Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime

« Transformers: The Headmasters ep 3 »
Music by Stan Bush-san.
"Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime" 夢のダブルコンボイ誕生 () (Yume no Double Convoy Tanjō)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	July 17, 1987
Writer	Yoshihisa Araki
Director	Masao Itō
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

With the missing Matrix recovered, the race is on to return to Cybertron and secure the Autobots' control of the planet.

Synopsis

Hey macarena! Ay!

While Hot Rod and the Autobot Headmasters search for the Matrix in the final possible location, Galvatron arrives at the Decepticon Earth Base with Cyclonus and the Decepticon Headmasters. Cyclonus is curious to meet Sixshot, but there's little time for pleasantries as Galvatron orders everyone to stop Hot Rod so the Decepticons can claim the Matrix themselves. Ultra Magnus co-ordinates the Autobot response, with the Protectobots intercepting the Combaticons. Hot Rod's team has been fruitlessly searching the last location and is becoming demoralized at their lack of success. Hot Rod begins to wonder if the Matrix is hidden somewhere more obvious than one of the secret Autobot bases.

Abominus, transform to tent mode.

On Athenia, Blurr is getting antsy about the lack of news, and Kup starts looking like he's going to tell another old war story. Fortress announces he's going to Cybertron to pass on news of the search for the Matrix to Optimus Prime.

Optimus, still journeying through Cybertron to find Vector Sigma, opens a door and is attacked by energy leeches.

Hot Rod and the Headmasters reach an energon store, only to be confronted by the Terrorcons. While the Headmasters and the Technobots fight with the Decepticon team, Hot Rod heads inside and locates a hidden chamber in which he finds the Matrix! He dashes outside to where the other Autobots have defeated Abominus and tells them he has to get to the space bridge. Moments later he runs straight into Galvatron and the three Decepticon Headmasters. Though he's stopped dead by Mindwipe's hypnosis, the other Autobots come to his rescue. Computron keeps the Decepticons busy while Hot Rod and the Autobot Headmasters head for Cybertron aboard the Trainbots.

On Cybertron, Vector Sigma's destabilization continues, with the planet on the verge of self-destruction. Daniel Witwicky and Wheelie play video games and discuss Fortress. Fortress enters Cybertron's catacombs, following Optimus Prime's trail and using his telepathic powers to communicate with Alpha Trion's ghost, in order to guide Optimus through the tunnels. His warning comes too late to prevent Optimus running into some monstrous rodents, but Optimus fights them off and heads down a different path, at last finding the Vector Sigma Chamber. As he approaches the computer, Cyclonus and Scourge reveal they've beaten him there!

Yep, he's dead. Again.

Fortress, Galvatron, Hot Rod and the Headmasters all soon arrive in quick succession, and to turn the tide of battle, Alpha Trion merges with the Matrix in Hot Rod's hands, re-energizing it and once again transforming Hot Rod into Rodimus Prime. The two Primes team up to defeat the Decepticons, but just as Rodimus Prime is about to recharge Optimus Prime with the Matrix, Vector Sigma flares dangerously, and Optimus Prime leaps into action the only way he can—by fusing his own essence with the computer, bringing it back under control at the cost of his own life. With Cybertron back under Autobot control, the Decepticons flee, and Rodimus Prime is left as Autobot commander once again.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime (1) Highbrow (2) Chromedome (3) Hardhead (4) Brainstorm (5) Metroplex (13) Prowl (14) Ultra Magnus (15) Inferno (16) Jazz (17) Hot Spot (18) Blades (19) First Aid (20) Groove (21) Streetwise (22) Nosecone (23) Afterburner (24) Lightspeed (25) Scattershot (26) Strafe (27) Tracks (28) Defensor (35) Blurr (36) Arcee (37) Kup (38) Wheelie (39) Fortress (40) Optimus Prime (41) Alpha Trion (42) Computron (48) Yukikaze (49) Shouki (50) Getsuei (51) Suiken (52) Seizan (53) Kaen (54)	Galvatron (6) Weirdwolf (7) Skullcruncher (8) Cyclonus (9) Mindwipe (10) Sixshot (11) Ratbat (12) Onslaught (29) Vortex (30) Swindle (31) Brawl (32) Blast Off (33) Bruticus (34) Sinnertwin (43) Cutthroat (44) Rippersnapper (45) Blot (46) Abominus (47) Scourge (55)	Daniel Witwicky (56)

Quotes

The following quotes were taken from the Omni Productions dub.

Cyclonus: "I am the space consultant from Jolo. My name is --"
Galvatron: "I didn't ask you to speak! About Roadimus Prime, did you find anything?"
Sixshot: "Shorrrrrrrre!"

"These people are doomed. They're only heading directly to their own graves."

—Sixshot passes judgement on the Decepticons... who are, err, right there in front of him.

"Hey what is that awful noise. Okay let me straighten him out!"

— facing off against Mindwipe, Hardhead gives his mighty battle cry

"The machine is way over its capabilities. If it goes on our memory will be erased!"
"What are you saying, are you tellinme that Cyberton will blow up because of it, it can't be!"

— the "Sigma computer is having difficulties", causing Kup and Blurr to make odd deductions

"I can... FEEL the heat!"

—Optimus Prime

"Don't worry, the Commander's alright. I guess we should retire and let the young people do it."

—Fortress

"Roadimus Prime! Optimus Prime!... Prime!"

—Autobots, after Hot Rod turns into Rodimus Prime, with one embarrassingly missing his cue.

"Something strange has happened. Now there are TWO Optimus Primes!"

—Narrator (This is a mistranslation of the phrase "Double Convoy")

Notes

Transformers references

• The energy leeches in this episode are pretty much identical to the (slightly larger) creatures that appeared and did the same thing in "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2".
• Kup references Rodimus Prime's defeat of Galvatron on planet Feminia, an event which occurred in The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers #5.
• One of the most bizarre threats that Prime comes up against on his journey through Cybertron is a pack of giant, purple hedgehogs.
• This episode foreshadows the telepathic powers possessed by the Headmasters, which will be expanded upon in "Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2".
• Issue 1 of The Headmasters manga takes place shortly after this episode.

Animation or technical errors

• Prowl appears again in this episode. He's still supposed to be dead, but see here for the details.
• As the Protectobots fall into the ravine and combine, Groove transforms into Blades' combiner mode and Blades transforms into Groove's combiner mode.
• As Galvatron and the Decepticon Headmasters arrive to stop Hot Rod, Skullcruncher is colored like Weirdwolf, and Weirdwolf is colored like Sinnertwin.
• When arguing with Arcee and Wheelie, Blurr's chestplate windshield is miscolored.
• As Galvatron and the Decepticon Headmasters fire on Hot Rod as he and the Autobot Headmasters board the Trainbots, Mindwipe is missing his wings and Galvatron is missing his Decepticon insignia.

Continuity errors

• Okay, so, it takes Optimus Prime (who has made the trip before) basically one-and-a-half episodes to traverse the tunnels and get to Vector Sigma's chamber, and yet Cyclonus and Scourge, who were on Earth earlier in this episode, were able to beat him there? And Galvatron and Rodimus, who only just left Earth a little while ago, make it to the chamber in what seems like only minutes? What, did Optimus get lost on his way? Maybe that's why Alpha Trion's ghost came to guide him to Vector Sigma. Never ask Prime for directions, he's obviously horrible at them.

Trivia

'Cause we got a double convoy
Rockin' through the night
Yeah, we got a double convoy
Ain't they a beautiful sight

• This article follows the lead of the English-language DVD releases of the episode in its use of the term "Prime" in the title.
• This episode is a study in how weird the Matrix is in Japan. With the wisdom of the ages having been drained to counteract the Hate Plague in "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2," the Autobots have decided to recharge the Matrix by... hooking it up to a power station. The final chapter of the Headmasters manga tries to justify this a bit, or at least gussy it up, by pointing out that the energy is the "lifeforce of Earth," so presumably the power plant was gathering up natural energy. But, y'know. Still. And the fact that it's actually recharged by Alpha Trion's ghost spinning around and going inside it isn't much better.
• While relaying information in cassette mode, Ratbat plays not a recording, but a summary of events in a unique voice, in the same manner that Ravage did in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3". Later in the series, however, he and the other Decepticon cassette animals suddenly start talking in their robot modes.
• A computer program written in BASIC flashes up on the screen during POV shots for Hot Rod and Fortress. More BASIC code appears on Kup's monitor as he checks on the state of Vector Sigma.
• The term "Double Convoy" in reference to Convoy and Rodimus Convoy teaming up is presumably a takeoff on the "Double Rider" team of Kamen Rider 1 and Kamen Rider 2 from the original Kamen Rider series. It's also amusing to note both ran afoul of a group called Destron.
• Likely due to the fact that Rodimus Prime didn't have a proper model throughout The Transformers: The Movie and season 3—aside from a head to slap onto Hot Rod's body, Rodimus Prime's character model seen throughout The Headmasters (from this episode—onwards) is an entirely new character model that is a little more toy-accurate, with the wheels on the shoulders being on the front, and him no longer having the second pair of wheels on the backs of his forearms. For a more in-depth description of Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime's character model history, see the respective notes section in Hot Rod's article.
  • Rodimus Prime's differing model design in The Headmasters was given an in-universe explanation by Hayato Sakamoto during a presentation and interview at BotCon 2016. Sakamoto explained that when Alpha Trion sacrificed himself to recharge the Matrix in this episode, the Matrix itself was changed, giving an all-new appearance to Rodimus, when compared to the effects of the "old Matrix".
• Um, did the writer forget this is not the first time Optimus Prime and Rodimus Prime show up together?
• Though called "Double Convoy", it didn't last long. Gugh!

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "The Birth of a New Leader" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: July 26, 1992

• Title: "The Rebirth of Rodimus Prime" (Shout! Factory sub), "Behold the Birth of Double Prime" (Shout! Factory menu)

• The review of the last episode shown before the title card is omitted.
• The explanation that the Matrix is using the Earth's plasma energy is continued into this episode.

Italian

• Title: "La nascita di Commander Captain" ("The birth of Optimus/Rodimus Prime")
• Original airdate: ?

• In the title "Double Convoy" is translated as "Commander Captain", which is a mash-up of Rodimus and Optimus's Italian names (the first being "Captain" and the second being "Commander"), but in the episode itself it is translated as "Doppio Commander" ("Double Optimus Prime"), which is clearly a mistranslation.
• In the recap, the narrator calls the Matrix "a Matrix". Was he foreshadowing something?
• Once, Rodimus calls Optimus "my lord"!
• When Optimus is dying, he tells Rodimus: «You'll be Optimus Prime»(???).
• In the last scene, the narrator calls Rodimus Prime "Captain Commander". This happens because of a mistranslation of "Rodimus Convoy".

Mandarin

• Title: "Dì'èrdài Lǐngxiù Bǔtiānshì Dànshēng " (第二代领袖补天士诞生, "The birth of Rodimus Prime, the 2nd Leader")
• Original airdate: ?

Russian

• Title: "Rozhdeniye novogo lidera" (Рождение нового лидера, "The Birth of a New Leader")
• Original airdate: July 1, 1994

Ukrainian:

• Title: "Narodzhennya novoho vatazhka" (Народження нового ватажка, "The Birth of a New Leader")
• Original airdate: ?

Home video releases

All releases listed feature the original Japanese audio with optional Omni dub and English subtitles, unless otherwise noted.

LaserDisc

1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2002 — Transformers: Takara (Sony Wonder) — Omni dub only.
2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome) — Optional commentary by Chris McFeely.
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome) — Optional commentary by Chris McFeely.
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2011 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.