The Sun

This article is about the Energon episode. For the bright thing in the sky, see Sun.

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<tr style="font-size:14px;"> <td class="tti_buttonlink">« </td><td>Transformers: Energon ep <strong class="selflink">51 </strong>

</td><td class="tti_buttonlink"> </td></tr></table> </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 12px; background-color:#ffffff;" align="center"> <img alt="" src="/w2/images2/thumb/b/b2/E51_titlecard.jpg/300px-E51_titlecard.jpg" width="300" height="226" border="0" /><br />The sun is a mass of incandescent... energon? </td></tr> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 14px; background-color:#e7d492; color:black;font-weight:bold;" align="center"> "The Sun" <div style="font-size:x-small;font-weight:normal;">エネルゴン、それは太陽 <br />(Energon, Sore ha Taiyō) <br />"Energon, It Is the Sun"</div> </td></tr>

<tr> <td> Production company </td><td> WE'VE </td></tr> <tr> <td> Airdate </td><td> 24 December 2004 (Japanese)<br />March 19, 2005 (English) </td></tr>

</table> Primus plans to use the essence of Unicron to light Alpha Q's planets. Can the Autobots stop Galvatron from destroying Unicron long enough for it to happen?

Summary

Lying inert and unconscious on Cybertron after their final battle, Ironhide and Scorponok talk about the strange power of Unicron within them, and why Scorponok serves Galvatron. Scorponok says that Galvatron created him, and for that he is grateful.

Out in space, it turns out that Kicker didn't chop Unicron in half; he lowers his raised Energon Saber. He contemplates crushing the Unicron orb, but Primus's voice speaks to him: Primus has been waiting for Kicker to find Unicron, and says that Unicron is in fact the light of hope for them. Primus reminds the disbelieving Kicker that Unicron has both the power to destroy and to create, a good face and a black face. Kicker realizes what Primus is planning.

On Jungle Planet's burning surface, the Autobots gather around their fallen leader. Rodimus explains that Optimus has absorbed Unicron's energy using his Combination Spark; the troops want to heal him, but Rodimus says there's nothing they can do to help him. Prime knew the cost of taking on Galvatron alone, and they must respect his wishes.

The exhausted Decepticons continue to slog through space, following their very angry leader. Galvatron arrives at the Unicron orb's location and confronts Kicker, ordering him out of the way. Kicker prepares to defend Unicron.

Within Cybertron, Primus's energy level begins spiking. Bulkhead notifies Dr. Jones that he's leaving for Jungle Planet; Dr. Jones notices that Bulkhead's chest is glowing strangely, and Bulkhead explains that he's being called by his teammates. Primus suddenly dissolves just then... and rematerializes above the Super Energon pool, saying it's time to use his power.

Misha is trying to make contact with anyone... when Roadblock, his chest aglow, says he too must go to Jungle Planet. The troops also find their Combination Sparks glowing, and realizes Optimus is calling them. Roadblock and Bulkhead arrive as well. The Autobots' combination sparks enter Optimus.

Inspired by the images of his friends, Kicker takes on Galvatron. Omega Supreme arrives to make an assist, preventing Galvatron from destroying Unicron. Omega explains that Unicron can't simply be destroyed, as he exists within all Transformers, and is the force that drives the cosmos. Galvatron isn't convinced, and bashes him aside after a short battle, but instead of destroying Unicron's essence, he is infiltrated by it.

Scorponok awakens, and sees the glowing Combination Spark of Ironhide. Optimus's eyes flare to life. Omega Supreme stares. The Decepticons arrive. All present behold that Unicron has awoken...

On Cybertron, Primus forms the Super Energon into a huge red plasma ball. The weakened Superion Maximus stirs, wondering if all his labors were worth it all. (remember that painting? The one in the Super Energon chamber? Guess what! It still exists!) He turns just in time to see something leaving through a warp point, then passes out.

The rescaled Galvatron, now Unicron, begins moving. Kicker, aware that the Super Energon is coming, follows.

From Cybertron, a weary and battered Ironhide arrives on Jungle Planet... with Scorponok supporting him. Scorponok asks for Ironhide's help in defending Galvatron from Unicron. But the sight of Ironhide's red-glowing Combination Spark stirs a memory of the Energon Sun. Ironhide tells him he doesn't have to go, but Scorponok falls over anyway. Ironhide cries out his name.

The humans on Cybertron watch as the Super Energon orb leaves Cybertron.

Omega Supreme launches a single-handed attack on Unicron, over Kicker's protests. Suddenly a glowing light attacks Unicron. It's Optimus, empowered by the Combination Sparks of all his soldiers. Big and glowing, they combine and attack. Kicker alerts him that the Super Energon is coming and advises him to get out of the way, but Prime says he's seeing it through to the end. The voices of the other Autobots chime in their support, as Kicker grows more and more frantic.

As the plasma sphere approaches, Optimus vows that he's not letting go... and then a familiar voice curses him. Galvatron's eyes glow red once more; in control of himself again, he hurls Optimus aside. Galvatron tells him that he has to do this, then tells Unicron that though he may be inside him, he will never possess him. Starscream appears at his side, but Galvatron ordes him to stay out of the way. With a cry of glory, Galvatron plunges himself into the plasma sphere.

The sphere erupts, glowing red and growing in size. And daylight spreads across the worlds -- from Cybertron, to Plains Planet, Jungle Planet, Ocean Planet, and all the rest. Alpha Q's voices rejoice. Superion Maximus stirs. On Ocean Planet, Misha and Sally laugh; Kicker and Rad smile.

The three Decepticon goons note that Starscream is missing. Mirage prepares to follow Galvatron, over Snowcat and Demolishor's warnings.

Alpha Q's voices tell Kicker that it is time for him to enjoy the new sun, and asks to be remembered on occasion. In space, Optimus releases the Combination Sparks of his troops, and they are all reconstituted. Rodimus observes that it's all over... but Optimus tells him that they're looking at a brand new universe, and this is just the beginning.

Back at Ocean City, Kicker and Ironhide enjoy the breeze and the sun. Ironhide tells him that even with as great a bunch of teammates as he has, Kicker will always be special to him. They gaze at the glowing sun... their future.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

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Quotes

"Using the Combination Spark of all my soldiers, you will be no match for me!"

—while challenging Unicron, Optimus Prime inadvertently insults his own troops.

"Well, it's been a slice, hasn't it. ...Oh, and Unicron, just for your information... even though you're within me, you will never possess me. For I am... THE MIGHTY GALVATRON! ...Behold! My new world awaits me! Glory to Decepticons!"

—Galvatron gives a rousing final speech.

Other Notes

Lost in Translation

• The dub gets the gist of Ironhide and Scorponok's conversation right, more or less. But it omits the voice echo that indicates they're somehow conversing while unconscious. It also has them continuing to argue angrily and aggressively as if preparing for a fight; in Super Link, the conversation is very subdued in tone.
• The dub version features the rather inappropriate "catastrophe" background music as the Autobots prepare to give their Combination Sparks. Super Link has no music.
• The dub omits a rather critical line of dialog about how the Combination Sparks are fused with the Autobots' own Sparks, replacing it with the unexplained line "without our Combination Sparks we're toast!"
• An observation by Omega Supreme that Galvatron is trying to leave this solar system gets turned into "This could get... interesting", making Kicker's follow-up line, "He's not going anywhere!" rather random.
• Scorponk's final scene is several levels of screwed up by the dub:
• Although the intention of the scene is the same in both version (that Scorponok has only brought Ironhide to Jungle Planet in the name of saving Galvatron), the dub makes it very wonky by having Scorponok ask for Ironhide's help, as if Scorponok is about to take some form of action himself. In Super Link, he merely saying that he has brought Ironhide here for Galvatron's sake (so that he may merge with Optimus, and Optimus can then save Galvatron from Unicron).
• Right after Scorponok asks for Ironhide's help, he abruptly says "Never mind, your comrades are calling", as if he's given up on getting the help he just asked for. The line is supposed to be "Now go", not "never mind".
• After that, Scorponok says "Our planet..." It should be a plural planets, in keeping with Alpha Q's oft-repeated mantra.
• What follows this wistful little line from Scorponok is a rather small error on a technical level, but which effectively ruins Ironhide and Scorponok's plotline. In Super Link, Ironhide responds to Scorponok's whispered "Our planets..." with "So... you do remember", punctuating for the audience that Scorponok remembers his past and realizing that what he has striven for over the second half of the series has come to pass. Energon replaces this with an utterly pointless "You don't have to go!", neutering the whole point of the scene, and the character's final moments together.

• As Omega Supreme attacks Galvatron, Snowcat says "Whoah, check out those moves!" Demolishor replies, "Yeah, not too bright." It seems the wires got crossed; in Super Link the lines are essentially "The idiot rammed Galvatron!" and "Yeah, but it slowed him down", as if a new dub line was written in response to a Super Link line that didn't get translated!
• The dub omits a line from Starscream saying that he will stay by his leader's side, and Mirage's later confirmation that he flew into the energon sun with Megatron, thus making it unclear what happened to him.

Pain Count

• "Uh?": 13
• Stock footage: 1
• It's time to: 1
• We've gotta: 1
• We're a team: 1
• You've gotta be kidding: 1
• Aw man: 2
• It looks like: 2

Animation and/or technical glitches

• Much of the animation of this episode makes the goings-on rather unclear:
• It's not clear at all that the Autobots actually lose their physical forms when giving up their Combination Sparks; it only becomes evident when they re-form after the battle is over.
• It's likewise totally unclear that Ironhide and Scorponok travel together to Jungle Planet, thanks to the burning nightime forest lighting and the strange editorial decision to not show them leaving Cybertron.

• After absorbing Unicron's energy, Galvatron stands up and walks off, complete with stomping foot sound effects... in space.
• Once again, the red Energon sun shines yellow-white light onto the planets.

Continuity errors

• Super Link identifies Misha and Sally as being in Ocean City. Problem is, that's on Earth. The dub correctly locates them on Ocean Planet.

Transformers references

• The preposterously under-utilized plot point of Unicron's essence existing within all Transformers, previously touched upon in "Formidable" and "Spark", is brought up again in this episode, when Scorponok says he feels the power of Unicron within him. It leads up to absolutely nothing, however, serving only as a thematic lead-in to Omega Supreme's speech about how Unicron is in each of them.

Miscellaneous trivia

• Super Link begins rolling credits over the final scenes, even as the characters are winding down the action. A unique set of closing credits follows, featuring clips from all through the series, and after the credits come to an end, a coda featuring Ironhide and Kicker at Ocean City, looking up at the energon sun, plays. This is restructured for the Energon dub, which removes the text credits from the final scenes, and moves the Ocean City scene up to before the standard American credits play.
• Sneaky editing makes it unclear if Superion Maximus kept his borrowed Constructicon Maximus limbs, or if he's just sitting around as a limbless torso.
• The Decepticons' fates are not especially clear:
• Mirage flies into the sun, and presumably dies.
• Snowcat and Demolishor are last seen floating in space with no plans. Super Link implies a bit more strongly that they're considering following Mirage into the sun, but it's not shown or made explicit.
• Starscream just vanishes after Galvatron plunges into the plasma sphere. In Super Link, he vows to follow Galvatron wherever he goes, and Mirage notes that he followed Galvatron into the sun, but the lines are missing from the dub.
• Scorponok... falls down, apparently dead of battle damage from Ironhide.

• And so the series ends: the bad guys are mostly dead, the good guys live happily ever after, and Alpha Q's planets are finally restored to life... until Primus's great plan completely fails, the sun collapses into a black hole, and all the planets are horribly annihilated off-screen as part of the backstory for the next cartoon series.