Editing Darkness Rising, Part 4

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 4
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 3
|next=Darkness Rising, Part 5
|image=DarknessRising4-beholddarkenergon!.jpg
|caption=Decepticons, transform and rise up!...Well, if you still ''can''.
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 4"
|airdate=[[December 2]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''While Optimus and Ratchet battle Megatron's Terrorcon horde, the others attempt to rescue Agent Fowler.'''

==Synopsis==
As [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]'s army of [[Dark Energon]]-powered [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] march, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] are horrified at the desecration. The Dark Energon flowing through Megatron gives him control over this new army, and he directs them to destroy the two Autobots. When the Terrorcons keep getting up as fast as Optimus can blast them down, Ratchet discovers that dismemberment is a more effective way of dealing with them.

[[Image:darkrising4_botgroup.jpg|thumb|250px|left|Pretty sure war zones don't count for Bring Your <s>Daughter</s> Partner to Work Day, Bulky.]]

At the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]], [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] rescues [[Jack Darby|Jack]] and [[Rafael Esquivel|Raf]], who are under fire from the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon sentries]]. They explain they were worried about [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]], who pops up from Bulkhead's back seat. Bulkhead drops everyone off behind some cover before driving under the Decepticon ship, scaling a nearby cliff, and jumping on board. After dealing with a bunch of Decepticons, Bulkhead realizes that Miko's not with the other kids, and she pops out of his chest, having stowed away. Miko finds herself in the middle of the fight between Bulkhead and the cons, which the Autobot swiftly terminates with the help of a piece of deck plating. While the pair move into the ship, problems are occurring outside; Jack and Raf are captured by the Decepticons and taken on board the ship, where [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] abruptly appear and rescue them. The two parties run into each other in a corridor, and Jack and Raf let Arcee know where [[William Fowler|Fowler]] is, having heard their guard talking.

[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]]'s interrogation of Fowler is finally beginning to bear fruit, when the distant sound of gunfire can be heard, and Fowler stops being helpful. Starscream gives him a jolt with the [[Energon prod]], stunning him into unconsciousness, and sends the two guards to find out what's going on.

Back at the Terrorcon battle, Ratchet notes that exposure to the Dark Energon is sapping their strength. The fight on, but first Optimus, then Ratchet disappear under piles of Terrorcons. Megatron laughs...but with a cry, Optimus breaks free and helps Ratchet up.

[[Image:Optimus Prime Ratchet Zombies Darkness Rising 4.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Megatron has desecrated our ancestors, and ''I'' wanted to do that!"]]

The Autobots clear out a room on the Decepticon ship for the kids to hide in. Miko and Jack immediately begin arguing over their situation, which upsets Raf. Jack and Miko try to reassure him, before Jack notices a huge computer display. Raf thinks it has important information on it.

Fowler's interrogation is complicated by the man's now-dazed state. It's further complicated when Bulkhead and Bumblebee appear in the doorway. They aim their guns at Starscream, who aims his at Fowler, only to feel a tap on the head.  He looks up to find Arcee is balanced in a shaft right above him, aiming her gun downwards.

The kids know they've found important information, but are at a loss as to how to get it back to Optimus. As Raf's contemplating using a flash drive, a Decepticon walks in. The kids dive for cover, but Raf goes back for his backpack and is spotted by the Decepticon.

The Mexican standoff in the brig is broken when Fowler distracts Starscream, and the Autobots start firing. Starscream decides discretion is called for, and he flies off down the nearest corridor.

The Decepticon starts firing on Raf. Jack heroically runs out and tackles Raf behind one of the Decepticon corpses, before instructing Miko to take a picture. She snaps a picture of the Decepticon, before Jack redirects her at the computer screen. The kids leg it from the room, followed by the Decepticon, who is promptly taken out by Bulkhead. Reunited, the kids and Autobots make their escape.

Optimus and Ratchet finish off the Terrorcon horde, and Optimus starts climbing up to Megatron. Megatron compliments Optimus on his performance, but boasts that the battle was simply a prelude to the main event and flies off. Ratchet wonders ominously what Megatron has in store for them.

[[Image:darkrising4_phonesnap.jpg|thumb|left|200px|"Kay th-enx bay-eye?"]]

Back at base, Ratchet's damaged arm is tended to, and Optimus tells off Bulkhead for letting the kids accompany him into battle. Miko defends Bulkhead and tries to claim they were doing "recon" by showing the snapped schematics, but Jack's upset about the fact they were all almost killed and decides he wants out of the whole affair. After some sad farewells (except from Ratchet), they send him home by [[ground bridge]].

[[Image:Tfprimestarscreamsteppedon.jpg|thumb|right|275px|Just like [[The Transformers (cartoon)|old times!]]]]
Back on the Decepticon ship in orbit, Megatron abuses Starscream for disobeying his orders, which has resulted in damage to the ship, which threatens to delay Megatron's plans. Starscream manages to quell his master's anger by announcing he has a way to get their plans back on course.

Miko pays Jack a visit and tries to talk him into returning to the Autobots, but he's content to go back to his normal life.

Ratchet, meanwhile, is checking out the data Miko photographed, and he realizes that it's the specs for a [[space bridge]] part. Bulkhead thinks it's great that Megatron's thinking of leaving, but Optimus points out that he's probably intending to bring an army to [[Earth]] with it, and there's only one place he can find enough Transformer corpses to build a new army: [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (2)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (3)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (10)
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (11)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (4)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drone]]s (5)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (14)

|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (6)
* [[Rafael Esquivel]] (7)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (9)
* [[William Fowler]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] (1)

}}

==Quotes==
"Megatron has desecrated the resting place of our fallen ancestors... and his own!"<br>
"Not even the dead are free from his war-mongering." 
:—'''Ratchet''' states the obvious in a slightly novel way while '''Optimus''' rues the depth of Megatron's evil.


[[Image:DarknessRising4-BulkheadandMiko.jpg|thumb|250px|[http://youtu.be/NNuHNcZaF2s?t=31s That's disturbing...]]]
"I heaved on your floor mats. Sorry!"
:—'''Miko'''


"Wake up, you pathetic lump of flesh!"<br>
"Grandma? Is it cookie time?"
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Fowler'''


"I wouldn't."<br>
"Oh, but I MIGHT..."
:—'''Arcee''' threatens '''Starscream''', who doesn't feel very threatened.


"I like pie. Can we stop for pie?"<br>
"You found Fowler! ROCK ON!"
:—'''Fowler''' and '''Miko'''


"No point in long good-byes. Here's the door."
:—'''Ratchet''' showing he doesn't give a damn


"NO ONE RIDS ME OF OPTIMUS PRIME BUT ME! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?! '''DO YOU?!'''"
:—'''Megatron''' lays down the law.


"I've been raised to be responsible. To my schoolwork, to my mom, my job."
:—The Spectacular '''Jack''' Darby

==Notes== 
===Continuity errors===
*Did Optimus forget that Arcee was supposed to be in charge? He tells Bulkhead off, but Bulkhead wasn't supposed to be in charge in the first place. Of course, Optimus could simply have been referring to the fact Bulkhead got the kids in danger (which, admittedly, was in part his fault).
**Then again it's mostly Miko's fault: SHE snuck along with Bulkhead without him even knowing, after which Jack and Raf went to find her. So don't blame it all on Bulkie.

===Transformers references===
*As in part 1, Cybertron appears with the same model as that used in ''War for Cybertron''.
*Optimus's guns and swords look very similar to another [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus]]'s.
*Optimus's response to Jack wanting to leave is very similar to the response Optimus Prime gave to [[Theodore Galloway]] in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]''.

===Foreign localization===
'''German''' 
:*''Title:'' "'''Die dunkle Macht erhebt sicht, Teil 4'''" (The Dark Force Rises, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 14|14 October]] [[2011]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Közeleg a sötétség, 4. rész'''" ("The Darkness Is Nearing, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 12|12 January]] [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La rimonta delle tenebre, quarta parte'''" ("Darkness Rising, Fourth Part")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 25|25 September]] [[2011]]

'''Korean''' 
:*''Title:'' "'''Ak ui Buhwal 4'''" (악의 부활 4, "Return of the Evil, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 6|6 September]] [[2011]]

'''Polish''' 
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 8|8 December]] [[2011]]

'''Portuguese''' 
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 7|7 November]] [[2011]]

'''Spanish''' 
:*''Title:'' "'''El regreso del mal, Parte 4'''" ("The Return of Evil, Part 4")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 7|7 November]] [[2011]]

===Trivia===
*While not the first time [[Flame (Marvel)|someone]] has used zombies as soldiers, Megatron seems intent on making them the bulk of his forces.
*The Terrorcons Optimus and Ratchet fight do not seem to be as tough as Cliffjumper's was (seeing as how he was still functioning despite being cut in half), but that could be chalked up to Cliff's corpse being "fresh".
*This episode shows one of the few times a Transformer has switched to robot mode while carrying a human passenger. This has happened previously in "[[The Human Element]]" and "[[The Secret of the Ruins]]," even in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'' and ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of The Moon]]'' films, but in all those cases the passenger was ejected during transformation. It will also happen later in [[Convoy (episode)|"Convoy"]], in which Agent Fowler somehow ends up in Prime's hand.
*Like most of the other Transformers, Starscream displays the ability to transform his arm into a blaster in this episode, and the design of this weapon would be used as the basis for the accessories that come with [[Cyberverse]] toy. Despite being a gimmick with toy recognition, however, it would take him an entire season until he would use it again, in ''[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]''.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]