Sick Mind: Difference between revisions
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*Bulkhead says that Megatron is "pushing up lugnuts". This is a modification of the human phrase, "pushing up daisies", although it doesn't make much literal sense. | *Bulkhead says that Megatron is "pushing up lugnuts". This is a modification of the human phrase, "pushing up daisies", although it doesn't make much literal sense. | ||
*Oddly enough, Starscream uses two common human phrases, both quoted above. Perhaps Soundwave gets cable? | *Oddly enough, Starscream uses two common human phrases, both quoted above. Perhaps Soundwave gets cable? | ||
*The way the infected energon makes contact with Optimus Prime via his optics is reminiscent of the horror film, ''28 Days Later'', in which the character Frank is infected in the same manner when a drop of infected blood falls into his eye. | |||
===Trivia=== | ===Trivia=== | ||
Revision as of 03:31, 3 March 2014
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 Psychonautobots! | ||||||
| "Sick Mind" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | April 30, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Steven Melching | |||||
| Directed by | Shaunt Nigoghossian | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
When Optimus is infected by a Decepticon plague, Arcee and Bumblebee sneak aboard the Nemesis to find a cure.
Synopsis
Ratchet reports that his scans have located the Decepticon warship while experimenting with different frequencies. Arcee thinks they should strike now, but Ratchet says he's also detected an Autobot emergency beacon, and Optimus Prime decides they should check that out first. He and Ratchet arrive at a centuries-old crashed Autobot ship and venture inside. Though they expect there may be survivors, they find the crew already dead. Ratchet's scans reveal that the crew didn't die in the crash, but had succumbed to cybonic plague. As the ship shifts, a deceased Autobot hanging from the ceiling drips plague-imbued energon onto Optimus.
Later at base, Optimus lays stricken while the others discuss the situation. The plague was developed as part of the Decepticons' Biological Warfare Program, specifically by Megatron himself, and Ratchet thinks they might be able to find information in the Decepticon databases. Arcee and Bumblebee GroundBridge onto the Decepticon ship and, narrowly hiding from Knock Out, enter the ship's laboratory. Inside, Arcee scours the database, but fails to find a cure for the plague. While she's doing so, Bumblebee stumbles on something just as important—the comatose body of Megatron! Arcee is ready to finish Megatron off then and there, but Ratchet has a better idea—enter Megatron's brain and retrieve the plague cure. Ratchet knows of a procedure to create a cortical psychic patch. Though such procedures have been banned by the Autobots for years, it will get them into Megatron's brain, and Bumblebee is willing to try it.
On the ship's bridge, Starscream complains that the ship's electromagnetic shielding has not been fixed, and directs the Vehicons to hurry up and do so before the Autobots detect them. Afterwards Starscream has a private word with Knock Out, suggesting that the Decepticons deserve a leader who is conscious, and the pair come to an understanding whereby Knock Out will be Starscream's new second-in-command.
Arcee plugs Bumblebee into Megatron, and Bumblebee finds himself in a simulation of Kaon. Ratchet creates a communications downlink, so they can monitor what Bumblebee is doing. Bumblebee wanders though Kaon until he finds what appears to be Optimus, but is just a figment of Megaton's imagination. Megatron appears and slays the false Optimus, who dissolves into smoke. Another Optimus appears, and as Megatron fires his fusion cannon, Bumblebee jumps in the path of the blast, only to find it passes right through him to slay the imaginary Optimus. Megatron, however, has seen Bumblebee and attempts to strike him, but his blows pass clean through the Autobot scout. While Megatron is trying to work out what's going on, Optimus, Bulkhead and another Bumblebee appear, all figments of his imagination. Megatron destroys them, but begins to realize that he's in his own subconscious.
Arcee becomes anxious when Starscream, Knock Out and Soundwave enter the lab, though the two Autobots are hidden well enough that the Decepticons don't see them. Starscream is determined to put on a show for Soundwave, to convince his fellow Decepticon that Megatron is beyond saving. He and Knock Out attempt to persuade Soundwave that putting Megatron out of his misery is the best thing. Arcee and Ratchet overhear their conversation, and Ratchet says terminating Megatron will permanently separate Bumblebee's mind and body.
In the dream world, Megatron ponders what has happened to him, and finds out from Bumblebee about the space bridge explosion. Short on time, Bumblebee relays the news about Optimus's cybonic plague infection. Megatron is amused that after all this time Optimus will be felled by a virus, but Bumblebee plays on his desire to finish Optimus himself.
Starscream is about to pull the plug on Megatron when Soundwave points out the psychic patch cable. Starscream begins following it, as Arcee observes from her hiding place.
Megatron briefly shows Bumblebee the formula for the virus cure, but will only share it if Bumblebee can release him from his mental prison. Unknown to Megatron, Ratchet can still see everything Bumblebee sees. Having ganked the formula, Ratchet tells Arcee to cut the link. Megatron's dream world begins to disintegrate and the Decepticon leader launches himself at the disappearing Bumblebee.
Bumblebee comes around as Starscream finds the two hidden Autobots, and, as they escape through the GroundBridge, Arcee blasts one of the cables attached to Megatron. Starscream is actually pleased that Megatron has flatlined as a result, but at Soundwave's insistence has Knock Out reconnect the cable.
A newly-cured Optimus stands up and the Autobots celebrate, but Optimus insists the celebration should be for Ratchet and Bumblebee. On the Decepticon ship, Knock Out observes that Megatron is no longer exhibiting any brainwave activity — there's no one home. Unbeknownst to anyone, Megatron now resides in Bumblebee's head...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Quotes
"Spiking hard. His sick mind's still at work."
- —Arcee namedrops the title.
"I will NOT allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!"
- —Ratchet, increasingly desperate to save Optimus.
"An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state..."
"You scratch my back, I scratch yours."
- —Starscream to Knock Out, who evidently doesn't remember what happened the last time Starscream's claws got close to him.
"If this is my subconscious... WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HEAD?!"
- —Megatron unintentionally makes us laugh.
"Cybonic Plague? Someone besides myself is... unwell?"
- —Careful Megatron, you're showing a little too much concern there.
"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
- —Starscream to Soundwave as the former is about to take Megatron off life support. And Soundwave STILL won't say a word.
"I'm out... or should I say in?"
- —Megatron cackles as he awakes in Bumblebee's body.
Notes
Animation and technical errors
- The spot where the downed Autobot ship was shown on Rachet's map is in a temperate climate. Meaning it should have been in a forest or grassland, not a desert.
- When Knock Out says that there is no brainwave activity, one of the monitors next to Starscream shows brainwave activity in Megatron.
Continuity errors
- Since Megatron's dream was, presumably, taking place before the cortical psychic patch, why is it destroyed once the patch is broken? Shouldn't Bumblebee be the only thing in it to disappear?
Transformers references
- Kaon, the Decepticon capital on Cybertron, was first mentioned in the Dreamwave Generation 1 comics.
- "One shall stand, one shall fall" is used for the second time in this series.
- Megatron asks whether or not he "still functions".
- Megatron refuses handing over the formula for the cure to the plague unless Bumblebee helps him escape, or he will let Optimus "fade to gunmetal grey."
- The first showdown between Megatron and an Optimus illusion is reminiscent of the title sequence.
Real-world references
- Cybonic plague is a reference to bubonic plague.
- Bulkhead says that Megatron is "pushing up lugnuts". This is a modification of the human phrase, "pushing up daisies", although it doesn't make much literal sense.
- Oddly enough, Starscream uses two common human phrases, both quoted above. Perhaps Soundwave gets cable?
- The way the infected energon makes contact with Optimus Prime via his optics is reminiscent of the horror film, 28 Days Later, in which the character Frank is infected in the same manner when a drop of infected blood falls into his eye.
Trivia
- This episode was available to watch prior to its intended airdate on some cable providers' Video On Demand services.
- Megatron moves rather quickly in his dreams. After destroying the dream Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee, and realizing it's his subconscious, he takes barely a second to move from his position a few feet away to looming over Bumblebee.
- No character transforms in this episode.
- Adaptations of this episode include a prose version as part of Airachnid Attacks!.
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "Die Cybonische Pest" ("The Cybonic Plague")
- Original airdate: 16 December 2011
Hungarian
- Title: "Elmebaj" ("Mental Illness")
- Original airdate: 25 January 2012
Indonesian
- Title: "Kembalinya Megatron: Virus Saibonik" ("The Return of Megatron: Cybonic Plague")
- Original airdate: 18 September 2012
Italian
- Title: "Mente malata" ("Sick Mind")
- Original airdate: 5 November 2011
Japanese
Korean
- Title: "Yukche wa Jeongsin" (육체와 정신, "Body and Mind")
- Original airdate: 10 October 2011
Polish
- Title: ?
- Original airdate: 21 December 2011
Portuguese
- Title: ?
- Original airdate: 30 January 2011
Spanish (Spain)
- Title: "Una mente enferma" ("A Sick Mind")
- Original airdate: 19 November 2011
