Editing Darkness Rising, Part 3

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{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 3
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 2
|next=Darkness Rising, Part 4
|image=DarknessRising3-interrogateFowler.jpg
|caption="D'awwww, lookit the cute ickle human! Coochie coochie cooo!"
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 3"
|airdate=[[December 1]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''This is what happens when you leave Bulkhead in charge.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:DarkEnergonbug.jpg|left|thumb|150px|[[Scalpel]], is that you?]]
The three kids and their Autobot guardians head back to [[Autobot Central Command|the Autobot base]], where [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] is being attacked by a piece of animated equipment. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] deals with it, but now suspects that both it and [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] were vivified by [[Dark Energon]].

Megatron, now powered up by the Dark Energon, has decided his next move and leaves the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]] in [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]'s hands. Starscream thinks Megatron's gone a bit loopy, and he orders [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] to increase surveillance.

Optimus has realized Megatron's plan to create an undead army.  As the rest of the Autobots arrive, Optimus announces he's going on a mission with Ratchet, who doesn't take kindly to [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s suggestion he may be a little rusty. Leaving Arcee in charge, the pair [[ground bridge|bridge]] out. Arcee immediately puts [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] in charge and goes out on patrol with [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]]. [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] attempts to organize an impromptu band practice, but while she's belting out an electric guitar solo, the proximity alert goes off. The kids hide behind Bulkhead as [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] walks in to complain about the energon mine explosion. Unfortunately, Miko's guitar gives them away, and Fowler announces he's taking them into federal custody, but Bulkhead puts his foot down, and Fowler storms out.

In a remote region, Prime explains to Ratchet that they're looking for the remains of an old Transformer battlefield, from the period in the war when energon started being hidden on other planets.

[[Image:DarknessRising3-disgust.jpg|right|thumb|160px|Ratchet, turn on the ''Evil Dead'' theme. We'll need all the charisma we can get.]]
As Fowler flies from the Autobot base in his copter, he radios in a report, which is intercepted by Soundwave. Starscream orders Fowler captured, so Soundwave sends a drone. The drone catches up with Fowler, who engages in some deft maneuvers to try and avoid it, and even gets some shots off before it slices the tail off his copter and abducts him.

Fowler's distress call is picked up at the Autobot base. Though Bulkhead is reluctant to help, the others point out Fowler knows the location of the base. [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] sets about hacking into a federal computer so they can locate Fowler. Bulkhead leaves [[Jack Darby|Jack]] in charge and heads out. Bulkhead finds himself near the Decepticon ship, but is surprised when Miko pops up next to him. After dealing with a Decepticon sentry, he contacts Arcee. Back at base, Jack and Raf have realized Miko is gone, and they use the ground bridge to follow. Unfortunately, this leaves the base unmanned when Arcee rings in to get use of the ground bridge. Jack and Raf arrive at Bulkhead's location and immediately manage to attract the attention of the Decepticon drones on guard.

Starscream interrogates Fowler without much success, so he resorts to getting out the energon prod.

Meanwhile, Optimus and Ratchet reach the Transformer graveyard they've been seeeking. Unfortunately, so does Megatron, who uses a chunk of Dark Energon to raise an army of [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]].
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (3)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (7)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (8)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (11)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drones]] (13)
* [[Deployer (Prime)|Deployer]] (14)

|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (1)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (4)
* [[Raf Esquivel|Rafael Esquivel]] (6)
* [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==
"I NEEDED THAT!"
:—'''Ratchet''''s tools suffer further abuse... from one of his already abused tools.


"I fear that when our master reached for the stars, he came down with a touch of... space madness."
:—'''Starscream''', ever ready to undermine Megatron.


"Besides, Ratchet hasn't been in the field since the war."<br>
"My pistons may be rusty, but my hearing is sharp as ever!"
:—'''Arcee''', on '''Ratchet''''s current military qualifications.


"Do I look like I do country? Just cover yourself in fake blood and jump around screaming."
:—'''Miko''' doesn't appreciate Jack's harmonica skills.

==Notes== 
===Animation or technical errors===
*When Megatron turns around and orders Starscream to await his command, his fusion cannon disappears.

===Continuity errors===

===Transformers references===
* Ratchet's comment that his hearing is still good even though his pistons are rusty is possibly a reference to the ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]], who made a similar comment when [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] made a joke about his age.
* Bulkhead has a compartment similar to his ''Animated'' [[Bulkhead (Animated)|incarnation]], but higher up on his chest. Objects inside his vehicle mode end up there when he transforms.
* Soundwave's drone resembles [[Ratbat]], but the show's creators have stated it's a homage to [[Laserbeak]].
* The concepts of the Transformers seeding energon on Earth and having had wars there in the distant past before have turned up in recent fiction, [[IDW]]'s comics and ''[[Revenge of the Fallen]]''. The latter was also in [[Ladybird Books|an '80s Ladybird Book]], "[[Galvatron's Air Attack]]".

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===

===Trivia===
* This episode tries to resolve some of the continuity issues with Dark Energon the previous episode causes. Both Optimus and Ratchet know of its existence and even the rumor that it brings the dead back to life. Supplies of it were just so scarce as to be non-existent, hence their inexperience with it. 
* In an amusing show of cultural differences, Bulkhead tries to order Miko to look away before tearing out an Vehicon's internals (presumably to spare her the sight of the carnage). Miko has no problem with it, only seeing a hunk of metal and a bunch of wires.
* No, really, Bulkhead was going to leave Fowler in Decepticon hands because he didn't like him. What a jerk!
* Twelve-year-old Raf can hack into the United States government's computer network and track down federal agents. What national security?
* Check out where Starscream sticks Fowler with the energon prod. Ouch!

==Home video releases==

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[[Category:Prime episodes]]