Survival Instincts

« Transformers: Energon ep 22 »
Prepare to be assimilated.
"Survival Instincts" 暴走! 飢えたユニクロン () (Bōsō! Ueta Unicron) "Rampage! The Starving Unicron"
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	4 June 2004 (Japanese) August 27, 2004 (Canada) September 4, 2004 (USA)
Writer	Akira Okeya
Director	Dan Daiyū
Animation studio	Actas, Studio A-CAT (3D)
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy

Starved for energon, both Unicron's head and body begin lashing out at their respective captors.

Synopsis

Ouch.

Dozens of Decepticon ships flee Cybertron's surface. Huge numbers of them are shot down by automated guns or else crash into the energon grid as it activates. Still, plenty escape, while Megatron and Starscream eagerly await their arrival. However, the new recruits are quickly judged to be useless as anything but cannon fodder. Suddenly, Megatron hears something...

Meanwhile, Unicron's head is glowing a strange green color. Within, Optimus Prime tells Alpha Q that he remains uncertain about using Unicron, despite the alien's reassurances that Unicron is under his control. Optimus prepares to go defend Cybertron, which remains his top priority. All assembled noticed strange creaking and groaning within Unicron's head.

Unicron's body, meanwhile, is also glowing green. Within, a trio of Decepticon troopers are wandering about, exploring. Nearby, something stirs within the monster's depths. Just as Demolishor finds the three troopers, a huge spike emerges from the wall, impaling and killing one of them. The other two flee and are similarly killed. Demolishor manages to avoid dozens more of the same spikes, fleeing and begging Megatron to stop. In his control chair, Megatron groans in anger at Unicron.

Snow Cat, put in charge of the new recruits, is having fun putting them through drills, but in the middle of a "face left", they're all impaled and killed by the spikes. Snow Cat himself dances around the spikes, as does Starscream, who finds dozens of speared Terrorcons, their energon being absorbed by Unicron. While this is happening, Shockblast finds Megatron overwhelmed by tentacles, and he and Tidal Wave nearly come to blows.

Aboard Unicron's head, Alpha Q is having similar problems, forcing the Autobots to make their way to the surface. Discussing their next strategy, Optimus theorizes that Unicron has reverted to his basic survival instincts. Optimus wants to insure the safety of Cybertron and makes preparations to leave. Rodimus says that he will stay behind to deal with Unicron. As Unicron's spikes start to reach the surface, Misha wonders if Unicron needs energon, prompting Rodimus to ask for a few Omnicons from Optimus.

Team Rodimus, Kicker, Ironhide and the Omnicons head back into Unicron's head, while Jetfire and Inferno warp back to defend Cybertron with Optimus. Just before departing, Misha asks to be left behind in case Kicker needs her help, so her and Hot Shot are ordered to stay on the Miranda II. Within Unicron's head, Rodimus's crew fight their way through more of Unicron's spikes.

Oh man, what was in that energon?

Back on Cybertron, Jetfire and Inferno search through the downed Decepticon ships. Optimus on the other hand, checks in with Primus, who tells him that Rodimus made the right decision in using the Omnicons and gives Optimus a history lesson:

The Omnicons were once Autobot and Decepticon fighters who were tired of the endless battles and rallied under Rodimus's command, leaving Cybertron in search of a new place to call home. Over the many eons that passed, they became resistant to the energon they mined and evolved into the Omnicons of present day.

Primus tells Optimus that he still holds out hope that an endless source of energon will help bring the fighting to an end, much like it did for the Omnicons. He says that the Omnicons know where to find it and a new warrior will help them fulfill this...

Back inside Unicron's head, Rodimus's team hits a dead end; the Omnicons are trapped and separated from the Autobots, threatened by more of Unicron's spikes. Unable to get through by force, Kicker calls on Alpha Q for help. The alien is having his own troubles, but with some encouragement, fights back, freeing the Omnicons.

Meanwhile, a white and pink motorcycle drives through a portal.

Hello, boys.

Back within Unicron's head, the Omnicons are too frightened to move after their recent encounter with the spikes.

Optimus, Inferno and the motorcycle arrive at Unicron's head via space bridge. Kicker and Ironhide are still having trouble getting the Omnicons to move, until the motorcycle enters and transforms into Arcee, the first female Omnicon; who had been created solely from energon. Optimus explains that she organized a plan that allowed the Omnicons to survive on their desolate planet, inspiring them with a sense of purpose.

Arcee rallies the troops and introduces herself to Kicker. She orders him aboard as she transforms back to motorcycle mode and rides off. The Omnicons follow, heading toward the core of Unicron's head.

Deep within Unicron's head, his technorganic brain glows green. The Omnicons arrive and begin feeding energon stars to it. Alpha Q and Scorponok immediately find themselves freed from the tentacle attack, and the Omnicons cheer. Optimus tells Rodimus that they could have a second chance at peace, as long as there is enough energon for everyone.

Demolishor howls in despair, surrounded by spikes when the attack has stops. Despite the decimation of his troops, Megatron is pleased by Unicron's hunger and intends to feed him a main course of planet Cybertron!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Optimus Prime (7) Rodimus (8) Ironhide (9) Hot Shot (14) Landmine (16) Prowl (17) Prime Force (18) Skyblasts (19) Strongarms (20) Inferno (22) Jetfire (3) Arcee (26)	Starscream (1) Megatron (2) Decepticon generics (3) Snow Cat (4) Demolishor (5) Tidal Wave (6) Battle Ravages (15) Shockblast (25)	Kicker Jones (10) Misha Miramond (11)	Alpha Q (12) Scorponok (13) Perceptor (22) Primus (24)

Quotes

"My orders are to roll out with extreme caution."
"Would you care to elaborate, Optimus Prime?"
"I'm not really sure. You see, Unicron is a far more advanced planet than Cybertron, and I'm afraid I can't predict that."

—Optimus Prime and Alpha Q, not so much having a conversation as reacting to summaries of each other's statements.

"I was worried something like this might happen."
"Too late now. Just keep fighting!"

—Optimus Prime says "I told you so", but Rodimus reminds them of bigger concerns.

"Alive!"
"Alive!"
"Alive!"
"What are you babbling about?"

— the dub's dialog Alpha Q's rallying cry does not impress Scorponok

"Okay, Kicker. Where exactly are we going?"
"We have to reach the core of Unicron's head. That's where we have to feed him the energon. So to answer your question, Arcee, just keep going!"
"Huh?"
"Never mind. I'll tell you when we get there. The plan is to feed Unicron some energon to calm him down."

— Arcee needs to ask Kicker more specific questions if she doesn't want to get exactly the same answer over and over.

Ironhide: Is it time for action yet? I'm bored.
[Kicker kicks Ironhide]
Kicker: Hey! You mind not buttin' in on Optimus's business for once?
Ironhide: You mind not kicking? Huh?

—Ironhide and Kicker make us wonder why they're friends.

Arcee: We did it, little man!
Kicker: Hey! What's with this 'little man' business?! I'm not your little— [kicks Ironhide]
Ironhide: —YEOW!! What're ya kickin' me for? I didn't do nothin'!

—It's funnier when Tow-Line says it.

"...what a snack."

—Starscream has a rather strange reaction to seeing the corpses of dozens of his comrades.

Notes

Differences with Super Link

• Energon's animation is missing a still background image of Unicron's body that the Decepticon ships are supposed to be flying toward.
• Optimus and Alpha Q's conversation, quoted above, seems to suffer from some literal translation; the content is correct, but the dialog doesn't flow coherently.
• Energon seems incredibly eager for Unicron to "come to life"; this is the second time in as many episodes that it has inserted words to that effect where none existed before. In Super Link, Kicker doesn't say that he thinks Unicron is "about to come to life", but simply that something bad is about to happen.
• On a similar note, Energon adds Unicron's roar again. Super Link features only sound effects.
• Energon plays Prowl and Landmine's escape out as if they're going to rescue Inferno on the Miranda II, instead of being rescued by him.
• Rodimus's "great planet" is an Energon mangulation. In Super Link he speaks metaphorically of building a new world.
• Primus recalls a weird take on the backstory for the Omnicons in Energon, having Primus tell Optimus a story about how Megatron and his Decepticons were tired of fighting and decided to make peace with the Autobots; joining forces with them, leaving Cybertron with Team Rodimus, calling a new planet their home, and then subsequently evolving into the Omnicons. To make matters worse, Primus finishes the story off by saying that the ones who left Cybertron evolved into "the Transformers of today", instead of the Omnicons of today.
  • The correct story, as told in Super Link, is that the Autobots and Decepticons who were tired of fighting joined forces and left with Team Rodimus for a new planet where they mined energon and eventually evolved into the Omnicons.
• Energon Primus mentions an unlimited source of energon that exists somewhere. Once again, it's a figure of speech that Energon takes literally.
• Energon has Kicker explain the plan to Arcee two times in a row for no reason (as quoted above.) In Super Link, he says to find a place where Unicron's nerves are concentrated, as feeding the energon there will end the rampage.
• Optimus's characterisation of Arcee in Super Link is very, very gendered, describing her in idol culture-esque terms as a woman who is "sometimes kind, sometimes encouraging and sometimes weak" in order to motivate the Omnicon menfolk, whereas the dub goes focuses much more on her leadership capabilities (even as Optimus makes a crack about her being the species's "other half"!). This description comes off as a bit odd, as just like in the localisation she is introduced by barking orders at her subordinates without issue.

Pain count

• "Uh?": 11
• "We need/they want energon": 1
• "You can't be serious": 1

Animation and technical errors

• Jetfire calls out to Prowl and Landmine using Strongarm's voice. Ironically, Jetfire and Strongarm are both voiced by Scott McNeil.

Continuity notes

• This episode claims that Unicron is activating based on his survival instincts due to his hunger for energon. Unicron performed a similar survival instinct-type function after being deactivated back in Armada where his body started to transform back into planet mode before warping itself to a safer location.
• The Omnicons' planet was officially given the name Omnitron in Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac.
• Gadgets and powers:
  • Unicron's spikes that impale the Decepticons are used to drain their energon.
• Powerlinx forms:
  • Optimus Prime Super Mode
  • Perceptor

Trivia

• When Unicron starts killing the Decepticons, one of the three with Demolishor is speared right through the groin. Unicron is that evil.
• The history of the Omnicons being suddenly told now seems to be for the sake of introducing Arcee.
• Arcee is hand-drawn several times while Kicker is riding her in motorcycle mode.
• Optimus Prime's right eye is briefly hand-drawn when he winks at Misha.
• Team Rodimus and the Omnicons (barring Arcee) apparently forgot they have alt modes and head towards Unicron's brain via running. Humorously, they manage to run at the same speed as the vehicle mode Ironhide tailing them is driving at.

Foreign localization

Italian

• Title: "Unicron è fuori controllo!" ("Unicron is Out of Control!")

• The first time Unicron impales a Transformer... the latter doesn't say anything, not even a little scream! Now, that's a tough guy!
• Once, Primus uses the word "Transformer" (without an S at the end) as a plural.

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

DVD

2004 — Transformer: Super Link — Volume 006 (Interchannel) — Japanese audio only.
2008 — Transformers: Energon — The Ultimate Collection (Paramount)
2014 — Transformers: Energon — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)