Editing Cultural Appropriation

{{Comicstory|
|seriesissue=[[Transformers Timelines (fiction)|''Transformers Timelines'']]<br>text story
|prev=Journey's Eve
|next=Safe Spaces
|seriesissue2=''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''
|prev2=Not All Megatrons
|image=CulturalAppropriation-title.jpg
|caption=
|title="Cultural Appropriation"
|publisher=[[Transformers Collectors' Club]] (online exclusive)
|date=[[December 9]], [[2016]]
|by=[[Jim Sorenson]] and [[David Bishop]]
|art=[[Josh Burcham]] and [[Christopher Colgin]]
|colors=
|pagecount=59pp
|chronology=Circa [[2389]]
|continuity=''[[Beast Wars: Uprising]]''
}}

'''It's up to Rampage and a gang of misfits to defend their universe from extradimensional invaders.'''

==Synopsis==
'''Prologue:'''

In the 1980s, everyone's talking about those big [[Transformer]]s, uncertain if they're [[Cobra]] weapons, aliens, or whatever else. [[Noah Acton]], bored and grumpy on a holiday to [[United Kingdom|Britain]], gets a good close-up of them when the [[Decepticon]]s attack a British museum for the magical statue of [[Amenhotep III]]. The [[Autobot]] [[Mini Vehicle|Minibots]] fend off the Decepticons, and save the Actons. In the sunken ''[[Victory (G1)|Victory]]'', [[Skywarp (G1)|Sky Warp]] isn’t too sure using [[Egypt]]ian magic to disable language skills is a smart plan but keeps it to himself. At least he picked up the [[Rosetta Stone]] on the retreat or, as he calls it, that handy paperweight.

In the present day, the [[Beast Upgrade]] has dramatically changed the war: now that the [[Resistance]] can forage for food, the old logistics about supply lines don't apply and the fortress city of [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] is now a viable target. As [[Lio Convoy]]'s troops go for the infrastructure and the [[Micromaster]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] loyalists run a scorched earth defensive, [[Packrat]] is looting the [[Museum of Decepticon Heritage]]. Small objects are easy to pilfer but taking the legendary "Stone of Sky Warp" requires a [[sky-sled]], which gets him caught and a Micromaster patrol sicced on him. He gets away and back to the "[[Monster GoBot|Antares Eight]]", his creepy employers, and wonders why they would want a hunk of rock.

'''Act the First:'''

[[Overshoot]] and [[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] have abandoned the [[Maximal Command Security Force]] since [[Burning Bridges|traumatic events]] and now work as freelance peacekeeping agents. The MCSF was losing ground (which Overshoot has mixed feelings about) but they’ve just abruptly vanished from [[Proximax]]. Overshoot and Stiletto are breaking in to find out why. What they find is the whole place was abandoned in a hurry, half-drunk [[oil]] left behind and all weaponry taken: the result of the mysterious "[[Dandelion Protocol]]", orders to retreat to an unspecified redoubt. Left behind is a [[Darksyder]] [[Beast Pod]] and the duo use it to take Beast Upgrades: Stiletto as a [[DeathEagle]] and Overshoot as an [[armodrillo]]. That's when some bizarre, glowing ''presence'' hits the upgraded Overshoot and tells him they're "needed" somewhere…

[[File:CulturalAppropriation QuickmixMicroTrailer.jpg|upright=1.8|left|thumb|]]

Meanwhile trundling through Proximax is a [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]] convoy under the Autobot [[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]], transporting Prisoner N626BG to [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]]; they’d had to evacuate after the local MCSF had deserted. The peak moment of vulnerability is the [[Hoist Metrospan]], the cover-lacking bridge from southern Proximax to northern. [[Buckethead]] (former Macromaster and current Decepticon Micromaster) questions the decision to use the bridge in time for the Resistance to attack. She takes command of the scattered crew and they fight a running retreat, but she decides to abandon the prisoner; he may be politically useful but she's not risking comrades for some random turncoat. Unfortunately for Buckethead, her retreat took her right into [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]]. He's too powerful and too fixated on torturing her to death, but she has one option: letting Prisoner N626BG out and having him run away as a distraction. It doesn’t work, as Rampage decides to kill her first.

Stiletto and Overshoot arrive mid-battle, and Overshoot "knows" they have to stop the fight and get Buckethead, Rampage, ''and'' the prisoner: [[Snapper]], left with a price on his head after [[Micro-Aggressions|betraying Grimlock]]. Stiletto distracts Rampage from his attack while her comrade goes for the fleeing Predacon, who mistakenly thinks Buckethead had been looking out for him. Poor weary Snapper finds himself cornered and being told the entire planet is in danger and he’s needed to save it, and there’s just ''something'' in Overshoot’s optics that make him agree. Rampage, meanwhile, can smell MCSF on Stiletto, which he loathes. When Overshoot tries to stop the fight, Rampage ignores him and when it looks like he might be overrun, he decides to blow the whole bridge up so ''everyone'' falls to their death.

'''Interlude:'''

[[Vamp]] has done her duty and blended in with the local [[Predacon (BW)|Predacons]] and built up a power base, despite her utter disgust of Cybertronians. But now she and her fellow [[Spatiotemporal Challengers|spaciotemporal refugees]] have the Rosetta Stone. The stone itself is nothing special but the [[Human Confederacy]]'s technology ''is'', and this priceless Earth artifact might lure Terrans into a handy, tech-pinching ambush. [[Creepy]] locates a [[trans-hyperwave caster]] they can seize while pretending to be Resistance, lure in the humans, and then use Terran tech to conquer Cybertron!

'''Act the Second:'''

Everyone on the bridge survived the fall but their personal and ideological conflicts are likely to make them kill each other anyway, until Overshoot uses force of will to get everyone to quieten down: there’s a threat to Cybertron only they can stop and they need to go "down". In order to calm things, Overshoot gets everyone to talk about themselves and, to general amusement, all of them have left some cause or group. This ragtag group of "[[Ex-Bot]]s" start to follow him down. All the way down until they find themselves descending through ancient ruins that the later generations built over, ruins dating to the [[Age of Internment]]. 

At the bottom, they find the [[Oracle (BM)|mythical Oracle]]! 

The Oracle absorbs the receptive Overshoot into itself and grants him a vision of Cybertron in flames and chaos. But this is a ''necessary'' conflict, sweeping out a monstrous old order and restoring a balance, much as has happened before and will later. In the distant future, [[Earth]] and Cybertron will once again be allies against a great threat and, in time, there will be a merger. But to prevent this being derailed, someone has to stop intruders from beyond, "the Spawn of [[Antares 3|Antares]]", from distorting the order of things!

Everyone else is incredulous of the Oracle wanting the war and ''humans'' needing help, but "Spawn of Antares" makes Snapper remember [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]'s [[G-Virus]] came from that very group in exchange for information on the Terrans. With the threat seeming real after all, the crew head back up.

[[File:CulturalAppropriation VampBladezVsStiletto.jpg|thumb|right|400px|Ssshhh! Don't tell Bandai about this!]]

Stiletto picks up an SOS about the Antares Eight's attack on the old MCSF brand and the crew head out. Her reconaissance flight sees two Micromasters desperately holding off the Eight until they transform into monster vehicles that she’s never seen before. Vamp and [[Bladez]] spot her right after killing the guards and attack. Luckily, the Beast Upgrade gives her the upper hand and she's able to evade and hurt Vamp. Numbers almost overwhelm her before the others arrive. All seven of the monsters are easily handled till Creepy shoots Stiletto in the back. The Ex-bots are told to stand down if they want Stiletto to live, though it takes a few tellings before Rampage begrudgingly agrees. All five are lined up and when Overshoot admits to being the sorta-leader, Vamp shoots him through the chest. Rampage grabs Buckethead and Snapper before throwing himself off the tower's ledge but Stiletto is still there, paralyzed, watching Overshoot bleed out and die. Since the Cybertronians don’t have integrated antigrav like [[GoBots|they do]], the Antares Eight declare victory!

'''Interlude:'''
On the Terran craft ''[[Spooky Action at a Distance]]'', Captain [[Blix]] watches the broadcast by "Resistance members" at the caster tower, recognizing the Rosetta Stone in it. To recover their cultural artifact, he mobilizes a team to go to Cybertron.

'''Act the Third:'''
Rampage has no antigrav but he does have a heavy, armoured body that he can use as a crumple zone so his comrades survive the fall. A weary Buckethead is about to cut and run on the mission when Rampage turns out to be still alive, his regenerative powers just ''that'' good. But with two of them walking wounded and the Antares Eight outnumbering them even more, Snapper declares that while he tracks the Eight to base, his comrades need to find ''their'' old comrades and convince them to help.

At the Eight's headquarters, Stiletto is weighed down by the thought of [[Betabear|another partner]] dead. Best she can do now is get revenge as soon as they enter their [[Modifier]] to heal up. To stall for time, she claims to still be MCSF and while they only half believe her, she is able to manipulate [[Scorp]] into going for repairs and Bugsie into zapping her in a fury; once she plays dead by shutting her optics down, everybody leaves her to rot and she’s able to break free from her bonds. Bugsie notices her in time but in the quick fight that follows, Stiletto jabs a stylus through an optic and he falls dead with organic matter pooling out of the wound.

A repaired Scorp finds the corpse and attacks her in a rage, but Snapper has arrived just in time to help. They fight off Vamp and Scorp into retreating, and, in a quick check of the base, they find a computer with gibberish names like "[[Fitor (GoBots)|Fitor]]" next to lists of "Levels", all under the file name [[Diaspora]]. Stiletto is left disquieted, more so when her flashbacks return but this time to a conversation she never had, where Overshoot is now telling her "the details matter". That causes her to glance at a readout and see a countdown, and the two beast warriors flee before the base explodes.

Elsewhere in Proximax, the rebels and Constructicons are still fighting at the [[Sights & Sounds]] casino. Rampage and Buckethead head off to figure out how to get people to stop. Rampage gets the attention of [[Archadis]], who brings Rampage before [[Magmatron]]. The Predacon leader is appraised of the situation and, despite Rampage's self-doubt, agrees to help. When Stiletto and Snapper make their presumed suicide run on the caster tower, they find a Predacon strike team engaging it.

Snapper gets dropped off on the tower itself to give the resistance a shot at storming it. [[Klaws]] and [[Hornet]] get blasted but Snapper goes down too, mocked that it doesn’t matter what he tried to do because the Monsters have reinforcements en route ''too'': seven more "Predacons" under [[Odd Ball]], six of them combining into a gestalt called [[Monsterous]]! 

And none of them are a match for a gestalt save for Magmatron in his tripartite beast mode and that's not enough. Not unless they have their own gestalt. 

[[File:CulturalAppropriation-MonsterousVsDevastator.jpg|thumb|left|400px|Appropriating ''[[Transformers: Combiner Wars (cartoon)|Combiner Wars]]'' and making it better.]]

In the nick of time, the Micromaster Constructicons show up and combine into a version of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]!

While everyone is distracted with the fight, Snapper connects wirelessly with his severed arm and shoots Bladez through the back. Now holding the high ground, he takes potshots at the Antareans and swings the battle back to the Cybertronians. While Monsterous is faster than Devastator and has him on the ropes, the ground and air forces win their battles and concentrate their fire on the now-alone gestalt. Devastator pounds the weakened, distracted foe and smacks him back into six components who all flee. 

There's still one foe left unaccounted for and the humans are already en route. Overshoot's ghost is very unhappy about that; even though not going to the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]] now could condemn him to eternal wandering or to the ravenous ablyss, Overshoot chooses to remain: his task isn't complete. So he goes back a few minutes to warn Stiletto, through her own memories, that the Antares base is about to blow, and then drifts to the present to follow his comrades. He uses a memory once again to warn her of a trap within the tower: Creepy with a weaponised transmission pulse that will kill Cybertronian and human alike. Stiletto disables him fast but Creepy is willing to surrender and hand tech over. Overshoot knows he'll poison the planet if this is allowed. Stiletto hears his warning and slays the monster.

When the humans arrive, the Transformers hand over the Rosetta Stone. The humans, [[Una]] and [[Chak]], irritate the robots with their blasé, callous comments on the battlefield and are left shamed when Stiletto sneers that they can’t help being children when they’ve never known hardship. Una weakly promises maybe humans will reach out to the proto-races after the war.

And Overshoot’s ghost knows he’ll never cross over as long as Stiletto's alive and he’s fine with that.

'''Epilogue:'''
Only Klaws remains of the Antares Eight but the scattered Transformers have a more important task: figuring out what to do with Snapper, who both the authorities and the rebels want as a prisoner. Rampage breaks the stalemate by declaring Snapper a member of the Ex-Bots and anyone who wants him, goes through X. That settles it and Rampage admits, distraught, that he can't follow Magmatron anymore, the Resistance's dirty war isn’t for him. 

When Hightower asks if saving the planet was a one-time event or if there’s still a need, Stiletto has a vision of a pristine [[Crystal City]] and declares there's indeed a need: whichever cause is right out of the Builders and the Resistance, civilians are caught in the middle and she intends to look out for them. The Constructicons, hoping to ''construct'' for once, sign up for the Ex-Bots and so do [[Crazybolt (BWN)|Crazybolt]] and [[Bazooka (BWN)|Bazooka]]; [[Guiledart]] refuses to accept this until he learns that Snapper betrayed the Resistance by preventing a terror attack on non-combatants, at which point he walks too, as does Magmatron. Archadis and [[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] return to the Resistance, the former disgusted.

Sights & Sounds proprietor [[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] abruptly turns on the news: the MCSF have just annexed [[Tagan Heights|Tagon Heights]] and renamed it the Maximal Nation, declaring independence and neutrality in the war provided nobody attacks them.

Meanwhile, buried in the Builders' systems, a [[Lord Imperious Delirious|malicious digital entity]] is enraged that the Terrans were not provoked into scorching Cybertron. He'd gone to all that trouble allowing the Antares Eight to learn about the Rosetta Stone! Still, there’s always his backup plan to get genocide: continuing to whisper into [[Galva Convoy]]'s ear...

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters|
|h1=[[Maximal]]s
|c1=
*[[Packrat]] (18)
*[[Overshoot]] (21)
*[[Stiletto (BW)|Stiletto]] (22)

|h2=[[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s
|c2=
*[[Snapper]] (30)
*[[Archadis]] (49)
*[[Bazooka (BWN)|Bazooka]] (50)
*[[Magmatron]] (51)
*[[Crazybolt (BWN)|Crazybolt]] (52)
*[[Guiledart]] (65)
*[[Sling (BWN)|Sling]] (66)

|h3=[[Builder of Cybertron|Builder]]s
|c3=
{{{!}}border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="background:transparent"
{{!}}-
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}
'''[[Autobot]]s'''
*[[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] (9)
*[[Huffer (G1)|Huffer]] (10)
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (11)
*[[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] (12)
*[[Gears (G1)|Gears]] (13)
*[[Cliffjumper (G1)|Cliffjumper]] (14)
*[[Hightower (RID)|Hightower]] (27)
*[[Quickmix (G1)|Quickmix]] (28)
*[[Alpha Trion (G1)|Alpha Trion]] (40)
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (42)
*[[Heave]] (44)
*[[Highline]] (48)
*[[Jackpot (G1)|Jackpot]] (64)
{{!}}style="background:transparent;border:0px" valign="top"{{!}}

'''[[Decepticon]]s'''
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (2)
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (6)
*[[Skywarp (G1)|Sky Warp]] (7)
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (8)
*[[Hook (G1)|Hook]] (15)
*[[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]] (16)
*[[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] (17)
*[[Shortround (BW)|Shortround]] (19)
*[[Vorter]] (20)
*[[Buckethead]] (23)
*[[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bone Crusher]] (24)
*[[Scavenger (G1)|Skavenger]] (25)
*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] (26)
*[[Gigatron (G1)|Gigatron]] (41)
*[[Thunderwing (G1)|Thunderwing]] (43)
*[[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]] (45)
*[[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]] (61)
{{!}}}

|h4=[[Renegade]]s
|c4=
*[[Vamp]] (31)
*[[Klaws]] (32)
*[[Bugsie]] (33)
*[[Scorp]] (34)
*[[Hornet]] (35)
*[[Pincher (GoBots)|Pincher]] (36)
*[[Bladez]] (37)
*[[Creepy]] (38)
*[[Odd Ball]] (53)
*[[gbwiki:Fright Face|Fright Face]] (54)
*[[gbwiki:Heart Attack|Heart Attack]] (55)
*[[gbwiki:South Claw|South Claw]] (56)
*[[gbwiki:Gore Jaw|Gore Jaw]] (57)
*[[gbwiki:Fangs|Fangs]] (58)
*[[gbwiki:Weird Wing|Weird Wing]] (59)
*[[Monsterous]] (60)

|h5=Others
|c5=
*[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] (29)
*[[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]] (39)
*[[Screwball]] (47)
*[[Lord Imperious Delirious]] (67)
'''[[Human|Terran]]s'''
*[[Noah Acton]] (1)
*[[Gary Acton]] (3)
*[[Judy Acton]] (4)
*[[Leah Acton]] (5)
*[[Blix]] (46)
*[[Una]] (62)
*[[Chak]] (63)
}}

==Quotes==
"THE DAY WILL COME WHEN EARTH STANDS SIDE-BY-SIDE WITH CYBERTRON, TO FACE ADVERSITY BEYOND GOOD, BEYOND EVIL, BEYOND IMAGINATION." <br />
"Earth? The human world? I thought humans were the enemy?" <br />
"CAN YOUR LEFT HAND BE THE ENEMY OF THE RIGHT? CAN THE LEAVES OF A TREE BE THE ENEMY OF THE ROOT?" <br />
:—'''The Oracle''' and '''Overshoot''' make with the foreshadowing.

==Notes==
* The encoded information in this story's chapter breaks is a full breakdown of the files of the Antares Eight glimpsed by Snapper and Stiletto. In essence, it name drops every single [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]], [[Renegade]], or [[Rock Lord]] as part of teams investigating various Levels. It also confirmed a large stockpile of WMDs remain on Level 1 just like the TransTechs were afraid of waaaaay back in "[[Withered Hope]]". Some of the various levels referenced in the Diaspora correspond to various universes within the ''Transformers'' [[multiverse]]... and without. 
* Whither Megatron? Much like how what became of Optimus in previous ''Uprising'' stories is unclear, Megatron is entirely absent from the Generation 1-era flashback that begins this story, with Starscream apparently in charge of the Decepticons during their time on Earth. The story does have Skywarp refer to the "slagmaker" as leader without clarifying if it specifically refers to Megatron or Starscream (and given the absence of capital letters, it's entirely possible the term is being used as an euphemism, not an epithet.)
* The epilogue states it's been a year in-story since the evil figure started influencing Galva Convoy.
*Characters mentioned but not appearing include: [[Duran Duran]], [[Abbot and Costello]], [[Amenhotep III]], [[Simon Le Bon]], [[Lio Convoy]], [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]], [[Pounce]], [[Wingspan]], [[Primus]], [[Squawkbox]], "[[Wolfang (Predacon)|Howlinger]]", [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]], [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]], [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Mindwipe (G1)|Mindwipe]], [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]], [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]], [[B'Boom]], [[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]], [[Cybershark]], [[Preditron]], [[Ser-Ket (BW)|Ser-Ket]], [[Rampage (G1)|Rampage]], [[Wheelie (G1)|Wheelie]], [[Transmutate (character)|Trans-Mutate]], [[Getaway]], [[Fitor (GoBots)|Fitor]], [[Dumper]], and [[Galva Convoy]].
*As in previous stories, several characters have bodies that are "virtual redecoes" of existing toys. Snapper is [[Brawl (WFC)#Generations|''Fall of Cybertron'' Brawl]], Stiletto is [[Dreadwing (Classics)#Classics 2|''Classics'' Dreadwing]], Overshoot is [[Armordillo#Beast Wars|Armordillo]], Vamp is [[Megatron (Armada)/toys#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Megatron]], and Bladez is [[Unicron/toys#Cybertron|''Cybertron'' Unicron]]. The Constructicons utilize the [[Constructicon (Universe)|''Universe'' Micromaster toys]], and Rampage is his classic ''Beast Wars'' form. Monsterous is a recoloured [[Monstructor (G1)|Monstructor]] with [[Tripredacus]]'s head.<ref>Literally, as the head is even colored exactly like Tripredacus's head, rather than being colored like Monsterous's mostly solid blue head.</ref> While we never see their robot modes, [[Christopher Colgin]] has said Bugsie was visualised as ''Beast Machines'' [[Scavenger (BM)|Scavenger]] with [[Retrax]]'s head, Creepy is ''Cybertron'' [[Scrapmetal (race)|Scrapmetal]] with [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]' head (fitting nicely the "spider" line about him before his death), Klaws is ''Energon'' [[Sharkticon (Energon)|Sharkticon]] with [[Venom (G1)|Venom]]'s head, Hornet is a modified ''Animated'' [[Slapper (Animated)|Slapper]] who flies, Pincher is ''Energon'' [[Slugslinger (Energon)|Slugslinger]] with [[Manterror]]'s head, and Scorp is ''Energon'' [[Scorponok (Energon)|Scorponok]], while Vamp would have [[Chop Shop (G1)|Chop Shop]]'s head and Bladez has ''Beast Machines'' [[Thrust (BM)|Thrust]]'s head. Additionally, while not described in detail, Odd Ball would have been ''Rescue Bots'' [[High Tide]] with ''Armada'' [[Thrust (Armada)|Thrust]]'s head. Phew!
**For a full view of the GoBots from this story, see [http://iky92791.tumblr.com/post/155322809360/so-finally-i-get-to-show-these-two-pieces-off here on Christopher Colgin's DeviantArt].
*If you decode the cybertronix on the gunsight pic, you'd see it's fittingly Bazooka who's about to fire. Little details also show he was receiving messages from Magmatron and Crazybolt (with his partner being the top messenger), he's been reading "A Whole World of Pain" by [[Simon Furman|Furmanator]], and he's been listening to [[Love For Ever: Kimi wo Mamoru Tame ni|his anime's theme song]].
*Jim Sorenson implied the possibility of the Antares Eight listing all the Diaspora bots in order to ''kill'' them. <ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135257-beast-wars-uprising-cultural-appropriation/?p=3398289 Allspark.com Posted 09 December 2016 - 09:00 PM}: "Or a hit list..."]</ref>

===Errors===
* On Page 13, "Predacon" is misspelled as "Predicon".
* On Page 18 is the phase "we need to focus on next steps." A "the" ought to fall in between "on" and "next".
* At one point on Page 35, Screwball is referred to by the narration text as "she" rather than as the gender-neutral pronoun of "ze".
* Page 36 contains the mistyped phrase of "Then there was there was the awful wrenching of the abrupt crash into the ground below."
* On Page 52, "'''THE SECRET OF CYBERTRON AWAIT'''" should be either "'''THE SECRET OF CYBERTRON AWAITS'''" or "'''THE SECRETS OF CYBERTRON AWAIT'''."
* Overshoot's name is misspelled as "Overshot" three times on Page 53.

===Continuity notes===
* In the opening flashback, Noah wonders if the Decepticons are connected to Cobra, the bad guys of Transformer's sibling series ''G.I. Joe'', which were previously mentioned in the cybertronix text of "[[Head Games]]".
* Noah Acton mentioning The Wild Boys as Duran Duran's latest single narrows the date range of the flashback to between October 26, 1984, and May 5, 1985. 
* Continuing on from the previous ''Uprising'' story, Megatron's [[Beast Upgrade]] has spread like wildfire.
* Packrat begins the story raiding the Museum of Decepticon Heritage, which was mentioned back in "[[Identity Politics]]".
* The Renegades return, last having shown up in the beginning of "[[Micro-Aggressions]]", where they traded with Grimlock for information about the humans. Unsurprisingly, they've ignored the Dinobot's warnings about tangling with them. They're operating out of Proximax, as was established in just the previous story.
* Stiletto and Overshoot's story continues on from "[[Burning Bridges]]".
* During their stay in the abandoned MCSF base, Stilleto finds a pack of cy-gars-ettes and starts smoking them in honor of a deceased friend, Wolfang, who Stilleto had served with as shown in one of the flashbacks of "Burning Bridges". She mentions his death was the result of some "Builder murder case", as was shown in "[[Trigger Warnings]]".
* Snapper was arrested by the Builders when he turned on Grimlock's cell back in "Micro-Aggressions". Seems Hot Rod was able to keep his word about keeping the Predacon out of The Games. That the Constructicons are handling him would go with the fact Hot Rod, as mentioned in this story, was the one who convinced them to downsize.
* Buckethead's inner monologue reveals Thunderwing was the one who invented the Micromasters in this continuity, and that he was responsible for Overlord's short leadership of the Decepticons, something mentioned in "[[A Brush With Infamy–Prologue]]". It's little surprise Thunderwing is the one responsible for the Micromasters, given he's been mentioned to have tinkered in science already.
* Rampage met up with the crew of the ''Dinosaur'' in "[[Intersectionality]]". His inner monologue as he attacks Buckethead name-drops all the previously established leading members of the Resistance. He dismisses Cybershark as callous, as was demonstrated pretty aptly in [[Head Games]].
* Vamp mentions having heard [[Ser-Ket (BW)|Ser-Ket]] complaining about humans and not being able to spread her wings, something the Predacon also did back in "Head Games". Ser-Ket thought they were just pals that hung out but here we learn Vamp was grooming her as a potential Antares Eight mole in the Resistance, and Ser-Ket did indeed join the rebels in that story.
* Among the visions Overshoot sees are Optimus Prime launching the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] and Thunderwing discovering the [[Underbase]], the latter of which was established in [[Not All Megatrons|the previous chapter]].

===Transformers references===
* The flashback is one giant homage to the Generation 1 cartoon: The Decepticons pulling off another fiendish evil plan, the Autobots trying to stop them, the 'cons operating out of a sunken spaceship... Cliffjumper even uses one of the Cybertronian versions of common phrases that could be found through the first two seasons. Soundwave, meanwhile, is shown speaking more like he did in the comics, rather than his cartoon-self's distinctive speech patterns.
* [[Noah Acton]] and his family come from the Marvel issue "[[Decepticon Graffiti!]]".
* The Decepticons refer to their invention as the [[Egyptian Incantation / Autobot Destroyer]], or EI/AD, a not-so-subtle reference to the old fan term for the cartoon's long string of villainous devices of the week.
* Sky Warp remarks that he always bets on the leader, as he said in ''[[Spotlight: Ramjet]]''.
* It was also in that story that Ramjet constructed a [[Universal Cybertronic Tracker]] (UCT), which in this continuity apparently killed him.
* Packrat notes the Museum of Decepticon History has a [[Legendisc]], the central plot device of ''[[Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (cartoon)|Transformers Go!]]''.
* Stilleto mentions she used to annoy the late Wolfang by calling him "Howlinger", the original Wolfang's Japanese name. See what she did there?
* The symbol on the side of Snapper's prisoner transport is [[:File:Ancient Transformer Symbol.png|the proto-faction symbol]] first used by Shockwave in the Dreamwave G1 comics. Author Jim Sorenson has stated that this symbol was designed by [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]], presumably as a way to foster cooperation amongst the Builders, but never really caught on.<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135257-beast-wars-uprising-cultural-appropriation/?p=3398966 Post by Jim S on the Allspark Forums]</ref>
[[File:CulturalAppropriation ClimbingDown.jpg|upright=1|right|thumb|]]
* Overshoot chooses an [[armodrillo]] as his mechanimal beast mode, which is naturally based on the beast mode of [[Armordillo]]. 
* The Predacon HUD display is reminiscent of the player's HUD in [[High Moon Studios]]' ''Cybertron'' games.
* This story refers to the "Tripredacus Alliance", presumably this reality's term for the [[Predacon Alliance]] and a direct tie-in to the name of the [[Tripredacus Council]].
* Snapper swears by "Prime's [[ion blaster|Ion Blaster]]".
* This story identifies the [[Maximal]] insignia as the face of the [[luponoid]] mechanimal species.
* The gang's descent into the lower levels of Cybertron and subsequent discovery of the Oracle is a shot-for-shot recreation of the scene from "[[The Reformatting]]". Overshoot plays the role of [[Optimus Primal]], first triggering the legendary supercomputer and subsequently experiencing a series of mystical visions.
* Buckethead references the "Age of Internment" from [[Dreamwave Generation One continuity|Dreamwave continuity]] but unlike in that story, the event happens pre-Great War here. Presumably this was a time under the Quintessons. 
* Alpha Trion holds a [[quill]].
* Gigatron is an inhabitant of some long ago era, as was the case in the Dreamwave continuity.
* Thunderwing created the Decepticon Micromasters in [[Marvel Comics timeline|Marvel UK story]], "[[A Small War!]]".
* The Oracle refers to an upcoming struggle for Cybertron as being "beyond good, beyond evil, beyond imagination", paraphrasing the tagline of the [[The Transformers: The Movie|original animated movie]].
* The future vision of Earth and Cybertron merging is a [[technorganic]] world, as seen at the end of ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Machines]]''.
* Highline is mentioned as being a subject of [[empurata]].
* The Micromaster guard duo in this story, [[Meltdown (G1)|Meltdown]] and [[Heave]], are the toyline combiner partners of [[Half-Track (G1)|Half-Track]] and [[Barrage (Micromaster)|Barrage]], who were partnered up in "[[Broken Windshields]]".
*The final section notes a "unique digital entity", which was the term used for the Transformers' creator in ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)|Armada]]''. His "primal scream" is a reference to the title of [[The Primal Scream|issue #61]] of the original Marvel comic series that introduced [[Primus]].
*Under the spelling of Tag'''an''' Heights, the region was established in previous fiction as a major industrial area. Taking it over is a huge deal!

===GoBots references===
* The decoded data says it was hacked from [[gbwiki:Gong|Gong]] and [[gbwiki:Tic Toc|Tic Toc]], who in "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" were introduced as powerful time-space bending guys. 
* The [[Diaspora]] was first referenced in "[[Ask Vector Prime]]" as the reason why GoBots of the "[[Withered Hope]]" continuity were fleeing their native universe en masse.
* Klaws references [[Narly|narlies]], alien creatures that appeared in ''[[gbwiki:GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords|Battle of the Rock Lords]]''. 
* [[Dumper]] and [[Fitor (GoBots)|Fitor]] receive brief name-drops as Stiletto examine the Monster GoBot files. 
* Stilletto is left confused by the constant mention of "levels" within the same files–as the ''[[gbwiki:Challenge of the GoBots|GoBots]]'' cartoon episode "[[gbwiki:Invasion from the 21st Level, Part I|Invasion from the 21st Level]]" established, GoBots refer to different universes as "levels".
* The GoBots use [[Modifier]]s instead of [[CR chamber]]s to heal their wounds. In the cartoon, these devices were used by the [[Renegade]]s and [[Guardian (GoBots)|Guardian]]s to adopt new [[alternate mode]]s, and one was used to repair a dismembered Leader-1 in the episode "The Fall of Gobotron."
* Cybertronians are shocked at the GoBotic ability to fly while in robot mode, referencing how all GoBots, regardless of vehicle mode, were flight-capable. (One can assume, then, that the ''Transformers'' cartoon rule that all Decepticons could fly in robot mode doesn't hold true for the ''Uprising'' continuity.)
* While the dying GoBot reality of Gargent 984.08 Alpha is generally taken as a [[splinter timeline]] from the ''Challenge of the GoBots'' cartoon, Sorenson referred to it as "a mix of toy and cartoon".<ref>[http://www.allspark.com/forums/topic/135257-beast-wars-uprising-cultural-appropriation/page-4#entry3399122 Allspark post on 11th December 2016 09:12 AM]</ref>

===Real world references===
* {{w|Cultural appropriation}} is when a dominant culture adopts or borrows elements of a weaker or minority culture without considering contexts or people saying "please nah, bro". Often, the appropriators publicly enjoy their newfound "culture" while the originators are restricted from doing so. In this case, a priceless piece of human culture is literally taken by Sky Warp (albeit by accident) who doesn't understand its context and later Transformers, either ignorant or callous, associate it with him instead.
* Noah alludes to Abbot and Costello when observing ancient Egyptian artifacts, alluding to 1955's ''{{w|Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy}}''.
* In this 1980s, Duran Duran have to reassure people their song, "Union of the Snake", isn't about Cobra. 
* The [[armodrillo]] mechanimal is also a reference to the ''[[Benjamin Kirby Tennyson|Ben 10]]'' alien [[wikia:c:ben10:Armodrillo|Armodrillo]].
* Snapper's prisoner number is the registry number of [[wikia:c:disney:Blade Ranger|Blade Ranger]] from ''[[wikia:c:disney:Planes: Fire & Rescue|Planes: Fire & Rescue]] ''.
*The Oracle notes that "ALL OF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. ALL OF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN.", a paraphrase of a quote which originally appeared in ''{{w|Peter Pan (1953 film)|Peter Pan}}'' and was used to great effect in ''{{w|Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica}}''.
*"Protimax grid Nealed" is named after (in)famous ''Transformers'' fan Neale Davidson.
*When [[Blix]] orders a 'freeze frame' on a video, [[Screwball]] incongruously replies "snapshot image froze without a sound," quoting a line from {{w|The J. Geils Band}} song "{{w|Freeze Frame (song)|Freeze Frame}}".

===Level up!===
The decoded data informs us:

''18 FROM THE FILES HACKED FROM GONG AND TIC TOC. LEVEL 11 -- FITOR, PSYCHO, STALLION, DUMPER, PUMPER, VANGUARD.

''17 LEVEL 16 -- ZIG ZAG, CROSSWORD, RUBE, POCKET, JIGSAW, TIC TAC, JAW BONE, RIB CAGE, HIP BONE, TAIL BONE

''16 LEVEL 22 -- PATH FINDER, REST-Q, TREDS, SMALL FOOT, ROAD RANGER, MAN-O-WAR, BAD BOY, BUGGY MAN

''15 LEVEL 29 -- BULLET, APOLLO, HI-WAY, JACK-ATTACK, DECKER DECKER, VAIN TRAIN, LOCO, BREEZ, POW WOW

''14 LEVEL 34 -- MAJOR MO, SUPER COUPER, BENT WING, RAIZOR, TAIL PIPE, MAGMAR, STONEHEART, BRIMSTONE, SPEARHEAD

''13 LEVEL 39 –- CHAOS, RE-VOLT, TRAITOR, STEAMER, WRECKS, TRI-TRAK, STAKS, TWISTER, SNOOP

''12 LEVEL 44 -- PISTOL, SHOTGUN, RIFLE, SCOPE, SQUIRT, BLADES, WARPATH, TANK, SCREW HEAD, SPOILER

''11 LEVEL 51 -- ACE, DART, NIGHT RANGER, BOLT, SPARKY, WRONGWAY, GUNNYR, SLICKS, CRAIN BRAIN

''10 LEVEL 59 -- TOMBSTONE, SLIMESTONE, STONE HOOK, SABERSTONE, GOOD KNIGHT, ROYAL-T, DOZER, HANS-CUFF

''09 LEVEL 63 -- BEAMER, SKY FLY, GUIDE STAR, DEFENDOR, MACH-THREE, FLIP TOP, DESTROYER, WATER WALK

''08 LEVEL 69 -- SOLITAIR, FLAMESTONE, SUNSTONE, ROCK ROLLER, STINGER, TAILSPIN

''07 LEVEL 72 -- SKY-JACK, CLUTCH, VON JOY, BLASTER, DIVE-DIVE, SPY-EYE, STREET HEAT, SCRATCH

''06 LEVEL 77 -- BULLSEYE, MOTOSAN, SCRATCH (again?), SPAY-C, HEAT SEEKER, STICKS N STONE, ROCKSHOT

''05 NOTE -- LARGE STOCKPILES OF DRONES REMAIN IN LEVEL ONE. BOOMERS (INCLUDING RUMBLE AND BLAST

''04 MODELS) POWER MARCHERS (INC. RIDGE RUNNERS, HITCH HIKERS AND QUICK STEPS) ZODS AND DACTYLS. SCALES''

Of these:

* Level 22 has been established as [[Primax 207.0 Epsilon]], the [[Fun Publications]] ''[[Transformers: Classics#Fiction|Classics]]'' stories. This was home to the first GoBot infiltration way back in 2007's "[[Games of Deception]]" and the cast listed are the ones sent there in that story, "[[Withered Hope]]", and ''[[Spatiotemporal Challengers]]'' (though it has since [[Invasion (issue)|blown up]] and the crew gone [[Primax -408.24 Epsilon|elsewhere]] so the Monsters' info is outdated).
* Level 44 has been established in "[[Echoes and Fragments]]" as somewhere in the [[Viron|Viron Cluster]] (or possibly the whole shebang), AKA 2001's ''[[Transformers: Robots in Disguise (2001 franchise)|Robots in Disguise]]''.
* Nearly every known ''GoBots'' toy or character is accounted for in the above roster, although there are several errors and missing names:
** "Scratch" appears twice on the list, in Level 72 and Level 77. It's likely one of these is a typo for "Stretch", the alternate cartoon-based name for the missing Renegade Tux.
** "Tailspin" on Level 69 is presumably the Renegade [[gbwiki:Twin Spin|Twin Spin]].
** Bug Bite is not listed on Level 22, possibly because he has gone rogue from his infiltration unit.
** "Motosan" is listed in Level 77, but "[[Last Sunset]]" would show that "Mr. Moto" was still in his home universe.
** Leader-1, Cy-Kill, Zeemon, Doctor Go, and Zero are confirmed still in their Gargent universe in "[[Sunrise]]" and "[[High Noon (SG)|High Noon]]". It seems highly likely that the "main guys" (Turbo, Scooter, Cop-Tur, and Crasher) also remained behind with the leaders, as well as the unlisted Rock Lord leader [[gbwiki:Boulder|Boulder]]. "[[Last Sunset]]" would confirm that Crasher definitely was still there.
** Other missing GoBots include [[gbwiki:Tork|Tork]], [[gbwiki:Fly Trap|Fly Trap]], [[gbwiki:Throttle|Throttle]], [[gbwiki:Block Head|Block Head]], [[gbwiki:Geeper-Creeper|Geeper-Creeper]], and [[gbwiki:Spoons|Spoons]].
** Although from a different Gargent universe, the Level teams also match with details from the universal stream of the Cy-Kill from [[Transformers: Renegade Rhetoric|Renegade Rhetoric]]. Major Mo and the Robo Rebels operate together, and the previously unnamed RoGuns and ''[[gbwiki:Machine Robo|Machine Robo]]''-exclusive toys are also present.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.transformersclub.com/prose/Beast-Wars-Uprising-Cultural-Appropriation.pdf "Cultural Appropriation"] at The Official Transformers Collectors' Club

[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising media]]
[[Category:Text stories]]
[[Category:Timelines media]]