Union: Difference between revisions
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*Thrust is the only named ''Armada'' character to die and not be resurrected at a later point in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. | *Thrust is the only named ''Armada'' character to die and not be resurrected at a later point in the [[Unicron Trilogy]]. | ||
**However, in the Japanese continuity, Thrust is resurrected as Unicron's servant in the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' comics. | **However, in the Japanese continuity, Thrust is resurrected as Unicron's servant in the ''[[Transformers Unite Warriors|Unite Warriors]]'' comics. | ||
*Sureshock speaks in English for the first time, and uses a male voice. | *Sureshock speaks in English for the first time, and uses a male voice. ''Legends of the Microns'' uses a female voice instead to be consistent with Sureshock's gender. | ||
*Thrust's death is a little physically wrong. Considering that Unicron's folding plate started closing around his midsection, he should have been bifurcated (crushed in half) but the animation in his death scene makes it look like he exploded. Then again getting crushed in two by a pair of folding plates is a little graphic for a kid's show (even one about robots) so we can be a little lenient.... | *Thrust's death is a little physically wrong. Considering that Unicron's folding plate started closing around his midsection, he should have been bifurcated (crushed in half) but the animation in his death scene makes it look like he exploded. Then again getting crushed in two by a pair of folding plates is a little graphic for a kid's show (even one about robots) so we can be a little lenient.... | ||
*The [[Dead End Drone]]s that attack Optimus and Galvatron inside Unicron are referred to by Galvatron as "Laser Pods". | *The [[Dead End Drone]]s that attack Optimus and Galvatron inside Unicron are referred to by Galvatron as "Laser Pods". | ||
Revision as of 14:09, 16 November 2021
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| "Union" (Sōryokusen) "Union: All-Out War" | ||||||
| Production code | TF: A-50 | |||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | October 1, 2003 (English, United Kingdom) December 10, 2003 (English, United States) December 12, 2003 (Japanese) | |||||
| Writer | Shōji Tonoike | |||||
| English adaptation | Ward Perry | |||||
| Director | Ken'ichi Ishikura | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas Inc. | |||||
| Continuity | Unicron Trilogy | |||||
As Unicron stands ready to attack Cybertron, the Autobots and Decepticons fight back. Galvatron takes extra time to deal with the issue of Thrust's betrayal of the rest of his species.
Synopsis
Unicron stands, his body surrounded by energy, destroying any ships that come close to him. While Galvatron orders his forces to retreat to a safe distance, Thrust sits on Unicron's shoulder, laughing at the feeble efforts to defeat his new god. However, he's still steaming about how Sideways had told him to get lost after the Star Saber had been placed inside Unicron. He plans his first action as Unicron's right-hand bot to get rid of Sideways.
The Autobots and Decepticons try to determine how their armies could possibly defeat Unicron. Unicron suddenly takes action and prepares to attack the abandoned planetside. Hot Shot and Wheeljack lead some fighter planes, hoping to interrupt Unicron. While the fighters can't harm Unicron, they focus on Thrust.
The Cybertronian army's scanners finally detect a weak point on Unicron's neck. A plan is formed, giving Galvatron the opportunity to personally confront Thrust. Thrust stands on Unicron's shoulder, and notices that Unicron is making no responses to any advisement—he questions that perhaps the web of lies he had constructed might have been a mistake, he assures himself that Unicron is the right way. At this point, his sanity is clearly in question.
Optimus Prime and Galvatron realize that the key to defeating Unicron lies within the Mini-Cons inside of Unicron, since the Mini-Cons themselves desire nothing but to free themselves from Unicron's grasp. At the same time, the kids come to a similar conclusion. Seeing that it might work, Galvatron declares that they finally work as a real team. Before the plans are put into action, Unicron fires his massive energy cannon, blasting a very, very large portion out of Cybertron's landscape. Before Unicron fires again, Optimus and Galvatron commence their own attack, leaving both Autobot and Decepticon armies under the command of Hot Shot. The final war on Unicron begins, the Hydra Cannon positioned to use its force field to block the blast that could tear another chunk out of Cybertron.
While Optimus aims above the plasma chest to allow himself and Galvatron to go inside Unicron, Galvatron confronts Thrust of his treachery against the Transformers, swearing that he will pay for it. Unmoved, Thrust gloats, proclaiming the destruction of Cybertron is inevitable. But seconds after professing his desire to see Galvatron destroyed, Thrust bounces into a quickly closing crack in Unicron's armor. Squeezed, he begs for help, only to find out that his cries for help elicit no response from either the Chaos Bringer or his former leader. Galvatron then turns his back away from this, warning Thrust that this is the fate of those daring to dream for power and treason, and Thrust is inevitably popped like a pathetic zit to his death.
The Hydra Cannon's shields give up, letting Unicron's powerful blast head towards Cybertron, but before it makes contact, the glowing green Mini-Cons rush to block the shot. Before Unicron closes the panels that cover his cannon, Optimus and Galvatron sneak inside.
The Street Action Mini-Con Team announce they plan on going inside of Unicron too. The kids and Red Alert decide they're going along to help. The Mini-Cons outside combine into a massive green mirror of Unicron, who protects the kids long enough to sneak through the underground warp gate, but while the kids sneak through the gate in time, Red Alert is left buried in rubble.
With Optimus and Galvatron at Unicron's core, the kids and the Street Action Team are elsewhere in Unicron. Unicron battles the Mini-Con mirror of himself, while a combined army of Autobots and Decepticons engage in one final assault.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Mini-Cons | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Quotes
Optimus Prime: "Once we get inside Unicron, we're going to rescue all the Mini-Cons."
Fred: "Ahh, you're the greatest!"
Galvatron: "...what?"
Fred: "Uhh..and...you're really the greatest too, Galvatron."
Galvatron: "HA HA HA! Now that's what I like to hear!"
- —The best way to coexist with Decepticons is to flatter them, or else they'll flatten you.
"Thrust, if you dare to have dreams of power...you will be consumed by them."
- —Galvatron
"Unicron is going to blast us! I don't want to get blasted on an empty stomach!"
- —Fred
"Let's get it on!"
"This is one crazy team."
- —Tidal Wave and Blurr
Notes
Differences with Legends of the Microns
- In Legends of the Microns, while Thrust lusts for the destruction of all other Transformers, he becomes utterly terrified and confused when Unicron attacks Cybertron. In the dub, Thrust is the one insisting that Unicron should destroy the planet, and laughs maniacally all the way trough.
- As Thrust is about to get crushed Unicron's armor plates, his last words consist of begging Galvatron not just leaving him to his death. Just as he explodes, he is somehow able to let out a final death scream. In Legends of the Microns, he simply whimpers about being in pain as Galvatron takes his leave. He doesn't scream when blowing up, but sounds of crushing metal can be heard more clearly.
Animation and technical errors
- For the whole episode, Demolishor talks using Hoist's voice, and is referred to as Hoist the only time he is named. Hoist also has one line in his own voice.
- The Finnish dub also used Hoist's voice actor for dubbing Demolishor's lines this episode, presumably because Demolishor was referred to as Hoist in the original version and thus in the dub scripts.
- In one shot during the initial attack on Unicron, Wheeljack's scar is missing.
- In the Hungarian dub, Blurr says his last line, bizarrely, in Unicron's voice.
- When Jet Optimus combines with Overload, he yells out "Ultra Magnus," which is the translation of Overload's Japanese name.
Continuity notes
- Overload is briefly visible in robot mode.
- Thrust is the only named Armada character to die and not be resurrected at a later point in the Unicron Trilogy.
- However, in the Japanese continuity, Thrust is resurrected as Unicron's servant in the Unite Warriors comics.
- Sureshock speaks in English for the first time, and uses a male voice. Legends of the Microns uses a female voice instead to be consistent with Sureshock's gender.
- Thrust's death is a little physically wrong. Considering that Unicron's folding plate started closing around his midsection, he should have been bifurcated (crushed in half) but the animation in his death scene makes it look like he exploded. Then again getting crushed in two by a pair of folding plates is a little graphic for a kid's show (even one about robots) so we can be a little lenient....
- The Dead End Drones that attack Optimus and Galvatron inside Unicron are referred to by Galvatron as "Laser Pods".
- Gadgets and powers:
- Unicron uses some kind of lightning forcefield to shield his body from oncoming attacks.
- While not shown on-screen, Rollout is Powerlinxed with Overload.
- Unicron's chest cannon fires plasma bursts.
- Unicron fires spherical bombs from the planet-kibble pieces on his legs. While the show depicts them as spheres, these are actually missiles on the toy, with the spherical parts only being the tips.
- The gravitational field of Unicron's forearm running just ever so slightly past Cybertron's surface, is enough to tear apart cities.
Continuity errors
- Optimus Prime at one point refers to Demolishor as "Hoist".
- During one flashback, Sideways is seen telling Thrust that Unicron has immense power that will be there for Thrust if he revives Unicron and severs his allegiance with Galvatron. Presuming that this is when Thrust first teams up with Sideways, there's the slight problem of Sideways saying 'Galvatron' instead of 'Megatron'.
- Billy refers to the Requiem Blaster as the "Auto Blaster", which could be a dubbing error or an error on part of the character.
- When combining, Prime calls Overload "Ultra Magnus", which is Overload's Japanese name.
- High Wire refers to the Mini-Cons within Unicron as Perceptor, but Perceptor is the combined form of the Street Action Mini-Con Team.
Real-world references
- In one scene of the episode before Thrust's death, Galvatron sounds like he is using Bruce Banner's line before he would turn into Hulk.
Trivia
- The English version of "Union" first aired in the United Kingdom. It aired in the United States on December 10, 2003.
- Isn't it irregular that the commercial break is opened with a shot of the Autobot logo appearing on Earth, when the story hasn't had any non-flashback scenes on Earth for nine episodes now?
- Rad's gloves are excessively cool.
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "In letzter Sekunde" ("Last Second")
- Original airdate: 14 January 2004
Hungarian
- Title: "Közös erővel" ("With Joint Forces")
Portuguese
- Title: "União" ("Union")
Home video releases
- DVD
2004 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 13 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Armada — The Collector's Edition (Universal)
2009 — Transformers: Armada — Volume Two (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
