Free the Captured Matrix!

	{{#if: \|; }}}}
	"Free the Captured Matrix!" {{#if: 捕われし魂 (ﾏﾄﾘｸｽ)を解放せよ!\| 捕われし魂 (ﾏﾄﾘｸｽ)を解放せよ! {{#if: Torawareshi Matrix o Kaihō Seyo!\|; (Torawareshi Matrix o Kaihō Seyo!)}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	Comic BomBom}}
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First published	August 1998}}
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Cover date	September 1998}}
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Manga	Shōji Imaki}}
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{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

Lio Convoy is corrupted and out of control! Can even Optimus Primal save him?

Synopsis

Galvatron now grown to giant proportions thanks to his infusion of Angolmois Energy, pins Lio Convoy underfoot. They are both chosen ones! Galvatron proposes: Wouldn't it be easier if they combined their powers? Together, they could be unstoppable.

Lio Convoy recalls the pledge he made when he received his Matrix from the Great Convoys, swearing to uphold what is right. Hearing Lio Convoy prattle about his Matrix-sworn vow, Galvatron takes the opportunity to scratch at Lio Convoy's Matrix chamber, piercing the Matrix itself with his claw.

Scuba arrives on the scene in his Tako Tank, having implanted a prototype tracking device in Tasmania Kid's ear for testing. While Tasmania Kid is none too happy about being used as a guinea pig, Scuba urges him to at least be thankful for the save.

Meanwhile, Lio Convoy has succumbed to the power of Angolmois Energy and grown to gigantic proportions himself, squaring off against Galvatron on the surface of the city.

Scuba tosses a "Surumerang Signal" into the air, which explodes into a gigantic SOS firework bearing the likeness of a squid, visible from the Maximal Gaia base. The signal interrupts Diver and Bighorn's fireworks festivities, allowing Apache to glean information down to a conflict involving a gigantic Lio Convoy and Galvatron, as well as the duo's exact location.

The trio have the aid of the Jointrons—DJ, Motorarm, and Gimlet—who quickly combine into Tripledacus to join the rescue party as thanks for being invited to the fireworks show. While Tripledacus flies off, the Lio Convoy Unit heads out in their Maximal Reconnaissance Ships.

Galvatron is delighted to see that Lio Convoy has finally given into the Angolmois power, wondering if the two are finally allies, only to be met with a barrage of punches and kicks.

Meanwhile, Scuba carries a hastily repaired and still partially immobile Tasmania Kid further into the energy plant caverns. Tasmania Kid uses his feet—combined into his beast mode head—to sniff out the source of the mysterious energy readings. The two arrive at a chamber showing the design specs for a mechanical dragon displayed on the surface of a globe-like apparatus. Scuba surmises that their location isn't merely an energy plant, but also a former factory for bioweapons built using Angolmois Energy—bioweapons, perhaps, like the dragon on the screen before them.

A mysterious voice informs Scuba that not only is he correct, but that Galvatron scanned his alternate mode from that very bioweapon, granting him his draconic appearance on the Planet Gaia. A figure steps forth from the shadows, revealing itself to be Optimus Primal in gorilla mode. Primal informs Scuba and Tasmania Kid that the dragon before them, a weapon built by the very city they stand in, was also responsible for the city's destruction. Those who succumb to great power are destined to be destroyed by it. Now, Primal worries that the same tragedy is set to play out again—at the hands of Lio Convoy and Galvatron! It was Lio Convoy's Matrix's cries of sadness as its owner succumbed to Angolmois Energy that summoned Primal in the first place.

Lio Convoy continues his assault against Galvatron, stabbing out the Predacon leader's beast mode eye with his wrist-mounted blade, biting off Galvatron's drill tip and pummeling him with a rapid series of punches. Galvatron is sent tumbling into the plant's dragon-shaped hole, the birthing ground of his own original alternate mode.

As the battle looks won and the remaining Maximals arrive, however, Lio Convoy continues his rampage—batting Tripledacus out of the sky and nearly crushing Apache.

Optimus Primal observes that Lio Convoy's Matrix has been damaged and is now enveloped with the dark power of Angolmois Energy. A Matrix can only be healed by another Matrix, he proclaims.

Leaping into the sky and transforming into robot mode, Primal punches the giant Lio Convoy's exposed Matrix and heals it by channeling the power of his own. Apache recalls that he's heard tales of a legendary Convoy who scanned a gorilla...

In the aftermath, Lio Convoy, now returned to his normal size, is perturbed to realize that both he and Galvatron possess the same fearsome power to harness Angolmois Energy. Primal encourages him not to lose heart—learning to use that power, rather than be used by it, shall be the focus of his training for now. With that, Primal fades away, claiming he hears another Matrix calling.

The Maximals resolve to go home. Bighorn points out that they still have some fireworks left, but Apache shushes him, urging him to keep the fireworks party secret. Lio Convoy, meanwhile, wonders exactly what the planet's Angolmois powers have in store for them...

Featured characters

{{#if:*Lio Convoy (2)

Great Convoy (3)
Optimus Primal (4)
Tasmania Kid (5)
Scuba (6)
Diver (7)
Bighorn (8)
Apache (9)
Gimlet (10)
DJ (11)
Motorarm (12)
Tripledacus (13)|

{{#if:*Lio Convoy (2)

Great Convoy (3)
Optimus Primal (4)
Tasmania Kid (5)
Scuba (6)
Diver (7)
Bighorn (8)
Apache (9)
Gimlet (10)
DJ (11)
Motorarm (12)
Tripledacus (13)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Lio Convoy (2)
Great Convoy (3)
Optimus Primal (4)
Tasmania Kid (5)
Scuba (6)
Diver (7)
Bighorn (8)
Apache (9)
Gimlet (10)
DJ (11)
Motorarm (12)
Tripledacus (13) }}{{#if:*Galvatron (1)|

Maximals }}{{#if:*Galvatron (1)\|	Predacons }}{{#if:\|	Humans }}{{#if:\|	Others }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Galvatron (1) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Notes

Continuity notes

The chapter offers a look at a pre-lion-mode and pre-Convoy rank Lio Convoy, as he receives his Matrix from the Great Convoys via flashback.
As Primal explains that only a Matrix can heal another Matrix, "Matrix" (マトリクス Matorikusu) is rendered with Ruby text (small katakana characters adorning other characters as a meaning or pronunciation guide) running alongside the character for "spirit" (魂 tamashi), implying that Primal holds the two concepts to be the same.
The Surumerang is adorned with the characters 五連発 (gorenpatsu), or "Quintuple Burst," as might be found as a description of Japanese fireworks. This would seemingly imply that his SOS message consists of five different bursts to clue Apache into the situation, though the reader only sees one.

Transformers references

Narration provides the Jointrons' backgrounds, in line with those of their TV show counterparts—a trio of Maximal brothers who crash-landed on Gaia due to ship malfunction.
Though unnamed, the legendary Convoy known for having scanned a gorilla alt mode is clearly intended to be Optimus Primal from the original Beast Wars, thus identified as such for simplicity's sake in the synopsis above.
Primal's spiritually tinged musings put him in good company with an arc for his character in Hasbro territories yet to come. However, mercifully, any questions of timeline continuity posed by the relationship between Beast Wars II's TV outing and Beast Machines will be dodged by the final chapter of the Beast Wars Metals manga, written years after this chapter to tie directly into the events of Optimus Primal's appearance on Gaia. This decision further cements the trilogy of the Beast Wars II, Beast Wars Neo and Beast Wars Metals manga as forming their own distinct continuity.

Real-world references

The background of the Joitrons' introduction panel is filled with [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}haniwa|{{#if:||haniwa}}]] and [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}magatama|{{#if:||magatama}}]].
Following up last chapter's visual [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}Dragon Ball|{{#if:||Dragon Ball}}]] homage, Lio Convoy's splash-page barrage of punches this chapter visually recalls iconography from [[wikipedia:{{#if:|:}}JoJo's Bizarre Adventure|{{#if:||JoJo's Bizarre Adventure}}]].

Trivia

Data File-003 is dedicated to Convoy.

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