Image:WFCDS Defeat Omega Supreme.jpg|thumb|left|256px|Simple enough... OH GOD BULLETS.]]
Megatron learned through a recording from Laserbeak that Autobot Leader Zeta Prime had the Omega Key in his possession and had holed up deep within Iacon. Megatron led a full-scale assault on the city, totally devastating Iacon, until he found Zeta Prime at last. After a hard battle, Zeta fell, and Megatron obtained the Omega Key. However, immediately upon taking it, alarms went off, and Iacon itself was shaking. Zeta Prime, despite being mortally wounded, laughed at Megatron's face, saying the Omega Key was only the key to the ''true'' key: the city-sized Autobot Omega Supreme.

Omega immediately attacked the victorious Decepticons, and quickly decimated their presence in Iacon, save for Megatron's team and a few others. By this point, Megatron was absolutely furious at Starscream: Megatron declared it was he who led them to Omega Supreme and the devastating onslaught he carried out. Starscream bitterly retorted even if Megatron killed him, Omega Supreme would still be out for his blood, helping nothing whatsoever. Megatron angrily let it go for the time being, and led his army to battle. His troops' confidence beginning to falter, Megatron declared they would either be kicking themselves for not acting for the rest of their lives, or heroes in a historic event. His men followed him to battle Omega, and the titan fell. Megatron was free to corrupt the Core of Cybertron with Dark Energon, and obtain near-supremacy of Cybertron.

That kind of went downhill when the new Autobot leader, Optimus Prime, extinguished the Dark Energon and destroyed Trypticon Space Station, didn't it?
{{Storylink|Transformers: War for Cybertron (DS)|Transformers: War for Cybertron}}

===''Transformers: Cybertron Adventures''===
:''Voice actor'': [[Fred Tatasciore]] (English), [[Oliviero Corbetta]] (Italian)

Early in the war, when the Autobots learned of the existence of the orbiting superweapon [[Trypticon (WFC)|Trypticon]], Megatron sent waves of Decepticon forces to keep them from discovering more about it. Megatron, happy to see the destruction Trypticon was creating, ordered Starscream and Skywarp at gunpoint to return to Trypticon and clean up after it, while he took his troops into battle to scour the area for Autobots to kill. Few Autobots other than the medic, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]], were spared Megatron's initial assault.

When Megatron found out that Starscream had left his post at Trypticon, Megatron grew angry. But the Autobots had infiltrated the [[Datacore]], so Megatron focused his efforts there instead. Bumblebee was captured, and information useful for the taking of [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] was pulled from his mind. Megatron assigned Skywarp the task of the initial Iacon assault. The traitorous Starscream returned to Megatron's focus, and the Air Commander was ordered to infiltrate the Core of Cybertron to reactivate the [[Geosynchronous Energon Bridge]]. But Starscream took too long, discovering Megatron had already reached the Core by the time he arrived. In a foul mood, Megatron would test Starscream's loyalty by putting him on the Iacon assault's front lines.

The assault went as planned, and Iacon crumbled. As Barricade and Starscream reached an empty Council Chamber, Megatro alerted them to the evacuation of the surviving Autobots. Three Autobot ships positioned themselves to escape, and so Megatron ordered Thundercracker and Skywarp to take them down.

Though Iacon fell, the Trypticon orbiting superweapon was destroyed by the Autobots... but not before Megatron ripped the datacore from its brain so as to salvage its information on Dark Energon. Megatron was pleased. Despite his loss, he still had the upper hand. {{storylink|Transformers: Cybertron Adventures}}

===''Transformers: Fall of Cybertron'' (Xbox 360/PS3)===
{{comingsoon}}
{{storylink|Transformers: Fall of Cybertron|Fall of Cybertron}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Generations===
[[Image:Generationstoy-CybertronianMegatron.jpg|thumb|right|300px| Fashionably asymmetrical.]]
*'''Cybertronian Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2010)
**''Accessories'': clear purple missile, fusion cannon

: This toy is based on Megatron's appearance in the video game ''[[Transformers: War for Cybertron (360/PS3/PC)|Transformers: War for Cybertron]]'', transforming into a Cybertronian self-propelled gun. The treads of his vehicle can be positioned in either a vertical configuration like a traditional tank or in a horizontal, hovertank configuration. Megatron's spring-loaded cannon can attach to either arm. He also has an insignia on his back, but unlike Optimus, his is not hidden by kibble. Like [[Soundwave (Prime)|''War for Cybertron'' Soundwave]], his head has a light-piping gimmick that has been neutered by his painted eyes.

: Some units of the figure have Megatron's left internal shoulder strut misassembled, preventing that side of the tank-mode from becoming properly flush to the body when transforming. This can be corrected by unscrewing and separating the outer shoulder structure, flipping the strut 180 degrees, and reassembling the shoulder covering.

: Also, the packaging image for his tank mode is flipped.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed into ''[[Transformers United|United]]'' [[Megatron (G1)/toys#United|Megatron Cybertron Mode]] and [[Darkside Megatron]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2010/Decepticon/GenerationsMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Cybertronian Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Prime===
{{anchor|EntertainmentPack}}
[[Image:Primetoy-MegatronEP.jpg|right|thumb|300px|His jet mode needs a little scarf attached to the robot head.]]
*'''Optimus Prime vs Megatron''' (First Edition 5 figure gift set, 2011)
**''Accessories'': [[Fusion cannon]]
: This Deluxe-Class version of Megatron transforms into his alien ship mode. He comes with his Fusion Cannon, which can either be held with his hands in robot mode, or peg onto his jet mode by folding the handle in and pegging it behind his exposed, peeking head. It is also in this latter configuration for the cannon that the otherwise useless groove and tab on the cannon and its handle can be pegged onto the tab and otherwise useless socket on his right arm, giving him the classic, arm-mounted, yet ''strangely undocumented'' Fusion Cannon configuration shown in his [[stock photography]].

: Speaking of undocumented features, his [[instructions]] show a noticeably different "completed" vehicle mode when compared to his stock photos. Specifically, the instructions completely neglect the extra steps to flip his wings out and form a more [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] vehicle mode, opting instead for a more slender, wingless vehicle mode. To achieve this undocumented form, his underside leg panels must be opened, flipped around and over to the top of the ship, be pegged onto a tab on the side of his intakes, and his pointy wingtips must be flipped out from underneath.

: He also has some clearance issues when transforming. His intakes and the panel that surrounds his head in vehicle mode tend to collide when the intakes are snugly angled into and out of the panel, often resulting in the intakes popping off the (detachable) plastic hinges that they're on.

: He also comes somewhat mis-transformed in the package, with the positions of the intakes and the panel on his back being switched around, with the panel being placed ''after'' the intakes, instead of ''before''.

: He comes with a similarly-scaled [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and PVC figurines of [[Miko Nakadai]], [[Jack Darby]] and [[Raf Esquivel]], as well as a DVD of the "Series Premiere" episode "[[Masters & Students]]".

{{anchor|FirstEdition}}
*'''Megatron''' (First Edition Deluxe, 2011)
**''Accessories'': Fusion Cannon

: The Japanese release of Deluxe class Megatron was packaged by itself on a card. The instructions show the proper vehicle mode, how to attach his fusion canon to his arm, and the figure is transformed correctly in the box.
{{-}}

{{anchor|Cyberverse}}
[[Image:TF-Cyberverse-Commander-Megatron.jpg|right|thumb|300px|.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Cyberverse Commander, 2012)
**''Accessories'': "Cyber sword"
: This Cyberverse scaled Megatron is cast partly in translucent plastic so that the toy can be lit using the electronic lights featured in the larger playsets. He also comes with a translucent "cyber sword" weapon and a pack-in file card.
{{-}}

{{anchor|Powerizer}}
[[Image:PrimeRIDtoy-MegatronPowerizer.jpg|right|thumb|300px|And it's like the sky is new.]]
*'''Megatron''' (Voyager, 2012)
**''Accessories'': "Cannon", "Combat Claw"
: Like the Cyberverse version, this Megatron has a fair amount of translucent purple plastic in the torso and forearms, and a similar general design to his other ''Prime'' toys of the line in both modes, although the plastic is a little more matte than in the stock photo.

:He comes with two weapons; the arm cannon is a MechTech-like weapon, where pushing a plunger at the back swings two blades out from either side and pushes a third one forward, combining to make a larger one below the cannon's mouth. At the same time, a red LED swings out and activates, shining through the plastic blades. The cannon can be mounted on either arm, either in the classic elbow port or from one on the wrist, and the blade can be locked in place by manually swinging the blades out while holding the plunger back.

:He also comes with a combat claw, which mounts on the wrist point on either hand and has a piece which rests in the hand to appear more as if it's being held. The claw can also be mounted in front of the cannon, which does not interfere with the cannon's blade gimmick. Both weapons can also be stored on the back when not in use, and it is possible to trigger the cannon's LED gimmick and lock it on while on the back without unfolding the blade much, resulting in the LED shining through and making the inner chest glow red.
{{-}}

===Transformers (2010)===
[[Image:TRURageOverCybertronCybertronianMegatron.jpg|thumb|300px|Nobody makes fun of Megatron's lovely skirt. Not more than once, anyway.]]
*'''Rage over Cybertron''' (Multipack, 2011)
**''Accessories'': Fusion cannon, missile

:A [[redeco]] of Cybertronian Megatron with purple parts, a translucent purple cannon and purple and red paint details resembling the effects of [[Dark Energon]], available in a [[Toys"R"Us]] [[exclusive]] three-pack with Cybertronian Optimus Prime and Cybertronian Bumblebee.

:The [[stock photo]] to the right has his vehicle mode mis-transformed. His treads are left almost untransformed as his arms, but with his hands folded inside the treads, and the top panel on his left shoulder hasn't been rotated and pegged between his shoulders/tank front. His robot mode is also mis-transformed, with his back panel not being pegged into his back and being left hanging behind his thighs.

{{--}}

===Bot Shots===
*'''Megatron''' (2012)
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Notes==
[[Image:Tfprimemegatronjet.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Too fast for screen caps.]]
*Megatron's designation as an energon miner was "D-16".<ref>[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?guid=7fd5ecd9-19b9-f369-1041-a7635be83172 War for Cybertron timeline].</ref> Megatron's original [[Japanese ID number list|Japanese ID number]] was "16". Takara would eventually change the numbering system using a "D" to denote [[Decepticon|Destrons]]. So Megatron's Japanese ID number could retroactively be considered "D-16".
*In ''Transformers: War for Cybertron'', Megatron has multiple glitches when controlled by the computer, among them shrinking (quite hilariously), losing his Fusion Cannon, and having his Tank mode cannon stick straight up (also humorous). He may be the most glitchy character in the game.
*Optimus Prime's recollections in ''Darkness Rising'' have him and Megatron fighting side-by-side at the start of the Great War. This is the first time a Megatron has been involved in a Great War that he ''didn't'' start, never mind one where he used to be a goodie.
*The show design of this version of Megatron takes visual cues from both G1 (the ever-famous [[Megatron (G1)| buckethead] and lower legs resembling a pistol's handgrip]) and [[Megatron (Movie)|the Movie version]] of the Decepticon leader (the sharp angles and bits on his shoulders, along with two-toed feet and a demonic-looking face with sharp teeth), even including the jet mode the latter version appeared in: the ''Prime'' staff used the same rationale that Megatron would not scan an Earth mode out of disgust at humans.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/transformers-prime-39/botcon-2010-transformers-prime-panel-coverage-170054/ BotCon 2010 Transformers Prime Panel Coverage]</ref> According to Cybertronian Megatron's packaging bio, Megatron often changes his altmode, probably in an attempt to explain why he's a tank in the game and a jet in the cartoon.
*At a video shown at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, Welker explained his ''Prime'' voice for Megatron would be mostly toned down from his Generation 1 counterpart, to give the character more range.<ref>[http://www.tfw2005.com/transformers-news/san-diego-comic-con-33/transformers-prime---peter-cullen--frank-welker-behind-the-scenes-170264/ Transformers Prime - Peter Cullen & Frank Welker Behind the Scenes] TFW2005</ref> When the show aired, Megatron indeed had a more quiet, sinister version of his voice than the iconic shouty one.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Megatron''' (メガトロン ''Megatoron''), '''Megatronus''' (メガトロナス ''Megatoronasu'')

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Bot Shots]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Generations]]
[[Category:Gladiators]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Letters page answerers]]
[[Category:Prime Decepticons]]
[[Category:Transformers (2010) Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron Decepticons]]

Orion Pax, Part 1

2012-02-26T06:30:02Z

TrapRat: /* Transformers references */ Not sure if this should go here, in "continuity" or in "trivia".

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 27
|prev=One Shall Rise, Part 3
|next=Orion Pax, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Orion Pax, Part 1"
|airdate=[[February 18]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

{{picsneeded}}

'''Megatron manipulates the impaired Optimus into joining the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
With the [[Autobot]]s back at base after [[Unicron]]'s defeat, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] grimly outlines the situation and speculates that [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] has reverted to Orion Pax, his pre-Prime self.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] makes a ship-wide announcement that Orion Pax is to be treated as a guest. [[Airachnid]] doesn't think it's wise to let an Autobot on board, but Megatron isn't concerned and has his own plans for Orion. Elsewhere on the ship, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] affixes a new [[Decepticon]] [[insignia]] to Orion's shoulder.

[[William Fowler|Fowler]] wonders why they can't just track down Optimus's signal, but Ratchet says it hasn't been on their sensors since they left the [[Earth]]'s core. They must find some way to track down Optimus regardless, so they can somehow restore his memory. The best bet seems to be to use the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the problem is, [[Vector Sigma]]'s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

Megatron begins to fill Orion Pax in on what's been happening, spinning a yarn about how Orion has been a captive of the Autobots, who are led by the Warlord Ratchet. Orion is shocked at the images Megatron shows him of a war-ravaged Cybertron.

[[June Darby|June]] announces that there's no way [[Jack Darby|Jack]] is going to Cybertron, but Ratchet says only Jack can use the key to access Vector Sigma. The point's moot anyway, as they don't have any way to get to Cybertron. As [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] points out, the [[GroundBridge]] barely made orbit, though [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] wonders why Ratchet can't just "turbo-charge" it.

With Megatron finished "informing" Orion, the latter vows to help the Decepticons overcome Ratchet and the Autobots. Megatron has [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] remove any incriminating evidence from the ship's data core so Orion can be put to work furthering the Decepticon cause without any risk of him finding anything embarrassing.

[[Sierra]] turns up at [[KO Burger]] to visit Jack as he works at the drive through, confused that she never sees him outside school. Their discussion is interrupted by [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] picking him up as his shift ends. Sierra jumps to the obvious conclusion after hearing the female voice, and seems unconvinced by Jack's claim that it's his mother. Arcee reports that they haven't detected Optimus yet.

Megatron discusses their new comrade with Knock Out, specifically his task to decrypt records stolen from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives near the end of the War. Knock Out wonders if they shouldn't beef up the security, but Megatron feels that Orion will work better if he feels he is not under threat. In any case, Orion's workstation has been located close to the [[energon]] storage, which is under heavy guard.

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Ratchet is "tinkering" with the GroundBridge.

Orion has managed to decode some of the data from the Iacon archives, giving coordinates on Earth of stashed Cybertronian technology, possibly weapons. He is puzzled by the absence from the ''Nemesis'' of [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] who is mentioned in the documents as being Megatron's second-in-command, but Megatron claims Starscream is dead. Megatron returns to the bridge, where he tells Soundwave he's concerned that Orion will soon learn the truth.

Fowler contacts the Autobots to let them know that the Decepticons are attacking one of the military bases they hit two months before. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee respond, finding Knock Out and Breakdown in the process of stealing a power source. As the pair GroundBridge out, Arcee races through after them and begins speeding through the ''Nemesis'', bashing Vehicons and hunting for Optimus. Soundwave soon relays her presence to Megatron, and though Airachnid offers to deal with it, Megatron sends Soundwave to ensure the Autobot is escorted off the ship. Alerted by the fighting, Orion emerges from his quarters, but Soundwave manages to GroundBridge Arcee off the ship just before Orion can see her.

Deposited somewhere Arctic, Arcee is soon back at base admitting she didn't succeed in determining the location of the ship or whether Optimus was even aboard. Fowler makes a brief call to yell at them for the human casualties at the base, and tensions among the Autobots soon spill over into arguing. Jack, however, believes they can commandeer the Decepticon [[space bridge]] once it's complete, and use it to reach Cybertron. The Autobots are doubtful, but determined to try and find the space bridge.

Meanwhile, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] sneaks back on board the ''Nemesis'' to steal a stack of [[energon cube]]s. Though he deals with the Vehicons guarding the energon storage, more are on their way, and he's forced to duck into a nearby room. His relief is momentary, as he finds himself face to face with Optimus Prime.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (11)
*[[Airachnid]] (12)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|"Orion Pax"]] (13)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (14)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (15)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (17)
|c3=
*[[William Fowler]] (5)
*[[June Darby]] (6)
*[[Jack Darby]] (7)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (8)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (9)
*[[Sierra]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (18)

}}

==Quotes==
"—and the first to address him as Optimus Prime will have their voice box torn out."
:—'''Megatron''' makes plain the penalty for failure.

"Your mom looks good in leather, on your bike..."
:—'''Sierra''' is unconvinced that [[Arcee (Prime)|the girl on the motorcycle]] is really Jack's mom

"One question, Megatron, why are we called 'Decepticons'?" 
"Another craven Autobot scare tactic. The name was meant to demonize us. Instead, we wear it as a badge of honor. For if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."
:—"'''Orion Pax'''" is (ironically) deceived by '''Megatron'''.

"Bulkhead—" 
"What? ''You needed that?!''"
:—'''Ratchet''' is eternally frustrated, and '''Bulkhead''' should invest in a punching bag.

"Whoa, that's a pretty good idea!" 
"Oh, well if ''Miko'' thinks it's a good idea..."
:—'''Miko''' gets no respect from '''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*During his first appearance, the scar on Starscream's right cheek is missing. In the next scene however, it's suddenly there. It also disappears when the lights are flickering after he killed two Vehicons.
*The Vehicons fail to notice that Starscream is flying in formation behind them, and don't hear him land with them inside the ship, even though on both occasions Starscream is no more than a dozen or so meters behind them.

===Continuity notes===
* Fowler refers to the "microchip in his butt" that allows the government to track him, which was previously used for that purpose by the Autobots in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]".
*Starscream's absence is finally acknowledged by Megatron after his supposed capture in "[[Partners]]". He evidently realized that Starscream may have betrayed him again and ordered him to be detained if he returned.
*Megatron refers to Ratchet as the "Doctor of Doom", as the Autobot medic called himself in "[[Stronger, Faster]]".
*Raf is still wearing braces on his legs for the injuries he incurred in "[[One Shall Fall]]".
*Also from "[[One Shall Fall]]" (which according to Agent Fowler, was two months before this episode), the Decepticons took the same power source.
*Starscream still has the scar on his right cheek inflicted by Arcee in "[[Partners]]".
*Ratchet says that Optimus' signal never reappeared at the end of "[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]" even though it did.

===Transformers references===
*In summarizing his version of history for Orion, Megatron uses the rather specific terminology of "exodus" and "war for Cybertron", pretty blatantly alluding to the [[Transformers: Exodus|novel]] and [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|video game]]. In particular, the first name-drop is kinda forced, as the word isn't even used correctly: Megatron says they are "in exodus on another world", but he means [[Transformers: Exiles|"exile"]].
*Fowler calls Orion a "librarian" in disbelief that he has lost his memories: this was Megatron's favored insult for Optimus in ''Exodus''.
*Megatron refers to the storming of the Hall of Records in the final days of the war for Cybertron; ''Exodus'' climaxed with the Decepticons storming Iacon, and, in ''[[Transformers: Exiles| Exiles]]'', the building is occupied.
*Ratchet remarks that if the government shuts down [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], then maybe they'll "fire them into space", a fate that befell the Autobots when they fell out of favour with humanity in both the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]" and the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' film. His other suggestion, that they be shipped off to "some island", feels like a reference to ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', the cast of which operates on an isolated island (this episode's writer, Nicole Dubuc, is also the head writer for ''Rescue Bots'', strengthening the potential allusion).
*Arcee remarks that perhaps Optimus gave Jack the Key to Vector Sigma because he thought there was "more to Jack than meets the eye".
* Although Optimus has not reverted to his Orion Pax body, he has nevertheless shrunk down to his former size, mirroring the former difference in his stature relative to Megatron as seen in the motion-comic style flashbacks from ''[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]''. Since the animators likely did not want to build a whole new character model to match his appearance in those static images, the reduction in size is a likely shorthand reference to the instantaneous physical upgrades seen in various continuities when new Primes are anointed by the Matrix, as first seen with [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie|Transformers: The Movie]]''.

===Trivia===
*A 12-minute sneak preview of this episode was made available On Demand on [[February 10]], 2012.
*Polygon resolved the issue of the seemingly empty [[Jasper]] with roving cars!
* One has to wonder why Megatron would have told Optimus that Starscream was dead, if he was also prepared for Starscream to return alive.
* The Decepticon GroundBridge seems to be able to open anywhere inside the ship, since Arcee enters in the middle of one hallway, only to be sent back out at the end of a completely different one.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Spark of Darkness

2011-12-23T00:27:46Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */ This too!

{{episode|
|series=BMtoon
|ep=23
|title="Spark of Darkness"
|image=SparkDarkness.jpg
|caption=Beauty is in the optic of the beholder
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[April 12]], 2000
|writer=[[Nick Dubois]]
|director=[[Greg Donis]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron has been defeated, but strange creatures keep attacking the Maximals all over Cybertropolis.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:SparkDarkness Celebrating maximals.jpg|left|thumb|200px|It's Miller time!]]
The [[Maximal]]s celebrate the defeat of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] inside the now-dormant [[Grand Mal]]. But while most of the group high-five each other, [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] mourns the loss of his pet, [[Noble|Savage/Noble]]. [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] wonders if Megatron is truly defeated, but [[Optimus Primal|Primal]] assures his team that he knows Megatron is dead, thanks to their mutual connection to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. When [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] mentions there's still business to be taken care of, [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] responds she feels there's another evil on Cybertron.

Cheetor and Nightscream are sent to find the [[Vehicon general|Vehicon generals]]. Silverbolt and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] are sent to assess the dormant Transformer bodies to start the process of getting the sparks Megatron kidnapped to function again. Rattrap and Botanica are assigned to attend the techno-organic orchard. [[Rattrap]], of course, whines about this. As he does this, he moans that he feels his talents are being wasted and he'll be stuck with embarrassing stories to tell his grandkids. Botanica argues that tending the garden is important. The debate between the two heats up, and in their rage, the two Maximals accidentally touch lips. The two quickly agree to completely disregard, forget, and ignore their contact and get to work. Optimus stays in the Grand Mal.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Blackarachnia zombie.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Supreme Class kitbashing gone horribly, horribly wrong.]]
At the shell yard, Blackarachnia tries to put the moves on Silverbolt, but without confirmation that Megatron is truly really dead, he's extremely hesitant to respond to her advances. At this, Blackarachnia finally loses patience, and begins berating Silverbolt for his obsessiveness. She's so focused on Silverbolt that only he notices the large, lumbering monster emerge behind her. The two Maximals run away (cowardly) from the giant, but when the monster hits Silverbolt with gunfire, Blackarachnia fights back with her electric sting. The monster knocks her over, but Silverbolt has had time to recover and attacks the monster with his throwing blades. Eventually, Blackarachnia has the idea to attack the monster using an explosive component from one of the nearby Transformer bodies. The behemoth steps out of the explosion, and the two Transformers watch a strange red spark emerge from the monster as it falls over in defeat. The red glow races away.

In the orchard, while Botanica works, Rattrap scavenges parts of a [[Motorcycle Drone]] to see if anything can be made into a useful tool. But suddenly, the deactivated Cycle Drone comes to life and begins to blast the orchard. Botanica, upset about the carnage, transforms and uses her bolts to bring heavy wreckage crashing down upon the possessed drone. The drone flails its body one last time before falling over, no longer inhabited by the glowing red spark.

Cheetor and Nightscream meet with [[Strika (BM)|Strika]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and invite the two generals to join the Maximals. As the two generals debate, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] stops by to make it clear that he has no interest in joining with the Maximals and that he believes that Megatron, "The Big M," will soon return. After Thrust leaves, the remaining four are attacked by a damaged but resilient [[Aero Drone]]. Nightscream sucks the energy from the drone, but the monster still tries to pull Cheetor over the edge of a nearby cliff. Cheetor is saved by Nightscream and the drone falls, but before it makes impact with the water below, the glowing red spark leaves the body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Rattrap repolarising.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Rattrap's audition for the new [[Susan Hoffman#Related characters|Ghostbusters]] movie went surprisingly well.]]
The group returns to meet with the other Maximals (sans Botanica) inside the Grand Mal, and Optimus welcomes Strika and Obsidian to the team. The two new recruits leave to fortify the base—just in time for Rattrap to detect the haunting red spark heading right towards them all. Inside, the spark passes by the two generals and briefly encounters Cheetor and Blackarachnia. Next, the spark uses a [[Tank Drone]] body to attack Optimus and Botanica. While Rattrap tracks the movement of the Spark, he deduces a way to neutralize its rampage.

Rattrap uses a Spark Extractor on the Tank Drone to draw out the spark. Once the red spark is contained, he "re-polarizes" his captive, but the Spark Extractor flies alive, trying to break free of Rattrap's grip. After escaping the spark extractor, the spark flies into a [[Diagnostic Drone]] and, finally coherent, exclaims "I live!" But Rattrap has the next laugh: The spark, who is clearly Megatron, is now trapped inside of the diminutive body.

[[Image:SparkDarkness Megadrone Optimus.jpg|right|thumb|200px]]
The Maximals meet Megatron, but he laughs at them. Even in his tiny form, he's able to reactivate the Grand Mal's internal defenses to evict the Maximals. As the Maximals struggle against the tentacles that have begun to bind them, Primal has an Oracle moment, but the Maximals are all captured anyway. Megatron starts to reformat Primal's spark, but Rattrap gets Botanica to destroy the control panel, freeing the team from Megatron's grip.

Obsidian arrives at the fight scene and is forced to choose: Be loyal to Primal's or Megatron's side. The two generals grab Megatron and fall out of sight. Out of immediate danger, Optimus explains that Nightscream didn't kill Megatron, but only turned Megatron into the monster that he was but no longer is.

Away from the battle, Strika, Obsidian and Megatron meet up with Thrust. Enraged that he was pulled out of battle and refusing to accept a withdrawal was sensible, Megatron growls that at least Obsidian and Strika weren't "''useless''" like Thrust; Obsidian admits that it was Thrust who reminded them that their true loyalties lay with Megatron. No longer in control of the Sparks, Megatron declares, "The time for action is now."

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (1)
*[[Rattrap]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Evil Red Spark]] (8)
*[[Copter Drone|Copter Drones]] (9)
*[[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] (10)
*[[Strika (BM)|Strika]] (11)
*[[Heavy Artillery Drone|Heavy Artillery Drones]] (12)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"So, eh, whatcha got for me and Miss Twiggy? A "teak and destroy" mission? Or maybe some "oak and dagger" work?"
:—'''Rattrap''' comes up with some evil puns.

Little girl voice: And what'd you do in the war, Daddy? 
Rattrap voice: Well, honey, I made ''gardening equipment'' to help the troops plant petunias! 
Little girl voice: ''Really'', Daddy?! 
:—'''Rattrap''' expresses how much he hates his job and Scott McNeil gets to talk to himself. Uh... [[Dinobot (BW)|Some]] [[Silverbolt (BW)|more]].

"What would you rather be doing, sticking your tail into a computer circuit?" 
"Heh, beats the heck outta plowing ''your'' little field of dreams."
:—"Innuendo 101" with '''Botanica''' and '''Rattrap'''

"You shall not pass!" 
[''Red spark passes without pause'']
:—'''Strika''' makes a very poor Gandalf.

"Aw man, I can't believe I'm stuck here while a really honked-off ball of electrons is making mince-meat outta my buddies."
:—'''Rattrap''' complaining again.

"I live! I live! I—what kind of puny body is this?!" 
:—'''Megatron''' discovers he's in a diagnostic drone. Now that's karma.

==Notes==
*Once Megatron's spark enters the [[Diagnostic Drone]] body, the optics resemble that of his [[Grand Mal]] vessel.
*"I will brook no failure — not from anyone not for any reason" appears to be a motto of Megatron's.
* The events of this episode are strongly reminiscent of "[[Savage Noble]]" and "[[Prometheus Unbound]]". In both cases, Megatron has apparently been defeated, the Maximals go recruiting among the Vehicons, a strange beastie starts attacking all and sundry, and {{m-}} surprise {{m-}} it turns out to be Megatron in a new body. (The similarity is even ''commented upon'' by Thrust.) It's especially annoying that "Prometheus Unbound" was only seven episodes before this one.

===Animation and technical errors===
*As Primal is welcoming Obsidian and Strika to the team, Obsidian is rendered with flat colors instead of textures.

===Transformers references===
*The short story "[[Singularity Ablyss]]" by [[Bob Skir]], published in the [[Transformers Legends]] anthology, is set between-the-scenes of this episode. It doesn't change the events of the episode, but it does illuminate what Megatron may have been thinking in the midst of all that body-jumping; also, he kills [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]].
*The shell that attacks Silverbolt and Blackarachnia is composed of parts from [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] combatants. The feet, torso, and right arm belong to the transmetalized [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and the head bears a strong resemblance to the original [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], with Tigerhawk's eyes. What were Tarantulas, Dinobot, and Tigerhawk ''doing'' on Cybertron anyway?
*Precisely 5 minutes and 3 seconds into the episode, immediately after Blackarachnia says, "Whoever you are, THAT was a big mistake!", one can see the severed head of [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] lying behind her.
*Even later on in the episode, when Silverbolt trips over battling the mutant, Blackarachnia proceeds to rip out the power core from what appears to be [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]'s body.

===Real-world references===
*This episode's title is a play on [[Wikipedia:Joseph Conrad|Joseph Conrad]]'s novella ''[[wikipedia:Heart of Darkness|Heart of Darkness]]''.
*When Cheetor asks Thrust what he's rebelling against now that Megatron is gone, Thrust replies "What've you got?", the reply given by Marlon Brando's character in ''[[Wikipedia:The Wild One|The Wild One]]''. Fitting.
*The sequence where Optimus Primal and Botanica are first ambushed is also a visual quote from the original ''[[Wikipedia:Alien (film)|Alien]]''.
*Similarly, the scene where Blackarachnia and Silverbolt draw together in the foreground for a moment of intimacy after they think they have destroyed the junkyard mutant, only for it to emerge from the wall of fire in the background is an homage to the penultimate sequence from ''[[Wikipedia:The Terminator (film)|The Terminator]]''.
*When Obsidian and Strika attempt to intercept the red spark, Strika exclaims "You shall not pass!", a possible reference to Gandalf's words in ''[[Wikipedia:The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]''.
*Botanica refers to the technorganic orchard as her "[[Wikipedia:Field_of_Dreams|Field of Dreams]]".
*A young child asking dad what ''he'' did in the war was the subject of an iconic [[United Kingdom|British]] [http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/18697/Daddy_What_did_You_do_Poster World War 1 propaganda poster], while the specific wording Rattrap uses is the title for a [[wikipedia:What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?|1966 Blake Edwards film]].

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Obscurité'''" ("Obscurity")

:*''Title:'' "'''La Sombre Étincelle'''" ("The Dark Spark")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kyōfu no Akai Tama'''" (恐怖の赤い玉, "The Terrifying Red Ball")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Chispa de Oscuridad'''" ("Spark of Darkness")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2005 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 6 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season Two: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season Two (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 2 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Forbidden Fruit

2011-12-11T12:21:50Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ A new addition.

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=5
|image=ForbiddenFruit titlescreen.jpg
|caption=Yum! Mangoes!
|title="Forbidden Fruit"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 16]], 1999
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''A mysterious bat offers a strange new energy supply, but is it a blessing or a curse?'''

==Synopsis==
In the depths of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], the two [[technorganic]] warriors, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], mock-spar in their beast modes. They are being tutored by [[Optimus Primal]] on finding their still point during battle so they can transform. Cheetor objects to the new, "mystical" Optimus and proclaims that he trusts his instincts. All this unfolds while they are watched by an unfamiliar set of bat eyes. Beside the more advanced Blackarachnia and Cheetor, now learning to transform in combat, [[Rattrap]] is still struggling with the basics of his technorganic body and relearning the transformation process—unsuccessfully. Optimus Primal tells Rattrap to have patience and just let it happen. Frustrated with his new body and his liability in combat, the rat lashes out at his leader. According to him, Primal should save his advice for the still-missing [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]].

[[Image:Forbidden Fruit Nightscream restrained.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Charlton Heston in a role that will surprise you!]]
Hurt, Optimus Primal leaves Rattrap, while the other two scold the rat for his behavior. Primal notices something up above and catches it. It's a bat, and Primal is shocked at the presence of organic life on Cybertron. Before he can examine it further, he is hit with a sonic pulse, and the creature flaps away. The Maximals pursue the bat in their beast modes through the lower regions of Cybertron before Cheetor transforms and catches the creature. As Cheetor holds the bat down, it speaks! Not only that, it—or rather, he—claims to be a Maximal.

At this point, [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] and his [[Aero Drone]]s appear and attack the Maximals. Optimus Primal, Cheetor, and Blackarachnia transform into combat modes, while Rattrap, unable to transform and devoid of weapons, hides. After a short clash, the Maximals run away, followed by Jetstorm, who fires a homing mine after the Maximals that the bat deflects with a sonic blast. While the Maximals take cover, the Aero Drones are destroyed by the bat, and Jetstorm vows to return.

[[Image:Bm soundwave.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Mainframe's compensation for [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]'s survival in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the movie]].]]
The creature, being the kind soul he is, leads the Maximals back to his hideout. On the way, Optimus Primal tells him a simplified story of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], their [[reformatting]], and basically all the events leading up to the present. The bat recounts how he found himself trapped in this new form when the first [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] attacked Cybertron. As other robots were destroyed, he fell down a deep pit and awoke, he says, in his current, organic body. When the Maximals reach their destination, Primal is amazed at the bat's temporary home. It is a towering, organic fruit tree lodged in the metal world of Cybertron.

[[Image:Forbidden Fruit Optimus Primal tree.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I'm not really digging this new remake of [[King Kong (movie)|''King Kong'']].]]
The creature explains that he has been eating from the tree since his transformation and offers its fruit to the others. While three of them accept, Cheetor is suspicious of the creature. While Optimus Primal tries the fruit, claiming that it may help their organic components, Cheetor retorts that he only processes [[energon]], period. Cheetor interrogates the bat and demands answers. He wants to know if the newcomer's an agent for [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], but the bat denies it, as Megatron took everything he loved away from him. Cheetor and the bat go back to the others, but the Maximals seem unresponsive and strange. Primal beats his chest and speaks in a primitive way, while Rattrap and Blackarachnia squabble over the fruit, hissing and nipping one another. The organic fruits have magnified their bestial sides, creating a mental imbalance and the eventual dominance of their animal natures.

Amidst the chaos, Jetstorm reappears and attacks. Cheetor attempts to snap the others out of their beast mentality and get them transform. They ignore him, and he and the bat attempt to take the food away from the increasingly feral Maximals. Cheetor notices the trunk of the organic tree, transforms, and cuts it down, despite the bat's protests. This restores the affected Maximals to their old selves, and they transform and begin the fight. The bat is badly hurt by a blast from Jetstorm, and the only way to save his life is for Optimus Primal to reformat him.

[[Image:Nightscreambm.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dammit, Mainframe. This is why nobody liked ''Beast Machines''!]]
From his chest, a brilliant white light shoots out. The bat's organic components are mixed with technology, and a technorganic bat emerges. Transforming into his new robot mode, he decimates the ranks of the Aero Drones and drains energon out of Jetstorm until the general crashes. But reformatting the creature has taken its toll on Optimus. He is severely weakened and requests Cheetor to lead while he recovers, as Cheetor was right to destroy the tree; its purely organic nature was creating imbalance in their technorganic bodies. Cheetor eagerly accepts and orders Optimus to be placed on a stretcher.

The new robot decides to travel with them and introduces himself as [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]]. But as they leave, a fruit from the organic tree puts down roots into what appears to be organic soil!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s
|c2=
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (6)
*[[Aero Drone]]s (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"How do you expect to master your new body if you keep turning your back on the Matrix, the source of our very sparks." 
"I hate to disappoint you, Big Bot, but, (grunts) in the heat of the battle, I have to follow my instincts, not ''blind faith''.
:—'''Optimus''' preaches it, but '''Cheetor''' opposes it.

"But that's impossible. How can it ''live'' down here?" 
"Eh, even with wings, a rat's a rat. And we're survivors."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Rattrap''' spot a bat.

"Well, well, well. Looks like what we have here is an unlawful assembly. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you boys downtown—''in pieces!''"
:—'''Jetstorm'''

"That's it! I'm through working with a bunch of empty-headed tin-plated-" [''is interrupted by Maximals''] "Ganging up on me? Let's see how tough you are when I bring a whole battalion back!"
:—'''Jetstorm''' suffers from ADD.

"I was trying to remember how to transform. I thought I could learn by watching him. Like that would ever happen." 
"'''Like that would ever happen.'''"
:—'''Nightscream''' doesn't have a high opinion of '''Rattrap''' (or anyone else, actually).

"Sit! Eat! Get strong!"
:—'''Optimus Primal''', nutritional specialist on fruit

==Notes==
===Animation and Technical errors===
* When the Maximals escape into the underground and knock out a large metal cover blocking the tunnel, one of the bolts fallen on the ground clips through the thick metal plate as it drops down on top of it.

===Continuity errors===
* When the Maximals are shown the fruits by Nightscream, Cheetor comments that they don't eat food, they fuel up on energon, period. This is untrue, as Rattrap was shown to be eating an apple in "[[The Web]]", and Rhinox was shown eating wild beans in "[[The Low Road]]".

===Transformers references===
* During his flashback, Nightscream is seen hiding behind a Transformer that resembles [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]].

===Real-world references===
* As the Maximals hold down Nightscream, he looks at Optimus and cries, "Get your stinking paws off me, you big, dirty ape!", semi-quoting the famous line from the Charlton Heston film ''Planet of the Apes''.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le Fruit Défendu'''" ("The Forbidden Fruit")

:*''Title:'' "'''Fruit Défendu'''" ("Forbidden Fruit")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Kindan no Kajitsu'''" (禁断の果実, "Forbidden Fruit")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''El Fruto Prohibido'''" ("The Forbidden Fruit")

===Trivia===
* This episode was riffed on in [[MSTF]] fashion at [[BotCon 2000]]. It is one of two ''Beast Machines'' episodes to get the MSTF treatment, the other being "[[A Wolf in the Fold]]".

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 2 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]

Blackarachnia (BW)

2011-12-10T06:24:45Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Thought I should clarify, since none of the returning transmetals are new characters, of course.

{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|unicron|decepticon|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Blackarachnia}}

:''Blackarachnia is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackarachniabw.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hot, poisonous, and deadly. Rawr!]]
A sultry femme fatale, '''Blackarachnia''' is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.

Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.

{{quote|Even when I'm good, I'm still bad.|Blackarachnia|"[[Crossing the Rubicon]]"}}

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia poses as a double agent. In reality, this is merely a ruse she utilizes in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzes her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceeds to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucks their life force dry... kinky. She is capable of converting thermal energy into [[cyber venom]]. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Toys|Blackarachnia bio}}
{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Fátima Noya]] (Portuguese), [[Françoise Vallon]] (French), [[Loredana Alfieri]] (Italian), [[Uta Dahlbridge]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marisa Marco]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BAintroduction.jpg|left|300px|thumb|My face is up here!]]
Blackarachnia was born from one of the [[Maximal|Maximals']] fallen [[stasis pod]]s. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], watching a black widow fight and devour another spider, was inspired. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], observing the slim and attractive Blackarachnia transform and strike a few poses, suggested that he had "ulterior motives behind her beast form selection" but she was a Predacon, and that was what was important. In the battle with the Maximals that followed, she easily defeated [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] with a few well-placed kicks. She was later reported as "missing," though the reasons why and how were never addressed. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

She was soon assigned to a mission with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to dig under the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and use a [[sonic emitter]] she had invented to blow a hole into the bottom. She didn't get on well with either of them, but they managed to eventually get to the point where they were ready to trigger the emitter... only for [[Tigatron]] to steal it. By the time they caught up with the Maximal, the emitter was ready to explode, and they could only flee the blast area. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s virus turned [[Optimus Primal]] into a berserker and he invaded the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur battled the other Maximals as they also tried to gain entry. Unfortunately Cheetor slipped past them and was able to rescue Primal, however at least the other Maximals were held off. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

Blackarachnia was present during the interrogation of Cheetor when the Predacons discovered that a [[temporal probe|Maximal probe]] was flying past the planet, and took part in the battle to destroy the signal array which the Maximals were building. Once [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was locked into his dino-mode by Tarantualas's [[transformation lock lens]], Blackarachnia delivered the coup de grâce, only to be subsequently blasted off a cliff by [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The Predacons staged a deception, faking their own destruction and using signal dampeners invented by Blackarachnia to hide while the Maximals use parts from their ship to repair the ''Axalon''. After being discovered by Dinobot, they pursued him. During an attempt to rush the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia was blasted by the ship's defenses. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:TheSpark Blackarachnia spidermode.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime used to leave his trailer behind when he transformed, so why ''can't'' she do the same with her thorax?]]
After Megatron turned [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] into a Predacon using a [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]], Blackarachnia and Megatron were startled by Waspinator's impression of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Blackarachnia and Scorponok were dispatched to retrieve the latest crashed stasis pod. They encountered Tigatron, who disabled Scorponok, but was himself paralyzed by Blackarachnia's venom. At the pod, she fought Cheetor at length, but he caught her venom dart and used it to knock her out. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Blackarachnia empowered by the chair.]]
The discovery of a mysterious [[Brigadoon|flying island]] led to Megatron dispatching Blackarachnia and Scorponok to investigate it. Blackarachnia, when she saw the power wielded by the island, resolved to herself that she would take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} As the pair reached the obelisk in the center of the island, Waspinator and Terrorsaur arrived, and Blackarachnia tricked them into using their weapons, causing the island defenses to blast them. She then got rid of Scorponok using one of the island's traps, and took control of the island's power herself. Though she started piloting the island toward the ''Axalon'', Tigatron was able to destroy its energy supply, and the whole thing crashed to the ground. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

She soon attempted to forge an alliance with Tarantulas, flattering him and accompanying him on a mission to secure the latest stasis pod to crash. Unfortunately they were too late to ensure the protoform obtained an arachnid beast mode, and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was born. While Blackarachnia was trying to get the new Predacon under control, Tarantulas made off with the real prize — the stasis pod itself. After the pod was destroyed, Tarantulas revealed to her that the planet was doomed, and she realised he'd intended to use the pod to build an escape ship, but he rebuffed her offer of further help and threw her out of his lair. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

[[Image:Possession Blackarachnia slags Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|280px|This one frame turned a lot of fans into feminists. She's just that good, folks.]]
A Predacon plan to steal the [[rectifier coil]] from the ''Axalon'' resulted in the Maximals going feral, and Blackarachnia was part of the hunting party which pursued them into the jungle. She was defeated by Dinobot after the Maximals overcame their little problem. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of Waspinator's body and the Predacons were able to conquer the ''Axalon'', the Decepticon took Blackarachnia under his wing as a student and revealed his true intent to overthrow Megatron. After he abandoned her in the Maximal base, leaving her to escape Primal and Dinobot on her own, she took that as a hint to return the favour, and later shot a cluster of energon crystals, blasting Starscream free from Waspinator. She then engaged in some quick talking to get herself out of trouble with Megatron. {{storylink|Possession}}

Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], and was later himself incapacitated, leading the Predacons to investigate his lair to see if they could dig up any more of the virus. Blackarachnia was able to find a counter-virus, but while Megatron was attempting a brilliant gambit against the attacking Maximals, Rhinox countered with an almighty fart which left the Predacon forces hanging from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}} Some time later, Megatron called a truce when signs pointed to the [[Vok|aliens]] returning. Tarantulas stole a transwarp cell from the ''Darksyde'', leading Megatron to assign Blackarachnia to keep an eye on him. The two spiders attempted to stop Tigatron escaping the Predacon base, but were tricked into being flattened by a boulder by Dinobot. They were the least damaged, however, and dragged the rest of the Predacons back to base. {{storylink|Before the Storm}}

[[Image:OtherVoices2 possessed Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarantulas feels pretty, oh so pretty...]]
Blackarachnia offered to help Tarantulas break into the Maximal base to steal a stasis pod. They were able to use one of Blackarachnia's inventions to penetrate the ''Axalon'' shields and overcome Rhinox and Dinobot. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} As Tarantulas worked to turn the stasis pod into an escape ship, Blackarachnia turned on him, intending to use the pod herself. They were interrupted by Inferno, who slagged Tarantulas, but Blackarachnia was easily able to defeat him in return. She linked to Tarantulas's mind to obtain the necessary information, and successfully completed modifying the pod... only to be captured by the Maximals. Optimus forced her to change the control codes to respond to him, so he could pilot the pod himself and destroy the [[Planet Buster]] weapon threatening the planet. As it happened, Megatron had sabotaged the transwarp cell, and Optimus was unable to eject before impact. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

While attempting to escape from the Maximal base, Blackarachnia was shocked to discover that her earlier interfacing with Taratulas had resulted in a permanent mind-link between the two of them. Tarantulas was able to force her to take his body with her as she left the base. Though she was intercepted by Tigatron and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], Megatron happened to turn up at that point. He threatened to terminate Blackarachnia, but she talked her way out of it by pointing out the simple fact that Megatron's stock of troops was sorely depleted. Of course, during the inevitable battle, Tarantulas forced Blackarachnia to retreat with his body. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors Blackarachnia downloading.jpg|right|200px|thumb|She blinded me with computer science!]]
Returning to the Predacon base, Blackarachnia interrupted Dinobot stealing the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]]s, but refused Tarantulas's order that she should try to get them back. Instead she repaired him, but discovered that the mind link persisted. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} While Tarantulas went to help Megatron's latest battle, Blackarachnia dug through the base's computer for information on the Golden Disks and discovered important data, including the access codes to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. she was able to download it while Tarantulas was unconscious, and destroyed the computer. She later told Megatron and Tarantulas that Dinobot had destroyed the computer and the data lost. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

The two spiders were later sent with new recruit [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to build a refueling station in a cave full of energon. Tarantulas schemed to take over the cave himself and attempted to persuade Blackarachnia to join him, but soon realised she was hiding something from him. When he tried to rip the information from her mind, she cracked an energon cube, the radiation causing them both pain and forcing him to sever the mental link. He threatened to tear her apart, but was interrupted when Rattrap and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrived to fight. Silverbolt, much to Rattrap's annoyance, refused to strike Blackarachnia because she was female. In the end, Tarantulas used the battle as cover to fake the destruction of the cave, and the trio had to report their failure to Megatron. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

When Dinobot attempted to defect back to the Predacons, Blackarachnia suggested he prove himself by fighting with Quickstrike. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} During another alien incursion, Megatron took Blackarachnia and Inferno to the Maximal base, where they were able to overcome Rhinox, the sole Maximal there. Blackarachnia grabbed the alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]]. Megatron and Tarantulas colluded to work against the aliens, and when Megatron questioned why, Blackarachnia revealed that she had learned from the mind link that Tarantulas hated the aliens and wanted to destroy them. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though Blackarachnia was rendered unconscious by a blast from the [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] that appeared, she was reactivated when Megatron took control of the construct and brought the other Predacons aboard. She was one of the Predacons sent out to defend the construct against the Maximals, but Tarantulas managed to infiltrate and destroy it anyway. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Blackarachnia fightback.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Spousal abuse!]]
When an energon blast sent her and Silverbolt into the middle of the dense jungles, they were forced to work together. Though attracted to the [[Fuzor]], Blackarachnia was endlessly frustrated by his seemingly idiotic chivalry and need to treat her specially. Megatron, listening in via a [[synch-pulse transmitter]] he'd planted on her, was disgusted by the obvious romance going on. Still Silverbolt and Blackarachnia worked together surprisingly well, saving each other's life in turns, and eventually defeating [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] with the help of Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

When the Predacons attacked the valley of proto-humans, Blackarachnia was teamed with Inferno. She did considerable damage to Dinobot before being blasted herself. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Blackarachnia took advantage of Silverbolt's obvious interest in her, meeting the Maximal at a secluded location to obtain a [[graviton generator]]. She used the generator to convert a stasis pod into a makeship hoversled, and later overheard Megatron giving a mission to Waspinator. As the Maximals fought their way into the Predacon base, Blackarachnia emerged on her sled to encounter Silverbolt. Silverbolt refused a direct order from Optimus to shoot her, allowing her to leave and tail Waspinator instead. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Silverbolt eventually caught up with Blackarachnia, who resorted to shooting him in order to try to get the point across that he should leave her alone. It didn't really work, and when the hoversled she was on hit Waspinator, Silverbolt saved her from plummeting to the ground. He subsequently joined her in digging into the side of the mountain they had been heading towards. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BA Silverbolt Agenda3.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I can walk, you know.]]
Finally they broke through into a huge cavern containing the Ark, and Blackarachnia explained the ship's significance to her companion. While she was keen to take the power for herself, Megatron arrived and knocked Silverbolt offline before caving in the tunnel they'd dug. Having always intended for her to reach the Ark as he knew she had the access codes, Megatron threatened to vape Silverbolt unless she did what he said. Bitterly, she agreed to his demands, reluctantly opening the ship and, while Megatron went on, using the Ark's security system to hold off the Maximals. Megatron took the opportunity to attempt to assassinate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], potentially erasing the Maximals from history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Unfortunately for Megatron, Blackarachnia had originally been a Maximal protoform, and certainly wasn't willing to die for his cause. She activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] security nets to force Megatron off the ship. With Silverbolt's help, she got the dying Autobot leader under life support and began the repairs. The Maximals were forced to accept her help, but while the Maximals were occupied with Megatron, Blackarachnia slipped out... only to be trapped by falling rocks, and slagged by Megatron during his escape. Silverbolt cradled her to her chest as she shut down, swearing vengeance until the other Maximals suggested he stop messing around and get her to a repair chamber. With no much other choice, Blackarachnia joined the Maximal ranks. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}} She even spent time on guard duty outside the base with Silverbolt. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

Blackarachnia quickly showed her usefulness to the Maximals, building a hand-powered [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] that could retrieve Sentinel from the ''Axalon'''s underwater resting place. Rattrap was less than thrilled about having to use the "Predacon beach ball". {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Actually just picking up lunch.]]
She was even less thrilled when she ended up having to escort two human children back to their tribe along with Cheetor, who was exhibiting a boyish crush on her, much to Silverbolt's annoyance. Rattrap was also rather distrusting of her, as earlier he had spied Blackarachnia sneaking some parts from a classified area. But when Megatron's new [[cyber raptor]]s attacked, Blackarachnia showed her good side by defending the children, even taking a hit from Tarantulas for them, which she immediately denied to an impressed Silverbolt by saying she slipped. With the cyber raptors defeated, she informed Cheetor that he was a nice kid - which were two strikes against him, so don't go looking for strike three. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] returned from a mission reporting that Cheetor had been destroyed trying to interfere with Megatron's experiment, however the Maximal had secretly brought back the [[Transmetal driver]], a component of Megatron's experiment. Though he tossed it into a pool of lava, Blackarachnia was able to grab it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} She took part in the search for Cheetor, leading Silverbolt to develop jealousy at her apparent concern for their comrade. He later turned up with, it transpired, a new [[Transmetal 2]] body, which Blackarachnia took particular interest in. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

[[Image:ProvingGrounds Blackarachnia wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look at that trustworthy face! Blackarachnia's not going to backstab us!]]
After Rhinox scanned her and found the [[shell program]] that made her a Predacon, Blackarachnia finally got fed up with Rattrap's attitude and Cheetor's crush, and would have choked/blasted them both if Optimus hadn't intervened. Weary that apparently she hadn't proven herself to the Maximals and thinking that Optimus and Rhinox were planning to force her to remove the shell, Blackarachnia decided to split... which turned out to be a bad decision, as [[Dinobot II]] had been waiting for this moment. Taking turns hunting each other, Blackarachnia got the upper hand but was caught off-guard by Dinobot's power and durability. Fleeing to a mesa, she was found by Silverbolt, who got in a fight with Dinobot and was about to be slagged. Blackarachnia shot him out of the way, then tried to make a deal with Dinobot to take over the Ark and the Predacons, which backfired and allowed Dinobot to stun her, but he was distracted by Silverbolt long enough for the two Maximals to finally defeat him. After an argument between the pair, where Blackarachnia was enraged that Silverbolt thought she'd really been striking a deal with Dinobot instead of trying to con the villain, Optimus arrived to point out that the decision to remove the program had always been up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

When Megatron attempted to fire his new [[disruptor cannon]] on the Maximal base, the Maximals prepared for the worst, but the cannon blew up instead. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicron-newbody.jpg|left|300px|thumb|80% more pointy edges!]]

Seeking more power, Blackarachnia attempted to use the Transmetal driver on herself. Silverbolt, not realizing what she was planning, bailed her out of the contraption. Like every good girlfriend, she began to chew him out, but was cut off as an energy surge made her lose control of her circuits. A security system Tarantulas installed had been triggered by her tampering with her core, and the only way to fix it was to cut the Predacon [[shell program]] loose. Reluctantly, she agreed, especially since this was a very difficult procedure that could lead to her death. With time running out, she passed the Ark's access codes on to Primal in case she didn't make it and shut herself down, leaving herself in Rhinox's care. Rhinox began the operation, but his tinkering tripped an alert in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The Predacons got wind of what he was doing and mounted an attack on the Maximal base. The Maximals countered their attack, but the power was disrupted by a shot fired by Tarantulas at a critical stage. This apparently killed Blackarachnia.

Distraught, Silverbolt took off to avenge her death, blinded by rage. However, in Silverbolt's absence, Blackarachnia's body attracted the attention of the Transmetal driver, and she was resurrected in a new Transmetal 2 form. She arrived just in time to save Silverbolt from Rampage. Rampage admitted that he liked her new look, but tried to kill her just the same. Surprisingly, Blackarachnia was able to disarm and stun the titanic Rampage, ultimately throwing him over the horizon using her webs. Silverbolt was, of course, overjoyed to see his beloved alive, but Blackarachnia told him to knock off the vengeful hero stuff so she wouldn't have to keep endangering herself with inevitable rescue attempts. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Blackarachnia beast mode.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Actually a real spider in [[Australia]].]]
Some time later, Blackarachnia returned to base to find the doors open. It was the result of Megatron's latest plan as it turned out, which involved Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal's body, rendering the other Maximals unconscious and placing them in a cage. Left in Rampage's "care", Blackarachnia was able to use some sort of telekinesis to make a girder fly through the air and disable the Predacon. After dealing with Inferno, she went to release the other Maximals, only to run into Quickstrike and Primal. She freed Primal by disabling Quickstrike's control suit, and subsequently managed to stop the Ark's destruct sequence, which Tarantulas had set in motion, before rescuing the other Maximals and helping fight Megatron off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Spot the Mega Class toy!]]

When an object from space destroyed the Predacon base, Blackarachnia realised that the aliens had returned — in this case in the form of the Vok emissary [[Tigerhawk]]. She cut short Rattrap's celebrations by pointing out that when Tigerhawk had finished with the Predacons, he'd probably come for them. {{storylink|Other Victories}} Tigerhawk, in fact, joined the Maximals. When Silverbolt was injured looking for the Predacons, Blackarachnia rode to his aid on Cheetor's back, and the pair took him back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} After Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the depths of the ocean, the Maximals struggled to prepare the Ark for moving. In search of something to make a power link, Blackarachnia grabbed Rattrap's tail-whip, snipping off the end and repurposing it as a power cable. Though the attempt to shift the Ark failed, Rhinox used a shuttle to defeat Megatron. The Maximals subsequently blasted off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Blackarachnia eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:TMblackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|No boobs? No thanks.]]
While the Maximals attempted to remove her Predacon shell program, an alternate Transmetal "Vok" body was somehow automatically created (by someone, somehow) in [[subspace]] just in case it was needed. It wasn't, and so it was "sidelined". {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This is [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] way of "sorta" working her [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal premium toy (see below) into continuity}}
{{-}}

====''Transmetal 2 Toy Bio''====
The new body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology has the power to cast illusions altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars|Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
After Megatron took on his dragon form, Blackarachnia participated in [[Point Omega]] and was eviscerated by [[Shokaract]]'s firepower. She got better as space-time rebooted itself with the disappearance of the [[Dark Essence]] from the past. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron took the original Megatron's spark into himself, he had Quickstrike deliver a device to the Maximal base which amplified the Maximals' aggression. Blackarachnia was attacked by Rhinox before escaping while Silverbolt distracted him. Once Optimus Primal was able to overcome the device's effects and free the other Maximals, they attempted unsuccessfully to capture Megatron in one of Blackarachnia's webs. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. After it zapped Silverbolt, she unsuccessfully tried to attack it in retaliation. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Binaltech'' (unused)====
As the victorious Maximals travelled forward in time from prehistoric Earth to far-future Cybertron, their shuttle was suddenly struck by a powerful force of darkness. Hurled into the early 21st century, Blackarachnia was forced by Unicron to aid him in his efforts to destroy the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Her spark was placed inside the silver Beta Unit Honda S-2000 Aero Style body intended for the Autobot warrior [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], and her mind was overwhelmed by an evil essence that forced her to do Unicron's bidding.

Still possessing her extrasensory Transmetal 2 powers including telekinesis, Blackarachnia gained several additional weapons courtesy of her new form: a long-range Venom Sniper Gun that fired system-disrupting energy bullets, a defensive riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field from its edge, and the ability to fire strong artificial webs from her grill, exhaust pipe and hands in robot mode.

Blackarachnia was partnered with the newly-created [[Decepticharge]] and dispatched to confront [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] forces on Earth. Finding them in the middle of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-led uprising, the pair put down the rebellion and ordered the Decepticons to defeat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and destroy the Matrix.

While forced to act as a Decepticon, Blackarachnia's true self remained intact but submerged, struggling to overcome Unicron's control and desperate to correct the warped [[Alternators|Binaltech]] timeline.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)#TriviaBinaltech|''Maybe.'']]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Márcia Moreli]] (Portuguese), [[Rossella Acerbo]] (Italian), [[Heike Schroetter]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Maxo Barjas]] (Castilain Spanish)

[[Image:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|300px|thumb|When they say she's all legs, they ain't kidding!]]
When the Autobot shuttle crashed on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the Maximal team was gassed, Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 powers were stripped away from her, as were her memories. As such, the amnesiac Maximal decided to head underground, distraught and confused. Locked out of her robot mode, she awaited her imminent deactivation...until the other three survivors—an equally disoriented [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]—plunged into her web. Primal made the decision to head underground, and Blackarachnia complied, using her webs to grant them safe passage. However, in her weakened state her webbing was limited, and so the foursome plummeted most of the way down into the chamber of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. She watched as Optimus emerged in his [[technorganic]] form, and she was the fourth and last Maximal to be [[Reformatting|reformatted]], emerging as a pink black widow spider with green markings. When attacked by a squadron of Cycle Drones, she put her technorganic mode to good use, trapping one of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in a tangle of web. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:Blackarachniamasterofthehouse.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Nice forehead!]]
Under Primal's tutelage, Cheetor and Blackarachnia relearned the ability to transform, and the Maximals set about finding a new base. Blackarachnia managed to goad Cheetor into accompanying her aboveground to find out what had happened to the residents of Cybertron. They accessed the [[Cybertron InfoCore]], only to find it had been wiped. The Maximals visited the [[Council Citadel]], allowing Blackarachnia to test her new powers in combat, including an ability to fire electrical "stings" through the ground. To her shock, they discovered that the mastermind behind the cleansing of Cybertron was none other than Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the House}} During an attempt to access the [[Cybertron Archives]], she received a vision of prehistoric [[Earth]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. She sneaked off to the spaceport to consult the records of their arrival and was followed by Rattrap. As well as encountering Megatron's new, sentient [[Vehicon general]]s, they discovered that there had been six occupants in the shuttle. Seeking more information, Blackarachnia attempted to access the logs from the shuttle itself, only for Megatron to attempt to access her own mind, and she was only prevented from revealing the location of the Maximal base by Rattrap severing the link. The pair were subsequently rescued by Primal and Cheetor, but Blackarachnia's information reawakened memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt in them all. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

Rattrap's use of a transformation enhancer got the Maximals captured by Megatron for a short time, but during their escape, Optimus reported that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark seemed familiar. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} Blackarachnia and crew later discovered the bat-creature [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who led them to a strange, organic fruit tree. Upon eating the fruit, Blackarachnia began to revert to her instinctual "animal" mind, and it was only thanks to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that her feral mind returned to normal, and thanks to Primal that the bat's life was saved and reformatted into a technorganic body. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} After another mission was fouled up by Rattrap's antics during Optimus's convalescence from reformatting Nightscream, the remaining Maximals discussed what they needed to do about Rattrap. Blackarachnia was irritated by Rattrap's uselessness, but Cheetor asserted that they had to cover for their friend. They were shocked to find a while later that Rattrap had overheard them and taken up with Megatron in exchange for weapons. Primal talked Rattrap around, scolding the other Maximals that they undervalued their teammate. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Revelations3 Blackarachnia closeup.jpg|thumb|left|300px|She looks a bit more normal when she closes the extra eyes.]]
Later, the group stumbled across one of Megatron's many Transformer junkyards, where the lifeless, [[spark]]less bodies of the city's inhabitants were disposed of. When [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and Blackarachnia were split up from the battle, the two made an unofficial truce, but when Thrust saved her life and her spark, having strange recollections of doing so before, her mind was set: He was Silverbolt, mutated and made evil by Megatron. She resolved to get her lover back, but didn't reveal to the other Maximals that she believed Thrust was Silverbolt. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} When Cheetor enacted a subsequent plan to try to hack into Tankor, Blackarachnia volunteered to keep Thrust busy. She made numerous appeals to Thrust to try to bring out his Maximal nature, but Thrust was hesitant and was soon bullied into extracting her spark by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} As her spark rocketed into the darkness, Nightscream fought Jetstorm for it. At the same time, on another plane of existence, Blackarachnia encountered Primal, who calmed her astral spirit down, at the same time allowing Nightscream to restore it and bring her back. She and Nightscream were able to come to Cheetor and Rattrap's aid, but they had found that Tankor was really Rhinox, and their old friend was now siding with Megatron's view of a technological Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Blackarachnia beast mode head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nine eyes, then two, now ''six'': fourth time lucky?]]
After Nightscream was snatched away by the Vehicons, the other Maximals gave pursuit. Blackarachnia's hesitation in attacking Thrust allowed the Vehicon to pursue Primal and Nightscream, who had discovered a [[fossil cave|cave full of fossils]], proving Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} When Tankor gained control of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and "infected" Nightscream and the new orchard with the Key, Blackarachnia quickly found that the [[organic goo]] they'd just discovered was a cure to the [[technomatter]]. While the other Maximals went to get a mole drone, Blackarachnia stayed behind to look after Nightscream, only to be infected by him and temporarily lose her own sanity. The other Maximals eventually returned with a drone and were able to cure her. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sorry, your boyfriend was behind door number 2!]]
Taking a vial of the goo, Blackarachnia kidnapped Thrust, trapping him in a web and using the goo to force out his inner personality, in the expectation that Silverbolt would emerge. Instead, she discovered that Thrust was [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who'd flown to Cybertron from prehistoric Earth. When Jetstorm attacked, another mishap with the organic goop occurred, and for a moment Silverbolt's true personality emerged, sweeping Blackarachnia in his arms. However, as he and Waspinator fought over Blackarachnia, the goo vanished from the both of them, and the Vehicons' minds both returned. Blackarachnia was swiftly rescued by the other Maximals, riding a giant vine created by a catalyst which Rattrap had found. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Blackarachnia was involved in the battle in Megatron's Citadel, holding off the Vehicons as Primal confronted Megatron within, though she, along with the others, were all overwhelmed by the Key to Vector Sigma and became comatose. {{storylink|End of the Line}} The clashing energies of the Key and the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] restored the four Maximals to life. Entering the Council Citadel, they found that the battle had claimed Primal, Megatron and Tankor. They headed for the Oracle in search of guidance, where they found Optimus Primal floating within, and they convinced him to return to real-space and continue his leadership.

The Maximals returned to the surface to find a [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] in the likeness of Megatron. {{storylink|Fallout}} Blackarachnia and Nightscream tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the head. Leaving Optimus to try and contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to find the two remaining Vehicon generals and encountered a strange, organic Transformer named [[Noble]], who changed from a wolf into the dragon-like Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} The Maximals later infiltrated the Council Citadel, looking for information, only to discover that Noble was actually Megatron, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, taking over the huge, flying head and reactivating the Vehicon drone army, which forced the Maximals back underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Vamp meets goth.]]
When Rattrap revealed he's created a device he hoped could be used to restore the stolen sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia "borrowed" it. She managed to force Jetstorm into a large pool of the organic goo, and his body began to change. Scanning a nearby condor skeleton, he awoke in a new form, a purple technorganic bird of prey. Blackarachnia was startled by the change in him. Instead of the lovable, chivalrous knight in shining armor, he was a brittle, haunted bot, tormented by the images of the evil deeds he had done...done by choice. Though he gave up on himself, she never did, urging Silverbolt to forgive his past, prompting him to head to the Grand Mal to confront his old master and rescue Primal and Cheetor. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

Blackarachnia continued to assure Silverbolt that things would get better. After Silverbolt inadvertently spread a new, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]-enhanced version of the old [[Hate Plague]], causing dissension in the ranks, he blamed himself, but she and the other Maximals were supportive. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Later, when a Maximal spaceship crashed, the Maximals split up to reach it in time. As they did, Blackarachnia confided to Rattrap that she'd found Silverbolt increasingly cold towards her. At the ship, they encountered a strange, alien plant monster, which Primal reformatted, revealing it to be [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

The Maximals would soon encounter two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose gambit almost defeated them until Botanica stepped in. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were teamed up with Cheetor during a search for the missing sparks. Though Silverbolt was uncomfortable about following someone he still regarded as a kid, Blackarachnia defended Cheetor. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} The Maximals attempted to infiltrate the Grand Mal to find the missing sparks, only to discover that Megatron was using them to fuel his great ascension. Nightscream's intercession appeared to dispel the Vehicon leader's spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eeek! That smile! Go back to glowering!]]
Once the Maximals had celebrated, Blackarachnia tried to talk to Silverbolt, believing now was the time for them to renew their romance. Silverbolt was not convinced of Megatron's demise, and in fact, he was right: Megatron still lived as a disembodied and depolarized spark. The pair found themselves being attacked by a zombie of pieced-together Vehicon parts, animated by the power of Megatron's spark. Megatron was later trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] by Rattrap. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream attacked the Vehicons while the others attempted to secure the sparks in the Grand Mal. They were subsequently able to put Megatron's Vehicon factory out of commission, but the Grand Mal itself was brought down. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were able to share a quiet moment before the final battle, and they received a spark power-up from the collective population of Cybertron. However, they were both felled during battle by Obsidian and Thrust, respectively. Their sparks were then torn from them by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to assist physically, Blackarachnia and the other Maximals were able to give moral support to Primal during his final battle against Megatron, which resulted in the sacrifice of both leaders and the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic paradise. With harmony restored, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were finally able to be together. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the planet underwent the Great Reformatting, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] seized the opportunity to attack, believing that the revolutionary change would have rendered the planets' inhabitants confused and docile. Suffice to say, the Transformers were greatly underestimated. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were successfully able to fend [[Cybertropolis]] from Quintesson invaders. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo!]]
One year later, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were chosen to greet a ship of returning Autobot heroes from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Their welcomes were ignored by the crew, which included [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], when they realized that their home had been transformed into a strange technorganic paradise. Only [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was unphased, choosing to talk up Blackarachnia and Silverbolt so that he could mug for [[Rook (Universe)|Rook's]] cameras.

[[Image:TFU Blackarachnia vs Rattrap.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey, guys, I turned evil again!]]
Their greeting was interrupted by a series of what appeared to be fireworks. Instead, they were beams of energy sent by [[Unicron]] to capture the returning crew, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, and bring them to him. When they arrived, a booming voice welcomed them to the [[Pit]], a dimension inside Unicron. Blackarachnia and her fellow captives were painfully smelted down and reformed; only Trailbreaker emerged unchanged. Since she arrived, Blackarachnia had begun to feel a growing anger that she couldn't control. And in this new Unicron-tainted form, she more than welcomed the swarm of creatures that began swarming her group. Overwhelmed, Blackarachnia and the others were herded into the [[Cauldron]] and filed into prison cells. As Blackarachnia protested, she was silenced by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], one of their hosts.

It was revealed to them by the master of ceremonies, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], that they would be forced to fight fellow abducted Transformers. The loser's [[spark]] would fuel and empower Unicron, whose form had fallen into disrepair. Blackarachnia's uncontrollable rage welcomed this bloodsport, as Silverbolt watched helplessly as she fell under Unicron's evil spell. {{storylink|Abduction}}

Optimus Primal, resurrected by [[Primus]], arrived to rescue the prisoners of the Cauldron, and with help from Silverbolt and Trailbreaker, its captives were set free. But Unicron's grip on Blackarachnia was too strong. She began lashing out madly, even at Silverbolt, and the Fuzor took tight hold of her so that he might swiftly remove her from Unicron's grip. But as the others began jumping through a portal that would lead them to their respective homes across the [[multiverse]], Blackarachnia had a moment of clarity. Sadly, she told Silverbolt that Unicron had awakened her ''true'' nature, then bid him farewell and threw him through the portal.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Closure? Maybe?]]
Soon, she was escorted by Tankor and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to the center of Unicron, where she was repulsed to meet a familiar face: Tarantulas! {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Blackarachnia was dispatched to Cybertron's [[Undercity]], where she observed Rattrap for a while. Finally, she made her presence known, stinging him with her cybervenom. She never had liked the vermin, after all. Suddenly, Rattrap was saved by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], back from the dead. Blackarachnia was knocked out, and Depth Charge left the weakened Rattrap to fend for himself. As Depth Charge departed, he found himself surrounded by Blackarachnia's [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] lost the license, and so this story was never finished as intended. However, a look into the end of ''Universe'' was shown in a comic published by the next licensee, [[Fun Publications]].}}
Much later, Optimus Primal waged one last desperate assault against Unicron, and his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] were able to defeat the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. As Unicron himself seemed to dissolve below them, Silverbolt carried Blackarachnia with him, saving her from sharing the gruesome fate of her evil peers. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:Blackarach24.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Keeping something OUT of her crotch, for once.]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers ''not'' to be upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. As [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and his armies laid siege to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was forced to shut [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] down to let an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping [[Rattrap]]'s arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter [[Transwarp space]]). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

{{-}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Blackarachnia followed [[Reptilion|Reptillion]]{{sic}} in battle against [[Optimus Primal]] and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] to fight [[Striker]] before being abducted by [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}

===''TransTech''===
[[Image:Scavengerblackarachniaalphatriontranscendent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Silverbolt would not approve.]]
Though she may appear to be a native of [[Axiom Nexus]], Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.

Joined by the malcontent Predacons [[Immorticon]] and [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]], they fled and activated an experimental [[transwarp]] device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. He convinced her that the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|counterpart]], with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s laboratory in the hopes of rescuing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

{{note|Blackarachnia went completely unaccounted for after that. Her fate following the battle between [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Omega Doom]], and the defeat of Alpha Trion, is unknown.}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Blackarachnia is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Blackarachnia can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Blackarachnia fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Blackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|I'm... sure she has a nice personality... wait, no. No, she doesn't.]]
{{note|In the N64 version of ''Beast Wars: Transmetals'', Blackarachnia was a stretched [[palette swap|palette-swap]] of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Transmetal Tarantulas]]. As you can see, this didn't work very well. The Playstation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Janet-Laine Green]] (English), ? (Japanese)

Transmetal Blackarachnia joined her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinced her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reformed. It was her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assured the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she worked as a double-agent between the Maximal and [[Tripredacus Council]] with no loyalty to either side. She often pondered what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Blackarachnia’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
{{anchor|Dx1}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabwtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Post-op Tarantulas.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: Blackarachnia's original toy is a [[redeco]] of the [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a [[mutant head|"mutant" face]]; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).

[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTakara.jpg|right|250px|thumb|She might have an F-cup...or an E.]]

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release of the toy has numerous color differences from the [[Hasbro]] version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.

: This mold was later used to make the [[Tarantulas (BW)|"Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas]], and the ''[[#BW10J|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make [[#UnUni|a second ''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], but that toy set was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Deluxe BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWJVs}}
[[Image:VS8-TigatronBlackarachnia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Battle of the redecos.]]
*'''Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow''' (VS set, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with [[Tigatron]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|BWMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamctm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She's got a great personality.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 1997)
**''McNumber'': ??

: Part of the second [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions|McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "[[Transmetal]]" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a ''very'' similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure [[Beetle]].

:Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail ''Transmetals'' toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTM2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Covers her privates for great justice/children everywhere!]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Transmetal 2, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-48'''
**''Accessories'': Mandible grapnel-line

:The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a [[Retractable string gimmick|grappling hook]], switching [[Insignia|faction symbols]] activated by [[#TriviaTM2spark|rotating her spark crystal around]], and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.

:This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.

:This mold was used to make the [[BotCon 2000]] [[exclusive]] [[Arcee (G1)#Toys|Arcee]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Beast Machines Blackarachnia Toy.JPG|right|300px|thumb|She's definitely going to need a big nail file.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2000)

:An early toy in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line, Blackarachnia transforms into a [[technorganic]] spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early ''Beast Machines'' "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.

:This mold was later redecoed to make the [[#UniDx|''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], as well as [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BMMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamcbm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is transformed correctly, right? Right?]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 2000)
**''McNumber'': ??

:As one of ''ten'' toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.

:She is the only [[Beast Era]] character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McBlackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BM Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWR}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabeastwarsreturnstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You will pay a lot of money to own this extra-pink girl <strike>doll</strike>action figure.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-04'''

: Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-[[exclusive]] ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' series, this toy is a redeco of the original ''Beast Machines'' Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand ''less'' than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.

{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
{{anchor|UniDx}}
[[Image:Blackarachniauniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You can pick your faction, and you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriend's faction.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2003)

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a [[Decepticon]] and as a redeco of [[#BMDx1|the original ''Beast Machines'' figure]]. However, her forearms were [[Misassembly|mistakenly swapped]], leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] over her [[spark crystal]] as well.

:This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Universe Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|UnUni}}
[[Image:Blackarachnia unreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eyow.]]
*'''Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia''' (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

:In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a [[redeco]] of the original ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "Halloween [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]] Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart [[exclusive]]s... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other ''Transformers'' exclusives were canceled during the ''Universe'' era.) One of the sets was "[[Leatherhide]] Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It almost works!]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: As part of the ''[[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' line, the [[#Dx1|original Blackarachnia toy]] was ''extensively'' redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold [[paint operation]]s, making her closer to [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her shoulders are silver in the show.) All of the [[gimmick]]s of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.

:She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of ''Beast Wars'' episode 10, "[[Gorilla Warfare]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/BlackWidow/blackwidow.htm More information on Telemocha Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:Blackwidowwildrider.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honda wouldn't appreciate their car being hot, poisonous, and deadly.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Binaltech, unreleased)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle, roof-shield

:In 2005, the mold used for ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Decepticharge]] was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese ''Binaltech'' line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a [[bio]] and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the ''Binaltech'' fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.

:This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected ''Binaltech'' continuation, this time as [[Arcee (G1)#Binaltech|Arcee]]. The original version of the mold was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] and ''Binaltech'' [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]. It was also planned to become a new toy of the [[Paradron Medic#Binaltech|Paradron Medic]], but that also got canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Blackarachniamutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroescheetorblackarachnia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cute and poisonous.]]
*'''Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia''' (2-pack, 2008)
:Part of the first wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''-branded [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWBlackarachniaCardArt.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dirty girls, make some noise. Move that ass for dirty boys.]]
*Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
*Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... ''inspiration''. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/593687e427efddad Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian] on [[alt.toys.transformers]].</ref>
*Much like her fellow spider [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], her original beast mode is depicted with ''nine'' eyes rather then eight.
*In the "jovial" Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to ''begging for mercy'' from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to [[Arcee (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|"improve" upon a female character]].
*The [[:Image:Blackarachniahappymeal.jpg|artwork]] advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.

{{anchor|TriviaTM2spark}}
*Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching [[spark crystal]], the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the ''Beast Wars'' television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon [[shell program]], making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it ''had'' happened mere moments previously.)

*Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "[[Master Blaster]]". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in ''Beast Machines'', Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.

*Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 [[animation model]] is noticeably tweaked from the toy design, with her extremely large shoulder-pads and back rockets all being significantly reduced to a very discreet size. Although arguably more [[Show-accuracy|toy-accurate]] than the CG model of her original body, this level of alteration was uncommon in [[To sell toys|new characters/upgraded bodies]] introduced from Season 2 onwards, as their animation models were more closely based on their respective toys (at least in appearance, if not always in capabilities.)<ref> "Animators' Interview" from [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVDs.</ref>

[[Image:Sourcebook1Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|200px|Woke up in Vegas next to [[BB#Notes|BB]].]]

{{anchor|TriviaBinaltech}}
*Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of ''The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications'', an unofficial publication by ''Binaltech'' story writer [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] that compiled all then-current ''Binaltech'' information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and [[Ginrai]] toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered [[Pseudocanon|pseudocanonical]] at best.

*Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blackwidow''' (ブラックウィドー ''Burakkuwidō'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Alaina''' (Hong Kong, 雅麗娜 ''Aa Lai Naa'')
*''French:'' '''Mygale''' (Canada toy), '''La Veuve Noire''' (Canada cartoon, "The Black Widow")<ref name=TM2BA>Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.</ref>
*''Italian:'' '''Arachnia'''
*''Latvian:'' '''Zirneklene''' (Derived from "zirneklis", meaning "spider")
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hēi Jr-jū''' (Taiwan, 黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider"), '''Jr-jū''' (Taiwan ''Beast Machines'', 蜘蛛, "Spider")
*''Polish:'' '''Arachna'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Aracniana''' (Portugual), '''Viúva Negra''' (Brazil ''Beast Wars'', "Black Widow")
*''Russian:'' '''Chornaya Vdova''' (Чёрная Вдова, "Black Widow")
*''Spanish:'' '''Araña Negra''' ("Black Spider")<ref name=TM2BA/>

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Fires of the Past

2011-12-09T22:58:04Z

TrapRat: Slight reorganisation and adding a new note.

{{disambig2|the Beast Machines episode|the Wings of Honor story|Flames of Yesterday}}
{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=3
|image=Vehicons Fires of The Past.JPG
|caption=Larry, Curly, and Moe.
|title="Fires of the Past"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 2]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Marv Wolfman]]
|directed by=[[John Pozer]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Stymied time and again by his Maximal foes, Megatron brings three new Generals online.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Fires of the Past Maximals archives.jpg|left|200px|thumb|I'm telling you, Optimus, they were all out of bananas.]]
A fleet of [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]] [[Tank Drone]]s roll towards the [[Cybertron Archives]]. A hiding [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] watches in horror as the tanks open fire, seemingly without provocation, on a [[Optimus Prime memorial|statue]] of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] holding a pair of [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disks]]. The tanks continue their barrage on the Archive center itself as Blackarachnia runs back to the rest of the hiding [[Maximal]]s, who are there searching for clues to what happened to the missing Cybertronian population. [[Rattrap]] makes it out of the Archives, revealing that he's found... absolutely nothing. The Archives have been deleted in their entirety.

[[Image:Fires of the Past Blackarachnia dream.jpg|right|200px|thumb|In the jungle, the mighty jungle...]]
[[Optimus Primal]] howls in rage, while a spying [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] chuckles to himself that he's starting history over; everything prior to his reign is now simply a rumor. Inside Megatron's control chamber, a [[Diagnostic Drone]] assures him that he has been "purged" of whatever organic traces remained in him that caused his outbreak into beast mode in the previous episode. More Tank Drones appear to attack the Maximals, and Optimus orders yet another retreat. During the battle, Blackarachnia is knocked out by a blast and has a vision of a beautiful sunset-lit Amazon forest, falling into a pit, and being saved by a shadowy silhouette of [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]].

In the waking world, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] is carrying the woozy Blackarachnia away from the battle while Optimus draws the majority of the tank fire. Rather than simply taking cover behind a building, he climbs straight ''up'' one while dodging more shots, and the accumulated damage causes the building to topple on the Tank Drone fleet, destroying almost all of them while Optimus leaps to safety. (Optimus planned it that way. Seriously.)

[[Image:Fires of the Past Megatron sparks.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Nope. Totally won't come back around to bite him in the ass.]]
Megatron is so enraged at this turn of events that he loses all control and again reverts to his dragon form, disconnecting from the control armor. He becomes further enraged when he realizes he still hasn't been cured of his beastial tendencies and takes it out on the Diagnostic Drone with some fire breath. Collecting himself and returning to robot form, he ponders why his elite army of drones is still unable to capture four rogue Maximals. The only reasonable answer is simply "free will", so, Megatron pulls out three [[spark]]s from an enormous bank of stored sparks...

Back at the Maximal hideout, Optimus chews out the rest of the Maximals for their extremely sloppy battle performance. Blackarachnia has another vision of Silverbolt while pretending to listen to Optimus' angry lecture. Afterwards she decides to sneak off to the [[Central Spaceport]], and Rattrap has decided to tag along with her. Before Rattrap can get her to explain why she's out there in the first place, they are attacked by three Vehicons. Unfortunately, these three are no Drones—each Vehicon has a spark of their own! They are [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]], a wisecracking Aero Drone General, [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], a smoldering Cycle Drone General, and [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], a Tank Drone General, whose only distinguishable personality traits are being very angry and stupid.

[[Image:Fires of the Past Blackarachnia Rattrap records.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"See, I told you the Omega-Delta shuttle toy came with six figures."]]
The three Vehicons pretty much blow up everything around Rattrap and Blackarachnia, completely outclassing them (as newly-introduced Transformers typically do). Blackarachnia reverts to Beast Mode and she and Rattrap scurry off. Neither of them yet realize it, but doing so saves them—the Vehicons are unable to detect them on radar while in Beast Mode. Getting inside the spaceport control building, Blackarachnia accesses the aerospace records, finding the records of the Autobot shuttle they came to Cybertron on. She discovers that the ship was shot down by Cybertron's own automated defense systems and that there were six of them on the ship, though their memories of the missing two Maximals are hazy. Blackarachnia then plans to get to the ship itself to find its own backed-up data files.

[[Image:Fires of the Past Blackarachnia ship computer.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Come on, Neo, get off the other line!"]]
The Vehicons again attack, having locked onto Blackarachnia's Maximal signature, and she and Rattrap are again forced to flee, with Blackarachnia heading for the Autobot Shuttle and Rattrap simply heading home (he's had enough of being shot at for one day). Rattrap finds out (by happy accident) that the Vehicons are unable to track him while he is in Beast Mode. He scuttles off to warn Blackarachnia. Megatron decides to call off the Vehicon attack once he realizes where Blackarachnia is headed, so he can tap into her mind when she accesses the Autobot ship's computer and find the Maximal base through her.

Rattrap warns her of this as well, and the two are forced to destroy the shuttle computer to prevent Megatron from finding out the location of their hideout. The Vehicons resume their attack, and Optimus Primal and Cheetor save the day, Batman-style, by crashing through a skylight and fending off the Vehicons long enough to get out of there before the rest of the Autobot Shuttle blows up. Optimus is, in a word, steamed that his teammates endangered themselves needlessly and got their only chance at easy answers destroyed, but nothing can be done about it now, and they all run back to their hideout.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]]
|c2=
*[[Tank Drone]]s (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Diagnostic Drone]] (7)
*[[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] (8)
*[[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (9)
*[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] (10)
}}

==Quotes==
"How is this possible? My battle drones are models of technological perfection. They possess superior firepower and manoeuvrability, and yet they are continually defeated by a small pack of lowly beasts. Why?" 
"Free will?" 
"Hmm, interesting notion."
:—'''Megatron''' and the '''Diagnostic Drone''' discuss the recent losses.

"Three mindless drones, shouldn't be a problem." 
"Only three things wrong with that little theory: One, we're not drones, two, we're not mindless, and three, problem's my middle name."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' is introduced to '''Jet-Problem-storm''' and the new Vehicons.

"This is Captain Jetstorm speaking. Please feel free to move about the tarmac, and flee for your ''miserable little life!''"
:—'''Jetstorm''' enjoying himself way too much.

"They blew us out of the sky?" 
"Yes, stranding all six of us." 
"Why, those lousy— six?! Get real, Webs—if there were six of us then why don't we remember the other two?"
:—'''Blackarachnia''' and '''Rattrap''' learn that their memories have been tampered with more than they realise.

"Well, well, well. Your situation exactly matches your location: TERMINAL!"
:—'''Jetstorm''' finding Rattrap and Blackarachnia.

"Now just stick to beast mode and those Vehicon goons will never find us! ...Unless they happen to be standing right here in front of us."
:—'''Rattrap''''s plan has one minor flaw.

==Notes==
===Animation and Technical errors===
* The animators avoid directly showing Megatron's unveiled robot mode out of its control harness—in the previous episode, we barely see him transform, in this episode, any clear shot of it is partially obscured either by fast action or back-lighting. We do, however, see that his "cloak" is made up of his wings that would ordinarily arch out of his back in robot mode. Watching in slow-motion more clearly reveals however that the irregular design of his dragon wing "membranes" completely morphs shape between frames to become the long, even strips that comprise his cloak.
* Also, although visible for barely a split-second in the previous episode, we now get a better (albeit still fleeting and incomplete) look at his robot mode mid-transformation, and the fact that in this state Megatron's [[animation model]] entirely lacks the new metal-plated texture seen on his dragon mode. His barely-glimpsed robot mode under his "cloak" has the same uniform red texture as it did in ''Beast Wars'', and does not match the currently frankensteinian state of his dragon skin when fully transformed.

===Continuity errors===
* Optimus Primal seems very insistent on Blackarachnia reverting back to beast mode despite not knowing the reason why she ''should'' until much later in the episode.
* Why would a Diagnostic Drone be so grossly inaccurate when he told Megatron that his organic purging was complete? He even chalks up the mistake to "random residual biological—", right before being blasted by Megatron's ''extremely'' biological beast mode.

===Transformers references===
[[Image:Statue rockandrollhalloffame.jpg|right|180px|thumb|He won the spelling bee by correctly spelling "[[Hun-Gurrr]]" and "[[Rartorata]]".]]
*A [[Optimus Prime memorial|giant statue]] of [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] holding two [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disks]] stands in front of the [[Cybertron Archives]]. Writer [[Bob Skir]] claims that neither the statue nor the golden disks in its hands were mentioned the script. However, he suggested that they were either the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|disks]] from the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes, or that Optimus won them in the 2,395,989th Annual Cybertronian spelling bee.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20080614012630/http://bigbot.com/beast-machines-transformers-bob-skir/Beast-Machines-FAQ/Tue_12_Oct_1999.html Q&A from Bigbot's "bobskir.com"] (archive copy)</ref> We're betting on the latter.
*When Blackarachnia logs into the ship's computer, the animation models for [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]'s head are briefly seen.

===Real-world references===
*Jetstorm refers to Rattrap and Blackarachnia as "Beasties", a reference to the Canadian name for ''Beast Wars''.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Les Feux du Passé'''" ("The Fires of the Past")

:*''Title:'' "'''L'Attaque du Passé'''" (Canada, "The Attack of the Past")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ai no Shirushi'''" (愛の古傷, "Marks of Love")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fuegos del Pasado'''" ("Fires of the Past")

===Trivia===
* While Megatron is looking at computer screens, text in the Predacon version of the Cybertronix [[Cybertronian languages|language]] appears. Among the messages are such gems as "these flowers taste funny", "we are the mcanimators from mcmainframe", "smoke some ganja", and "if you can read this seek help".
* Though he says it much less frequently than in ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'', this episode marks the first time Megatron utters "Yesssss", though in a much less hammy, more sinister manner than before.
* Tankor, Jetstorm and Thrust's personality traits are the exact opposites of the characters whose sparks they possess. Instead of being kind of dense and chivalrous like Silverbolt, Jetstorm is sarcastic and sociopathic. Instead of being a gentle genius, Tankor's a violent idiot. And Thrust is slick and cool, instead of being... well... Waspinator. Comments by Waspinator and Silverbolt in [[The Catalyst|later]] [[In Darkest Knight|episodes]] would reveal they were aware of what was going on and ''enjoyed'' being completely different people, both personas apparently being fantasies of theirs. This didn't seem to apply to Rhinox.
*Since it's already clear that the Maximals are amnesiac, Rattrap's claim that they would remember their missing team members is a little inaccurate (but, then again, they did remember each other on the previous episodes).

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

The Reformatting

2011-12-09T12:32:08Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */ Not just the obelisks!

{{episode
|series=BMtoon
|ep=1
|image=Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg
|caption=A long tradition of Running Away begins here.
|title="The Reformatting"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[September 18]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]] [[Bob Skir]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''Escaping from strange new foes and unable to transform, the four surviving Maximals encounter a mysterious supercomputer which remakes them into a new kind of Transformer.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Primal ModeLocked.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Stukk as munky.]]
On the metal-and-steel planet of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a single flower bizarrely grows out of a tear in the street. Suddenly, a [[Optimus Primal|gorilla]] races past, pursued by a horde of Tank Drones. In an even stranger vein, Primal has lost his Transmetal properties and is now in his original furry body. After a couple minutes of cat-and-mouse, Optimus decides to face them down and prepares to Maximize. But his [[beast mode]] [[Transformation paralysis|parts refuse to move]] and he screams in pain as he is tortured by electrical shocks.

Suddenly, his eyes glow and he receives a strange signal from an [[oracle (BM)|alien source]]. He sees a [[Monorail transport|monorail vehicle]] nearby and swings away from the drones, and finds another one of his missing comrades—[[Rattrap]]. Rattrap explains that he has had a lot of trouble transforming as well and has no memory of returning to Cybertron after the end of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] and the capture of Megatron. They escape from the transport after the drones blow it to pieces and Rattrap tries to use his command code repeatedly, resulting in nothing but shocks and pain.

Fortunately, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] leaps out of nowhere, covering the eyes of one of the drones. Its head spins wildly, and it takes pot shots, destroying one of its counterparts. Cheetor is hoping to find a [[CR chamber]] and use it to eliminate the [[transformation virus|transformation lock virus]] that plagues them all. Rattrap points out that Cybertron seems to have changed a lot in their absence. But there is no time to discuss matters, as new tank drones are readying a renewed assault. Plunging into a hole, the Maximals bounce on a web. It is [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], the Predacon-turned-Maximal, unable to convert and stuck in her organic body.

[[Image:Oracle %28The Reformatting%29.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Nor-mal view! Nor-mal view! Nor-mal view! NOR-MAL VIIIIIEEEEEEWWWW!!!]]
Optimus Primal decides that the best course of action is to head deeper underground, where the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]] have failed to look. Using the webs of Blackarachnia, they head deeper into the bowels of Cybertron, passing layers and layers of cities as they descend. Brushed metal and steel give way to rusting iron, which gives way to stone. Eventually, too weak to climb, they fall, plunging into complete darkness. Determined not to die, Primal throws a piece of scrap metal, shattering some kind of covering and awakening the supercomputer called the Oracle. A wall of flames springs up. Undaunted by the seeming threat, Optimus walks straight through them, revealing the hologram. The Oracle speaks to Primal, taking him into the bowels of the Matrix.

[[Image:Reformatting Optimus Primal spotlight.jpg|left|200px|thumb|At the Oracle's urging, Primal attempted a Care Bear Stare.]]
Granted visions that he could not yet understand, he sees images of an [[Earth]]-like planet transformed into a purely mechanical world. Concluding with the mysterious statement that "the seeds of the future lie buried in the past", the Oracle declares that it is time for him to begin his "[[reformatting]]", tapping the power of the Matrix and converting his purely organic gorilla body into a perfect blend of organic tissue and mechanical parts. Stepping back into real-space in a wash of light, the other three Maximals admire his new body. Primal says that they must be "reformatted" as well, and one by one, Cheetor, Rattrap and Blackarachnia exit the Oracle, in new, [[technorganic]] bodies.

Suddenly, the Oracle winks out of existence, and a hum fills the cave. This is another squadron of Vehicons, but instead of tanks, they are motorcycles. Lining up, Optimus Primal orders the Maximals to Maximize. Although no pain ensues, nothing happens. Optimus realizes they must learn how to transform as it has somehow become a lost art after the first Transformers "came" to Cybertron. Realizing this, the Maximals resign to combat in their strange new beast modes. Rattrap attacks a Cycle Drone's wheel with his teeth, Cheetor pounces on a motorcycle, and Blackarachnia uses her webs to snare another. Primal is shot, and plunges into a pit. Panicking, a voice from the Oracle reminds him that "he must tame the beast without to release the warrior within".

[[Image:Reformatting Optimus Primal robot.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I change bodies faster then a nerd changes socks.]]
Finding his inner balance, he manages to transform. A blue light spreads throughout his body, converting it to robot mode through a liquid-morph style transformation. Activating his jets, he flies out from certain doom. Grabbing the nearest Drone, he demands answers, but gets none as they escape. His anger has made him lose his center, and he converts back to beast mode. Awed, Cheetor expresses his interest in this new transformation style. Optimus declares that they must re-learn the art of transformation and their new style of combat.

Meanwhile, a mysterious figure watches the battle in the citadel and vows to destroy the "impure" organic Maximals. It's [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], now the supreme ruler of Cybertron!
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rattrap]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (5)

|h2=[[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s|c2=
*[[Tank Drone]] (2)
*[[Motorcycle Drone]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (8)

|c4=
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (6)
}}

==Quotes==
"Hey! You just slagged your own guy! That's deep-freeze cold!"
:—'''Cheetor''' does not approve of team kills

"Everyone underground!" 
"What makes you think it's any better down there?" [''a tank nearby explodes''] "I withdraw the question."
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Rattrap''' debate where to retreat.

"The Great Transformation awaits, Optimus Primal. Prepare to be... reformatted. Remember this; the seeds of the future lie buried in the past. To unleash the warrior within, you must tame the beast without. Transform your destiny, Optimus Primal. Transform and transcend..."
:—'''The Oracle''', being all mystical

"Uh, boss, do these upgrades come with a warranty?
:—'''Rattrap''' after discovering they still can't transform.

"The first robots who came to Cybertron had to learn how to transform. It took discipline, purity of spark, and years of practice." 
"News flash for ya, monkey boy: WE AIN'T GOT YEARS!"
:—'''Optimus''' and '''Rattrap'''.

'''Cheetor:''' "Awesome transformation, big bot!" 
'''Rattrap:''' "So, what's your secret?" 
'''Optimus:''' "I... understand." 
'''Blackarachnia:''' "Great. That makes one of us."
:—The postmortem on Optimus' transformation.

==Notes==
* A special advance screening of this episode was held at [[BotCon 1999]], where it received an overwhelmingly positive reaction.

===Continuity errors===
* Although the Maximals' original beast modes from ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' are shown in this episode, there are some rather strange inconsistencies here. [[Optimus Primal]]'s fur is brown instead of grey, [[Rattrap]]'s feet are dark orange instead of pink, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]'s skin is a lighter shade of blue and smoother, and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] has black eyes with two black streaks running down his face.
* While an easy mistake, Optimus cannot have regressed to his organic (non-transmetal) beast mode. Optimus' organic body was destroyed during the Planet Buster crisis and with it the DNA sequence of the gorilla he scanned in the first episode of ''Beast Wars''. So technically, Optimus should have returned to his [[Transmetal]] body.

===Transformers references===
* It was from this episode that the term "reformatting" passed into general use amongst Transformerdom.
* Optimus says that the first Transformers had to ''learn'' to transform before it became second nature to the robotic races... this is possibly a reference to several flashback sequences in the original cartoon series which mentioned how Autobots had to learn to change their shape to overcome their enemies.

===Real-world references===
*Rattrap says, "Ground Control to Major Optimus," which is a reference to the 1969 David Bowie song "[[wikipedia:Space_Oddity|Space Oddity]]."
*During Optimus Primal's visions, a group of black [[wikipedia:The_Monolith|monoliths]] are briefly seen, a nod to the film ''[[wikipedia:2001:_A_Space_Odyssey|2001: A Space Odyssey]]''. Additionally, the close-ups of Optimus while interfacing with the Oracle, intercut with his POV zooming through abstract visuals, are very similar to the infamous "trip" scene in ''2001''.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Remise à Zéro'''" ("Reset to Zero")

:*''Title:'' "'''Le Reformage'''" (Canada, "The Reforming")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Densetsu no Fukkatsu'''" (伝説の復活, "Resurrection of the Legend")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''A Reformatação'''" ("The Reformatting")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Reforma'''" ("The Reformation")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2004 — ''Super Lifeform Transformers: Beast Wars Returns'' — Volume 1 ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2006 — ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' — The Complete Series ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One ([[Sony]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Season One: Volume One — Reformatting (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2007 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Complete Season One (Sony) 
[[Image:Flag of France.png|20px|France]] 2009 — ''Transformers: Beast Machines'' — Intégrale Saison 1 (Sony) — French audio only.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reformatting}}
[[Category:Beast Machines episodes]]

Nemesis Part 1

2011-12-07T01:18:57Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Needed some clarification. Plus new point.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=51
|image=BWNemesisPt1 rises.jpg
|caption="The most powerful warship ever built! ...and I just had it washed."
|title="''Nemesis'' Part 1"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[May 6]], 1999
|written by= [[Bob Forward]]
|directed by= [[Ezekiel Norton]]
|animation studio= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Down but not out, Megatron discovers Tarantulas's secret tunnel network that leads to the Decepticon warship, the ''Nemesis''.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Nemesis Part 1 Optimus book.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"And the Bay said 'Let there be light', and there was a sunset."]]
The [[Maximal]]s, secure for the first time since they moved into [[Mount St. Hilary]], begin searching for the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]], who have been vulnerable since [[Tigerhawk]] destroyed the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]]. [[Optimus Primal]] quotes a verse from the [[Covenant of Primus]], believing Tigerhawk's arrival to be divine prophecy.

[[Image:Nemesis Part 1 Dinobot hatch.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dinobot II discovers why no one can get down Bugs Bunny's rabbit hole.]]
Meanwhile, the Predacons are growing disaffected with Megatron. (Even [[Waspinator]] is mouthing off.) [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], ever loyal to his "queen", declares that a new "colony" will resecure them. Megatron orders him to take Waspinator and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], while he, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]], and [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] search the remains of [[Tarantulas's lair]]. Dinobot finds a hatch which leads to an underwater tunnel and a computer. Accessing the computer, Megatron becomes quite excited by what he discovers, and takes the rail car with Dinobot II, while Rampage follows in tank mode.

[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] spot Inferno, Waspinator, and Quickstrike leaving. Optimus orders them to fall back, but Depth Charge heads in. Optimus leaves with [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and Tigerhawk to support them. As Primal arrives, Depth Charge finds the hatch—and a bomb. The explosion fails to kill any of the Maximals, but Silverbolt is damaged, and Blackarachnia and Cheetor escort his parts back to base.

At the protohumans' cave dwellings, Inferno declares that the caves will be their new "colony". He orders Quickstrike and Waspinator to engage, but Waspinator angrily refuses. Something has finally snapped in Waspy's central processor, and he declares that he is out of the Beast Wars. After a tirade against Megatron, the Predacons, life in general, and always being blown up, Waspinator tells them that they can kiss his stinger. Inferno and Quickstrike blast him, and proceed to attack the protohumans (who have become much tougher, having learned from the example of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] and the Maximals).

[[Image:Nemesis Part 1 Megatron nemesis.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Where is all the furniture?]]
In the tunnels, Primal, Tigerhawk, and Depth Charge continue searching. After locating a data terminal, Primal accesses it and discovers what Tarantulas found and Megatron desires—the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', the flagship of the [[Decepticon fleet]] and the vessel which [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] used to shoot down the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. Realizing the threat the Decepticon warship holds, Depth Charge heads out to locate it. Optimus sends out an emergency warning to the Maximals, and he and Tigerhawk head out to the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s location through the air.

Meanwhile, Megatron and Dinobot are able to board the ship, where they discover that Tarantulas had been a busy spider: not only did he repair the vessel, he added a [[transwarp]] cell and installed a Predacon control console. Best of all, in Megatron's optics, Tarantulas left behind a copy of the Covenant of Primus to boot: the tome from which he [[Megatron (myth)|took his name]]! Megatron and Dinobot begin powering up the vessel for an attack.

[[Image:Nemesis Part 1 Depthcharge blade.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why so serious?]]
Reaching the sunken behemoth, Depth Charge informs Optimus of his discovery, and Optimus in turn authorizes Depth Charge to neutralize the ''Nemesis'' by any means necessary. Before Depth Charge can start, he is engaged by Rampage. The two enemies fight, and Depth Charge grabs an [[energon crystal]]. He drives it into Rampage's [[spark]], and the explosion destroys both Transformers and also causes Dinobot to cry out in pain. Optimus, though mourning Depth Charge's loss, is relieved to know the threat of the ''Nemesis'' has been dealt with.

That is, until the ''Nemesis'' rises from the ocean, fully operational. [[Nemesis Part 2|To be continued...]]
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Tigerhawk]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (3)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (5)
*[[Rattrap]] (6)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (7)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] (9)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (12)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (13)
*[[Waspinator]] (14)

|h3=[[Protohuman]]s|c3=
*[[Una]] (15)
*Protohumans (16)
*[[Leader Neanderthal]] (17)
}}

==Quotes==
[''Silverbolt has been injured in an explosion''] 
'''Silverbolt''': "Worry not, my love. It's just a...scratch." 
[''Silverbolt's arm falls off''] 
'''Optimus''': "Maybe. But I think you're due some time in the CR chamber." 
'''Silverbolt''': "Sir, I'm fine. I —" 
'''Blackarachnia''': "Shut up and obey your commander, bone-brain." 
[''Silverbolt's head falls off''] 
'''Silverbolt''': "Yes, dear."
:—Silverbolt is pretty whipped.

"There! That will be our new colony!" 
"Eww, I don't wanna move in there. It got all them hairy critters in it. Unless... unless you mean, we's gonna slag 'em! Oh, oh, ''please'' tell me that's what yer plannin'!" 
"The royalty demands a new colony, and we shall take it, by force" 
"YA-HOO! Now yer talkin', haha!"
:—'''Inferno''' and '''Quickstrike''' discuss a possible new home.

"I said '''no!''' [[Megatron (BW)|Dragon-Bot]] command ''you,'' [[Second-in-command|Sub-Commander]] [[Inferno (BW)|Kiss-Butt]]! Dragon-Bot not command Waspinator! Not any more! Waspinator sick of being evil. Sick of being Predacon! ''And'', Waspinator especially sick of getting blown to '''scrap''' all the time! Sooo, Waspinator ''quit!'' As of ''now'', which means [[Inferno (BW)|Ant-Bot]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Two-Head]] can just pucker their mandibles and plant [[Kiss|big, wet, juicy one]] right here on Waspinator's big...fat...stripy...a..." 
[''BAM!!!'']
:—'''Waspinator''' finally stands up for himself...and gets blown to scrap by Inferno and Quickstrike.

"I've no time for you, X." 
"Like you had no time for Starbase Rugby? You had friends there as I recall. Tasty ones too!"
:—'''Depth Charge''' and '''Rampage'''.

"I was [[Depth Charge (BW)|your]] assignment, and you failed!"
:—'''Rampage'''

"Raw energon! Right through your twisted spark! Take it! Take it straight to the pit, you SICKENING PIECE OF SLAG!"
:—'''Depth Charge''''s final words before killing Rampage.

==Notes==
* The death of Rampage is the only time in the series that a Maximal kills a Predacon (not for lack of trying).
* "Nemesis" was originally going to be a three-part episode, but was later compressed to two. {{fact}}
* Bob Forward and Simon Furman both worked together on the "Nemesis" outline, to the extent that it wasn't decided for a while who would be writing which part. Originally they'd had bigger, grander plans, but many of them got dropped when it was clear a fourth season wouldn't be coming. [http://www.bwint.net/interviewsimonfurman.htm]
* Flying, flying, everywhere! Apparently Cheetor can now fly outright in his Transmetal 2 form's beast mode, rather than merely being restricted to his previous rocket-boosted running. Furthermore, Depth Charge has developed the ability to fly in both his regular stingray and robot modes, and Optimus (although shown hovering and such in robot mode beforehand) now demonstrates the capability to fly at high speeds in this form as well. This does rather raise the question of what point their respective flight modes actually serve anymore.
* At the beginning of the episode, when Rattrap holds up the Covenant of Primus, the Maximal variant of [[Cybertronix]] text can be seen. It reads "7 613 were cast out with him a cork one fork and a bowl of beans between them". This presumably follows the portion of the Covenant read by Primal, Datatrack 7.613: "And a mighty warrior came down from the sky, and a rainbow was upon his head, and his feet as pillars of fire. And the great dragon was cast out onto the earth, and his followers were cast out with him."
* The copy of the Covenent of Primus on the Nemesis has the Autobot symbol on the cover.
* This is clearly the only time Waspinator refers to himself as "I." This is also (regrettably) the last time Waspinator is slagged as a participant of the Beast Wars.
* Rattrap kisses Rhinox for the second time, much like he did in [[The Agenda (Part III)]]. He still didn't enjoy it.
*Since Transmetal 2 Megatron has his beast-mode head as a robot-mode arm as his original T-Rex body did, Megatron's... odd relationship with his hand has returned. In this two-parter, he can not only be seen petting the dragon-head, but at one point, he turns from a monitor he's watching, and his head-hand turns toward it, and actually moves back and forth as it observes the on-screen events.
*This is the first time we hear that Megatron's name is ''not'' a reference to [[Megatron (G1)|that other Megatron]].

===Animation and technical errors===
* When Dinobot squeezes the piece of Rampage's spark he possesses to pacify his "half-brother", his shoulder pads are missing. Also, the spark seems to float freely when it is released, in contrast to previous episodes where it was held in place by Dinobot's spark chamber.
* At the very beginning when Optimus is reciting, Cheetor is visible in the background in his normal Transmetal body, walking with Blackarachnia.
*Megatron must have had a tight fit climbing down the hatch that Dinobot found.
*Una must be a very strong protohuman to smash a sizable lump into Waspinator's skull.

===Continuity errors===
*The ''Beast Wars'' retelling of the Ark's crash and the Nemesis differs from any previous version. In the original cartoon, the Decepticons used the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s tractor beam to lock onto the Ark, and it was the Autobot/Decepticon fight inside the Ark that caused it to crash. (As elaborated in "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" and "[[Microbots]]".) In the [[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|Marvel comics]], the Decepticons boarded the ship, and Optimus ''deliberately'' crashed the Ark onto Earth, in "[[The Transformers (issue)|The Transformers]]", with the ''Nemesis'' being left abandoned. (The UK comics had [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] destroy it in "[[Target: 2006]]".) As ''Beast Wars'' is intentionally not a direct continuation of any specific continuity, instead seeking to treat all previous Generation 1 stories as if they were Arthurian legend, this would imply that those accounts are not canonical in this series. Alternatively, Optimus could just have the details wrong.
* The flashbacks to the battle between the Ark and the ''Nemesis'' recounted by Optimus Primal and Megatron neglect to mention that the Decepticons boarded the Ark before the crash. This was probably done either to simplify the retelling, increase the significance of the ''Nemesis''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s involvement, or both.
* The bomb Megatron left behind as a trap for the Maximals has some very curious properties. It has enough power to severely damage Silverbolt and creates a powerful energy wave that is felt by the approaching Cheetor and Tigerhawk, who are miles away (even disintegrating a butterfly in the process). However, despite all of the above, Optimus and Depth Charge suffer absolutely no ill effects from the bomb, despite being at extremely close range and having very little time (or even room, given the terrain) to run for cover. Depth Charge opened the hatch, but Silverbolt is the one who got damaged. Assuming that there was very little time to get away, Silverbolt could have jumped in front of Depth Charge to protect him (but why would he?), but it is still misleading going into the commercial break.
* How ''exactly'' did Megatron construct a bomb from scratch to begin with? With his base destroyed in the previous episode, it seems very unlikely that he would have the materials to create one on hand.

===Transformers references===
*Megatron refers to Tarantulas as [[Unicron]]'s spawn. While from the context this appears to have been a generic insult (equivalent to "bastard" or "son of a bitch"), convention-exclusive fiction like ''[[Primeval Dawn]]'' have depicted Tarantulas as a literal creation of Unicron.
*This is the first source to give the Decepticon vessel that attacked the Ark a name.
*Optimus Primal tells Depth Charge to stop Megatron "at any cost", which echoes Optimus Prime ("no matter the cost") in [[The Transformers: The Movie|the ''Transformers'' movie]] during the [[Battle of Autobot City|Decepticon siege of Autobot City]] on Earth.
*When [[Dinobot II]] cries out in pain after the death of Rampage, brief flashes of the original Dinobot's animation model can be seen as he looks upward. This possibly alludes to the plot of the unproduced episode "[[Dark Glass]]", where Rattrap uploads the original Dinobot's datatrax into the clone. For more information on that controversy, please refer to [[Dinobot II|these]] [[Dark Glass|articles]].

===Real-world references===
*Inferno calls Rampage a drone at least once in this episode. It is unknown whether the writers knew that a drone is a male ant whose main purpose is to mate with the queen, who in this case would be Megatron.
*When contacting the Maximals, Optimus encodes transmission "M Sipher", a reference to [[Greg Sepelak]].
*Silverbolt's remark "It's just a scratch" followed by the dismemberment of his arm could be a reference to the immortal line of the Black Knight in ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''. Coincidentally, the Black Knight is able to survive fatal mutilation.
* Inferno utilizes the classic cartoon method of hiding, appearing from behind an impossibly skinny tree.
* When Megatron powers up the Nemesis, external ship lights illuminate [[Cybertronix]] text in the Predacon variant, which spells out "Red Dwarf", a reference to the British sci-fi comedy show.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''''Némésis'' 1'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Destini - Parte 1'''" ("Fates - Part 1")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Dokkān'''" (ドッカーン, "Ka-Boom")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''''Nemesis'' Parte 1'''" ("''Nemesis'' Part 1"

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''''Nemesis'' Primera Parte'''" ("''Nemesis'' First Part")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Master Blaster

2011-12-06T11:06:43Z

TrapRat: /* Transformers references */ I find it hard to imagine that this wasn't on purpose...

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=49
|image=BW MasterBlaster title.jpg
|caption=Tarantulas suddenly realizes how all those bugs eaten by geckos feel.
|title= "Master Blaster"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[March 1]], 1999
|written by= [[Eric Torin]]
|directed by= [[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The Predacons gain control over the body of Optimus Primal, and capture the Ark.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:BW MasterBlaster PrimalflattenWaspy.jpg|left|150px|thumb|A bug in the hand is worth...uh, washing up afterward.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] dutifully patrols the [[Maximal]]s' fortified entrance to [[Mount St. Hilary]], unaware that the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are building something sinister in places unknown. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], trying another attack on the Maximals' base, sends newly-promoted sub-commander [[Waspinator]] with a large explosive (from…somewhere) to destroy the patrolling [[Fuzor]]. Waspinator delivers the missile and destroys Silverbolt's gunning turret, and when [[Optimus Primal]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and [[Rattrap]] rush outside to defend their home, Waspinator commands a full attack. Alas, the plan was only a feint to draw out Primal, and without support from additional troops, Waspinator is quickly crushed by the Maximal leader.

Hiding out of Optimus Primal's sight, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] blows a dart that burrows itself into Primal's foot, crawls through the Maximal leader's interior machinery, and accesses Primal's own [[spark]]. Primal disregards the infection, tells Cheetor to "take a rest" with a suspiciously Western drawl, and punches out the young Maximal.

[[Image:BW MasterBlaster Primalsparkhijack.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Once these things dig in, only a special shampoo can get them out.]]
[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] returns to the Maximal base, surprised by the open doors. She finds the entire interior dark. Primal sneaks up on the arachnid, and when she reveals that [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] isn't with her, he grabs her as if she were a toy. With the widow restrained, Megatron and his cronies step out of the darkness. [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] is revealed to be controlling Optimus Primal by piloting a large, mechanical suit of similar form to Primal's body. The other Maximals are being kept deactivated in a hanging cage. Megatron instructs [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] to find-and destroy-Depth Charge, assigns [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] to watch over the imprisoned Maximals, and allows Rampage to "take care" of Blackarachnia. With that done, Megatron orders Quickstrike and the puppeteered Optimus Primal to follow him; the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] awaits!

[[Image:BW MasterBlaster Megs spark.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Ye haw, ride 'em, cowboy!]]
In front of the Autobot starship, Megatron orders Quickstrike to download the access codes to him-the process fails, however, as the codes now require a Maximal spark signature to be used. This barely fazes Megatron, as he simply has Quickstrike use Optimus Primal to open the door instead. Megatron walks through the halls of the ship to find what he's looking for: his namesake, [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]]. The [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] leader opens his own chest, and a tentacle reaches out of it to access the spark of his predecessor. After a bit of struggle, Megatron takes the spark into his body, and immediately collapses. While his "boss" convulses from the pain of containing two sparks, Quickstrike dumps his leader into one of the lava pits outside, giving the Ark to his real superior: [[Tarantulas]]!

[[Image:BW MasterBlaster Megshand.jpg|right|150px|thumb|[[Wikia:c:terminator:Terminator 2: Judgement Day|I'll be back.]]]]
In the depths of the Maximal base, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] gleefully torments Blackarachnia, but the she-spider overpowers the massive [[Transmetal]] crab by using telekinesis to knock him down with a steel girder. Thus freed, Blackarachnia sneaks through the base, then leads [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] away from the Maximals he's supposed to be protecting and locks him outside so she can free her team (and blast Inferno with the autoguns).

Quickstrike gives Tarantulas access to [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]. Tarantulas then sends Quickstrike away to destroy the Maximals while he rigs the Ark to explode, which will kill all [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s within it. As Tarantulas leaves the Ark, Megatron emerges from the lava, now reconfigured into a dragon form by his plunge into the molten rock and the additional spark within him. Megatron burns the spider who betrayed him and tosses Tarantulas into a distant lava pool as punishment for failing.

Quickstrike, still piloting his armor, finds Blackarachnia and double-teams her using Optimus Primal's body, which is still under his control. But with a well-placed blast, she causes the two giants to fall over each other. The fall frees Optimus, who remembers what he did under Quickstrike's control, and he and Blackarachnia head back into the Ark to prevent the devastation.

[[Image:BW MasterBlaster Megsflame.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Oh, this is really bold! So bold, it's not fit for human consumption!]]
Megatron finds Optimus Primal, and the two enhanced transformers battle. While Blackarachnia tries to save the Ark, Megatron shows off his new abilities against his most hated enemy. Blackarachnia saves the Ark with just a single second to spare. Optimus is then saved from Megatron by the combined firepower of the other Maximals, who force Megatron to retreat. But with the spark of the original Megatron still in his possession, Megatron has gained a new advantage in the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (8)
*[[Rattrap]] (9)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (10)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (11)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (13)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (2)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (3)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (4)
*[[Waspinator]] (5)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (6)
*[[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] (7)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (12)

|h4=[[Decepticon]]s|c4=
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (14)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ah, sometimes deception is the better part of valor."
:—'''Megatron''', observing Waspinator's unwitting decoy attack on the Maximal base

"You'll live to regret this, crab legs." 
"I regret everything, my sweet. Struggle as much as you like, I enjoy it."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' as she struggles against '''Rampage'''

"Time to open me up a can of kick-keister!"
:—'''Quickstrike''', after being told to finish the other Maximals

"By the Pit, you live!" 
"I am not so easily destroyed. And thanks to your treachery, my power is greater than ever! Let me... ''thank'' you."
:—'''Tarantulas''' and '''Megatron'''

"I can suffer your treachery, lieutenant, but not your incompetence!" 
[''throws Tarantulas into the lava''] 
"Treachery requires ''no'' mistakes." 
:—'''Megatron''' reborn deals with '''Tarantulas'''

"Megatron does not yield... he ''conquers''!"
:—'''Megatron''''s response to Optimus Primal's demand for his surrender

"Eight clicks to core implosion.... five.. four... three... two... one... core implosion aborted... all systems normal... have a nice day."
:—<strike>Spaceball</strike>'''Teletraan I'''

"Did you think you could stand against the fury of ''both'' Megatrons?"
:—'''Megatron''' gloating to Optimus Primal

==Notes==
* Although the toy is a [[Transmetal 2]] and has detailing consistent with the other Transmetal 2 figures, within the context of the story, Megatron's upgrade is not related to the [[Transmetal driver]] and is never called a Transmetal 2 in the series.
* When Primal finally gains control of himself and tells Blackarachnia that Megatron gained control of Teletraan I, he actually says "Teletraan" instead of "Teletron". Every other time it's said in this episode, it's pronounced "Teletron".

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Megatron says he has "almost collected the whole set", his head has the wrong colors. Instead of his Transmetal head, the colors match that of his dragon form. Earlier shots in this scene have the correct color scheme.

===Continuity errors===
* It is unclear why Tarantulas and Quickstrike expected Megatron to expire in the lava, since Tarantulas suffers the same fate, only to pull himself free in a few moments.
* The return of Generation 1 Megatron's spark to his body would never be explicitly resolved within this series. ''Beast Wars'' Megatron was said to still hold it as of "[[Other Victories]]", and we never see or are told that he gave it back. There is only Primal's statement that "all is as it should be" (made after Megatron's capture in "[[Nemesis Part 2]]") to go on. The spark's replacement was written into the "Nemesis" script and even animated—it was simply cut for time from the final episode. A clip of this animation can be seen on BWTF.com's [http://bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/episodes/seasonthree/nem2/ page for this episode] and was included as an extra in Kid Rhino's DVD release of ''Beast Wars'' season 3.
* The computer that Blackarachnia and Tarantulas use seems to have been designed for human-size figures, rather then the larger Autobot occupants. Of course the controls could have been built when the Ark was constructed for the roughly human-sized Transformers, such as the ones with cassette alternate modes.
* Why does Megatron's alternate mode change to a dragon after he is transformed? Other Transformers that went through upgrades in the series didn't get alternate beast modes.

===Transformers references===
* Well, there ''is'' [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]], but he's only in [[stasis lock]].
* Rattrap's declaration that "I must be a pack rat" when kvetching about hauling around heavy machinery could well be a sidelong reference to [[Packrat]], his [[BotCon]] [[redeco]].
* Blackarachnia (after saying "I can play your game too") saves the day by uploading "[[datatrax Viron]]" into Teletraan I, which is the same datatrax Tarantulas used against the [[Metal Hunter]].
* Megatron's tampering with Generation 1 Megatron's spark will have bizarre results several million years later when the original Megatron battles [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] in "[[Decepticon Leader Megatron Black Ver.]]"

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Maître du Feu'''" (Canada, "Master of Fire")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti per sempre'''" ("United Forever")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Moete Dragon'''" (もえてドラゴン, "Blaze, Dragon")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mestre Destruidor'''" ("Master Destroyer")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Furia del Dragón'''" (America, "The Fury of the Dragon")

===Real-world references===
* While revealing himself in his new form, Megatron cries out "Enter the dragon!", which is also the title of a [[Wikipedia:Enter the Dragon|Bruce Lee movie]].

* The title of the episode, "Master Blaster", is also the title of an old computer game, and a song by Stevie Wonder. However, it's clear from context that it primarily refers to the dwarf/giant duo from the film ''[[Wikipedia:Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome|Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome]]''.

* At the last second, Teletraan I aborts its self-destruct sequence with the line, "Core implosion aborted, all systems normal. Have a nice day." This is similar to a self-destruct sequence in the 1987 sci-fi parody ''[[Wikipedia:Spaceballs|Spaceballs]]''.

===Trivia===
* The power-suit frame used by Quickstrike in this episode is later used by the [[Vok]] to create [[Primal Prime]] in "Primeval Dawn Part 1".

* This episode establishes that there are other equally powerful sparks; Prime's not being the only one.

* In an early version of episode's plot, Megatron decided to steal and absorb the original Megatron's spark only after failing at another attempt to kill [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]].<ref>''[[Beast Wars Universe]]'' [ISBN 978-4766938005]</ref>

* A techno-''blowgun?'' Well, whatever works, works, we suppose.

* Cheetor's rocket launcher appears to function just as his quasar cannon in this episode.

* In the scene where Rattrap and Cheetor are lugging around crates, there is a stuffed panda bear in the background.<ref>[http://sapphire15.yoll.net/bwbloops.htm Beast Wars: Mistakes and Animation Odds]</ref>

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Sssshiny! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 3 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Other Victories

2011-12-06T10:49:32Z

TrapRat: /* Animation and technical errors */I checked this over in farme-by-frame and Waspy doesn't actually wink out of existence, he just falls away VERY rapidly. Still looks like an animation error though.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[Image:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[Image:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[Image:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|150px|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal|Maximals]] while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]], but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home…as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal|Maximals]]|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

'''Tigerhawk''': "I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
'''Megatron''': [''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to robot mode''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then seems to practically vanish, dropping out of frame extremely rapidly and looking oddly two dimensional.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tarantulas' [[arachnoid|arachnoids]] attack Tigerhawk, he is missing the green visor over his eyes when one latches onto his face.

===Continuity errors===
*Despite being described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants, in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", the Tripredacus Council specifically refer to the Decepticons as being their ancestors while talking ''in private to themselves''. Bit of a glaring [[Retcon|retcon]] there (We could be charitable and assume they meant the Decepticon-born [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]).
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.

===Continuity notes===
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitive.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]," it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* In the comics continuity, Tarantulas survives this encounter and really used it as a means to absorb the Vok. That makes the fact that this super genius character idiotically killed himself by repeatedly blasting his death ray machine thing until it turned around and killed him... a little easier to swallow.
* This is the last episode to show Tarantulas, The Vok, Tigatron, Airazor and the [[Darksyde]].
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".

===Real-world references===
[[Image:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories"

===Trivia===
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and hold off an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Tigerhawk

2011-12-06T10:36:11Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ I've left "Animation model" redlinked because I'm not sure if someone should add a section on CGI models to the Character model page, or create a new page for it.

{{factions|maximal}}
:''Tigerhawk is a [[Maximal]] and emissary of the [[Vok]] from the [[Beast Era]] of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:TigerhawkGenesis1.jpg|right|250px|thumb|800-Ton Jesus.]]
In the fires of an unknown place between time and space, the [[Vok]] aliens de-Sparked and fused the bodies of [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] together to form '''Tigerhawk''', a Vok-controlled super warrior intended to bring justice to the time-disrupting Transformers on prehistoric [[Earth]]. But when the two extracted Sparks unite and re-enter Tigerhawk's body, a different purpose and personality seems to emerge.

Tigerhawk is by far the most powerful Transformer in the Beast Wars. In robot mode, Tigerhawk can fly, has missile launchers under each arm, his wings double as shields, and he has wrist-mounted electricity cannons. His beast mode contains razor sharp claws and teeth, as well as a pair of chainguns on his forearms. However, these outstanding powers are nothing compared to his uncanny shamanic abilities to control the weather and terrain of Earth almost at whim.

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Blu Mankuma]] (English), [[Kōichi Tōchika]] (Japanese), [[Alvaro Tarcicio]] (Latin American Spanish)

[[Image:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|250px|thumb|You see, when two Vok love each other very much...]]
Concerned with [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s constant futzing with the timestream, the Vok extracted the Sparks of the inert, captive Maximals [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]. Their bodies were merged together to form the staggeringly powerful Tigerhawk. Inhabited by two members of the Vok species, Tigerhawk travelled to Earth as a blindingly powerful energy comet.

[[Image:OtherVictories-Tigerhawkwinks.jpg|right|thumb|250px|thumb|He's got Tigatron's voice but Airazor's mannerisms.]]

Tigerhawk's energy-ball plunged to Earth, impacting and utterly destroying the [[Darksyde]]. Declaring himself the emissary of the Vok, he charged Megatron with "the willful disruption of time and space", and demanded Megatron's immediate surrender. Megatron was not so keen on this idea, and ordered a Predacon attack instead. Tigerhawk engaged and defeated the entire [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] force, then shot down Megatron. [[Optimus Primal]] arrived at that point, concerned that if Megatron was killed, the Spark of the original Megatron would also be destroyed, thus worsening the damage to the time stream. Tigerhawk dismissed Primal's concerns as intolerable interference, and buried him in the ground with a wave of his hand. Tigerhawk was seconds away from executing the unconscious Predacon leader when Tarantulas disabled him with specialized versions of his arachnoid helper-drones.

[[Image:Nemesis1-Tigerhawkbeastmode.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Pretty sure flapping your wings slowly doesn't let you hover in place, Tigerhawk.]]

Tigerhawk awoke to find himself a captive in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The spider attempted to destroy Tigerhawk's mind by forcefully removing the Vok presence inhabiting it. Due to a fluke coincidence, [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] only succeeded in destroying himself, alongside the Vok who had controlled Tigerhawk. The Sparks of Airazor and Tigatron, which followed Tigerhawk to Earth, merged to become one and entered Tigerhawk's body. {{storylink|Other Victories}}

Tigerhawk's memories appeared vague—at first he seemed not to remember being Tigatron or Airazor, yet after a moment he recognized Earth as "home". He remembered enough specifics of the Beast Wars to find surprising the appearance of [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] as a Transmetal 2 and Optimus Primal in his "Optimal" form. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}}

[[Image:BWNemesisPt2 deathofTigerhawk.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Violent deaths in a kids show! Cool!]]
Megatron, not long afterward, discovered the Decepticon warship ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'', and attempted to use it to destroy the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' itself. Tigerhawk attempted to single-handedly stop the ''Nemesis'', and despite holding his own for quite some time against the legendary warship as well as simultaneously draining the ship of its power just by holding it off, he was killed by the ship's main cannon. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====3H comics====
[[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] was an alternate version of Tigerhawk, among the differences being that A.) he was alive, and B.) he was in league with [[Unicron]]. Those who had known Tigerhawk all mistook Razorclaw for him until he cleared up on his identity. [[Optimus Primal]] sarcastically berated himself for the mistake, claiming that even Tigerhawk's [[nano-flea]]s were far above the likes of Razorclaw. {{storylink|Universe (2003 comic)|Universe}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
{{note|Although it picks up after the first season, the ''Beast Wars Metals'' manga is not in-continuity with the television series.}}
[[Image:Tigerfalcon1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Four katanas, 'cuz godlike elemental powers just aren't enough.]]
At one point, [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]]'s [[spark]] became separated from her body, and her body was then possessed by a malevolent force. Airazor's body did battle with [[Tigatron]], though Tigatron could not bring himself to hurt Airazor due to his affection for her. Desiring death over harming her, Tigatron gave her one of his katana and knelt down.

As evil Airazor struck his neck with the blade, the real Airazor's spark traveled through the katana and into Tigatron's body. Inside cyberspace, the two reunited Maximals embraced, vowing never to be apart again. As their sparks joined, Tigatron and Airazor were reborn as the powerful Tigerhawk! (How romantic!)
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BW Tigerhawk toy.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Fly, my kitty! Fly!]]
*'''Tigerhawk''' (Transmetal 2 Ultra, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-50'''

: Tigerhawk transforms into half-robotic, half-technorganic, flying robot tiger-thing. Yes. In beast mode, he is armed with "[[hidden wing-tipped missiles]]", feather projectiles very similar to the Fuzor [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]'s, with spring-loaded switches to flip the wings forward, and flip-out missile launchers which activate when a lever on Tigerhawk's back is pulled (which also moves the wings). Under his beast head is a small cockpit with a pilot's chair (see Notes below).

: Like Transmetal 2 Megatron, Tigerhawk features a somewhat aborted "third mode", which is just a minor rearrangement of his beast mode parts with his vacuum-metalized helmet (or "[[Targeting Computer Battle Visor]]") covering his beast tiger head, making him look rather like Battle Cat from ''He-Man''.

: In robot mode, Tigerhawk has a decent level of articulation, though his elbow joints are designed in such a way as to be not particularly useful. Due to his heels being vacuum-metalized, they are especially susceptible to scratching, as owners are likely to reposition them frequently to cope better with the heavy wings and gimmicks on his back.

[[Image:Tigerhawkweaponspecs.jpg|right|200px|thumb]]
: Judging from his packaging art, it seems that along with [[Optimus Minor]], [[Sonar (BW)|Sonar]] and [[Scarem]] Tigerhawk was amongst the few Transmetals 2 that was intended to have the strange feature of having access to multiple limbs in robot mode... In this case, a second pair of arms formed by his rear beast mode legs.

: A back-of-the-box graph for Tigerhawk gives technical designations to some of his robot mode parts. In addition to the already-mentioned "hidden wing-tip missiles" and "targeting computer battle visor," they include "[[blast-open thunder torpedoes]]," "ion-charged talons," "[[accelerator beam-turret cannon]]" and "multi-stage deployment wings."

:This mold was later used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Tigerhawk/tigerhawk.htm More information on Tigerhawk at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept25.jpg|right|200px|thumb|One Winged Angel]]
*The extremely short duration of Tigerhawk's appearance on the show (a mere three episodes) was the result of a strange confluence of factors. At the time, it was not at all certain that the ''Beast Wars'' franchise would be ending. However, at one point, after Tigerhawk had already been written into the show at Hasbro's explicit request, the company considered not releasing his toy at all. Thus he was ordered killed off immediately, and was. Hasbro eventually decided to release the toy, but by that point it was too late to change the scripts or animation.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/rec.toys.transformers.moderated/browse_frm/thread/1f02d1311fc9de33/05dc8df47640b9b7?lnk=st&q=script#05dc8df47640b9b7 Larry DiTillio explains Tigerhawk's strange, short life.]</ref> Tigerhawk's toy did not appear on shelves until well after his death on the show.

*In the ''Beast Wars Metals'' comic, Tigatron was interpreted as a samurai; the katana being their weapon of choice. Hence the whole samurai motif for Tigerhawk.

*His motto is "Violence will not be tolerated--surrender or be destroyed." Poor copy-editing or delicious irony? You be the judge!

*Originally, Tigerhawk, along with [[Optimus Primal|Optimal Optimus]] and Transmetal 2 Megatron were to have small driver-like figures sitting on control chairs located in cockpits on their bodies. These drivers were meant to represent their sparks. But [[Hasbro]] later realized that kids might confuse these spark representations as drivers controlling the robots, so they were abandoned, but the cockpits remained. The spark pilot was eventually used in the Japanese release of [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]].

*Although otherwise fairly [[show-accuracy|toy-accurate]], Tigerhawk's [[animation model]] lacks his toy's beast-mode helmet piece.

*Even before they were combined into Tigerhawk, Airazor and Tigatron had a gender-ambiguous history. Tigatron was a male robot with a beast mode that seemed to be scanned from [[Snowstalker|a female tiger]], while Airazor was a female character in the English version of the show and male in the Japanese version then female again in ''[[Beast Wars Metals (manga)|Beast Wars Metals]]''.

*Over a decade after the character was created, ''[[Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac II|The AllSpark Almanac II]]'' went ahead and declared Tigerhawk to be a [[Fuzor]].

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Tigerfalcon''' (タイガーファルコン ''Taigāfarukon'')
*''Italian:'' '''Tigre Alata''' ("Winged Tiger" toyline)
*''Polish:'' '''Jastrząb''' ("Hawk")
*''Spanish:'' '''Tigrehalcon''' (America, "Tiger Hawk")

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Fuzors]]
[[Category:Transformers with three modes]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:Vok]]

Blackarachnia (BW)

2011-12-05T14:25:59Z

TrapRat: BTW, I've left "Animation model" redlinked because I'm not sure if someone should add a section on CGI models to the Character model page, or create a new page for it.

{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|unicron|decepticon|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Blackarachnia}}

:''Blackarachnia is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackarachniabw.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hot, poisonous, and deadly. Rawr!]]
A sultry femme fatale, '''Blackarachnia''' is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.

Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.

{{quote|Even when I'm good, I'm still bad.|Blackarachnia|"[[Crossing the Rubicon]]"}}

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia poses as a double agent. In reality, this is merely a ruse she utilizes in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzes her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceeds to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucks their life force dry... kinky. She is capable of converting thermal energy into [[cyber venom]]. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Toys|Blackarachnia bio}}
{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Fátima Noya]] (Portuguese), [[Françoise Vallon]] (French), [[Loredana Alfieri]] (Italian), [[Uta Dahlbridge]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marisa Marco]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BAintroduction.jpg|left|300px|thumb|My face is up here!]]
Blackarachnia was born from one of the [[Maximal|Maximals']] fallen [[stasis pod]]s. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], watching a black widow fight and devour another spider, was inspired. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], observing the slim and attractive Blackarachnia transform and strike a few poses, suggested that he had "ulterior motives behind her beast form selection" but she was a Predacon, and that was what was important. In the battle with the Maximals that followed, she easily defeated [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] with a few well-placed kicks. She was later reported as "missing," though the reasons why and how were never addressed. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

She was soon assigned to a mission with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to dig under the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and use a [[sonic emitter]] she had invented to blow a hole into the bottom. She didn't get on well with either of them, but they managed to eventually get to the point where they were ready to trigger the emitter... only for [[Tigatron]] to steal it. By the time they caught up with the Maximal, the emitter was ready to explode, and they could only flee the blast area. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s virus turned [[Optimus Primal]] into a berserker and he invaded the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur battled the other Maximals as they also tried to gain entry. Unfortunately Cheetor slipped past them and was able to rescue Primal, however at least the other Maximals were held off. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

Blackarachnia was present during the interrogation of Cheetor when the Predacons discovered that a [[temporal probe|Maximal probe]] was flying past the planet, and took part in the battle to destroy the signal array which the Maximals were building. Once [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was locked into his dino-mode by Tarantualas's [[transformation lock lens]], Blackarachnia delivered the coup de grâce, only to be subsequently blasted off a cliff by [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The Predacons staged a deception, faking their own destruction and using signal dampeners invented by Blackarachnia to hide while the Maximals use parts from their ship to repair the ''Axalon''. After being discovered by Dinobot, they pursued him. During an attempt to rush the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia was blasted by the ship's defenses. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:TheSpark Blackarachnia spidermode.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime used to leave his trailer behind when he transformed, so why ''can't'' she do the same with her thorax?]]
After Megatron turned [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] into a Predacon using a [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]], Blackarachnia and Megatron were startled by Waspinator's impression of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Blackarachnia and Scorponok were dispatched to retrieve the latest crashed stasis pod. They encountered Tigatron, who disabled Scorponok, but was himself paralyzed by Blackarachnia's venom. At the pod, she fought Cheetor at length, but he caught her venom dart and used it to knock her out. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Blackarachnia empowered by the chair.]]
The discovery of a mysterious [[Brigadoon|flying island]] led to Megatron dispatching Blackarachnia and Scorponok to investigate it. Blackarachnia, when she saw the power wielded by the island, resolved to herself that she would take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} As the pair reached the obelisk in the center of the island, Waspinator and Terrorsaur arrived, and Blackarachnia tricked them into using their weapons, causing the island defenses to blast them. She then got rid of Scorponok using one of the island's traps, and took control of the island's power herself. Though she started piloting the island toward the ''Axalon'', Tigatron was able to destroy its energy supply, and the whole thing crashed to the ground. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

She soon attempted to forge an alliance with Tarantulas, flattering him and accompanying him on a mission to secure the latest stasis pod to crash. Unfortunately they were too late to ensure the protoform obtained an arachnid beast mode, and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was born. While Blackarachnia was trying to get the new Predacon under control, Tarantulas made off with the real prize — the stasis pod itself. After the pod was destroyed, Tarantulas revealed to her that the planet was doomed, and she realised he'd intended to use the pod to build an escape ship, but he rebuffed her offer of further help and threw her out of his lair. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

[[Image:Possession Blackarachnia slags Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|280px|This one frame turned a lot of fans into feminists. She's just that good, folks.]]
A Predacon plan to steal the [[rectifier coil]] from the ''Axalon'' resulted in the Maximals going feral, and Blackarachnia was part of the hunting party which pursued them into the jungle. She was defeated by Dinobot after the Maximals overcame their little problem. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of Waspinator's body and the Predacons were able to conquer the ''Axalon'', the Decepticon took Blackarachnia under his wing as a student and revealed his true intent to overthrow Megatron. After he abandoned her in the Maximal base, leaving her to escape Primal and Dinobot on her own, she took that as a hint to return the favour, and later shot a cluster of energon crystals, blasting Starscream free from Waspinator. She then engaged in some quick talking to get herself out of trouble with Megatron. {{storylink|Possession}}

Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], and was later himself incapacitated, leading the Predacons to investigate his lair to see if they could dig up any more of the virus. Blackarachnia was able to find a counter-virus, but while Megatron was attempting a brilliant gambit against the attacking Maximals, Rhinox countered with an almighty fart which left the Predacon forces hanging from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}} Some time later, Megatron called a truce when signs pointed to the [[Vok|aliens]] returning. Tarantulas stole a transwarp cell from the ''Darksyde'', leading Megatron to assign Blackarachnia to keep an eye on him. The two spiders attempted to stop Tigatron escaping the Predacon base, but were tricked into being flattened by a boulder by Dinobot. They were the least damaged, however, and dragged the rest of the Predacons back to base. {{storylink|Before the Storm}}

[[Image:OtherVoices2 possessed Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarantulas feels pretty, oh so pretty...]]
Blackarachnia offered to help Tarantulas break into the Maximal base to steal a stasis pod. They were able to use one of Blackarachnia's inventions to penetrate the ''Axalon'' shields and overcome Rhinox and Dinobot. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} As Tarantulas worked to turn the stasis pod into an escape ship, Blackarachnia turned on him, intending to use the pod herself. They were interrupted by Inferno, who slagged Tarantulas, but Blackarachnia was easily able to defeat him in return. She linked to Tarantulas's mind to obtain the necessary information, and successfully completed modifying the pod... only to be captured by the Maximals. Optimus forced her to change the control codes to respond to him, so he could pilot the pod himself and destroy the [[Planet Buster]] weapon threatening the planet. As it happened, Megatron had sabotaged the transwarp cell, and Optimus was unable to eject before impact. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

While attempting to escape from the Maximal base, Blackarachnia was shocked to discover that her earlier interfacing with Taratulas had resulted in a permanent mind-link between the two of them. Tarantulas was able to force her to take his body with her as she left the base. Though she was intercepted by Tigatron and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], Megatron happened to turn up at that point. He threatened to terminate Blackarachnia, but she talked her way out of it by pointing out the simple fact that Megatron's stock of troops was sorely depleted. Of course, during the inevitable battle, Tarantulas forced Blackarachnia to retreat with his body. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors Blackarachnia downloading.jpg|right|200px|thumb|She blinded me with computer science!]]
Returning to the Predacon base, Blackarachnia interrupted Dinobot stealing the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]]s, but refused Tarantulas's order that she should try to get them back. Instead she repaired him, but discovered that the mind link persisted. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} While Tarantulas went to help Megatron's latest battle, Blackarachnia dug through the base's computer for information on the Golden Disks and discovered important data, including the access codes to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. she was able to download it while Tarantulas was unconscious, and destroyed the computer. She later told Megatron and Tarantulas that Dinobot had destroyed the computer and the data lost. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

The two spiders were later sent with new recruit [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to build a refueling station in a cave full of energon. Tarantulas schemed to take over the cave himself and attempted to persuade Blackarachnia to join him, but soon realised she was hiding something from him. When he tried to rip the information from her mind, she cracked an energon cube, the radiation causing them both pain and forcing him to sever the mental link. He threatened to tear her apart, but was interrupted when Rattrap and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrived to fight. Silverbolt, much to Rattrap's annoyance, refused to strike Blackarachnia because she was female. In the end, Tarantulas used the battle as cover to fake the destruction of the cave, and the trio had to report their failure to Megatron. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

When Dinobot attempted to defect back to the Predacons, Blackarachnia suggested he prove himself by fighting with Quickstrike. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} During another alien incursion, Megatron took Blackarachnia and Inferno to the Maximal base, where they were able to overcome Rhinox, the sole Maximal there. Blackarachnia grabbed the alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]]. Megatron and Tarantulas colluded to work against the aliens, and when Megatron questioned why, Blackarachnia revealed that she had learned from the mind link that Tarantulas hated the aliens and wanted to destroy them. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though Blackarachnia was rendered unconscious by a blast from the [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] that appeared, she was reactivated when Megatron took control of the construct and brought the other Predacons aboard. She was one of the Predacons sent out to defend the construct against the Maximals, but Tarantulas managed to infiltrate and destroy it anyway. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Blackarachnia fightback.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Spousal abuse!]]
When an energon blast sent her and Silverbolt into the middle of the dense jungles, they were forced to work together. Though attracted to the [[Fuzor]], Blackarachnia was endlessly frustrated by his seemingly idiotic chivalry and need to treat her specially. Megatron, listening in via a [[synch-pulse transmitter]] he'd planted on her, was disgusted by the obvious romance going on. Still Silverbolt and Blackarachnia worked together surprisingly well, saving each other's life in turns, and eventually defeating [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] with the help of Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

When the Predacons attacked the valley of proto-humans, Blackarachnia was teamed with Inferno. She did considerable damage to Dinobot before being blasted herself. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Blackarachnia took advantage of Silverbolt's obvious interest in her, meeting the Maximal at a secluded location to obtain a [[graviton generator]]. She used the generator to convert a stasis pod into a makeship hoversled, and later overheard Megatron giving a mission to Waspinator. As the Maximals fought their way into the Predacon base, Blackarachnia emerged on her sled to encounter Silverbolt. Silverbolt refused a direct order from Optimus to shoot her, allowing her to leave and tail Waspinator instead. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Silverbolt eventually caught up with Blackarachnia, who resorted to shooting him in order to try to get the point across that he should leave her alone. It didn't really work, and when the hoversled she was on hit Waspinator, Silverbolt saved her from plummeting to the ground. He subsequently joined her in digging into the side of the mountain they had been heading towards. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BA Silverbolt Agenda3.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I can walk, you know.]]
Finally they broke through into a huge cavern containing the Ark, and Blackarachnia explained the ship's significance to her companion. While she was keen to take the power for herself, Megatron arrived and knocked Silverbolt offline before caving in the tunnel they'd dug. Having always intended for her to reach the Ark as he knew she had the access codes, Megatron threatened to vape Silverbolt unless she did what he said. Bitterly, she agreed to his demands, reluctantly opening the ship and, while Megatron went on, using the Ark's security system to hold off the Maximals. Megatron took the opportunity to attempt to assassinate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], potentially erasing the Maximals from history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Unfortunately for Megatron, Blackarachnia had originally been a Maximal protoform, and certainly wasn't willing to die for his cause. She activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] security nets to force Megatron off the ship. With Silverbolt's help, she got the dying Autobot leader under life support and began the repairs. The Maximals were forced to accept her help, but while the Maximals were occupied with Megatron, Blackarachnia slipped out... only to be trapped by falling rocks, and slagged by Megatron during his escape. Silverbolt cradled her to her chest as she shut down, swearing vengeance until the other Maximals suggested he stop messing around and get her to a repair chamber. With no much other choice, Blackarachnia joined the Maximal ranks. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}} She even spent time on guard duty outside the base with Silverbolt. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

Blackarachnia quickly showed her usefulness to the Maximals, building a hand-powered [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] that could retrieve Sentinel from the ''Axalon'''s underwater resting place. Rattrap was less than thrilled about having to use the "Predacon beach ball". {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Actually just picking up lunch.]]
She was even less thrilled when she ended up having to escort two human children back to their tribe along with Cheetor, who was exhibiting a boyish crush on her, much to Silverbolt's annoyance. Rattrap was also rather distrusting of her, as earlier he had spied Blackarachnia sneaking some parts from a classified area. But when Megatron's new [[cyber raptor]]s attacked, Blackarachnia showed her good side by defending the children, even taking a hit from Tarantulas for them, which she immediately denied to an impressed Silverbolt by saying she slipped. With the cyber raptors defeated, she informed Cheetor that he was a nice kid - which were two strikes against him, so don't go looking for strike three. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] returned from a mission reporting that Cheetor had been destroyed trying to interfere with Megatron's experiment, however the Maximal had secretly brought back the [[Transmetal driver]], a component of Megatron's experiment. Though he tossed it into a pool of lava, Blackarachnia was able to grab it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} She took part in the search for Cheetor, leading Silverbolt to develop jealousy at her apparent concern for their comrade. He later turned up with, it transpired, a new [[Transmetal 2]] body, which Blackarachnia took particular interest in. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

[[Image:ProvingGrounds Blackarachnia wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look at that trustworthy face! Blackarachnia's not going to backstab us!]]
After Rhinox scanned her and found the [[shell program]] that made her a Predacon, Blackarachnia finally got fed up with Rattrap's attitude and Cheetor's crush, and would have choked/blasted them both if Optimus hadn't intervened. Weary that apparently she hadn't proven herself to the Maximals and thinking that Optimus and Rhinox were planning to force her to remove the shell, Blackarachnia decided to split... which turned out to be a bad decision, as [[Dinobot II]] had been waiting for this moment. Taking turns hunting each other, Blackarachnia got the upper hand but was caught off-guard by Dinobot's power and durability. Fleeing to a mesa, she was found by Silverbolt, who got in a fight with Dinobot and was about to be slagged. Blackarachnia shot him out of the way, then tried to make a deal with Dinobot to take over the Ark and the Predacons, which backfired and allowed Dinobot to stun her, but he was distracted by Silverbolt long enough for the two Maximals to finally defeat him. After an argument between the pair, where Blackarachnia was enraged that Silverbolt thought she'd really been striking a deal with Dinobot instead of trying to con the villain, Optimus arrived to point out that the decision to remove the program had always been up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

When Megatron attempted to fire his new [[disruptor cannon]] on the Maximal base, the Maximals prepared for the worst, but the cannon blew up instead. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicron-newbody.jpg|left|300px|thumb|80% more pointy edges!]]

Seeking more power, Blackarachnia attempted to use the Transmetal driver on herself. Silverbolt, not realizing what she was planning, bailed her out of the contraption. Like every good girlfriend, she began to chew him out, but was cut off as an energy surge made her lose control of her circuits. A security system Tarantulas installed had been triggered by her tampering with her core, and the only way to fix it was to cut the Predacon [[shell program]] loose. Reluctantly, she agreed, especially since this was a very difficult procedure that could lead to her death. With time running out, she passed the Ark's access codes on to Primal in case she didn't make it and shut herself down, leaving herself in Rhinox's care. Rhinox began the operation, but his tinkering tripped an alert in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The Predacons got wind of what he was doing and mounted an attack on the Maximal base. The Maximals countered their attack, but the power was disrupted by a shot fired by Tarantulas at a critical stage. This apparently killed Blackarachnia.

Distraught, Silverbolt took off to avenge her death, blinded by rage. However, in Silverbolt's absence, Blackarachnia's body attracted the attention of the Transmetal driver, and she was resurrected in a new Transmetal 2 form. She arrived just in time to save Silverbolt from Rampage. Rampage admitted that he liked her new look, but tried to kill her just the same. Surprisingly, Blackarachnia was able to disarm and stun the titanic Rampage, ultimately throwing him over the horizon using her webs. Silverbolt was, of course, overjoyed to see his beloved alive, but Blackarachnia told him to knock off the vengeful hero stuff so she wouldn't have to keep endangering herself with inevitable rescue attempts. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Blackarachnia beast mode.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Actually a real spider in [[Australia]].]]
Some time later, Blackarachnia returned to base to find the doors open. It was the result of Megatron's latest plan as it turned out, which involved Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal's body, rendering the other Maximals unconscious and placing them in a cage. Left in Rampage's "care", Blackarachnia was able to use some sort of telekinesis to make a girder fly through the air and disable the Predacon. After dealing with Inferno, she went to release the other Maximals, only to run into Quickstrike and Primal. She freed Primal by disabling Quickstrike's control suit, and subsequently managed to stop the Ark's destruct sequence, which Tarantulas had set in motion, before rescuing the other Maximals and helping fight Megatron off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Spot the Mega Class toy!]]

When an object from space destroyed the Predacon base, Blackarachnia realised that the aliens had returned — in this case in the form of the Vok emissary [[Tigerhawk]]. She cut short Rattrap's celebrations by pointing out that when Tigerhawk had finished with the Predacons, he'd probably come for them. {{storylink|Other Victories}} Tigerhawk, in fact, joined the Maximals. When Silverbolt was injured looking for the Predacons, Blackarachnia rode to his aid on Cheetor's back, and the pair took him back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} After Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the depths of the ocean, the Maximals struggled to prepare the Ark for moving. In search of something to make a power link, Blackarachnia grabbed Rattrap's tail-whip, snipping off the end and repurposing it as a power cable. Though the attempt to shift the Ark failed, Rhinox used a shuttle to defeat Megatron. The Maximals subsequently blasted off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Blackarachnia eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:TMblackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|No boobs? No thanks.]]
While the Maximals attempted to remove her Predacon shell program, an alternate Transmetal "Vok" body was somehow automatically created (by someone, somehow) in [[subspace]] just in case it was needed. It wasn't, and so it was "sidelined". {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This is [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] way of "sorta" working her [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal premium toy (see below) into continuity}}
{{-}}

====''Transmetal 2 Toy Bio''====
The new body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology has the power to cast illusions altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars|Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
After Megatron took on his dragon form, Blackarachnia participated in [[Point Omega]] and was eviscerated by [[Shokaract]]'s firepower. She got better as space-time rebooted itself with the disappearance of the [[Dark Essence]] from the past. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron took the original Megatron's spark into himself, he had Quickstrike deliver a device to the Maximal base which amplified the Maximals' aggression. Blackarachnia was attacked by Rhinox before escaping while Silverbolt distracted him. Once Optimus Primal was able to overcome the device's effects and free the other Maximals, they attempted unsuccessfully to capture Megatron in one of Blackarachnia's webs. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. After it zapped Silverbolt, she unsuccessfully tried to attack it in retaliation. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Binaltech'' (unused)====
As the victorious Maximals travelled forward in time from prehistoric Earth to far-future Cybertron, their shuttle was suddenly struck by a powerful force of darkness. Hurled into the early 21st century, Blackarachnia was forced by Unicron to aid him in his efforts to destroy the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Her spark was placed inside the silver Beta Unit Honda S-2000 Aero Style body intended for the Autobot warrior [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], and her mind was overwhelmed by an evil essence that forced her to do Unicron's bidding.

Still possessing her extrasensory Transmetal 2 powers including telekinesis, Blackarachnia gained several additional weapons courtesy of her new form: a long-range Venom Sniper Gun that fired system-disrupting energy bullets, a defensive riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field from its edge, and the ability to fire strong artificial webs from her grill, exhaust pipe and hands in robot mode.

Blackarachnia was partnered with the newly-created [[Decepticharge]] and dispatched to confront [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] forces on Earth. Finding them in the middle of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-led uprising, the pair put down the rebellion and ordered the Decepticons to defeat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and destroy the Matrix.

While forced to act as a Decepticon, Blackarachnia's true self remained intact but submerged, struggling to overcome Unicron's control and desperate to correct the warped [[Alternators|Binaltech]] timeline.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)#TriviaBinaltech|''Maybe.'']]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Márcia Moreli]] (Portuguese), [[Rossella Acerbo]] (Italian), [[Heike Schroetter]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Maxo Barjas]] (Castilain Spanish)

[[Image:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|300px|thumb|When they say she's all legs, they ain't kidding!]]
When the Autobot shuttle crashed on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the Maximal team was gassed, Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 powers were stripped away from her, as were her memories. As such, the amnesiac Maximal decided to head underground, distraught and confused. Locked out of her robot mode, she awaited her imminent deactivation...until the other three survivors—an equally disoriented [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]—plunged into her web. Primal made the decision to head underground, and Blackarachnia complied, using her webs to grant them safe passage. However, in her weakened state her webbing was limited, and so the foursome plummeted most of the way down into the chamber of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. She watched as Optimus emerged in his [[technorganic]] form, and she was the fourth and last Maximal to be [[Reformatting|reformatted]], emerging as a pink black widow spider with green markings. When attacked by a squadron of Cycle Drones, she put her technorganic mode to good use, trapping one of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in a tangle of web. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:Blackarachniamasterofthehouse.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Nice forehead!]]
Under Primal's tutelage, Cheetor and Blackarachnia relearned the ability to transform, and the Maximals set about finding a new base. Blackarachnia managed to goad Cheetor into accompanying her aboveground to find out what had happened to the residents of Cybertron. They accessed the [[Cybertron InfoCore]], only to find it had been wiped. The Maximals visited the [[Council Citadel]], allowing Blackarachnia to test her new powers in combat, including an ability to fire electrical "stings" through the ground. To her shock, they discovered that the mastermind behind the cleansing of Cybertron was none other than Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the House}} During an attempt to access the [[Cybertron Archives]], she received a vision of prehistoric [[Earth]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. She sneaked off to the spaceport to consult the records of their arrival and was followed by Rattrap. As well as encountering Megatron's new, sentient [[Vehicon general]]s, they discovered that there had been six occupants in the shuttle. Seeking more information, Blackarachnia attempted to access the logs from the shuttle itself, only for Megatron to attempt to access her own mind, and she was only prevented from revealing the location of the Maximal base by Rattrap severing the link. The pair were subsequently rescued by Primal and Cheetor, but Blackarachnia's information reawakened memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt in them all. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

Rattrap's use of a transformation enhancer got the Maximals captured by Megatron for a short time, but during their escape, Optimus reported that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark seemed familiar. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} Blackarachnia and crew later discovered the bat-creature [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who led them to a strange, organic fruit tree. Upon eating the fruit, Blackarachnia began to revert to her instinctual "animal" mind, and it was only thanks to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that her feral mind returned to normal, and thanks to Primal that the bat's life was saved and reformatted into a technorganic body. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} After another mission was fouled up by Rattrap's antics during Optimus's convalescence from reformatting Nightscream, the remaining Maximals discussed what they needed to do about Rattrap. Blackarachnia was irritated by Rattrap's uselessness, but Cheetor asserted that they had to cover for their friend. They were shocked to find a while later that Rattrap had overheard them and taken up with Megatron in exchange for weapons. Primal talked Rattrap around, scolding the other Maximals that they undervalued their teammate. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Revelations3 Blackarachnia closeup.jpg|thumb|left|300px|She looks a bit more normal when she closes the extra eyes.]]
Later, the group stumbled across one of Megatron's many Transformer junkyards, where the lifeless, [[spark]]less bodies of the city's inhabitants were disposed of. When [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and Blackarachnia were split up from the battle, the two made an unofficial truce, but when Thrust saved her life and her spark, having strange recollections of doing so before, her mind was set: He was Silverbolt, mutated and made evil by Megatron. She resolved to get her lover back, but didn't reveal to the other Maximals that she believed Thrust was Silverbolt. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} When Cheetor enacted a subsequent plan to try to hack into Tankor, Blackarachnia volunteered to keep Thrust busy. She made numerous appeals to Thrust to try to bring out his Maximal nature, but Thrust was hesitant and was soon bullied into extracting her spark by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} As her spark rocketed into the darkness, Nightscream fought Jetstorm for it. At the same time, on another plane of existence, Blackarachnia encountered Primal, who calmed her astral spirit down, at the same time allowing Nightscream to restore it and bring her back. She and Nightscream were able to come to Cheetor and Rattrap's aid, but they had found that Tankor was really Rhinox, and their old friend was now siding with Megatron's view of a technological Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Blackarachnia beast mode head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nine eyes, then two, now ''six'': fourth time lucky?]]
After Nightscream was snatched away by the Vehicons, the other Maximals gave pursuit. Blackarachnia's hesitation in attacking Thrust allowed the Vehicon to pursue Primal and Nightscream, who had discovered a [[fossil cave|cave full of fossils]], proving Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} When Tankor gained control of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and "infected" Nightscream and the new orchard with the Key, Blackarachnia quickly found that the [[organic goo]] they'd just discovered was a cure to the [[technomatter]]. While the other Maximals went to get a mole drone, Blackarachnia stayed behind to look after Nightscream, only to be infected by him and temporarily lose her own sanity. The other Maximals eventually returned with a drone and were able to cure her. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sorry, your boyfriend was behind door number 2!]]
Taking a vial of the goo, Blackarachnia kidnapped Thrust, trapping him in a web and using the goo to force out his inner personality, in the expectation that Silverbolt would emerge. Instead, she discovered that Thrust was [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who'd flown to Cybertron from prehistoric Earth. When Jetstorm attacked, another mishap with the organic goop occurred, and for a moment Silverbolt's true personality emerged, sweeping Blackarachnia in his arms. However, as he and Waspinator fought over Blackarachnia, the goo vanished from the both of them, and the Vehicons' minds both returned. Blackarachnia was swiftly rescued by the other Maximals, riding a giant vine created by a catalyst which Rattrap had found. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Blackarachnia was involved in the battle in Megatron's Citadel, holding off the Vehicons as Primal confronted Megatron within, though she, along with the others, were all overwhelmed by the Key to Vector Sigma and became comatose. {{storylink|End of the Line}} The clashing energies of the Key and the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] restored the four Maximals to life. Entering the Council Citadel, they found that the battle had claimed Primal, Megatron and Tankor. They headed for the Oracle in search of guidance, where they found Optimus Primal floating within, and they convinced him to return to real-space and continue his leadership.

The Maximals returned to the surface to find a [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] in the likeness of Megatron. {{storylink|Fallout}} Blackarachnia and Nightscream tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the head. Leaving Optimus to try and contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to find the two remaining Vehicon generals and encountered a strange, organic Transformer named [[Noble]], who changed from a wolf into the dragon-like Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} The Maximals later infiltrated the Council Citadel, looking for information, only to discover that Noble was actually Megatron, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, taking over the huge, flying head and reactivating the Vehicon drone army, which forced the Maximals back underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Vamp meets goth.]]
When Rattrap revealed he's created a device he hoped could be used to restore the stolen sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia "borrowed" it. She managed to force Jetstorm into a large pool of the organic goo, and his body began to change. Scanning a nearby condor skeleton, he awoke in a new form, a purple technorganic bird of prey. Blackarachnia was startled by the change in him. Instead of the lovable, chivalrous knight in shining armor, he was a brittle, haunted bot, tormented by the images of the evil deeds he had done...done by choice. Though he gave up on himself, she never did, urging Silverbolt to forgive his past, prompting him to head to the Grand Mal to confront his old master and rescue Primal and Cheetor. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

Blackarachnia continued to assure Silverbolt that things would get better. After Silverbolt inadvertently spread a new, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]-enhanced version of the old [[Hate Plague]], causing dissension in the ranks, he blamed himself, but she and the other Maximals were supportive. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Later, when a Maximal spaceship crashed, the Maximals split up to reach it in time. As they did, Blackarachnia confided to Rattrap that she'd found Silverbolt increasingly cold towards her. At the ship, they encountered a strange, alien plant monster, which Primal reformatted, revealing it to be [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

The Maximals would soon encounter two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose gambit almost defeated them until Botanica stepped in. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were teamed up with Cheetor during a search for the missing sparks. Though Silverbolt was uncomfortable about following someone he still regarded as a kid, Blackarachnia defended Cheetor. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} The Maximals attempted to infiltrate the Grand Mal to find the missing sparks, only to discover that Megatron was using them to fuel his great ascension. Nightscream's intercession appeared to dispel the Vehicon leader's spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eeek! That smile! Go back to glowering!]]
Once the Maximals had celebrated, Blackarachnia tried to talk to Silverbolt, believing now was the time for them to renew their romance. Silverbolt was not convinced of Megatron's demise, and in fact, he was right: Megatron still lived as a disembodied and depolarized spark. The pair found themselves being attacked by a zombie of pieced-together Vehicon parts, animated by the power of Megatron's spark. Megatron was later trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] by Rattrap. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream attacked the Vehicons while the others attempted to secure the sparks in the Grand Mal. They were subsequently able to put Megatron's Vehicon factory out of commission, but the Grand Mal itself was brought down. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were able to share a quiet moment before the final battle, and they received a spark power-up from the collective population of Cybertron. However, they were both felled during battle by Obsidian and Thrust, respectively. Their sparks were then torn from them by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to assist physically, Blackarachnia and the other Maximals were able to give moral support to Primal during his final battle against Megatron, which resulted in the sacrifice of both leaders and the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic paradise. With harmony restored, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were finally able to be together. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the planet underwent the Great Reformatting, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] seized the opportunity to attack, believing that the revolutionary change would have rendered the planets' inhabitants confused and docile. Suffice to say, the Transformers were greatly underestimated. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were successfully able to fend [[Cybertropolis]] from Quintesson invaders. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo!]]
One year later, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were chosen to greet a ship of returning Autobot heroes from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Their welcomes were ignored by the crew, which included [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], when they realized that their home had been transformed into a strange technorganic paradise. Only [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was unphased, choosing to talk up Blackarachnia and Silverbolt so that he could mug for [[Rook (Universe)|Rook's]] cameras.

[[Image:TFU Blackarachnia vs Rattrap.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey, guys, I turned evil again!]]
Their greeting was interrupted by a series of what appeared to be fireworks. Instead, they were beams of energy sent by [[Unicron]] to capture the returning crew, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, and bring them to him. When they arrived, a booming voice welcomed them to the [[Pit]], a dimension inside Unicron. Blackarachnia and her fellow captives were painfully smelted down and reformed; only Trailbreaker emerged unchanged. Since she arrived, Blackarachnia had begun to feel a growing anger that she couldn't control. And in this new Unicron-tainted form, she more than welcomed the swarm of creatures that began swarming her group. Overwhelmed, Blackarachnia and the others were herded into the [[Cauldron]] and filed into prison cells. As Blackarachnia protested, she was silenced by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], one of their hosts.

It was revealed to them by the master of ceremonies, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], that they would be forced to fight fellow abducted Transformers. The loser's [[spark]] would fuel and empower Unicron, whose form had fallen into disrepair. Blackarachnia's uncontrollable rage welcomed this bloodsport, as Silverbolt watched helplessly as she fell under Unicron's evil spell. {{storylink|Abduction}}

Optimus Primal, resurrected by [[Primus]], arrived to rescue the prisoners of the Cauldron, and with help from Silverbolt and Trailbreaker, its captives were set free. But Unicron's grip on Blackarachnia was too strong. She began lashing out madly, even at Silverbolt, and the Fuzor took tight hold of her so that he might swiftly remove her from Unicron's grip. But as the others began jumping through a portal that would lead them to their respective homes across the [[multiverse]], Blackarachnia had a moment of clarity. Sadly, she told Silverbolt that Unicron had awakened her ''true'' nature, then bid him farewell and threw him through the portal.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Closure? Maybe?]]
Soon, she was escorted by Tankor and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to the center of Unicron, where she was repulsed to meet a familiar face: Tarantulas! {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Blackarachnia was dispatched to Cybertron's [[Undercity]], where she observed Rattrap for a while. Finally, she made her presence known, stinging him with her cybervenom. She never had liked the vermin, after all. Suddenly, Rattrap was saved by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], back from the dead. Blackarachnia was knocked out, and Depth Charge left the weakened Rattrap to fend for himself. As Depth Charge departed, he found himself surrounded by Blackarachnia's [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] lost the license, and so this story was never finished as intended. However, a look into the end of ''Universe'' was shown in a comic published by the next licensee, [[Fun Publications]].}}
Much later, Optimus Primal waged one last desperate assault against Unicron, and his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] were able to defeat the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. As Unicron himself seemed to dissolve below them, Silverbolt carried Blackarachnia with him, saving her from sharing the gruesome fate of her evil peers. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:Blackarach24.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Keeping something OUT of her crotch, for once.]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers ''not'' to be upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. As [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and his armies laid siege to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was forced to shut [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] down to let an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping [[Rattrap]]'s arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter [[Transwarp space]]). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

{{-}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Blackarachnia followed [[Reptilion|Reptillion]]{{sic}} in battle against [[Optimus Primal]] and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] to fight [[Striker]] before being abducted by [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}

===''TransTech''===
[[Image:Scavengerblackarachniaalphatriontranscendent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Silverbolt would not approve.]]
Though she may appear to be a native of [[Axiom Nexus]], Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.

Joined by the malcontent Predacons [[Immorticon]] and [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]], they fled and activated an experimental [[transwarp]] device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. He convinced her that the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|counterpart]], with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s laboratory in the hopes of rescuing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

{{note|Blackarachnia went completely unaccounted for after that. Her fate following the battle between [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Omega Doom]], and the defeat of Alpha Trion, is unknown.}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Blackarachnia is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Blackarachnia can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Blackarachnia fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Blackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|I'm... sure she has a nice personality... wait, no. No, she doesn't.]]
{{note|In the N64 version of ''Beast Wars: Transmetals'', Blackarachnia was a stretched [[palette swap|palette-swap]] of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Transmetal Tarantulas]]. As you can see, this didn't work very well. The Playstation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Janet-Laine Green]] (English), ? (Japanese)

Transmetal Blackarachnia joined her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinced her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reformed. It was her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assured the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she worked as a double-agent between the Maximal and [[Tripredacus Council]] with no loyalty to either side. She often pondered what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Blackarachnia’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
{{anchor|Dx1}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabwtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Post-op Tarantulas.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: Blackarachnia's original toy is a [[redeco]] of the [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a [[mutant head|"mutant" face]]; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).

[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTakara.jpg|right|250px|thumb|She might have an F-cup...or an E.]]

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release of the toy has numerous color differences from the [[Hasbro]] version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.

: This mold was later used to make the [[Tarantulas (BW)|"Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas]], and the ''[[#BW10J|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make [[#UnUni|a second ''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], but that toy set was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Deluxe BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWJVs}}
[[Image:VS8-TigatronBlackarachnia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Battle of the redecos.]]
*'''Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow''' (VS set, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with [[Tigatron]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|BWMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamctm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She's got a great personality.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 1997)
**''McNumber'': ??

: Part of the second [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions|McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "[[Transmetal]]" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a ''very'' similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure [[Beetle]].

:Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail ''Transmetals'' toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTM2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Covers her privates for great justice/children everywhere!]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Transmetal 2, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-48'''
**''Accessories'': Mandible grapnel-line

:The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a [[Retractable string gimmick|grappling hook]], switching [[Insignia|faction symbols]] activated by [[#TriviaTM2spark|rotating her spark crystal around]], and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.

:This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.

:This mold was used to make the [[BotCon 2000]] [[exclusive]] [[Arcee (G1)#Toys|Arcee]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Beast Machines Blackarachnia Toy.JPG|right|300px|thumb|She's definitely going to need a big nail file.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2000)

:An early toy in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line, Blackarachnia transforms into a [[technorganic]] spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early ''Beast Machines'' "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.

:This mold was later redecoed to make the [[#UniDx|''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], as well as [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BMMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamcbm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is transformed correctly, right? Right?]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 2000)
**''McNumber'': ??

:As one of ''ten'' toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.

:She is the only [[Beast Era]] character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McBlackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BM Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWR}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabeastwarsreturnstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You will pay a lot of money to own this extra-pink girl <strike>doll</strike>action figure.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-04'''

: Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-[[exclusive]] ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' series, this toy is a redeco of the original ''Beast Machines'' Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand ''less'' than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.

{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
{{anchor|UniDx}}
[[Image:Blackarachniauniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You can pick your faction, and you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriend's faction.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2003)

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a [[Decepticon]] and as a redeco of [[#BMDx1|the original ''Beast Machines'' figure]]. However, her forearms were [[Misassembly|mistakenly swapped]], leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] over her [[spark crystal]] as well.

:This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Universe Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|UnUni}}
[[Image:Blackarachnia unreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eyow.]]
*'''Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia''' (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

:In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a [[redeco]] of the original ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "Halloween [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]] Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart [[exclusive]]s... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other ''Transformers'' exclusives were canceled during the ''Universe'' era.) One of the sets was "[[Leatherhide]] Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It almost works!]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: As part of the ''[[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' line, the [[#Dx1|original Blackarachnia toy]] was ''extensively'' redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold [[paint operation]]s, making her closer to [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her shoulders are silver in the show.) All of the [[gimmick]]s of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.

:She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of ''Beast Wars'' episode 10, "[[Gorilla Warfare]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/BlackWidow/blackwidow.htm More information on Telemocha Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:Blackwidowwildrider.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honda wouldn't appreciate their car being hot, poisonous, and deadly.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Binaltech, unreleased)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle, roof-shield

:In 2005, the mold used for ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Decepticharge]] was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese ''Binaltech'' line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a [[bio]] and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the ''Binaltech'' fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.

:This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected ''Binaltech'' continuation, this time as [[Arcee (G1)#Binaltech|Arcee]]. The original version of the mold was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] and ''Binaltech'' [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]. It was also planned to become a new toy of the [[Paradron Medic#Binaltech|Paradron Medic]], but that also got canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Blackarachniamutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroescheetorblackarachnia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cute and poisonous.]]
*'''Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia''' (2-pack, 2008)
:Part of the first wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''-branded [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWBlackarachniaCardArt.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dirty girls, make some noise. Move that ass for dirty boys.]]
*Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
*Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... ''inspiration''. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/593687e427efddad Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian] on [[alt.toys.transformers]].</ref>
*Much like her fellow spider [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], her original beast mode is depicted with ''nine'' eyes rather then eight.
*In the "jovial" Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to ''begging for mercy'' from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to [[Arcee (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|"improve" upon a female character]].
*The [[:Image:Blackarachniahappymeal.jpg|artwork]] advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.

{{anchor|TriviaTM2spark}}
*Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching [[spark crystal]], the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the ''Beast Wars'' television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon [[shell program]], making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it ''had'' happened mere moments previously.)

*Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "[[Master Blaster]]". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in ''Beast Machines'', Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.

*Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 [[animation model]] is noticeably tweaked from the toy design, with her extremely large shoulder-pads and back rockets all being significantly reduced to a very discreet size. Although arguably more [[Show-accuracy|toy-accurate]] than the CG model of her original body, this level of alteration was uncommon in new characters introduced from Season 2 onwards, as their animation models were more closely based on their respective toys (at least in appearance, if not always in capabilities.)<ref> "Animators' Interview" from [[Madman Entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVDs.

[[Image:Sourcebook1Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|200px|Woke up in Vegas next to [[BB#Notes|BB]].]]

{{anchor|TriviaBinaltech}}
*Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of ''The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications'', an unofficial publication by ''Binaltech'' story writer [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] that compiled all then-current ''Binaltech'' information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and [[Ginrai]] toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered [[Pseudocanon|pseudocanonical]] at best.

*Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blackwidow''' (ブラックウィドー ''Burakkuwidō'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Alaina''' (Hong Kong, 雅麗娜 ''Aa Lai Naa'')
*''French:'' '''Mygale''' (Canada toy), '''La Veuve Noire''' (Canada cartoon, "The Black Widow")<ref name=TM2BA>Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.</ref>
*''Italian:'' '''Arachnia'''
*''Latvian:'' '''Zirneklene'''<ref>Derived from "zirneklis", meaning "spider".</ref>
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hēi Jr-jū''' (Taiwan, 黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider"), '''Jr-jū''' (Taiwan ''Beast Machines'', 蜘蛛, "Spider")
*''Polish:'' '''Arachna'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Aracniana''' (Portugual), '''Viúva Negra''' (Brazil ''Beast Wars'', "Black Widow")
*''Russian:'' '''Chornaya Vdova''' (Чёрная Вдова, "Black Widow")
*''Spanish:'' '''Araña Negra''' ("Black Spider")<ref name=TM2BA/>

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Blackarachnia (BW)

2011-12-05T14:22:32Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Additional point.

{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|unicron|decepticon|ttautobot}}
{{disambig3|Blackarachnia}}

:''Blackarachnia is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] who changes allegiances with alarming frequency from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Blackarachniabw.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Hot, poisonous, and deadly. Rawr!]]
A sultry femme fatale, '''Blackarachnia''' is smart, sexy, and dangerous. She's got eight legs, and she knows how to use them. Of the several rebellious Predacons under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s command, she's one of the very few who can, on occasion, outguile him. Always looking out for Number One, Blackarachnia values her independence and freedom above all else. She would rather be deactivated than be a slave.

Blackarachnia's greatest weakness, other than her overconfidence, is her feelings for the Maximal [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Something about his heroic demeanor and the kindness he shows her makes her uneasy. She hasn't experienced unconditional love before, and it scares her, though she'll never admit it.

{{quote|Even when I'm good, I'm still bad.|Blackarachnia|"[[Crossing the Rubicon]]"}}

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Working by moonlight, Blackarachnia poses as a double agent. In reality, this is merely a ruse she utilizes in order to lure unwitting Maximals into her darkened den, where she first paralyzes her victim with a poisonous missile. She then proceeds to restrain her victim with her powerful legs, and subsequently sucks their life force dry... kinky. She is capable of converting thermal energy into [[cyber venom]]. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Toys|Blackarachnia bio}}
{{note|This comic, along with the on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Fátima Noya]] (Portuguese), [[Françoise Vallon]] (French), [[Loredana Alfieri]] (Italian), [[Uta Dahlbridge]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Marisa Marco]] (Castilian Spanish)

[[Image:BAintroduction.jpg|left|300px|thumb|My face is up here!]]
Blackarachnia was born from one of the [[Maximal|Maximals']] fallen [[stasis pod]]s. [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], watching a black widow fight and devour another spider, was inspired. [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], observing the slim and attractive Blackarachnia transform and strike a few poses, suggested that he had "ulterior motives behind her beast form selection" but she was a Predacon, and that was what was important. In the battle with the Maximals that followed, she easily defeated [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] with a few well-placed kicks. She was later reported as "missing," though the reasons why and how were never addressed. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

She was soon assigned to a mission with [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] to dig under the [[Axalon (BW)|Maximal base]] and use a [[sonic emitter]] she had invented to blow a hole into the bottom. She didn't get on well with either of them, but they managed to eventually get to the point where they were ready to trigger the emitter... only for [[Tigatron]] to steal it. By the time they caught up with the Maximal, the emitter was ready to explode, and they could only flee the blast area. {{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}} When [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]'s virus turned [[Optimus Primal]] into a berserker and he invaded the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur battled the other Maximals as they also tried to gain entry. Unfortunately Cheetor slipped past them and was able to rescue Primal, however at least the other Maximals were held off. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

Blackarachnia was present during the interrogation of Cheetor when the Predacons discovered that a [[temporal probe|Maximal probe]] was flying past the planet, and took part in the battle to destroy the signal array which the Maximals were building. Once [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was locked into his dino-mode by Tarantualas's [[transformation lock lens]], Blackarachnia delivered the coup de grâce, only to be subsequently blasted off a cliff by [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The Predacons staged a deception, faking their own destruction and using signal dampeners invented by Blackarachnia to hide while the Maximals use parts from their ship to repair the ''Axalon''. After being discovered by Dinobot, they pursued him. During an attempt to rush the ''Axalon'', Blackarachnia was blasted by the ship's defenses. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:TheSpark Blackarachnia spidermode.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Prime used to leave his trailer behind when he transformed, so why ''can't'' she do the same with her thorax?]]
After Megatron turned [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] into a Predacon using a [[Transmuter (BW)|Transmuter]], Blackarachnia and Megatron were startled by Waspinator's impression of [[Shrapnel (G1)|Shrapnel]]. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Blackarachnia and Scorponok were dispatched to retrieve the latest crashed stasis pod. They encountered Tigatron, who disabled Scorponok, but was himself paralyzed by Blackarachnia's venom. At the pod, she fought Cheetor at length, but he caught her venom dart and used it to knock her out. {{storylink|The Spark}}

[[Image:The Trigger Blackarachnia chair.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Blackarachnia empowered by the chair.]]
The discovery of a mysterious [[Brigadoon|flying island]] led to Megatron dispatching Blackarachnia and Scorponok to investigate it. Blackarachnia, when she saw the power wielded by the island, resolved to herself that she would take control of it. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} As the pair reached the obelisk in the center of the island, Waspinator and Terrorsaur arrived, and Blackarachnia tricked them into using their weapons, causing the island defenses to blast them. She then got rid of Scorponok using one of the island's traps, and took control of the island's power herself. Though she started piloting the island toward the ''Axalon'', Tigatron was able to destroy its energy supply, and the whole thing crashed to the ground. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}}

She soon attempted to forge an alliance with Tarantulas, flattering him and accompanying him on a mission to secure the latest stasis pod to crash. Unfortunately they were too late to ensure the protoform obtained an arachnid beast mode, and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was born. While Blackarachnia was trying to get the new Predacon under control, Tarantulas made off with the real prize — the stasis pod itself. After the pod was destroyed, Tarantulas revealed to her that the planet was doomed, and she realised he'd intended to use the pod to build an escape ship, but he rebuffed her offer of further help and threw her out of his lair. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

[[Image:Possession Blackarachnia slags Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|280px|This one frame turned a lot of fans into feminists. She's just that good, folks.]]
A Predacon plan to steal the [[rectifier coil]] from the ''Axalon'' resulted in the Maximals going feral, and Blackarachnia was part of the hunting party which pursued them into the jungle. She was defeated by Dinobot after the Maximals overcame their little problem. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}} When [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] took control of Waspinator's body and the Predacons were able to conquer the ''Axalon'', the Decepticon took Blackarachnia under his wing as a student and revealed his true intent to overthrow Megatron. After he abandoned her in the Maximal base, leaving her to escape Primal and Dinobot on her own, she took that as a hint to return the favour, and later shot a cluster of energon crystals, blasting Starscream free from Waspinator. She then engaged in some quick talking to get herself out of trouble with Megatron. {{storylink|Possession}}

Tarantulas infected Rhinox with an [[energon discharge virus]], and was later himself incapacitated, leading the Predacons to investigate his lair to see if they could dig up any more of the virus. Blackarachnia was able to find a counter-virus, but while Megatron was attempting a brilliant gambit against the attacking Maximals, Rhinox countered with an almighty fart which left the Predacon forces hanging from a tree. {{storylink|The Low Road}} Some time later, Megatron called a truce when signs pointed to the [[Vok|aliens]] returning. Tarantulas stole a transwarp cell from the ''Darksyde'', leading Megatron to assign Blackarachnia to keep an eye on him. The two spiders attempted to stop Tigatron escaping the Predacon base, but were tricked into being flattened by a boulder by Dinobot. They were the least damaged, however, and dragged the rest of the Predacons back to base. {{storylink|Before the Storm}}

[[Image:OtherVoices2 possessed Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Tarantulas feels pretty, oh so pretty...]]
Blackarachnia offered to help Tarantulas break into the Maximal base to steal a stasis pod. They were able to use one of Blackarachnia's inventions to penetrate the ''Axalon'' shields and overcome Rhinox and Dinobot. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} As Tarantulas worked to turn the stasis pod into an escape ship, Blackarachnia turned on him, intending to use the pod herself. They were interrupted by Inferno, who slagged Tarantulas, but Blackarachnia was easily able to defeat him in return. She linked to Tarantulas's mind to obtain the necessary information, and successfully completed modifying the pod... only to be captured by the Maximals. Optimus forced her to change the control codes to respond to him, so he could pilot the pod himself and destroy the [[Planet Buster]] weapon threatening the planet. As it happened, Megatron had sabotaged the transwarp cell, and Optimus was unable to eject before impact. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

While attempting to escape from the Maximal base, Blackarachnia was shocked to discover that her earlier interfacing with Taratulas had resulted in a permanent mind-link between the two of them. Tarantulas was able to force her to take his body with her as she left the base. Though she was intercepted by Tigatron and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], Megatron happened to turn up at that point. He threatened to terminate Blackarachnia, but she talked her way out of it by pointing out the simple fact that Megatron's stock of troops was sorely depleted. Of course, during the inevitable battle, Tarantulas forced Blackarachnia to retreat with his body. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

[[Image:ComingoftheFuzors Blackarachnia downloading.jpg|right|200px|thumb|She blinded me with computer science!]]
Returning to the Predacon base, Blackarachnia interrupted Dinobot stealing the [[Golden Disk (disambiguation)|Golden Disk]]s, but refused Tarantulas's order that she should try to get them back. Instead she repaired him, but discovered that the mind link persisted. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}} While Tarantulas went to help Megatron's latest battle, Blackarachnia dug through the base's computer for information on the Golden Disks and discovered important data, including the access codes to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. she was able to download it while Tarantulas was unconscious, and destroyed the computer. She later told Megatron and Tarantulas that Dinobot had destroyed the computer and the data lost. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

The two spiders were later sent with new recruit [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] to build a refueling station in a cave full of energon. Tarantulas schemed to take over the cave himself and attempted to persuade Blackarachnia to join him, but soon realised she was hiding something from him. When he tried to rip the information from her mind, she cracked an energon cube, the radiation causing them both pain and forcing him to sever the mental link. He threatened to tear her apart, but was interrupted when Rattrap and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrived to fight. Silverbolt, much to Rattrap's annoyance, refused to strike Blackarachnia because she was female. In the end, Tarantulas used the battle as cover to fake the destruction of the cave, and the trio had to report their failure to Megatron. {{storylink|Tangled Web}}

When Dinobot attempted to defect back to the Predacons, Blackarachnia suggested he prove himself by fighting with Quickstrike. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} During another alien incursion, Megatron took Blackarachnia and Inferno to the Maximal base, where they were able to overcome Rhinox, the sole Maximal there. Blackarachnia grabbed the alien [[Golden Disk (Vok)|Golden Disk]]. Megatron and Tarantulas colluded to work against the aliens, and when Megatron questioned why, Blackarachnia revealed that she had learned from the mind link that Tarantulas hated the aliens and wanted to destroy them. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Though Blackarachnia was rendered unconscious by a blast from the [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] that appeared, she was reactivated when Megatron took control of the construct and brought the other Predacons aboard. She was one of the Predacons sent out to defend the construct against the Maximals, but Tarantulas managed to infiltrate and destroy it anyway. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Blackarachnia fightback.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Spousal abuse!]]
When an energon blast sent her and Silverbolt into the middle of the dense jungles, they were forced to work together. Though attracted to the [[Fuzor]], Blackarachnia was endlessly frustrated by his seemingly idiotic chivalry and need to treat her specially. Megatron, listening in via a [[synch-pulse transmitter]] he'd planted on her, was disgusted by the obvious romance going on. Still Silverbolt and Blackarachnia worked together surprisingly well, saving each other's life in turns, and eventually defeating [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] with the help of Optimus and Cheetor. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

When the Predacons attacked the valley of proto-humans, Blackarachnia was teamed with Inferno. She did considerable damage to Dinobot before being blasted herself. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Blackarachnia took advantage of Silverbolt's obvious interest in her, meeting the Maximal at a secluded location to obtain a [[graviton generator]]. She used the generator to convert a stasis pod into a makeship hoversled, and later overheard Megatron giving a mission to Waspinator. As the Maximals fought their way into the Predacon base, Blackarachnia emerged on her sled to encounter Silverbolt. Silverbolt refused a direct order from Optimus to shoot her, allowing her to leave and tail Waspinator instead. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}} Silverbolt eventually caught up with Blackarachnia, who resorted to shooting him in order to try to get the point across that he should leave her alone. It didn't really work, and when the hoversled she was on hit Waspinator, Silverbolt saved her from plummeting to the ground. He subsequently joined her in digging into the side of the mountain they had been heading towards. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BA Silverbolt Agenda3.jpg|right|250px|thumb|I can walk, you know.]]
Finally they broke through into a huge cavern containing the Ark, and Blackarachnia explained the ship's significance to her companion. While she was keen to take the power for herself, Megatron arrived and knocked Silverbolt offline before caving in the tunnel they'd dug. Having always intended for her to reach the Ark as he knew she had the access codes, Megatron threatened to vape Silverbolt unless she did what he said. Bitterly, she agreed to his demands, reluctantly opening the ship and, while Megatron went on, using the Ark's security system to hold off the Maximals. Megatron took the opportunity to attempt to assassinate [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], potentially erasing the Maximals from history. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

Unfortunately for Megatron, Blackarachnia had originally been a Maximal protoform, and certainly wasn't willing to die for his cause. She activated [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I's]] security nets to force Megatron off the ship. With Silverbolt's help, she got the dying Autobot leader under life support and began the repairs. The Maximals were forced to accept her help, but while the Maximals were occupied with Megatron, Blackarachnia slipped out... only to be trapped by falling rocks, and slagged by Megatron during his escape. Silverbolt cradled her to her chest as she shut down, swearing vengeance until the other Maximals suggested he stop messing around and get her to a repair chamber. With no much other choice, Blackarachnia joined the Maximal ranks. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}} She even spent time on guard duty outside the base with Silverbolt. {{storylink|Deep Metal}}

Blackarachnia quickly showed her usefulness to the Maximals, building a hand-powered [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] that could retrieve Sentinel from the ''Axalon'''s underwater resting place. Rattrap was less than thrilled about having to use the "Predacon beach ball". {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Actually just picking up lunch.]]
She was even less thrilled when she ended up having to escort two human children back to their tribe along with Cheetor, who was exhibiting a boyish crush on her, much to Silverbolt's annoyance. Rattrap was also rather distrusting of her, as earlier he had spied Blackarachnia sneaking some parts from a classified area. But when Megatron's new [[cyber raptor]]s attacked, Blackarachnia showed her good side by defending the children, even taking a hit from Tarantulas for them, which she immediately denied to an impressed Silverbolt by saying she slipped. With the cyber raptors defeated, she informed Cheetor that he was a nice kid - which were two strikes against him, so don't go looking for strike three. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}}

[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] returned from a mission reporting that Cheetor had been destroyed trying to interfere with Megatron's experiment, however the Maximal had secretly brought back the [[Transmetal driver]], a component of Megatron's experiment. Though he tossed it into a pool of lava, Blackarachnia was able to grab it before it was destroyed. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}} She took part in the search for Cheetor, leading Silverbolt to develop jealousy at her apparent concern for their comrade. He later turned up with, it transpired, a new [[Transmetal 2]] body, which Blackarachnia took particular interest in. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

[[Image:ProvingGrounds Blackarachnia wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Look at that trustworthy face! Blackarachnia's not going to backstab us!]]
After Rhinox scanned her and found the [[shell program]] that made her a Predacon, Blackarachnia finally got fed up with Rattrap's attitude and Cheetor's crush, and would have choked/blasted them both if Optimus hadn't intervened. Weary that apparently she hadn't proven herself to the Maximals and thinking that Optimus and Rhinox were planning to force her to remove the shell, Blackarachnia decided to split... which turned out to be a bad decision, as [[Dinobot II]] had been waiting for this moment. Taking turns hunting each other, Blackarachnia got the upper hand but was caught off-guard by Dinobot's power and durability. Fleeing to a mesa, she was found by Silverbolt, who got in a fight with Dinobot and was about to be slagged. Blackarachnia shot him out of the way, then tried to make a deal with Dinobot to take over the Ark and the Predacons, which backfired and allowed Dinobot to stun her, but he was distracted by Silverbolt long enough for the two Maximals to finally defeat him. After an argument between the pair, where Blackarachnia was enraged that Silverbolt thought she'd really been striking a deal with Dinobot instead of trying to con the villain, Optimus arrived to point out that the decision to remove the program had always been up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

When Megatron attempted to fire his new [[disruptor cannon]] on the Maximal base, the Maximals prepared for the worst, but the cannon blew up instead. {{storylink|Go with the Flow}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicron-newbody.jpg|left|300px|thumb|80% more pointy edges!]]

Seeking more power, Blackarachnia attempted to use the Transmetal driver on herself. Silverbolt, not realizing what she was planning, bailed her out of the contraption. Like every good girlfriend, she began to chew him out, but was cut off as an energy surge made her lose control of her circuits. A security system Tarantulas installed had been triggered by her tampering with her core, and the only way to fix it was to cut the Predacon [[shell program]] loose. Reluctantly, she agreed, especially since this was a very difficult procedure that could lead to her death. With time running out, she passed the Ark's access codes on to Primal in case she didn't make it and shut herself down, leaving herself in Rhinox's care. Rhinox began the operation, but his tinkering tripped an alert in [[Tarantulas's lair]]. The Predacons got wind of what he was doing and mounted an attack on the Maximal base. The Maximals countered their attack, but the power was disrupted by a shot fired by Tarantulas at a critical stage. This apparently killed Blackarachnia.

Distraught, Silverbolt took off to avenge her death, blinded by rage. However, in Silverbolt's absence, Blackarachnia's body attracted the attention of the Transmetal driver, and she was resurrected in a new Transmetal 2 form. She arrived just in time to save Silverbolt from Rampage. Rampage admitted that he liked her new look, but tried to kill her just the same. Surprisingly, Blackarachnia was able to disarm and stun the titanic Rampage, ultimately throwing him over the horizon using her webs. Silverbolt was, of course, overjoyed to see his beloved alive, but Blackarachnia told him to knock off the vengeful hero stuff so she wouldn't have to keep endangering herself with inevitable rescue attempts. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Blackarachnia beast mode.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Actually a real spider in [[Australia]].]]
Some time later, Blackarachnia returned to base to find the doors open. It was the result of Megatron's latest plan as it turned out, which involved Quickstrike taking control of Optimus Primal's body, rendering the other Maximals unconscious and placing them in a cage. Left in Rampage's "care", Blackarachnia was able to use some sort of telekinesis to make a girder fly through the air and disable the Predacon. After dealing with Inferno, she went to release the other Maximals, only to run into Quickstrike and Primal. She freed Primal by disabling Quickstrike's control suit, and subsequently managed to stop the Ark's destruct sequence, which Tarantulas had set in motion, before rescuing the other Maximals and helping fight Megatron off. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

[[Image:Nemesis2-Maximals.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Spot the Mega Class toy!]]

When an object from space destroyed the Predacon base, Blackarachnia realised that the aliens had returned — in this case in the form of the Vok emissary [[Tigerhawk]]. She cut short Rattrap's celebrations by pointing out that when Tigerhawk had finished with the Predacons, he'd probably come for them. {{storylink|Other Victories}} Tigerhawk, in fact, joined the Maximals. When Silverbolt was injured looking for the Predacons, Blackarachnia rode to his aid on Cheetor's back, and the pair took him back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} After Megatron raised the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' from the depths of the ocean, the Maximals struggled to prepare the Ark for moving. In search of something to make a power link, Blackarachnia grabbed Rattrap's tail-whip, snipping off the end and repurposing it as a power cable. Though the attempt to shift the Ark failed, Rhinox used a shuttle to defeat Megatron. The Maximals subsequently blasted off for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the shuttle. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}
{{-}}

====''Beast Wars Diorama Story''====
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Blackarachnia eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

====IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics====
[[Image:TMblackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|No boobs? No thanks.]]
While the Maximals attempted to remove her Predacon shell program, an alternate Transmetal "Vok" body was somehow automatically created (by someone, somehow) in [[subspace]] just in case it was needed. It wasn't, and so it was "sidelined". {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook}}

{{note|This is [[IDW Publishing|IDW's]] way of "sorta" working her [[McDonald's]] Happy Meal premium toy (see below) into continuity}}
{{-}}

====''Transmetal 2 Toy Bio''====
The new body Blackarachnia acquired from Megatron's mysterious new technology has the power to cast illusions altering her physical appearance and position for up to five minutes thanks to the electro disruptor housed in her... rear segment. {{storylink|Blackarachnia (BW)#Beast Wars|Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia toy bio}}

====''Tales of the Beast Wars''====
After Megatron took on his dragon form, Blackarachnia participated in [[Point Omega]] and was eviscerated by [[Shokaract]]'s firepower. She got better as space-time rebooted itself with the disappearance of the [[Dark Essence]] from the past. {{storylink|Terminus (issue)|Terminus}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron took the original Megatron's spark into himself, he had Quickstrike deliver a device to the Maximal base which amplified the Maximals' aggression. Blackarachnia was attacked by Rhinox before escaping while Silverbolt distracted him. Once Optimus Primal was able to overcome the device's effects and free the other Maximals, they attempted unsuccessfully to capture Megatron in one of Blackarachnia's webs. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. After it zapped Silverbolt, she unsuccessfully tried to attack it in retaliation. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}
{{-}}

====''Binaltech'' (unused)====
As the victorious Maximals travelled forward in time from prehistoric Earth to far-future Cybertron, their shuttle was suddenly struck by a powerful force of darkness. Hurled into the early 21st century, Blackarachnia was forced by Unicron to aid him in his efforts to destroy the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. Her spark was placed inside the silver Beta Unit Honda S-2000 Aero Style body intended for the Autobot warrior [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], and her mind was overwhelmed by an evil essence that forced her to do Unicron's bidding.

Still possessing her extrasensory Transmetal 2 powers including telekinesis, Blackarachnia gained several additional weapons courtesy of her new form: a long-range Venom Sniper Gun that fired system-disrupting energy bullets, a defensive riot shield that projected an electromagnetic field from its edge, and the ability to fire strong artificial webs from her grill, exhaust pipe and hands in robot mode.

Blackarachnia was partnered with the newly-created [[Decepticharge]] and dispatched to confront [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave's]] forces on Earth. Finding them in the middle of a [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]-led uprising, the pair put down the rebellion and ordered the Decepticons to defeat [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and destroy the Matrix.

While forced to act as a Decepticon, Blackarachnia's true self remained intact but submerged, struggling to overcome Unicron's control and desperate to correct the warped [[Alternators|Binaltech]] timeline.

[[Blackarachnia (BW)#TriviaBinaltech|''Maybe.'']]

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Venus Terzo]] (English), [[Ryōka Yuzuki]] (Japanese), [[Márcia Moreli]] (Portuguese), [[Rossella Acerbo]] (Italian), [[Heike Schroetter]] (German), [[Olga Hnidey]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Maxo Barjas]] (Castilain Spanish)

[[Image:Thereformattingmaximalsmaximize.jpg|left|300px|thumb|When they say she's all legs, they ain't kidding!]]
When the Autobot shuttle crashed on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and the Maximal team was gassed, Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 powers were stripped away from her, as were her memories. As such, the amnesiac Maximal decided to head underground, distraught and confused. Locked out of her robot mode, she awaited her imminent deactivation...until the other three survivors—an equally disoriented [[Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]—plunged into her web. Primal made the decision to head underground, and Blackarachnia complied, using her webs to grant them safe passage. However, in her weakened state her webbing was limited, and so the foursome plummeted most of the way down into the chamber of the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]]. She watched as Optimus emerged in his [[technorganic]] form, and she was the fourth and last Maximal to be [[Reformatting|reformatted]], emerging as a pink black widow spider with green markings. When attacked by a squadron of Cycle Drones, she put her technorganic mode to good use, trapping one of the [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicons]] in a tangle of web. {{storylink|The Reformatting}}

[[Image:Blackarachniamasterofthehouse.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Nice forehead!]]
Under Primal's tutelage, Cheetor and Blackarachnia relearned the ability to transform, and the Maximals set about finding a new base. Blackarachnia managed to goad Cheetor into accompanying her aboveground to find out what had happened to the residents of Cybertron. They accessed the [[Cybertron InfoCore]], only to find it had been wiped. The Maximals visited the [[Council Citadel]], allowing Blackarachnia to test her new powers in combat, including an ability to fire electrical "stings" through the ground. To her shock, they discovered that the mastermind behind the cleansing of Cybertron was none other than Megatron. {{storylink|Master of the House}} During an attempt to access the [[Cybertron Archives]], she received a vision of prehistoric [[Earth]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. She sneaked off to the spaceport to consult the records of their arrival and was followed by Rattrap. As well as encountering Megatron's new, sentient [[Vehicon general]]s, they discovered that there had been six occupants in the shuttle. Seeking more information, Blackarachnia attempted to access the logs from the shuttle itself, only for Megatron to attempt to access her own mind, and she was only prevented from revealing the location of the Maximal base by Rattrap severing the link. The pair were subsequently rescued by Primal and Cheetor, but Blackarachnia's information reawakened memories of Rhinox and Silverbolt in them all. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

Rattrap's use of a transformation enhancer got the Maximals captured by Megatron for a short time, but during their escape, Optimus reported that [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]]'s spark seemed familiar. {{storylink|Mercenary Pursuits}} Blackarachnia and crew later discovered the bat-creature [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]], who led them to a strange, organic fruit tree. Upon eating the fruit, Blackarachnia began to revert to her instinctual "animal" mind, and it was only thanks to [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] that her feral mind returned to normal, and thanks to Primal that the bat's life was saved and reformatted into a technorganic body. {{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}} After another mission was fouled up by Rattrap's antics during Optimus's convalescence from reformatting Nightscream, the remaining Maximals discussed what they needed to do about Rattrap. Blackarachnia was irritated by Rattrap's uselessness, but Cheetor asserted that they had to cover for their friend. They were shocked to find a while later that Rattrap had overheard them and taken up with Megatron in exchange for weapons. Primal talked Rattrap around, scolding the other Maximals that they undervalued their teammate. {{storylink|The Weak Component}}

[[Image:Revelations3 Blackarachnia closeup.jpg|thumb|left|300px|She looks a bit more normal when she closes the extra eyes.]]
Later, the group stumbled across one of Megatron's many Transformer junkyards, where the lifeless, [[spark]]less bodies of the city's inhabitants were disposed of. When [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]] and Blackarachnia were split up from the battle, the two made an unofficial truce, but when Thrust saved her life and her spark, having strange recollections of doing so before, her mind was set: He was Silverbolt, mutated and made evil by Megatron. She resolved to get her lover back, but didn't reveal to the other Maximals that she believed Thrust was Silverbolt. {{storylink|Revelations Part I: Discovery}} When Cheetor enacted a subsequent plan to try to hack into Tankor, Blackarachnia volunteered to keep Thrust busy. She made numerous appeals to Thrust to try to bring out his Maximal nature, but Thrust was hesitant and was soon bullied into extracting her spark by [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]]. {{storylink|Revelations Part II: Descent}} As her spark rocketed into the darkness, Nightscream fought Jetstorm for it. At the same time, on another plane of existence, Blackarachnia encountered Primal, who calmed her astral spirit down, at the same time allowing Nightscream to restore it and bring her back. She and Nightscream were able to come to Cheetor and Rattrap's aid, but they had found that Tankor was really Rhinox, and their old friend was now siding with Megatron's view of a technological Cybertron. {{storylink|Revelations Part III: Apocalypse}}

[[Image:Survivor Blackarachnia beast mode head.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Nine eyes, then two, now ''six'': fourth time lucky?]]
After Nightscream was snatched away by the Vehicons, the other Maximals gave pursuit. Blackarachnia's hesitation in attacking Thrust allowed the Vehicon to pursue Primal and Nightscream, who had discovered a [[fossil cave|cave full of fossils]], proving Cybertron was once organic. {{storylink|Survivor}} When Tankor gained control of the [[Key to Vector Sigma]] and "infected" Nightscream and the new orchard with the Key, Blackarachnia quickly found that the [[organic goo]] they'd just discovered was a cure to the [[technomatter]]. While the other Maximals went to get a mole drone, Blackarachnia stayed behind to look after Nightscream, only to be infected by him and temporarily lose her own sanity. The other Maximals eventually returned with a drone and were able to cure her. {{storylink|The Key}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Sorry, your boyfriend was behind door number 2!]]
Taking a vial of the goo, Blackarachnia kidnapped Thrust, trapping him in a web and using the goo to force out his inner personality, in the expectation that Silverbolt would emerge. Instead, she discovered that Thrust was [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], who'd flown to Cybertron from prehistoric Earth. When Jetstorm attacked, another mishap with the organic goop occurred, and for a moment Silverbolt's true personality emerged, sweeping Blackarachnia in his arms. However, as he and Waspinator fought over Blackarachnia, the goo vanished from the both of them, and the Vehicons' minds both returned. Blackarachnia was swiftly rescued by the other Maximals, riding a giant vine created by a catalyst which Rattrap had found. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Blackarachnia was involved in the battle in Megatron's Citadel, holding off the Vehicons as Primal confronted Megatron within, though she, along with the others, were all overwhelmed by the Key to Vector Sigma and became comatose. {{storylink|End of the Line}} The clashing energies of the Key and the [[Plasma energy|Plasma Energy Chamber]] restored the four Maximals to life. Entering the Council Citadel, they found that the battle had claimed Primal, Megatron and Tankor. They headed for the Oracle in search of guidance, where they found Optimus Primal floating within, and they convinced him to return to real-space and continue his leadership.

The Maximals returned to the surface to find a [[Grand Mal|giant floating head]] in the likeness of Megatron. {{storylink|Fallout}} Blackarachnia and Nightscream tried unsuccessfully to infiltrate the head. Leaving Optimus to try and contact Megatron's spark, the other Maximals went to find the two remaining Vehicon generals and encountered a strange, organic Transformer named [[Noble]], who changed from a wolf into the dragon-like Savage. {{storylink|Savage Noble}} The Maximals later infiltrated the Council Citadel, looking for information, only to discover that Noble was actually Megatron, trapped in his own organic half. Megatron used [[spark extractor]]s to remove his spark, taking over the huge, flying head and reactivating the Vehicon drone army, which forced the Maximals back underground. {{storylink|Prometheus Unbound}}

[[Image:Blackarachniasilverboltdarkestknight.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Vamp meets goth.]]
When Rattrap revealed he's created a device he hoped could be used to restore the stolen sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia "borrowed" it. She managed to force Jetstorm into a large pool of the organic goo, and his body began to change. Scanning a nearby condor skeleton, he awoke in a new form, a purple technorganic bird of prey. Blackarachnia was startled by the change in him. Instead of the lovable, chivalrous knight in shining armor, he was a brittle, haunted bot, tormented by the images of the evil deeds he had done...done by choice. Though he gave up on himself, she never did, urging Silverbolt to forgive his past, prompting him to head to the Grand Mal to confront his old master and rescue Primal and Cheetor. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

Blackarachnia continued to assure Silverbolt that things would get better. After Silverbolt inadvertently spread a new, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]-enhanced version of the old [[Hate Plague]], causing dissension in the ranks, he blamed himself, but she and the other Maximals were supportive. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}} Later, when a Maximal spaceship crashed, the Maximals split up to reach it in time. As they did, Blackarachnia confided to Rattrap that she'd found Silverbolt increasingly cold towards her. At the ship, they encountered a strange, alien plant monster, which Primal reformatted, revealing it to be [[Botanica (BM)|Botanica]], a fellow Maximal. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

The Maximals would soon encounter two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]], whose gambit almost defeated them until Botanica stepped in. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were teamed up with Cheetor during a search for the missing sparks. Though Silverbolt was uncomfortable about following someone he still regarded as a kid, Blackarachnia defended Cheetor. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} The Maximals attempted to infiltrate the Grand Mal to find the missing sparks, only to discover that Megatron was using them to fuel his great ascension. Nightscream's intercession appeared to dispel the Vehicon leader's spark. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Eeek! That smile! Go back to glowering!]]
Once the Maximals had celebrated, Blackarachnia tried to talk to Silverbolt, believing now was the time for them to renew their romance. Silverbolt was not convinced of Megatron's demise, and in fact, he was right: Megatron still lived as a disembodied and depolarized spark. The pair found themselves being attacked by a zombie of pieced-together Vehicon parts, animated by the power of Megatron's spark. Megatron was later trapped in a [[Diagnostic Drone]] by Rattrap. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream attacked the Vehicons while the others attempted to secure the sparks in the Grand Mal. They were subsequently able to put Megatron's Vehicon factory out of commission, but the Grand Mal itself was brought down. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} Blackarachnia and Silverbolt were able to share a quiet moment before the final battle, and they received a spark power-up from the collective population of Cybertron. However, they were both felled during battle by Obsidian and Thrust, respectively. Their sparks were then torn from them by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to assist physically, Blackarachnia and the other Maximals were able to give moral support to Primal during his final battle against Megatron, which resulted in the sacrifice of both leaders and the reformatting of Cybertron into a technorganic paradise. With harmony restored, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were finally able to be together. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the planet underwent the Great Reformatting, the [[Quintesson|Quintessons]] seized the opportunity to attack, believing that the revolutionary change would have rendered the planets' inhabitants confused and docile. Suffice to say, the Transformers were greatly underestimated. Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were successfully able to fend [[Cybertropolis]] from Quintesson invaders. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She stabbed my basketball, and the speakers to my stereo!]]
One year later, Silverbolt and Blackarachnia were chosen to greet a ship of returning Autobot heroes from the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]]. Their welcomes were ignored by the crew, which included [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]], and [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], when they realized that their home had been transformed into a strange technorganic paradise. Only [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] was unphased, choosing to talk up Blackarachnia and Silverbolt so that he could mug for [[Rook (Universe)|Rook's]] cameras.

[[Image:TFU Blackarachnia vs Rattrap.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Hey, guys, I turned evil again!]]
Their greeting was interrupted by a series of what appeared to be fireworks. Instead, they were beams of energy sent by [[Unicron]] to capture the returning crew, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt, and bring them to him. When they arrived, a booming voice welcomed them to the [[Pit]], a dimension inside Unicron. Blackarachnia and her fellow captives were painfully smelted down and reformed; only Trailbreaker emerged unchanged. Since she arrived, Blackarachnia had begun to feel a growing anger that she couldn't control. And in this new Unicron-tainted form, she more than welcomed the swarm of creatures that began swarming her group. Overwhelmed, Blackarachnia and the others were herded into the [[Cauldron]] and filed into prison cells. As Blackarachnia protested, she was silenced by [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]], one of their hosts.

It was revealed to them by the master of ceremonies, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]], that they would be forced to fight fellow abducted Transformers. The loser's [[spark]] would fuel and empower Unicron, whose form had fallen into disrepair. Blackarachnia's uncontrollable rage welcomed this bloodsport, as Silverbolt watched helplessly as she fell under Unicron's evil spell. {{storylink|Abduction}}

Optimus Primal, resurrected by [[Primus]], arrived to rescue the prisoners of the Cauldron, and with help from Silverbolt and Trailbreaker, its captives were set free. But Unicron's grip on Blackarachnia was too strong. She began lashing out madly, even at Silverbolt, and the Fuzor took tight hold of her so that he might swiftly remove her from Unicron's grip. But as the others began jumping through a portal that would lead them to their respective homes across the [[multiverse]], Blackarachnia had a moment of clarity. Sadly, she told Silverbolt that Unicron had awakened her ''true'' nature, then bid him farewell and threw him through the portal.

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Closure? Maybe?]]
Soon, she was escorted by Tankor and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] to the center of Unicron, where she was repulsed to meet a familiar face: Tarantulas! {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

Blackarachnia was dispatched to Cybertron's [[Undercity]], where she observed Rattrap for a while. Finally, she made her presence known, stinging him with her cybervenom. She never had liked the vermin, after all. Suddenly, Rattrap was saved by [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]], back from the dead. Blackarachnia was knocked out, and Depth Charge left the weakened Rattrap to fend for himself. As Depth Charge departed, he found himself surrounded by Blackarachnia's [[Piranacon (Universe)|Piranacons]]. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

{{note|[[3H Productions]] lost the license, and so this story was never finished as intended. However, a look into the end of ''Universe'' was shown in a comic published by the next licensee, [[Fun Publications]].}}
Much later, Optimus Primal waged one last desperate assault against Unicron, and his [[Child of Primus|Children of Primus]] were able to defeat the [[Minion of Unicron|Minions of Unicron]]. As Unicron himself seemed to dissolve below them, Silverbolt carried Blackarachnia with him, saving her from sharing the gruesome fate of her evil peers. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
[[Image:Blackarach24.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Keeping something OUT of her crotch, for once.]]
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Blackarachnia was one of the few Transformers ''not'' to be upgraded into a [[Transmetal]]. As [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] and his armies laid siege to the weakened Maximal base, Blackarachnia waited in secret for an opening. When [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] was forced to shut [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] down to let an injured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] in, Blackarachnia saw her chance and entered the base. Knocking out Airazor and ripping [[Rattrap]]'s arm off, Blackarachnia confronted Rhinox. Rhinox proceeded to pull out a "gun", but instead of shooting her with it, he blasted himself in the head (the "gun" actually being a machine allowing him to enter [[Transwarp space]]). Confused, but seeing no further use for the Maximals, Blackarachnia left the base. As the base collapsed behind her, she was approached by Quickstrike, who didn't like her "interfering" with his business. Not in the mood, she immediately kicked his head off. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

{{-}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Blackarachnia followed [[Reptilion|Reptillion]]{{sic}} in battle against [[Optimus Primal]] and his Autobot forces. She teamed up with [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] to fight [[Striker]] before being abducted by [[Unicron]]. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM}}

===''TransTech''===
[[Image:Scavengerblackarachniaalphatriontranscendent.jpg|left|250px|thumb|Silverbolt would not approve.]]
Though she may appear to be a native of [[Axiom Nexus]], Blackarachnia was brought online in a far different universe. On a [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] where the Autobots and Decepticons had grown too decrepit to carry on the [[Great War (G1)|Great War]], they constructed proxy armies in the form of the [[Maximal]]s and Predacons. As a result from her first moments Blackarachnia knew only strife and combat. Increasingly questioning the orders of her Autobot masters, the breaking point came with the death of her colleagues Silverbolt and Rhinox. She conspired with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] and together they killed their commander, Optimus Primal.

Joined by the malcontent Predacons [[Immorticon]] and [[Scavenger (TransTech)|Scavenger]], they fled and activated an experimental [[transwarp]] device, hoping to escape Cybertron. Instead, they found themselves in Axiom Nexus. After processing, they were placed in the care of [[Alpha Trion (SG)|Alpha Trion]]. He convinced her that the [[Transcendent Technomorph]]s who ruled the city were little different from the Autobots under whose yoke she had chafed. Under his tender ministrations, her spark was transferred from her Lowtech body into that of her Transcendent Technomorph [[Blackarachnia (TransTech)|counterpart]], with the authorities of Axiom Nexus none the wiser. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 25|"TransTech" Blackarachnia's profile in Club magazine #25}}

Thus upgraded, she joined Alpha Trion's insurrectionist organization, and was part of the raid on [[Shockwave (TransTech)|Shockwave]]'s laboratory in the hopes of rescuing [[Breakaway (Classics)|Breakaway]]. Blackarachnia and her comrades successfully stormed into Shockwave's inner sanctum, where they came face-to-face with the formidable [[Megatron (TransTech)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 5}} Despite that rather severe obstacle, Blackarachnia and the Alpha Trion's minions managed to secure the transit room and transwarp to the Old One's original universal stream. {{storylink|Transcendent: Part 6}}

On the other side of the transwarp portal, Alpha Trion ordered Blackarachnia to prepare the cloaking device in order to keep his return a secret. {{storylink|Reunification: Part 1}}

{{note|Blackarachnia went completely unaccounted for after that. Her fate following the battle between [[Nexus Prime]] and [[Omega Doom]], and the defeat of Alpha Trion, is unknown.}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Blackarachnia is a playable character in the Predacon mode of this game for normal gameplay. Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Blackarachnia can accomplish throughout gameplay in Predacon Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Optimus Primal|several]] [[Cheetor (BW)|Maximals]] [[Rattrap|included]] [[Dinobot (BW)|as]] [[Rhinox (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Blackarachnia fills the role of the nameless Predacon. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

====''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game====
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
[[Image:N64Blackarachnia.jpg|200px|thumb|I'm... sure she has a nice personality... wait, no. No, she doesn't.]]
{{note|In the N64 version of ''Beast Wars: Transmetals'', Blackarachnia was a stretched [[palette swap|palette-swap]] of [[Tarantulas (BW)|Transmetal Tarantulas]]. As you can see, this didn't work very well. The Playstation version does not stretch out Tarantulas, instead remeshing the model to resemble her Transmetal 2 form.}}
:''Voice actor:'' [[Janet-Laine Green]] (English), ? (Japanese)

Transmetal Blackarachnia joined her fellow Predacons in distributing various one-on-one beat downs to the Maximals. Eventually, Silverbolt convinced her to defect to the Maximals but she never truly reformed. It was her betrayal at a key moment that eventually assured the Maximals victory in the Beast Wars. Once back on Cybertron, she worked as a double-agent between the Maximal and [[Tripredacus Council]] with no loyalty to either side. She often pondered what would have happened if she had remained on the Predacon's team throughout the war. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals|Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{note|Each character possessed an alternate ending, displayed if the N64 version of the game was beaten with said character. Each character has only their own ending listed on their pages, see the other characters' pages for Blackarachnia’s fate in those outcomes.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
{{anchor|Dx1}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabwtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Post-op Tarantulas.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 1996/1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''D-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: Blackarachnia's original toy is a [[redeco]] of the [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] mold, transforming into a rather generic-looking organic spider. It features a removable spring-loaded launcher hidden in its beast-mode abdomen. It nominally fires the "grappling hook" attached to its abdomen by a string, but its front four beast-mode legs can also be removed and used as ammunition. Like all first-year ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Deluxes, the robot-mode head has both a "robot" face and a [[mutant head|"mutant" face]]; Blackarachnia is always depicted in fiction using the "robot" one (or a rough approximation thereof).

[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTakara.jpg|right|250px|thumb|She might have an F-cup...or an E.]]

: The [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] release of the toy has numerous color differences from the [[Hasbro]] version, but they are of dubious merit as far as making her more "show-accurate" go. The bright green of the Hasbro version's forearms is replaced with dull silver, while the brighter purple is replaced with a darker, more desaturated purple. Her dark copper paint is replaced with a brighter gold. Her robot-mode facemask is painted gold, which is closer to the show model... but her face beneath is black with gold eyes (instead of gold with black eyes), and she inexplicably gains a new painted-black forehead crest, where the show model has gold.

: This mold was later used to make the [[Tarantulas (BW)|"Beast Wars 10th Anniversary" version of Tarantulas]], and the ''[[#BW10J|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' version of Blackarachnia. It was intended to be used to make [[#UnUni|a second ''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], but that toy set was canceled.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Deluxe BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWJVs}}
[[Image:VS8-TigatronBlackarachnia.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Battle of the redecos.]]
*'''Deep Forest Showdown: Tigatron VS Blackwidow''' (VS set, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-8'''
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: In Japan, "Blackwidow" was available both as an individual and in a "VS" pack with [[Tigatron]]. Both toys were identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|BWMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamctm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|She's got a great personality.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 1997)
**''McNumber'': ??

: Part of the second [[List of Transformers restaurant promotions|McDonald's]] ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal pack-in, Blackarachnia's "[[Transmetal]]" form rather resembles some sort of dust mite more than a spider, and the robot mode appears to have fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down. It has a ''very'' similar transformation to the earlier promotional figure [[Beetle]].

:Like the other two Transmetal Happy Meal figures, Blackarachnia has some metallic-sheened plastic intended to resemble the colored chromed finish of the retail ''Transmetals'' toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BW Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BW-toy BlackarachniaTM2.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Covers her privates for great justice/children everywhere!]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Transmetal 2, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-48'''
**''Accessories'': Mandible grapnel-line

:The Transmetal 2 version of Blackarachnia transforms into a large, organic/mechanical, monstrous spider, featuring a [[Retractable string gimmick|grappling hook]], switching [[Insignia|faction symbols]] activated by [[#TriviaTM2spark|rotating her spark crystal around]], and a spring-loaded spin-kick action feature. She also has a half-assed "defense mode", bringing the chromed abdomen bits down to cover her chest. Like all larger Transmetal 2s, Blackarachnia has hints of an abandoned "transport" mode, mainly the free-spinning wheels and concealed rockets in the spider-mode abdomen.

:This toy was initially hard to find at retail, as one of the toy's features, a piece of removable chest armor (no, really), was altered slightly, delaying later shipments.

:This mold was used to make the [[BotCon 2000]] [[exclusive]] [[Arcee (G1)#Toys|Arcee]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Beast Machines Blackarachnia Toy.JPG|right|300px|thumb|She's definitely going to need a big nail file.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2000)

:An early toy in the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' line, Blackarachnia transforms into a [[technorganic]] spider. In spider mode, squeezing its pedipalps together raises its central fangs; they were spring-loaded to release and lower, respectively. In keeping with the early ''Beast Machines'' "articulated features" motif, her robot mode head has a multi-piece articulated brow, which can slide up to reveal two extra sets of eyes, as she does on the cartoon.

:This mold was later redecoed to make the [[#UniDx|''Universe'' version of Blackarachnia]], as well as [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Beast Machines Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BMMcD}}
[[Image:Blackarachniamcbm.jpg|right|300px|thumb|This is transformed correctly, right? Right?]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Happy Meal, 2000)
**''McNumber'': ??

:As one of ''ten'' toys in the third Transformers McDonald's Happy Meal promotion, Blackarachnia is a super-simplified version of her retail toy, with a coloration closer to the [[Mainframe Entertainment|Mainframe]] CG model, though more shockingly pink rather than maroon. This toy is designed for the younger set, with softer plastic and no removable parts.

:She is the only [[Beast Era]] character to get two McDonald's Happy Meal toys.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/McBlackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on McDonald's BM Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWR}}
[[Image:Blackarachniabeastwarsreturnstoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You will pay a lot of money to own this extra-pink girl <strike>doll</strike>action figure.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-04'''

: Part of the Japanese Toys "R" Us-[[exclusive]] ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' series, this toy is a redeco of the original ''Beast Machines'' Blackarachnia in a more show-like maroon coloration. Reportedly, this toy was limited to 3000 pieces, a full thousand ''less'' than the others in the original assortment. Since she was also the most changed from the US release in the initial batch of toys, this made her considerably harder to get.

{{-}}
===Universe (2003)===
{{anchor|UniDx}}
[[Image:Blackarachniauniversetoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|You can pick your faction, and you can pick your girlfriend, but you can't pick your girlfriend's faction.]]
*'''Blackarachnia''' (Deluxe, 2003)

:Part of the second wave of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' Deluxes, Blackarachnia returned as a [[Decepticon]] and as a redeco of [[#BMDx1|the original ''Beast Machines'' figure]]. However, her forearms were [[Misassembly|mistakenly swapped]], leaving her forearm "spikes" pointing up towards her biceps rather than down near her elbows. She received a Decepticon [[Insignia|faction symbol]] over her [[spark crystal]] as well.

:This mold (with the same swapped-forearms error) was used to make [[Crystal Widow]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Decepticon/Blackarachnia/blackarachnia.htm More information on Universe Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|UnUni}}
[[Image:Blackarachnia unreleased.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eyow.]]
*'''Leatherhide Vs. Blackarachnia''' (Halloween Horrorcon value pack, unreleased)
**''Accessories'': Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

:In 2004, a group of test-shots made their way onto eBay, among them a [[redeco]] of the original ''Beast Wars'' Tarantulas/Blackarachnia mold in black with silver spider-legs and salmon-colored robot parts. Later, Hasbro's official website checklist featured listings for two ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' "Halloween [[Horrorcon (Universe)|Horrorcon]] Value Packs" that were to be Wal-Mart [[exclusive]]s... which also likely explains why they were canceled. (Wal*Mart had taken a good half-dozen exclusives and released them more-or-less simultaneously, leading to a huge glut. A lot of other ''Transformers'' exclusives were canceled during the ''Universe'' era.) One of the sets was "[[Leatherhide]] Vs. Blackarachnia"... and thus, the mystery spider was confirmed, as the other test-shots in that group lined up with the name listings given in the sets.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}
===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Blackarachniatelemocha.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It almost works!]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-06'''
**''Accessories:'' Launcher, 4 leg-missiles

: As part of the ''[[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]]'' line, the [[#Dx1|original Blackarachnia toy]] was ''extensively'' redecoed with a ridiculous number of gold [[paint operation]]s, making her closer to [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] in coloration than the other versions of the mold, but still not quite there. (Her shoulders are silver in the show.) All of the [[gimmick]]s of the original toy were retained, though her alternate head didn't receive any paint that wasn't intended to make her nominal head look more show-accurate.

:She came with a DVD containing "The Assassin Virus", the Japanese dubbing of ''Beast Wars'' episode 10, "[[Gorilla Warfare]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/BlackWidow/blackwidow.htm More information on Telemocha Blackarachnia at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Binaltech===
[[Image:Blackwidowwildrider.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Honda wouldn't appreciate their car being hot, poisonous, and deadly.]]
*'''Blackwidow''' (Binaltech, unreleased)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''BT16'''
**''Accessories'': Engine-rifle, roof-shield

:In 2005, the mold used for ''[[Alternators]]'' [[Decepticharge]] was presented as an upcoming release for the Japanese ''Binaltech'' line. They decided to give the toy an entirely new deco, as the Hasbro toy's deco didn't appeal to their ideal of "real-life accuracy". In robot mode, the toy was given a color scheme based on Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia, with the toy's name being changed to "Blackwidow", Takara's name for the character. Though a [[bio]] and story chapter were written to accommodate it into the ''Binaltech'' fiction, and photoshopped images released through an online retailer revealed the intended color scheme, Takara ultimately decided to cancel the toy altogether, as they were fearing that another redeco (in addition to the upcoming ''Binaltech Asterisk'' toys) would be too repetitive. Plans to release this toy as part of a different line were never picked up again.

:This mold was ultimately released in Japan as part of an unexpected ''Binaltech'' continuation, this time as [[Arcee (G1)#Binaltech|Arcee]]. The original version of the mold was used to make ''Alternators'' [[Windcharger (G1)#Alternators|Windcharger]] and ''Binaltech'' [[Overdrive#Binaltech|Overdrive]]. It was also planned to become a new toy of the [[Paradron Medic#Binaltech|Paradron Medic]], but that also got canceled.

{{canceledtoy}}
{{-}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Blackarachniamutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Blackarachnia was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroescheetorblackarachnia.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Cute and poisonous.]]
*'''Cheetor vs. Blackarachnia''' (2-pack, 2008)
:Part of the first wave of ''[[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe]]''-branded [[Robot Heroes (toyline)|Robot Heroes]], Blackarachnia is a simple, yet well-detailed two-inch tall figurine with exaggerated, cartoony proportions. She was only available in a two-pack with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]].
{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWBlackarachniaCardArt.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dirty girls, make some noise. Move that ass for dirty boys.]]
*Blackarachnia's original Beast Wars card art has her wearing a spike-studded collar... while her chest seems to be leopard-spotted. Kinky.
*Reportedly, Blackarachnia's show model was created after some Mainframe folks had taken the design modeler to a strip club only a few days prior for, um... ''inspiration''. <ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/593687e427efddad Why Blackarachnia Looks Asian] on [[alt.toys.transformers]].</ref>
*Much like her fellow spider [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]], her original beast mode is depicted with ''nine'' eyes rather then eight.
*In the "jovial" Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Blackarachnia's character underwent a few small (depending on your point of view) changes. Firstly, she had a voice that can only be described as "bipolar". She would switch between her usual sultry, flirtatious voice to a screaming blood-thirsty maniac at the drop of a hat. Another notable change is that, while still a strong female character, she was made less independent and was occasionally prone to ''begging for mercy'' from her enemies, something she never did in the English version. However, this isn't the first time the Japanese have done their best to [[Arcee (G1)#The Headmasters cartoon|"improve" upon a female character]].
*The [[:Image:Blackarachniahappymeal.jpg|artwork]] advertising the Transmetal Blackarachnia toy on Happy Meal Bags was rendered with the toy transformed incorrectly. Her beast mode head isn't flipped down, leaving her organic-looking robot mode chest exposed.

{{anchor|TriviaTM2spark}}
*Even though Transmetal 2 Blackarachnia's toy has a unique faction-switching [[spark crystal]], the feature doesn't make sense in a fictional context. By that point in the ''Beast Wars'' television series, the Transmetal Driver had destroyed her Predacon [[shell program]], making her fully Maximal. (Though, to be fair, it ''had'' happened mere moments previously.)

*Blackarachnia exhibited what appears to be telekinesis not long after gaining her Transmetal 2 form, levitating a steel girder to stop Rampage in "[[Master Blaster]]". The ability only appeared once and was never explained, though it resembles the other strange, almost supernatural powers wielded by Transmetals 2 in the cartoon. Following her reformatting in ''Beast Machines'', Blackarachnia no longer possessed this ability.

*Blackarachnia's Transmetal 2 [[animation model]] is noticeably tweaked from the toy design, with her extremely large shoulder-pads and back rockets all being significantly reduced to a very discreet size. Although arguably more [[Show-accuracy|toy-accurate]] than the CG model of her original body, this level of alteration was uncommon in new characters introduced from Season 2 onwards, as their animation models were more closely based on their respective toys (at least in appearance, if not always in capabilities.)<ref> "Animators' Interview" from [[Madman entertainment]]'s ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVDs.

[[Image:Sourcebook1Blackarachnia.jpg|thumb|200px|Woke up in Vegas next to [[BB#Notes|BB]].]]

{{anchor|TriviaBinaltech}}
*Character and fiction information for the cancelled BT-16 "Blackwidow" toy finally emerged in late 2007 with the release of ''The Transformers Binaltech Stories: Profiles and Technical Specifications'', an unofficial publication by ''Binaltech'' story writer [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]] that compiled all then-current ''Binaltech'' information as well as that of the unreleased Blackarachnia and [[Ginrai]] toys. As it was never officially released, this information can be considered [[Pseudocanon|pseudocanonical]] at best.

*Blackarachnia is (strangely) depicted solely using a golden orange version of her Transmetal II body in her IDW ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' profile entry. She received properly colored coverage of all her modes in the trade paperback version.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Blackwidow''' (ブラックウィドー ''Burakkuwidō'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Alaina''' (Hong Kong, 雅麗娜 ''Aa Lai Naa'')
*''French:'' '''Mygale''' (Canada toy), '''La Veuve Noire''' (Canada cartoon, "The Black Widow")<ref name=TM2BA>Whether Transmetal II Blackarachnia had different French and Spanish names is uncertain at this point.</ref>
*''Italian:'' '''Arachnia'''
*''Latvian:'' '''Zirneklene'''<ref>Derived from "zirneklis", meaning "spider".</ref>
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hēi Jr-jū''' (Taiwan, 黑蜘蛛, "Black Spider"), '''Jr-jū''' (Taiwan ''Beast Machines'', 蜘蛛, "Spider")
*''Polish:'' '''Arachna'''
*''Portuguese:'' '''Aracniana''' (Portugual), '''Viúva Negra''' (Brazil ''Beast Wars'', "Black Widow")
*''Russian:'' '''Chornaya Vdova''' (Чёрная Вдова, "Black Widow")
*''Spanish:'' '''Araña Negra''' ("Black Spider")<ref name=TM2BA/>

==References==
<references />

[[Category:Alpha Trion's acolytes]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Female Transformers]]
[[Category:Minions of Unicron]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Saboteurs]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:TransTech Autobots]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Decepticons]]

Silverbolt (Fuzor)

2011-12-05T14:06:27Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Something I noticed.

{{factions|predacon|maximal|maximalbm|autobot}}
{{disambig3|Silverbolt}}
:''Silverbolt is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Continuity family|continuity family]].''

[[Image:Silverboltfuzor.jpg|right|350px|thumb|He was on "The Daily Show" before Jon Stewart. For real.]]
"Pure, strong, and fast," '''Silverbolt''''s sense of right and wrong is so overdeveloped his fellow Maximals wonder if his programming has a glitch. He speaks in lofty platitudes of chivalry, nobility, and idealized heroism; his speeches make even [[Optimus Primal]] roll his optics. His conviction is both his strength and his weakness. He sees the world in black and white—and not just because his beast mode is partly canine. The only gray area for Silverbolt is [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. His fierce love for the "evil" [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] causes him to question his preconceived notions of right and wrong. He was very proud of his ability to convert Blackarachnia to the Maximals, and, though most of the Maximals are skeptical of her loyalty to the cause and to him, he has nothing but faith in her.

{{bigquote|Though threatening your own comrade is no doubt business as usual in the Predacon guide to villainy... it is simply unacceptable behavior in ''my'' book!|Silverbolt|"[[Bad Spark]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Mitsuo Iwata]] (Japanese), [[Bruno Rocha]] (Portuguese) [[Marco Pagani]] (Italian), [[Pierre Forest]] (French), [[César Soto]] (Latin American Spanish)

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 1 Megatron fuzors.jpg|left|250px|thumb|The more you know! ''(da da da daaaaa)'']]
The explosion caused by the destruction of the [[Vok]] [[Planet Buster]] sent all stasis pods crashing to Earth. Some pods' scanners were damaged in the shock wave and eventual crash-landing, resulting in the Fuzors, a blend of two beast forms and the advanced Transmetal technology. One of these Fuzors was the winged wolf Silverbolt, while his neighbor was the violent, psychotic cobra-scorpion [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]], who immediately picked a fight with the peaceful Silverbolt upon their activation. The fight was interrupted by [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who tricked both Fuzors and recruited them into the Predacons. Silverbolt felt the faction's activation code and Megatron's orders to attack the passing [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to be distasteful (seeing how the cat had not attacked them), earning furious punishment from the Predacon leader. Soon, he and the other Predacons faced the remaining Maximals in battle. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

Silverbolt and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] were sent on to attack the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' directly, only for Silverbolt to be shot down by the ship's auto-guns. To his surprise, the Maximals took him back to their base for repairs, rather than finish him off. This act of compassion and [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]'s own admission of defection led him to make an important decision and he joined the Maximals, saving the newly reborn [[Optimus Primal]] from Megatron. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Tangled Web Silverbolt.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Brave, strong, fast ... and never without utensils.]]
Soon afterwards, while on patrol with the much more laid-back [[Rattrap]] (who spent a lot of the time pointedly ignoring Silverbolt's lines of honor and virtue), Silverbolt encountered the alluring Blackarachnia when [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] and Quickstrike were attempting to set up a forward base. She was somewhat surprised by his complete refusal to strike her simply because she was a female and used it to her advantage to attack him. However, the Maximal had no such compunction against fighting the coarse Quickstrike. {{storylink|Tangled Web|Tangled Web}}

During another mission, Silverbolt was shot down by Waspinator, who was prevented from taking the Maximal away by Rattrap. Silverbolt was able to return to base to fetch Optimus, and the pair were in time to prevent Dinobot, who had attempted to defect back to the Predacons, from being slagged by Megatron. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}} Silverbolt and Optimus arrived at an alien site unfortunately much too late to prevent [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] from being abducted. They returned to the alien site later, and were blasted by an [[Metal Hunter|alien construct]] which appeared there. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} Silverbolt and Cheetor, recovering quickly from the blast by virtue of their [[Transmetal]] properties, returned to the ''Axalon'' carrying [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] and Dinobot. They would later take part in a diversionary assault on the Metal Hunter in order to allow Rattrap and Tarantulas to slip inside and rescue Primal. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

[[Image:BadSpark battle-damaged Silverbolt.jpg|left|thumb|270px|Blackarachnia likes it rough.]]
The discovery of a stasis pod containing [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] led Silverbolt to once again encounter the dark temptress Blackarachnia, who was less than amused that he refused to fight her. After an energon explosion blasted them both across the jungle, damaging Silverbolt's wings, they were forced to journey together by foot. Silverbolt saved Blackarachnia from a saber-toothed tiger, and she in turn saved him from a nasty fall, however he was unable to get her admit there was any sort of Maximal goodness lurking within her. They soon encountered Protoform X, and Blackarachnia helped the Maximals defeat it, but was knocked off the cliff. Silverbolt once again came to her rescue, despite her protests that she didn't need help. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

Though not having known Dinobot for long, Silverbolt took part in his funeral. {{storylink|Code of Hero}} While searching for a Predacon jamming tower, Silverbolt protected a stasis pod from [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]. The pod contained a strange mutated Transformer which would later be dubbed [[Transmutate (character)|Transmutate]]. Silverbolt appealed to Transmutate that the Maximals offered it friendship, however Transmutate fell in with the Predacons, swayed by Rampage. Transmutate led Silverbolt into a trap, allowing Rampage and Inferno to damage the Fuzor, but joined the Maximals following a rescue mounted by Optimus. Though the other Maximals wanted to put Transmutate into stasis lock, Silverbolt argued strongly against it. After Transmutate was accidentally destroyed by Rampage and Silverbolt who were fighting over the creature, Silverbolt was anguished, and told the other Maximals to leave Rampage to mourn. {{storylink|Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate}}

Silverbolt found himself reluctantly sneaking off to meet with Blackarachnia, providing her with a [[graviton generator]] for the hoversled she was building. Despite his secrecy, the other Maximals seemed all aware of what he was up to, with Rattrap insinuating all sorts of activities. The Maximals were joined by a Predacon secret agent, [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]], who invited them to help him capture Megatron. During their attack on the ''Darksyde'', Silverbolt again refused to attack Blackarachnia, allowing her to leave the field of battle, much to Primal's annoyance. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 1)}}

Though Cheetor was assigned the task of bringing Blackarachnia in, Silverbolt rendered his fellow Maximal unconscious, himself going to find Blackarachnia. Locating her in pursuit of Waspinator, he pleaded with her to join the Maximals, and refused to leave until she did, even after she shot him in the thigh. While they were distracted, the hoversled hit Waspinator, forcing Silverbolt to once again save a disgusted Blackarachnia. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part 2)}} He subsequently aided her in digging into the side of a [[Mount St. Hilary|mountain]], to discover within the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. When Megatron arrived, Silverbolt was the playing card to convince Blackarachnia to open the doors to the Ark and allow him inside. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}}

[[Image:BWSilverbolt Blackarachnia OptimalSituation.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Damn you, [[Salazar]]! DAMN YOU, SALAZAAAARRR!]]
Soon after, when [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] was injured enough to cause a time storm, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt used the Ark's systems to start repairs on the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]]. Silverbolt helped his fellow Maximals defend the Ark against Megatron and, a short time later, stumbled on Blackarachnia who had been shot by the Predacon leader during his escape. Silverbolt cradled Blackarachnia in his arms, delivering a long melodramatic speech and howling when she went offline... only for the others to point out that she was just in [[stasis lock]] and would be fine once she got some repairs. With the loss of the ''Axalon'', the Maximals moved in to the cavern housing the Ark. {{storylink|Optimal Situation}}

He and Blackarachnia would hang out on sentry duty together. {{storylink|Deep Metal}} Sent on another mission, Silverbolt delivered Rattrap in a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]] to salvage [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] from the remains of the ''Axalon''. Though Rattrap retrieved the module, the pair ran into trouble in the form of the Predacons, and were ultimately prevented from getting away clean when they literally ran into [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]]. {{storylink|Changing of the Guard}}

When Cheetor seemed to be developing a crush on Blackarachnia, Silverbolt made no secret of his jealously, especially when the pair were assigned a mission together without him. Cheetor and Blackarachnia quickly got into danger, attacked by Tarantulas and some [[cyber raptor]]s, and naturally Silverbolt was first to come to their aid. {{storylink|Cutting Edge}} Cheetor would later go missing after a dangerous mission with Depth Charge. Though he joined in the search, Silverbolt was jealous at Blackarachnia's apparent concern for their comrade. Confronted by a feral beast, Silverbolt and Rattrap were surprised to be told by Primal that it was Cheetor, upgraded into a [[Transmetal 2]] form by Megatron's [[transmetal driver]]. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 2}}

The Maximals investigated the possibility of removing Blackarachnia's Predacon shell program, causing her to flee into the woods. Silverbolt convinced Rattrap not to tell the others, so he could find her personally, only to get in the middle of a fight between Blackarachnia and [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]]. Though he and Blackarachnia managed to defeat Dinobot, she was still determined to leave the Maximals, until they revealed that the decision to go through with the procedure to remove her shell program was up to her. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

[[Image:CrossingtheRubicon Silverbolt and Blackarachnia in profile.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"There's only two kinds of 'bolt, steers and ''queers'': which are ''you'', boy?!"]]
Silverbolt interrupted Blackarachnia during an experiment she was attempting to undergo in order to convert herself into a Transmetal 2. The failure of the experiment caused her shell program to degrade, leading the Maximals to attempt the tricky procedure of removing it. Disruption caused by the Predacons caused Blackarachnia's death, and an enraged Silverbolt set out to dismantle Taratulas in retaliation. Though he swiftly defeated Tarantulas, Silverbolt was brought down by Rampage, who was about to finish off the Maximal when a revived and upgraded Blackarachnia arrived to rescue her boyfriend. Silverbolt was overjoyed at her recovery. {{storylink|Crossing the Rubicon}}

[[Image:MasterBlaster Silverbolt tongue out.jpg|thumb|right|230px|thumb|Space Invaders is serious business!]]
When Waspinator mounted a solo attack on the Ark, Silverbolt was his only casualty. The attack was simply a diversion to allow Tarantulas to deliver a device to put Quickstrike in control of Optimus Primal. The other Maximals ended up locked in a cage, bar Blackarachnia, who was able to rescue them so that they could help fight off Megatron, who had upgraded himself by stealing the spark of the original [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. {{storylink|Master Blaster}}

Following the destruction of the Predacon base, Silverbolt and Depth Charge searched for the Predacons by air. They found their foe, however Depth Charge set off a boobytrap, which damaged Silverbolt. Despite his protests that it was merely a scratch, the fact that his head fell off severely undermined his argument, and Silverbolt found himself being escorted back to base for repairs. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 1}} He was repaired in time to help the other Maximals attempt to get the Ark moving before Megatron arrived with the newly-discovered ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]''. Though they failed, Megatron was still defeated, and the Maximals set course for [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] in the Autobot shuttle they'd found. {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

{{-}}

====''Transformers Legends'' anthology====
{{Note|This takes place after "[[Master Blaster]]"}}
Not long after Megatron combined his spark with that of the original Megatron, he had Quickstrike plant a device in the Maximal base. The device magnified the Maximals' aggression, and Silverbolt was soon trying to stop Rhinox from mangling Blackarachnia. After Optimus intervened, Silverbolt attacked him and was thrown aside, as Primal too succumbed to the device's effects. Luckily the Maximal leader was able to use his recent experiences to overcome the device and free the other Maximals, and they then chased Megatron off. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

{{note|This takes place during "[[Spark of Darkness]]"}}
Blackarachia was trying to persuade Silverbolt that it was all right for them to resume their romance after Megatron's apparent death, when they were attacked by a strange zombie-like creature. Silverbolt assumed the creature was a Maximal with its spark restored, and tried to reassure it that it was safe, only to be blasted by it. {{storylink|Singularity Ablyss}}

{{-}}

====''Beast Machines'' cartoon====
''See also: [[Jetstorm (BM)]]''
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Mitsuo Iwata]] (Japanese), [[Marcus Jardym]] (Portuguese), [[Massimo Bitossi]] (Italian), [[Helmut Gauß]] (German)

When the Autobot shuttle crash-landed, the Maximals split up. Silverbolt went with Rhinox and Blackarachnia. They ran into some tank drones, who used the de-evolving virus on Blackarachnia. Rhinox had to drag Silverbolt away. They met up with Rattrap, who was being chased by some more tank drones that infected them with the same virus. Because they weren't Transmetals, Rhinox and Silverbolt were paralyzed and their sparks taken out.

When the Maximals found themselves back on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] running for their lives from armies of [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon drones]], their memories of their past had been tampered with. Even [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] could not remember Silverbolt fully until she hacked into the memory backup on their ship. {{storylink|Fires of the Past}}

[[Image:Silverboltjetstorm.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Sadly, this was the coolest Silverbolt would get in ''Beast Machines''...]]
Blackarachnia began to suspect that Silverbolt's [[Spark|spark]] might be inside one of the [[Vehicon general|Vehicon generals]]. At first, she erroneously thought it was within [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]], but after a mishap with some technorganic goop, Silverbolt's spark was proven to be inside [[Jetstorm (BM)|Jetstorm]] (and Thrust turned out to be [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], whose amorous advances were tragically spurned by the arachnid chick). For a precious few moments, Silverbolt's consciousness was completely awoken within Jetstorm's body, reverting him to his old personality, until the goop was absorbed completely and Jetstorm's [[Shell program|shell program]] reasserted itself. {{storylink|The Catalyst}}

Obsessed with bringing Silverbolt back, she hounded Jetstorm, demanding he remember their shared love and return to the Maximals. Needless to say, Jetstorm was vexed by this. When [[Rattrap]] created a gizmo that would help them transfer the stolen Transformer sparks into new bodies, Blackarachnia stole it. Leading Jetstorm into the planet's organic core, she attached the gizmo to his back and trapped the Vehicon in a pool of the technorganic goop with her webs. After much screaming, reformatting, and brilliant light, Silverbolt was reborn as a condor, having scanned skeletal remains inside the cavern in the process.

[[Image:Silverboltbm.jpg|left|210px|thumb|...for he later became...Purplebolt! the World's Deadliest Peacock!]]
Counter to Blackarachnia's expectations, Silverbolt was not pleased. Gone was the Maximal who exemplified honor and chivalry, replaced with one who desired only retribution and vengeance. "I was a fool back then," he once said. "I ''believed'' in things." Distraught, Blackarachnia managed to convince him to come along with her to help rescue [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] from inside [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s [[Grand Mal|Big Floating Head]], but Silverbolt did not accompany her for their friends, as he was not interested in them. He went to confront Megatron.

Megatron, seeing that his General had been reformatted into a Maximal, tried to seduce Silverbolt back to his side. Silverbolt was told he was a creature of honor who fought for just causes, and that Megatron gave Silverbolt not only a just cause (the technological purity of Cybertron), but also the power and strength to fight for that cause. Blackarachnia countered at every point, pleading with Silverbolt to remember their love and friendship. Silverbolt ignored her, bitterly retorting that Megatron had given him ''nothing''. With nearly insane fury, he let loose a volley of feather bombs, disrupting Megatron from within. Cheetor and Primal were rescued, and Silverbolt was dragged away from the battle.

Slightly calmed, Silverbolt was later approached by Blackarachnia. He confided in her the real reason for his anger: it was not what Megatron had done to him, but that he'd been freed from his code of honor and ''enjoyed'' the experience. He did not trust himself any longer. This did not deter Blackarachnia. She believed, no matter what, that Silverbolt had goodness in his heart. {{storylink|In Darkest Knight}}

[[Image:Wolf in the Fold Silverbolt infected.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Who goosed the goose?]]
Silverbolt's return to the Maximals was not without its hiccups, however. When he formally returned to the group, Megatron used giant mechanical drill-tentacles to damage the city and get the Maximals' attention... as well as activate a new strain of the ancient [[Hate Plague]] virus hidden in Silverbolt. After infecting everyone and nearly scrapping each other, they managed to cure themselves. Silverbolt was bummed about being used, but Optimus gave him a pat on the shoulder and said "Hakuna matata". Or words to that effect. {{storylink|A Wolf in the Fold}}

When a spaceship was shot down and crashed into the city, Silverbolt was teamed with [[Nightscream (BM)|Nightscream]] to reach it from the air, and he had to endure the young Maximal's harsh words and attitude, brought on by the Hate Plague incident. Silverbolt fought against the [[Botanica (BM)|crazed space plant]] on the shuttle, then against a horde of Tank Drones in their underground base, and his actions finally allowed Nightscream to warm up to him. {{storylink|Home Soil}}

[[Image:Sparkwar2 Silverbolt beast mode.jpg|left|240px|thumb|"You are all ''weirdos!''"]]
After a battle against Thrust and his cycle drones, Silverbolt chewed Blackarachnia out for losing focus during the battle. Nightscream later approached Silverbolt to tell him not to be such a jerk to Blackarachnia, but Silverbolt wasn't interested in listening and flew off, pursued by the younger Maximal. The pair soon encountered trouble in the form of two new Vehicon generals, [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (BM)|Strika]]. Though they were joined by the other Maximals, the Vehicon generals out-thought them at every turn, and they were only saved when Botanica intervened. Still, Silverbolt didn't fancy their chances against the new generals. {{Storylink|Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike}}

During the search for the missing sparks, Silverbolt was teamed with Cheetor and Blackarachnia. Though he wasn't keen on taking orders from Cheetor, whom he regarded as a kid, despite Blackarachnia asserting that Cheetor had grown up a lot since the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]]. Eventually Cheetor was able to prove himself sufficiently to earn Silverbolt's respect. {{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search}} With the discovery that the missing sparks were aboard the Grand Mal, Cheetor, Nightscream and Silverbolt set about keeping the Vehicons busy while Optimus and the others sneaked on board. They were too late to prevent the beginning of Megatron's spark-fueled ascension, though it was ultimately halted by Nightscream. Silverbolt joined the other Maximals in mourning the loss of Nightscream's friend [[Noble]].{{storylink|Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege}}

[[Image:Silverboltblackarachniaseedsofthefuture.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Now that we've won, we can bang like everyday ordinary really ugly people.]]
Despite Megatron's apparent demise, Silverbolt was reluctant to renew relations with Blackarachnia. The pair's discussion was interrupted by an attack by a [[zombie]] animated by a strange red spark. The Maximals hunted the spark through the streets of [[Cybertropolis]], only for it to turn out to be Megatron after Rattrap forced it into the body of a [[Diagnostic Drone]]. {{storylink|Spark of Darkness}}

The Maximals struggled to protect the Grand Mal and the sparks it contained, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Nightscream were sent out to wreak havoc in the ranks of the Vehicons in an attempt to distract them. The Vehicons eventually overcame the Grand Mal's shields. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral}} The Maximals received a power up from the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] and were able to hold their own against the Vehicons, until Megatron cut off their power boost. Silverbolt was taken out by Thrust, and Blackarachnia by Obsidian. Their sparks were subsequently torn out by cycle drones. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall}} Though unable to aid physically, the Maximals gave Optimus Primal moral support during his duel with Megatron. Following the [[Great Reformatting]], the Maximals' sparks were returned to their bodies. Silverbolt's old personality reemerged—only for him to ruin the moment by saying the corniest line he could think of. And more power to him. {{storylink|Endgame Pt. III: Seeds of the Future}}
{{-}}

====''Universe''====
Shortly after the [[Great Reformatting]] of Cybertron, the [[Quintesson]]s invaded in full force, hoping the recent ecological and biological upheaval would tip the balance in their favor. Silverbolt and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] led a counterforce in [[Cybertropolis]], where they had little trouble against the [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] armies. {{storylink|Wreckers: Finale Part II}}

[[Image:Blackarachniaabduction.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Y'know, his life would have been way easier if he'd just settled down with Airazor instead.]]
One year later, five great Autobot heroes ([[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]], [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]], [[Trailbreaker (G1)|Trailbreaker]], [[Shadow Striker (Universe)|Shadow Striker]], and [[Roulette (Universe)|Roulette]]) returned home to a peaceful planet. Amidst a media blitz and celebration, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], and [[Rattrap]] were among the Maximals to greet them.

However, what appeared to be celebratory fireworks struck Silverbolt and Blackarachnia and also the five Autobots. They were transported to the firey [[Pit]] deep within [[Unicron]], where all but Trailbreaker were rebuilt painfully into new bodies. Silverbolt was piece-by-piece reassembled into a version of his
original [[Fuzor]] form.

[[Image:Silverbolt tfu.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Angsty Redux]]
Seeing an arena up ahead, the seven moved towards it, only to be attacked by a swarm of [[Cauldron drone|shape-shifting, lava-like creatures]]. Though they fought, they were overwhelmed and taken into a nearby arena, the [[Cauldron]], where they were caged along with a multitude of Transformers kidnapped from across the multiverse. Silverbolt believed he recognized some of their jailers, such as variant versions of [[Tankor (BM)|Tankor]] and [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]], but the being he thought was [[Tigerhawk]] wanted Silverbolt to know that he was, in fact, [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]]! The three (and [[Reptilion]]) were from different universes, and they oversaw the battles that took place within the Cauldron. Here, Silverbolt would fight and die, his extinguished spark meant to feed the damaged Chaos Bringer. {{storylink|Abduction}}

As Sunstreaker and Sideswipe battled, Silverbolt noticed another intruder within the Cauldron - Optimus Primal! Could it be? Silverbolt and Trailbreaker used this distraction to hatch an escape plan. Since their cells were tuned to [[Bio-mechanical aura|their bodies]], the two [[Primary system program transfer|swapped personality data]], allowing them to leave their cages. Freeing the others, they and Optimus Primal rushed the guards and headed back outside of the arena. Optimus Primal and [[Snarl (BM)|Snarl]] opened a portal back home to Cybertron, which would have made a happy ending for Silverbolt, but instead Blackarachnia and Shadow Striker betrayed them. Corrupted by the [[Unicron virus]] that persisted within their bodies since their experience within the Pit, Shadow Striker and Silverbolt's beloved had finally succumbed to its demands. Blackarachnia bid a final goodbye to Silverbolt and pushed him through the portal to safety. Once Silverbolt arrived back home, he quietly vowed to bring Blackarachnia back into the light. {{storylink|Escape (issue)|Escape}}

[[Image:Optimusprimaluniverseend.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Okay, is it my turn to be evil again next?]]
Silverbolt joined several other of the escapees at the [[Oasis Research and Development Facility]], where a stranded alternate universe [[Ratchet (Universe)|Ratchet]] attempted to remove the virus from Sideswipe's new form with no success. He and Cheetor wondered aloud whether they could truly trust this resurrected Primal. Silverbolt noted that they'd all seen how the virus had corrupted Blackarachnia, and the same could have happened to their former leader. {{storylink|Homecoming (issue)|Homecoming}}

This conflict with Unicron went on for an unspecified amount of time, until one last desperate raiding party on the Chaos Bringer, which included Primal, Silverbolt, and many others. As they fought the armies of Unicron, suddenly, without warning, Unicron began to [[Unicron Singularity|dissolve]] beneath them. The Universe conflict finally resolved, Silverbolt carried away a presumably redeemed Blackarachnia with him towards a portal leading home. {{storylink|Revelations Part 2}}

{{-}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Silverbolt was upgraded into a [[Transmetal]] and left stranded somewhere on [[Earth|Energoa]], far away from the other [[Maximal|Maximals]] and presumed dead by [[Rattrap]]. After [[Optimus Primal]] was reborn, Silverbolt could be seen staring poetically at the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] from somewhere on the planet. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===Fire in the Dark===
The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' crashed in [[Mexico]] sometime around 1,000 BC, and the Maximals and Predacons fought many battles across the land. After Tarantulas and Waspinator enslaved a local [[Natiltec|tribe of humans]], one of the young warriors escaped and encountered Silverbolt. Detecting the energon dust on the human's hands, Silverbolt tracked it back to a cave inside which he found the two Predacons. He swiftly dispatched Tarantulas, but was still struggling with Waspinator when the cave collapsed, and he was later forced to dig his way out. The Natiltec, who had been able to escape during the battle, dubbed Silverbolt "Fire-in-the-Dark", and inscribed the story of his great battle into a cave wall. The inscriptions were found and translated some three thousand years later by an archaeological team of [[human]]s and [[Mini-Con]]s. {{storylink|Fire in the Dark}}

===''Universe'' CD-ROM===
Silverbolt followed Optimus Primal in fighting against [[Reptilion|Reptillion]] and his Decepticon forces. He engaged [[Razorclaw (Universe)|Razorclaw]] in combat, but was probably defeated by him as the latter moved on to fight [[Striker]]. After the Decepticons were abducted by Unicron's ship, Silverbolt asked his leader just what that thing was. {{storylink|Universe CD-ROM|Universe CD-ROM}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===''Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals'' video game===
{{Note|Silverbolt is only a playable character in the Playstation version of this game.}}
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the second season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
Silverbolt participates in a extensive one-on-one beatdown involving nearly every active participant of the Beast Wars. {{storylink|Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Silverboltfuzortoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Watch out for my deadly spoons!]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Deluxe Fuzor, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number'': '''C-41'''
**''Accessories'': Left & right feather-missiles

: Part of the first wave of [[Fuzor|Fuzors]], Silverbolt transforms into a wolf with the wings, fore-legs and tail of an eagle. In either mode, pulling his tail activates a spring-loaded "wing flap" gimmick. Moving the wings far enough forward triggers their built-in spring-loaded missile launchers. Silverbolt's missiles are also designed to be held in his hands like clubs. They also happen to look like spoons.

: For his Japanese release as part of ''Beast Wars Metals'', Silverbolt's grey plastic was made much lighter, and the wolf eyes were given painted irises and pupils.

: This mold was used to make [[BotCon 1999]]'s [[Windrazor (BW)|Windrazor]] and Silverbolt's [[Universe (2003 toyline)|''Universe'']] [[Redeco|redeco]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Silverbolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
===Beast Machines===
[[Image:Silverboltbmtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Guess why I was packaged in robot mode!]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Basic, 2000)
**''Accessories'': Wing-pack/sword

: ''Beast Machines'' Silverbolt transforms into a technorganic condor. His wings have a snap-together feature, and the entire wing assembly detaches to form a hand-held shield-blade for robot mode. His condor mode looks so awkward (no place for the robot legs to go!) that it is possible his real [[Alternate mode|altmode]] was originally intended to be a [[:Image:Silverboltbmtoygriffin.jpg|griffin]].

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Beast Machines Silverbolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:Silverboltbwrtoy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Like lipstick on a... condor... thing.]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Basic, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-10'''
**''Accessories'': Wing-pack/sword

: In 2005, the ''Beast Machines'' toy was [[Redeco|redecoed]] for the [[Takara]] ''[[Beast Wars Returns]]'' series in a much more [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] purple color scheme. He was only available at Toys "R" Us stores.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Maximal/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Beast Wars Returns Silverbolt at TFU.info (scroll down)]''

{{-}}

===Universe (2003)===
[[Image:Universe2003toy-SilverboltDeluxe.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Admit that I'm beautiful. ADMIT IT.]]
*'''Silverbolt''' (Deluxe, 2003)
**''Accessories'': Left & right feather-missiles

: A [[Giant Purple Griffin|purple]] redeco of the original Fuzor toy and part of the very first assortment of ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' product, Silverbolt once again transforms into a wolf/eagle fusion. He retains all of his previous [[Gimmick|gimmicks]], but includes more paint applications this time around, such as pupils in his wolf-mode eyes and the lightning-like "energon surge" deco on his back. This version also adds an Autobot sigil to his tummy-gem.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2003/Autobot/Silverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Universe Silverbolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Robot Heroes===
[[Image:Robotheroessilverboltmegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He will beat you to death with his mighty wheat!]]
'''Silverbolt vs. Transmetal Megatron''' (2008)

: Part of the "Beast Wars Series," Silverbolt comes packaged with [[Transmetal]] [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron]]. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Maximal/RHSilverbolt/silverbolt.htm More information on Robot Heroes Silverbolt at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
==Notes==
* In the Japanese dub of ''Beast Wars'', Silverbolt was not portrayed as a stereotypical "knight in shining armor" as he was in the West. Instead, his unique character quirk was that he was ''psychotically polite'' and always happy no matter what—even in the one scene in "[[Optimal Situation]]" where he thought Blackarachnia was dead. He ended nearly every sentence in a loud, stressed '''"desu!"''' which made every sentence of his needlessly over-polite. [[wikipedia:List_of_Rozen_Maiden_characters#Suiseiseki|Suiseiseki]] would be proud desu.

* Silverbolt's cross-sell [[stock photography]] indicates that his first toy was originally intended to have a literally silver deco with shiny paint applications covering much of his surfaces.

* According to various [[Hasbro]] representatives, ''Universe'' Silverbolt's colors (and those of pretty much the entire first wave of ''Universe'' product) were done by Hasbro employees from outside the ''Transformers'' team.

* Silverbolt's robot mode in ''Beast Machines'' was heavily designed after a traditional Japanese samurai.

* According to one of the [[Steven Melching|writers]]' commentaries on one of his [[Endgame Pt. II: When Legends Fall|episodes]], he made the changes to Silverbolt based on the evolution of the Adam West Batman into the Dark Knight.

* Blackarachnia spent a number of episodes thinking Silverbolt was buried inside ''[[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]'', who from time to time would act to save her due to influences from his inner spark. If Waspinator can do that, her true love Silverbolt should have been able to; his revelation that he ''enjoyed'' being Jetstorm indicates he just wasn't trying.

* Silverbolt has the dubious distinction of being the only Maximal who has not taken out Waspinator ([[The Agenda (Part 2)|directly, anyway]]), instead being taken down by the bug three times. Ouch.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Silverbolt''' (シルバーボルト ''Shirubāboruto'')
*''French:'' '''Vif-Argent''' ("Quicksilver", Canada)
*''Italian:'' '''Grifo'''
*''Mandarin:'' '''Yín Láng''' (Taiwan ''Beast Machines'', 銀狼, "Silver Wolf"), '''Yín Shǎn-dìan''' (Taiwan ''Beast Machines'', 銀閃電, "Silver Bolt")
*''Polish:'' '''Srebrny Grom'''
*''Spanish:'' '''Rayo De Plata''' (toy, "Ray of Silver"), '''Lobo Plateado''' (cartoon, "Silver-plated Wolf")

[[Category:Beast Machines Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Fuzors]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Trackers]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Universe Autobots]]

Orcanoch

2011-12-04T04:43:22Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ link

{{factions|maximal}}
{{picsneeded|toy pictures}}
[[Image:Orcanoch-boxfront-th.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Somewhere... beyond the sea...]]
:''Orcanoch is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

'''Orcanoch'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s orca mode is perfect for seeking out underwater energon sources, if he can keep [[Arachnid]] from stealing his internal secrets. Crafted from a combination of the shell of a crashed alien starship and a modified version of the standard Maximal [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] program, it developed a personality of its own, a merging of the aforementioned defense program and the alien ship's artificial intelligence. Orcanoch is capable of establishing itself on land via built-in thrusters or to scour the ocean depths at speeds up to 150 knots, and houses [[CR chamber]]s and built-in energon dampeners to prevent its passengers from suffering from potential overload. Though it boasted a sophisticated neural net that could instantaneously adapt to enemy attacks, it was sabotaged and sunk by the Predacons, never to be recovered.<ref>[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook]] 3</ref>

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
*'''[[Orcanoch]]''' (''MicroVerse'', 1997)
: Orcanoch was released as part of the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' line, [[Hasbro]]'s miniatures line meant to compete with [[Galoob]]'s "Micro Machines" (before Hasbro’s purchase of Galoob). It transforms from an orca into a multi-level tower base. Its pectoral fins pull out to reveal a separate one-robot mini-sub. The orca head is removed (and presumably set aside) to reveal a control tower with spring-loaded missile launcher.

: It comes with two micro-figures, [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Orcanoch/orcanoch.htm More information on Orcanoch at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
* Orcanoch's box-art shows a presumed Maximal that cannot be identified as an existing toy or character. It kind of sort of looks like a cross between [[Armordillo]] and [[Snapper]], but isn't either of them.

* Due to containing a mini-figure of [[Optimus Primal]], this otherwise unmemorable micro-set is of interest to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] [[completist]]s.

* Oddly enough, the Optimus Primal figure included with this set is unmistakably colored to represent the Maximal leader's gorilla body, while the Megatron figure included the [[Arachnid]] playset, Orcanoch's Predacon counterpart, represents the Predacon leader in his alligator form. Guess Primal got around to upgrade his body before Megatron did in this [[micro-continuity]]...

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Bases]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category: Toy-only characters]]
[[Category: Undersea specialists]]

Arachnid

2011-12-04T04:39:55Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Another link.

{{factions|predacon}}
{{picsneeded|Base mode of the toy}}
:''Arachnid is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] mobile fortress from the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Arachnidsourcebook.jpg|300px|thumb|right]]
The titanic '''Arachnid''' was designed by [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] to function as a gigantic mobile fortress for the Predacon forces on Earth. Powerful, well-armed, and able to shoot webs to capture Maximals who attempt to flee before him. Tarantulas based its artificial intelligence on his own personality program. Not surprisingly then, Arachnid's rudimentary mind quite enjoys the cruelty of playing with his Maximal prey.<ref>''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' 1</ref>

{{TOCclear}}
==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Bw-arachnid.jpg|right|200px|thumb|And the Spiders from Mars.]]
*'''Arachnid''' (MicroVerse playset, 1997)

: Arachnid was released as part of the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' line, [[Hasbro]]’s miniatures line meant to compete with [[Galoob]]’s "Micro Machines" (before Hasbro’s purchase of Galoob). It transforms from a spider into a treaded base unit with a gun emplacement on a posable arm and gripper claws. Its abdomen opens up to reveal a landing strip and volcano-like hangar for two insectoid mini-vehicles. It came with two micro-figures, [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron in his gator body]] and [[Razorbeast]].

: There are two variants; some use yellow plastic for the mini-vehicles and other accessories, while later releases use bright green plastic.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Predacon/Arachnid/arachnid.htm More information on Arachnid at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
==Notes==
* Due to containing a mini-figure of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], this otherwise unmemorable micro-set is of interest to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] [[completist]]s.

* Oddly enough, the Megatron figure included with this set is unmistakably meant to represent the Predacon leader's gator body, while the Optimus Primal figure included in the [[Orcanoch]] playset, Arachnid's Maximal counterpart, represents the Maximal leader in his gorilla form. Guess Primal got around to upgrading his body before Megatron did in this [[micro-continuity]]...

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Bases]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Toy-only characters]]

Orcanoch

2011-12-04T04:37:34Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Added link.

{{factions|maximal}}
{{picsneeded|toy pictures}}
[[Image:Orcanoch-boxfront-th.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Somewhere... beyond the sea...]]
:''Orcanoch is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

'''Orcanoch'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s orca mode is perfect for seeking out underwater energon sources, if he can keep [[Arachnid]] from stealing his internal secrets. Crafted from a combination of the shell of a crashed alien starship and a modified version of the standard Maximal [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]] program, it developed a personality of its own, a merging of the aforementioned defense program and the alien ship's artificial intelligence. Orcanoch is capable of establishing itself on land via built-in thrusters or to scour the ocean depths at speeds up to 150 knots, and houses [[CR chamber]]s and built-in energon dampeners to prevent its passengers from suffering from potential overload. Though it boasted a sophisticated neural net that could instantaneously adapt to enemy attacks, it was sabotaged and sunk by the Predacons, never to be recovered.<ref>[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook]] 3</ref>

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
*'''[[Orcanoch]]''' (''MicroVerse'', 1997)
: Orcanoch was released as part of the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' line, [[Hasbro]]'s miniatures line meant to compete with [[Galoob]]'s "Micro Machines" (before Hasbro’s purchase of Galoob). It transforms from an orca into a multi-level tower base. Its pectoral fins pull out to reveal a separate one-robot mini-sub. The orca head is removed (and presumably set aside) to reveal a control tower with spring-loaded missile launcher.

: It comes with two micro-figures, [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Maximal/Orcanoch/orcanoch.htm More information on Orcanoch at TFU.info]''

==Notes==
* Orcanoch's box-art shows a presumed Maximal that cannot be identified as an existing toy or character. It kind of sort of looks like a cross between [[Armordillo]] and [[Snapper]], but isn't either of them.

* Due to containing a mini-figure of [[Optimus Primal]], this otherwise unmemorable micro-set is of interest to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] [[completist]]s.

* Oddly enough, the Optimus Primal figure included with this set is unmistakably colored to represent the Maximal leader's gorilla body, while the Megatron figure included the [[Arachnid]] playset, Orcanoch's Predacon counterpart, represents the Predacon leader in his alligator form. Guess Primal got around to upgrade his body before Megatron did in this micro-continuity...

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Bases]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category: Toy-only characters]]
[[Category: Undersea specialists]]

Arachnid

2011-12-04T04:34:54Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ Added link.

{{factions|predacon}}
{{picsneeded|Base mode of the toy}}
:''Arachnid is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] mobile fortress from the [[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''

[[Image:Arachnidsourcebook.jpg|300px|thumb|right]]
The titanic '''Arachnid''' was designed by [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] to function as a gigantic mobile fortress for the Predacon forces on Earth. Powerful, well-armed, and able to shoot webs to capture Maximals who attempt to flee before him. Tarantulas based its artificial intelligence on his own personality program. Not surprisingly then, Arachnid's rudimentary mind quite enjoys the cruelty of playing with his Maximal prey.<ref>''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' 1</ref>

{{TOCclear}}
==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:Bw-arachnid.jpg|right|200px|thumb|And the Spiders from Mars.]]
*'''Arachnid''' (MicroVerse playset, 1997)

: Arachnid was released as part of the ''[[MicroVerse]]'' line, [[Hasbro]]’s miniatures line meant to compete with [[Galoob]]’s "Micro Machines" (before Hasbro’s purchase of Galoob). It transforms from a spider into a treaded base unit with a gun emplacement on a posable arm and gripper claws. Its abdomen opens up to reveal a landing strip and volcano-like hangar for two insectoid mini-vehicles. It came with two micro-figures, [[Megatron (BW)/toys|Megatron in his gator body]] and [[Razorbeast]].

: There are two variants; some use yellow plastic for the mini-vehicles and other accessories, while later releases use bright green plastic.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Predacon/Arachnid/arachnid.htm More information on Arachnid at TFU.info]''
{{--}}
==Notes==
* Due to containing a mini-figure of [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], this otherwise unmemorable micro-set is of interest to [[Optimus Prime (disambiguation)|Optimus]] and [[Megatron (disambiguation)|Megatron]] [[completist]]s.

* Oddly enough, the Megatron figure included with this set is unmistakably meant to represent the Predacon leader's gator body, while the Optimus Primal figure included in the Orcanoch playset, Arachnid's Maximal counterpart, represents the Maximal leader in his gorilla form. Guess Primal got around to upgrading his body before Megatron did in this [[micro-continuity]]...

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Bases]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Toy-only characters]]

Optimal Situation

2011-12-04T04:08:41Z

TrapRat: Couple of additions.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=40
|series2=Metals
|ep2=13
|next2=Where Is the Banana?
|title="Optimal Situation"
|image=Optimal Optimus.JPG
|caption=[[Trukk not munky|Trukk ''and'' munky]].
|production code=
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|writer=[[Bob Forward]]
|director=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 24]], 1998
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''With Optimus Prime in critical condition after Megatron's attack, Optimus Primal takes on his spark to save the timestream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Smelt Prime.JPG|left|150px|thumb|Smelts in your mouth, not in your hand.]]
As a time storm ravages reality, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] gloats to the fading [[Maximal]]s, since his attack on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ensures that the [[Autobot]]s lose to the [[Decepticon]]s, resulting in the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] having control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], having been a Maximal protoform, is also affected by the time storm. She uses the information from the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] to activate [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security system, forcing Megatron out of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:OptimusPrimal OpSit Matrixspark.jpg|right|150px|thumb|It's not the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. We swear.]]
Blackarachnia and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] activate the Ark's repair systems to help stabilize Optimus Prime's condition, but the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] is still dying, and "reality is still in flux". The other Maximals arrive, and upon seeing Prime, realize that they must save him. However, his spark is fading. Believing there is no other choice, Optimus Primal merges his spark with Prime's to save it. He succeeds, and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] summons an [[Autobot repair device]] to begin restoring Prime's body. Holding Prime's spark causes Primal to expand into a new, larger body.

Megatron and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] arrive and attack, though Primal manages to save the Maximals and convince the Predacons to leave, while Blackarachnia uses the commotion to escape. Outside, [[Waspinator]] provides cover fire by shooting the rocks above the Ark. The Predacons destroy the cave entrance and flee, but Megatron notices a trapped Blackarachnia. Enraged by her betrayal, Megatron shoots her as the Maximals break free. Knowing that they are heading for the unprotected ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Primal and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] race off.

[[Image:BWSilverbolt Blackarachnia OptimalSituation.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Ug, gag unto me with a spoon.]]
As Silverbolt cradles the damaged Blackarachnia, he begs her to fight on and praises her defiance of Megatron. She maintains that what she did was self-preservation, but Silverbolt points out that she also saved him and the universe. He openly admits to Blackarachnia that he loves her, shocking her. While there's still time, Silverbolt asks her one last time to join the Maximals. Although she maintains that she's still a Predacon, Blackarachnia joins the Maximals for him, then goes off-line. However, Rhinox reveals that she's merely in [[Stasis lock|stasis lock]].

Primal and Cheetor manage to down Megatron, Inferno, and Waspinator, but Primal discovers that [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and the [[Arachnoid]]s are literally trying to drag the base away. Optimus manages to sever the lines and dispatch Rampage, but not before Rampage fires a missile which deflects off Primal and hits the ''Axalon''. The ''Axalon'' plummets off the cliff and crashes into the river. Knowing that he must return Prime's spark, Optimus withdraws with Cheetor to rejoin the Maximals.

[[Image:Optimusx2.JPG|right|150px|thumb|And in four million years, he'll tell [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] he had the strangest [[Humanization#Sleep|dream]].]]
Back in the Ark, the repairs are finished. Returning the spark causes Optimus Prime to reactivate briefly, but he almost immediately returns to stasis lock. [[Rattrap]] is less than happy, as they now have the difficult task of protecting the Ark from the Predacons. With the time stream safe—for the moment—Optimus orders the Maximals, including Blackarachnia (who still maintains she's a Predacon), to begin rounding up every piece of salvage and make fortifications.

They're moving into [[Mount St. Hilary]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]](6)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
*[[Waspinator]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (12)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (13)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (14)

|h3=[[Autobot]]s|c3=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"You wouldn't dare fire in here! It might upset history." 
"We'd have four million years to clean you off the walls, Megatron. I ''might'' risk it."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Primal''' are badasses.

'''Megatron:''' This is not the end of it, Optimal Optimus. Nooo. The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron, and it shall do so again! 
'''Optimus:''' Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, Megatron. 
'''Megatron:''' Then they'd better stay out of my way! 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, fer bootin' up cold! Will you just shoot him? 
'''Optimus:''' I'm trying not to resort to that.
:—The 'bots talk smack.

"Jumping gyros, Optimus sure learns a new body fast!" 
"Well wha'd ya expect? He ''changes'' 'em often enough!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''', who gets a rim shot.

"Blackarachnia, dark poison of my heart, abide with me yet a while." 
"You got a way with words there, Rover. You almost make me wish I was a better girl."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''' have a touching moment. Rattrap is probably on the verge of puking or shooting them.

==Notes==
*Optimus runs through all four of his new body's modes within a few minutes of its debut. (His beast mode is easy to miss, but he uses it when he shields the other Maximals from the Predacons' weapons fire.)
* Primal's voice becomes noticeably deeper when he takes on his new form, as well as gaining an additional flanging effect. One might think the change is related to having old John Wayne-voice Optimus Prime within him, but both changes remain after Prime's spark is restored, so apparently it's just from being bigger and more metally. The deeper voice would vanish in future episodes, however.
*Blackarachnia opposes Megatron's plan to wipe the Autobots from history because she was a Maximal protoform. Technically, Quickstrike, Inferno, and (arguably) Rampage all count as Maximal protoforms too, but they don't oppose Megatron's plan because Quickstrike's ignorant, Inferno's crazy, and Rampage doesn't have a say in the matter (and is also crazy).

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Rhinox slaps Rattrap for cracking wise over Optimus Prime's ruined state, his green understructure clips through the gold surface of the lower rhinoceros jaw that covers his chest.
*When the camera pans around Prime to show the repairs starting to be made, the Autobot insignia inside his chest is upside-down.
*When Megatron and Inferno fire at the Maximals inside the Ark, it takes surprisingly lot of time for the projectiles to reach their targets - enough to let Primal throw his arm shields in the air, transform, catch them, leap in front of his comrades and provide cover for them.
*When Primal first transforms into his jet mode, the cockpit is empty, but should house Prime's spark.
*After the Predacons leave the ''Ark'', Inferno, who looked like a zombie in the scene before (and after being apparently vaporized two episodes prior), is now in mint condition.
*During Primal and Cheetor's aerial attack on the fleeing Predacons, the cat's flight-mode jets are not deployed as he swoops closer to "camera" in the medium shot following his initial approach, but well before he transforms.
*As the ''Axalon'' is being dragged off of the cliff, the bottom of it can be seen. However it is completely flat at the rear; the engines are not there at all.
*In the Brazilian dub, Rampage is called "Destruição", but his name is "Violência". "Destruição" is Ravage's name.

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Sparkholderprimevaldawn.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Geekery.]]
*The "spark container" which held Optimus Prime's spark was hauntingly similar to the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. According to [[Ben Yee]]'s [http://www.bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/episodes/seasonthree/os/ site], the Mainframe animators used Optimus Prime's death sequence from "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" as a visual reference and used the Matrix's design as a spark container because they didn't know its significance. This, of course, leads us to ask the question: How do you get involved with ''Transformers'' and not know the most important McGuffin in the entire continuity?
** "[[Primeval Dawn]]" later explained the Matrix-shaped spark container as being a [[Decoy|decoy]] Matrix constructed to sit in front of the real Matrix.
** Or Rhinox's "his spark has the Matrix with it" line could suggest that while he held the Matrix, the Matrix seen in ''Beast Wars'' was the Matrix and not a decoy. Consider that in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Prime didn't give the Matrix to Ultra Magnus until after he had died. Look, just watch the episode, okay?
*Optimus was briefly knocked out after deflecting the missile and falling to the ground. However he is awake to watch the ''Axalon'' teeter back and forth and eventually fall off the cliff. One wonders why he couldn't have stopped it. After all, in his original form, he was able to slow the ship's descent to keep it from crashing in the episode "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]". One would think that his much larger and more powerful form would be enough actually to lift the ship up. On the other hand, he may not have wanted to leave himself (or more importantly, Prime's spark) exposed to Rampage. Considering the fact that the ''Axalon'' fell in the first place because Primal was trying to protect his ancestor's spark, it seems like the most logical in-universe explanation.
* Although the kinds of relative damage that can cause [[Death|fatal]] injury is [[Waspinator (BW)|notoriously]] [[Dinobot (BW)|inconsistent]] in ''Beast Wars'' (and the wider franchise in general), it is particularly strange that Ravage is killed outright by the explosion that traveled the length of the ship before consuming him, whereas Tarantulas was literally at the epicenter of the blast and yet was easily cobbled back together by his [[Arachnoid]]s. To be fair, perhaps Ravage could have been just as readily reassembled had anyone bothered to do so, although if so this raises the question of why no-one did... (or, at least, not until [[Ravage_%28G1%29#3H_Universe_comics|the]] [[Ravage_%28G1%29#IDW_Beast_Wars_comics|comics]]).

===Transformers references===
[[Image:OptimalSituation Tarantulas insignia.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* The [[Arachnoid]]s seen in this episode sport a special Tarantulas [[insignia]], which they possess in all of their appearances from now on.
*After Optimus Prime's spark is returned to him, he reactivates, but almost immediately returns to [[stasis lock]]. The [[Binaltech#Binaltech_2|''Binaltech'' story]] chapter supplied with BT-22 Convoy establishes that Optimus Prime was at least partly aware of both the spark transfer and Optimus Primal.
*When confronting Megatron on the ''Ark'''s bridge, Optimus Primal tells Megatron, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings," the motto of Optimus Prime. When informed by [[Ben Yee]] about this fact during the [[Madman Entertainment]] ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVD commentary for this episode, writer Bob Forward confessed that up to this point he had no idea, and the phrase was simply something he'd picked up from the alt.toys.transformers newsgroup.
* Later, Optimus Primal tells the Maximals to "transform and [[Roll out|roll out]]."

===Real-world references===
* The [[Autobot repair device]] used that fits over Prime's head unfurls in a distinctively layered fashion reminiscent of the exploding mask worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film [[wikipedia:Total Recall| Total Recall]].

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situation Optimal'''" (Canada, "Optimal Situation")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'alba di una nuova era'''" ("The Dawn of a New Age")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ōkiku Na~re'''" (大きくな～れ, "Gro~w Bigger")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situação Optimal'''" ("Optimal Situation")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Óptima'''" ("Optimal Situation")

:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Optima'''" (America, "Optimal Situation")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Groooww Bigger ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Other Victories

2011-12-03T23:28:37Z

TrapRat: /* Continuity notes */ Added the qualifier "directly", as one can reasonably interpret Primal's earlier statement that he doesn't want to loose "any more friends" wasn't only referring to Dinobot.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=50
|image=OVic opening.JPG
|caption=Sure is nice in the lifeless void.
|title="Other Victories"
|production=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[May 5]], [[1999]]
|written by=[[Larry DiTillio]]
|directed by=[[William Lau]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''The aliens send their powerful new emissary Tigerhawk to Earth to stop the continued disruption of the time stream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:OtherVictories BirthofTigerhawk.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh yeah, we still have these two guys.]]
Somewhere in the vast universe, two entities are discussing the experiment on "[[Earth|Nexus Earth]]". Though the project was "sterilized", there remains a threat. The entities then reveal [[Tigatron]] and [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], then merge their bodies together, creating a new [[Transformer]]. The aliens inhabit the body and depart in a ball of energy, while two [[spark]]s follow.

[[Image:Judge Megatron.JPG|right|150px|thumb|Believe it or not, you may have better luck on [[Quintessa]].]]
At the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] are holding a "trial" for [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. [[Waspinator]] is the "defense", [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] and [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] are the jury, [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] is taking the minutes, and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] is the judge, not to mention the fact that he's all dressed up for the occasion. Quickstrike begs for mercy, saying he doesn't know what [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s intentions for destroying the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] were, but offers to hunt him down for Megatron. Suddenly, the sensors detect an energy surge on a ballistic approach for the base. Tarantulas and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] both detect the surge as well and recognize that it can only be one thing.

The aliens are back.

[[Image:OtherVictories clash.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Flying Tiger, Hidden Dragon]]
The Predacons' automated defenses are ineffective against the anomaly, and Megatron orders them to abandon the base. Making contact, the energy ball destroys the Predacon ship instantly. [[Optimus Primal]] heads for the base, fearing that the spark of [[Megatron (G1)|the original Megatron]] may have been destroyed, and sends [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] to assist.

From the ashes of the Predacon base, the alien Transformer appears and introduces himself as [[Tigerhawk]], emissary of the [[Vok]]. He dispatches the other Predacons with ease, then sentences Megatron to death for his interference with the timestream. The two battle, but Tigerhawk is victorious. During the fight, Cheetor is incapacitated. As Tigerhawk prepares the killing blow, Optimus arrives. Tigerhawk greets him in a friendly manner, but asks him not to interfere. Optimus tries to explain Megatron's situation, but is entombed in the earth for his efforts. However, Tigerhawk is attacked by Tarantulas's [[Arachnoid|spider drones]], which allows Tarantulas to drag him to his lair. Meanwhile, an unconscious Cheetor dreams that he is visited by the sparks of Tigatron and Airazor, who fuse together before he is attacked by the two Vok seen in the beginning of the episode. He wakes up to see the fused spark, which guides him to the lair and the emissary.

[[Image:Tarantulas death.JPG|right|150px|thumb|The most hardcore death of ''Beast Wars''.]]
At the lair, Tigerhawk revives and claims to know Tarantulas. The mad scientist states that he intends to use Tigerhawk to destroy the [[Maximal|Maximals]] while he detonates the ''Ark''. He also reveals why he wants to destroy it: Tarantulas and the [[Tripredacus Council]] are not descendants of the [[Autobot|Autobots]] and the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]], but have "other origins". This would allow them to control [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and conquer the universe. Cheetor jumps in around this time and looks on amazed at the scene. As Tarantulas activates the deprogramming device, the two Vok entities emerge from Tigerhawk's mouth and enter him. The device then shoots a bolt of energy at Tarantulas, which throws him into a nearby [[Energon crystal]]. The crystal detonates, destroying Tarantulas and the two aliens in a freakish yet totally hardcore manner. Cheetor manages to drag Tigerhawk out, but is knocked unconscious when the lair explodes.

Optimus locates Cheetor and Tigerhawk as the merged sparks of Tigatron and Airazor enter the emissary. Welcoming their old friends and new friend back, the Maximals depart for home…as Megatron watches on.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal|Maximals]]|c1=
*[[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] (3)
*[[Tigatron]] (4)
*[[Tigerhawk]] (5)
*[[Rattrap]] (13)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (14)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (15)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (16)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (17)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (6)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (7)
*[[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] (8)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (9)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (10)
*[[Waspinator]] (11)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (12)

|c4=*Magenta-eyed [[Vok]] (1)
*Yellow-eyed Vok (2)
}}

==Quotes==
"Ooooo, Waspinator ''like'' defense! A little ''more'' defense, and maybe Waspinator not get blown up all the time!" 
''gulp'' "Looks like this is my last round-up." 
"Aheh-ahem! Two-Head throw Megatron in lava pit. Megatron ''angry''. Think Two-Head a traitor. Want to ''slag'' Two-Head. Waspinator down with that!"
:—'''Waspinator''' "defends" '''Quickstrike'''.

"I — I plum don't know! But I do know this. That dang spider double-crossed ''both'' of us. I'd be happy to track him down for ya, a-and kick his keister!" 
"Ah hah hah. 'Dang spider'. I applaud your good intentions. But we are ''through'' being lenient with traitors!"
:—'''Quickstrike''' learns that '''Megatron''' is no longer [[Master Blaster|tolerant of treachery.]]

"Well, i-i-if it's not a comet, what is it?" 
"Somethin' I thought we'd never see again."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Rhinox''', monitoring Tigerhawk's approach toward prehistoric Earth.

"They're back... just like Tarantulas always said they'd be."
:—'''Blackarachnia'''

'''Tigerhawk''': "I am Tigerhawk, emissary of the Vok. Your form's changed, but I know you, Megatron. The Vok charge you with the willful disruption of time and space. Surrender to me immediately. Violence will not be tolerated." 
'''Megatron''': [''chuckles''] "Megatrons do not surrender." [''transforms to robot mode''] "We conquer! Predacons, attack!"

"You're insane!" 
"So they say. Bblbllllaah!"
:—'''Tarantulas''' proves '''Tigerhawk'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s assertion.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*As the Predacons scramble for battle stations, Megatron's eyes are green instead of their usual purple.
*Before Megatron orders to abandon the ''Darksyde'', Waspinator screams "What should we do?!", then he just vanishes into thin air.
*As the Predacons open fire on Tigerhawk, Dinobot II fires a green beam instead of a red one.
*When Tarantulas' [[arachnoid|arachnoids]] attack Tigerhawk, he is missing the green visor over his eyes when one latches onto his face.

===Continuity errors===
*Despite being described as having "different origins" than being Decepticon descendants, in "[[The Agenda (Part 1)|The Agenda]]", the Tripredacus Council specifically refer to the Decepticons as being their ancestors while talking ''in private to themselves''. Bit of a glaring [[Retcon|retcon]] there (We could be charitable and assume they meant the Decepticon-born [[Cybertronian (faction)|Cybertronian Empire]]).
*Considering at least some time has passed since the last episode, there's no logical explanation for why no one had bothered to explain to Rattrap that Megatron now had the original Megatron's spark and thus why he needed it explained to him in this episode. Nor has Rattrap been portrayed as anything but intelligent up until this point so that he'd need this explained to him a second time if we're to assume they did tell him and he just... forgot. This was likely only done to serve as exposition for the audience.

===Continuity notes===
* Cheetor has his last of four strange dreams in this episode, wherein Airazor and Tigatron appear to him and fuse together before his eyes. When he wakes up, he sees and follows the new joint spark over the landscape. He also sees the Vok in this dream before he sees them in real life, perhaps because Tigerhawk shows him or perhaps precognitive.
* Not only is this the first time that Airazor and Tigatron have appeared since being abducted in "[[Other Visits (Part 1)|Other Visits]]," it's the first time they've even been directly mentioned by other characters. Some friends the Maximals are.
* In the comics continuity, Tarantulas survives this encounter and really used it as a means to absorb the Vok. That makes the fact that this super genius character idiotically killed himself by repeatedly blasting his death ray machine thing until it turned around and killed him... a little easier to swallow.
* This is the last episode to show Tarantulas, The Vok, Tigatron, Airazor and the [[Darksyde]].
*The ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' is seen on Tarantulas's computer. It will have significance in the [[Nemesis Part 1|series]] [[Nemesis Part 2|finale]]. They also show he's got the warship ready to be activated, so its presence on his computer screen may (in-universe) mean he was about to use it himself...
*When Tigerhawk is under the influence of the Vok his optics are solid green. Once Tigatron and Airazor's sparks enter his body, his optics are red with a yellow slit pupil.
*The gun Dinobot uses during Quickstrike's trial is one of the guns Rampage used in "[[The Agenda (Part III)]]".

===Real-world references===
[[Image:TarantulasVok SignOfTheCross.jpg|right|150px|thumb|"The power of [[Christmas]] compels you!"]]
* During Quickstrike's court-martial, Megatron wears a barrister's wig like those worn by British attorneys and judges. Inferno acts as stenographer (complete with typewriter).
* As the Vok approach Tarantulas, he attempts to ward them off by forming a [[Jesus|crucifix]] with his fingers, a sacred item often used to ward off [[Energy vampire|vampires]] in folklore.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Victoire'''" (Canada, "The Victory")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Un nuovo amico'''" ("A New Friend")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tadaima de Gozaru'''" (ただいまでござる, "I Hath Returned")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Outras Vitórias'''" ("Other Victories")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Otras Victorias'''" (America, "Other Victories"

===Trivia===
* This episode [[To sell toys|really wants you to buy a Tigerhawk toy]]. Can you tell?
* In a bit of classic irony, Tarantulas has been trying to destroy the Vok for most of the series and has been attempting to manipulate their creations towards his own plans. However when he actually faces the Vok themselves he utterly loses it and just starts shooting like a maniac out of fear.
*While Tigerhawk is easily able to defeat six Predacons and hold off an entire Decepticon [[Nemesis (G1)|warship]] by himself, he is no match for a group of arachnoids.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — We Have Returned ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 4 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Feral Scream Part 1

2011-11-30T04:59:32Z

TrapRat: /* Trivia */ Almost put this in "animation mistakes", but I guess it technically isn't a mistake. Although it SO is...

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=44
|series2=Metals
|ep2=17
|prev2=Changing of the Guard
|image=Feral Scream 1 title shot.JPG
|caption=[[Clone One|Obsession?]] [[Cyber raptor|What obsession?]]
|title="Feral Scream Part 1"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[January 31]], 1999
|written by=[[Greg Johnson]]
|directed by=[[John Pozer]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''Megatron uses alien technology to create a new breed of warrior, and Cheetor is caught in the blast as the device malfunctions.'''

==Synopsis==
It is a dark and stormy night as [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] battle [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] and [[Waspinator]] for a [[stasis pod]]. Cheetor pulls out a massive rifle, but instead of hitting Waspinator, his shot explodes closer to Optimus, collapsing the ledge he's standing on and burying him in an avalanche. The two [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] retreat with their prized pod, and Cheetor is left to see to the fallen [[Maximal]] leader. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] arrives and helps uncover Optimus by blasting some rubble away with a "power pizza". After it's clear Primal is still alive, Depth Charge flies off to hunt Rampage. Damaged, Primal drives back to the base, while Cheetor in instructed to wait for back up, and assist Depth Charge.

[[Image:Feral Scream 1 Protoform.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Waspinator, would you mind telling me whose spark I did put in?" "Abby... someone"]]
In a dramatic ceremony, Megatron loads the stasis pod into a machine. With cells from [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] for an identity, half the spark of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] for life force, a [[blank]] [[protoform]] for a body, and the [[Transmetal driver]] to tie it all together, [[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] is born. Depth Charge crashes the birthday party, but the new Dinobot displays an intense ferocity against the manta. Cheetor arrives and "spices things up" by shooting stuff.

[[Image:Dinobotlosesafinger.jpg|thumb|Goldurnit Ma you opened your mouth again and I done shot my hand off.]]

Dinobot transforms and inspects his new body, accidentally blowing off his own finger in the process. Cheetor grabs a Predacon hover-thing and uses it to snatch the Transmetal driver from Megatron's apparatus. Cheetor tosses the driver to Depth Charge. Megatron blasts Cheetor into the machine's electrical current, frying the cat bot. Cheetor spends a minute being tortured by the machine, and the assembled Transformers cover themselves as a large flash of white light explodes across the mountainside. Apparently, Cheetor is dead.

Back in the Maximals' base, Primal is repairing himself. Depth Charge arrives and reports Cheetor's death. Depth Charge heads into a cave to scan the driver, and finds that it's a device of alien nature that has been altered by Megatron. He decides to destroy the device by tossing it into some lava, but once Depth Charge's back is turned, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] catches the device before it is immolated.[[Image:Blackarachniatransmetaldriver.jpg|left|thumb|Depth Charge came pretty close to keeping Blackarachnia from completing her Madballs collection.]]
Outside, Primal blames himself for Cheetor's death—but as it turns out, Cheetor is still alive, though in bad shape.

In the Predacon base, Rampage expresses displeasure over having his spark's core given to the Dinobot clone. The king crab tries to reclaim the fragment of himself, but Dinobot has inherited Megatron's ability to crush the fragment of Rampage's spark, causing Rampage great pain. Dinobot is sent to recover the Transmetal driver. [[Rubber Ducky]] watches contently from the tub.

Depth Charge emerges from a [[CR chamber]], and sets out to [[Subgrid Zarak]] to hunt Rampage. When there, he's ambushed and captured by Dinobot. Dinobot and the Predacons interrogate Depth Charge, but a feral monster jumps out of the darkness and strikes down Megatron. [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] follows the blur of a beast behind a rock, but is quickly dismembered. When the strange feline monster jumps out again, Rampage and his "brother" try to shoot it, but only end up blasting each other away.

[[Image:Feral Scream 1 Cheetor Depthcharge.jpg|200px|thumb|Ugh, time for a breath mint.]]
Megatron is left on his own, and overprotective of himself, he blasts away the wandering Waspinator. The beast hits Megatron in the back, and Megatron stumbles and plants his own tail-claw-weapon thing into the ground, causing himself to spin out of control and over a cliff. Depth Charge is left alone to wonder who or what saved him, but his mysterious hero sneaks away when Primal returns.

Back at the Maximal base, Cheetor stumbles onto the scene and passes out. Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] rush to help him.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (3)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (5)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (7)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Waspinator]] (1)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Dinobot II|Dinobot]] (6)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (9)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (10)

}}
==Quotes==
"From the tempest's fury, the spark ignites…to sire new life! Transmetal 2 life! Ahaha-haha!"
:—'''Megatron''' channels his inner mad scientist

"Waspinator not like new lizard bot!" 
"I agree with the bug. But then, I'm not crazy about any of you."
:—'''Waspinator''' and '''Depth Charge'''

"Communications are still shot, and your systems aren't much better. You're in no condition to pick a fight." 
"Fight's been picked."
:—'''Rhinox''' and '''Optimus Primal'''

"Where's Cheetor?" 
[''tosses him a piece of Cheetor's chestplate''] "Cat was tough. He went out fighting."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' and '''Depth Charge'''

"Cheetor. This is my fault, Rhinox. I was rough on him, so he… so he tried to prove something."
:—'''Optimus Primal''' mourns Cheetor's supposed death

"You gave ''this'' the core of my spark? I shall rip it from his chest and restore it within me!"
:—'''Rampage''' is not impressed with Megatron's latest experiment.

"The other equipment has been salvaged, but you took the alien Transmetal unit. Where is it?" 
"Gone. Ain't that a kick in the lugnuts?" ''[chuckles]''
:—'''Megatron''' and a defiant '''Depth Charge'''

"No! He's mine! I shall feast upon his still pulsating spark!"
:—'''Rampage''', still creepy.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* During the top shot of the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]], the ship is clearly mirrored. The (looking from top) left wing is whole and right wing is broken, when in reality the wings are reversed. It is shown correctly in part 2, however.
*When Cheetor dismisses Optimus Primal's orders, his beast mode front legs are locked in a slanted position instead of their normal upright position. The right leg is also clipping through his backpack.

===Continuity errors===
* Optimus berates Cheetor for putting the blank protoform at risk, when in "[[Double Jeopardy]]" Optimus aimed at Waspinator when the latter was carrying a protoform...'''''with a spark!'''''

===Transformers references===
* There is a [[Subgrid Zarak|subgrid]] near the Maximal base called [[Zarak (G1)|Zarak]].

===Real-world references===
* Megatron's creation of the Dinobot clone is clearly based on the creation of the monster from [[Wikipedia:Frankenstein|Frankenstein]], complete with Waspinator as [[Wikipedia:Igor (fictional character)|Igor]].

* After grabbing the Transmetal driver, Cheetor yells for Depth Charge to "Go deep", a reference to American football.

* Megatron spins around and over a cliff in a manner similar to the Tasmanian Devil "Taz" and Wile E. Coyote cartoon characters, respectively.

* As Megatron orders a retreat after falling off the cliff, ''[[wikipedia:Taps|Taps]]'' can be heard.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hurlement 1'''" (Canda, "Scream 1")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mille emozioni - Parte 1'''" ("Many Emotions - Part 1")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Fukkatsu Dā'''" (ふっかつダー, "I Am Resurrected, Dā")<ref>The protracted emphatic "da" is a speech quirk given to the Japanese version of Dinobot, signifying he's speaking the title.</ref>

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Grito Animal Parte 1'''" ("Animal Scream Part 1")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Llamada de la Naturaleza (Parte 1)'''" ("The Call of Nature (Part 1)")

:*''Title:'' "'''El Llamado de la Naturaleza Primera Parte'''" (America, "The Call of Nature First Part")

===Trivia===
* This episode has one of the precious few scenes with Primal in his Optimal body's beast mode.

* Certainly not a case of [[dull surprise]], Optimus' slack-jawed expression of abject terror just before getting shot by Cheetor's [[wikipedia:Friendly fire|friendly fire]] is ''hilariously'' extreme.

* Where the [[Pit|hell]] did Cheetor pull that gun from? It's [[Cliffjumper (G1)|almost as big as he is]]! (It actually looks like Optimal Optimus's otherwise unused rifle, but colored black)

* Even levers do not like Waspinator.

* This is the second and last episode of the series to feature Optimal Optimus's armored transport mode. (It is seen briefly, as Cheetor is left alone and says to himself that he doesn't need any back-up.)

* [[Cybertronix]]
** The Transmetal driver has Predacon-flavor Cybertronix embossed on the ridges. What this indicates about its origin is unclear.
** Shortly before Depth Charge emerges from the CR chamber, we get a closeup of a readout flashing "FFUCK" in green (the F characters are stacked vertically), followed by "YOU" in red. This text is upside down, probably intentionally to lessen the chances it would be noticed before the episode aired.

*While not revealed in this episode to be Cheetor, the "cyber-beast" bears only slight resemblance to a cheetah, instead looking and acting more like a monstrous were-cat.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Yeah, I'm Back! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 2 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2005 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 2 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Dinobot (BW)

2011-11-28T14:51:26Z

TrapRat: /* Notes */ I think this is definitely worth mentioning, given the cross-relevance of Latta and GIJoe.

{{disambig3|Dinobot}}
{{featured}}
{{factions|predacon|maximal|hofsilver}}
:''Dinobot is a [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] and [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Era]] portion of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Dinobotbwx.jpg|right|300px|thumb|






"You lived like a warrior ans died to an hero." [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en&&] ]]








'''Dinobot''' is a Predacon ruled by his sense of honor. He lives to die gloriously in battle. When he aided [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] in the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], Dinobot believed he was in the pursuit of endless glory. But when he and his Predacon peers crashed on what seemed to be the wrong planet alongside a [[Maximal]] exploration vessel, he rebelled against Megatron and joined the Maximal team. It would be an uneasy alliance, fraught with turns of loyalty and turns of Shakespearean phrase. But it also led to strong friendships and even the salvation of all [[human]]ity.

As befits a warrior of his stature, Dinobot is skilled in all forms of combat. He wields a spinning sword and a [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|rotating blade]], both which are his preferred means of battle, though he has been known to use ranged weapons such as his laser eye-beams or a simple handheld gun. He has threatened to use any and all of these on [[Rattrap]], with whom he has an intense rivalry. Deep down, he may respect the rodent, but he'll die before he'll admit to it.

{{bigquote|The question that has haunted my being has been answered: The future is not fixed. My choices are my own. And yet, how ironic, for I now find I have no choice at all! I am a warrior... let the battle be joined.|Dinobot|"[[Code of Hero]]"}}

==Fiction==
===First wave toy bios===
Dinobot clawed his way up to the top through victory after victory. Optimus considers him a natural when it comes to combat expertise. His thirst for battle is unquenchable. {{storylink|Dinobot (BW)#Toys|Dinobot bio}}
{{note|The on-package [[Bio|bios]] of the first wave of Beast Wars toys, predate the development of the ''Beast Wars'' cartoon and its backstory. They seem to present the characters as a direct continuation of the previous Autobot/Decepticon conflict, with Optimus Primal actually being a new form of Optimus Prime and Megatron being his Generation 1 counterpart, and their battles taking place on present day, [[human]]-inhabited Earth, rather than in the distant past. Once the cartoon launched, the toyline adjusted itself to match that continuity instead, relegating this one to an aborted [[micro-continuity]].}}

===Cartoon continuity===
====Dreamwave comics continuity====
[[Image:Dinobotmtmte8.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Little did we know that there was a giant shovel on the other arm.]]
During the theft of the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]], [[Megatron (BW)|He Who Would Be Megatron]] also scanned the historical datatrax of the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s. He failed to notice the approaching guard until Dinobot dispatched him with his sword and insisted they speed up the operation. {{storylink|More Than Meets The Eye (G1)|More Than Meets The Eye #8}}

{{note|This two-page story is contradicted by many other versions of the story—specifically Megatron's spontaneous renaming of himself—possibly placing it in a version of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] that occurs only in Dreamwave's Generation 1 continuity. Of course, Dreamwave chose that time to [[Pat Lee|fold]] before this could be explained.}}

{{-}}
====Theft of the Golden Disk====
[[Image:Dinobotdawnoffuturespast.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them."]]
After meeting with [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]], "Dinobot", Megatron, and [[Dirge (BWII)|Dirge]] broke into the [[Cybertropolis Maximal Data Archive]] to steal a [[Data-Con]] which would provide all sorts of information about the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]]. As they were making their getaway, Dinobot threw the Data-Con to Dirge (who was unaware of a switch on Megatron's part) before battling a squadron of [[Maximal Command Security Force|Maximal Security Troopers]], ending with a close combat duel with [[9K]] using his then energy-based sword. Dinobot evidently emerged victorious, as he was later seen with Megatron and "[[Scorponok (BW)|Clamps]]". {{storylink|Theft of the Golden Disk}}

====Dawn of Future's Past====
Megatron and Dinobot joined [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] in escaping the archives with the Golden Disk, avoiding patrolmen [[Nitrostreak|Unit 1]] and [[Tigatron|Unit 2]]. As Dinobot disabled the former, he protested Megatron's apparent cowardice and dishonorable tactics. Megatron responded by clamping his fist around Dinobot's neck, rebuking him for using the "h" word in his presence. After Dinobot had regained his composure, they made their way to the rendezvous point with the ''[[Darksyde]]'' and launched into space, where they activated their transwarp drive.

The ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' and the ''[[Chromia 10]]'' gave chase, though the latter was destroyed by [[Laserbeak (G1)|unknown]] [[Buzzsaw (G1)|assailants]]. When the ''Axalon'' caught up with the Predacons, Dinobot balked at the idea of fleeing again and managed to fire a few shots at the ''Axalon''. After Megatron taunted the pilot of the ''Axalon'' via videoscreen, Dinobot and the other rogue Predacons on board the ''Darksyde'' disappeared through a transwarp portal, with the ''Axalon'' close behind. {{storylink|Dawn of Future's Past}}

{{-}}
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
:''Voice actor:'' [[Scott McNeil]] (English), [[Keiji Fujiwara]] (Japanese),[[Luiz Carlos de Moraes]] (Portuguese, Season 1), [[Jorge Barcellos]] (Portuguese, Season 2 onwards), [[Federico Romano]] (Latin American Spanish), [[Héctor Cantolla]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Mario Zucca]] (Italian), [[Michel Vigné]] (French), [[Uli Pleßmann]] (German)

[[Image:BWDinobot arrival.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair... wherever the hell we are."]]
Dinobot was one of a group of rogue Predacons and was party to their theft of the Maximal relic, the Golden Disk. They stole a ship and traveled through a transwarp portal, with the Maximal ship ''Axalon'' not far behind. After a heated space battle over a mysterious planet, both ships were damaged, and they fell blazing towards the ground below.

The entire planet was saturated with [[Energon (fuel)|energon]], so much so that Dinobot and the other Predacons required protection. To this end, organic forms were scanned. In Dinobot's case, ''Velociraptor'' remains buried deep within the volcanic soil of their crash site became the basis for his new form. But the levels of energon were just one problem—this planet looked nothing like [[Earth]], their target destination! As Dinobot ventured outside the base, he blamed Megatron for this error and announced his intention to take over the Predacons himself. Megatron laughed and had [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] shoot him over the horizon.

Dinobot, cheated and humbled, took his efforts elsewhere. As the Maximals returned to their crashed ship from an outing, Dinobot was there, blocking the rocky bridge that crossed the waterfall surrounding their new base. This time, he challenged [[Optimus Primal]], and for the leadership of the Maximals. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 1)}}

[[Image:BWPart1 bridgefaceoff.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"Ill met by moonlight—er, sunlight, proud Optimus."]]

He and [[Optimus Primal]] began their fight. It almost ended badly for Primal when the Maximal commander's foot slipped on the edge of the bridge, but Dinobot saved him, as the Predacon believed that a dishonorable death would mean a dishonorable victory on his own part. They continued, but their battle was interrupted by a Predacon attack. After that clash subsided, Dinobot helped the Maximals, leading them to a victory against Megatron when he tried to obtain the bounty of a mountain-sized cache of natural energon. Optimus accepted him into the fold—not as a leader, of course, but still as a valued team member. This didn't sit well with the other Maximals, particularly [[Rattrap]]. {{storylink|Beast Wars (Part 2)}}

Dinobot provided not only brute force but an understanding of the enemy. A short time afterward, Dinobot was standing with Primal and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] on the bridge of the ''Axalon'' around a holo-map of the Predacon base when Primal suggested that Rattrap go on a scouting mission. {{storylink|The Web}}

[[Image:Dinobotbulliescheetor.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Come not within the measure of my wrath."]]

However, though he was an asset against the Predacons, Dinobot sowed discontent amongst the Maximals' own ranks. Early on, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] was ordered to his quarters for fumbling the test of an energon monitoring device, and Dinobot suggested to the young Maximal that he secretly test the device himself. This ended in potential disaster when Cheetor unwittingly created a instant-transport stream between the two bases. When [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] used this to infiltrate the Maximal base, Dinobot feigned a desire to team up with him and overthrow Megatron. Lulling him into a false sense of security, Dinobot eventually took care of him with the trash disposal unit—all without firing a shot, and the other Maximals never even knew. {{storylink|Equal Measures}}

[[Image:Coc getshorty.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"The course of true love never did run smooth."]]

Dinobot and Optimus Primal investigated an energy signature detected within the [[Standing Stones]], an enigmatic monument of alien origin. After a clash with Megatron and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]], the monument came to life and Optimus Primal disappeared before their eyes. When Dinobot woke up, he was in the Maximal CR chamber, as he'd been found stripped down and abandoned outside the base by unknown hands. But that wasn't important-Optimus Primal was gone, perhaps dead! The Maximals quickly tried to select a new leader by [[Democracy|secret ballot]], and Dinobot laughed at them when their vote ended in a tie. No, he would be the new leader-by force, if necessary! However, they were all interrupted by a message from Optimus Primal, who was inside the alien monument. Primal put Rattrap in charge, and the remaining Maximals mounted a plan to extract Primal from the alien construct. After another battle with the Predacons at the Standing Stones, the aliens returned Primal to them, with no explanations. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}

When an incoming [[stasis pod]] carrying a potential new Maximal team member was detected, Dinobot refused to let Primal leave without scouting the area outside the ''Axalon'' first himself. Dinobot was convinced the Predacons would try to remove Primal from the equation, as he was their faction's only flying member, and he was right—the Predacons managed to damage Primal enough to keep him out of the race for the pod. Dinobot stayed behind with Primal while the others made a play for the pod on foot. When Dinobot received a transmission indicating the Maximals were having difficulties, he awoke Primal's [[core consciousness]] to consult him. As a result, the two were able to bounce a signal off one of the planet's moons to the dormant stasis pod, beating the Predacons to the punch. [[Tigatron]] joined the team. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

[[Image:Better Mousetrap Dinobot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Today is a good day for violence!"]]

Soon after, Dinobot and Primal were investigating a second stasis pod when they were suddenly ambushed by Predacons. The Predacons defeated the two and secured the pod for themselves, bringing [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] online. As this was one in a long string of clever coups, this forced Optimus Primal to consider that their team was suffering from an information leak. Primal scapegoated Rattrap, an accusation in which Dinobot took pleasure. Dinobot was all too happy to destroy the alleged turncoat despite the potential hypocrisy of that act. Rattrap subsequently defected, and in the ensuing battle, was ordered by Megatron to shoot Dinobot, his frequent rival. After some hesitation, Rattrap shot Terrorsaur instead and revealed that the entire situation was a ruse by Optimus Primal to detect the real source of the information leak: stolen Maximal codes. {{storylink|Double Jeopardy}}

Childish infighting between Rattrap and Dinobot inadvertently triggered Rhinox's new security program, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], before it could be completed. Dinobot and the other Maximals fled the ''Axalon'', while Rattrap stayed inside to combat Sentinel himself. Later, when Sentinel appeared to have shut down, Rattrap was assumed dead. Each Maximal gave a touching eulogy for Rattrap except for Dinobot, who refused to taint Rattrap's memory with lies. It was soon revealed that Rattrap had not perished, but had instead managed to shut off Sentinel.{{storylink|A Better Mousetrap}}

[[Image:Dinobotversusplant.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"I will speak daggers to it, but use none."]]

Dinobot joined Optimus Primal on a mission once again, but this time to explore the planet's native organisms. Dinobot considered this work as being beneath him, and in the process found himself assaulted by one of the planet's flora. As Primal considered this a lesson in respect learned, he found himself attacked by one of Scorponok's [[cyberbee]]s. It injected him with a virus that was intended to make him a coward, but instead removed all his inhibitions. Upon returning Primal to the ''Axalon'', Dinobot oddly found himself agreeing that this new bloodthirsty Primal was not a beneficial change. After he failed to solve the problem with the Predacons diplomatically, as Primal would have wanted, it was decided to let the new violent Primal be the new violent Primal. Ultimately, Primal acquired the antidote and woke up with Dinobot standing watch over him. Dinobot assured him that it was merely his shift, and not indicative of his feelings towards Primal—despite having placed a beautiful plant in Primal's quarters. {{storylink|Gorilla Warfare}}

When a Cybertronian probe was detected, Dinobot helped his teammates attempt to contact it, despite the fact he dreaded a return home. After all, he was a criminal even in Predacon terms, and he had no hope for a warm Maximal reception. Somewhat fortunately for Dinobot's potential fate, their attempts to catch the attention of the probe failed when [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] invented the [[transformation lock lens]]. {{storylink|The Probe}} The issue was raised again when the Maximals thought that the Predacons had been destroyed. Dinobot elected to remain on the planet while the Maximals repaired their ship and launched it. However, just as Dinobot wandered off to explore the world that had become his, he stumbled across the not-so-dead Predacons, who attacked the ''Axalon'' and grounded the Maximals once again. {{storylink|Victory (episode)|Victory}}

[[Image:Dinobot mirror.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"A little more than kin, and less than kind."]]

After Dinobot and the other Maximals were saved from a Predacon attack by Rhinox's ingenuity, Rhinox was abducted by the Predacons and reprogrammed into one of them. Optimus Primal waited for this to backfire on them, and when their plot began to unravel, Dinobot joined the Maximals in infiltrating the Predacon base and retrieving their kidnapped comrade. {{storylink|Dark Designs}} Megatron soon set his sights on Dinobot as well. After Terrorsaur buried Dinobot in a cave, Megatron unleashed a [[Clone One|clone of Dinobot]] on the unsuspecting Maximals. Ultimately, Dinobot broke free and returned to the ''Axalon'', where he confronted his clone and ate him. Yes. He ate him. {{storylink|Double Dinobot}}

Not long afterward, Tigatron went missing during a routine scouting report. When Optimus Primal noted that Tigatron was the victim of an aerial attack, Dinobot identified the culprits as Waspinator and Terrorsaur. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 1}} Dinobot remained at base with Rhinox while the others searched for Tigatron on a mysterious flying island. {{storylink|The Trigger, Part 2}} Dinobot suffered along with his teammates when the energon dampener was stolen from the ''Axalon'', requiring him and the others to stay in beast mode to avoid energon surges. Between that and sleep deprivation from persistent Predacon attacks, their innate beast instincts began to take over, and the Maximals went feral. It was only through the instruction of Tigatron that they were able to defeat the Predacons and retrieve the dampener. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

Dinobot was tested again when he, Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap were blinded by a Predacon attack. They were far from base and completely helpless, so Dinobot immediately began to panic. Rhinox was able to calm him and the others and slowly lead them back to base, using their other senses. They were rescued by Optimus Primal and Tigatron at the foot of the base just as they began to slip into [[stasis lock]]. {{storylink|Dark Voyage}} The Maximals were also visited by the wandering spark of [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]], who possessed the body of Waspinator and led a successful attack on the Maximal base, resulting in Dinobot receiving critical damage. Forced out of their base, Optimus Primal surrendered the Maximals to Starscream, under the condition that Dinobot be repaired. In exchange, Starscream ordered the Maximals to attack Megatron. Despite his treachery, Starscream himself was deceived, as Dinobot was not as damaged as advertised. He and Primal were able to eject Starscream from Waspinator's body and retake the ''Axalon''. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[Image:Dinobottarantulasrattrapthelowroad.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"Frailty, thy name is Tarantulas!"]]

Once again, the feud between Rattrap and Dinobot led to disaster. Their carelessness indirectly caused Rhinox to be infected with a [[Energon discharge virus|virus]] that caused him to eject energy involuntarily, via hiccups or sneezes or...other means. Optimus Primal ordered the bickering pair to hunt down Tarantulas in his lair and obtain the antidote, figuring they'd either learn to work together or everyone would be destroyed. Unfortunately, the latter wasn't so unlikely an option, as Dinobot and Rattrap's out-of-control behavior toward each other repeatedly sabotaged their efforts to capture Tarantulas. Dinobot was able to grab him just as Megatron arrived, and claimed the spider as a hostage. Megatron did not care and shot them both. Ultimately, the day was saved when Rhinox used his virus against the Predacons, unleashing a mighty explosion from his rear end. {{storylink|The Low Road}}

Despite his increasing loyalty to the team, Dinobot's violent heart occasionally created rifts. Most notable was his reaction to [[Tigatron]]'s pacifism: When the tiger tried to leave the Maximals in grief over the accidental death of his best friend, Dinobot argued vociferously with the "coward". He simply could not comprehend what Tigatron was saying, that in order to stop the fighting, someone had to lay down his weapon. The confrontation with Tigatron revealed more than just Dinobot's warrior ethic. He explained to Tigatron a bit of his motives for turning against Megatron: He feared that if Megatron used Earth's energon supply to wage a new war, Cybertron would burn as a result. Dinobot could only see desertion, and for that he nearly killed Tigatron, who refused to fight back. But Primal interrupted before any damage was done, and Tigatron later came back to battle to save Dinobot from a Predacon attack, making the whole point moot. {{storylink|Law of the Jungle}}

The [[Vok|alien]] mystery that surrounded the planet soon came to a head. When it became apparent that the aliens themselves would visit them imminently, the Predacons surprisingly called for a truce. Tigatron was called to sneak into the Predacon base and find out what had captured Megatron's attention, and Dinobot and the other Maximals staged a non-lethal battle to cover Tigatron's exit, upholding their end of the truce. Dinobot loosened a large boulder out of place, allowing it to crush both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia. {{storylink|Before the Storm}} As expected, the aliens arrived. A wormhole opened up over the planet, and a beam shot down to the surface, where another alien device was activated. Rhinox and Dinobot stayed behind at the ''Axalon'' while the others investigated, but were too engaged by the planet's second moon shifting its shape into a horrible [[Planet Buster]] weapon to notice their base had been compromised. Both Rhinox and Dinobot were removed from the equation by Blackarachnia and Tarantulas. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 1}} The Maximals returned to find them both welded to the ceiling by cyberwebs. Dinobot and Rhinox were placed inside [[CR chamber]]s as Rattrap and Airazor went to find their unwelcome visitors. {{storylink|Other Voices, Part 2}}

[[Image:Dinobotgoldendisks.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, and borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry."]]

When Dinobot awoke, Optimus Primal was dead, having sacrificed himself to destroy the Planet Buster with a transwarp explosion, and Cheetor and Rattrap had been altered into [[Transmetal]] forms by the resulting [[quantum surge]]. After reluctantly admitting Rattrap's new form was an improvement, he immediately declared himself the new Maximal leader. However, with Primal dead, Rhinox was not in any mood to tolerate Dinobot's outburst and shut him up forcefully. While Rattrap and Cheetor were sent outside to deal with Waspinator and a newly Transmetalled Megatron, Rhinox and Dinobot were stuck with the task of restoring their security systems. They did not account for [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]], who had also infiltrated the ''Axalon''. Thankfully, Rhinox was able to defeat the Predacon and eject him from the ship. {{storylink|Aftermath}}

With the destruction of the planet's second moon and the stabilization of the planet's natural energon reserves, it became apparent to Dinobot that Megatron was right all along; this was indeed Earth, though in the distant past. Dinobot broke into the Predacon base and stole Megatron's golden disks. He knew that they contained information about the future, and this cut to the core of his being: "If the future is indeed immutably foretold, then my demise is but moments from that confirmation, for I could not live if not the master of my fate." Dinobot hid the disks in a remote location and returned to the ''Axalon'', where Rattrap was having a minor meltdown. Rhinox had hooked himself to a machine with little explanation, and with Tigatron and Airazor on a long-term exploration trip, it fell to Rattrap, Dinobot, and Cheetor to hold off the combined force of the Predacons. Worse yet, Megatron had introduced two new [[Fuzor]]s to his team, [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] and [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]]. Dinobot grabbed what weaponry he could, and with the other two Maximals engaged the Predacons far from the ship, in hopes that they could keep the Predacons away from whatever Rhinox was trying to accomplish. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 1)}}

[[Image:Coming of the Fuzors 2 Dinobot Rattrap.jpg|left|250px|thumb|"A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!"]]

Their efforts, though seemingly doomed, were not for naught. Though Dinobot, Rattrap, and Cheetor fought to near-death, they held off the enemy long enough for Rhinox's gamble to work. He had travelled into the [[Allspark|Matrix]] and retrieved Optimus Primal's spark. Optimus Primal, restored as a Transmetal from a [[blank]] [[protoform]], dramatically turned the tide, saving Dinobot and the others from what would at least have been honorable deaths. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}

[[Image:Maximal No More Dinobot bow.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Is this a dagger which I see before me, Dinobot, the handle toward my hand?"]]

His desire to discover whether the future could be changed kept Dinobot focused on Megatron's actions. When Predacon installations were placed in a Voyager-disk-like pattern, Dinobot remarked that Megatron's plan proceeded even without the disk's information. Thus, he resubmitted himself to Megatron's command, but the Maximals' influence still showed itself. When he was pitted in a death match against [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] in a bizarre test of loyalty, Dinobot subdued his foe but refused to kill him, offering to train him instead. But Megatron accepted the prodigal son anyway, as long as he returned the original Golden Disk. (He had already given the alien disk to Rhinox.) Dinobot complied. He admitted to himself that by helping Megatron he might be sacrificing his own race, but he had to discover whether his actions were his own or predestined. After the artifact was back in Megatron's hands, Rattrap attacked and was quickly immobilized. As a final test of allegiance, Dinobot was ordered to kill his former teammate. This task proved too much for him, and he turned once again on the Predacon leader. Megatron retreated with the disk in his possession, and Primal was left with the decision on whether to allow Dinobot back into their ranks. Dinobot explained that either way, he would fight Megatron, prompting Primal to forgive Dinobot his treacherous actions. Once welcomed back, Dinobot told Primal of Megatron's ultimate designs for the disks' information. {{storylink|Maximal, No More}}

[[Image:BWDinobot decision.jpg|left|300px|thumb|"To Bay or not to Bay; that is the question, and here is the sunset."]]

As Rhinox and Dinobot scanned known alien sites, they suddenly realized that Tigatron and Airazor were journeying into one. But before they could send a warning, the traveling pair triggered the alien site and were shot into space. Dinobot and the other Maximals were rallied by Optimus Primal to this site, where they confronted the Predacons. Before the fight could begin, the alien site activated again, creating a massive [[Metal Hunter]], and blasted everyone in the area. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 1)}} The Transformers who had not been altered by the quantum surge lay deactivated, but the Transmetals and Fuzors were unaffected by the Metal Hunter's blast. Silverbolt and Cheetor were instructed to carry Dinobot and Rhinox back to the base for repairs. Megatron used the alien disk to activate the Metal Hunter, and the Maximals gained an unlikely ally: Tarantulas. Dinobot, like his fellow Maximals, greeted the Predacon turncoat with bared weapons and only reluctantly allowed Tarantulas to aid them. Subsequently, Dinobot joined an assault on the Metal Hunter itself, a cover for Tarantulas's entry. The Metal Hunter was destroyed. {{storylink|Other Visits (Part 2)}}

When Silverbolt went missing during an energon storm while he, Cheetor, and Optimus Primal were investigating [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]], Dinobot suggested they forget the Fuzor and concentrate on the Predacons. The enemy was, after all, minus both Tarantulas and Blackarachnia, while they were only down one member. Primal rejected Dinobot's lack of sympathy. As Primal and Cheetor left to find Silverbolt, Dinobot turned to one of the ''Axalon'''s consoles and began downloading into its database. {{storylink|Bad Spark}}

Unlike Primal, Rattrap was not so forgiving of Dinobot's earlier betrayal. After contemplating suicide and enduring Rattrap's continuing recriminations, Dinobot decided to set things right. He tracked Megatron down and found him testing the original disk which Dinobot had returned. Megatron had discovered a mountain whose image was recorded on the disk, and he had [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] destroy the peak. From a distance, Dinobot saw his greatest hope and worst fear form simultaneously: The disk's image changed. Dinobot's future was his own...but Megatron had virtually limitless power to change it.

[[Image:Dinbot funeral.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"Out, out, brief spark! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor mech that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more."]]

When the Predacons launched an attack on a tribe of [[protohuman]]s, attempting to destroy the future human race and alter the course of the Autobot/Decepticon war, Dinobot singlehandedly took on all of them. Having already been blindsided by Tarantulas, he waded through the attack squad. Ignoring the damage he sustained, the warnings of his own internal computer, and the danger to himself, Dinobot defeated everyone save Megatron. Mocking the weakened Dinobot, Megatron tallied the score firmly in his own favor: He had unimaginable power via the disk, he held a lone protohuman hostage, and the severely damaged Dinobot was the only obstacle in his way. Mostly depowered and refusing to quit, Dinobot jammed a rock through a stick and attacked with the makeshift hammer. Megatron dropped the disk, and Dinobot blasted it to pieces with his last bit of energy. A short time after the rest of the Maximals arrived, Dinobot's spark left his frame.

He was given a hero's funeral, with his body cremated as the Maximal fliers executed a [[wikipedia:Missing man formation|Missing man formation]]. His legacy remained even with the anthropoids, who found his hammer and used it as a weapon. {{storylink|Code of Hero}}

Megatron, because that's the sort of prick he is, created a zombie-esque [[Dinobot II|Transmetal 2 clone]] of Dinobot. {{storylink|Feral Scream Part 1}}

Later, to convince Rattrap to let him search for ex-Predacon [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], Silverbolt reminded him he'd trusted the original Dinobot. Rattrap grumped that he'd "regretted it" a few times, but still let his comrade out. {{storylink|Proving Grounds}}

[[Image:Dinobotflashesnem1.jpg|left|380px|thumb|]]

Thanks to the destruction of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]], the Dinobot clone's spark-brother, Dinobot's consciousness was able to take hold of the clone and make him regain a sense of honour. {{storylink|Transformers Hall of Fame}} {{storylink|Nemesis Part 2}}

{{note|It was not entirely spelt out during "Nemesis" why Dinobot II was regaining Dinobot's memories. The 2010 Transformers Hall of Fame profile for Dinobot would state that it was Dinobot's spirit. There was also an unproduced episode of ''Beast Wars'', "[[Dark Glass]]", where Rattrap would have discovered and downloaded a back-up of Dinobot's memories into Dinobot II; while the script never made it past a first draft, "[[Bad Spark]]" had Dinobot backing himself up onto the Axalon.}}
{{-}}

====The Razor's Edge====
After [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]] was reborn on [[Earth]], Dinobot rushed out to assist the Maximals against the Predacons during a plot to launch an orbital weapon. The launching pad was destroyed by Airazor just as Dinobot arrived. {{storylink|The Razor's Edge}}

===Transformers: Dinobots packaging blurb===
When Dinobot's spark returned to the [[Allspark]], the "data" contained in his "DNA schematics" returned with him. Later, to combat Megatron's [[technorganic]] virus the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] reformated a small group of survivors using these "DNA schematics" from Dinobot, creating the Beast Machines era [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobots]].

===''Beast Wars Diorama Story''===
{{note|This fiction takes place shortly after the events of ''[[Possession]]''.}}

Dinobot eventually met up with several [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s from [[Transformers (2007)|another dimension]]. A battle broke out between the Maximals, Predacons, Autobots and Decepticons. The other-dimensional Transformers eventually returned to their place of origin and the Beast Wars continued as they were. {{storylink|Beast Wars Diorama Story}}

===''Beast Wars Metals'' comic===
Following the [[Quantum surge]], Dinobot, as well as many other Maximals, became separated from the rest of the team and left stranded somewhere on [[Earth|Energoa]]. After Optimus Primal's resurrection and escape from Megatron, Dinobot could be seen watching the [[Moon (moon)|Moon]] from somewhere off in the distance. {{storylink|Raise the Curtain for Beast Wars Metals!!}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[Image:Henkeimanga-Dinobot.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Who's got two thumbs on one hand except for when I switch to my fists? THIS guy!]]
In the present day, the [[Autobot]] [[Mini Vehicle]]s dug up the bodies of [[Hot Rod (Henkei!)|Hot Rod]] and Dinobot from deep within the earth. As the Mini Vehicles wondered if Dinobot were an Autobot, he woke up angrily, and began to attack the others, hoping to find a worthy foe, until finally Hot Rod (and his [[Mini-Con]], Jolt) faced Dinobot in battle. After seeing Hot Rod perform a series of clever moves, Dinobot suggested the two battle for leadership. However, Hot Rod declined Dinobot's offer and suggested instead they team up and make peace.

Hot Rod returned with Dinobot to Autobot headquarters, where [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] immediately suggesting he and Dinobot fight each other for fun, ruining Hot Rod's ceasefire. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 11}}
{{--}}

==Games==
====''Beast Wars: Transformers'' video game====
[[Image:BeastWarsPSX-Dinobotstats.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Digital [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|rotate blade]]!]]
{{note|This game takes place in an alternate version of the first season of the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]] cartoon.}}
{{Note|Dinobot is a playable character in the Maximal mode of this game for normal gameplay.}}

Upon arriving on "[[Earth|Planet Energon]]," the dangers of Energon radiation forced the six surviving Maximals and their Predacon adversaries to take on beast alternate forms. {{storylink|Beast Wars: Transformers video game advertising comic}}

All of the Beast Wars combatants had managed to construct personal bases, customized to their personal tastes, due to the extended duration of the war. Dinobot warred against both the Predacons and the evil extra-dimensional aliens dubbed the [[Skriix]].
{{storylink|Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)}}
{{Note|Due to the nature of this game, a player may select various individual characters to perform the feats required in every level, and complete the game's narrative. Thus, any playable Maximal can fill the role of protagonist in Maximal Mode, and any playable Predacon can fill the role of protagonist in Predacon Mode. As such, each character's page only lists said character's actions when they fill the role of antagonist during gameplay. To view the various feats Dinobot can accomplish throughout gameplay in Maximal Mode, it is told on the pages of the [[Megatron (BW)|several]] [[Scorponok (BW)|Predacons]] [[Tarantulas (BW)|included]] [[Blackarachnia (BW)|as]] [[Inferno (BW)|opponents]] in this game, as well as the game's main antagonists, the [[Skriix]], wherein Dinobot fills the role of the nameless Maximal. To view the plot as a whole view the [[Beast Wars: Transformers (video game)]] page.}}
{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BeastWars Dinobot 1996 toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Wasn't he in ''Jurassic Park''? (Hasbro version pictured)]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, [[1996]]/[[1997]])
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

:Part of the first wave of ''Beast Wars'' product, Dinobot transforms into what his bio claims is a "vicious velociraptor". His tail detaches and separates to form a gear-powered, spinning blade weapon, while the central "tail bone" separates to be used as a sword. The entire assembly can store in robot mode by flipping down the tail-mount and pegging the blade's base to the peg on his lower back. Like all early Deluxe-and-up ''Beast Wars'' toys, he has a "mutant mask", halves of a dino-skull that flip up to cover his more robotic head.

:The original Dinobots shipped on cards with "rocky"-shaped bubbles. Later (and more numerous) assortments moved to a smooth, rounded bubble, leading the first packaging type to become sought-after collectibles on the secondary market.

[[Image:BW-toy DinobotTakara97.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Let's hide the legs in beast mode by making them bright translucent orange! (Takara version pictured)]]
:Takara's version of the toy was identical to the [[Hasbro]] version. In January 1997, Takara [[redeco]]ed many of the ''Beast Wars'' toys and re-released them in slightly more show-like tones; Dinobot's pink was changed to tan, his orange robot eyes became red, his flat blue face became metallic blue, his orange dinosaur eyes became white, and his helmet was painted in metallic gold.

: In 1998, [[TV Magazine]] offered a gold chrome Dinobot as a prize. One individual gold Dinobot was awarded, and one other Dinobot as part of a set of other gold Beast Wars toys. <ref>http://www.transformertoys.co.uk/content.php?/transformers-news/story/10280/Revealed+-+Gold+BW+images+and+info.html</ref>

:This toy and the Fox Kids redeco, as well as some other versions of this mold, had the robot mode's biceps on the wrong arms, with the skin-like texture inside and the weight-reducing cavities on the outside. Later molds, such as the 10th Anniversary release, had this error corrected.

: This mold was used to make... lots of guys. Other than countless redecos as himself, this mold was also used for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]] and ''[[Transformers: Dinobots|Dinobots]]'' [[Grimlock (Dinobots)|Grimlock]], and was [[Retool|retooled]] extensively to make ''[[Beast Wars Neo (toyline)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' [[Hardhead (BWN)|Hardhead]], [[Dinotron]], and [[Thrust (BWII)|Thrustor]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm More information on Dinobot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

[[Image:VS4-DinobotTarantuas.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I prefer to package my toys the old-fashioned way... BRUTALLY!!!]]

*'''Brutal Showdown: Dinobot VS Tarans''' (VS pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-4'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, [[Cyber-slash tail weapon|"Cyber-slash" tail weapon]]

:In Japan, Dinobot was available both as an individual and in a two-pack with "[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarans]]". Both toys in this set were identical to their individual releases.

:Currently, it is unknown if the latter "more show-like" redeco of Dinobot was ever released in a VS set.

{{-}}{{anchor|Transmetal}}

[[Image:Mcdinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Transforms from ''Velociraptor'' to wolfman.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Happy Meal Transmetal, [[1998]])
**''McNumber'':

: Part of the second McDonald's ''Beast Wars'' Happy Meal promotion, [[Transmetal]] Dinobot transforms into a robotic ''Velociraptor''. To tie in with the chrome plastic [[gimmick]] of the retail Transmetal toys, parts of his beast mode are cast in glittery metallic plastic. Like the other McDonald's toys from this assortment, he shares nothing in common with his previous body other than [[alternate mode]] choice. This toy was later [[repurposing|repurposed]] by [[IDW Publishing|IDW]]'s [[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]] to represent an [[Dinobot (Transmetal)|initial prototype]] of Dinobot's evil clone, [[Dinobot II]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm More information on Transmetal Dinobot at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|FoxKids}}

[[Image:FK-Dinobot-toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Eww...perhaps using the power sander to buff his scales wasn't a good idea.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Fox Kids Deluxe, [[1999]])
**''Accessories:'' sword, "Cyber-slash" tail weapon

:Part of the first wave of "Fox Kids" redecoes (so called because of the callout on the package to the Fox Kids programming block where the cartoon had recently moved), this version of Dinobot is more dark brown than the original, with red stripes instead of the original's brown, with a red robot-mode face and green eyes. This toy uses the [[Retool|retooled]] mold with the shoulder ratchets and the (unused) "[[rubsign|energon chip]]" space that were created for ''Beast Wars'' [[Grimlock (G1)/toys|Grimlock]].

:Hasbro solicitations named this toy "Live Wire Dinobot", but the name never made it to final packaging.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Maximal/FKDinobot/fkdinobot.htm More information on Fox Kids Dinobot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW10Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He disagrees with everything that T-Rex says, but you know they're best friends.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Tenth Anniversary Deluxe, [[2006]])
**''Accessories:'' "Energo-drill" sword, spinning blade tail weapon, Transmutate left arm

: This release is yet another redeco of the original Dinobot toy. Though the ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' line's aim was "[[show-accuracy]]", the resulting Dinobot toy confused some fans, with its dark brown base color, odd placement of blue, and, mostly, the metallic green on his bone-like decorations. Like the other ''10th Anniversary'' toys, he has a faction symbol tampoed on his body; in Dinobot's case, there's a Maximal logo on the left side of his robot chest. Like FoxKids! Dinobot, this toy has the Energon Chip indent and shoulder ratchets that were added for ''Beast Wars'' Grimlock.

: ''Beast Wars 10th Anniversary'' Dinobot came with the left arm to the "build-a-bot" figure [[Transmutate (character)|Transmutate]], plus a DVD containing the obvious Dinobot-themed episode, "[[Code of Hero]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Dinobot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Timelines===
[[Image:Botcon2006Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Can you dig it?]]
*'''Dawn of Future's Past''' (Multi-pack Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Golden Disk Key

:Part of the five-toy [[BotCon 2006]] [[exclusive]] boxed set (along with [[Cheetor (BW)/toys|Cheetor]], [[Optimus Primal/toys|Optimus Primal]], [[Rattrap]] and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]), "Darksyde Dinobot" is a redeco of the ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]]'' [[Longrack (Cybertron)|Longrack]] mold, itself a [[retool]] of ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]]'' [[Smokescreen (Armada)|Hoist]]. Dinobot uses almost all of Longrack's new-mold parts save for the head; Hoist's was a dead ringer for Dinobot in the first place. He transforms into a Cybertronic excavator. Inserting a [[Cyber Key]] or [[Cyber Key|Golden Disk Key]] into his shoulder assembly unlocks a shovel-punch attack activated by pressing on the plunger mechanism above the key port. Like Longrack, he does ''not'' come with a [[Mini-Con]] partner (dammit). The color scheme is partially based on his ''10th Anniversary'' toy.

:The original version of this mold was also used to make ''[[Universe (2003 toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Ransack (Universe 2003)|Ransack]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/BCDinobot/dinobot.htm More information on Timelines Dinobot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
[[Image:Japanese10thDinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|At last, I CAN TALK!]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-05'''
**''Accessories:'' sword, spinning tail weapon

:Celebrating Japan's 10th anniversary of ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' (one year later than the West), the [[Beast Wars Telemocha Series|Beast Wars Telemocha]] version of Dinobot is yet another (and final?) redeco of the venerable tooling, including the shoulder ratcheting added to the previous Hasbro versions. While definitely more [[Show-accuracy|accurate to the CGI model]] than the Hasbro [[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary|10th Anniversary]] version from the previous year, most of its color-scheme decisions favor the robot mode, such as bronze/gold shoulder joints. The result of this is a less consistently colored beast mode than the Hasbro version. It is the first (and only) version of the mold to place deco on the "mutant mask" halves.

:Though there are some colors dropped between the transition from CGI model to toy, Telemocha Dinobot does currently hold the prize for the sheer number of paint applications used on this mold, and by a large margin. Perhaps most significant to many fans, however, is that this version of Dinobot has a mouth, if only in the form of a paint operation.

:This release of Dinobot came with a DVD containing the ''Beast Wars'' episode... "New Weapons of Terror!", the Japanese dub of "[[The Probe]]" and not "Code of Hero".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/Dinobot/dinobot.htm More information on Telemocha Dinobot at TFU.info (scroll down)]''
{{-}}

===Universe (2008)===
[[Image:Dinobotuniversedeluxe.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Just in time for the original mold to be practically cheese by now.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, [[2009]])
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

:Dinobot transforms into a brown and amber ''Jurassic Park''-style ''Velociraptor'' with a robot mode styled heavily after the ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI model, including a face with a nose and mouth. To this end, his transformation has been altered accordingly for more human-like proportions, with his robot legs now becoming the raptor legs and the arms hiding mostly inside the torso. He also sports a fully show accurate robot head with can turn as usual, but can also look up at a 45 degree angle. On his chest is a panel that can swap between Maximal and Predacon faction symbols and a blank third panel (for the beast mode head). His [[Show-accuracy|show-accurate]] double opposable thumbs can be swapped out for "proper" fists, and his tail still detaches. It becomes a weapon that splits similarly to the original's, but now no longer rotates but fires a missile shaped like his sword from the cartoon, which can actually be held as a sword by either the regular fist or claw hands. The tail can also clip onto his back for storage.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2009/Predacon/TFUDinobot/dinobot.htm More information on Universe Dinobot at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Henkei! Henkei!===
[[Image:Henkei_Dinobot.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Then I'll be brief! Oh, happy dagger, this is thy sheath. There rust and let me die."]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Deluxe, 2009)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-16'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/missile launcher, missile/sword

:The ''Henkei! Henkei!'' release of Dinobot is in more traditional colors than the Hasbro version, decoed in brown with several tan stripes, plus blue and golden detailing. Clear red plastic replaces clear orange found on the ''Universe'' version. Like all ''Henkei! Henkei!'' releases he features [[Vacuum metallizing|vacuum metallized]] parts, particularly his missile/sword.
{{-}}

===Device Label===
[[Image:DeviceLabel-Dinobot.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Sorry, you've been replaced.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (Device Label, 2009)
:Dinobot would have transformed from a working USB laser mouse into a brown and gold mechanoid raptor, but an early BigBadToyStore solicitation for him was almost immediately supplanted by a solicitation for [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], once better information was had.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:BWmerch-KabayaDinobotkit.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Hope you like putting stickers over molded detail!]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers 200 piece puzzle''' (puzzle, 1996)
:A [[Beast Wars Transformers Jigsaw Puzzle|200-piece puzzle]] from [[Milton Bradley]] featured art of Dinobot and [[Razorbeast]] fighting [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]. It was very chrome-foil-y! [http://tfmuseum.com/tf-00081.html]

*'''Dinobot''' (candy toy model kit, 1997)
:Part of the second wave of [[Kabaya]] model kits (which included Cheetor, Rattrap, and Terrorsaur), Dinobot is a peg-together model kit. The parts come on pink and yellow sprues, plus there are stickers, instructions for assembly, and a stick of terrible gum. Transformation involves removing the tail, robot legs, and robot arms, and pegging them elsewhere as needed.

*'''Dinobot''' (candy toy, 1997)
[[Image:BWmerch-KabayaDinobotfigurine.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Eat it, other [[Transformers Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] nominees! But don't eat the candy.]]
:A tiny plastic Dinobot figurine molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 6 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Cheetor, Rattrap, Megatron, Optimus Primal, and Rhinox. They were also available in smokey translucent plastic? [http://tfmuseum.com/tf-01805.html] As always, terrible candy is included.

*'''Dinobot''' (candy toy, 1997)
:A tiny superdeformed Dinobot was also available from Kabaya. It's way too adorable. [http://tfmuseum.com/tf-00714.html]
{{-}}
===Card games===
[[Image:Dinobotmutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
*'''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Dinobot was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Mini-Busts===
[[Image:BWDinobot minibust.jpg|right|150px|thumb|Legs are for the weak.]]
*'''Dinobot''' (?)
:In 2006, [[First 4 Figures]] announced a seven-inch tall mini-bust of Dinobot, featuring his upper torso mounted upon a Maximal pedestal. He was sculpted by Ryan Bailey and was to be limited to 1,996 pieces. He is based upon his animated appearance, mounted on a silver pedestal adorned with the Maximal sigil.
{{canceledtoy}}
{{--}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept04.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Dinobot's control art. The beast head displays a more rigid grill structure.]]
*Dinobot's original toy was designed to supplant a failed lion Transformer counterpart to Cheetor that ended up being, understandably, too similar to Cheetor. A dinosaur's entry into the Maximals was justified by pointing out that the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] had been good guys in Generation 1.<ref>[http://obscuretf.com/hhk/BC04interviews.html Botcon 2004 Interview with Vinnie D'Alleva], p1-2</ref>

*Some fans humorously refer to Dinobot's [[Cyber-slash tail weapon]] as a "Rotate Blade" because of its usage in a [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& terrible fanfic by MG-Dinobot].

*Dinobot and Airazor never talk to each other in the cartoon.

*Likewise, fans refer to Dinobot as having a "rigid grill structure", an injoke that came into being because of an [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/307ed3ad2152d304 alt.toys.transformers poster's] somewhat confusing signature that included a quote from ''Mystery Science Theater 3000''. What part of Dinobot is the rigid grill structure is not definitively determined, whether it be the bony pair of robot legs that hang under his toy's beast mode or his, uh, crotch.

[[Image:Dinobottoycommercial.jpg|right|200px|thumb|An abandoned deco?]]
*In the first ''Beast Wars'' toy commercials, Dinobot had a slightly different deco than the final toy. He was browner, rather than pinker, and had thicker stripes.

*Some fans are inclined to yank off Dinobot's mutant mask pieces, since he doesn't have them on the television show, they get in the way during transformation, and they're easily removable. Ten years later, Hasbro thought so, too, in their stock photography for ''[[Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]'' Dinobot.

[[Image:Dinobotearlycgimodel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Code of... something.]]

*Several views of preliminary ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' CGI models were available in the Special Features of [[Rhino Entertainment|Kid Rhino]]'s ''Beast Wars: The Complete Second Season'' DVD box set. Dinobot's early model, like the other preliminary models, took more cues from the toy, such as including the [[mutant head]] and actually looking transformable. Interestingly enough, the preliminary model transformed into the final beast mode model, but since Dinobot's transformation involves swapping out parts, that's not too hard to believe.

[[Image:Dinobotearlycgimodel2.jpg|right|200px|thumb|[[Derrick J. Wyatt|Derrick Wyatt]]'s influence reached back through time.]]
*Australia's ''Beast Wars'' DVD sets from [[Madman Entertainment]] offered images of in-progress Dinobot models from later into production. Even in this late stage, he kept a large amount of his transformation kibble, though the aesthetic flourishes (like the spines on his ankles and the ribs in his torso) began to take shape. And, hey, check out that chin.

*In an interview on Madman's Season 3 DVDs, Scott McNeil revealed that he created the Dinobot voice by using his previous experience mimicking the [[Chris Latta]]'s famous performance of [[Cobra Commander]] when replacing him in the role after his death. Since he found the Latta-style vocalisation so difficult to maintain, he tried dropping it two octaves, and thus arrived at Dinobot.

*Speaking of Dinobot's crotch, [[Mainframe Entertainment]] once had a little fun with Dinobot's model after hours. "[[:Image:Dirkdinobot.jpg|Dirk Dinobot]]" may not be safe for work, but his grill structure here is anything but rigid! Fan James Hooks was responsible for originally posting the Dirk Dinobot image on [[alt.toys.transformers]], thanks to an unknown person from Mainframe Entertainment.

[[Image:TMDinobotConcept.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Raptor and... squatting Raptor? It's a jet powered squat, surely.]]
*An actual (i.e. non-McDonald's affiliated) Transmetal Dinobot apparently made it to concept art stages, but not much further. Several elements of the design were recycled for Transmetal [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]].

*On [[May 7]], [[2010]], he was unveiled as one of the first five nominees for the [[Transformers Hall of Fame]], the first ''Beast Wars'' character to earn the honor and the only character not to be from 1984 or 1985. A tongue-in-cheek campaign for Dinobot was started by [[David Willis]], with the gag being that he'd never beat the 1984/5 characters. To everyone's surprise, at [[BotCon 2010]]'s Hall of Fame ceremony, Dinobot was unveiled as the winner: he became both the first ''Beast Wars'' character and first fan-voted to be inducted, beating out even long time favorites [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]! Waspinator's subsequent entry, and victory, in the 2011 vote was a direct result of Dinobot's success.

*Dinobot's toy curiously has six toes on each foot. Since his legs form his robot-mode arms, not only does this mean he's left with two thumbs, but also a tiny, barely noticeable finger molded near his wrist. The double thumbs got carried over onto his animation model, yet his in-show beast mode appears to only have three toes. Between all this, it has to be said that real-life raptors had no more than four toes on each of their feet.

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Dinobot''' (ダイノボット ''Dainobotto'')
*''Cantonese:'' '''Dillonburg''' (狄龍堡 ''Dik Lung Bou'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Kǔng-lúng''' (Taiwan, 恐龍, "Dinosaur"), '''Múo Lúng''' (Taiwan, 魔龍, "Demonic Dinosaur")

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/ee52db9e103fd5a8?hl=en& "Dinobot's Old Technology" by MG-Dinobot]
*[http://www.hasbro.com/transformers/en_US/play/details.cfm?R=3D1EC1EB-19B9-F369-109E-19B934FCADD2:en_US Botcon 2010 tribute]

[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Maximals]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Autobots]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Turncoats]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]

Cutting Edge

2011-11-28T11:24:53Z

TrapRat: Better spot for it.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=43
|image=Cutting Edge title shot.JPG
|caption=Do you have sssome sssugar I could borrow?
|title="Cutting Edge"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[November 15]], 1998
|written by=[[Ian Weir]]
|directed by=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''A new group of raptor clones attacks the protohuman tribe, and it falls to Cheetor and Blackarachnia to defend them.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cutting Edge Cyberraptor.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Just what we need, raptors with frick'n laser beam eyes.]]
[[Chak]] and [[Una]], two [[protohuman]] children, play, watched over by an older primate bearing a familiar hammer. But a large [[Cyber raptor|raptor]] with evil red glowing eyes and laser vision arrives to chase the protohumans for their lives. The children hide and stay silent to avoid becoming snacks for the mechanical dinosaur. [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrive in the sky to save the protohumans from the evil dinosaurs. Back in the [[Mount St. Hilary]] base, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] analyzes recovered materials from the dinosaurs to deduce that Megatron must be masterminding the evil robot dinosaur's activities, and one raptor won't be the end.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Optimus Una.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Do you mind getting off my finger?]]
[[Rattrap]], lurking about, spies on [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] carrying around some materials in a suspicious manner. She drops her cargo when the two protohumans run past her, followed by their monkeysitter, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]. Cheetor stops to explain why the kids are here, but is distracted by the sensation of being close to Blackarachnia. In the control room, Primal assigns Cheetor and Blackarachnia to take the kids back to their regular habitat (making Silverbolt act rather territorial). Once the four leave, Rattrap mentions to Rhinox that he saw Blackarachnia taking something from the classified area of the Maximals' base.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Blackarachnia must have watched ''[[Spider-Man]] 2''.]]
Cheetor gives Chak a dizzying ride through the air, while on the ground, Una puts a coconut on her head and mimics Blackarachnia's behavior. Cheetor and Chak land and Blackarachnia professes her disdain for the adorable antics of the Neanderthals. A Cyber raptor attacks, and despite her own reservations about putting herself in danger, she fights to protect the human kids. Cheetor manages to damage himself with a grandstanding maneuver. After getting away, the Maximals find their radios are being jammed and Cheetor's flight ability is disabled; the two are on their own.

[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], watching the Maximals and their charges, sends [[Waspinator]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (brandishing a new toy) and three additional raptors to attack the two Maximals in the field. Meanwhile, Primal and Silverbolt also go to reinforce the two Maximals who haven't radioed in a status report. The four remaining Predacons share a hearty laugh and prepare for an attack on the under-staffed Maximal base.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Optimus venom.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Those Robot Heroes are adorable.]]
Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and the kids come under attack from Predacon forces. While they take cover, Silverbolt and Primal arrive to protect their comrades. Tarantulas's new weapon is a [[Transmetal]] [[cyber venom]] which disables Primal, leaving him drunkenly singing about his Little Guy. Blackarachnia dives to use her own body to take a shot from Tarantulas meant for the two kids. One of the raptors gets close to Optimus, but is damaged by the sudden appearance of the hammer-wielding protohuman. The damaged raptor jumps madly, stomping on Waspinator. Thanks to the human, Primal figures out that the raptors are vulnerable on the control units on their backs. Blackarachnia destroys the control unit on the remaining raptor, which takes out Tarantulas as it self destructs.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Prohuman.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Hammer time!]]
Megatron's attack on the Maximal base starts well. [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] is sacrificed as a victim to an anticipated booby trap. After getting a radio message from Waspinator that the attack on the protohumans has failed, Megatron, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and Inferno push forward to claim the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]—but [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] arrives, giving Rhinox and Rattrap the opening they need to force the Predacons back into a retreat.

As Primal's group collect themselves, the children protohumans are delivered back into the care of their parents and wave goodbye to Cheetor. Blackarachnia smuggles some hardware from the damaged raptors. Cheetor congratulates Blackarachnia on her heroic actions, but Blackarachnia tells Cheetor she doesn't care for "nice kids". As she walks away under the wing of territorial Silverbolt, Cheetor mutters that he's not a kid...and maybe not so nice, either.

Meanwhile, Megatron determines that he can perfect the technology from the Cyber raptors by using it in conjunction with the other half of Rampage's divided [[spark]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (6)
*[[Rattrap]] (7)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (9)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (16)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (13)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (14)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (15)

|h3=[[Protohuman]]s|c3=
*[[Leader Neanderthal]] (1)
*[[Una]] (2)
*[[Chak]] (3)

}}

==Quotes==
"Guys. Oh, they're only young once, but they can act juvenile forever."
:—'''Blackarachnia''', not appreciating the company she's stuck with.

"Oh great. I get stuck with the one cat in the world who lands on his head."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' still not appreciating the company.

"The base is undermanned and unprotected, ours for the asking." 
"Aww, now, we ain't gonna ''ask'', are we? How's about we just blast our way in there, an' ''slag everybody'' 'n' ''TAKE IT?!''" 
"Mmmmm... okay!"
:—'''Megatron''' gives '''Quickstrike''' exactly the right answer.

"Oh, heart of my heart, I saw. You were ready to sacrifice yourself." 
"Ohh, it was an accident, okay? I slipped."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''', after the latter saves Una and Chak

"Rattrap to Optimus… hate to interrupt your picnic, but we got big ''Pred'' problems!" 
"Just hang on, Rattrap. You and Rhinox are our last hope. Defend the—defend the—''[sings]'' There he is, my little guyyyyy! There he is; my little guy. Isn’t he cute?" 
"That’s ''not'' what I wanted to hear."
:—'''Rattrap''' finds that cyber-venomed '''Optimus Primal''' sure can sing.

"And I really thought, you know, we made a pretty good team, didn't we?" 
"Listen, tabby, you're a nice kid—" [''notices Silverbolt approaching''] "—which is two strikes against ya, so don't go lookin' for strike three, okay?" [''walks away with Silverbolt''] 
"I'm ''not'' a kid... and maybe I'm not so nice, either."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Blackarachnia'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*When Optimus is singing over Rattrap's comlink, his voice is no longer given the electronic alteration.

===Continuity notes===
*This episode sets up the following "Feral Scream" two-parter and the [[Transmetal 2]] technology, as well as starting [[Crossing the Rubicon|Blackarachnia's covert attempts to turn herself Transmetal]].
*Tarantulas is now working under Megatron's command again. For whatever reason.

===Continuity errors===
*The first raptor Blackarachnia and Cheetor fight wanders off, and doesn't turn up in the final battle (where there's only three from the ''[[Darksyde]]''). Where did it go?

===Real world references===
* Megatron exclaims "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war", a quote from Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar''.
* As Primal is shakily recovering from the cyber-venom in the background of one scene, Silverbolt can be seen administering the "how many fingers am I holding up?" sobriety test.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Désavantage'''" (Canada, "Disadvantage")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Progetti oscuri'''" ("Dark Projects")

[[Image:ConvoyBigTransPoster1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's like an anime convention threw up.]]
'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Beast Wars Metals: Convoy Dai Henshin!'''" (ビーストウォーズメタルスコンボイ大変身!, "Beast Wars Metals: Convoy's Great Transformation!")
:**In Japan, this episode was released theatrically on [[July 31|31 July]] [[1999]] as part of a triple feature of animated films based on [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] properties. It was preceded by several clips, prominently from "[[Optimal Situation]]", to establish Optimus Primal's new body. The other two short movies included were "[[Licca Kayama|Super Doll Licca-chan]]" and "[[Microman]]". Its placement in the ''Beast Wars Metals'' series was taken by a newly crafted [[clip show]], "[[Remix: I Lost the Banana!]]". Due to the relatively late theatrical release, the episode was not included on [[Pioneer]]'s Japanese DVD box set of ''Beast Wars Metals''.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Limite'''" ("The Limit")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Nueva Tecnología'''" (America, "The New Technology")

===Trivia===
* This episode features the first and only time Tarantulas uses his spider leg guns in his Transmetal form.
* The invention of the club appears to have lead swiftly and mercifully to the invention of pants.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — The Movie ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Cutting Edge

2011-11-28T11:21:54Z

TrapRat: /* Trivia */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=43
|image=Cutting Edge title shot.JPG
|caption=Do you have sssome sssugar I could borrow?
|title="Cutting Edge"
|production company= [[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate= [[November 15]], 1998
|written by=[[Ian Weir]]
|directed by=[[Trenton Carlson]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''A new group of raptor clones attacks the protohuman tribe, and it falls to Cheetor and Blackarachnia to defend them.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cutting Edge Cyberraptor.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Just what we need, raptors with frick'n laser beam eyes.]]
[[Chak]] and [[Una]], two [[protohuman]] children, play, watched over by an older primate bearing a familiar hammer. But a large [[Cyber raptor|raptor]] with evil red glowing eyes and laser vision arrives to chase the protohumans for their lives. The children hide and stay silent to avoid becoming snacks for the mechanical dinosaur. [[Optimus Primal]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] arrive in the sky to save the protohumans from the evil dinosaurs. Back in the [[Mount St. Hilary]] base, [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] analyzes recovered materials from the dinosaurs to deduce that Megatron must be masterminding the evil robot dinosaur's activities, and one raptor won't be the end.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Optimus Una.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Do you mind getting off my finger?]]
[[Rattrap]], lurking about, spies on [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] carrying around some materials in a suspicious manner. She drops her cargo when the two protohumans run past her, followed by their monkeysitter, [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]. Cheetor stops to explain why the kids are here, but is distracted by the sensation of being close to Blackarachnia. In the control room, Primal assigns Cheetor and Blackarachnia to take the kids back to their regular habitat (making Silverbolt act rather territorial). Once the four leave, Rattrap mentions to Rhinox that he saw Blackarachnia taking something from the classified area of the Maximals' base.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Blackarachnia kids.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Blackarachnia must have watched ''[[Spider-Man]] 2''.]]
Cheetor gives Chak a dizzying ride through the air, while on the ground, Una puts a coconut on her head and mimics Blackarachnia's behavior. Cheetor and Chak land and Blackarachnia professes her disdain for the adorable antics of the Neanderthals. A Cyber raptor attacks, and despite her own reservations about putting herself in danger, she fights to protect the human kids. Cheetor manages to damage himself with a grandstanding maneuver. After getting away, the Maximals find their radios are being jammed and Cheetor's flight ability is disabled; the two are on their own.

[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], watching the Maximals and their charges, sends [[Waspinator]] and [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (brandishing a new toy) and three additional raptors to attack the two Maximals in the field. Meanwhile, Primal and Silverbolt also go to reinforce the two Maximals who haven't radioed in a status report. The four remaining Predacons share a hearty laugh and prepare for an attack on the under-staffed Maximal base.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Optimus venom.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Those Robot Heroes are adorable.]]
Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and the kids come under attack from Predacon forces. While they take cover, Silverbolt and Primal arrive to protect their comrades. Tarantulas's new weapon is a [[Transmetal]] [[cyber venom]] which disables Primal, leaving him drunkenly singing about his Little Guy. Blackarachnia dives to use her own body to take a shot from Tarantulas meant for the two kids. One of the raptors gets close to Optimus, but is damaged by the sudden appearance of the hammer-wielding protohuman. The damaged raptor jumps madly, stomping on Waspinator. Thanks to the human, Primal figures out that the raptors are vulnerable on the control units on their backs. Blackarachnia destroys the control unit on the remaining raptor, which takes out Tarantulas as it self destructs.

[[Image:Cutting Edge Prohuman.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Hammer time!]]
Megatron's attack on the Maximal base starts well. [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] is sacrificed as a victim to an anticipated booby trap. After getting a radio message from Waspinator that the attack on the protohumans has failed, Megatron, [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and Inferno push forward to claim the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]—but [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] arrives, giving Rhinox and Rattrap the opening they need to force the Predacons back into a retreat.

As Primal's group collect themselves, the children protohumans are delivered back into the care of their parents and wave goodbye to Cheetor. Blackarachnia smuggles some hardware from the damaged raptors. Cheetor congratulates Blackarachnia on her heroic actions, but Blackarachnia tells Cheetor she doesn't care for "nice kids". As she walks away under the wing of territorial Silverbolt, Cheetor mutters that he's not a kid...and maybe not so nice, either.

Meanwhile, Megatron determines that he can perfect the technology from the Cyber raptors by using it in conjunction with the other half of Rampage's divided [[spark]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (6)
*[[Rattrap]] (7)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (9)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (16)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (8)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (13)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (14)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (15)

|h3=[[Protohuman]]s|c3=
*[[Leader Neanderthal]] (1)
*[[Una]] (2)
*[[Chak]] (3)

}}

==Quotes==
"Guys. Oh, they're only young once, but they can act juvenile forever."
:—'''Blackarachnia''', not appreciating the company she's stuck with.

"Oh great. I get stuck with the one cat in the world who lands on his head."
:—'''Blackarachnia''' still not appreciating the company.

"The base is undermanned and unprotected, ours for the asking." 
"Aww, now, we ain't gonna ''ask'', are we? How's about we just blast our way in there, an' ''slag everybody'' 'n' ''TAKE IT?!''" 
"Mmmmm... okay!"
:—'''Megatron''' gives '''Quickstrike''' exactly the right answer.

"Oh, heart of my heart, I saw. You were ready to sacrifice yourself." 
"Ohh, it was an accident, okay? I slipped."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''', after the latter saves Una and Chak

"Rattrap to Optimus… hate to interrupt your picnic, but we got big ''Pred'' problems!" 
"Just hang on, Rattrap. You and Rhinox are our last hope. Defend the—defend the—''[sings]'' There he is, my little guyyyyy! There he is; my little guy. Isn’t he cute?" 
"That’s ''not'' what I wanted to hear."
:—'''Rattrap''' finds that cyber-venomed '''Optimus Primal''' sure can sing.

"And I really thought, you know, we made a pretty good team, didn't we?" 
"Listen, tabby, you're a nice kid—" [''notices Silverbolt approaching''] "—which is two strikes against ya, so don't go lookin' for strike three, okay?" [''walks away with Silverbolt''] 
"I'm ''not'' a kid... and maybe I'm not so nice, either."
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Blackarachnia'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*When Optimus is singing over Rattrap's comlink, his voice is no longer given the electronic alteration.

===Continuity notes===
*This episode sets up the following "Feral Scream" two-parter and the [[Transmetal 2]] technology, as well as starting [[Crossing the Rubicon|Blackarachnia's covert attempts to turn herself Transmetal]].
*Tarantulas is now working under Megatron's command again. For whatever reason.

===Continuity errors===
*The first raptor Blackarachnia and Cheetor fight wanders off, and doesn't turn up in the final battle (where there's only three from the ''[[Darksyde]]''). Where did it go?

===Real world references===
* Megatron exclaims "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war", a quote from Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar''.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Désavantage'''" (Canada, "Disadvantage")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Progetti oscuri'''" ("Dark Projects")

[[Image:ConvoyBigTransPoster1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's like an anime convention threw up.]]
'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Beast Wars Metals: Convoy Dai Henshin!'''" (ビーストウォーズメタルスコンボイ大変身!, "Beast Wars Metals: Convoy's Great Transformation!")
:**In Japan, this episode was released theatrically on [[July 31|31 July]] [[1999]] as part of a triple feature of animated films based on [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] properties. It was preceded by several clips, prominently from "[[Optimal Situation]]", to establish Optimus Primal's new body. The other two short movies included were "[[Licca Kayama|Super Doll Licca-chan]]" and "[[Microman]]". Its placement in the ''Beast Wars Metals'' series was taken by a newly crafted [[clip show]], "[[Remix: I Lost the Banana!]]". Due to the relatively late theatrical release, the episode was not included on [[Pioneer]]'s Japanese DVD box set of ''Beast Wars Metals''.

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Limite'''" ("The Limit")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La Nueva Tecnología'''" (America, "The New Technology")

===Trivia===
* This episode features the first and only time Tarantulas uses his spider leg guns in his Transmetal form.
* The invention of the club appears to have lead swiftly and mercifully to the invention of pants.
* As Primal is shakily recovering from the cyber-venom in the background of one scene, Silverbolt can be seen administering the "how many fingers am I holding up?" sobriety test.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — The Movie ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]
[[Category:MSTF]]
[[Category:Real world films]]

Changing of the Guard

2011-11-28T11:05:31Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=42
|series2=Metals
|ep2=16
|next2=Feral Scream Part 1
|image=Changing of the Guard title shot.JPG
|caption=Some days you just wish you hadn't gotten out of bed.
|title="Changing of the Guard"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 8]], 1998
|written by=[[Evan Somers]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''While trying to salvage the Sentinel module from the ruins of the Axalon, Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is in the process of engineering a way to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s forcefield to protect the base. But mixing [[Autobot]] and [[Maximal]] tech is difficult, and the machinery fails. With that trick failed, [[Optimus Primal]] puts together a plan to salvage the Maximals' old force field module, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], from the wreckage of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] refuses to respond to any contacts. So instead the Maximals will use a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]—a single-occupant submarine developed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Rattrap]] is assigned to pilot the submersible, over his usual handful of whines and complaints.

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap makes a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] delivers the submarine to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s resting site. Under the lake, Rattrap is surprised to find himself having a good time exploring the water and passing by schools of fish to the sound of a jolly tune. The tune changes as Rattrap finds the fallen corpse of what used to be the Maximal's home. He slowly enters, looking through the darkened hallways. He finds Sentinel, and carefully begins to extract it—and is suddenly frightened by an eel who was hiding in the machinery. As he calms down, his radar detects something else approaching, and he realizes it's time to panic for real. Rattrap frantically tries to escape the ''Axalon'', but a massive claw emerges from the darkness and seizes the submarine—[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] has found him.

Rampage squeezes the entire ship, threatening to crush it completely. Luckily, Depth Charge, still hunting Protoform X, shows up and blasts him away, freeing Rattrap. Depth Charge agrees to keep Rampage busy while Rattrap continues his mission. He escapes the ''Axalon'' just as shockwaves from the battle cause the ship to fall over a ledge and plunge deeper into the lake. Rattrap surfaces and finds a worried Silverbolt, who starts to carry the submarine home. But [[Waspinator]] arrives, causing doggybot to drop his passenger and cargo.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rampage Depthcharge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's crab rutting season again.]]
While Rampage and Depth Charge continue their match underwater, on the beach, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] sends Waspinator to take Sentinel back to the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]] while the [[Fuzor]] takes care of the two Maximals. But Quickstrike ends up crushed by Rampage, tossed out of the water by Depth Charge. Silverbolt tries to convince Depth Charge to help recover Sentinel, but as usual, Depth Charge has no interest, wanting only to execute Protoform X, who has snuck away during the few seconds of conversation.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rattrap fleeing.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Burn rubber!]]
Together, using some incredible aerial acrobatics, Rattrap and Silverbolt steal back Sentinel from Waspinator. But [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] pushes a tree into Silverbolt's path. Silverbolt passes Sentinel to Rattrap, who races away with it. Depth Charge hears explosions in the distance and decides to go help.

Unrelenting, Inferno blows up a bridge in Rattrap's path, causing the rat to plunge—back into Silverbolt's arms. But the two Maximals crash into the incoming Depth Charge, and drop Sentinel into Inferno's hands. Thanks to Depth Charge's ill-timed arrival, the Maximals have lost.

[[Image:Changing Guard Megatron Sentinel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why won't the red button work?]]
At the Maximal base, Rattrap and Optimus Primal chew out Depth Charge for getting in their way and handing another major strategic advantage to the Predacons—but he did save Rattrap's life (which Rattrap initially left out, and was ''very'' begrudging to admit). Primal offers Depth Charge a place with the Maximals so mistakes like this can be avoided in the future, and Depth Charge agrees to consider it.

Meanwhile, in the Predacon base, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] activates Sentinel, encasing his base in a protective force field.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:Changing Guard Cheetor cattoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a pinball wizard...]]
"What are you grinnin' about, litter-butt?" 
"I was just thinking; with you inside, this'd make a swell cat toy."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Cheetor''', who will always remain a <strike>cat</strike> kid at heart.

"We're approaching the target area. How you faring in there, Rattrap?" 
"I'm hot, I'm cramped, I'm airsick. Eh, the next time that big ape asks me to do something for him, man I am gonna shove my blaster so far up his—" 
"Target dead ahead! Prepare for drop."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Looks like that Pred friend of yours finally did something right!" 
"Yes, my beloved has... many skills."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Silverbolt''', who isn't about to let us know what those "other" skills might be.

"How droll. Rat in a can." 
:—'''Rampage''' finds himself a new toy.

"Waspinator having good day! Not get shot once." 
''*BLAM!*''
:—'''Waspinator''', not having such a good day after all

'''Depth Charge:''' I knew saving your hide was a mistake. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Rattrap? 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, well, yeah, technically, he did ''kinda'' do that... um eh, thanks.
:—Rattrap gives credit where credit is due, but only because he has to.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The writer is mistakenly credited as "Evan Sommers".
*When Rampage falls backward after yanking Depth Charge's tail out from under the wreckage, he inexplicably has Depth Charge's legs.
*When Silverbolt circles in on Rattrap, who has just surfaced, we can see Rattrap's water-reflection inside the vessel, as if it was halfway filled with water.
*Watch Waspinator getting shot in slow-motion. It reveals his insect head isn't connected to his neck. There is a small gap between the two.
*In the scene where Inferno pushes a tree in Silverbolt and Ratrap's way, Ratrap's comm system is on the wrong side of his chest, possibly due to an overall "flopped" shot.
*While Inferno tries to grab Sentinel, just before Rattrap snatches it away from him with his tail, the insect leg on his right lower leg is tilted backwards, clipping through the rest of his leg, and through his thorax-propeller too.

===Continuity errors===
*The submersible is supposed to have no energy signature. But if that's the case, where does it get the power to have a computerized heads-up-display for radar and damage assessment?

===Continuity notes===
*Since its last appearance in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]", Sentinel has gained a handle, presumably to make it easier for the characters to grab and hang onto it in this episode.

===Real-world references===
*When Megatron contacts his henchmen, Inferno can been seen spending his free time playing cards with Waspinator and Quickstrike.
* Jaunty music begins to play when Rattrap gets the hang of the submarine. At first, the audience is led to believe that this is just the score for the scene, until Silverbolt is seen hearing the music over his walkie talkie (with a raised eyebrow, to boot), demonstrating that the sound is actually diegetic.
* The jaunty sea shanty heard in this episode has a very similar tempo and chordal arrangement as the popular Beatles song ''[[wikipedia:We All Live in a Yellow Submarine|Yellow Submarine]].''
*This is the only episode in which Rampage uses his [[activation code]]. ("Rampage, terrorize!")
* The "Changing of the Guard" traditionally refers to a formal ceremony in Merry Ol' [[United Kingdom|England]] wherein the sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed.
* Rattrap's submarine bounces like a pinball after being dropped by Silverbolt (complete with pinball sound effects); after it comes to a halt, the word "TILT" flashes in each of Rattrap's eyes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protection'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti si vince'''" ("United We Win")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bukubuku!'''" (ぶくぶくっ!, "Loose-Fitting!")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Troca da Guarda'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" (America, "Changing of the Guard")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Changing of the Guard

2011-11-28T11:02:02Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=42
|series2=Metals
|ep2=16
|next2=Feral Scream Part 1
|image=Changing of the Guard title shot.JPG
|caption=Some days you just wish you hadn't gotten out of bed.
|title="Changing of the Guard"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 8]], 1998
|written by=[[Evan Somers]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''While trying to salvage the Sentinel module from the ruins of the Axalon, Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is in the process of engineering a way to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s forcefield to protect the base. But mixing [[Autobot]] and [[Maximal]] tech is difficult, and the machinery fails. With that trick failed, [[Optimus Primal]] puts together a plan to salvage the Maximals' old force field module, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], from the wreckage of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] refuses to respond to any contacts. So instead the Maximals will use a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]—a single-occupant submarine developed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Rattrap]] is assigned to pilot the submersible, over his usual handful of whines and complaints.

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap makes a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] delivers the submarine to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s resting site. Under the lake, Rattrap is surprised to find himself having a good time exploring the water and passing by schools of fish to the sound of a jolly tune. The tune changes as Rattrap finds the fallen corpse of what used to be the Maximal's home. He slowly enters, looking through the darkened hallways. He finds Sentinel, and carefully begins to extract it—and is suddenly frightened by an eel who was hiding in the machinery. As he calms down, his radar detects something else approaching, and he realizes it's time to panic for real. Rattrap frantically tries to escape the ''Axalon'', but a massive claw emerges from the darkness and seizes the submarine—[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] has found him.

Rampage squeezes the entire ship, threatening to crush it completely. Luckily, Depth Charge, still hunting Protoform X, shows up and blasts him away, freeing Rattrap. Depth Charge agrees to keep Rampage busy while Rattrap continues his mission. He escapes the ''Axalon'' just as shockwaves from the battle cause the ship to fall over a ledge and plunge deeper into the lake. Rattrap surfaces and finds a worried Silverbolt, who starts to carry the submarine home. But [[Waspinator]] arrives, causing doggybot to drop his passenger and cargo.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rampage Depthcharge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's crab rutting season again.]]
While Rampage and Depth Charge continue their match underwater, on the beach, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] sends Waspinator to take Sentinel back to the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]] while the [[Fuzor]] takes care of the two Maximals. But Quickstrike ends up crushed by Rampage, tossed out of the water by Depth Charge. Silverbolt tries to convince Depth Charge to help recover Sentinel, but as usual, Depth Charge has no interest, wanting only to execute Protoform X, who has snuck away during the few seconds of conversation.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rattrap fleeing.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Burn rubber!]]
Together, using some incredible aerial acrobatics, Rattrap and Silverbolt steal back Sentinel from Waspinator. But [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] pushes a tree into Silverbolt's path. Silverbolt passes Sentinel to Rattrap, who races away with it. Depth Charge hears explosions in the distance and decides to go help.

Unrelenting, Inferno blows up a bridge in Rattrap's path, causing the rat to plunge—back into Silverbolt's arms. But the two Maximals crash into the incoming Depth Charge, and drop Sentinel into Inferno's hands. Thanks to Depth Charge's ill-timed arrival, the Maximals have lost.

[[Image:Changing Guard Megatron Sentinel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why won't the red button work?]]
At the Maximal base, Rattrap and Optimus Primal chew out Depth Charge for getting in their way and handing another major strategic advantage to the Predacons—but he did save Rattrap's life (which Rattrap initially left out, and was ''very'' begrudging to admit). Primal offers Depth Charge a place with the Maximals so mistakes like this can be avoided in the future, and Depth Charge agrees to consider it.

Meanwhile, in the Predacon base, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] activates Sentinel, encasing his base in a protective force field.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:Changing Guard Cheetor cattoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a pinball wizard...]]
"What are you grinnin' about, litter-butt?" 
"I was just thinking; with you inside, this'd make a swell cat toy."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Cheetor''', who will always remain a <strike>cat</strike> kid at heart.

"We're approaching the target area. How you faring in there, Rattrap?" 
"I'm hot, I'm cramped, I'm airsick. Eh, the next time that big ape asks me to do something for him, man I am gonna shove my blaster so far up his—" 
"Target dead ahead! Prepare for drop."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Looks like that Pred friend of yours finally did something right!" 
"Yes, my beloved has... many skills."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Silverbolt''', who isn't about to let us know what those "other" skills might be.

"How droll. Rat in a can." 
:—'''Rampage''' finds himself a new toy.

"Waspinator having good day! Not get shot once." 
''*BLAM!*''
:—'''Waspinator''', not having such a good day after all

'''Depth Charge:''' I knew saving your hide was a mistake. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Rattrap? 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, well, yeah, technically, he did ''kinda'' do that... um eh, thanks.
:—Rattrap gives credit where credit is due, but only because he has to.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The writer is mistakenly credited as "Evan Sommers".
*When Rampage falls backward after yanking Depth Charge's tail out from under the wreckage, he inexplicably has Depth Charge's legs.
*When Silverbolt circles in on Rattrap, who has just surfaced, we can see Rattrap's water-reflection inside the vessel, as if it was halfway filled with water.
*Watch Waspinator getting shot in slow-motion. It reveals his insect head isn't connected to his neck. There is a small gap between the two.
*In the scene where Inferno pushes a tree in Silverbolt and Ratrap's way, Ratrap's comm system is on the wrong side of his chest, possibly due to an overall "flopped" shot.
*While Inferno tries to grab Sentinel, just before Rattrap snatches it away from him with his tail, the insect leg on his right lower leg is tilted backwards, clipping through the rest of his leg, and through his thorax-propeller too.

===Continuity errors===
*The submersible is supposed to have no energy signature. But if that's the case, where does it get the power to have a computerized heads-up-display for radar and damage assessment?

===Continuity notes===
*Since its last appearance in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]", Sentinel has gained a handle, presumably to make it easier for the characters to grab and hang onto it in this episode.

===Real-world references===
*When Megatron contacts his henchmen, Inferno can been seen spending his free time playing cards with Waspinator and Quickstrike.
* Jaunty music begins to play when Rattrap gets the hang of the submarine. At first, the audience is led to believe that this is just the score for the scene, until Silverbolt is seen hearing the music over his walkie talkie (with a raised eyebrow, to boot), demonstrating that the sound is actually diegetic.
* The jaunty sea shanty heard in this episode has a very similar tempo and chordal arrangement as the popular Beatles song ''[[wikipedia:We All Live in a Yellow Submarine|Yellow Submarine]].''
*This is the only episode in which Rampage uses his [[activation code]]. ("Rampage, terrorize!")
* The "Changing of the Guard" traditionally refers to a formal ceremony in Merry Ol' [[United Kingdom|England]] wherein the sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed.
* Rattrap's submarine bounces like a pinball after being dropped by Silverbolt; after it comes to a halt, the word "TILT" flashes in Rattrap's eyes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protection'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti si vince'''" ("United We Win")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bukubuku!'''" (ぶくぶくっ!, "Loose-Fitting!")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Troca da Guarda'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" (America, "Changing of the Guard")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Changing of the Guard

2011-11-28T11:00:56Z

TrapRat: /* Real-world references */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=42
|series2=Metals
|ep2=16
|next2=Feral Scream Part 1
|image=Changing of the Guard title shot.JPG
|caption=Some days you just wish you hadn't gotten out of bed.
|title="Changing of the Guard"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 8]], 1998
|written by=[[Evan Somers]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''While trying to salvage the Sentinel module from the ruins of the Axalon, Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is in the process of engineering a way to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s forcefield to protect the base. But mixing [[Autobot]] and [[Maximal]] tech is difficult, and the machinery fails. With that trick failed, [[Optimus Primal]] puts together a plan to salvage the Maximals' old force field module, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], from the wreckage of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] refuses to respond to any contacts. So instead the Maximals will use a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]—a single-occupant submarine developed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Rattrap]] is assigned to pilot the submersible, over his usual handful of whines and complaints.

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap makes a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] delivers the submarine to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s resting site. Under the lake, Rattrap is surprised to find himself having a good time exploring the water and passing by schools of fish to the sound of a jolly tune. The tune changes as Rattrap finds the fallen corpse of what used to be the Maximal's home. He slowly enters, looking through the darkened hallways. He finds Sentinel, and carefully begins to extract it—and is suddenly frightened by an eel who was hiding in the machinery. As he calms down, his radar detects something else approaching, and he realizes it's time to panic for real. Rattrap frantically tries to escape the ''Axalon'', but a massive claw emerges from the darkness and seizes the submarine—[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] has found him.

Rampage squeezes the entire ship, threatening to crush it completely. Luckily, Depth Charge, still hunting Protoform X, shows up and blasts him away, freeing Rattrap. Depth Charge agrees to keep Rampage busy while Rattrap continues his mission. He escapes the ''Axalon'' just as shockwaves from the battle cause the ship to fall over a ledge and plunge deeper into the lake. Rattrap surfaces and finds a worried Silverbolt, who starts to carry the submarine home. But [[Waspinator]] arrives, causing doggybot to drop his passenger and cargo.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rampage Depthcharge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's crab rutting season again.]]
While Rampage and Depth Charge continue their match underwater, on the beach, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] sends Waspinator to take Sentinel back to the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]] while the [[Fuzor]] takes care of the two Maximals. But Quickstrike ends up crushed by Rampage, tossed out of the water by Depth Charge. Silverbolt tries to convince Depth Charge to help recover Sentinel, but as usual, Depth Charge has no interest, wanting only to execute Protoform X, who has snuck away during the few seconds of conversation.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rattrap fleeing.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Burn rubber!]]
Together, using some incredible aerial acrobatics, Rattrap and Silverbolt steal back Sentinel from Waspinator. But [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] pushes a tree into Silverbolt's path. Silverbolt passes Sentinel to Rattrap, who races away with it. Depth Charge hears explosions in the distance and decides to go help.

Unrelenting, Inferno blows up a bridge in Rattrap's path, causing the rat to plunge—back into Silverbolt's arms. But the two Maximals crash into the incoming Depth Charge, and drop Sentinel into Inferno's hands. Thanks to Depth Charge's ill-timed arrival, the Maximals have lost.

[[Image:Changing Guard Megatron Sentinel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why won't the red button work?]]
At the Maximal base, Rattrap and Optimus Primal chew out Depth Charge for getting in their way and handing another major strategic advantage to the Predacons—but he did save Rattrap's life (which Rattrap initially left out, and was ''very'' begrudging to admit). Primal offers Depth Charge a place with the Maximals so mistakes like this can be avoided in the future, and Depth Charge agrees to consider it.

Meanwhile, in the Predacon base, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] activates Sentinel, encasing his base in a protective force field.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:Changing Guard Cheetor cattoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a pinball wizard...]]
"What are you grinnin' about, litter-butt?" 
"I was just thinking; with you inside, this'd make a swell cat toy."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Cheetor''', who will always remain a <strike>cat</strike> kid at heart.

"We're approaching the target area. How you faring in there, Rattrap?" 
"I'm hot, I'm cramped, I'm airsick. Eh, the next time that big ape asks me to do something for him, man I am gonna shove my blaster so far up his—" 
"Target dead ahead! Prepare for drop."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Looks like that Pred friend of yours finally did something right!" 
"Yes, my beloved has... many skills."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Silverbolt''', who isn't about to let us know what those "other" skills might be.

"How droll. Rat in a can." 
:—'''Rampage''' finds himself a new toy.

"Waspinator having good day! Not get shot once." 
''*BLAM!*''
:—'''Waspinator''', not having such a good day after all

'''Depth Charge:''' I knew saving your hide was a mistake. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Rattrap? 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, well, yeah, technically, he did ''kinda'' do that... um eh, thanks.
:—Rattrap gives credit where credit is due, but only because he has to.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The writer is mistakenly credited as "Evan Sommers".
*When Rampage falls backward after yanking Depth Charge's tail out from under the wreckage, he inexplicably has Depth Charge's legs.
*When Silverbolt circles in on Rattrap, who has just surfaced, we can see Rattrap's water-reflection inside the vessel, as if it was halfway filled with water.
*Watch Waspinator getting shot in slow-motion. It reveals his insect head isn't connected to his neck. There is a small gap between the two.
*In the scene where Inferno pushes a tree in Silverbolt and Ratrap's way, Ratrap's comm system is on the wrong side of his chest, possibly due to an overall "flopped" shot.
*While Inferno tries to grab Sentinel, just before Rattrap snatches it away from him with his tail, the insect leg on his right lower leg is tilted backwards, clipping through the rest of his leg, and through his thorax-propeller too.

===Continuity errors===
*The submersible is supposed to have no energy signature. But if that's the case, where does it get the power to have a computerized heads-up-display for radar and damage assessment?

===Continuity notes===
*Since its last appearance in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]", Sentinel has gained a handle, presumably to make it easier for the characters to grab and hang onto it in this episode.

===Real-world references===
*When Megatron contacts his henchmen, Inferno can been seen spending his free time playing cards with Waspinator and Quickstrike.
* Jaunty music begins to play when Rattrap gets the hang of the submarine. At first, the audience is led to believe that this is just the score for the scene, until Silverbolt is seen hearing the music over his walkie talkie, with a raised eyebrow, to boot, demonstrating that the sound is actually diegetic.
* The jaunty sea shanty heard in this episode has a very similar tempo and chordal arrangement as the popular Beatles song ''[[wikipedia:We All Live in a Yellow Submarine|Yellow Submarine]].''
*This is the only episode in which Rampage uses his [[activation code]]. ("Rampage, terrorize!")
* The "Changing of the Guard" traditionally refers to a formal ceremony in Merry Ol' [[United Kingdom|England]] wherein the sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed.
* Rattrap's submarine bounces like a pinball after being dropped by Silverbolt; after it comes to a halt, the word "TILT" flashes in Rattrap's eyes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protection'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti si vince'''" ("United We Win")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bukubuku!'''" (ぶくぶくっ!, "Loose-Fitting!")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Troca da Guarda'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" (America, "Changing of the Guard")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Changing of the Guard

2011-11-28T10:49:44Z

TrapRat: /* Animation and technical errors */

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=42
|series2=Metals
|ep2=16
|next2=Feral Scream Part 1
|image=Changing of the Guard title shot.JPG
|caption=Some days you just wish you hadn't gotten out of bed.
|title="Changing of the Guard"
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[November 8]], 1998
|written by=[[Evan Somers]]
|directed by=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|continuity= [[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}

'''While trying to salvage the Sentinel module from the ruins of the Axalon, Rattrap finds himself caught between Depth Charge and Rampage.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] is in the process of engineering a way to use [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s forcefield to protect the base. But mixing [[Autobot]] and [[Maximal]] tech is difficult, and the machinery fails. With that trick failed, [[Optimus Primal]] puts together a plan to salvage the Maximals' old force field module, [[Sentinel (BW)|Sentinel]], from the wreckage of the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]''. [[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] refuses to respond to any contacts. So instead the Maximals will use a [[subaquatic stealth vessel]]—a single-occupant submarine developed by [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]. [[Rattrap]] is assigned to pilot the submersible, over his usual handful of whines and complaints.

[[Image:Rattrap-subaquatic2.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rattrap makes a cameo in ''[[wikipedia:Atlantis: The Lost Empire|Atlantis: The Lost Empire]]''.]]
[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] delivers the submarine to the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s resting site. Under the lake, Rattrap is surprised to find himself having a good time exploring the water and passing by schools of fish to the sound of a jolly tune. The tune changes as Rattrap finds the fallen corpse of what used to be the Maximal's home. He slowly enters, looking through the darkened hallways. He finds Sentinel, and carefully begins to extract it—and is suddenly frightened by an eel who was hiding in the machinery. As he calms down, his radar detects something else approaching, and he realizes it's time to panic for real. Rattrap frantically tries to escape the ''Axalon'', but a massive claw emerges from the darkness and seizes the submarine—[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] has found him.

Rampage squeezes the entire ship, threatening to crush it completely. Luckily, Depth Charge, still hunting Protoform X, shows up and blasts him away, freeing Rattrap. Depth Charge agrees to keep Rampage busy while Rattrap continues his mission. He escapes the ''Axalon'' just as shockwaves from the battle cause the ship to fall over a ledge and plunge deeper into the lake. Rattrap surfaces and finds a worried Silverbolt, who starts to carry the submarine home. But [[Waspinator]] arrives, causing doggybot to drop his passenger and cargo.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rampage Depthcharge.jpg|right|200px|thumb|It's crab rutting season again.]]
While Rampage and Depth Charge continue their match underwater, on the beach, [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] sends Waspinator to take Sentinel back to the [[Darksyde|Predacon base]] while the [[Fuzor]] takes care of the two Maximals. But Quickstrike ends up crushed by Rampage, tossed out of the water by Depth Charge. Silverbolt tries to convince Depth Charge to help recover Sentinel, but as usual, Depth Charge has no interest, wanting only to execute Protoform X, who has snuck away during the few seconds of conversation.

[[Image:Changing Guard Rattrap fleeing.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Burn rubber!]]
Together, using some incredible aerial acrobatics, Rattrap and Silverbolt steal back Sentinel from Waspinator. But [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] pushes a tree into Silverbolt's path. Silverbolt passes Sentinel to Rattrap, who races away with it. Depth Charge hears explosions in the distance and decides to go help.

Unrelenting, Inferno blows up a bridge in Rattrap's path, causing the rat to plunge—back into Silverbolt's arms. But the two Maximals crash into the incoming Depth Charge, and drop Sentinel into Inferno's hands. Thanks to Depth Charge's ill-timed arrival, the Maximals have lost.

[[Image:Changing Guard Megatron Sentinel.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Why won't the red button work?]]
At the Maximal base, Rattrap and Optimus Primal chew out Depth Charge for getting in their way and handing another major strategic advantage to the Predacons—but he did save Rattrap's life (which Rattrap initially left out, and was ''very'' begrudging to admit). Primal offers Depth Charge a place with the Maximals so mistakes like this can be avoided in the future, and Depth Charge agrees to consider it.

Meanwhile, in the Predacon base, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] activates Sentinel, encasing his base in a protective force field.
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Rattrap]] (1)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (2)
*[[Optimus Primal]] (3)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (4)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] (5)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (6)
*[[Depth Charge (BW)|Depth Charge]] (8)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (7)
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (11)
*[[Waspinator]] (12)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
[[Image:Changing Guard Cheetor cattoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|He's a pinball wizard...]]
"What are you grinnin' about, litter-butt?" 
"I was just thinking; with you inside, this'd make a swell cat toy."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Cheetor''', who will always remain a <strike>cat</strike> kid at heart.

"We're approaching the target area. How you faring in there, Rattrap?" 
"I'm hot, I'm cramped, I'm airsick. Eh, the next time that big ape asks me to do something for him, man I am gonna shove my blaster so far up his—" 
"Target dead ahead! Prepare for drop."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Rattrap'''

"Looks like that Pred friend of yours finally did something right!" 
"Yes, my beloved has... many skills."
:—'''Rattrap''' and '''Silverbolt''', who isn't about to let us know what those "other" skills might be.

"How droll. Rat in a can." 
:—'''Rampage''' finds himself a new toy.

"Waspinator having good day! Not get shot once." 
''*BLAM!*''
:—'''Waspinator''', not having such a good day after all

'''Depth Charge:''' I knew saving your hide was a mistake. 
'''Optimus Primal:''' Rattrap? 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, well, yeah, technically, he did ''kinda'' do that... um eh, thanks.
:—Rattrap gives credit where credit is due, but only because he has to.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The writer is mistakenly credited as "Evan Sommers".
*When Rampage falls backward after yanking Depth Charge's tail out from under the wreckage, he inexplicably has Depth Charge's legs.
*When Silverbolt circles in on Rattrap, who has just surfaced, we can see Rattrap's water-reflection inside the vessel, as if it was halfway filled with water.
*Watch Waspinator getting shot in slow-motion. It reveals his insect head isn't connected to his neck. There is a small gap between the two.
*In the scene where Inferno pushes a tree in Silverbolt and Ratrap's way, Ratrap's comm system is on the wrong side of his chest, possibly due to an overall "flopped" shot.
*While Inferno tries to grab Sentinel, just before Rattrap snatches it away from him with his tail, the insect leg on his right lower leg is tilted backwards, clipping through the rest of his leg, and through his thorax-propeller too.

===Continuity errors===
*The submersible is supposed to have no energy signature. But if that's the case, where does it get the power to have a computerized heads-up-display for radar and damage assessment?

===Continuity notes===
*Since its last appearance in "[[A Better Mousetrap]]", Sentinel has gained a handle, presumably to make it easier for the characters to grab and hang onto it in this episode.

===Real-world references===
*When Megatron contacts his henchmen, Inferno can been seen spending his free time playing cards with Waspinator and Quickstrike.
* Jaunty music begins to play when Rattrap gets the hang of the submarine. At first, the audience is led to believe that this is just the score for the scene, until Silverbolt is seen hearing the music over his walkie talkie, with a raised eyebrow, to boot.
* The jaunty sea shanty heard in this episode has a very similar tempo and chordal arrangement as the popular Beatles song ''[[wikipedia:We All Live in a Yellow Submarine|Yellow Submarine]].''
*This is the only episode in which Rampage uses his [[activation code]]. ("Rampage, terrorize!")
* The "Changing of the Guard" traditionally refers to a formal ceremony in Merry Ol' [[United Kingdom|England]] wherein the sentries providing ceremonial guard duties at important institutions are relieved by a new batch of sentries. The ceremonies are often elaborate and precisely choreographed.
* Rattrap's submarine bounces like a pinball after being dropped by Silverbolt; after it comes to a halt, the word "TILT" flashes in Rattrap's eyes.

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Protection'''" (Canada)

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Uniti si vince'''" ("United We Win")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Bukubuku!'''" (ぶくぶくっ!, "Loose-Fitting!")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Troca da Guarda'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" ("Changing of the Guard")

:*''Title:'' "'''Cambio de Guardia'''" (America, "Changing of the Guard")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Rrray! ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Volume 1 ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Optimal Situation

2011-11-27T00:06:38Z

TrapRat: /* Animation and technical errors */ Typo. (Mine).

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=40
|series2=Metals
|ep2=13
|next2=Where Is the Banana?
|title="Optimal Situation"
|image=Optimal Optimus.JPG
|caption=[[Trukk not munky|Trukk ''and'' munky]].
|production code=
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|writer=[[Bob Forward]]
|director=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 24]], 1998
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''With Optimus Prime in critical condition after Megatron's attack, Optimus Primal takes on his spark to save the timestream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Smelt Prime.JPG|left|150px|thumb|Smelts in your mouth, not in your hand.]]
As a time storm ravages reality, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] gloats to the fading [[Maximal]]s, since his attack on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ensures that the [[Autobot]]s lose to the [[Decepticon]]s, resulting in the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] having control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], having been a Maximal protoform, is also affected by the time storm. She uses the information from the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] to activate [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security system, forcing Megatron out of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:OptimusPrimal OpSit Matrixspark.jpg|right|150px|thumb|It's not the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. We swear.]]
Blackarachnia and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] activate the Ark's repair systems to help stabilize Optimus Prime's condition, but the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] is still dying, and "reality is still in flux". The other Maximals arrive, and upon seeing Prime, realize that they must save him. However, his spark is fading. Believing there is no other choice, Optimus Primal merges his spark with Prime's to save it. He succeeds, and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] summons an [[Autobot repair device]] to begin restoring Prime's body. Holding Prime's spark causes Primal to expand into a new, larger body.

Megatron and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] arrive and attack, though Primal manages to save the Maximals and convince the Predacons to leave, while Blackarachnia uses the commotion to escape. Outside, [[Waspinator]] provides cover fire by shooting the rocks above the Ark. The Predacons destroy the cave entrance and flee, but Megatron notices a trapped Blackarachnia. Enraged by her betrayal, Megatron shoots her as the Maximals break free. Knowing that they are heading for the unprotected ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Primal and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] race off.

[[Image:BWSilverbolt Blackarachnia OptimalSituation.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Ug, gag unto me with a spoon.]]
As Silverbolt cradles the damaged Blackarachnia, he begs her to fight on and praises her defiance of Megatron. She maintains that what she did was self-preservation, but Silverbolt points out that she also saved him and the universe. He openly admits to Blackarachnia that he loves her, shocking her. While there's still time, Silverbolt asks her one last time to join the Maximals. Although she maintains that she's still a Predacon, Blackarachnia joins the Maximals for him, then goes off-line. However, Rhinox reveals that she's merely in [[Stasis lock|stasis lock]].

Primal and Cheetor manage to down Megatron, Inferno, and Waspinator, but Primal discovers that [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and the [[Arachnoid]]s are literally trying to drag the base away. Optimus manages to sever the lines and dispatch Rampage, but not before Rampage fires a missile which deflects off Primal and hits the ''Axalon''. The ''Axalon'' plummets off the cliff and crashes into the river. Knowing that he must return Prime's spark, Optimus withdraws with Cheetor to rejoin the Maximals.

[[Image:Optimusx2.JPG|right|150px|thumb|And in four million years, he'll tell [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] he had the strangest [[Humanization#Sleep|dream]].]]
Back in the Ark, the repairs are finished. Returning the spark causes Optimus Prime to reactivate briefly, but he almost immediately returns to stasis lock. [[Rattrap]] is less than happy, as they now have the difficult task of protecting the Ark from the Predacons. With the time stream safe—for the moment—Optimus orders the Maximals, including Blackarachnia (who still maintains she's a Predacon), to begin rounding up every piece of salvage and make fortifications.

They're moving into [[Mount St. Hilary]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]](6)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
*[[Waspinator]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (12)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (13)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (14)

|h3=[[Autobot]]s|c3=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"You wouldn't dare fire in here! It might upset history." 
"We'd have four million years to clean you off the walls, Megatron. I ''might'' risk it."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Primal''' are badasses.

'''Megatron:''' This is not the end of it, Optimal Optimus. Nooo. The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron, and it shall do so again! 
'''Optimus:''' Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, Megatron. 
'''Megatron:''' Then they'd better stay out of my way! 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, fer bootin' up cold! Will you just shoot him? 
'''Optimus:''' I'm trying not to resort to that.
:—The 'bots talk smack.

"Jumping gyros, Optimus sure learns a new body fast!" 
"Well wha'd ya expect? He ''changes'' 'em often enough!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''', who gets a rim shot.

"Blackarachnia, dark poison of my heart, abide with me yet a while." 
"You got a way with words there, Rover. You almost make me wish I was a better girl."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''' have a touching moment. Rattrap is probably on the verge of puking or shooting them.

==Notes==
*Optimus runs through all four of his new body's modes within a few minutes of its debut. (His beast mode is easy to miss, but he uses it when he shields the other Maximals from the Predacons' weapons fire.)
* Primal's voice becomes noticeably deeper when he takes on his new form, as well as gaining an additional flanging effect. One might think the change is related to having old John Wayne-voice Optimus Prime within him, but both changes remain after Prime's spark is restored, so apparently it's just from being bigger and more metally. The deeper voice would vanish in future episodes, however.
*Blackarachnia opposes Megatron's plan to wipe the Autobots from history because she was a Maximal protoform. Technically, Quickstrike, Inferno, and (arguably) Rampage all count as Maximal protoforms too, but they don't oppose Megatron's plan because Quickstrike's ignorant, Inferno's crazy, and Rampage doesn't have a say in the matter (and is also crazy).

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Rhinox slaps Rattrap for cracking wise over Optimus Prime's ruined state, his green understructure clips through the gold surface of the lower rhinoceros jaw that covers his chest.
*When the camera pans around Prime to show the repairs starting to be made, the Autobot insignia inside his chest is upside-down.
*When Megatron and Inferno fire at the Maximals inside the Ark, it takes surprisingly lot of time for the projectiles to reach their targets - enough to let Primal throw his arm shields in the air, transform, catch them, leap in front of his comrades and provide cover for them.
*When Primal first transforms into his jet mode, the cockpit is empty, but should house Prime's spark.
*After the Predacons leave the ''Ark'', Inferno, who looked like a zombie in the scene before (and after being apparently vaporized two episodes prior), is now in mint condition.
*During Primal and Cheetor's aerial attack on the fleeing Predacons, the cat's flight-mode jets are not deployed as he swoops closer to "camera" in the medium shot following his initial approach, but well before he transforms.
*As the ''Axalon'' is being dragged off of the cliff, the bottom of it can be seen. However it is completely flat at the rear; the engines are not there at all.
*In the Brazilian dub, Rampage is called "Destruição", but his name is "Violência". "Destruição" is Ravage's name.

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Sparkholderprimevaldawn.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Geekery.]]
*The "spark container" which held Optimus Prime's spark was hauntingly similar to the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. According to [[Ben Yee]]'s [http://www.bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/episodes/seasonthree/os/ site], the Mainframe animators used Optimus Prime's death sequence from "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" as a visual reference and used the Matrix's design as a spark container because they didn't know its significance. This, of course, leads us to ask the question: How do you get involved with ''Transformers'' and not know the most important McGuffin in the entire continuity?
** "[[Primeval Dawn]]" later explained the Matrix-shaped spark container as being a [[Decoy|decoy]] Matrix constructed to sit in front of the real Matrix.
** Or Rhinox's "his spark has the Matrix with it" line could suggest that while he held the Matrix, the Matrix seen in ''Beast Wars'' was the Matrix and not a decoy. Consider that in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Prime didn't give the Matrix to Ultra Magnus until after he had died. Look, just watch the episode, okay?
*Optimus was briefly knocked out after deflecting the missile and falling to the ground. However he is awake to watch the ''Axalon'' teeter back and forth and eventually fall off the cliff. One wonders why he couldn't have stopped it. After all, in his original form, he was able to slow the ship's descent to keep it from crashing in the episode "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]". One would think that his much larger and more powerful form would be enough actually to lift the ship up. On the other hand, he may not have wanted to leave himself (or more importantly, Prime's spark) exposed to Rampage. Considering the fact that the ''Axalon'' fell in the first place because Primal was trying to protect his ancestor's spark, it seems like the most logical in-universe explanation.

===Transformers references===
[[Image:OptimalSituation Tarantulas insignia.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* The [[Arachnoid]]s seen in this episode sport a special Tarantulas [[insignia]], which they possess in all of their appearances from now on.
*After Optimus Prime's spark is returned to him, he reactivates, but almost immediately returns to [[stasis lock]]. The [[Binaltech#Binaltech_2|''Binaltech'' story]] chapter supplied with BT-22 Convoy establishes that Optimus Prime was at least partly aware of both the spark transfer and Optimus Primal.
*When confronting Megatron on the ''Ark'''s bridge, Optimus Primal tells Megatron, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings," the motto of Optimus Prime. When informed by [[Ben Yee]] about this fact during the [[Madman Entertainment]] ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVD commentary for this episode, writer Bob Forward confessed that up to this point he had no idea, and the phrase was simply something he'd picked up from the alt.toys.transformers newsgroup.
* Later, Optimus Primal tells the Maximals to "transform and [[Roll out|roll out]]."

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situation Optimal'''" (Canada, "Optimal Situation")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'alba di una nuova era'''" ("The Dawn of a New Age")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ōkiku Na~re'''" (大きくな～れ, "Gro~w Bigger")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situação Optimal'''" ("Optimal Situation")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Óptima'''" ("Optimal Situation")

:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Optima'''" (America, "Optimal Situation")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Groooww Bigger ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Optimal Situation

2011-11-27T00:06:08Z

TrapRat: Found a couple more, and clarified an existing one.

{{episode
|series=BWtoon
|ep=40
|series2=Metals
|ep2=13
|next2=Where Is the Banana?
|title="Optimal Situation"
|image=Optimal Optimus.JPG
|caption=[[Trukk not munky|Trukk ''and'' munky]].
|production code=
|production company=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|writer=[[Bob Forward]]
|director=[[Steve Sacks]]
|animation studio=[[Mainframe Entertainment]]
|airdate=[[October 24]], 1998
|continuity=[[Beast Wars continuity]]
}}
'''With Optimus Prime in critical condition after Megatron's attack, Optimus Primal takes on his spark to save the timestream.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Smelt Prime.JPG|left|150px|thumb|Smelts in your mouth, not in your hand.]]
As a time storm ravages reality, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] gloats to the fading [[Maximal]]s, since his attack on [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] ensures that the [[Autobot]]s lose to the [[Decepticon]]s, resulting in the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] having control of [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], having been a Maximal protoform, is also affected by the time storm. She uses the information from the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] to activate [[Teletraan I (G1)|Teletraan I]]'s security system, forcing Megatron out of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]].

[[Image:OptimusPrimal OpSit Matrixspark.jpg|right|150px|thumb|It's not the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]]. We swear.]]
Blackarachnia and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]] activate the Ark's repair systems to help stabilize Optimus Prime's condition, but the [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]] is still dying, and "reality is still in flux". The other Maximals arrive, and upon seeing Prime, realize that they must save him. However, his spark is fading. Believing there is no other choice, Optimus Primal merges his spark with Prime's to save it. He succeeds, and [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] summons an [[Autobot repair device]] to begin restoring Prime's body. Holding Prime's spark causes Primal to expand into a new, larger body.

Megatron and [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] arrive and attack, though Primal manages to save the Maximals and convince the Predacons to leave, while Blackarachnia uses the commotion to escape. Outside, [[Waspinator]] provides cover fire by shooting the rocks above the Ark. The Predacons destroy the cave entrance and flee, but Megatron notices a trapped Blackarachnia. Enraged by her betrayal, Megatron shoots her as the Maximals break free. Knowing that they are heading for the unprotected ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', Primal and [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] race off.

[[Image:BWSilverbolt Blackarachnia OptimalSituation.jpg|left|150px|thumb|Ug, gag unto me with a spoon.]]
As Silverbolt cradles the damaged Blackarachnia, he begs her to fight on and praises her defiance of Megatron. She maintains that what she did was self-preservation, but Silverbolt points out that she also saved him and the universe. He openly admits to Blackarachnia that he loves her, shocking her. While there's still time, Silverbolt asks her one last time to join the Maximals. Although she maintains that she's still a Predacon, Blackarachnia joins the Maximals for him, then goes off-line. However, Rhinox reveals that she's merely in [[Stasis lock|stasis lock]].

Primal and Cheetor manage to down Megatron, Inferno, and Waspinator, but Primal discovers that [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] and the [[Arachnoid]]s are literally trying to drag the base away. Optimus manages to sever the lines and dispatch Rampage, but not before Rampage fires a missile which deflects off Primal and hits the ''Axalon''. The ''Axalon'' plummets off the cliff and crashes into the river. Knowing that he must return Prime's spark, Optimus withdraws with Cheetor to rejoin the Maximals.

[[Image:Optimusx2.JPG|right|150px|thumb|And in four million years, he'll tell [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] he had the strangest [[Humanization#Sleep|dream]].]]
Back in the Ark, the repairs are finished. Returning the spark causes Optimus Prime to reactivate briefly, but he almost immediately returns to stasis lock. [[Rattrap]] is less than happy, as they now have the difficult task of protecting the Ark from the Predacons. With the time stream safe—for the moment—Optimus orders the Maximals, including Blackarachnia (who still maintains she's a Predacon), to begin rounding up every piece of salvage and make fortifications.

They're moving into [[Mount St. Hilary]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
*[[Optimus Primal]] (1)
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] (2)
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] (4)
*[[Rattrap]] (5)
*[[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]](6)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
*[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] (7)
*[[Waspinator]] (9)
*[[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] (10)
*[[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]] (11)
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (12)
*[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] (13)
*[[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (14)

|h3=[[Autobot]]s|c3=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (8)
}}

==Quotes==
"You wouldn't dare fire in here! It might upset history." 
"We'd have four million years to clean you off the walls, Megatron. I ''might'' risk it."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Optimus Primal''' are badasses.

'''Megatron:''' This is not the end of it, Optimal Optimus. Nooo. The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron, and it shall do so again! 
'''Optimus:''' Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, Megatron. 
'''Megatron:''' Then they'd better stay out of my way! 
'''Rattrap:''' Oh, fer bootin' up cold! Will you just shoot him? 
'''Optimus:''' I'm trying not to resort to that.
:—The 'bots talk smack.

"Jumping gyros, Optimus sure learns a new body fast!" 
"Well wha'd ya expect? He ''changes'' 'em often enough!"
:—'''Cheetor''' and '''Rattrap''', who gets a rim shot.

"Blackarachnia, dark poison of my heart, abide with me yet a while." 
"You got a way with words there, Rover. You almost make me wish I was a better girl."
:—'''Silverbolt''' and '''Blackarachnia''' have a touching moment. Rattrap is probably on the verge of puking or shooting them.

==Notes==
*Optimus runs through all four of his new body's modes within a few minutes of its debut. (His beast mode is easy to miss, but he uses it when he shields the other Maximals from the Predacons' weapons fire.)
* Primal's voice becomes noticeably deeper when he takes on his new form, as well as gaining an additional flanging effect. One might think the change is related to having old John Wayne-voice Optimus Prime within him, but both changes remain after Prime's spark is restored, so apparently it's just from being bigger and more metally. The deeper voice would vanish in future episodes, however.
*Blackarachnia opposes Megatron's plan to wipe the Autobots from history because she was a Maximal protoform. Technically, Quickstrike, Inferno, and (arguably) Rampage all count as Maximal protoforms too, but they don't oppose Megatron's plan because Quickstrike's ignorant, Inferno's crazy, and Rampage doesn't have a say in the matter (and is also crazy).

===Animation and technical errors===
*When Rhinox slaps Rattrap for cracking wise over Optimus Prime's ruined state, his green understructure clips through the gold surface of the lower rhinoceros jaw that covers his chest.
*When the camera pans around Prime to show the repairs starting to be made, the Autobot insignia inside his chest is upside-down.
*When Megatron and Inferno fire at the Maximals inside the Ark, it takes surprisingly lot of time for the projectiles to reach their targets - enough to let Primal throw his arm shields in the air, transform, catch them, leap in front of his comrads and provide cover for them.
*When Primal first transforms into his jet mode, the cockpit is empty, but should house Prime's spark.
*After the Predacons leave the ''Ark'', Inferno, who looked like a zombie in the scene before (and after being apparently vaporized two episodes prior), is now in mint condition.
*During Primal and Cheetor's aerial attack on the fleeing Predacons, the cat's flight-mode jets are not deployed as he swoops closer to "camera" in the medium shot following his initial approach, but well before he transforms.
*As the ''Axalon'' is being dragged off of the cliff, the bottom of it can be seen. However it is completely flat at the rear; the engines are not there at all.
*In the Brazilian dub, Rampage is called "Destruição", but his name is "Violência". "Destruição" is Ravage's name.

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Sparkholderprimevaldawn.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Geekery.]]
*The "spark container" which held Optimus Prime's spark was hauntingly similar to the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. According to [[Ben Yee]]'s [http://www.bwtf.com/bw/tvshow/episodes/seasonthree/os/ site], the Mainframe animators used Optimus Prime's death sequence from "[[The Transformers: The Movie]]" as a visual reference and used the Matrix's design as a spark container because they didn't know its significance. This, of course, leads us to ask the question: How do you get involved with ''Transformers'' and not know the most important McGuffin in the entire continuity?
** "[[Primeval Dawn]]" later explained the Matrix-shaped spark container as being a [[Decoy|decoy]] Matrix constructed to sit in front of the real Matrix.
** Or Rhinox's "his spark has the Matrix with it" line could suggest that while he held the Matrix, the Matrix seen in ''Beast Wars'' was the Matrix and not a decoy. Consider that in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', Prime didn't give the Matrix to Ultra Magnus until after he had died. Look, just watch the episode, okay?
*Optimus was briefly knocked out after deflecting the missile and falling to the ground. However he is awake to watch the ''Axalon'' teeter back and forth and eventually fall off the cliff. One wonders why he couldn't have stopped it. After all, in his original form, he was able to slow the ship's descent to keep it from crashing in the episode "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]". One would think that his much larger and more powerful form would be enough actually to lift the ship up. On the other hand, he may not have wanted to leave himself (or more importantly, Prime's spark) exposed to Rampage. Considering the fact that the ''Axalon'' fell in the first place because Primal was trying to protect his ancestor's spark, it seems like the most logical in-universe explanation.

===Transformers references===
[[Image:OptimalSituation Tarantulas insignia.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* The [[Arachnoid]]s seen in this episode sport a special Tarantulas [[insignia]], which they possess in all of their appearances from now on.
*After Optimus Prime's spark is returned to him, he reactivates, but almost immediately returns to [[stasis lock]]. The [[Binaltech#Binaltech_2|''Binaltech'' story]] chapter supplied with BT-22 Convoy establishes that Optimus Prime was at least partly aware of both the spark transfer and Optimus Primal.
*When confronting Megatron on the ''Ark'''s bridge, Optimus Primal tells Megatron, "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings," the motto of Optimus Prime. When informed by [[Ben Yee]] about this fact during the [[Madman Entertainment]] ''Beast Wars'' Season 3 DVD commentary for this episode, writer Bob Forward confessed that up to this point he had no idea, and the phrase was simply something he'd picked up from the alt.toys.transformers newsgroup.
* Later, Optimus Primal tells the Maximals to "transform and [[Roll out|roll out]]."

===Foreign localization===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situation Optimal'''" (Canada, "Optimal Situation")

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''L'alba di una nuova era'''" ("The Dawn of a New Age")

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Ōkiku Na~re'''" (大きくな～れ, "Gro~w Bigger")

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situação Optimal'''" ("Optimal Situation")

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Óptima'''" ("Optimal Situation")

:*''Title:'' "'''Situación Optima'''" (America, "Optimal Situation")

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers: Metals'' — Groooww Bigger ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Free Video ([[Universal]])
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2000 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers: Metals'' — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Vol. 1 (Universal) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — The Complete Third Season ([[Rhino Entertainment|Rhinomation]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2006 — ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' — Season 3 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers: Beast Wars'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

[[Category:Beast Wars episodes]]

Talk:Technorganic

2011-11-26T12:26:09Z

TrapRat: /* New article? */

That two-page spread from TFU #1 should TOTALLY go in the "Technorganic Cybertron" section. That's some fucking GORGEOUS art there. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 06:41, 15 June 2006 (UTC)

In my edit I removed a statement that the technorganic healing abilities function better/faster in robot mode than in beast mode. Walky and I have no recollection of this. I'm inclined to think that, if they worked better in one mode than the other, it would have been the beast mode. Does anyone know whether this robot-healing thing was ever established someplace? It should be cited if it's put back in. --[[User:Steve-o|Steve-o]] 16:54, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

:My rough notes from watching through BM a couple years ago include the following:
:''BM Maximnals cannot use CR chambers. However-- BM's robot modes DO exert biologicly-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities, allowing them to quickheal, like Nightscream did his wing. They heal faster in ROBOT MODE
:It's from... uh... revelations? (My next note in order is the Diagnostic Drone recognizing Tankor's old personality.)
: note that Nightscream has th ability to quickheal even FASTER than the other Maximals when he's doing his vampire thing-- so I speculate their self-repair abilities are linked to their robot modes being at a higher 'energy level'. -[[User:Derik|Derik]] 23:04, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

==Technorganic transforming==
Technorganic transforming's not entirely a shapeshifting-style transformation. Watch Primal's transformation in the premiere episode, and you can see how the "energy" merely changes the shape of his limbs. After that, recessed panels slide out. I belive this should go in the article as well. [[User:Darktruth|Darktruth]] 15:39, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

==New section on usage errors==
I sure hope folks like the new section what I wrote.
--[[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]]

==Where is this stuff coming from??==
This article's got some rather oddly-phrased conclusions in it, taking single examples from the cartoon and unsupportably stating that they are illustrations of larger, well-known principles:
* ''Rather the spark appears simply to be diffused throughout the body and coalesces in the center of the chest or floats just outside of it when made to appear.''
* ''Close contact and ingestion of anything purely organic will tilt their minds toward their primitive, "organic" side. ''
* ''their greatest weakness lies in the perfect but fragile balance between the two opposing sides of their nature.''
I'd purge it all myself, but I wanna make sure there's not some outside source that's stating all this more clearly than the events of the cartoon did. Also, am I the only one who finds this article way too long and rambling in its current state? -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 15:43, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
:"Also, am I the only one who finds this article way too long and rambling in its current state?" You aren't. And the sections PacifistPrime keep adding aren't helping. This article needs an overhaul. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 03:12, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
:Primal said ingesting the purely organic fruit had devolved the Maximals and made their animal sides take over. "Close contact" seems to be an extrapolation / made-upism. --[[User:Thylacine 2000|Thylacine 2000]] 03:46, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
::This is the tree that shattered into pixels when Cheetor hit it with a sword. Whatever it was, it's ''not'' a common representative of "organic". -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 03:51, 19 February 2008 (UTC)
==Massive purge==
Hi guys. Look, I really don't want to get in a big argument here, as I have neither the time nor inclination, but I have to say I'm pretty miffed at the total slash & burn that's been done to the new sections I created. I know this is a wiki that anyone is free to edit, but given that you were clearly aware that I was pretty much the sole creator of the material from "Usage Problems", it would've been polite to at least ''discuss'' it a bit more first, don't you think?

Although I totally agree there was a great need for story links and concrete examples (and I appreciate you chaps adding them) and the prexisting material certainly needed tweaking, I really don't see that it was neccessary to pretty much annihilate all the new material that was already there...! The complaint about "speculation" is noted, but a] it was all clearly phrased as such, and b] there are plenty of instances on this wiki of logic-driven speculation which openly attempts to address canon ambiguities by suggestion theoretical explanations.

After all, it ''is'' a pretty big Question Mark/Elephant in The Room for the whole ''Beast Era'', don't you think? If the ''Beast Wars''-era characters were already genuinely organic, then what's the point of becoming '''Technorganics''' in ''Beast Machines''? On that basis alone I think the "Cyborgs or DNA Data" section is worthy of inclusion, as it is ''clearly'' an interrogative extrapolation which is not asserting any canonicity. The simple fact that there ''is'' such uncertainty merits such subsections, surely?

And at any rate, regardless of the organic/inorganic uncertainty, it is very clear from ''Beast Machines'' that anything pior to ''BM'' is definitely '''not''' technorganic as per the ''BM'' definition, and thus the term's use in reference texts when applied to ''Beast Wars'' characters is erroneous.

I really believe these things bear more in-depth treatment in the article, regardless of whether they're my original words or not.

As it stands now, I think the article is worse off, I really do. I think it is worthwhile having some material on the article that discusses the nature of pre-''BM'' beast modes, rather than just a stack of piecemeal examples that don't really lead to anything. (Also, completely removing the reference to the uncertain status of [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] inhabitents seems a questionable deletion.)

Perhaps a compromise would be in order. Might I suggest a negotiated, more concise (if neccessary) version of the previous text, enhanced by integrating your excellent examples & story links? Alternatively, what about creating a separate, linked article about "Beast Modes"...?

[[User:PacifistPrime|PacifistPrime]][[User:PacifistPrime|PP]] 04:30, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

:A lot of what I removed was simply overlong wordiness -- using 100 words to say could be summed up in 10. When my eyes glaze up and start to skip over entire paragraphs, it's my personal litmus test for something that needs heavy re-writing -- usually to have its central idea plucked out and everything else discarded.

:Furthermore, some of it was flat-out incorrect (ie: the BW guys weren't organic, when there's all kinds of evidence that they were), and then more still was unfounded fan theorizing (cyborgs, etc.) only necessary because of that position.

:Likewise for the position that the BM use of the term is the right one, and all subsequent uses are wrong -- the guidebooks are canon, they said what they said, and we're not really supposed to be picking and chosing our canon here. They use the term differently than the show did; the article as it stands notes that difference, and moves on. The "piecemeal" results may not be very rational or aesthetically pleasing, but the wiki is not the place for Grand Unified Fan Theories trying to tie it all together.

:I don't think I cut out any content from the article that's directly supported by the canon, and everything that's in there now ''is'' supported by concrete examples. Sometimes extrapolation and speculation are reasonable -- <strike>see [[Snarler]]'s origin for a good example, IMO; there's no conjecture, just a listing of three clear, obvious possibilities that don't require making anything up.</strike> (''Crap, guess I never changed that page per the Talk page discussion. Oops.'') But there are ''limits''.

:The article is already ''very'' long as is (as noted above, I'm not alone in thinking so.) The entire "Usage" section could be nuked and I wouldn't be too bothered, as it's tangential at best to the actual ''Beast Machines''-centered content of the page. -- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 06:20, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

:For that matter, Jungle Planet inhabitants are sculpted as being wholly mechanical, and intentionally so.--[[User:Rosicrucian|Rosicrucian]][[User Talk:Rosicrucian|Talk]] 06:23, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
::I'm not sure why we need to note the Jungle Planet guys. They're irrelevant to the topic and their only (tangential) connection is that they take the form of animals. [[User:Interrobang|—Interrobang]] 06:35, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

::I'm completely in agreement with Repowers. I looked at the old article, and it was a long, unreadable, rambling mess with lots of fanon. The cropping done is for the better. And I also agree that the Jungle Planet guys are completely irellevant to the matter, and bringing them up at all only serves to pointlessly muddy the waters based on nothing canon. --[[User:M Sipher|M Sipher]] 16:11, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

== Why did Primal's team need to go through the Beast Wars just to acquire beast modes? ==

In the article the question was raised why did Primal's team need to go through the Beast Wars just to acquire beast modes? My thought for the answer: they didn't. When they discovered the Oracle in the first episode it said "At long last, the receptive [[spark|Spark.]]". The idea could be that Primal need to go through temporarily going to the matrix and carrying Prime's spark to become able to be receptive to the will of the Matrix which he pass on to the others near the end.
: The first episode of the second season specifically states that they had to have the Beast Wars to bring back organic modes to Cybertron. --[[User:ItsWalky|ItsWalky]] 15:56, 18 March 2008 (UTC)
Yes but it's stated by Optimus who, like before might misunderstanding the concept. Another point is that the transmetal forms used by four members Optimus team allowed them to survive the gas long enough to reach the Oracle while not having them allowed Rhinox and Silverbolt to e quickly captured. --[[User:Ztyran|Ztyran]]

==Animated technos==

Animated has consistantly referred to BA and co as techno-organics. So why is it so many articles are allowed use the term technorganic? Similar yes, but nothing suggestiing their the same thing. For all we know it's more like Beast Wars, considering transformation is no different than standard. [[User:Eire]]
:Blackarachnia's bio calls her technorganic. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 23:48, 18 April 2009 (EDT)

== List of BW physiology traits ==

Saved here for future use on some other, more appropriate page:

Among the contradictory facts of the Beast Wars physiology are:
* A major premise of ''Beast Wars'' was that, in order to create their beast altmodes, the Cybertronians needed to scan and replicate the DNA of living or fossilized creatures.

* Instances of damage to beast mode tissue were inconsistent, sometimes merely exposing sparking circuitry, other times being shown to seemingly bleed ("[[Spider's Game]]"). However, Cheetor states that "I don't have real blood—just mech fluid." ("[[The Web]]")

* The Beast Warriors apparently did need to breathe to sustain themselves. ("[[Dark Voyage]]")

* They often consumed organic food as fuel. ("[[Power Surge]]", "[[The Low Road]]", "[[Code of Hero]]", "[[Victory (episode)|Victory]]") This eating also apparently translated into some form of digestion or analogous process, as evidenced by [[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]'s infamous [[The Low Road|fart attack]].

* Despite this, in ''Beast Machines'', Cheetor explicitly states that they no longer eat food, instead powering up on [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]] alone. Confusing the matter further, Primal then says in reply that "we ''used'' to" only consume [[Energon (fuel)|Energon]], which clearly is not the case. ("[[Forbidden Fruit]]")

[[Image:Noble.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Cybertronian, but not mechanical.]]
* Megatron was able to create a sapient clone of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] with simply "a spec of [his] DNA", seemingly indicating that both the organic and robotic "genetics" are present in a DNA sample. However, the clone did not have a robot mode it was capable of transforming into, a fact which has unclear implications. Oh, and the real Dinobot was able to ''eat'' him, for whatever that's worth...

* When forced to spend a prolonged period in their beast modes, the Maximals suffered from persistent dreams of living as "real" animals, which eventually consumed them and, upon awaking, their personalities became entirely bestial. [[Tigatron]] explained the schism between the Cybertronian and animal personalities as a side effect of a "programming block". ("[[Call of the Wild]]")

* Looking outside the show, the ''Beast Wars'' writers have stated that, in animal form, the characters are "fully organic"<ref>"When BW's transform into beast mode, they become FULLY organic. This means they are vulnerable to anything the animal they become is. They get hurt worse when hit in beast mode, they have to breathe and eat, they are for all and intents and purposes animals."</ref>, citing both "[[Dark Voyage]]" and "[[Call of the Wild]]" as examples.<ref>[http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/msg/31d437af229a5f5f Larry DiTillio post to ATT, Feb 4 1997]</ref> However, [[Authorial intent|while this may have been their intention]], it is not entirely consistent with some elements of the completed show nor does it clarify the nature of the technology, and the statement itself is of [[Pseudocanon|a canonically tenuous nature]].

[[Transmetal]] forms likewise appear to remain at least partially organic:

* [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]] continued to consume organic food after going Transmetal. ("[[Code of Hero]]")

* [[Optimus Primal]] once showing interest in a bunch of bananas. ("[[Feral Scream Part 2]]")

* In ''Beast Machines'', Megatron loathed his ''BW'' Season 3 (thus implicitly non-Technorganic by the ''BM'' definition) dragon form as "disgustingly organic". ("[[Sparkwar Pt. II: The Search]]")

* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s attempts to purge these "organic" portions ultimately created the purely organic [[Noble|Savage/Noble]] creature. ("[[Prometheus Unbound]]")
-- [[User:Repowers|Repowers]] 22:35, 25 April 2009 (EDT)
== New article? ==
Hey, this is some cool "saved" stuff (immediately above). If it's being saved for a new page, could someone create that new page? Maybe we could call it something like "Beast Warriors", "Beast Warrior technology", or, failing that, make it part of the [[Scanning]] or [[DNA scanner]] articles, maybe? If this content is isn't sufficiently relevant to stay in the Technorganic article, it could serve as a short complementary article discussing the vagaries of the pre-Beast Machine tech. Any takers? {{unsigned|110.33.205.174}}
*** I've made a suggestion/query along similar lines over at [[talk:Beast_mode|the Beast modes article talk page.]] Please discuss there.[[User:TrapRat|TrapRat]] 07:26, 26 November 2011 (EST)

Talk:Beast mode

2011-11-26T12:16:10Z

TrapRat:

Why was the redirect to [[alternate mode]] deleted? That is where beast modes are discussed. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 22:46, 6 May 2009 (EDT)

==Main Image==

Surely an image of actual confirmed beast modes, rather than a gratuitous fanwank that is far more likely to be just a bunch of animals, would be more appropriate? [[User:Eire]] 21.54 Nov 5 09 (UTC)
:I agree. That's also what it says in the "picsneeded" box. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 16:56, 5 November 2009 (EST)

== Movie ==

Should Scorponok and Ravage be included here, 'cause their pages describe their alt modes as beast modes. [[Special:Contributions/96.61.43.230|96.61.43.230]] 09:26, 30 January 2010 (EST)
:To my knowledge the movies don't give any fictional insight into beast modes (why they have beast modes, etc) and this page isn't a list of Transformers with beast modes, so I don't think the movies have anything to say about beast modes really. - [[User:Starfield|Starfield]] 10:13, 30 January 2010 (EST)

== ''G1'' Dinobots and Predacons ==

Do ''G1'' Dinobots and Predacons' alternate mode count as beast mode?　--'''[[User:TX55|TX55]]'''''[[User talk:TX55|TALK]]'' 10:23, 25 September 2011 (EDT)

== New section or New article? ==
Hey guys, I'm kinda new to actively editing around here, so I'm not sure what the protocol is about this. I was looking at the [[Talk:Technorganic#List_of_BW_physiology_traits|list of examples about Beast Wars organic tech]] archived by [[User:Repowers]] from some earlier major edit of [[Technorganic|that article]]. It seems to me that the topic of the ambiguous canon regarding the "is BW-era beast mode flesh organic or synthetic?" question is worth a bit more discussion than currently featured in the [[Technorganic#.22Technorganic.22_in_Beast_Wars|Beast Wars subsection of the Technorganic article]], PLUS it seems like [[Beast mode|this]] would be a more appropriate page for the discussion than that is. But I'm not sure if other users would prefer to have this kind of content here on this "Beast Mode" page, or to create a new one called something like "Beast Mode(/Wars?) Technology"?

Beast mode

2011-11-26T11:24:57Z

TrapRat: /* Beast Wars */

[[Image:BWPart1_beastmodes.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
'''Beast mode''' is a term that is properly used to describe a Transformer's [[alternate mode]] when the alternate mode is of the form of an animal and has organic material integrated among the Transformer's mechanical form. Transformers would often initiate the process of converting from their robot mode by vocalizing the phrase "Beast mode!"
{{-}}

==Beast Wars==
The term was first used officially in fiction relating to the [[Beast Era]]. When stranded on a planet with high levels of [[Energon radiation]], [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] took on beast modes from the native life on that planet. The [[Technorganic#.22Technorganic.22_in_Beast_Wars|quasi-organic nature]] of the beast mode protected them from the radiation.

In taking on such beast modes, the Transformer did more than simply mimic the life form, he also took on some behavioural characteristics of the animal. This affected the Transformer in various ways.

* Many characters displayed appetites consistent with their beast modes diets, e.g. Rattrap's liking for cheese, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot's]] carnivory, [[Optimus Primal|Optimus']] interest in bananas,[[Tarantulas|Tarantulas']] tendency to try and eat...everyone.

* [[Tigatron]]'s [[stasis pod]] was damaged causing him to identify more strongly than usual with the characteristics of the tiger that was [[scanning|scanned]], initially taking some time to realise that was not actually a normal organic tiger. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

* The energon radiation shielding was sabotaged at the [[Maximal]] base forcing them to remain in beast mode for much longer than they were used to. The extended time in beast mode caused the Maximals to become overcome with the mindset of their beast mode. They become feral and live as animals in the jungle. Tigatron, due to the accident with his protoform, is well adapted to his beast mode and routinely remains a tiger for long periods of time. Tigatron teaches the rest of the Maximals to embrace the beast within, which both frees them from being overcome with the bestial instincts and allows them to be more effective fighters in beast mode. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

* When [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s stasis pod activated, for reasons that are uncertain the characteristics of his ant beast mode became extremely dominant in shaping his worldview. He thought he was an ant and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was his queen. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

* Some unknown factor seems to impart a more subtle sense of animal-identification amongst even those Beast Warriors with notionally "normal" programming. This tends to manifest itself in an odd kind of subtle [[wikipedia:Speciesism|speciesism]], e.g. Rattrap and Blackarachnia refer to Dinobot and Megatron respectively as "slag-sucking saurian"s, Megatron and Dinobot in turn refer to Rattrap with contempt as "vermin", Tarantulas deliberately makes sure Blackarachnia's protoform scans a spider for its beast-mode and attempts to do the same with Inferno, seeking to create more of "our kind", and Megatron expresses his resulting distrust of the scheming "arachnids" on several occasions, Dinobot rather curtly addresses Cheetor in one episode simply as "feline", who in turn claims with some chagrin that, being a cat, he should "know better than to trust a dog" after being sucker-punched by Silverbolt.

==Generation 1==
===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:SpotlightShockwave GrimlockSlag trexscan.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Me, Grimlock like it!]]
The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] took on organic flesh covered beast modes to protect them from high levels of Energon radiation on pre-historic [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}}

[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Technology]]

Beast mode

2011-11-26T11:23:07Z

TrapRat: /* Beast Wars */ Original food & Inferno phrasings were a bit absolutist, so I tweaked them, and also made the Tigatron's point a little clearer, I hope.

[[Image:BWPart1_beastmodes.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
'''Beast mode''' is a term that is properly used to describe a Transformer's [[alternate mode]] when the alternate mode is of the form of an animal and has organic material integrated among the Transformer's mechanical form. Transformers would often initiate the process of converting from their robot mode by vocalizing the phrase "Beast mode!"
{{-}}

==Beast Wars==
The term was first used officially in fiction relating to the [[Beast Era]]. When stranded on a planet with high levels of [[Energon radiation]], [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] took on beast modes from the native life on that planet. The [[Technorganic#.22Technorganic.22_in_Beast_Wars|quasi-organic nature]] of the beast mode protected them from the radiation.

In taking on such beast modes, the Transformer did more than simply mimic the life form, he also took on some behavioural characteristics of the animal. This affected the Transformer in various ways.

* Many characters displayed appetites consistent with their beast modes diets, e.g. Rattrap's liking for cheese, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot's]] carnivory, [[Optimus Primal|Optimus']] interest in bananas,[[Tarantulas|Tarantulas']] tendency to try and eat...everyone.

* [[Tigatron]]'s [[stasis pod]] was damaged causing him to identify more strongly than usual with the characteristics of the tiger that was [[scanning|scanned]], initially taking some time to realise that was not actually a normal organic tiger. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

* The energon radiation shielding was sabotaged at the [[Maximal]] base forcing them to remain in beast mode for much longer than they were used to. The extended time in beast mode caused the Maximals to become overcome with the mindset of their beast mode. They become feral and live as animals in the jungle. Tigatron, due to the accident with his protoform, is well adapted to his beast mode and routinely remains a tiger for long periods of time. Tigatron teaches the rest of the Maximals to embrace the beast within, which both frees them from being overcome with the bestial instincts and allows them to be more effective fighters in beast mode. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

* When [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s stasis pod activated, for reasons that are uncertain the characteristics of his ant beast mode became extremely dominant in shaping his worldview. He thought he was an ant and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was his queen. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

* Some unknown factor seems to impart a more subtle sense of animal-identification amongst even those Beast Warriors with notionally "normal" programming. This tends to manifest itself in an odd kind of subtle [[wikipedia:Speciesism|speciesism]], e.g. Rattrap and Blackarachnia refer to Dinobot and Megatron respectively as "slag-sucking saurian"s, Megatron and Dinobot in turn refer to Rattrap with contempt as "vermin", Tarantulas deliberately makes sure Blackarachnia's protoform scans a spider for its beast-mode and attempts to do the same with Inferno, seeking to create more of "our kind", and Megatron expresses his resulting distrust of the scheming "arachnids" on several occasions, Dinobot rather curtly addresses Cheetor in one episode simply as "feline", who in turn claims with some chagrin that, being a cat, he should "know better than to trust a dog" after being betrayed by Silverbolt.

==Generation 1==
===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:SpotlightShockwave GrimlockSlag trexscan.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Me, Grimlock like it!]]
The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] took on organic flesh covered beast modes to protect them from high levels of Energon radiation on pre-historic [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}}

[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Technology]]

Beast mode

2011-11-26T10:44:23Z

TrapRat: /* Beast Wars */

[[Image:BWPart1_beastmodes.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
'''Beast mode''' is a term that is properly used to describe a Transformer's [[alternate mode]] when the alternate mode is of the form of an animal and has organic material integrated among the Transformer's mechanical form. Transformers would often initiate the process of converting from their robot mode by vocalizing the phrase "Beast mode!"
{{-}}

==Beast Wars==
The term was first used officially in fiction relating to the [[Beast Era]]. When stranded on a planet with high levels of [[Energon radiation]], [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] took on beast modes from the native life on that planet. The [[Technorganic#.22Technorganic.22_in_Beast_Wars|quasi-organic nature]] of the beast mode protected them from the radiation.

In taking on such beast modes, the Transformer did more than simply mimic the life form, he also took on some characteristics of the animal. This affected the Transformer in various ways.

* All characters frequently displayed characters consistent with their beast modes diets e.g. ([[Tarantulas|Tarantulas']] tendency to try and eat...everyone, [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot's]] carnivory, [[Optimus Primal|Optimus']] interest in bananas.

* [[Tigatron]]'s [[stasis pod]] was damaged causing him to take on characteristics of the tiger that was [[scanning|scanned]]. {{storylink|Fallen Comrades}}

* The energon radiation shielding was sabotaged at the [[Maximal]] base forcing them to remain in beast mode for much longer than they were used to. The extended time in beast mode caused the Maximals to become overcome with the mindset of their beast mode. They become feral and live as animals in the jungle. Tigatron, due to the accident with his protoform, is well adapted to his beast mode and routinely remains a tiger for long periods of time. Tigatron teaches the rest of the Maximals to embrace the beast within, which both frees them from being overcome with the bestial instincts and allows them to be more effective fighters in beast mode. {{storylink|Call of the Wild}}

* For reasons that are uncertain, when [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]]'s stasis pod activated he completely took on the characteristics of his ant beast mode. He thought he was an ant and [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] was his queen. {{storylink|Spider's Game}}

* Some unknown factor (that may or may not be similar to the preceding cases) seems to impart a more subtle sense of animal-identification amongst even the most well-adjusted of the Beast Warriors. This tends to manifest itself in an odd kind of subtle [[wikipedia:Speciesism|speciesism]], Rattrap and Blackarachnia refer to Dinobot and Megatron respectively as "slag-sucking saurian"s, Megatron and Dinobot in turn refer to Rattrap with contempt as "vermin", Tarantulas deliberately makes sure Blackarachnia's protoform scans a spider for its beast-mode and attempts to do the same with Inferno, seeking to create more of "our kind", and Megatron expresses his resulting distrust of the scheming "arachnids" on several occasions.

==Generation 1==
===IDW comics continuity===
[[Image:SpotlightShockwave GrimlockSlag trexscan.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Me, Grimlock like it!]]
The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dynobots]] took on organic flesh covered beast modes to protect them from high levels of Energon radiation on pre-historic [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Spotlight: Shockwave}}

[[Category:Toys]]
[[Category:Transformer anatomy]]
[[Category:Technology]]

File talk:Bwmegatron toy.jpg

2011-11-26T10:38:22Z

TrapRat:

Shouldn't we have a picture of a complete Megatron toy? This one is missing his head-bat-wing/battle mask thing. I've noticed this to be the case for the Tenth Anniversary Dinobot picture too. [[Image:BW10Dinobot toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|See? No Battle Mask!]] --[[User:Ascendron|Ascendron]] 14:33, 7 February 2010 (EST)
* I strongly agree. Alas, I can't provide such a picture.[[User:TrapRat|TrapRat]] 05:38, 26 November 2011 (EST)

Megatron (BW)/toys

2011-11-26T10:21:35Z

TrapRat: /* Beast Wars Reborn */ Minor point.

{{suite}}

The '''[[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]''' from ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' has many toys, yeeess.

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronBasic.jpg|right|300px|thumb|It appears to be a harmless Earth creature!]]
* '''Optimus Primal VS Megatron''' (Basic 2-pack, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: The initial version of ''Beast Wars'' Megatron transformed into a green alligator. The toy is a [[retool]] of [[Iguanus (BW)|Iguanus]] with new alligator and robot heads, and no frill. The screw hole for the frill bracket remains. Both toys were released at roughly the same time.

:Whether this toy can be considered the ''Beast Wars'' Megatron character as seen in the primary fiction is a matter of debate. Released before the animated series began, which established Megatron as a separate entity from [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron]], the accompanying profiles and mini-comic seem to assume that the Beast Wars are a progression of the same characters from the Autobot/Decepticon war. Whether the animated series's [[retcon]] affected this set of toys is probably a matter of personal preference. It can be interpreted as representing one of the more interesting [[micro-continuities]].

:More recently, the ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook]]'' has asserted that, in [[Beast Wars timeline (IDW)|IDW's version of ''Beast Wars'' continuity]], Megatron's alligator body was suggested by the ''Darksyde'''s computer as a potential alternate mode, but he rejected it in favor of the more powerful T-Rex, without ever actually reformatting into it. Thus, this [[micro-continuity]] posits alligator-mode Megatron as an essentially theoretical alternate form that never actually came to be. ''Suuure.''

:This mold was additionally used to make the purple-recolored Megaligator (who may or may not be a separate character to either Megatron or [[Megatron (G1)|Generation 1 Megatron]]). It was also proposed for [[Albitron]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/MegatronGator/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (alligator) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|BWultra}}
[[Image:Bwmegatron toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Barney.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 1996)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-1'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: This Megatron transformed into a purple organic ''Tyrannosaurus rex''. He has limited articulation in beast mode, but his dinosaur head can [[Water-squirting gimmick|shoot water]]. In robot mode, he has no hands, as his right arm ends with his dinosaur head, and his tail, folded into a pincer, forms his left arm. The outer shells of his dinosaur thighs conceal spring-loaded missile launchers that fire anchor-shaped projectiles.

: His robot head feature two bat-like wing adornments that fold to become a [[mutant head]].

: This mold was also used to make the ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] [[T-Wrecks]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (T-Rex) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GatorJ}}
* '''Megaligator''' (Basic, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-6'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

: In Japan, the gator Megatron toy was also sold as an individual toy, as well as in a VS pack with Optimus. The individual release is identical to the two-pack version, which is in turn identical to the Hasbro version.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Destron/MegagatorJapan/megatron.htm More information on Megaligator at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|CDgator}}
[[Image:CDMegaligator.jpg|thumb|300px|Purple people eater.]]
*'''Amazon Showdown''' (Basic 2-pack, 1997)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-S1'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail

:This figure is a purple [[redeco]] of Megatron's alligator form, and was sold with a red and blue redeco of Bat Primal. This may or may not be intended to be the same character as Megatron or Generation 1 Megatron.

{{-}}{{anchor|Microverse}}
*'''Arachnid''' ([[MicroVerse]], 1997)

: A small, non-transforming micro-figure of Megatron in his alligator body came with the [[MicroVerse]] [[Arachnid]] playset.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1997/Predacon/Arachnid/arachnid.htm More information on Arachnid (including Megatron figure) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|GoldUltra}}
* '''Megatron''' (Ultra, 199?)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''?'''
**''Accessories:'' Two misslies, water squirter

:A gold chrome redeco of Ultra-class Tyrannosaurus Megatron. It was a Japanese exclusive [[Lucky Draw]] figure, and at least ten were made.

{{-}}{{anchor|MegaTransmetal}}
[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronTM.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Ducky not included. Bummer.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Transmetal Mega, 1998)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/whip

: The third ''Beast Wars'' Megatron toy transformed from a mechanical ''Tyrannosaurus'' to an organic robot mode. As with all Transmetal toys, he has a 'third' vehicle mode; roller skates fold out of his feet and his turbines flip open. These modifications can also be deployed in robot mode. In robot mode, his tail becomes a flexible, segmented cutlass weapon. He can either hold it or it can be stored at his side on the connector piece it was attached to when in beast mode.

:The Hasbro release of this figure was in gold, dark brown, and silver. The Hasbro release is known for being remarkably fragile — the deep brown plastic used for Megatron's waist and torso is prone to eventual breakage due to stress fractures. This has often been mistaken for a form of [[Gold Plastic Syndrome]], but is really more of a design flaw coupled with weak plastics. The Takara version, which used a different plastic, does not have this problem. The Hasbro version had three different variants all based on the shade used for the transmetal parts, some were pink, some purple and others a darker blue purple.

[[Image:BWtoy-MegatronMetals.jpg|right|300px|thumb|I'm the one that doesn't crumble in your hands.]]
: The Japanese version of Transmetal Megatron is slightly different. The Japanese version uses black instead of the brown of the Hasbro version, a light gray for the beast-mode hands, tail, and skates instead of the metallic silver of the Hasbro release, and the copper is darker as well.

:This mold was retooled used to make ''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]'' [[Predacon (Armada)|Predacon]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1998/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transmetal Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}{{anchor|MetalsVs}}
*'''Metals Convoy VS Metals Megatron''' (VS pack, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''VS-40'''
**''Accessories:'' Tail/whip

: In Japan, Transmetal Megatron was available both individually and in a two-pack with [[Optimus Primal|Mega Transmetal Optimus Primal]]. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

{{-}}{{anchor|TM2}}
[[Image:BWdragonmegs toy.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Don't call him Puff, either.]]
* '''Megatron''' (Transmetal 2 Ultra, 1999)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''D-47'''
**''Accessories:'' Three missiles

: The final version of ''Beast Wars'' Megatron transformed into a mostly mechanical dragon, with articulation in his legs, little dragon arms and his flexible, rubber neck with vacuum metallized overlapping plates attached on top. The neck was flexible able to be controlled and locked into position by a small lever located at its base. Two projectiles stored in his wings can be fired from a spring-loaded launcher inside his dragon's mouth.

:In robot mode, Megatron resembles a winged demon, appropriate given his characterization. His chest is dominated by a small cockpit with a control chair inside (see Notes). Megatron's dragon neck and head replaces his left arm, with an additional missile launcher above his helmet. Transmetal 2 Megatron has a [[:Image:TM2 Ultras Commercial.jpg|third 'vehicle' mode]], which appears to be an afterthought, as it basically involves the dragon sitting very low to the ground so the wheels mounted on the legs and body can make contact and roll. His spark crystal, colored purple, is located on his dragon mode's right pectoral.

:If one follows the [[instructions]] and package photos, the dragon mode has Megatron's robot head sticking plainly out on his lower back. In addition to looking strange, this also forces the dragon tail to sit parallel "above" the spine instead of joining it at the bottom. It is possible to configure the tail so that it joins properly with the spine and conceals the robot head, but this forces all the sculpted detail (scale ridges, etc.) to be upside-down.

:This mold was also used to make [[Robots in Disguise (franchise)|''Robots in Disguise'']] [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/1999/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Transmetal 2 Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Machines===
[[Image:BMtoy-MegatronMega.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He's a flasher! Mangle!]]
* '''Megatron''' (Mega, 2000)

: Part of the second wave of ''[[Beast Machines (toyline)|Beast Machines]]'' Mega-class toys, the first ''Beast Machines'' incarnation of Megatron was based on his Transmetal 2 dragon form, but with cues from his ''Beast Machines'' design added, specifically the gilded control helmet and the wrapping cape. A compartment on his chest can be lifted to reveal a [[spark]] chamber with a Vehicon spark crystal, similar to other Beast Machines toys. Other than a robot and dragon mode, a third mode, one that wraps and closes the dragon wings around the robot, mimics the shrouded appearance seen on the television show.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Vehicon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Beast Machines Megatron (Mega) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:BMtoy-MegatronMcD.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Looks good enough to drink.]]
* '''Megatron''' (McDonald's Happy Meal, 2000)

: Transforms from cloaked robot mode to a very weak dragon mode. Much of the toy is made of translucent plastic, and he uses light piping to light up the spark crystal on his dragon mode's tummy. He doesn't do it very well, though—you sorta have to hold him up sideways to the light and hope it's working.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2000/Vehicon/McMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Beast Machines Megatron (Mcdonald's) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Megatron''' (Little Red Rooster Meal, 2000)

: The McDonald's Happy Meal Megatron was also released in Australia through the Red Rooster restaurant chain. Like the other three toys, it came in four color schemes. He was also retooled to remove the light piping on the original. Strangely enough, the toy was labeled as "Nightscream" on the plastic baggy it came in.

{{-}}
[[Image:BM-toy BeastChanger.jpg|right|thumb|300px|]]
* '''Beast Changer''' (Deluxe, 2001)
**''Accessories'': Wings (left & right)

: The Beast Changer (so called due to [[Hasbro]]'s inability to secure the [[Trademark]] on "[[Noble|Savage Noble]]") transforms from wolf-creature to dragon-creature (the packaging announces a conversion from "savage beast to noble wolf," a reference to the name Hasbro wasn't able to trademark). A spring-loaded tab on the dragon's head opens his jaws. The toy's [[spark crystal]] has its own unique symbol, a merger of the ''Beast Machines'' Maximal and Vehicon logos. Its spark-action [[gimmick]] is a wind-up spinning claw attack.

::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BeastChanger/beastchanger.htm More information on "Beast Changer" at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
*'''Megatron''' (Jollibee Kids Meal, 2009)
**''Accessories:'' Con Pencil Point Vise, wing unit

: Megatron was available as one of three figures in a Jollibee promotion. The toy is a greatly simplified version of his ''Beast Machines'' Mega toy. The dragon mode is him wearing his wings as a silly hat.

===Robot Masters===
[[Image:RMtoy-Megatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Utahraptor, maybe in an alternate timeline I'm being less of a jerk right now, but that's just rampant speculation, okay?"]]
* '''Beast Megatron''' (2004)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail, missile launcher, missile

: Beast Megatron is a simplified version of the 1996 Ultra ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. Much smaller, it had a very similar transformation and had a sculpt resembling the television series CGI model, but a paint scheme similar to the original toy. The tail/claw weapon was now removeable, revealing a robot fist which the tail/claw weapon could clamp around. He also came with a small laser rifle.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2004/Destron/BeastMegatron/beastmegatron.htm More information on Beast Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Beast Megatron Limited Black Version''' (2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''RM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail, missile launcher, missile, Sacred-Cut Sword "Armorkiller" blade

: Available only via mail-order through ''Hyper Hobby'' magazine, the "Limited Black Version" of Beast Megatron is just that: a straight [[black repaint]] of the Beast Megatron toy. He comes with all his original accessories, appropriately redecoed, as well as a gold-chromed version of the "Sacred-Cut Sword 'Armorkiller'" [[Solitarium]] weapon that came with [[Air Hunter]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2005/Destron/HHBeastMegatron/beastmegatron.htm More information on Beast Megatron Limited Black Version at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Returns===
* '''Megatron''' (Mega, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-05'''

:This release is the same as the American ''Beast Machines'' Mega toy.

* '''Noble Savage''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-11'''

: A toy version of [[Noble|Savage/Noble]] and a redeco of Beast Changer, he transforms from a wolf-creature to a dragon creature, with no robot mode. The difference lies in that select red plastic parts were changed to a blue color.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2001/Maximal/BeastChanger/beastchanger.htm More information on Noble/Savage at TFU.info (scroll down)]''

{{anchor|MegaheadMegatron}}[[Image:Megaheadtoy.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You will have to pay a lot for this, yessss...]]
* '''Megahead Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2005)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BR-12'''
**''Accessories:'' Missile

: This is a Japanese-[[exclusive]] redeco of ''Robots in Disguise'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megabolt Megatron]] and transforms into a head-shaped spider tank, based on the [[Grand Mal]] design. A gear-wheel mechanism moves the legs up and down as the tank mode is pushed along. Pressing the [[spark crystal]] on the tank's top opens its jaw and fires a spring-loaded missile. In robot mode, this swings the entire cannon assembly up over the robot's head, along with a "battle mask".

: If one removes the toy's spider-legs in head mode, it fits into the head socket to the [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]] main body. Though this is likely unintended, it is pointed out here as an extra play feature.

: This mold was also used to make [[Megabolt]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2002/Decepticon/MegaboltMegatron/megaboltmegatron.htm More information on Megahead Megatron at TFU.info (scroll down)]''

===Timelines===
* '''Darksyde Megatron''' (Ultra-class, 2006)

[[Image:Timelinestoy-MegatronDoFP.jpg|right|300px|thumb|My face defies all photographic lighting!]]
:''Accessories'': Claw attachment, hammer attachment, spring-loaded shield, [[Golden Disk]] key

:Representing Megatron before his crash on [[Earth]], ''[[Timelines (fiction)|Timelines]]'' Megatron is a [[retool]] and [[redeco]] of the ''[[Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]''-series [[Cybertron Defense Team|Cybertron Defense]] [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]] toy. Megatron transforms into a large, purple military vehicle similar to a cross between a Russian [[wikipedia:R-400_Oka|R-400 Oka mobile ballistic missile launcher]] and a [[wikipedia:BTR-90|BTR-90 armoured personnel carrier]]. The left side of his vehicle mode has a flip-up non-firing double-blaster, which can also be "used" in robot mode. Inserting the Golden Disk key into the rear of the missile pops it in half and exposes the inner spring-loaded missile launcher "laser cannon". Megatron comes with a shield that, when a Key is inserted, flips out a multi-tool arm that can be equipped with several tools stored in his shins (a spring-loaded hammer-head or a gripping claw). This shield can be mounted on either arm. He has two (nonfunctional) [[Mini-Con]] [[Powerlinx]] hardpoints in vehicle mode, and two ''different'' hardpoints in robot mode. He comes with a Golden Disk key marked with the [[Faction symbol|Predacon symbol]]. All samples of this toy have the space for the robot-mode head manually (and sometimes messily) carved open wider at the top in order to allow the new head to move freely between modes.

: Megatron was an at-show souvenir for [[BotCon 2006]], coming in a two-pack with [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]].

: This mold was also used to make [[Universe (2008 franchise)|Universe (2008)]] [[Countdown (G1)|Countdown]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/BCMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Darksyde Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars 10th Anniversary===
[[Image:BW 10th Megatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|"Grape-faces don't give up, they conquer!"]]
* '''Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail, missile, Jungle Planet Key

: For the 10th Anniversary of ''Beast Wars'', [[Hasbro]] created an all-new Deluxe-size tooling based mostly upon his original 1996 Tyrannosaurus form, but with technorganic detailing. When a [[Cyber Planet Key]] is inserted into his <s>ass</s> tail, it opens up to reveal a missile launcher.

: He is also packaged with a mini-comic-sized reprinting of [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Gathering|The Gathering]]'' #1, a small ''[[Darksyde]]'' ship figurine, and a [[Jungle Planet (Cybertron)|Jungle Planet]] style Cyber Planet Key ''without'' a [[Cyber Key Code]] stamped on it. On its packaging, "Predacon" is misspelled as "Preadcon", but a sticker was placed over it with the proper spelling. The sculpts for both leader toys were intentionally designed to blend in with the Jungle Planet aesthetic, "in case" they didn't get a Beast Wars Anniversary release (according to [[Aaron Archer]]'s statements at [[BotCon 2005]]).

: This mold was [[Redeco|redecoed]] and released as [[Cybertron (toyline)|''Cybertron'']] [[Megatron (Armada)|Megatron]] and [[BotCon 2010]] [[Cindersaur]].
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on 10th Anniversary Megatron at TFU.info]''
{{-}}

===Beast Wars Reborn===
[[Image:BW Megatron BWReborn.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Is it me, or does his tail-weapon-thing have teeth?]]
* '''Convoy vs Megatron''' (2006)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''BWR-01'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: For the 10th Anniversary of ''Beast Wars'', [[Takara]] retooled the original 1996 Ultra-sized Megatron toy, giving him a new head sculpt and a new paint scheme based upon the appearance of the CGI model used in the ''Beast Wars'' television series.

: The 1996 Ultra-sized Optimus Primal was also retooled and redecoed in the same manner.

{{-}}
* '''Optimus Primal vs. Megatron''' (multipack, 2006)
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

: The same figures as the ''Beast Wars Reborn'' two-pack released in the United States as a Toys "R" Us exclusive and packaged with "[[Possession]]". (Oddly, the box art is a re-use from that of the previous 10th Anniversary new-mold deluxe, an entirely different body design.)
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/TRUMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Megatron (Toys "R" Us Exclusive) at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===Beast Wars Telemocha Series===
*'''Megatron''' (Deluxe, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-02'''
**''Accessories:'' Claw/tail

: A redeco of ''Robot Masters'' Megatron, with extensive paint details based upon the larger Ultra class ''Beast Wars Reborn'' reissue. He came packed with a DVD of the Japanese dub version of "[[Equal Measures]]".
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2007/Destron/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Telemocha Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
[[Image:BWTelemochaMegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Running out of caption ideas for same boring things rehashed over and over!]]
*'''DX Megatron''' (Ultra, 2007)
**''Japanese ID number:'' '''TM-SP'''
**''Accessories:'' Two missiles, water squirter

:An extensive show-accurate redeco of the original Ultra-class Megatron mold, even more so than the ''Reborn'' toy—''without'' the recently remolded show-accurate head. He came with a DVD containing the Japanese dub version of the two-part episode "[[The Trigger, Part 1|The Trigger]]".

{{-}}

===United===
*'''Beast Megatron''' (Deluxe, February 2012)
**''ID number:'' '''UN-31'''
**''Accessories:'' Gun/tail, missile, Jungle Planet Key
{{comingsoontoy}}

==Merchandise==
[[Image:Megatronmutatingcard.jpg|thumb|300px|right]]
* '''Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game''' (1997)
:Megatron was one of the 24 beast warriors to receive a battle card representation for the Beast Wars [[Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game|card game]].
{{-}}

===Kabaya candy toys===
*'''Megatron''' (candy toy kit, 1997)

: A tiny plastic Megatron figurine molded onto an irregularly-shaped stand was released by Kabaya. Labeled toy 2 of 6, the other characters in his wave were Dinobot, Cheetor, Rattrap, Optimus Primal, and Rhinox. As always, terrible candy is included.

===Metal Monument===
* '''Metal Monument Megatron''' (TAKARA, 1999)

: As the name suggests, the product is a [[die-cast]] statue of Megatron. The head is convertible/removable in order to change the normal one with the battle mask/mutant head. The [[box art]] and the design of the product are both done by [[Hirofumi Ichikawa]].

===Titanium Series===
[[Image:Titanium RM BWMegatron.jpg|right|150px|thumb|I have two heads: My robot mode one, and my dino, who looks really hungry.]]
* '''Beast Wars Megatron''' (3" Robot Master, 2006)
**''Accessories'': Stand

: For the ''Titanium Series'', the initial 3" Megatron toy was based off his 1996 Ultra version. He's kind of squat.

:The toy features five points of articulation, including shoulders and head articulation. His dino-arm even features a 'wrist' and an articulated jaw. Despite his waist being a connection point it does not swivel.

:Megatron features an enormous amount of paint for such a small toy, including cute little red eyes, and paint washes on most of his dinosaur features.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2006/Predacon/TITMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Titanium Series Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
[[Image:Megatron Predacon Battle Card.jpg|right|80px|thumb|"I dare you not to make fun of me."]]
*'''Predacon Megatron''' (2007)

: A 52-point "rare" character in the [[3D Battle-Card Game]]'s "Energon Wars" expansion, Megatron "transforms" into a purple approximation of a ''T. rex''. He uses the same parts layout as [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Cruellock]], although his robot mode is assembled differently. Megatron is nominally the leader of the Decepticons in the set.

{{-}}
===Robot Heroes===
* '''Rattrap vs. Megatron''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroesmegatronrattrap.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Such a cute megalomaniac.]]
:Part of the "Beast Wars Series," Megatron comes packaged with [[Rattrap]]. He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Predacon/Megatron/megatron.htm More information on Robot Heroes Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}
* '''Silverbolt vs. Transmetal Megatron''' (2008)

[[Image:Robotheroessilverboltmegatron.jpg|right|300px|thumb|He has the Golden Disk, he has the power to change the future, and the only obstacle in the way of his path to unimaginable glory... is being two inches tall.]]
:Part of the "Beast Wars Series," Megatron comes packaged with [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]. Megatron holds the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]] in a special tail attachment seen in the episode "[[Code of Hero]]". He has the standard shoulders-and-neck articulation.
::*''[http://www.tfu.info/2008/Predacon/RHMegatron/megatron.htm More information on Robot Heroes Transmetal Megatron at TFU.info]''

{{-}}

==Notes==
[[Image:BWRConcept35.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Transmetal 2 Megatron's control art. Look! Spark figure! Painful amounts of detail!]]

*The concept art for the original Ultra class figure was largely the same, except in one minor difference: The left arm would have housed an open three clawed hand. The idea of that wouldn't be revisited until the 10th anniversary Deluxe Megatron.

* In a bit of little known trivia, Hasbro originally intended Inferno to be the new body for Megatron. According to [http://groups.google.com/group/alt.toys.transformers/browse_thread/thread/b334d45514e26ab4/bc8e54e9165e0823?hl=en&lnk=st&q=bob+forward+interview+inferno+megatron&rnum=1#bc8e54e9165e0823 a 1997 interview conducted by fan HooksX], Bob Forward stated: "For a while there Hasbro was planning to make the Inferno toy the new Megatron. We were going to kill Megatron and bring him back as Inferno."

*Originally, Transmetal 2 Megatron, along with [[Optimus Primal|Optimal Optimus]] and [[Tigerhawk]] were to have small driver-like figures sitting on control chairs located in cockpits on their bodies. These drivers were meant to represent their sparks. But [[Hasbro]] then later realized that kids might confuse these spark representations as drivers controlling the robots, so they were abandoned, but the cockpits remain. The spark pilot was eventually used in the Japanese release of [[Cryotek (RID)|Cryotek]].

[[Image:OTFCC05-Megatronunused.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Everyone wishes this happened.]]

* A retool of ''[[Robots in Disguise]]'' [[Megatron (RID)|Megatron]] as a post-''Beast Machines'' Megatron was proposed by [[3H]] for OTFCC 2005, but this idea was lost when 3H forfeited the license to [[Fun Publications]]. It would have had a [[Rubber Ducky]] accessory. No, seriously. It would have been that awesome.

* Primal's gorilla mode, paired against [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]]'s ''T. rex'' mode, was inspired by the showdown in ''[[wikipedia:King Kong|King Kong]]''.

[[Category:3D Battle-Cards]]
[[Category:Beast Machines Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars 10th Anniversary]]
[[category:Beast Wars Telemocha Series]]
[[Category:Convention exclusives]]
[[Category:Fast food exclusives]]
[[Category:KB Toys exclusives]]
[[Category:Mail order exclusives]]
[[Category:Robot Heroes]]
[[Category: Robot Masters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Timelines characters]]
[[Category:Titanium Series]]
[[Category:Toys "R" Us exclusives]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Transmetals 2]]
[[Category:United characters]]
[[Category:Universe (2008)]]
[[Category:Vehicons]]

Dawn of Future's Past

2011-11-26T09:52:57Z

TrapRat: /* Errors */ A fair point, I hope?

{{comicstory
|seriesissue=''[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|Transformers Timelines]]'' Vol.2 #1
|prev=Descent into Evil
|next=Games of Deception
|seriesissue2=''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (franchise)|Beast Wars: Transformers]]''
|prev2=Theft of the Golden Disk
|next2=Beast Wars (Part 1)
|image=Timelines2-01.jpg
|title="Dawn of Future's Past"
|publisher=[[Fun Publications]]
|date=[[September 28]], 2006 ([[BotCon 2006]])
|coverdate=Fall '06
|story=[[Pete Sinclair]]
|story consultants=[[Bob Forward]] and [[Ben Yee|Benson Yee]]
|writers=[[Forest Lee]], [[Pete Sinclair]]
|pencils=[[Dan Khanna]], [[Alex Milne]], and [[Marcelo Matere]]
|inks=[[Jake Isenberg]] and [[Terry Pallot]]
|color=[[Drew Eiden]], [[Josh Perez]], and [[Thomas Deer]]
|letters=[[Junemoon Studio]]
|continuity=[[Beast Wars cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''A rogue Predacon steals a Maximal relic. A group of Maximal explorers must pursue.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Nitrostreak|Unit 1]] and [[Tigatron|Unit 2]] speed to intercept [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]], who is in the process of stealing the [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|Golden Disk]]. Unit 1 is incapacitated. After a disagreement with one of his [[Dinobot (BW)|troops]] about honor, Megatron and his forces retreat with their prize.

In the shadows of [[Cybertropolis]], [[Divebomb (G1)|a mysterious figure]] orders [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] and [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to assist Megatron secretly in his escape. Meanwhile, Megatron's troops have succeeded in heisting a ship, the ''[[Darksyde]]''. This forces Unit 2 to commandeer his own, the ''[[Chromia 10]]'', although her [[Airazor (BW)| pilot]] insists on doing the flying.

Inside the [[Maximal Defense Command Center]], three [[Maximal]]s meet to discuss the situation. After a briefing, they decide to send the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'' after Megatron. On a space station, [[Rattrap|one of the ''Axalon''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew]] complains to [[Cheetor (BW)|another]] about delays. [[Rhinox (BW)|Yet another]] scolds them. [[Optimus Primal]] sees to [[Rampage (BW)|his cargo]].

After the ''Axalon'' departs, she receives her mission to stop Megatron. Just then, Laserbeak and Buzzsaw attack in [[Buzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship|their ship]]. The ''Chromia 10'' arrives to help, but both of these ships are destroyed. Unit 2 and the pilot, however, are brought aboard the ''Axalon'' by remote [[spark core transfer]].

[[Tarantulas (BW)|A crew member]] of the ''Darksyde'' secretly transmits data from the Golden Disk to an [[Tripredacus Council|unseen recipient]]. As the ''Axalon'' closes in, Megatron again flogs his honor-bound subordinate before greeting the Maximals with an array of ammunition. The ''Darksyde'' escapes into a [[transwarp]] portal, followed closely by the ''Axalon''. ''[[Beast Wars (Part 1)|To be continued!]]''

Much later, after [[Beast Machines: Transformers (franchise)|Megatron's techo-superiority reign]], [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] vows that the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s will defeat the Maximals.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|h1=[[Maximal]]s|c1=
* [[Nitrostreak|Unit 1]] (1)
* [[Tigatron|Unit 2]] (2)
* [[Airazor (BW)|''Chromia 10'' pilot]] (10)
* [[Maximal Command Security Force]] officers (11)
* [[Optimus Primal]] (12)
* "[[Rattrap]]" (13)
* "[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]]" (14)
* [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] (15)
* "[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]]" (16)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]]|c2=
* [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] (3)
* "[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]]" (4)
* "[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]]" (5)
* [[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (6)
* [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] (7)
* [[Buzzsaw (G1)|Buzzsaw]] (8)
* [[Ravage (G1)|Ravage]] (9)
* "[[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]" (17)
* [[Cicadacon]] (18)
* "[[Waspinator]]" (19)
* "[[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]]" (20)
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (21)
* "[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]]" (22)
* "[[Tantrum]]" (23)
* "[[Headstrong]]" (24)
}}

==Notes==
* The mass-retail release of this comic featured several pages of bonus material: some sketches by Marcelo Matere, and profiles for Optimus, Megatron, Cheetor, and the [[Maximal Command Security Force]].

===Errors===
* Early in the comic, it is established Terrorsaur gave the ''Darksyde'' its name. Divebomb is seen referring to the ship by that name too not much later, despite that he can not know it (unless he has somehow intercepted their communications).

===Transformers references===
* Rattrap calls Rhinox a "rhinoceros". In "[[Beast Wars (Part 1)]]", he calls Rhinox a "bulldozer".

* On the space station, Rhinox and a group of armed guards can be seen loading [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]]'s stasis pod onto the ''Axalon''.

* One of the Maximals in the Defense Command Center has the head of [[Blurr (Armada)|''Armada'' Blurr]].

* [[Cicadacon]] can be seen in the reflection on Tarantulas's head.

* The ''Timelines'' Megatron toy is a [[redeco]]/[[retool]] of ''[[Transformers: Cybertron (franchise)|Cybertron]]'' [[Red Alert (Armada)|Red Alert]], but here it is revealed that that body is actually a suit of armor, accounting for why the BotCon toy looks different from the pre-beast Megatron seen in "Beast Wars (Part 1)". This could also explain why Megatron's Tail Weapon was removable.

* Razorclaw's appearance is based on the [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] toy with a new head. He also sports a [[Insignia|new Predacon symbol]]. The Transformers standing behind Razorclaw seem to be based on [[Transmetal 2]] Cheetor, [[Longhorn (BM)|Longhorn]], and [[Backstop (Cybertron)|Backstop]], though artist Dan Khanna says these resemblances were not intentional. This scene was said by Pete Sinclair to take place 50–100 years after ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''. He also stated that the original Rampage, Tantrum, and Headstrong died at the end of the Great War, and the guys standing behind Razorclaw are their [[Relatives|descendants]].

* Waspinator wants to call the ship [[Buzzer-Bot]].

===Covers===
* '''BotCon Edition:''' Pre-beast mode Maximals versus Predacons; art by [[Joe Ng]].
* '''Shout! Factory DVD Edition:''' The Maximals have Megatron surrounded; by [[Makoto Ono]].
<gallery>
Image:Timelines2-01.jpg
Image:DawnOfFuturesPastDVDCover.jpg
</gallery>

===Trivia===
* The title is similar to [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]]'s "[[Wikia:c:Marvel:Days of Future Past|Days of Future Past]]".
* The comic was re-released in 2011 as part of the [[Shout! Factory]] ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' online exclusive complete series box set. The comic itself measures a measly 4.75" x 7.125".

[[Category:Beast Wars issues]]
[[Category:Timelines issues]]