A Plague of Insecticons

This article is about the cartoon episode. For the similarly-named Marvel UK Annual story, see Plague of the Insecticons!.

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We're gonna need a big swatter! A really big swatter!
"A Plague of Insecticons"
Production code	#700-12
Season	1
No. in season	15
Production company	Sunbow Productions
Airdate	December 29, 1984
Written by	Douglas Booth
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Watch this episode on YouTube

Reports of giant insects terrorizing Bali lead the Decepticons to discover their long-lost comrades, the Insecticons.

Synopsis

On the island of Bali, there is a heavily-forested swamp through which people rarely travel. It is the Demon Swamp, and in that swamp lie monsters who appear to be enormous insects. But they are not insects, they are Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback, and they are robots in disguise. They are driven by a single, unrelenting desire: food. Attacking a trio of boats, the insects feed on the grain, but quickly become interested in the reports of a farm. At the Autobot base, Spike overhears the reports of "robot insects", and a team is taken aboard Skyfire to investigate while Sparkplug remains to alert Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots.

"Ravage, get back here! They're just bugs, how big could they be?"

However, Laserbeak comes across the transmissions, and Megatron is intrigued. He takes a group of Decepticons to Demon Swamp, where Soundwave dispatches Ravage to locate the robots' lair. The Decepticons discover that the lair is not a hollowed-out rock, as it appears, but an escape pod ejected from the Decepticon cruiser that brought them to Earth. Thundercracker realizes what Megatron has already figured out: The robot insects are Decepticons who have been modified to assume insect modes—Insecticons, if you will.

Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is leading the rest of the Autobots to the farm, but they are blocked by a local festival. Sideswipe leads the Autobots down a shortcut...which turns out to be a dead end. Refusing to admit defeat, Sideswipe decides to drill his way through the solid rock. Arriving at the farm the Insecticons are attacking, Bumblebee, Windcharger, and Brawn attack, only to discover that the Insecticons possess some impressive weapons systems. Worse, they can make clones of themselves by using shells and scrap metal. Overwhelmed, the Autobots take cover amid the crops, but Shrapnel releases a fragmentation grenade which cuts the crops down to size. Finally, Megatron and the Decepticons arrive. The Autobots realize they're in over their heads, but Skyfire has been damaged and cannot transform. Shrapnel finds something familiar about the Decepticons, and when Megatron explains that they came from Decepticon science, Shrapnel extends his hand in friendship...an alliance which will be solidified by destroying the Autobots at the farm.

Where we're going, we don't need roads!

Elsewhere, Sideswipe is getting nowhere slowly with his drilling, so Optimus Prime decides on a simpler tactic and drives right through the rock wall. Coming up on the farm just in time, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tackle the Decepticons, who withdraw to a nearby oil refinery to recharge before they destroy the Autobots. During the respite, Wheeljack repairs Skyfire, who follows them in the air while the Autobots follow from the ground. The Insecticons attack Skyfire, and Wheeljack goes to help but is knocked out of the air by Kickback. Shrapnel takes control of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, causing them to drive toward the Autobots, but Trailbreaker disrupts Shrapnel's control with his force field. Optimus throws Brawn at Shrapnel, but Kickback knocks him off. Fortunately, Skyfire is able to catch Brawn.

"First wave, don't get tired. Second wave, aim higher. Third wave, pull and fire. Skeet Surfin'..."

At the refinery, the Decepticons are busy making some energon cubes. Megatron offers the Insecticons a tanker filled to the brim, and the trio gorge themselves. Unfortunately, it also causes the oil to leak into the ocean. As the Autobots arrive, the Decepticons force them to take some cover. Shrapnel uses a shrapnel grenade to knock Optimus, Brawn, and Wheeljack into the ocean, where the Autobot leader warns that the oil could ignite. On cue, Thundercracker lights the oil on fire, only for the Autobots to knock him into the flaming water. Before the ship goes kaboom, Ironhide is able to douse the flames. However, storm clouds appear overhead, and Shrapnel uses them as a means to fire electricity at the Autobots. Spike realizes that the rubber in their tires will serve as insulation. Some Autobots go to vehicle mode, while others stand on them, neutralizing Shrapnel's abilities. In addition, Trailbreaker uses his force field to neutralize Shrapnel's control over the clones, causing them to go to pieces.

Optimus shows why he's a three time World's strongest Bot champion.

Megatron realizes that he's losing, so the Decepticon leader employs a time-honored strategy: "If I can't have it, no one can." Megatron sets the tanker on fire and pushes it toward the refinery. However, Optimus pushes the tanker underwater, and Megatron with it. Rising to the surface, Megatron prepares to blast Bumblebee and Spike, only for Optimus Prime to throw the tanker through the air at Megatron.

The Insecticons observe the deteriorating situation and decide to cut their losses. They begin to feed off the energon, but Megatron, his rage overwhelming his common sense, orders the Decepticons to attack the Insecticons. As the Insecticons flee with the Decepticons in pursuit, the Autobots claim victory. Optimus Prime still worries that the Insecticons will inevitably be drawn back towards the Decepticons, but when and if that happens, the Autobots will be ready.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Brawn (9) Windcharger (10) Bumblebee (11) Skyfire (12) Optimus Prime (19) Sunstreaker (20) Ironhide (21) Wheeljack (22) Sideswipe (23) Trailbreaker (24)	Shrapnel (4) Bombshell (5) Kickback (6) Laserbeak (13) Megatron (14) Soundwave (15) Thundercracker (16) Ravage (17) Insecticon clones (25) Rumble (26) Reflector (27)	Fisherman 1 (1) Fisherman 2 (2) Fisherman 3 (3) Spike Witwicky (8) Sparkplug Witwicky (7) Villagers (18) Oil Refinery Worker 1 Oil Refinery Worker 2

Quotes

"Boy! Talk about hot lips!"

—Windcharger is hit by an Insecticon blast.

"Still think they're optical illusions, Brawn?"

—Skyfire, after getting his ass handed to him by an army of Insecticon clones.

"Well, let's look at the bright side—at least they didn't bring that sawed-off nerd Rumble along."

—Brawn, showing he is an optimist, even in the worst situations.

"Uh-oh! What I wouldn't give for a laser-powered flyswatter."

—Skyfire comes up with something else for Wheeljack to invent.

"Now, taste the lightning, Autobot fool!"
"It tastes terrible."

—Shrapnel zaps Wheeljack.

"Megatron, CATCH!"

—Optimus Prime plays catch... with a 10,000-ton oil tanker.

"Maybe we've picked the wrong allies, Shrapnel."

—Bombshell, showing a rare moment of insight.

"The traitors! We befriended them, and now they steal our power source. Forget the Autobots, DESTROY THE INSECTICONS!"

—Megatron. He really does have a hard time keeping his troops loyal.

Notes

Production information

• First draft script: 27th July 1984
• Script revised by Ron Friedman: 6th August 1984
• Initial Insecticon models approved: 8th August 1984
• Final script: 13th August 1984
• Dialogue recorded: 20th August 1984
• First draft storyboards completed: 24th August 1984 (Artists: Kim Dae-Jung, Peter Chung)
• Storyboards revised and slugged: 28th August 1984 (Slugging by Brad Case)
• Final storyboard revision and shipped to Toei: 31st August 1984
• Returned to the US for telecine: 17th December 1984

Continuity notes

• It may or may not be an intentional bit of continuity, but Starscream, last seen being hauled off by Megatron for unspecified punishment, is absent from this episode. Then again, Skywarp and Frenzy are missing too, which tells us absolutely nothing.

It can't be fire-retardant foam; if it was, the Autobots would've won the war eons ago.

Funny part is, there isn't actually any button there.

When there's lightning, you know it always brings me down

Rideeeer Kick!

• Gadgets and powers:
  • Laserbeak slides yet another gadget out of his head, this one a micro radar dish that he uses to contact Megatron.
  • Megatron has the flashing pectoral rectangles to acknowledge Laserbeak's signal, as seen last episode.
  • The Insecticons, presumably like all Transformers, have idento-computers that somehow "adapted them for life on Earth by turning them into Insecticons". Depending on your interpretation of this statement, it might be considered the first instance of a Transformer gaining a new alternate mode through internal reconfiguration, rather than through external reconstruction, a premise that would not gain traction until the Armada franchise in 2002.
  • Not for the last time, Skyfire extends his legs in a sort of mid-transformation pause. (Sorry, Macross dorks, it's not a GERWALK/Guardian. Those have arms.)
  • Rather than use his rather well documented pile driver abilities to dig his tunnel, Sideswipe just retracts his hands and smashes his way through with his arms. Looks like some animator misunderstood a script direction. They finally got it right in the final tunnel digging scene...and then they show him with drills on his hands.
  • Windcharger activates a magnetic "repulsor field" by pressing a button on his chest.
  • Wheeljack uses his documented ability to fly. He even (mostly) keeps his arms at his side like he's supposed to, considering it's supposed to be wrist rockets that let him do it. He also uses his missile launcher... sorta. Actually the missiles just kind of fly out from behind his back.
  • It's a showcase for Trailbreaker's forcefield, as he uses it first to cut off Shrapnel's override waves and then his control beams, the latter destroying the Insecticon clones. It's also a rare instance of it actually being projected from the right place, namely the silver box gadget thing behind his head.
  • Thundercracker uses his flamethrower again, previously seen in "S.O.S. Dinobots" and "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2". As noted before, this was likely an interpretation of the incendiary guns his bio described him as being armed with.
  • Ironhide puts out a fire with foamy gassy white stuff that he fires from both retracted wrists.
  • Kickback materializes a gun out of thin air in a flash of light, one of those occasional shots leading to fandom "subspace" theories about weapons and parts storage.
  • As the stars of the episode, the Insecticons get a whole host of special powers:
    • They quickly demonstrate one of their most characteristic powers, the ability to create clones of themselves, a power which was never mentioned in any of their Tech Spec writeups and was created solely for the cartoon. Shrapnel claims ownership of the cloning beams, but Kickback is also shown generating them. Bombshell is also involved, but the animation does not convey the full intent of the script when it comes to his role: the visuals imply that all he does is blow up a derelict tractor with his "Insecta-shells" to create debris to form the clones, but the script explains that the Insecta-shell was supposed to release streams of filament and micro-circuitry to connect the debris together, through which Shrapnel's beams are then channelled to form and animate the clones.
    • Shrapnel uses his grenade launcher, firing a steel ball from his wrist which then explodes into a bazillion razor-sharp fragments. His Tech Spec has the launcher as his hand-held weapon, but otherwise the ability is correct as shown. Later he identifies it as a "shrapnel grenade" (or perhaps a Shrapnel Grenade?)
    • Shrapnel uses his "special override wave" to control Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.
    • Shrapnel uses his famous ability to capture and fire lightning. He seems to need Bombshell's help to do it, though. The Autobots are able to counter the effects of the lightning by transforming and electrically insulating themselves from the ground with their rubber tires.
• Optimus demonstrates highly improbable amounts of strength, lifting an entire sunken oil tanker out of the water and throwing it at Megatron.
• The episode's closing dialog provides us with the interesting factoid that Spike is not yet old enough to drive, capping his likely age in 1984 at 15.

Real-world references

Come for the farms. Stay for the Insecticons!

• The Insecticons inhabit the real world island of Bali, which is part of the nation of Indonesia.
• Wheeljack tells Prime to "keep on truckin'".
• Star Wars sound effects:
  • Millennium Falcon engine burst as Kickback launches to pursue the last boat.
  • Falcon engine burst and Death Star superlaser as the Insecticons fly out of the swamp.
  • X-Wing diving whine as Laserbeak reports his findings.
  • Death Star superlaser again as the Insecticons launch to attack the farm.
  • Falcon engine burst as the Insecticons fly to attack Skyfire.
  • Death Star superlaser as Shrapnel and Bombshell cling to Skyfire's wings.
  • X-wing diving whine in the same sequence.
  • Luke deflecting seeker ball bolts as Thundercracker compresses the energon cubes.
  • X-Wing diving whine as the Insecticons attach to the tanker.
  • Death Star superlaser as Megatron launches to re-ignite the tanker.
  • Death Star superlaser as the Insecticons flee from the refinery.

Technical or animation glitches

Shrapnel's back should be black, not yellow. His bug legs should probably be white, but the show changes their color so much that it's kinda hard to tell for sure.

• Coloring errors:
  • Bombshell loses all his yellow and purple coloration as he throws the first boat in the swamp.
  • Shrapnel's bug head is purple instead of black as he notes that Kickback's meal is escaping.

    

    .995 percent pure silver leaf

  • In the establishing shot of Autobot Headquarters, the ship is colored silver instead of orange.

    

    Seriously, a human comes up to the Insecticons' knees. How big is this tree??

  • As the Insecticons stand on the (unfathomably huge) tree branch, both Shrapnel and Kickback's faces are dark gray instead of silver.
  • As Skyfire arrives at the farm, his booster pack is white instead of red.
  • In the next shot, Kickback's face is still dark gray.
  • After the Autobots transform at the end of Sideswipe's "shortcut", Sunstreaker's engine intake is yellow instead of silver.
  • As Ironhide and Sunstreaker watch Sideswipe work on the tunnel, Sunstreaker's entire helmet is yellow, rather than just his ear-wings.
  • Skyfire's face is white instead of gray as he tries to transform, and his antennae are blue instead of white.
  • Bombshell's eyes are a creepy, empty, yet toy-like white (instead of red) as Shrapnel first addresses Megatron.
  • Soundwave's missing his cassette door stripes again as the Decepticons take aim.
  • When Sideswipe and Sunstreaker get ahead of Optimus Prime after breaking out of the tunnel, both are coloured in Sunstreaker's yellow color scheme for a brief moment.
  • Thundercracker is a dark, toy-like blue as he fills the energon cubes, rather than his usual medium blue.
  • Prime's tires are white instead of black as Shrapnel takes control of the twins.
  • In the following overhead shot, Sideswipe is colored black instead of red.
  • The blue vehicle next to out-of-focus Prime doesn't correspond to any Autobot present, and there wasn't anyone in that location in the previous shot anyway.
  • Shrapnel's bug mode front half is white as he sends the twins on a second attack run.
  • Skyfire's cockpit, boosters and thruster nozzles are white as he fires on the refinery, rather than blue, red and black, respectively.
  • Sunstreaker is red instead of yellow as the Autobots arrive at the refinery and transform.
  • Wheeljack is in Bombshell's colors as the Autobots start to run for cover.
  • Brawn's helmet is yellow instead of gray as he and the others dive into the water.
  • Wheeljack is missing his orange chest details as he stands in the water.
  • Brawn is in Skyfire's colors as Thundercracker prepares to ignite the spilled oil.
  • As the Decepticons retreat from battle and fly towards the oil refinery, Skyfire is part of the formation.
  • Prime's hand is red instead of blue as he orders Bumblebee to stay back.
  • Bombshell is missing his purple color as he speculates on whether they picked the right allies.
  • In the final shot of the assembled Autobots, Sunstreaker's head is yellow again. Trailbreaker's cheeks are colored blue instead of his eye visor (it looks like he's wearing reading glasses!) Sideswipe's eyes are red instead of blue. Brawn's green is very washed out.
• Bombshell's animation model totally cheats. His robot mode color scheme is completely lacking in purple, yet the same parts that are colored black instead become purple when he transforms.
• The show was never able to make up its mind about Kickback's insect mode head. Sometimes it's drawn with his robot mode face underneath it, just like the toy, even having him talk and emote with it. Other times it's just plain black, with his robot face replaced by a mechanical bug mouth, more like you'd expect from a giant super-advanced space robot trying to pass himself off as an ordinary giant metal robot grasshopper. This episode shows both versions at various times, even changing it between successive shots (such as the "there's more food to devour on a farm!" sequence.) At least once it splits the difference, showing abstract details colored like his face and eyeband.
• The "Wait for me!" rower makes a pretty spectacular and improbable leap onto the last boat.
• Kickback has no transformation noise as he swims up to his buddies and transforms.
• As Megatron orders his troops to move out, his faction emblem is all blurry.
• As Thundercracker exposits that the Insecticons are Decepticons, Soundwave is missing the yellow lines around his tape door.
• Bombshell is missing his head cannon as the Insecticons raise their guns to fire.
• Brawn and company fall over into the pond before the Insecticons' fire actually hits them.
• In the first shot after the first commercial break, all of the Insecticon clones have disappeared from the field.
• As the Insecticons charge, Bombshell's head launcher is missing its little side laser dealies, and Bombshell's Decepticon insignia is blinking.
• Windcharger is drawn delivering Bumblebee's "I sure hope Prime" line.
• As he stands aside to let Optimus through, Sideswipe's pile drivers have turned into drills.
• Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
  • Ratchet is shown transforming with the rest of Prime's team, despite not being part of it.
• When the Decepticons and Insecticons flee from the field, Thundercracker in jet mode is colored in Skyfire's white-and-red palette. The clones finally reappear in the same shot, after going missing for several scenes.
• At the line "bite down, it's our only chance to hang on!" the voice is Bombshell's, but Shrapnel is shown. Since they're in bug mode and Bombshell was shown in the preceding shot, this may not be an animation error exactly, but at the very least it's poor framing.
• Kickback's robot head shows up beneath his bug head as he turns to kick Brawn off of Shrapnel.
• Thundercracker's arm laser is mounted on the wrong side and in the wrong spot as he aims at Skyfire.
• Soundwave's chest compartment isn't drawn in as Ravage ejects.
• Megatron is missing his insignia as he wonders what Kickback is talking about.
• Shrapnel is missing his insignia as he wonders what went wrong.
• Someone got their signals crossed; after the Autobots prove able to defeat Shrapnel's lightning blasts by rolling on their tires, Optimus is also totally immune to normal Insecticon firepower.
• Reflector shows up out of nowhere as Megatron rails about the Insecticons stealing their energon, despite not having been seen in the entire episode.

Rhino DVD release

The Kid Rhino release of this episode had errors not present in the original broadcast version, due to their use of incomplete film masters:

• The movement of the boats in the opening shots is different in the DVD version.
• A cel layering error causes Skyfire's door to appear behind Spike and the Autobots as he boards them. As a result, the door closes behind Bumblebee and Spike as they wave to Optimus, only for them to disappear when it closes fully.
• The shot of the Decepticons leaving their base is mistimed, and a distracting "seam" can be seen on the background painting.
• Megatron's unibrow is white in two shots.
• The Insecticons' gunfire is purple instead of orange on several occasions.
• When Skyfire falls in the water, the water effects briefly disappear for a few frames.
• When Shrapnel shoots his ball shaped bomb, the flame and bomb are missing thus leaving him to fire absolutely nothing; the ball is shown a second later.
• As Sideswipe and Sunstreaker are being controlled by Shrapnel's control beams, Shrapnel is missing from the shot and is nowhere to be seen.
• As the two of them are forcefully driven toward the other Autobots, Sunstreaker is colored black and the frame of animation is not arranged properly.
• Just before Brawn asks Optimus to throw him, Prime is in vehicle mode, then he transforms from robot to vehicle mode, and is then standing in robot mode.
• The energon cubes are not colored properly in one shot.
• A shot of Optimus and Wheeljack in the water is missing one of the water cel layers. As a result, the bottom half of Optimus's body is completely missing.
• The animation of the approaching storm clouds is missing. Instead, a single dark cloud simply floats across the screen.
• The lightning flashes as Megatron declares that the enemy is on the ground differ slightly in the DVD version.
• When Shrapnel says the line "Has brought it to us us now now" his dialogue lags behind the scene where he speaks. In addition, the sky has inexplicably turned sunny again in the DVD version.
• Some instances of Wheeljack speaking, like when he says "Thanks Prime, keep on truckin'", are missing the flashing "ears" effect.
• When Bumblebee says "There's gotta be something we can do before we all get fried", his mouth and head do not move until he says the word "fried".
• The lightning ray has different glowing effects in the DVD version.
• Spike's mouth flaps are slightly different when he talks about the rubber tires.
• When Shrapnel jumps out of the way of a laser blast, the refinery background behind him is different.
• When Optimus blasts the Insecticons away, the refinery background behind them is different yet again.
• Wheeljack's glow is stationary at the end of the episode.

Continuity errors

• The Insecticons' origin is fraught with problems. The story seems to be that they were aboard the Decepticon ship, and ejected in an escape pod before it crashed, four million years ago. What happened after that is not clear, but no version of the story completely jibes with the known facts:
  • Megatron says that the Insecticons' escape pod was launched "before our own ship crashed here millions of years ago". One might reasonably take this to mean that the Insecticons were aboard the Nemesis; however, upon meeting Megatron a few scenes later, Shrapnel says to him "I don't know you", implying that they weren't aboard the Nemesis. The summary of the episode in the production bible clarifies this, saying the pod "...was originally part of the Decepticon spacecraft that jettisoned away just before the Autobots and Decepticons crash landed on Earth". Guess Shrapnel was just feeling conveniently forgetful that day day.
    • (Or he's saying he doesn't know Megatron very well. Or their memory banks were a little fuzzed after four million years in a swamp.)
  • The narration ("a strange new form of robot") makes it sound like the Insecticons just recently awoke, as does the sudden distress call from the residents of Bali. But if that's the case, it's a huge coincidence that, after four million years, they were revived just a few months after their kin aboard the Ark.
    • (Maybe their pod was activated after intercepting an automatic signal from the now-active Ark or Nemesis?)
  • The alternative - that the Insecticons have been up and running around for millions of years - doesn't make sense either. How could neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons have ever learned of their existence until this episode?

• Digging a tunnel is seriously faster than just backtracking a mile or two to find another way around? Seriously?
• Michael Bell seems to have gotten a bit confused. Throughout this episode he uses his Prowl voice for Sideswipe.
• How does Skyfire manage to hide in the bushes with the other, shorter Autobots? He's about four Bumblebees tall! In fact the entire notion of corn that's tall enough to hide an Autobot is a bit far fetched. The absurdity is further called out a few shots later when the Autobots (and Spike!) are shown towering over the corn.
• How does Skyfire know Kickback's name? None of the Insecticons have introduced themselves.
• How does Optimus Prime's team drive to Bali, an Indonesian island which is clear across the Pacific Ocean? They needed Skyfire to get to Peru. Even if we accept they used the "hydrofoils" from "The Ultimate Doom, Part 1," they arrive only moments after the Decepticons, who are already in Bali. They would have arrived even sooner if not for their "detour."
• Per the cartoon physics norm, if anything besides the ground breaks your fall, you're just fine. Thus, Wheeljack smacking into Prime's trailer does absolutely no damage to him.
• Brawn gets the same treatment a second later, as Skyfire "catches" him.
• Megatron gives the very strange order to "activate the Ravage cassette".
• As they arrive at the refinery, Optimus Prime orders "let's get them, Autobots!" They immediately run for cover, firing no weapons.
• Kickback claims there is no spray capable of stopping the Insecticons. Guess he's never heard of robotic insecticide!
• When Megatron and company arrive at the Balinese oil refinery, a human shouts "the monsters are back!" Neither the Insecticons nor Decepticons have been shown attacking an oil refinery in this episode. Unless one of the refinery workers just happens to moonlight as a swamp boater. Or knows someone who does.

Trivia

• The Shout! Factory release (incorrectly?) credits this episode as being written by Donald F. Glut.
• Wheeljack refers to the idea of a motorcycle alternate form as "something new". Ah, Transformers was so young and new back then!
• Some episodes provide plot, character development, and storytelling. Others are a big parade of battles and special buy-my-toy powers. The reader may draw their own conclusions as to which category this episode falls under.

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "Un fléau d'Insecticons" ("A plague of Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

• In the European French dub, Laserbeak gains a third name after Laserobreak and Laserback, "Laserbreak".

Italian

• Title (dub 1): "Gli Insekticons" ("The Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

• In this episode the Insecticons are both called "Insecticon" and "Insector".

• Title (dub 2): "La piaga degli Insecticons" ("The Plague of the Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

Japanese

• Title: "Insectron no Nazo" (インセクトロンの謎, "The Mystery of the Insectrons")
• Original airdate: October 24, 1986

• Due to Skyfire's status as a Bandai toy in Japan, the Japanese broadcast of this episode had to be delayed until near the end of the series, when the legal matters could be resolved.
• Being a Japanese dub and all, Shrapnel dramatically announces the name of his lightning blast as though it were a special move: "Thunder Attack!"
• The Japanese dub confuses Megatron's poorly phrased line of "This is a Decepticon escape module launched before our own starship crashed on Earth four million years ago" as meaning that the Insecticons took off and arrived on Earth long before the other Decepticons crashed on Earth.

Mandarin

• Title: "Jīqì Kūnchóng " (机器昆虫, "The Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

Brazilian Portuguese

• Title: "A Praga de Insecticons" ("The Plague of Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

Russian

• Title: "Nashestviye Insecticonov" ("The Invasion of Insecticons")
• Original airdate: ?

Serbian

• Title: "Nајezdа Insektikonа" (Најезда Инсектикона, "Insecticon Invasion")
• Original airdate: ?

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

VHS

1986 — The Transformers — Volume 12: "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "War Dawn", "A Plague of Insecticons" (Family Home Entertainment)

LaserDisc

1995 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Megatron Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1999 — The Transformers — Decepticon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2002 — Transformers — Original Series: Volume Three (Sony Wonder)
2002 — Transformers — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder)
2002 — The Original Transformers — First Season Collector's Edition (Rhino Entertainment)
2002 — The Original Transformers — Volume Three (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — Transformers — Collection 1: Series 1 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 1 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Volume 3 (Déclic Images) — European French audio only.
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — Classic Transformers — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2008 — Transformers — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 — Transformers — Season One (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2011 — The Transformers — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

External links

• Full episode script, finalised on 13th August 1984
• Model sheets and background layouts