Endgame, Part I
| This article is about the Animated episode. For the Beast Machines episode, see Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral. For a list of other meanings, see Endgame (disambiguation). |
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 You're telling us this entire series was just to get Prime a jetpack? Again? | |||||||||
| "Endgame, Part I" | |||||||||
| Season | 3 | ||||||||
| No. in season | 12 | ||||||||
| Production company | Cartoon Network Studios | ||||||||
| Airdate | May 16, 2009 | ||||||||
| Written by | Rich Fogel | ||||||||
| Directed by | Kalvin Lee Kentaro Mizuno | ||||||||
| Animation studio | Mook | ||||||||
| Continuity | Animated cartoon continuity | ||||||||
 Watch this episode on YouTube
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The Autobots race to find an advantage over Megatron's control of Omega Supreme.
Synopsis
[edit]At the plant, Jazz and Prowl are working on Prowl's processor-over-matter by having Prowl lift some oil cans. Jazz is impressed with Prowl's skills, and wonders why he never completed his training. Suddenly, Bumblebee and Bulkhead come tearing in, causing Prowl to lose his concentration and drop the oil can. Bumblebee and Bulkhead skid on the spilled oil across the floor, crashing into the wall. As the two bots collect themselves, Prowl says that they're two reasons he never completed his training. Bulkhead and Bumblebee then explain why they came in so quickly: They've found Omega Supreme's energy signature, and it's on Earth's moon.
On the Moon, Shockwave continues his efforts to probe Arcee's memory banks for the activation codes to Omega Supreme. However, all he's found so far are some prewar datatrax of her school-teaching days. Megatron is convinced that his "most loyal servant" can find it in time. Starscream takes a moment to goad Lugnut that Megatron has another favorite, and Lugnut bashes Shockwave aside in protest, citing his great loyalty and never-ending search for Megatron. Shockwave counters that while Lugnut was fawning at Megatron's stabilizing servos, he risked his spark by going spying on the Autobots for stellar cycles. The two get into a fight, much to Megatron's annoyance, while Starscream gloats and rolls his head out of the room...
At the plant, the Autobots debate their options. Ratchet says that they need to act now, and that they need to use the Magnus Hammer. Optimus is hesitant, and thinks back to his past...
- At the High Council chambers, Ultra Magnus reviews Cadet Optimus and Cadet Sentinel's recent unauthorized visit to an organic world, which resulted in the loss of Cadet Elita-1. Sentinel makes a final statement that he wanted to go back for Elita, but Optimus prevented him. Ultra Magnus again asks whose idea it was to go to the planet, and Optimus takes full responsibility as the senior Cadet. Ultra Magnus had high hopes for Optimus, even believing he could one day be Magnus, but now that will never be. Ultra Magnus pronounces his judgment: Optimus is to be expelled from the Autobot Academy and be ineligible for service in the Cybertron Elite Guard.
Snapped back to the present, Optimus reaffirms that they don't need to use the Magnus Hammer. Instead, he was considering a flight mechanism to keep up with Megatron. Ratchet is resistant, but the other Autobots point out various examples of Autobot flight, and Ratchet finally relents. Optimus says that they need more information, so Prowl volunteers to go and spy on the Decepticons. Jazz vetoes this, saying that Prowl is on the verge of a major training breakthrough, so someone else must go. Bumblebee gets volunteered, much to his own annoyance.
In the ruins of the Decepticon warship, Starscream creates a new body for himself from the shell of a clone and a protoform. However, as soon as the process is complete and Starscream's head is attached, Megatron reveals his presence and destroys the already complete clones. Starscream begs for mercy, saying he planned to make an army for the Decepticon cause, but Megatron has bigger plans in mind for the protoforms: Not to clone himself, nor even Lugnut. No, even bigger—about the size of Omega Supreme...
In the woods, Jazz guides Prowl in meditation, directing him to commune with the AllSpark. His efforts succeed, collecting the ambient dispersed AllSpark energy in the area and forming it into a solid AllSpark fragment. Meanwhile, Bumblebee is transwarped to the Moon. He manages to avoid being seen, but the transmitter he brought is destroyed when he avoids some construction work that Shockwave and Lugnut are doing. Making his way into Omega Supreme, he finds Arcee and realizes that she isn't quite functioning right. Since he doesn't know how to disconnect her without deactivating her, Bumblebee decides to activate her communicator to allow them to listen in on the Decepticons, and he quickly transwarps out. On Earth, the Autobots are unable to get the specifics of what's going on, but it quickly becomes obvious that Megatron is building something.
At the plant, Ratchet, Sari, and Professor Sumdac work on the jet pack they're building for Prime. Ratchet is having trouble, so Sari scans the device and discovers the problem. Once it's ready, they have Optimus take it for a test run. After he loses control, flies around the city, and crashes in front of the plant, all on five percent power, Ratchet and Sari decide to add some stabilizers. Once those are ready, Optimus conducts another test run. This one is much more successful, and Optimus actually enjoys his flying, thinking back to a conversation with Ultra Magnus...
- Despite being expelled from the Academy, Optimus still impressed Ultra Magnus with the considerable skills he'd already shown in his stellar cycles of service. Managing to pull some strings, Ultra Magnus has been able to get Optimus promoted to Prime and get him a ship to command. Although Optimus is grateful, he soon sees his ship, a rusted out piece of junk. Ratchet is performing maintenance and tells Optimus to ignore the appearance of the ship. Indicating Bumblebee and Bulkhead, he notes it's the young bots Optimus should be worried about...
While Optimus flies around the city, he attracts the attention of Slipstream, who thinks that he's Starscream returned to Earth. Her overriding (and still unexplained) hatred of Starscream compels her fly and attack him. Optimus takes a hit and crashes into the river, while she flies off as she realizes he's not her progenitor.
On the Moon, Shockwave is finally able to bring Arcee's memory to the point where she and Ratchet were attacked by Lockdown. Posing as Longarm Prime, he asks if she still has the activation codes for Project: Omega, which she does. Pleased, Shockwave pulls her wires and takes her to Megatron. Bulkhead and Bumblebee alert Optimus, who is in quite a funk after being beaten by a "Starscream wannabe".
Finally, the time has come to implant the protoforms into their base shells. They scan Omega Supreme, assuming his form. Longarm reawakens Arcee and instructs her to transfer the access code to Megatron, but she recognizes him and refuses. Shockwave thus deactivates her and prepares to upload the information to his leader. However, Starscream knocks Megatron aside to take the codes, but Lugnut knocks him aside and receives the codes instead—just as Megatron wanted. He knew that imprinting his personality onto the clones risked making them too ambitious, but there is no such threat from Lugnut, Megatron's "most loyal lieutenant"—a description which pleases Lugnut greatly. Furthermore, with the AllSpark fragments from Omega Supreme, they no longer have need of Starscream, whom Megatron immediately shoots, breaking his new body into several pieces.
At the plant, Optimus is being repaired, and Ratchet insists that he must use the Magnus Hammer. Optimus still believes that using it isn't in his programming. Prowl, however, believes that fate makes its own programming, prompting Optimus to think back...
- Working on repairing the space bridge where it all started, Bumblebee and Bulkhead stumble upon Prowl meditating in a cavern, having failed to commune with the AllSpark so far despite trying for a thousand stellar cycles. Unfortunately, one of the energon cubes Ratchet was setting up falls into Prowl's cavern. They barely make it out, but Prowl's ship is destroyed. Optimus offers to take him back to Cybertron in about fifty stellar cycles, after the crew finishes there, but notes that with Prowl's help, it could be sooner. Prowl bemoans how he has strayed so far from his path, and Optimus says that he can sympathize.
Optimus is snapped back to reality when Bulkhead says that he's getting several signals from the Moon. Meanwhile, Lugnut has finished uploading the codes, but a glitch forces him to remain on Omega Supreme with Shockwave to coordinate. Megatron, meanwhile, says that he will take the clones on a test run by destroying Detroit. As they launch, the Autobots head out to get a visual, while Optimus reluctantly grabs the Magnus Hammer. He asks Ratchet if they can still reason with Omega Supreme, but Ratchet doubts it, as the Lugnuts Supreme transform and prepare to touch down.
Featured characters
[edit](Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
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Quotes
[edit]Megatron: "We need those codes to control Omega Supreme. If any bot can access them, it is you, my ever-loyal Shockwave."
Starscream: "Uh-oh. Looks like Megatron has a new favorite, and I'll give you a hint – it ain't you!"
- —Megatron flatters Shockwave while Starscream eggs on Lugnut.
Megatron: Can't you shut her up? She makes Blitzwing sound like he's got his head screwed on straight.
Starscream: You see? Now he even likes Blitzwing better than you.
[Lugnut bashes Shockwave aside while making his way to Starscream]
Lugnut: No! I am the most faithful!
Shockwave: Have you blown a diode?! I'm trying to work here!
[A scuffle ensues]
Megatron: Oh, for spark's sake...
- —You get what you pay for, Megatron. And these guys are free.
Prowl: I'll transwarp to the Moon and spy on him.
Jazz: And take five on your Cyber-Ninja training? No dice. You're close to a real breakthrough. And I got a vibe that says we're gonna need every advantage we can get our servos on.
Optimus: Agreed. We'll send someone else.
Bumblebee: Who'd be crazy enough to volunteer for that mission? [Everyone looks at Bumblebee] Why's everyone looking at me? Why's everyone always looking at me?!
- —Bumblebee gets tired of all his suicide missions.
Starscream: Have mercy, Megatron! I was merely building you an army to serve our great Decepticon cause.
Megatron: Ah, but you think too small, Starscream. I have plans for these protoforms. Much bigger plans.
Starscream: Naturally, you'd want to clone yourself, oh great one.
Megatron: Bigger.
Starscream: [Looks out the window] Oh not that idiot Lugnut
[Lugnut falls on his back, causing Shockwave to point and laugh]
Megatron: Bigger...
[Starscream sees the base shells near Omega Supreme]
Starscream: Oh. I see...
- —Megatron army-builds in the Titan-class range. That's hardcore.
"Get with it, Prowl. The AllSpark ain't just in your circuits, dig. It's grooving all around us. Reach out and hook yourself into it.
- —Jazz, being all mystical and hip at the same time.
Sari: [Scans the boosters] You're right. We need to add a microaerator to the fuel line.
Ratchet: And I suppose the rocket boosters just told you that?
Sari: Kinda.
Ratchet: That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever—
[Ratchet checks the rocket boosters]
Ratchet: Wait! I've got it! We'll add a microaerator to the fuel line!
Sari: Hmm, now why didn't I think of that?
- —Ratchet is either a glory hog or going senile. Possibly both.
Slipstream: Starscream! You got some nerve showing your wing struts back here! [transforms and flies after 'Starscream'. She reaches 'him' and fires upon 'him', knocking Optimus Prime out of the sky] Wait. You're not Starscream. You're ... a flying Autobot?
Optimus Prime: Whoa!
[Optimus falls into the river. Then Slipstream stops to admire her handiwork, before transforming and flying away.]
- -Slipstream, making an honest mistake.
"Instilled with my own powerful personality, the clones might try to overthrow me. But not so my most loyal lieutenant..."
[to Megatron] "Ah. I am honoured, my Lord." [to Shockwave] "Hah. Megatron trusts me the most!"
- —Megatron makes all Lugnut's dreams come true. Lugnut responds by showing what a child he is.
"First I fail to protect the protoforms and now this! Do you have any idea what it's like to embark on a path, only to find it so completely twisted and turned that you have no idea where you are?!"
"Oddly enough, I do."
- —Prowl and Optimus Prime
Notes
[edit]Continuity notes
[edit]- Prowl's failure to complete his Cyber-Ninja training, as previously mentioned in "A Bridge Too Close, Part II", is again brought up. We learn in this episode that his failure is partially due to the fact that while trying to commune with the AllSpark, he was interrupted by Optimus Prime's crew and wound up joining up with them out of necessity, bridging the storytelling gap between "Five Servos of Doom" and "Transform and Roll Out".
- The events of the "Along Came a Spider" flashbacks are at last confirmed to be the reason that Optimus was kicked out of the Autobot Academy.
- Slipstream returns for the first time since "A Bridge Too Close, Part II".
- The protoforms that Lockdown stole in "Five Servos of Doom" return in this episode, when it is revealed that the bounty hunter appropriated them for Megatron, and that they have been in the remains of his crashed warship all this time. As many fans had suspected, the protoforms are confirmed to have been used by Starscream to create his clones in "A Fistful of Energon" and "A Bridge Too Close, Part I". As the events of "Five Servos" suggested, the protoforms are shown to be blank, without sparks.
- Ratchet once again repeats the oft-heard mantra that "Autobots don't fly", a common (if frequently broken) rule throughout most of the Transformers fiction, and one that has received quite a bit of attention in Animated. Like quite a lot of fans before them, Bulkhead and Bumblebee promptly confront Ratchet with the harsh reality: quite a few Animated Autobots have taken to the skies at this point.
- In TransWarped Optimus mentions one day he'd learn how to fly. Looks like he held on to that thought.
Transformers references
[edit]
- While more viewers will likely be reminded of Cybertron Optimus Prime's super mode, Animated Optimus's new flight attachments (specifically, the colors and details of his wings and gauntlets) are based on God Ginrai's flight-endowing Godbomber components. The flight pack itself, to which the wings attach, doesn't seem to owe as much to Ginrai's, however; even its resemblance to the original Jetfire's booster pack is unintentional, according to Derrick J. Wyatt (any connection between it and the time Prime wore Sideswipe's rocket pack is unconfirmed). His shoulder cannons, however, do appear to be based on his Voyager-class toy's water blaster.
- As he jets into the sky, Optimus shouts out "Yessssss!" and "Excellent".
- The creation of the Lugnut Supremes, evil clones of Omega Supreme, hearkens back to previous evil Omegas such as the Omega Sentinel and the Dark Guardians.
- Starscream's line "It's so nice to have a real body again!" after rebuilding himself (for the first time) is almost word-for-word the same line he uses in a certain G1 episode after inhabiting Cyclonus's body.
- This is not the first time Marty Isenberg worked on a series finale of a Transformers series called Endgame Part 1.
Real-world references
[edit]- The scene in which Optimus tests his jet pack for the first time appears to be a reference to a similar scene in the 2008 Iron Man motion picture, as he starts out using only a tiny percentage of the pack's power and still winds up shooting off out of control. When he achieves successful flight on his next test, he's also just as elated as Stark was. Amusingly, this isn't even the first time David Kaye's played the part of Iron Man, having voiced the character in the Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes animated series.
Trivia
[edit]- Prowl had been on his optics quest for at least "a million stellar cycles" before he joined up with Optimus...and had accomplished jack squat in all that time. Of course, he could have been exaggerating out of frustration.
- Megatron purposely started the Shockwave/Lugnut feud, knowing Starscream would try to seize Omega Supreme's access codes, just to be sure Lugnut would be in his most loyal state at the moment of the transfer? Now, that's some sleeky fore-thinkings...
- Shockwave has enough of a sense of humor that he can laugh. Who knew?
- Interestingly, Megatron destroys all of the remaining (albeit inert) Starscream clone shells, instead of reprogramming them to serve him and boost the number of troops under his command. Starscream even suggests this, but apparently Megatron prefers sheer brute force over numbers. Considering who they're clones of, this isn't really that surprising.
- After spending all of Season 3 as a disembodied head, Starscream finally regains his body....only to have Megatron blow it to smithereens at the end of the episode. Tough break, Screamer.
- Prowl punches a boulder out of frustration and the boulder splits neatly in half! Holy crap man.
- This is not the first time that an Optimus has taken up a huge, Matrix-related melee weapon for the final battle against a Megatron.
- In this episode, Longarm's rank is "Security Chief". This is most likely because his cover has been blown or the fact that he was speaking to Arcee, who is unaware the war has ended.
- This episode is not only the last to feature Slipstream, but the only one in the entire season.
- During Shockwave and Lugnut's fight you can actually hear Shockwave say "Liar, Lying Liar". No seriously.
Foreign localization
[edit]French
- Title: "Fin de partie, 1ère partie" ("Endgame, 1st Part")
- Original airdate: ???
Brazilian
- Title: "Fim de Jogo Parte 1" ("Game Over Part 1")
- Original airdate: ???
Spanish (Latin America)
- Title: "Fin del juego, pare 1" ("Game over, part 1")
- Original airdate: 22 December 2009
Japanese
- Title: "Tobitate! Optimus Prime" (翔びたて! オプティマスプライム, "Take Off! Optimus Prime")
- Original airdate: 18 December 2010
Home video releases
[edit]- DVD
2011 — Transformers Animated — Vol. 10 (Paramount) — Japanese audio only.
2014 — Transformers Animated — Season Three (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers Animated — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers Animated — Season Three (Madman Entertainment)
