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The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

2014-02-21T02:30:32Z

Tuxedo Mark: /* Animation and technical errors */ regarding Jessica's appearance

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=95
|ep2=32
|prev2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1
|next2=Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime2 title shot.JPG
|caption=I'm back, kiddies!
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"
|production code=700-116
|airdate=[[February 25]], 1987
|written by=[[Michael Charles Hill]]
|story by=[[Marv Wolfman]] [[Cherie Wilkerson]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''Optimus and a handful of Autobots make a desperate bid to recover the Matrix, in the hopes that a cure for the Hate Plague can be found.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Primeandjessicamorgan.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Chip Chase, is that you?]]

[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]], now fully restored to life by [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] and a [[Quintesson]] survivor of the rampant Hate Plague that's infecting the universe, demands to know what has happened during his time on the [[Allspark|other side]]. Sky Lynx recaps the events that had conspired to bring him back, including [[Jessica Morgan]]'s valiant play to save him from total destruction, the discovery of the [[Hate Plague]] spores, and the trap laid out by Jessica's father and her partner Gregory Swofford to infect the Autobots with the spores in revenge, which ultimately spiraled out of control. It was thought by Rodimus, before his infection, that Prime would know what it would take to stop the plague. Prime asks who is available, and learns of the injured [[Autobot]]s. The Quintesson manages to reactivate them, completely rebuilding [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] into Goldbug.

When Goldbug asks what the plan is, Prime admits that he doesn't have a plan. Without the accumulated wisdom within the [[Matrix of Leadership]] (which now resides in Rodimus), he doesn't have a clue as to where to start. That is, until Jessica comes forward with the experimental alloy that she, her father, and Gregory had worked on, which proved strong enough to block the spores. Theoretically, coating Optimus with this alloy would protect himself from the spore's infection and allow him to get close enough to Rodimus to extract the Matrix from him. However, all remaining alloy samples were stolen by the Decepticons. The Autobots decide to retrieve the metal.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 crazycons.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Cyclonus and Scourge each spent 2,000 XP to create the Level 7 Flame Barrier spell. Unfortunately Galvatron has Protection from Fire with Permanency effect.]]

Meanwhile, on [[Chaar]], [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] is pinned down by his own mutinously diseased soldiers, unable to fight back against their maddening ferocity...until Optimus and his team arrive to save the day, convincing Galvatron that it would be in his best interest to join in an alliance with them. As is his way, however, the Decepticon leader is suspicious of Optimus's motives, especially when he learns they need the alloy he stole, but cannot get a reason for it out of them. He agrees to join in and leads Optimus and his gang down a series of boobytrapped tunnels, their numbers dwindling from the tunnel's natural hazards and the infected Decepticon mob behind them, until only Optimus, Galvatron, Sky Lynx, and Jessica arrive at the alloy's hiding place. Unfortunately, Jessie accidentally lets slip their plan to coat Optimus with the metal after confirming there would be enough of it to do the job, prompting Galvatron to turn on Optimus in hopes of using the process on himself, but he is soon subdued by Sky Lynx. Under coercion, Galvatron loads the alloy onto Prime's trailer, but doesn't notice that an infected Cyclonus has managed to sneak in, infecting Jessica in the process. Jessica, in turn, infects Galvatron, forcing Sky Lynx and Optimus to flee back to Earth.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Primes duel.JPG|left|200px|thumb|So I guess Rodimus is a bottom... to Ultra Magnus?]]

Once on Earth, Optimus is coated with the alloy, and sets out to find Rodimus. He finds him, taking down infected Transformers with reckless glee, and attempts to reason with him, which fails. Unwilling to hurt his successor, Prime lures Rodimus to a nearby auto shop, attempting to peacefully subdue and talk Rodimus into helping him, but the Hate Plague is overriding any effort to do so, forcing Optimus to knock Rodimus out and take the Matrix back by force. Back at [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]], Optimus dives into the Matrix to question the elders of the past in reverse chronological order (of their history) to try and find out any information on the spores. The spirit of [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] warns him that if he travels too far, he risks becoming lost within the Matrix itself.

During Prime's journey, the Quintesson that revived him notices a troop of infected Transformers attempting to get in, and manages to temporarily shut them out, giving Optimus the time he needs to finally find his answer. He learns that, in a period of pre-Cybertronian history, the Plague ''has'' visited the planet before, but was contained and sealed inside the star Jessica and Gregory found it in using sheer wisdom, though even back then, no one had the wisdom to destroy the spores, and now that it has spread so much throughout the galaxy, it's doubtful that anyone has the wisdom to even contain them again. Optimus then realizes that a source of raw wisdom may be available to destroy the infection once and for all: the accumulated wisdom within the Matrix of Leadership.

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Matrix open.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Hmm, this looks familiar...]]

The infected Transformers finally break into the base, and corner the Quintesson, who begs them to stop. Galvatron grabs a metal pole, intending to impale Prime. However, Prime's chest opens to reveal a glowing Matrix, surprising the Transformers. Asking it to "light our [[darkest hour]]", Optimus Prime releases the energy of the Matrix of Leadership, which spreads across the universe and totally eradicates the Plague. It even seems to, at least temporarily, cure Gregory and Jessica's father of their hatred for Autobots, and Galvatron of his own madness, and they call a truce with Optimus. Galvatron in particular shakes his old enemy's hand, proclaiming that he has earned his respect.

It is then that Rodimus (now [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]], without the Matrix within him) notes that the Matrix is now empty, its wisdom supposedly lost in order to stop the plague. Optimus, however, disagrees; they have all become a little wiser, now, and although the Matrix is indeed empty of wisdom, it is up to them from then on to fill it again with their knowledge and experience. Optimus, once again the Autobot leader, orders his troops to "Transform and roll out".

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (2)
*[[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (6)
*[[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (7)
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (8)
*[[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (10)
*[[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (11)
*[[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (12)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee/Goldbug]] (13)
*[[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (14)
*[[Blaster (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Blaster]] (15)
*[[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime/Hot Rod]] (21)
*[[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (22)
*[[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (23)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (24)

|c2=
*[[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (16)
*[[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (17)
*[[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (18)
*[[Sweep|Sweeps]] (19)
*[[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] (20)
*[[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (25)
*[[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (26)
*[[Divebomb (G1)|Divebomb]] (27)

|c3=
*[[Jessica Morgan]] (4)
*[[Gregory Swofford]] (5)
*[[Mark Morgan]] (29)

|c4=
*[[Quintesson]] (3)
*[[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticon]] (9)
*[[It]] (28)
}}

==Quotes==

"We need a plan! Okay, Optimus, what's the plan?" 
"I... have no plan."
:—'''Goldbug''' and '''Optimus Prime''', the latter of whom is not exactly inspiring confidence

"[[Autobots, transform and roll out]]!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', getting back into the swing of things.

"Fools, I am your leader! ... It's no use. You're all crazed!"
:—'''Galvatron''' fighting his infected and insane troops. The irony fairy just had a coronary.

"Have I no friends left?!" 
"Well, well, what have we here?" 
"Looks like something the cat dragged in."
:—'''Galvatron''' tries to reason with the infected '''Cyclonus''' and '''Scourge'''...for once

[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2 Prime Galvatron.JPG|right|200px|thumb|"Come on, Optimus, why can't we be friends?"
 "When we first met, you shot me and my girlfriend. You make a bad first impression."]]

"Come on, Optimus, tell me! Why do you want this metal? How will it be used? Why is it so precious?" 
"I've explained it to you." 
"You told me it was important, but you didn't tell me why!" 
"That's because I know you too well, Galvatron."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Optimus Prime''' resuming their same old song and dance

"I don't need you anymore, Optimus. So much for your resurrection!"
:—'''Galvatron''', same song, different tune

"I don't want to hurt you, Rodimus!" 
"Don't worry, Optimus, you won't! HAHAHAHAH!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down.

"No more games, Rodimus! Innocent lives are at stake!" 
"''No one'' is innocent!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Rodimus Prime''' throw down some more... right before Optimus clocks him.

"Now, light our darkest hour!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''', proving that destiny and Chosen Ones mean nothing when pitted against letters from angry kids and parents.

"There will be no war today, Optimus Prime. You have earned Galvatron's respect."
:—'''Galvatron''', totally sane for the first time since... ever

"The wisdom of the ages! It's lost!" 
"No, not lost. We're all a little wiser now." 
"But the Matrix is empty!" 
"It's up to all of us to fill it again—with the wisdom we accumulate from this moment on. Autobots, transform and roll out!"
:—'''Hot Rod''' and '''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The chair Optimus was sitting on is missing at the beginning of the episode.
*Optimus's fog lights are entirely red, even at the bulbs, which should be yellow or white.
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Steeljaw's paws are over the side of the table in one shot and beside him in the next shot.
*In his first full body shot, Goldbug's head is drawn off-model, with pointier horns, smaller eyes and a much simpler mouthplate that looks more like Optimus Prime's than Goldbug's zigzag-shaped plate.
*As he speaks with the group, the closeups of Optimus's face from the side have the panel on the left side of his head in gray instead of blue. The long shots don't show his mouth plate moving as he speaks.
*When Optimus Prime kneels down to talk to Jessica Morgan, Goldbug's feet (in the background) are colored gray instead of gold, even though his shins are still gold.
*After Kup suggests the Autobots steal the metal back, Steeljaw (who's very close to the camera) is Rampage colored like Steeljaw.
*As the group "rolls out," Kup is shown driving backwards (unless he turns around after the scene transition...).
*The red squares are missing from the tops of Galvatron's shoulders in several shots. His chin is gray in some and dark gray in others as well.
*Optimus's rifle has the basic Autobot gun sound effect rather than its usual sound effect.
*When the Decepticons retreat on Chaar, Cyclonus speaks with Ultra Magnus's voice.
*As Optimus drives through the cave, his trailer is missing its Autobot symbol.
*Just before he transforms in the cave, Optimus' bumper and grille are red instead of gray.
*Just before the team crosses the spider web, Cyclonus is shown in place of Blurr.
*Some shots show the crest on Optimus's helmet framed in gray, while others (such as during his "know you too well" line) have it framed in blue.
*As the energy leeches drop on Optimus, his fog lights are long cylinders rather than short triangles.
*Just before getting infected, Blaster has no lines on his switch plate.
*"We have to get out of here!" - Optimus's faceplate is misaligned with his helmet.
*When Galvatron shoots the top of the cave the second time, some of the rocks stay in mid-air.
*When they enter the Decepticon lab, Galvatron is taller than Optimus. In most other shots, he's shorter than Optimus.
*As Jessica discovers the alloy in the lab, Optimus is missing the Autobot symbol on his shoulder.
*After she makes the discovery, a shot shows the sides of Optimus' midsection in white instead of red.
*When Galvatron is threatening Optimus after they find the heat-resistant metal, Galvatron's cannon has a trigger on it.
*When escaping after Galvatron is infected, Optimus and his cab are coated in the resistant metal before it was even melted down.
*When he first meets Optimus, Rodimus is missing his Autobot symbol.
*The subsequent shots show Rodimus as semi-transparent.
*As Rodimus drives out of the junkyard a few moments later, he floats above the ground.
*Rodimus's gun fires yellow shots at times and purple shots in others. And what happened to his rifle?
*As Optimus grapples with Rodimus, Rodimus's Autobot logo disappears in a few frames.
*The inside of Rodimus' mouth is gray as he delivers the "no one is innocent!" line.
[[Image:ReturnOptimusPrime2_Alpha_Trion_miscolored.jpg‎|thumb|250px|Trust the Gorton's fisherbot!]]
*The ceiling of the junkyard plant has beams framing the glass, yet the beams disappear when Sky Lynx crashes through them.
*Sky Lynx ''also'' disappears after crashing through the glass.
*As Optimus struggles with Rodimus the second time, Optimus's Autobot logo is framed in white in some shots, black in others.
*When Optimus takes the Matrix from Rodimus, the "glow" from the Matrix lags behind the Matrix itself when he raises it up.
*In the next shot, Rodimus is laying there with his chest suddenly closed again.
*When Optimus is talking to Alpha Trion, Alpha Trion is miscolored. He's entirely orange in a few shots.
*When Optimus activates the Matrix, its handles disappear. They're back again in the next shot.
*Jessica's facial appearance in this episode is different than it was in Part 1.
*As Optimus is explaining that the Matrix must be refilled with the future wisdom, he is colored as if he still has the heat resistant metal on him.
*In the same shot, Hot Rod looks bigger than Optimus even though he should be much smaller (especially now that he's not Rodimus anymore).
*In the last shot of the episode, Optimus is missing his smoke stacks, the front of his cab has the gray stripes but the sides do not, and his trailer is again missing its Autobot logo.
*Also in the last shot of the episode, look at Blurr carefully. He clips into Kup and his front end disappears from the frame!

===Continuity errors===
*Optimus's last line in Part 1 was "This time, no force in the universe can stop me." His first line here is "''Now'', no force in the universe ''will'' stop me."
*Sky Lynx is in two parts at the beginning. He was the full walking bird at the end of the last episode.
*After Sky Lynx's recap, Optimus is seen getting up from a table and walking over to where he was a minute earlier. There was no table behind him in previous shots, and no reason for him to lay down for a moment.
* So....how ''exactly'' does Sky Lynx know every single detail of what happened in the previous episode? He wasn't even there when half of those recapped events took place! Unless he turned Metroplex back on...
* If Sky Lynx said that the uninfected Autobots were "Kup, ''Wheelie'', Steeljaw, Bumblebee, and Blurr," then why does it show ''Blaster'', not Wheelie, among the uninfected autobots?
*When the small group of Autobots is restored, Optimus suddenly has his rifle back, though he wasn't holding it in the previous shots.
*Given that the Autobots are in a rush to save the galaxy, why did the Quintessons take the time to retool Bumblebee into Goldbug?
*How did Kup know that Rodimus had been contaminated since he was deactivated by Superion before Rodimus was?
*A close-up of Jessica during the spider-web ambush shows her without her exo-suit, which she is shown wearing immediately before and after.
*The alloy is heat-resistant to the point of surviving a supernova in the [[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1|previous episode]]. Yet it now can be melted down to coat Optimus Prime with it.
*A machine is used to coat Optimus Prime with this superheated alloy. What was ''it'' made out of, and why wasn't that material used?
*And did anyone manage to explain how heat resistance works against spores? What exactly do the writers think [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spore spores] are?
*The Transformers wounded by [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] included Steeljaw and Wheelie, who are briefly seen at the start. They are then replaced by Blaster. Steeljaw returns a bit later, however, but Wheelie stays gone. Not that this is a bad thing. Wheelie must have stayed with a Quintesson on Cybertron.
*The infected Decepticons work ''together'' to fight Galvatron and the others, instead of attacking each other.
*Worse, when outnumbered by the Autobots, Cyclonus orders the other Decepticons to retreat, and they follow his command.
*Sky Lynx doesn't help during the spider attack, even though he ''can'' fly.
*When Galvatron and Prime are working together, Prime says, "That's because I know you too well, Galvatron." Yet this is the first time a ''cognizant'' Optimus has ever met Galvatron (him being only half-alive back when they met in "[[Dark Awakening]]"). Perhaps he just has really good intuition, or knows [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|who Galvatron USED to be...]]
*Optimus is coated in the alloy in robot mode. How does his trailer get coated?
*Goldbug, Kup and Blaster get infected without being touched. Sky Lynx was right next to them but doesn't get infected. Huh?
*After Jessica Morgan and Galvatron got infected, Optimus and Sky Lynx speed off. Jessica makes a jump for Sky Lynx and briefly clings onto his tail before losing her grip, yet Sky Lynx ''still'' doesn't get infected.
*How do the support beams in the junkyard plant hold Optimus and Rodimus' weight?
*Rodimus's Matrix chamber opens via a pair of rectangular swing-out doors much like Optimus' chamber. In "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4," the door opened in the middle of the flame on his chest. In "Dark Awakening", it hinged across the left side of the flame, and the whole design opened to reveal the chamber.
* When Optimus puts the Matrix into his chest, he puts it in kind of... sideways. Surely his months of deactivation haven't made him forget how the thing sat in his chest for ''millions of years''?
* Upon entering the Matrix of Leadership, the first ancient Autobot that Optimus Prime converses with is Alpha Trion. The latter's appearance there is somewhat puzzling, as it was [[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2|previously established]] (and [[The Rebirth, Part 2|later reiterated]]) that he had merged with Vector Sigma. Alpha Trion's presence makes even ''less'' sense considering that it was clearly stated in "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" that he had never taken the Matrix for himself, thus eliminating the possibility that a "backup copy" of himself had somehow been "uploaded" into it. Years later, of course, the big ol' retcon of the [[Allspark]] indirectly rectified this: Alpha Trion's in the afterlife, which one can communicate with through both the Matrix and Vector Sigma.
*The infected transformers work ''together'' to find Optimus Prime, instead of attacking each other.
*How exactly does wisdom kill spores?
*In the movie, the Matrix took up the top half of Optimus' chest compartment and was behind a flip-up panel. Here, it fills in the whole (now hollow) cavity with no panel or other electronics to be seen.
*How exactly did Jessica get off [[Chaar]]?
*And what are she and Gregory Swofford doing in Moscow by the time they're cured of the Hate Plague? It's not just a case of an accidentally recycled background from the previous shot (which did depict actual Russians being cured of the Hate Plague)—even though both shots feature onion domes reminiscent of Saint Basil's Cathedral, they're definitely different background paintings. So... what gives?
*How did they get the alloy ''off'' Optimus Prime?
*And why would they want to, if it's so resilient? (Unless... they just painted over the alloy?)
*Does anyone else think that Dr. Swofford and Morgan get off waaaaay too easy at the end of the episode? They ''willingly'' unleash the hate plague that causes widespread devastation (and probably death) across not just the world but the entire galaxy, just to spite the Autobots, and they get off by just saying "sorry"?
*Then again, we don't actually ''see'' Optimus shaking their hands. Burn!

===Continuity notes===
*Optimus using the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague bears more than a passing resemblance to when Rodimus Prime used the Matrix to destroy [[Unicron]] in [[The Transformers: The Movie|''The Movie'']]. They've even got "[[The Touch]]" playing in the background.
*In Japanese continuity, the events of [[The Great Transformer War issue 3|issue 3]] of ''[[The Great Transformer War]]'' take place shortly after this episode, helping to bridge the gap between it and "[[Four Warriors Come out of the Sky]]", the first episode of ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|The Headmasters]]''.

===Trivia===
[[Image:DialogueScriptTROOPOrionPax.jpg|thumb|250px|So this is odd.]]
*The portion of "The Touch" that plays includes the line about "Hell breaking loose," an unusually strong word for an American '80s TV cartoon. Guess the censors were looking elsewhere that day.
*The [[Sunbow Productions]] cast list entry for this episode lists Orion Pax as appearing. A flashback to Optimus Prime's early days that was removed for time constraints, you might think? No. According to the [[dialogue script]] for the episode, Orion Pax was originally going to be the one to ask Prime why he had returned to the Matrix! Presumably someone on staff caught the error early enough, as Pax's line in the final cut went to Alpha Trion. (The dialogue script also misspells "Trion" as "Tion", for that matter.)
*After abusing his own troops throughout Season 3, there's something deeply satisfying in seeing Galvatron being attacked by his soldiers.
*[[Jack Angel]] takes over as the voice for Cyclonus following the death of [[Roger C. Carmel]].

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 2''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート2 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 2'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 2")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 25]], [[1987]]
:*The Japanese version of this episode has a slightly alternate ending. After Optimus Prime and the Autobots ride off into the sunset and "the Touch" ends, the music changes to "[[Transformer 2010|TRANSFORMER 2010]]" by [[Shō Hirose]] and the scene shifts to a montage of all the major characters from the series.
*This montage replaces the "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment focusing on [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] used in the US broadcast. The Ultra Magnus "Secret Files" segment was never used in the Japanese broadcast of the series.
:*Following this episode, Japanese cartoon continuity diverges from the Western continuity. Rather than lead into "[[The Rebirth]]" three-parter, Japanese continuity instead continues in their domestically produced series, ''[[Transformers: The Headmasters (cartoon)|Transformers: The Headmasters]]''.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1987 — ''The Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime (Zweiter Teil) ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime the Ultimate Robot ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime (Tempo Video) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime / Cosmic Rust (Tempo Video) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 7: The Return of Optimus Prime ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_return_of_optimus_prime_part_2.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]

The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1

2014-02-21T02:17:28Z

Tuxedo Mark: /* Animation and/or technical glitches */ added some animation errors pertaining to Jessica

{{episode|
|series=G1toon
|series2=2010
|ep=94
|ep2=31
|prev2=The Desperate Struggle of Justice
|next2=The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
|image=ReturnOptimusPrime1 Optimus lives.JPG
|caption=And there was much rejoicing (yay).
|title="The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1"
|production code=700-115
|airdate=[[February 24]], 1987
|written by=[[Marv Wolfman]] [[Cherie Wilkerson]]
|production company=[[Sunbow Productions]]
|animation studio=[[Toei]]
|continuity=[[Generation 1 cartoon continuity]]
}}

'''An embittered scientist uses the body of Optimus Prime to unleash a dangerous plague on the Autobots and, ultimately, the universe.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Prime rescue.jpg|left|200px|thumb|"You're right, it is athlete's foot."]]

While on a deep-space mission in the ''[[Solaris]]'' to test a new [[Impervious alloy|heat-and-radiation-resistant alloy]] that they have developed, scientists [[Jessica Morgan]] and [[Gregory Swofford]] detect a ship carrying Optimus Prime's body on a collision course with a planetoid orbiting a star they are researching nearby. Despite Gregory's reservations (his face was scarred in a previous scuffle between [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]], which he blames on Optimus), he is talked into helping Jessica rescue Prime's body before the ship collides with the planetoid, the impact of which also sets off the star into a supernova and coating their ship with unusual spores.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Scattershot rescues Jessica.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Don't worry, I'll help you rescue your daug-OOH LOOK, A BUNNY!]]

Upon return to Earth, Jessica's father studies the spores and learns that they are not only alive, but are an [[Hate Plague|incredibly contagious viral agent]] that induces hatred and destructive urges into whoever they contaminate. After a new scuffle between the Technobots and Terrorcons over the new alloy gravely injures Jessica, her father is convinced by Gregory to try and resurrect Prime's body as a carrier of the spores against the Autobots, a sentiment exacerbated when it's learned Jessica was paralyzed from the waist down in the accident and now needs a special exosuit to walk. However, when reviving Prime's body turns out to be impossible for them, Gregory and Jessica's father decide to use it as bait for the other Autobots. Dr. Morgan forces Jessica to lure them into a spore trap at the lab.

The trap goes off without a hitch, mostly due to Rodimus' reckless haste in recovering his predecessor's corpse in lieu of caution, and several Autobots—including Superion and Defensor, two of the most powerful Autobot gestalts—are infected. The Decepticons have learned about Optimus Prime's recovery as well, and have shown up to terminate the former Autobot leader permanently, but are instead infected themselves. Fortunately, Rodimus, Jessica, and Galvatron manage to escape unharmed, the former two with Optimus' body; a few other Autobots manage to escape infection as well, but are badly wounded while attempting to subdue a sickened and crazed Superion.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Magnus sneaks up.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Rodimus has [[Energy vampire|no reflection]]?]]

Back at Autobot City, Rodimus pleads to Wreck-Gar to try and repair Prime, but Prime is too far gone even for Junkion medical experience. Desperate, Rodimus contacts Sky Lynx and orders him to locate and bring back a Quintesson, remembering that they had [[Dark Awakening|once before restored Optimus to life]]. He then sets about disconnecting Metroplex to keep the city-former from becoming infected. However, just as he finishes the final steps to do so, an infected Ultra Magnus appears. He gives chase to Rodimus before he's temporarily subdued by Wreck-Gar...who ends up becoming infected, and infecting Rodimus in return.

[[Image:ReturnofOptimus1 Quintesson fixing Prime.jpg|right|200px|thumb|You put your right arm in. You put your right arm out.]]

With the Hate Plague, as it's now called, rampaging even to the ends of the galaxy, Sky Lynx finds an uninfected Quintesson who he saves from infected Sharkticons in exchange for reviving Optimus. The Quintesson warns that—should anything go too awry during the process — there's a good chance that Optimus will never live again. It's touch-and-go for a while, but eventually, the Quintesson manages to pull through and Optimus is restored to full life, declaring that "no force in the Universe can stop me."

[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2|To be continued]]...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Afterburner (G1)|Afterburner]] (11)
* [[Strafe (G1)|Strafe]] (12)
* [[Lightspeed (G1 Technobot)|Lightspeed]] (13)
* [[Scattershot (G1)|Scattershot]] (14)
* [[Nosecone (G1)|Nosecone]] (15)
* [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] (17)
* [[First Aid (G1)|First Aid]] (18)
* [[Blades (G1)|Blades]] (19)
* [[Hot Spot (G1)|Hot Spot]] (20)
* [[Wide Load]] (21)
* [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] (22)
* [[Ultra Magnus (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Ultra Magnus]] (23)
* [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Rodimus Prime]] (24)
* [[Streetwise (G1)|Streetwise]] (26)
* [[Groove (G1)|Groove]] (27)
* [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]] (28)
* [[Silverbolt (G1)|Silverbolt]] (29)
* [[Skydive (G1 Aerialbot)|Skydive]] (30)
* [[Fireflight (G1)|Fireflight]] (31)
* [[Slingshot (G1)|Slingshot]] (32)
* [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] (33)
* [[Chase (G1)|Chase]] (34)
* [[Freeway (G1)|Freeway]] (35)
* [[Searchlight (G1)|Searchlight]] (36)
* [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]] (37)
* [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]] (38)
* [[Bumblebee (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Bumblebee]] (39)
* [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]] (40)
* [[Kup (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Kup]] (51)
* [[Wreck-Gar (G1)|Wreck-Gar]] (52)
* [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]] (53)
* [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] (54)
|c2=
* [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]] (5; flashback)
* [[Cutthroat (G1)|Cutthroat]] (6)
* [[Rippersnapper (G1)|Rippersnapper]] (7)
* [[Sinnertwin (G1)|Sinnertwin]] (8)
* [[Blot (G1)|Blot]] (9)
* [[Hun-Gurrr (G1)|Hun-Gurrr]] (10)
* [[Abominus (G1)|Abominus]] (16)
* [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] (25)
* [[Soundwave (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Soundwave]] (41)
* [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] (42)
* [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] (43)
* [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] (44)
* [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] (45)
* [[Drag Strip (G1)|Drag Strip]] (46)
* [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] (47)
* [[Dead End (G1)|Dead End]] (48)
* [[Wildrider (G1)|Wildrider]] (49)
* [[Breakdown (G1)|Breakdown]] (50)
* [[Brawl (G1)|Brawl]] (56)
* [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]] (57)
* [[Razorclaw (G1)|Razorclaw]] (58)
|c3=
* [[Gregory Swofford]] (1)
* [[Jessica Morgan]] (2)
* [[Mark Morgan]] (3)
* [[Bonnie Carlson]] (55)
|c4=
* [[Quintesson]] (59)
* [[Sharkticon (G1)|Sharkticons]] (60)
}}

==Notable quotes==
"Computron think too much!"
:—'''Abominus''', who subsequently shoots Computron

"Why do I keep seeing you in my dreams, Optimus? Are you telling me I'm not the leader ''you'' were? I already know that, Optimus. I always have."
:—'''Rodimus''' ponders in front of [[Optimus Prime memorial|Optimus's memorial statue]] in Metroplex.

"Where's that punk Rodimus Prime?! I want him!" 
"There you are, you puny wimp!" 
"You can't escape, Rodimus! I can track your gas fumes anywhere!"
:—Several lines from infected '''Ultra Magnus''' as he tracks down Rodimus Prime. ''In virus veritas,'' indeed.

"The Autobots are acting like madmen!" 
"It's a madness plague, Galvatron. If one of those Transformers touches you, you're infected." 
"You're lying!" 
"Fine. Whatever makes you a happy Decepticon. Just watch your rear thruster."
:—'''Galvatron''' and '''Rodimus Prime'''

"I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" 
"His engines, they cannae take the strain!" 
"He's dead, Jim." 
:—'''Wreck-Gar'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inspired medical descriptions of Optimus Prime's condition

"It's over, kid. I've won!" 
"Don't believe it, old friend!"
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' blocks '''Rodimus Prime''', who evades him.

"Like I said before, kid. It's all over. What...? ARGH!" 
"And as ''I'' said before: Don't believe it."
:—Infected '''Ultra Magnus''' corners '''Rodimus Prime''', only to be lassoed by Wreck-Gar.

"I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?"
:—'''Wreck-Gar''' merrily spreads the infection.

"They've all gone mad. This is no place for me!"
:—The irony is lost on '''Galvatron.'''

"The world needs a leader now!"
:—'''Sky Lynx''' on the reactivation of Optimus Prime

"I've done it! Optimus Prime lives!" 
"It's true. Our leader is back." 
"Yes, Sky Lynx, and this time, no force in the universe can stop me."
:—'''Quintesson''' and '''Sky Lynx''' as the decidedly confident '''Optimus Prime''' is revived

==Notes==
===Animation and/or technical glitches===
[[Image:Swindle TROOP.jpg|right|250px|thumb|"So we bought your daughter's exosuit from a Decepticon...what's so bad about that?"]]
* The first shot of Prime's ship shows it colored in orange. In all other shots, it's white with orange landing gear. And it looks totally different from its [[Dark Awakening|last appearance]].
*The first shot of Optimus Prime on Gregory's display shows him sitting in a red chair. It's yellow in other shots.
* As the duo first come upon Prime's body, he's missing the vertical line on his abs/grille.
* As Jessica is being loaded into First Aid, Gregory and Mark are wearing smocks, not the suits and ties they wear in other shots.
* When Gregory and Jessica's father rush at the hospital and find the Autobots, [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]] is amongst them. This does at least explain why Hot Spot is standing around in a ''hospital'' with a gun in his hand.
* Jessica grabs tops of Optimus' arm to try and save him from the incinerator. The next shot shows it towering over her.
* As he drives Jessica into Autobot City, Ultra Magnus is shown driving into a tunnel in one shot, but in the next he's in open air.
*Optimus' statue is missing the smoke stacks on its arms.
*The depressions on Rodimus' shoulders are white again in this episode. They were burgundy in the previous one.
*Rodimus' helmet is missing its horizontal line in this episode.
*When Rodimus is done talking to Optimus' statue, his head slides backwards. Twice.
*Rodimus' helmet is missing its horizontal line in this episode.
*When Defensor is shown after the Protectobots combine, his left arm is missing.
*Steeljaw just pops into the frame during the Autobot rollcall.
*When Soundwave looks down after having Ratbat inserted into him, his faceplate stays in its old position of looking upwards.
**Also, when Ratbat enters Soundwave's tape compartment, he slides on top of the open compartment door before vanishing (obviously a layering issue)
*When Ratbat is inserted into Soundwave, he is white instead of a purplish-magenta colour.
*Also pertaining to Soundwave, when he says "Ratbat has returned. Ratbat, report!", the vocoded voice processing provided by [[Scott Brownlee]] sounds higher pitched than usual.
*When Galvatron says, "So Optimus Prime may yet live." For a second his chin turns black.
*When the Jessica exits Rodimus, she's wearing her space suit and not wearing her exoskeleton.
*When Jessica points at the lab, her neckline is layered over her hand.
*When Rodimus dispatches some of the Autobots to watch the area around the lab, Wheelie is missing his Autobot symbol.
*Before entering the lab to retrieve Prime's body, Rodimus gives orders to Defensor...though Defensor is shown as the one mouthing all of those orders.
*In the same scene as above, Goldbug is somehow right in front of Defensor, but Bumblebee wasn't rebuilt into him yet.
*Quite often, the red aura around infected Transformers are out of step with the animation or visible through objects in front of them.
*When the Autobots get infected, several are shown clipping through each other.
*Jessica's bracelet disappears from and re-appears on her right wrist throughout the episode - including during the shot when she turns to run back to the lab (when Rodimus says "We've got to get Optimus outta here!")
*Superion shoots a gun with the sound effect of Galvatron's cannon. Defensor fires back with a gun that sounds like Rodimus Prime's gun.
*Galvatron's chin is gray in some shots, dark gray in others.
*In one scene, Bruticus is the same size as all the regular Decepticons.
*Sky Lynx is shown flying out of the solar system past Saturn, but it's colored white instead of yellow.
*Magnus' gun uses the sound effect from Galvatron's cannon as he blasts into the Autobot lab.
*When Rodimus notices Magnus behind him, his eyes are lined thicker than usual.
*When Wreck-Gar is about to infect Rodimus, Rodimus is all red before he's been infected.
*During Brawl's rampage, he somehow manages to infect an inanimate truck.
*As an unconscious man leans against this truck, a pair of infected people fight over both him and the truck, overlapping them as if it they weren't there.
*When Defensor picks up a stone monument to throw, the monument gains a red aura around it, but does not become red. The red aura disappears when the monument is thrown.
*Before being picked up by Sky Lynx, one of the Quintesson's faces flashes red for a moment.
*The Quintesson's Egyptian-styled head is facing Optimus at the end, but one shot shows it facing backwards.
*During his famous line at the end of the episode, Optimus Prime's mouthplate isn't moving.

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Retcon.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Someone fixed Prime's body, but no one can fix the story.]]
*More or less this entire episode is a massive continuity error, as it purports to pick up at the end of Optimus Prime's last prior appearance in "[[Dark Awakening]]", yet actually presents entirely different conditions. In the prior episode, Optimus Prime lost an arm and half of his face (on top of his longstanding physical damage still left from the [[The Transformers: The Movie|animated movie]]), but was still alive as he managed to steer his ship at high speed through the heavy fire of a massed Quintesson spacefleet, deliberately ramming a detonator that caused a binary supernova and obliterated the ship and the entire solar system around it. Yet in this new episode, Optimus Prime is shown completely intact and pristine, albeit dead, as his (completely different) ship drifts, slowly and alone, through a system in which the sun is about to go nova from natural causes.
*Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford detect life-signs aboard Optimus Prime's ship, but the Autobot is dead.
* Superhuman <strike>Spike</strike> humans:
** Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford are able to lift, push and pull Optimus Prime's massive body out of his chair and onto their ship without any mechanical assistance or devices except a rope. There's no gravity in space, but objects still have mass and therefore inertia.
*Why didn't any of the Autobots notice Optimus Prime's body when they were loading Jessica into the ambulance? Sure he was half buried under rubble, but a truck-sized leader of your own faction shouldn't be ''that'' hard to notice?
*Why is Steeljaw part of the Autobot roll call when Blaster is not?
*Even though Ratbat's reconnaissance recording consists of nothing more than an ambiguous, one-line statement by Jessica Morgan - "My father has his body in the lab." - Galvatron immediately knows that she's referring to Optimus Prime.
*Doctor Morgan throws spores at Rodimus, apparently not noticing that ''his own daughter'' is inside him, even though we see her clearly through his windows in several other shots.
* When Jessica Morgan asks who built Optimus Prime in the first place, Rodimus Prime responds by saying the Quintessons did so - but it was [[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] who rebuilt Orion Pax into Optimus. While the Quintessons are credited with creating the Transformer race, the timeline shown by "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]" would have to be seriously stretched out of shape for Orion Pax to have been directly created by them - Orion's clearly meant to be a youngish 'bot in "War Dawn", long after the Quints have been driven off Cybertron.
*Why is Rodimus so desperate to bring Optimus back from the dead even after he's aware of the much more pressing concern of the Hate Plague?
*Improbable viewpoints:
**Rodimus contacts Sky Lynx and gets an exterior visual of him somehow.
*Rodimus decides to deactivate Metroplex to stop him from catching the plague, but Magnus is infected and already walking around on him well before Rodimus pushes the last switch.
*If the Quintessons really are "in hiding in the far reaches of the galaxy" as Sky Lynx claims, then how did any of the at-the-time-still-Earthbound Hate Plague carriers manage to find them, much less get all the way out there to infect them in the first place?
*For that matter, how the hell did these theoretical Hate Plague carriers manage to ''beat Sky Lynx to the Quintessons''?
*How are Sky Lynx and the Quintesson able to take the time to revive Optimus Prime without being attacked? Did all the other Autobots and humans leave Autobot City?
*And how does Sky Lynx know the Quintesson is repairing Prime back to the way he was before he died, rather than the brainwashed version from "Dark Awakening"? It's possible he stood and watched as they worked to ensure they didn't do just that.

===Continuity notes===
* Seemingly thrown in at the last moment, the Throttlebots make their debut. They're only visible in a handful of shots, and none of them are identified by name.

===Real-world references===
*Courtesy of Wreck-Gar:
**"Lucy, Lucy, what have you done now?" Is a reference to ''[[wikipedia:I Love Lucy|I Love Lucy]]''.
**"I'm a doctor, not a forklift!" and "He's dead, Jim," reference popular quotes from ''[[Star Trek]]'' medic [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Leonard_H._McCoy Dr. Leonard H. McCoy].
**Similarly, "His engines, they cannae take the strain!" comes from another ''Star Trek'' character, namely [http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Montgomery_Scott Montgomery Scott] (AKA Scotty), though this is often claimed to not be attributed to the character except for its use in parodies.
**"I'm a pepper! Wouldn't you like to be a pepper, too?" is a reference to an old [[wikipedia:Dr_Pepper|Dr Pepper]] ad campaign in the late '70s to early '80s.

===Trivia===
* The Hate Plague can apparently infect any creature, both purely mechanical and biological.
* Even though it occurs in a flashback, this is ''technically'' the last appearance of Megatron in the original American series.
* The resurrection of Optimus Prime in the show was a direct result of children's reactions to his death in ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and subsequent letters, as acknowledged by a Hasbro exec in a 1986 newspaper article. He didn't even have a toy on the shelves! 
* The Autobots are implied to have created the exosuit for Jessica so she can walk again. Hmm, one wonders if this technology could have been [[Chip Chase|useful before now]]...
* When Rodimus wants to put together a team to pick up a dead body from a couple of humans, he doesn't mess around, does he?
* Jessica Morgan is named after co-writer Marv Wolfman's daughter.<ref>http://www.marvwolfman.com/marv/Speaking_With_Larry_Ditillio.html</ref>

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' '''Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime, Teil 1''' ("The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' ?

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' コンボイの復活パート1 (''Convoy no Fukkatsu Part 1'', "The Resurrection of Convoy Part 1")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[June 18]], [[1987]]
:* A "[[Secret Files of Teletraan II]]" segment unique to Japan was attached to the end of this episode. It focuses on the many battles between the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s and the [[Stunticon (G1)|Stunticon]]s. It replaces the original "Secret Files" segment which focused on the Autobots.

==Home video releases==
{{homevidnote}}
;VHS
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 1987 — ''The Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime ([[Family Home Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 1987 — ''Transformers'' — Die Rückkehr von Optimus Prime (Erster Teil) ([[Polyband]]) — German audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1988 — ''Transformers'' — The Return of Optimus Prime: Optimus Prime the Ultimate Robot ([[Tempo Video]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1989 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime (Tempo Video) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 1991 — ''Transformers'' — Headmasters / The Return of Optimus Prime / Cosmic Rust (Tempo Video) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2000 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Volume 7: The Return of Optimus Prime ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]])
;Laserdisc
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 1999 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' ([[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]]) — Japanese audio only.
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of Japan.png|20px|Japan]] 2001 — ''The Transformers: 2010'' — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only. 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2004 — ''The Original Transformers'' — Season 3 Part 2 & Season 4 ([[The Original Transformers|Rhino Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Season 3 and Season 4 ([[Metrodome]]) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2004 — ''Transformers'' — Collection 5: Series 3.2 ([[Madman Entertainment]]) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2006 — ''Transformers'' — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2007 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers'' — Season's Three & Four {{sic}} (Metrodome) 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''The Transformers'' — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection ([[Shout! Factory]]) 
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2010 — ''The Transformers'' — Seasons Three & Four: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://cybertronchronicle.freewebspace.com/cartoon-dossier/synopses/the_return_of_optimus_prime_part_1.html Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1}}
[[Category:Generation 1 episodes]]