Editing Out of the Past

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 43
|prev=Hurt
|next=New Recruit
|image=OutofthePast-Shockwave.jpg
|caption=Arcee's partners are all dead.
|title="Out of the Past"
|airdate=[[August 31]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Mike Johnson]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Arcee recalls the time she and Cliffjumper discovered Shockwave and Starscream were building a space bridge.'''

==Synopsis==
:''The ''[[Trypticon (WFC)|Nemesis]]'' flies through space. On the bridge, [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] is dragged before [[Starscream (WFC)|Starscream]] who's interested in decrypting an Autobot signal he's intercepted. While Arcee defies his "offer" by telling him where to go, Starscream reveals he has another prisoner—[[Cliffjumper (WFC)|Cliffjumper]].''

In the present day, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] is struggling with his recovery, with [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] providing some "encouragement" in the form of ordering him around. [[Optimus Prime (WFC)|Optimus Prime]] is similarly struggling to decode the recovered Iacon database. [[Ratchet (WFC)|Ratchet]] says Bulkhead needs a break, despite Miko being annoyed at the slow progress her friend is making. She storms out of the base, but Arcee follows and finds her crying atop the plateau in which the base is located. The Autobot tries to talk to her friend about Bulkhead, and the conversation leads to Miko asking about Cliffjumper.

[[Image:OutofthePast-CliffArcee.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Did it have anything to do with those sirens around noon?"<br>"I said I ''don't'' want to talk about it!"]]
:''Cliffjumper is dumped in the cell, having undergone torture but has resisted talking. He and Arcee discuss how they came to be back on Cybertron. Elsewhere Starscream complains about the failure of his interrogation, and [[Soundwave (WFC)|Soundwave]] suggests taking them down on the planet's surface. Starscream and some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are soon leading the two prisoners through [[Kaon]] to a laboratory. Cliffjumper is concerned at the sight of the many tools lying ready to be used, even more so when Starscream introduces them to [[Shockwave (WFC)|Shockwave]] himself. The two Autobots are strapped to tables, and Shockwave uses a [[cortical psychic patch]] to hook in to Arcee's mind. The process is successful and Starscream uses it to decode the transmission—which turns out to be Optimus Prime's message to bring the other Autobots to [[Earth]].''

:''Though the Decepticons have assumed Arcee is dead, she is very much alive and surreptitiously begins freeing herself. As Shockwave prepares to finish off Cliffjumper, Cliff suggests Starscream should be the one to do it. Shockwave leaves them to it, but as Starscream moves in, he's attacked by Arcee. She straps him to the free table and releases Cliffjumper. Starscream quickly folds under questioning and confesses Shockwave remained on the planet because he's building a [[space bridge]]. Knocking the 'Con out, Arcee goes to shut down the space bridge, and Cliffjumper insists on going along, despite her skepticism about his capacity for stealth. As they walk, Cliff suggests they should join Optimus's team, but Arcee isn't as keen, and rejects the idea that Cliff is her partner. Cliffjumper believes she shouldn't close herself off just because of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]'s death.''

Miko recognizes the truth of this advice, but asks Arcee what happened next.

[[Image:Cliffjumper and Shockwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Thumbs up if you think Shockwave is weird!"<br>"0_0"<br>"He's right behind me, isn't he?"]]
:''Arcee and Cliffjumper find the space bridge, with two Vehicons operating it. While Cliff provides a distraction, Arcee starts sabotaging the bridge to overload it. Unfortunately Shockwave arrives and attempts to fix the bridge. Cliffjumper dispatches the Vehicons before sparring with Shockwave, ultimately being defeated by the hulking Decepticon. Arcee lends a hand, bringing the roof down on the Decepticon, but the pair become pinned down by Starscream and some Vehicons. Starscream demands they reverse the damage to the space bridge, but they instead head through it. Halfway through the space bridge tunnel, Shockwave catches up with the two Autobots and they exchange fire until Arcee shoots him in the eye. The space bridge deposits Cliffjumper and Arcee on Earth seconds before exploding, and after declaring themselves partners, they go to find Optimus.''

Arcee finishes her story as the sun goes down, saying she misses Cliffjumper. Miko rests her hand on Arcee's in a gesture of comfort as they watch the sunset.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.)<br>

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (Prime) | Arcee]] (2)
*''[[Cliffjumper (WFC) | Cliffjumper]] (5)''
*[[Bulkhead (Prime) | Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (WFC) | Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (WFC) | Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Bumblebee (WFC) | Bumblebee]] (10)
* ''[[Tailgate (Prime) | Tailgate]] (13)''
|c2=
*''[[Vehicon (Prime) | Vehicons]] (1)''
*''[[Starscream (WFC) | Starscream]] (3)''
*''[[Soundwave (WFC) | Soundwave]] (4)''
*''[[Shockwave (WFC) | Shockwave]] (11)''
*''[[Airachnid (Prime) | Airachnid]] (12)''
|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"If you push a patient too far, too fast, you risk exasperating their injuries. Bulkhead needs to rest!"
:—'''Ratchet''' bestows his medical expertise to Miko.


"After I lost my first partner--Tailgate--I pushed everyone away, until Cliffjumper came along."<br>
"What was he like?"<br>
"Cliff was...quite the conversationalist."
:—'''Arcee''' tells '''Miko''' about her late partner.


"So this is Kaon, huh? Love what you Decepticons have done with the place. The ruins are especially picturesque."
:—'''Cliffjumper'''


"Your reasoning is hardly... ''logical''."
:—'''Shockwave'''


"While it often pains me, I ''try'' to be a team player."
:—'''Starscream'''


"Only Starscream could fail to dispose of a helpless captive."
:—'''Shockwave'''


"They should really stop shooting at us if they want our help." 
:—'''Cliffjumper'''


"Funny. At first I didn't think I'd ever get used to Cliff's constant chatter. Now, there's nothing louder to me than the silence."
:—'''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Within the space bridge, Cliffjumper is by Arcee's side while shooting at Shockwave, but disappears when it's just Arcee facing the Decepticon. He reappears as Arcee shoots Shockwave's eye.
* When Starsream and Shockwave are listening to Optimus Prime's transmission, Shockwave is seen on the left of Starscream. When it ends, he's on the right. Of course, he might have changed position while the camera was focused on the Autobots.
* The bottom part of Arcee's head crest is red, but turns silver when she and Cliffjumper are interrogating Starscream. This happens again when they are in the space bridge vortex.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode retells the prequel story told in [[Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|the IDW graphic novel]] (also written by Mike Johnson). The story's still about Arcee and Cliffjumper learning about Optimus Prime on Earth, uncovering a Decepticon plot to reestablish forgotten [[space bridge]] technology, Cliffjumper pretending to forfeit to the Decepticons as a cover for Arcee's hijinks, and them running for the space bridge portal to Earth while being blasted at by Decepticons. However, each of these stories occur in an incompatible way, and the episode gives responsibility for the space bridge project to Shockwave instead of Starscream. A notable change to the timeline see the episodes contradict the graphic novel's statement that Starscream had been on Earth with Megatron during the initial clash between the Autobots and Decepticons there (three years prior to the start of the cartoon), and only returned to Cybertron to set up the space bridge; on-screen, it is clear he has ''not'' been to the planet before, given that he requires Prime's signal to locate it (which in the comic only served to provide Cliffjumper and Arcee with knowledge of Prime's location).
* Cliffjumper is voiced by [[Billy Brown]], whose imitation of [[Dwayne Johnson]] generally sounds quite convincing.
* Bulkhead has regained consciousness since the events of "[[Hurt]]", but he can barely walk.
* Optimus tries to decode the rest of the Iacon database gained in "[[Triage]]".
* As a nod to Cliffjumper's eventual fate, Starscream decides to eliminate Cliffjumper "the old-fashioned way": [[Darkness Rising, Part 1|by eviscerating him with his claws]].

===Transformers references===
* Cliffjumper mentions getting lost in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], which did sort of happen in ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron| Fall of Cybertron]]'', and he was, kind of, separated from his unit (if you count [[Sideswipe (WFC)|two]] [[Jazz (WFC)|bots]] as a unit). However, Cliff ''did'' have Jazz to talk to. (Talk "at")
* Shockwave stayed behind on Cybertron, much like how his G1-counterpart remained on the planet.
* Arcee's declaration that space bridge technology was lost for a long time was true in the ''Transformers: Exodus'' novel.
* Throughout several continuities, Shockwave has kept to logic as his sense for reason.
* This isn't the first time that [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] has attempted to extract [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|codes]] from [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. The same happened [[This Is Why I Hate Machines|towards]] [[Endgame, Part I|the end]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers: Animated]]''.
* Cliffjumper pretends to be an Autobot traitor. In [[Cliffjumper (G1)|another life]], Cliffjumper [[Traitor|accused]] [[Mirage (G1)|other Autobots]] of being traitors. In [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|yet another life]], Cliffjumper [[Autoboot Camp|sent]] an [[Wasp|innocent Autobot]] to prison for being framed as a traitor, ironically by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]].
* Arcee tells Starscream to get [[frag|fragged]].

===Real-world references===

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Schatten der Vergangenheit'''" ("Shadows from the Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 2|2 February]] [[2013]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Tsuioku Henkei! Arcee no Kako'''" (追憶変形!アーシーの過去, "Reminiscent Transformation! Arcee's Past")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 26|26 January]] [[2013]]
*Shockwave is given a speech quirk, spouting the word "shock" every other time he does something and weaving it into many of his lines, causing him describe much of what happens as "shocking". For example, when Cliffjumper's blasts don't harm him, he responds with "Shocking, isn't it? That doesn't work on me." This is similar to how [[Tidal Wave (Armada)|''Armada'' Tidal Wave]], who was named Shockwave in Japan, talked.

===Trivia===
* Shockwave is apparently the inventor of the illegal cortical psychic patch. Not surprising, considering he's also responsible for some "certain" changes made to some "certain" [[Dinobot (Prime)|Autobots]].
* As in "[[Predatory]]", the primary characters use the same models, meaning they all have Earth-mode kibble well before ever visiting Earth. 
* Starscream gloats about how he captured the uncaptureable Arcee. Apparently he never heard of [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s [[Predatory|encounter]] with [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]. This is consistent with comments he makes in the episode "[[Partners]]", in which he asks "Who's Tailgate?", accidentally revealing to Arcee that it was he who killed Cliffjumper.
** In general, Starscream's interrogation of Arcee at the beginning of the episode is very similar to Airachnid's attempts to extract information from her, although Arcee takes the former's threats better than the latter's.
* Arcee's flashback of Tailgate's death happens during the flashback of her adventure with Cliffjumper. A flashback within a flashback. Flashbackception. ''BWAMMMM''.
* Shockwave doesn't think very highly of Starscream, and by the same token Starscream doesn't like him and considers him an arrogant glory hog despite this episode not providing any hints of it. Then again, this is Starscream we're talking about.

[[Category:Adaptations]]
[[Category:Prime episodes]]