The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1

Megatron's latest addition of troops. He's really going to regret this.

After being beaten by the Autobots once again, Megatron hatches a plan to create a team of Decepticons that will give him supremacy over the roads.

Summary

Rumble makes a good carjacker. Why are we not surprised?

The Autobots are escorting a convoy of tankers which carry a new superfuel which the government has given to the Autobots. Megatron sends the Coneheads to attack, but they are unable to follow them into the tunnels and canyons on the road. Megatron himself decides to destroy the superfuel, but Smokescreen manages to distract him, while Optimus Prime and Prowl drive Megatron off. Megatron is furious that the Autobots beat them, and decides to rectify the situation. Rumble is sent to steal cars of various models, which Megatron alters into the Stunticons.

Learning that the Decepticons are making new soldiers, Optimus Prime realizes they'll need Cybernetic personalities to truly live, and there is only one way to do that. Omega Supreme takes a group of Autobots to Cybertron, where Megatron is informed by Shockwave that he has located Vector Sigma, the supercomputer that gave the Transformers life. But they will require the circuit key to activate it. The Key is in the possession of Alpha Trion, and the Decepticons head for his lab. After a brief struggle, Soundwave locates the Key gives it to Megatron.

Arriving on Cybertron, the Autobots hurry to Alpha Trion's lab, only to find a dying Alpha Trion. Ratchet and Hoist are able to save his life, and he explains to Optimus what Megatron intends to do. The Autobots head into the tunnels for Vector Sigma.

We came, we saw, we kicked some ass.

In the tunnels, the Decepticons encounter Centurion droids, which Megatron can control with the Key, and instructs them to attack the Autobots. The Autobots encounter the droids and are unable to best them, but are able to send them to their doom courtesy of some reprogrammed maintenance drones. Heading to Vector Sigma, Megatron activates the super computer, which gives life to the Stunticons: Motormaster, Dead End, Breakdown, Drag Strip, and Wildrider. The Decepticons return to Earth, where Megatron lets them loose.

Meanwhile, the Autobots reach Vector Sigma, learning that it gave the Stunticons life. Optimus plans to use a series of ancient shuttles and have them rebuilt as Earth style jets, allowing them to fight the Decepticons in the air. At a human military base, the Stunticons arrive attempting to re-steal the superfuel, and the soldiers believe they're being attacked by the Autobots.

To be continued...

Stats

Original airdate: November 25, 1985

Written by: David Wise

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
Warpath Optimus Prime Prowl Smokescreen Teletraan I Ratchet Omega Supreme Ironhide Hoist Blaster Wheeljack Alpha Trion	Megatron Ramjet Thrust Dirge Rumble Soundwave Drag Strip Dead End Motormaster Wildrider Breakdown Shockwave Ravage	Regulars Guests	Centurion droid Maintenance Drones Vector Sigma

Notable quotes

The early concept of the disco mirror ball, which the humans stole, millions of years later.

"So much for your security Prowl."

-- Smokescreen commenting on Prowl's security procedures as the Decepticons attack.

"I knew I would never make it."

-- Dirge after crashing into a mountain while pursuing the Autobots.

"No, Megatron, you'll have to blow us all up, and frankly, I don't think you have the guts."
"DIE, YOU MISERABLE..."
-- Optimus Prime goading Megatron to shoot at the super fuel which would destroy all of them.

"Eat my smoke!"

-- Smokescreen, as he shoots out a lot of smoke that blinds Megatron.

"What are you going to do? They practically rule the roads."
"That's something I am going to have to change."

-- Rumble and Megatron after the recent failure to steal the super fuel.

"You mean Rumble takes it!"

-- Rumble as he steals a sports car.

"Wow! Not even the Autobots can pull that kind of stunt driving."
"Stunt driving...yes...behold...the Stunticons!"

-- Rumble commenting on Decepticon car group's driving, which gives Megatron an inspiration for the group's name.

"This can't be the way those Deceptigoons came."
"On the contrary, it certainly is."
"How can you be so sure?"
"After all...who would send THEM to kill us?"

-- Ratchet and Alpha Trion as the Centurion droids come to attack the Autobots.

"I am Vector Sigma. Before Cybertron was, I was. Who reactivates me?"

-- Vector Sigma after being reactivated.

Megatron: "I am Megatron, your leader. Declare yourselves to me."
Motormaster: "I am Motormaster. I swear loyalty to you!"
Dead End: "I am Dead End. I guess I will have to do as you say."
Breakdown: "I'm Breakdown. I'll obey too."
Drag Strip: "I'm Drag Strip. I live to obey!"
Wildrider: "And I'm Wildrider, and I want to bust something up!"

-- Megatron gets an introduction to the Stunticons after their personality programming is completed by Vector Sigma.

"Big and stupid."

-- Blaster commenting on the Centurion droids who, in their zealousness, ran off a cliff to chase the maintenance robots.

"Nobody is driving those cars...which can only mean one thing...they must be the Autobots!"

-- Human general who thinks the Stunticons are Autobots.

Other notes

Continuity errors

• Exactly why Megatron needed Vector Sigma to bring the Stunticons to life wasn't stated, since he appeared to have simply built the Conctucticons on Earth. Although The Secret of Omega Supreme said that they came from Cybertron, it's still leaves of plot-hole with the Dinobots and the Technobots. The Protectobots might fall in, but nobody knows since they literally just seemed to pop up out of nowhere.

Transformers references

• Soundwave actually uses that gun on his shoulder while fighting the Centurion drones.

Real-world references

• References

Miscellaneous trivia

• Rumble is shown capturing a Tyrrell P34 during a Formula 1 race, the year presumably being 1986. In actuality, the six-wheeler Tyrrell P34 was retired after the 1977 season, and did not appear again on any race circuit until 1999.
• The tank vehicles seen at the army base are the M.O.B.A.T. and the Armadillo from the G.I. Joe animated series.
• At the script stage, this episode had the uninspired sub-title "Creation of the Stunticons."
• The shooting scripts for both installments of this two-parter contain several "deleted scenes" which expand greatly upon some of the more significant events in the story. In this episode:
  • "That blast" mentioned by Prime in the finished episode actually happens.
  • While the other Autobots are busy down in the tunnels, Omega Supreme battles Shockwave on the planet's surface throughout the second act of the episode. Shockwave refers to Omega as his "old enemy," and is on the losing end of the fight until he gets his hands on a "cyberbomb," which he uses to defeat Omega, leaving him very badly damaged. There is a vestigal reference to this battle in Part 2, and further scenes relating to its consequences are removed from that episode, altering the nature of its turning point quite a bit.

External links

• Dossier at the Cybertron Chronicle
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.