Collateral Damage

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I've been too long I'm glad to be back Yes, I'm let loose From the noose
"Collateral Damage"
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	October 7, 2017
Writer	Paul Giacoppo
Animation studio	Polygon Pictures

Soundwave finally escapes the Shadowzone to set up a Beacon Generator intended to summon Megatron, and while the Bee Team engages the notorious Decepticon atop a skyscraper, Optimus Prime takes on Laserbeak in the skies over Crown City, and Sideswipe learns a lesson in considering the consequences of his actions.

Synopsis

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Featured characters

Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Bumblebee (1) Fixit (3) Strongarm (4) Grimlock (5) Sideswipe (6) Optimus Prime (8)	Steeljaw (10) Soundwave (11) Laserbeak (15)	Russell Clay (2) Denny Clay (7)	Hi-Test (9) Goldgear (12) Trickout (13) Stuntwing (14)

Notes

Continuity notes

• Soundwave's goal is revealed to have been to summon Megatron to Earth; he needed the nuclear fuel rods, stolen by Steeljaw in "Prisoner Principles", to power his beacon generator. We now know that Steeljaw's "benefactors", who released the Pack in "Exiles" have similar interests. Just as Megatron did to the Weaponizer Mini-Cons, they genetically modified the "Activators" and sent them to free Soundwave.
• Optimus is still working with Ratchet, who left Earth with him at the end of "Decepticon Island (Part 2)".
• This isn't the first time poor Steeljaw has had a "you can rule the planet" promise backfire on him.

Prisoner Manifest

• Held Prisoner: Clampdown, Quillfire, Underbite, Thunderhoof.
• Returned to Cybertron: Soundwave, Laserbeak
• Known at Large: Steeljaw

Transformers references

• The toyline's term "Activator Mini-Con" is used onscreen for the first time.

Errors

• Optimus fires missiles at the Beacon, which contains nuclear fuel rods. This should have shattered the rods and distributed radioactive debris over a large area.

Trivia

• Soundwave claimed his beacon was built from "wreckage" from the Shadowzone. Seeing as it is an non-corporeal dimension and there was only one other inhabitant, could this be the fate of Skyquake?
• When they were returned to the Shadowzone in "Portals", Soundwave and Laserbeak were still in their Prime cartoon bodies. How they were able to reformat to their new bodies is left unexplained. Perhaps the "benefactors" provided them what they needed?