Base

« Transformers: Armada ep 3 »
All yours belong to us.
"Base" 仲間 (ともだち) (Tomodachi) "Comrades: Friends"
Production code	TF: A-03
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	August 23, 2002 (English) 24 January 2003 (Japanese)
Writer	Ryō Motohira
Director	Issa Kobayashi
Animation studio	Actas Inc.
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy

More Mini-Cons are found, and the Autobots get their base set up.

Synopsis

In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!

The Decepticons open fire on Optimus Prime, forcing him to his knees. Megatron reveals Leader-1 and combines with the Mini-Con, activating the giant cannon at his waist. The cannon fires with such force that the Decepticon leader is flung backward. Fortunately, the shot misses its intended target and destroys the hill behind Optimus. Though Optimus is amused, Megatron merely states that that was only a taste of his power, and laughs maniacally. At length. Then he begins repeatedly firing on the Autobots while sliding backward and finally falling over on his back. Unfortunately, the blasts cause a landslide which tumbles towards Alexis, Carlos, and Rad. Hot Shot shields the three kids, keeping them safe, while Red Alert does the same with the Mini-Cons. Alexis wonders what's happened to Megatron, and quickly spots three glints of light: more Mini-Con storage panels.

Starscream and Demolishor rush to their fallen leader to check on his health, and he tells them to destroy Optimus Prime. The conversation is interrupted by Optimus himself, who grabs Starscream by the head and throws him at Demolishor before grappling directly with Megatron.

"Whoa... my hands are huge... They can touch everything but themselves... Oh wait."

Red Alert pulls one of the Mini-Con panels from the ground, activating it. Hot Shot gains the Mini-Con Jolt while Red Alert combines with Longarm and the pair fire on the Decepticons with the new weapons they've just unlocked. Megatron, Starscream, and Demolishor promptly teleport away. Cyclonus sticks around long enough to steal two Mini-Cons the children just dug up, and then teleports away as well, cackling insanely. On the Moon, Megatron is not at all pleased—until Cyclonus arrives and presents one of the stolen Mini-Cons.

"Go Team Mini-Con!"

Optimus tells the kids that Megatron is likely to return, now that he knows there are more Mini-Cons to be had. Rad complains that the whole thing was an accident, leading into a flashback to the discovery of High Wire. He'd never have done it had he known it would start a war. Proper introductions are made, and further exposition about the Mini-Cons' function and the Decepticons' purpose on Earth is given. Rad asks if the Autobots want the Mini-Cons for power like the Decepticons, and Optimus assures him that the Autobots treat Mini-Cons as equals while the Decepticons treat them as slaves. The three kids offer to help. After Rad and Carlos joke that they tricked Alexis over understanding the Mini-Con language, they make up and bump fists. The Autobots are intrigued by this Earth custom and bump fists as well, making the ground shake.

The next day at school, there's a basketball game, and Fred gets hit in the face with the ball several times. Rad and Carlos play dumb when Billy asks them about the earthquake, and Alexis points out that they would have heard about an earthquake on the radio. Rad and Carlos also explain away their new bicycle and skateboard, though Billy still suspects them of being up to something. Alexis catches up to her friends to inform them that they almost blew it.

Special XXX-Rated Adults-Only Powerlinxing.

On the Moon, Starscream and Demolishor have a strong argument about who's going to be Megatron's right-hand man when he takes over the universe, and they end up fighting. Demolishor is more massive stronger, but Starscream proves to be faster and more adroit, ultimately winning. But they're interrupted by Megatron himself, who orders them to stop wasting their energy and reminds them of their mission to search out all the Mini-Cons. He activates one of the Mini-Cons Cyclonus recovered, Blackout, and presents him to Demolishor as his "little partner in crime." While Starscream fumes, Megatron tells him he has to capture his own Mini-Con.

Billy and Fred go into the mountains again and observe that it looks like a bulldozer drove through. Underground, Carlos and Rad are marveling at the activated spaceship. The Autobots present the kids with Laserbeak, a small bird that transforms into a video camera. After Optimus explains its purpose, High Wire alerts them to the fact more Mini-Cons are coming on-line.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Optimus Prime (1) Red Alert (4) Hot Shot (5) Laserbeak (19)	Starscream (2) Cyclonus (3) Demolishor (6) Megatron (7)	Alexis (9) Rad White (12) Carlos Lopez (14) Billy (16) Fred (17)	Leader-1 (8) Sureshock (10) High Wire (11) Grindor (13) Jolt (14) Longarm (15) Crumplezone (18) Blackout (19)

Quotes

"Hot Shot, are you all right?!"

—Optimus apparently has no concern for the Mini-Cons or the children (or even for Red Alert).

"Ah, yes, now I find out they're all incompetent."

—Megatron should have noticed that earlier.

"Ah, man, that guy burns me up."

—Rad's reaction to Cyclonus making off with a Mini-Con.

"Come on, boys, we've got work to do!"

—Megatron... refers to his troops as "boys" apparently.

"I am totally surrounded by weirdos."

—Alexis has an epiphany.

Notes

Differences with Legends of the Microns

• The opening dialogue in Armada has Optimus warning Megatron to leave the kids out of their fight, and Megatron inviting Prime to show his wrath as it holds no candle to his own and saying that he'll crush the Autobot leader as well as the kids. In Legends of the Microns, Prime says Megatron getting the children involved is unforgivable, and Megatron fires back by saying he doesn't care about the planet, only the Mini-Cons, and whoever gets in his way will be eliminated. After saving the kids and Mini-Cons, Optimus asks if they're alright instead of telling them to run.
• Instead of Rad, Alexis provides the narration in which she reintroduces herself, her friends, and the Autobots to the audience; she also gives the closing narration.
• In Armada, the shot from behind the Autobots zooms back slowly, almost frame-by-frame, until Rad's head is visible before cutting abruptly; the only visible Autobots are Optimus and partially Hot Shot. In Legends of the Microns, the zoom out is smooth and slightly faster, but the scene keeps its length. At the end of it, all of the kids, Mini-Cons, and Autobots are seen.
• Starscream's first line doesn't come until the shot of him corkscrewing in the air. The previous scene of him firing at Optimus is silent. Prime doesn't speak again until after the landslide.
• In Armada, Megatron asks Optimus if he will surrender, but Prime, out of character, says that he doesn't want to miss any of the fun. So Megatron says his new partner Mini-Con, Leader-1, will end Prime's sense of humor. In Legends of the Microns, Megatron ponders what is wrong with Optimus, calling him nothing more than a puppet.
• Prime's quip about Megatron missing his shot is removed, and Megatron realizes that he can't aim right if he uses too much power, before reveling in his destructive power. Then, as he blasts the Autobots, Megatron struggles to handle his increased strength, but in Armada, he quips, "It's time to turn it up."
• When Hot Shot and Red Alert save the kids and Mini-Cons, Hot Shot asks if they're okay while Red remarks on the close call. As Alexis points out the Mini-Con panels, she explicitly calls them that, rather than merely telling Rad and Carlos to look where she's pointing.
• Upon powerlinxing with Jolt, the beam Hot Shot fires from his cannon is red in Armada, but yellow in Legends of the Microns, evidently changed to match the initial flare of energy from the gun, which is yellow in both versions (see collage below). As the series consistently makes Autobot firepower red, that would mean the Japanese version changed this to be wrong.
• Megatron remarks not on his soldiers' incompetence, but Hot Shot and Red Alert obtaining Mini-Cons.
• Red Alert and Hot Shot address Optimus, and he asks them what Cyclonus is doing, a detail Armada neglects since he was the only Decepticon left behind.
• The shot of Cyclonus getting the two panels the children found is wider in Legends of the Microns, as the one in Armada obscures his right hand.

File:Armada ep3 animation changes.jpg

Legends of the Microns screencaps, at left, depict a string of inconsequential changes to the Armada animation (at right) that represent an effort that could have been better directed elsewhere.

• The discussion between the kids and Autobots after the battle is basically the same in both versions, but it hits a lot of different beats along the way:
  • Where Armada has them talking about the Decepticons' imminent return, they discuss the crashed spaceship in Legends of the Microns.
  • After Carlos's last flashback appearance, there's no dialogue until returning to the present when Rad says that his touching High Wire's panel brought the Transformers to Earth. Then as Optimus explains the light traveling to Cybertron, the scene goes silent when Cybertron appears.
  • While the kids and Prime introduce themselves to each other in Armada, Optimus responds to their inquiries by explaining the nature of Cybertron and the Transformer races in Legends of the Microns; introductions come later, which Armada replaces with the kids volunteering their help to the Autobots. During their intros, Legends of the Microns adds the kids thanking the Autobots for saving them, and when Alexis mentions how scared she was, Optimus ascribes it to the children seeing how large the Transformers are for the first time.
  • Instead of hollering about how cool the Autobots are, Carlos tells them they already know who Megatron and the Decepticons are. Then rather than having Optimus refer to the Mini-Cons as the pawns in the war, he explains how the Decepticons want to use their power to conquer Cybertron and then the universe.
  • Armada has Rad questions the Autobots' motives for finding the Mini-Cons differing from the Decepticons, while Legends of the Microns sees him worry more about the Pandora's Box he fears he's opened. Armada re-adds this a bit later while the kids offer to help.
  • Armada has a bit of awkward silence after Prime says the Decepticons see the Mini-Cons as slaves; in Legends of the Microns, Carlos asks if the Autobots can also understand the Mini-Cons after Prime's surprised response. Rather than beginning off-screen, High Wire doesn't talk until the next scene when Rad translates for him. Optimus singles out the kids' ability to understand the Mini-Cons as unique, talking about fate binding the kids and Mini-Cons, further foreshadowing the development learned late in the series. He follows this by talking about how they must stop the Decepticons, while in Armada, he talks about the Mini-Cons' history.
  • In Armada, Rad claims he was guessing what the Mini-Cons were saying, followed by him and Carlos teasing Alexis about it. Legends of the Microns has them joke about how Alexis will break from her studies to be part of the Transformers experience. This makes the source of Alexis's resultant anger differ between versions; in Armada, it's about being teased, while in Legends of the Microns, it's righteous fury over the boys making light of the situation. When Carlos and Rad hold out their fists in Armada, Rad tells Alexis they're just joking, and after the trio fistbumps, Alexis asks Hot Shot why he looks confused. In Legends of the Microns, Rad welcomes Alexis back to "exploring in the mud again," following up on what he said in "First Encounter" about Alexis growing distant from the boys. Then after the group fistbump, Alexis says that it's been a while since they've done that.
  • During the final fistbump among the Autobots, Optimus declares the crashed spaceship will serve as their base.
• Billy and Fred spout generic trash talk in Armada, while Legends of the Microns has them actively questioning the others about what they were doing in the cave, leading into the rest of the discussion, post-game. A point in their conversation that Armada loses is that the earthquake knocked the research center's computers offline, explaining why there's no recording.
• Instead of Carlos downplaying his skateboard as he does in Armada, he sings its praises. After he and Rad leave, Fred asks if Billy is thinking of a plan in Armada but notes something strange about how the others jump over the stairs in Legends of the Microns. Then they argue about getting another transmitter. During Alexis's brief internal monologue, she thinks that Rad and Carlos are idiots.
• Billy pines after Alexis in Armada, but in Legends of the Microns, he's talking about going back to the cave.
• In Armada, Starscream and Demolishor fight over who will be Megatron's right-hand man, but in Legends of the Microns, they're having a contest to see who will get the second Mini-Con Cyclonus captured earlier. Megatron gives it to Demolishor not to spite Starscream, as Armada implies, but because he believes Starscream has the skill to find one on his own. After Starscream and Demolisher's scuffle, Megatron gets the last bit of dialogue in the scene in Armada. The Japanese dub changes it to Starscream as his mouth is now animated to muse about the fight being too easy.
• Megatron's speech to his troops about gaining Mini-Con power is an Armada addition. In Legends of the Microns, his pontifications are directed at the panel itself, beseeching the Mini-Con within to come forth.
• After the scene with the Decepticons, the camera trucks in towards Earth in Legends of the Microns, but zooms away from it in Armada.
• The downward pan from Billy and Fred to the Autobot base beneath is sped up for Armada.
• In Legends of the Microns, rather than criticize Carlos's analysis of the base as obvious, Alexis chastises him for just using the word "awesome" repeatedly. When Rad appears and starts talking about how cool the base is, he suggests other words Carlos could use. Hilarious.
• The animation of Optimus as he tells Red Alert to give them Laserbeak is entirely redrawn, and the shot of Laserbeak transforming in Alexis's hands is cropped much tighter (see the comparison at right).
• In Armada, Optimus merely says the Decepticons have been busy while Hot Shot talks about kicking butt. In Legends of the Microns, their dialogue sets up the control room as Optimus says everyone should head there, which Hot Shot explains to the confused kids that Red Alert has repaired.
• For the ending narration in Armada, Rad says the universe's only hope was that Autobots would be the first to find the awakening Mini-Cons. In Legends of the Microns, Alexis notes this is how the kids end up helping the Autobots look for the Mini-Cons.

Animation and technical errors

• The animation during the opening battle is atrociously bad, almost on par with that of "Decisive Battle," especially with the size discrepancies between the humans and Transformers.
• When Megatron takes the panel from Cyclonus, Megatron doesn't have a mouth. His mouth is added in the Japanese dub.
• When Alexis asks Hot Shot what's wrong, her eyes aren't animated looking in his direction. This isn't a mistake in Legends of the Microns since Alexis doesn't say anything to Hot Shot during the scene.
• While the Autobots laugh after their team fistbump, Red Alert and Hot Shot's mouths don't move. In Legends of the Microns, they don't laugh.
• After going up the stairs while leaving school, it looks like Carlos is flying on Grindor; Fred comments on this in the Japanese dub.
• When Billy shouts at Fred while talking about Alexis, Billy's mouth doesn't move. His mouth is animated in Legends of the Microns.
• Demolishor's transforming animation during his battle with Starscream on the Moon consists of his robot model leaning off-screen or onscreen.
• As Starscream reattaches his sword after the fight between him and Demolishor, the Decepticon symbol on his right wing is missing, and there is a purple spot on his arm that should be white.
• As Megatron works his wicked way upon the Mini-Con panel, it is much larger in Armada, taking up most of the table. Legends of the Microns corrects the panel's size.
• During the shots of Demolisher, Starscream, and Cyclonus facing Megatron on his throne, the Decepticon symbols on Starscream's wings are missing.
• The Mini-Con on Cyclonus's shoulder is ridiculously puny.
• The shot of Megatron with the newly awakened Blackout reuses Megatron's animation earlier in the episode, from when he delighted about the power boost from Leader-1.
• The position of Alexis's hands seems to change during the scene of her holding Laserbeak.

Continuity errors

• Rad's "previously on" narration is incorrect because the footage it's playing over isn't from the previous episode. The Japanese dub removes it and has Alexis give the opening narration instead, making sense as the second-to-last scene before the opening commercial bumper focuses on her.
• Red Alert and Hot Shot state the obvious about Optimus getting hit. In Legends of the Microns, they simply call out his name.
• Optimus strangely only refers to Hot Shot after the landslide. In the Japanese dub, he correctly refers to both Hot Shot and Red Alert.
• After the kids are saved from the landslide, Alexis wonders where Megatron is, overlooking how she and the others just had a near-death experience. In Legends of the Microns, she rightly expresses how she was afraid they would die.
• Just before retreating, Megatron announces a puzzling intent to "take matters into his own hands," which never amounts to anything. In the Japanese dub, he's merely calling a retreat when he warps away.
• Last episode, the kids were unable to understand Mini-Con speech; in this episode, Rad fluctuates between accurately translating for High Wire and only guessing what he is saying. In Legends of the Microns, the kids always understand the Mini-Cons.

Transformers references

• In the Japanese dub, this episode features the show's first references to the Pit and Megatron's title as the Emperor of Destruction.

Trivia

• The kanji 仲間 would be pronounced as "nakama," while "tomodachi" is for the kanji 友達.
• Cyclonus stole two Mini-Con storage panels from the children and presented only one to Megatron. Crumplezone is perched on Cyclonus's shoulder when Megatron offers the other panel to Demolishor, so Cyclonus must have activated him off-screen.
• This episode was included on Rhino's "Best Battles" DVD compilation, along with "Metamorphosis," "Confrontation," and "Decisive Battle."
• Rad, Alexis, and Carlos seem way too happy with themselves for beating Billy and the overweight Fred in three-on-two basketball. It's not like three victories in a row would be a great struggle. Dicks.
• According to Rad in the Japanese dub, Alexis is the "mother" of the trio.

Foreign localization

German

• Title: "Das Geheimnis der Mini-Cons" ("The Secret of the Mini-Cons")
• Original airdate: 3 December 2003

Hungarian

• Title: "A bázis" ("The Base")

Polish

• Title: "Baza" ("Base")

Portuguese

• Title: "Base"

French

• Title: "La base" ("The Base")

Korean

• Title: "옵티머스 변신" ("Optimus Transformation")

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Micron Densetsu — Volume 1 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — Transformers: Armada — Vol:01 (Universal)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Best Battles (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Triple Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Bumper Double DVD Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)