Earthrise episode 6: Difference between revisions
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|caption="Any last words?"<br>"None you'd wanna hear, Megatron." | |caption="Any last words?"<br>"None you'd wanna hear, Megatron." | ||
|prev=Earthrise episode 5 | |prev=Earthrise episode 5 | ||
|next= | |next=Kingdom episode 1 | ||
|title=Episode 6 | |title=Episode 6 | ||
|airdate=[[December 30]], [[2020]] (Netflix) | |airdate=[[December 30]], [[2020]] (Netflix) | ||
|production company=[[Allspark Animation]], [[Rooster Teeth]] | |production company=[[Allspark Animation]], [[Rooster Teeth]], [[Entertainment One]] | ||
|written by=[[Tim Sheridan]] | |written by=[[Tim Sheridan]] | ||
|director=[[Takashi Kamei]] | |director=[[Takashi Kamei]] | ||
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]] | |animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]] | ||
|video=https://www.netflix.com/watch/81056824 | |||
|videosite=Netflix | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Autobots, Decepticons, Mercenaries, and a Quintesson meet in the orbit of a familiar world to determine the fate of the Allspark.''' | '''Autobots, Decepticons, Mercenaries, and a Quintesson meet in the orbit of a familiar world to determine the fate of the Allspark.''' | ||
| Line 16: | Line 18: | ||
==Synopsis== | ==Synopsis== | ||
On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] and her team of [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] prepare to raid [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] Arena. They quickly learn that the arena is empty, and that [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is nowhere to be found. As the team | On [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] and her team of [[Autobot|Autobots]] and [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] prepare to raid [[Kaon (polity)|Kaon]] Arena. They quickly learn that the arena is empty, and that [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] is nowhere to be found. As the team places detonation charges across the arena, Elita finds a terminal and accesses a log of [[Doubledealer]] confirming his capture of the still-living [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and his [[Ark (G1)|''Ark'']] crew. She feels relief that Prime is still alive, but the relief is immediately interrupted by Shockwave, who now possesses a cloaking ability. Elita is forced to rely on her last resort: the [[Guardian robot|Guardians]]! | ||
[[File:Earthrise6ElitaAims.jpg|left|thumb]] | [[File:Earthrise6ElitaAims.jpg|left|thumb|300px|Elita is not amused by Shockwave's poor hide and seek position ]] | ||
Seeking cover, Elita arms the detonation charges, but is waylaid by Shockwave, who demands she call off her Guardian attack. Smirking, she kicks Shockwave in the eye for falling for a simple deception, damaging his cloaking system. Unfortunately, Shockwave has harvested [[energon]] for his own strength and eventually overwhelms Elita after a brief battle, rendering her unconscious. Elita's team fares no better; as they await her signal, they are attacked by invisible assailants. Chromia is shot at close range, and the firearms of the resistance are taken, floating in front of their faces at point-blank range. [[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] de-cloaks, knocking [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] unconscious. | |||
As Elita's team is led towards the energon harvesting area, [[Scrapface]] attempts to warn Spinister that explosive charges are set to go off all over the arena. Spinister is unmoved since none of them | As Elita's team is led towards the energon harvesting area, [[Scrapface]] attempts to warn Spinister that explosive charges are set to go off all over the arena. Spinister is unmoved since none of them has the ability to detonate them, ignorant that the charges are set by timer. Elita herself is strapped down in a torture chamber and awakens just in time to see Shockwave threaten her with a knife; she is saved only by Spinister's message that her team is captured. Frustrated, Shockwave jams the knife into the operating table slab and leaves the room. She uses her dexterity (and [[teeth]]) to grab the knife and try to free herself. Meanwhile, her team is saved by a rogue [[Flywheels|Skytread]] and a still-functional Chromia, who shoot the captors and stasis cuffs respectively. But then, the explosives finally go off, engulfing Shockwave's and Elita's teams alike in flames and destruction! | ||
But then, the explosives finally go off, engulfing Shockwave's and Elita's teams alike in flames and destruction! | |||
In near-[[Earth]] space, the ''Ark'' and [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']] are disabled following their return from the [[Dead Universe]]. The [[Autobot|Autobots]] aboard the ''Ark'' attempt to re-establish orbital stability around Earth. [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] determines that the unresponsive ''Ark'' is dedicating all of its resources towards processing a massive data upload it received upon exiting the Dead Universe. | In near-[[Earth]] space, the ''Ark'' and [[Nemesis (G1)|''Nemesis'']] are disabled following their return from the [[Dead Universe]]. The [[Autobot|Autobots]] aboard the ''Ark'' attempt to re-establish orbital stability around Earth. [[Cog (G1)|Cog]] determines that the unresponsive ''Ark'' is dedicating all of its resources towards processing a massive data upload it received upon exiting the Dead Universe. | ||
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Nearby, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] communes with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], seeking wisdom on the best of action on how to handle [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] arrives and suggests that Megatron cannot be redeemed and must be stopped, no matter the cost. But the pair have no time to debate; the ''Nemesis'' is now active, and extending a tractor beam to the ''Ark''! The ''Nemesis'' then collides with the Autobot spacecraft, breaching its hull. | Nearby, [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] communes with the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]], seeking wisdom on the best of action on how to handle [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] arrives and suggests that Megatron cannot be redeemed and must be stopped, no matter the cost. But the pair have no time to debate; the ''Nemesis'' is now active, and extending a tractor beam to the ''Ark''! The ''Nemesis'' then collides with the Autobot spacecraft, breaching its hull. | ||
[[File:Earthrise6CogBewilderment.jpg|right|thumb|Out of the way, Cog! That's Prime's fight!]] | [[File:Earthrise6CogBewilderment.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Out of the way, Cog! That's Prime's fight!]] | ||
Megatron and a team of Decepticons storm the bridge and find it empty. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] calls the Autobots cowards before they leap out from hiding, ambushing the invaders. The Autobots gain the upper hand against the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] as Megatron searches for Prime elsewhere on the ship. Prime, horrified by the Matrix-induced visions he received in the Dead Universe, unleashes a ferocious attack on Megatron, gaining resolve to end his life in order save billions in the future. Megatron mocks his honor, but Prime's resolve will not shatter, and he demands forgiveness from Megatron for the loss of the Allspark. At that moment, Cog | Megatron and a team of Decepticons storm the bridge and find it empty. [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] calls the Autobots cowards before they leap out from hiding, ambushing the invaders. The Autobots gain the upper hand against the [[Decepticon|Decepticons]] as Megatron searches for Prime elsewhere on the ship. Prime, horrified by the Matrix-induced visions he received in the Dead Universe, unleashes a ferocious attack on Megatron, gaining resolve to end his life in order to save billions in the future. Megatron mocks his honor, but Prime's resolve will not shatter, and he demands forgiveness from Megatron for the loss of the Allspark. At that moment, Cog encounters the two leaders and is horrified by Prime's decision to kill Megatron. This gives Megatron an opportunity to counterattack Prime, and while they are locked in struggle, an explosion occurs just behind Cog, who is helplessly sucked into space. Prime and Megatron grab onto the ship as the room depressurizes. | ||
The culprits behind the explosion are the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]], piloting the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'' through the rift in the Dead Universe. Ostensibly, they have come to honor their agreement with Megatron. On the ''Ark'' | The culprits behind the explosion are the [[Mercenary|Mercenaries]], piloting the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'' through the rift in the Dead Universe. Ostensibly, they have come to honor their agreement with Megatron. On the bridge of the ''Ark'', Starscream is impatient as he asks [[Doubledealer]] for assistance, but the latter's tone has changed: he plans to destroy both Autobots ''and'' Decepticons, and begins firing at the ''Ark''! Starscream and Bumblebee hastily form an alliance to fight back, but the ''Fortune'' soon further disables the ''Ark''. But the ''Fortune'' is not without its own troubles: [[Exhaust]] and [[Bug Bite (G1)|Bug Bite]] are patching up a hole on the craft and making plans for the future when an unexpected assailant—Cog—fires on them both, sending them careening into space! | ||
On the bridge of the ''Ark'', [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] redirects all available energy as a tentative defense against the ''Fortune''. Doubledealer hails them again, hellbent on revenge. His actions don't make sense to Bumblebee; why would Doubledealer knowingly try to kill both Autobots | On the bridge of the ''Ark'', [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] redirects all available energy to shielding as a tentative defense against the ''Fortune''. Doubledealer hails them again, hellbent on revenge. His actions don't make sense to Bumblebee; why would Doubledealer knowingly try to kill both Autobots as well as Decepticons given that he has a deal with the latter? But it all becomes clear, as Doubledealer is revealed to be mind-controlled by [[Deseeus]]! The [[Quintesson]] receives a surprise himself as the ''Nemesis'' begins firing on the ''Fortune''. This is no act of Decepticon support; while the Decepticons were invading the ''Ark'', Wheeljack stole aboard the ''Nemesis'' and led a team take control of its bridge! | ||
His plans for vengeance unraveling, Deseeus summons Bug Bite and Exhaust via Doubledealer's body, but he receives only Cog, who shoots off one of Deseeus's tentacle spikes, preventing him from attacking his colleagues | His plans for vengeance unraveling, Deseeus summons Bug Bite and Exhaust via Doubledealer's body, but he receives only Cog, who shoots off one of Deseeus's tentacle spikes, preventing him from attacking his colleagues. The Autobots on the ''Ark'' detect an overload in the ''Fortune's'' warp system, and note the immense danger to them if it were to explode. Wheeljack doesn't know this yet, however, and keeps firing on the ''Fortune'', jostling Cog and giving Deseeus the opportunity to attack him, critically wounding him with a tentacle stab through the chest before leaving the bridge. Cog sends an emergency distress signal to that he has taken control of the ''Fortune'', calling for a cease fire, but no one receives it, and he sits alone on the bridge, inadvertently under attack from his own colleagues... | ||
[[File:Earthrise6DinobotOptic.jpg|left|thumb|The eye sees not itself, but by reflection, by some other things.]] | [[File:Earthrise6DinobotOptic.jpg|left|thumb|300px|The eye sees not itself, but by reflection, by some other things.]] | ||
Prime and Megatron bicker about which of them will possess the [[AllSpark|Allspark]], but Prime turns words into action and begins pummeling his adversary. Megatron soon begs Prime for mercy, but the request was a feint; Megatron shocks Prime with a nearby electrical cable. Megatron opens the chest cavity of the stunned Prime and extracts the Matrix! Optimus awakens, but Megatron no longer refers to him as Optimus Prime, but rather ''Orion Pax''. Clutching the Matrix, Megatron fulfills the counsel recently given to him by his [[Galvatron (G1)|guide from the future]], and as he raises his [[fusion cannon]] to slay Prime, Bumblebee comes to his rescue. Megatron escapes with the Matrix as Bumblebee helps Optimus to his feet. The two Autobots limp to the bridge to stop Megatron from retrieving the Allspark on the planet below. Wheeljack and the other Autobots on the bridge have only bad news to report: the ''Nemesis'' is disengaging from the ''Ark'', beginning to tear it apart, while the ''Fortune'' | Prime and Megatron bicker about which of them will possess the [[AllSpark|Allspark]], but Prime turns words into action and begins pummeling his adversary. Megatron soon begs Prime for mercy, but the request was a feint; Megatron shocks Prime with a nearby electrical cable. Megatron opens the chest cavity of the stunned Prime and extracts the Matrix! Optimus awakens, but Megatron no longer refers to him as Optimus Prime, but rather ''Orion Pax''. Clutching the Matrix, Megatron fulfills the counsel recently given to him by his [[Galvatron (G1)|guide from the future]], and as he raises his [[fusion cannon]] to slay Prime, Bumblebee comes to his rescue. Megatron escapes with the Matrix as Bumblebee helps Optimus to his feet. The two Autobots limp to the bridge to stop Megatron from retrieving the Allspark on the planet below. Wheeljack and the other Autobots on the bridge have only bad news to report: the ''Nemesis'' is disengaging from the ''Ark'', beginning to tear it apart, while the ''Fortune'' careens towards both spacecraft. Prime orders the shields be raised as the ''Fortune'' explodes, sending debris plummeting as meteoric streaks in Earth's atmosphere... | ||
''Time passes.'' | ''Time passes.'' | ||
| Line 48: | Line 48: | ||
{{featuredcharacters | {{featuredcharacters | ||
|c1= | |c1= | ||
*[[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] (1) | *[[Ironhide (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ironhide]] (1) | ||
*[[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] (2) | *[[Ratchet (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ratchet]] (2) | ||
*[[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]] (3) | *[[Wheeljack (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Wheeljack]] (3) | ||
*[[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] (4) | *[[Mirage (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Mirage]] (4) | ||
*[[Cog (G1)|Cog]] (5) | *[[Cog (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Cog]] (5) | ||
*[[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] (6) | *[[Arcee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Arcee]] (6) | ||
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] (7) | *[[Prowl (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Prowl]] (7) | ||
*[[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] (8) | *[[Optimus Prime (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Optimus Prime]] (8) | ||
*[[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] (9) | *[[Bumblebee (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Bumblebee]] (9) | ||
*[[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] (16) | *[[Elita One (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Elita-1]] (16) | ||
*[[Chromia (G1)|Chromia]] (17) | *[[Chromia (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Chromia]] (17) | ||
*[[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]] (18) | *[[Jetfire (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Jetfire]] (18) | ||
*[[Red Alert (G1)|Red Alert]] (20 | *[[Red Alert (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Red Alert]] (20) | ||
*[[Hound (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Hound]] (22) | |||
*[[Hound (G1)|Hound]] ( | *[[Sideswipe (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Sideswipe]] (29) | ||
*[[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] ( | |||
|c2= | |c2= | ||
*[[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] (10) | *[[Barricade (IDW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Barricade]] (10) | ||
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] (11) | *[[Soundwave (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Soundwave]] (11) | ||
*[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] (12) | *[[Megatron (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Megatron]] (12) | ||
*[[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] (13) | *[[Thundercracker (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Thundercracker]] (13) | ||
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] (14) | *[[Starscream (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Starscream]] (14) | ||
*[[Scrapface]] (19) | *[[Scrapface]] (19) | ||
*[[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] (22) | *[[Reflector (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Refraktor]] (21) | ||
*[[Spinister (G1)|Spinister]] (26) | *[[Shockwave (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Shockwave]] (22) | ||
*[[ | *[[Spinister (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Spinister]] (26) | ||
*[[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] (30) | *[[Ion Storm#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Ion Storm]] (27) | ||
*[[Flywheels|Skytread]] (31) | *[[Astrotrain (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Astrotrain]] (30) | ||
*[[Flywheels#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Skytread]] (31) | |||
|h3=[[Mercenary|Mercenaries]]|c3= | |h3=[[Mercenary|Mercenaries]]|c3= | ||
*[[Doubledealer]] (15) | *[[Doubledealer#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Doubledealer]] (15) | ||
*[[Exhaust]] (24) | *[[Exhaust#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Exhaust]] (24) | ||
*[[Bug Bite ( | *[[Bug Bite (G1)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Bug Bite]] (25) | ||
|h4=Others|c4= | |h4=Others|c4= | ||
*[[Deseeus]] ( | *[[Deseeus]] (28) | ||
*[[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] (32) | *[[Dinobot (BW)#War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon|Dinobot]] (32) | ||
}} | }} | ||
==Quotes== | ==Quotes== | ||
"This is MY CHOICE! The cycle ends here and now with one terrible act to prevent a billion more! Now, tell me you forgive me!" | |||
:—'''Optimus Prime''' in an odd exchange with '''Megatron''' at gunpoint, pleading for the ''villain's'' forgiveness?! | |||
"You don't need a Matrix to be a hero." | "You don't need a Matrix to be a hero." | ||
:—'''Bumblebee''' inspires Optimus Prime | :—'''Bumblebee''' inspires Optimus Prime and does some foreshadowing | ||
| Line 104: | Line 108: | ||
==Notes== | ==Notes== | ||
===Transformers references=== | ===Transformers references=== | ||
*Megatron's feigning weakness and begging for mercy is yet another callback to the | *When the ''Ark'' exits the Dead Universe, and Teletraan I is processing the information on Cog's glitched screen, a flurry of images are shown that are ''War for Cybertron Trilogy''-style recreations of moments from the original ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' cartoon: | ||
*Shockwave and Elita-1 had a rivalry in the episode of | **Optimus and Megatron [[:File:Mtmte2 shermandam.jpg|dueling]] on [[Sherman Dam]] from "[[More than Meets the Eye, Part 2]]." | ||
**[[Spike Witwicky (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Spike]] and [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] [[:File:MTMtE Part2 Greetings.jpg|thanking]] Optimus Prime from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2." | |||
**Cybertron [[:File:Ultimate Doom 3 Cybertron leave.JPG|leaving]] Earth's orbit from "[[The Ultimate Doom, Part 3]]." | |||
**Bumblebee [[:File:MMP2 scorched Bumblebee.jpg|burning]] from the sun's heat from "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2]]." | |||
**[[Menasor (G1)|Menasor]] [[:File:KtVS2 Introducing Menasor.jpg|introducing himself]] to Optimus Prime from "[[The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2]]." Note that Menasor is based on his ''[[Prime Wars Trilogy]]'' design. | |||
**[[:File:TFTM optimus color fades.gif|Optimus Prime's death]] with someone (likely [[Hot Rod (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Hot Rod]]) catching the shining Matrix of Leadership from ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. | |||
**The numbers "[[1984]]" and "[[2005]]" sometimes flash, which are when season 1 of ''The Transformers'' and ''The Transformers: The Movie'' take place, respectively. | |||
*Megatron's feigning weakness and begging for mercy is yet another callback to the 1986 movie. | |||
*Shockwave and Elita-1 had a rivalry in the episode of ''The Transformers'' that introduced the latter, "[[The Search for Alpha Trion]]". | |||
*The Matrix of Leadership is strangely based on [[Shout! Factory]]'s complete ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' [https://tformers.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=1077 DVD box set]. | |||
*Once he steals the Matrix, Megatron calls Prime "Orion", from Orion Pax, a name frequently given to a younger, pre-leader version of Optimus. It was first used in ''The Transformers'' episode "[[War Dawn (episode)|War Dawn]]". | |||
===Animation and technical errors=== | ===Animation and technical errors=== | ||
*One of Scrapface's lines ("They're on a timer! Trust me brother, we have to go!") is delivered by Jetfire's voice actor, [[Keith Silverstein]], instead of [[Adin Rudd]]. Given Jetfire is ''also'' present in the scene, it is possible this is subtitles naming error, which is a common occurrence in the show, but the use of "brother" being out-of-character for Jetfire lends itself to a voice actor mix-up. | |||
===Trivia=== | ===Trivia=== | ||
*Astrotrain once again is relegated to a brief shot, though here he is far smaller compared to his appearance in the [[Siege episode 6|last season's finale]], and closer to his [[Astrotrain (G1)/toys#War for Cybertron: Siege|toy]]. | |||
===Foreign localization=== | ===Foreign localization=== | ||
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise]] | [[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise]] | ||
[[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy episodes]] | [[Category:War for Cybertron Trilogy episodes]] | ||
Latest revision as of 04:36, 18 September 2025
| ||||||
 "Any last words?" "None you'd wanna hear, Megatron." | ||||||
| Episode 6 | ||||||
| Production company | Allspark Animation, Rooster Teeth, Entertainment One | |||||
| Airdate | December 30, 2020 (Netflix) | |||||
| Written by | Tim Sheridan | |||||
| Director | Takashi Kamei | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
 Watch this episode on Netflix
| ||||||
Autobots, Decepticons, Mercenaries, and a Quintesson meet in the orbit of a familiar world to determine the fate of the Allspark.
Synopsis
[edit]On Cybertron, Elita-1 and her team of Autobots and Decepticons prepare to raid Kaon Arena. They quickly learn that the arena is empty, and that Megatron is nowhere to be found. As the team places detonation charges across the arena, Elita finds a terminal and accesses a log of Doubledealer confirming his capture of the still-living Optimus Prime and his Ark crew. She feels relief that Prime is still alive, but the relief is immediately interrupted by Shockwave, who now possesses a cloaking ability. Elita is forced to rely on her last resort: the Guardians!
Seeking cover, Elita arms the detonation charges, but is waylaid by Shockwave, who demands she call off her Guardian attack. Smirking, she kicks Shockwave in the eye for falling for a simple deception, damaging his cloaking system. Unfortunately, Shockwave has harvested energon for his own strength and eventually overwhelms Elita after a brief battle, rendering her unconscious. Elita's team fares no better; as they await her signal, they are attacked by invisible assailants. Chromia is shot at close range, and the firearms of the resistance are taken, floating in front of their faces at point-blank range. Spinister de-cloaks, knocking Jetfire unconscious.
As Elita's team is led towards the energon harvesting area, Scrapface attempts to warn Spinister that explosive charges are set to go off all over the arena. Spinister is unmoved since none of them has the ability to detonate them, ignorant that the charges are set by timer. Elita herself is strapped down in a torture chamber and awakens just in time to see Shockwave threaten her with a knife; she is saved only by Spinister's message that her team is captured. Frustrated, Shockwave jams the knife into the operating table slab and leaves the room. She uses her dexterity (and teeth) to grab the knife and try to free herself. Meanwhile, her team is saved by a rogue Skytread and a still-functional Chromia, who shoot the captors and stasis cuffs respectively. But then, the explosives finally go off, engulfing Shockwave's and Elita's teams alike in flames and destruction!
In near-Earth space, the Ark and Nemesis are disabled following their return from the Dead Universe. The Autobots aboard the Ark attempt to re-establish orbital stability around Earth. Cog determines that the unresponsive Ark is dedicating all of its resources towards processing a massive data upload it received upon exiting the Dead Universe.
Nearby, Optimus Prime communes with the Matrix, seeking wisdom on the best of action on how to handle Megatron. Bumblebee arrives and suggests that Megatron cannot be redeemed and must be stopped, no matter the cost. But the pair have no time to debate; the Nemesis is now active, and extending a tractor beam to the Ark! The Nemesis then collides with the Autobot spacecraft, breaching its hull.
Megatron and a team of Decepticons storm the bridge and find it empty. Starscream calls the Autobots cowards before they leap out from hiding, ambushing the invaders. The Autobots gain the upper hand against the Decepticons as Megatron searches for Prime elsewhere on the ship. Prime, horrified by the Matrix-induced visions he received in the Dead Universe, unleashes a ferocious attack on Megatron, gaining resolve to end his life in order to save billions in the future. Megatron mocks his honor, but Prime's resolve will not shatter, and he demands forgiveness from Megatron for the loss of the Allspark. At that moment, Cog encounters the two leaders and is horrified by Prime's decision to kill Megatron. This gives Megatron an opportunity to counterattack Prime, and while they are locked in struggle, an explosion occurs just behind Cog, who is helplessly sucked into space. Prime and Megatron grab onto the ship as the room depressurizes.
The culprits behind the explosion are the Mercenaries, piloting the Fool's Fortune through the rift in the Dead Universe. Ostensibly, they have come to honor their agreement with Megatron. On the bridge of the Ark, Starscream is impatient as he asks Doubledealer for assistance, but the latter's tone has changed: he plans to destroy both Autobots and Decepticons, and begins firing at the Ark! Starscream and Bumblebee hastily form an alliance to fight back, but the Fortune soon further disables the Ark. But the Fortune is not without its own troubles: Exhaust and Bug Bite are patching up a hole on the craft and making plans for the future when an unexpected assailant—Cog—fires on them both, sending them careening into space!
On the bridge of the Ark, Hound redirects all available energy to shielding as a tentative defense against the Fortune. Doubledealer hails them again, hellbent on revenge. His actions don't make sense to Bumblebee; why would Doubledealer knowingly try to kill both Autobots as well as Decepticons given that he has a deal with the latter? But it all becomes clear, as Doubledealer is revealed to be mind-controlled by Deseeus! The Quintesson receives a surprise himself as the Nemesis begins firing on the Fortune. This is no act of Decepticon support; while the Decepticons were invading the Ark, Wheeljack stole aboard the Nemesis and led a team take control of its bridge!
His plans for vengeance unraveling, Deseeus summons Bug Bite and Exhaust via Doubledealer's body, but he receives only Cog, who shoots off one of Deseeus's tentacle spikes, preventing him from attacking his colleagues. The Autobots on the Ark detect an overload in the Fortune's warp system, and note the immense danger to them if it were to explode. Wheeljack doesn't know this yet, however, and keeps firing on the Fortune, jostling Cog and giving Deseeus the opportunity to attack him, critically wounding him with a tentacle stab through the chest before leaving the bridge. Cog sends an emergency distress signal to that he has taken control of the Fortune, calling for a cease fire, but no one receives it, and he sits alone on the bridge, inadvertently under attack from his own colleagues...
Prime and Megatron bicker about which of them will possess the Allspark, but Prime turns words into action and begins pummeling his adversary. Megatron soon begs Prime for mercy, but the request was a feint; Megatron shocks Prime with a nearby electrical cable. Megatron opens the chest cavity of the stunned Prime and extracts the Matrix! Optimus awakens, but Megatron no longer refers to him as Optimus Prime, but rather Orion Pax. Clutching the Matrix, Megatron fulfills the counsel recently given to him by his guide from the future, and as he raises his fusion cannon to slay Prime, Bumblebee comes to his rescue. Megatron escapes with the Matrix as Bumblebee helps Optimus to his feet. The two Autobots limp to the bridge to stop Megatron from retrieving the Allspark on the planet below. Wheeljack and the other Autobots on the bridge have only bad news to report: the Nemesis is disengaging from the Ark, beginning to tear it apart, while the Fortune careens towards both spacecraft. Prime orders the shields be raised as the Fortune explodes, sending debris plummeting as meteoric streaks in Earth's atmosphere...
Time passes.
On the surface of prehistoric Earth, a Velociraptor stalks through a jungle. It pauses, its optic sensor detecting something unusual: a crashed spacecraft, the Ark!
Featured characters
[edit](Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Mercenaries | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Quotes
[edit]"This is MY CHOICE! The cycle ends here and now with one terrible act to prevent a billion more! Now, tell me you forgive me!"
- —Optimus Prime in an odd exchange with Megatron at gunpoint, pleading for the villain's forgiveness?!
"You don't need a Matrix to be a hero."
- —Bumblebee inspires Optimus Prime and does some foreshadowing
"Whose side are you on?"
"Mine."
- —Starscream learns that Doubledealer plays by his own rules
"Who's paying you, Doubledealer?"
"Payment? No. Payback."
- —Bumblebee and Doubledealer/Deseeus
Notes
[edit]Transformers references
[edit]- When the Ark exits the Dead Universe, and Teletraan I is processing the information on Cog's glitched screen, a flurry of images are shown that are War for Cybertron Trilogy-style recreations of moments from the original The Transformers cartoon:
- Optimus and Megatron dueling on Sherman Dam from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2."
- Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky thanking Optimus Prime from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2."
- Cybertron leaving Earth's orbit from "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3."
- Bumblebee burning from the sun's heat from "Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2."
- Menasor introducing himself to Optimus Prime from "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2." Note that Menasor is based on his Prime Wars Trilogy design.
- Optimus Prime's death with someone (likely Hot Rod) catching the shining Matrix of Leadership from The Transformers: The Movie.
- The numbers "1984" and "2005" sometimes flash, which are when season 1 of The Transformers and The Transformers: The Movie take place, respectively.
- Megatron's feigning weakness and begging for mercy is yet another callback to the 1986 movie.
- Shockwave and Elita-1 had a rivalry in the episode of The Transformers that introduced the latter, "The Search for Alpha Trion".
- The Matrix of Leadership is strangely based on Shout! Factory's complete Transformers DVD box set.
- Once he steals the Matrix, Megatron calls Prime "Orion", from Orion Pax, a name frequently given to a younger, pre-leader version of Optimus. It was first used in The Transformers episode "War Dawn".
Animation and technical errors
[edit]- One of Scrapface's lines ("They're on a timer! Trust me brother, we have to go!") is delivered by Jetfire's voice actor, Keith Silverstein, instead of Adin Rudd. Given Jetfire is also present in the scene, it is possible this is subtitles naming error, which is a common occurrence in the show, but the use of "brother" being out-of-character for Jetfire lends itself to a voice actor mix-up.
Trivia
[edit]- Astrotrain once again is relegated to a brief shot, though here he is far smaller compared to his appearance in the last season's finale, and closer to his toy.
