Bad Spark

Writers: Greg Johnson

An oversized stasis pod reveals the secrets of Protoform X.

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Silverbolt, Megatron, Blackarachnia, Tarantulas, Protoform X

Minor Characters (in order of appearance): Cheetor, Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Waspinator, Inferno, Dinobot

Original Air Date: February 22, 1998

Summary

Cheetor, on recon patrol, spots a giant stasis pod (labelled with a big yellow "X") crashed inside a patch of unstable energon deep inside a murky swamp. Optimus Primal and Silverbolt meet him beside the pod, and Primal tells them what the pod means. The stasis pod held "the dark secret of Axalon's journey," Protoform X. Protoform X was created in experiments to make a Transformer spark that could not die, but the subject was treacherous and insane, so the Axalon was to dump the protoform "somewhere far, someplace barren."

Blackarachnia and Waspinator attack, attempting to take Protoform X for themselves. Attacking Silverbolt, Blackarachnia is angry that his code of honor won't allow him to fight back, hitting a female. But Tarantulas arrives and threatens her. Silverbolt defends her, but the battle accidentally ignites the energon beneath Protoform X's stasis pod, which explodes and triggers an energon storm which scatters everyone for miles.

Blackarachnia and Silverbolt crash-land next to each other. They agree to work together, as they are far from their respective teams and Silverbolt's wing is broken. Tarantulas lands next to the pod; he investigates it, only to find it empty. He turns to find something looming over him through the mist; his scream echoes for miles...

Optimus Primal and Cheetor return to the Axalon, too damaged to search for Silverbolt. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt journey by foot, learning to trust each other, but they are being eavesdropped on by Megatron, who believes that Blackarachnia will turn on the Fuzor when she no longer needs him. However, he's disappointed when it is made apparent (by saving his life from an attacking sabertooth cat) that she may have feelings for him.

Tarantulas' body is found -- in several pieces. Silverbolt notes that Protoform X must have done this. Megatron, still eavesdropping, fashions an energon blade in preparation. Blackarachnia, freaked, prepares to high-tail it out of the area, as an ominous form skitters through the fog behind them. Suddenly, the two find themselves face-to-face with Protoform X! Huge and frightening, it knocks them around effortlessly and is immune to their firepower. The monster lifts Silverbolt in its powerful claw, asking, "Is that fear you're feeling Maximal? My spark, it feeds on terror." Silverbolt screams in pain as X crushes him.

Primal and Cheetor arrive in the nick of time and attack, freeing Silverbolt; Blackarachnia joins them in blasting Protoform X, eventually driving it off a cliff edge. However, it transforms into tank mode and ascends the cliffside. Silverbolt throws a feathermissile, knocking him down into another pile of raw energon, but not before Protoform X fires at Blackarachnia, knocking her off the other side of the cliff. Silverbolt jumps after her, unsure if his wing mechanism is healed, but it succeeds, and she is saved. The Maximals let her go before returning home. Blackarachnia watches them depart, and (firing her grappling hook to swing up into the trees) mutters "Like I needed him to catch me anyway."

Helpless in the pile of raw energon, Protoform X sees Megatron appear over him with the energon blade. X wakes up in the Predacon base to find that Megatron has carved out a piece of his spark, which he keeps in tiny cage that, when squeezed, causes him pain. Megatron has him at his mercy and renames Protoform X "Rampage."

Notes

Technical/Animation Glitches

• Glitch

Continuity Errors

• Error

Transformers References

• Rhinox notes, "Primus help us all if that thing survived," which was the first reference to the creator-God of the Transformers outside of the original Marvel comics.
• Protoform X was created as an attempt to duplicate Starscream's "mutant indestructable spark." This is a reference (and a retcon in technobabble jargon) to Starscream's ghost in the third season of the original animated series and, more recently, to Starscream's appearance in the Beast Wars episode "Possession." It also explains why, as Optimus noted in "Possession", Starscream's records were sealed; the Council didn't want anyone else to make the same mistake they did and try to recreate Starscream's spark condition.

Additional notes

• Cheetor's Transmetal body can soak up energon, and instead of seizing up, he can shunt it away from his body in a burst of gas. Primal thinks this is rude, and Cheetor apologizes for "blasting one off." In other words, Transformers can fart. This absorption and release of energon radiation was rarely mentioned in the series.

Theatrical Release

This episode was released theatrically in Japan as the second segment in the Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers. The episode was included to get fans anticipated for the long-awaited Japanese release of Beast Wars Metals; seasons 2 and 3 of the American series. The episode was undubbed, however, meaning the dialogue was the original English version. There were no subtitles, either.

External Links

• Link
  
  
  From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.