Mars (episode)
| This article is about the Armada episode. For the planet, see Mars (planet). |
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| "Mars" (Shoutotsu) "Mars: Conflict" | ||||||
| Production code | TF: A-36 | |||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | May 3, 2003 (English) 12 September 2003 (Japanese) | |||||
| Writer | Akira Okeya | |||||
| Director | Mihiro Yamaguchi | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas Inc. | |||||
| Continuity | Unicron Trilogy | |||||
Jetfire and Starscream get their ass to Mars to rescue a Mini-Con, but walk into a trap.
Synopsis
Starscream rages, frustrated that the Autobots do not share his priority of destroying Megatron. His Mini-Con partners, Swindle and the Air Defense Mini-Con Team, try to console him, followed by Alexis, but he is too wrapped up in his own self-doubts to listen to them.
While Megatron rages about his own recent setback, Thrust receives some news that might calm him down: Sideways claims that while Megatron's Mini-Con Requiem Blaster is limited in its power, it would be unstoppable in combination with Starscream's Star Saber and the Autobots' Skyboom shield.
The Autobots on Earth detect a new Mini-Con signal, but as it is on Mars, only Jetfire and Starscream would be capable of flying there to retrieve it. The kids are upset that they can't go, but ask Jetfire for a souvenir, like maybe a moon rock. Jetfire isn't happy to be bringing Starscream at all, but they head out, with Jetfire wielding the Skyboom shield and Starscream wielding the Star Saber.
Megatron, having been briefed by Thrust on the Mini-Con and the potential of the three weapons, recognizes that the Autobots' mission to Mars is the perfect opportunity to unite the Mini-Con weapons.
On Mars, Starscream is itching for a fight with Megatron, and he seems to get his wish, as an ominous shape appears in the stormy skies above. Starscream leaps to attack and is annoyed to find that it's only Tidal Wave, who demands the Star Saber and knocks Starscream to the planet's surface. Jetfire, having noticed the Decepticon intruder as well, decides to investigate.
Starscream pulls himself together and finds the Air Defense Team trying to cheer him on. He drives them away, screaming that he doesn't need their sympathy, only to lament immediately that now even the Mini-Cons have abandoned him. He declares that here, on this planet, he will crush Megatron. He notices that while he has been talking to himself, he has been absentmindedly crushing a Martian rock, which he then looks at with interest. Soon, the Air Defense Team leads Comettor and Jetfire to Starscream's aid. The two bulks argue over Starscream's responsibilities, which culminates in Jetfire arresting Starscream for insubordination. Optimus Prime agrees, and Jetfire heads home with Starscream in tow and the Mini-Con still helpless.
On the journey home, Starscream fortuitously spots the Mini-Con they have been searching for on a nearby asteroid. Jetfire entrusts Starscream with retrieving the Mini-Con, who has been revealed as Firebot, but a new assault by Tidal Wave interrupts them. With the Autobots pinned down, Megatron and Thrust teleport to the battle. Starscream cries out for Jetfire to release his cuffs and let him help, but Jetfire is helpless to do so. With no other recourse, Starscream pleads with Firebot to open fire on the Decepticons. He explains that while the Autobots will protect the Mini-Con, the Decepticons will only use him as a tool for war. Firebot seems to understand, as he holds off Tidal Wave long enough for Starscream to get him to safety. Starscream and Jetfire face off against Megatron, but as they do, their Mini-Con weapons emit a strange, golden glow which grows to envelop all three of them. The power of the three weapons knocks Tidal Wave and Thrust away, and apparently knocks Megatron unconscious, allowing Starscream and Jetfire to escape.
Back at the Autobot base, Optimus Prime and Jetfire agree that the mysterious power the Mini-Con weapons have displayed should be kept secret. While the kids chat with Jetfire, who disappoints them when he admits he hasn't brought them a souvenir, Alexis explains to Starscream how proud she is of him for convincing Firebot to join the Autobots. She knows he cares for the Mini-Cons, and that's why she feels he belongs on the Autobot side. Starscream counters that his only mission is to destroy Megatron and stomps off, but leaves behind the chunk of rock he had found on Mars. Alexis is very excited to see it and calls the other kids over to look at it. Alexis notes that Starscream has shown that he truly cares, and she hopes that soon he will join the Autobots for good.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Mini-Cons | Misc |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Megatron looks a little testy today, huh?"
- —Cyclonus
"Any of you ladies going to do any work today or are you just going to stand around chatting with one another?"
- —Thrust, interrupting water cooler chatter
"I don't need your sympathy! Now leave me alone!"
[the Mini-Cons trot off]
[gravely] "...Even the Mini-Cons have abandoned me now."
- —Starscream
"Let me tell you my personal motto: VICTORY IS MINE!"
- —Jetfire
"He's so difficult sometimes."
- —Thrust on Megatron
Notes
Differences with Micron Legend
- In Micron Legend, Starscream's thoughts throughout the episode are mostly concerned not with Megatron but with the Mini-Cons and his budding respect for them.
- Almost every time Starscream tells someone to leave him alone in Armada is changed to him telling them to be quiet in Micron Legend.
- The opening scene has some notable differences between the English and Japanese dubs:
- In Armada, during the shot where Starscream slices through a rock on the left side of the screen, his eyes glow, but the rock look unaffected. Micron Legend adds a faint line that glows and fades at the same time as Starscream's eyes to show where he sliced through it.
- As Alexis, Rad, and Carlos watch Starscream furiously slicing up some rocks, Rad and Carlos comment on Starscream making a mess. In Armada, the boys seem utterly clueless about what Starscream's obvious problem is.
- As Starscream goes on a tear, he suddenly stops to stare at a valley of flowers with his mouth agape. At this point, Armada inserts an internal monologue in which he laments wasting time on Earth instead of going after Megatron, even going so far as to say he will, for some reason, perish unless he gets to Megatron soon. In Micron Legend, the scene is silent, the implication being that Starscream is merely awestruck by the flowers' beauty. Oh, Carlos's remark about Starscream puking up lunch is changed to him asking if the latter is now exhausted, and Alexis says Starscream stopped for another reason.
- Just before Swindle and the Air Defense Mini-Con team try to console Starscream, the scene is silent and during the shot of Swindle and Sonar, Carlos' line about Starscream being "out to lunch" is changed to him saying Starscream might lash out at Alexis in anger.
- In Armada, Alexis says she knows why Starscream is upset; he says, "It's all about the Mini-Cons" before saying he wants to be left alone. In Micron Legend, Alexis tells him the flowers are pretty, Starscream mentions the Mini-Cons and calls Alexis "an annoying little pest" before storming off in a huff.
- Armada has Alexis groan about Starscream being mean to her when she's just trying to help; in Micron Legend, she asks if the Mini-Cons were bothering him.
- Instead of thinking that Starscream will do something drastic, Alexis says she's positive the Mini-Cons are worried about him.
- The exchange between Thrust and Sideways has a few changes:
- In Armada, Sideways calls Thrust "a poor commander" when Thrust is a tactician. The Japanese dub corrects this.
- Sideways's line about the three Mini-Con weapons complete each other is changed to each weapon countering one another.
- In Armada, Thrust says the weapons would be more powerful when combined and comes to the realization that they could become one. Micron Legend has him realize that each weapon is formed by "three Mini-Cons in a set," which makes him wonder what would happen if the set of three weapons were combined.
- In Micron Legend, the scene of Thrust asking if the weapons could unite to become one and the one after Thrust turns around to find Sideways gone are silent. He also asks Sideways why he told him that information as he turns.
- Armada has Thrust gloat about destroying the Autobots with the power of the Mini-Con weapons combined; Micron Legend has him ponder how much power the union would create.
- Thrust's laughter is extended so that it's heard during the shot of the Earth appearing from beyond the Moon.
- Billy says they need to go after the new Mini-Con on Mars, and Fred's line about needing to "go" is removed.
- Micron Legend has Carlos simply says "Hurry, hurry!" to Billy and Fred as they're running, instead of "Last one there is a rotten egg!" as in Armada.
- Armada has Rad snark about Carlos, Billy, and Fred wearing helmets "this time," but in Micron Legend, he asks what the heck Carlos is doing.
- Jetfire tells the boys he will bring back a souvenir for them with the Mini-Con.
- Some changes during the talk between Megatron and Thrust include the following:
- Thrust doesn't mention the Mini-Con when he says Starscream and Jetfire have left Earth.
- Megatron tells Thrust the Star Saber must be recaptured from Starscream rather than asking if Starscream has it with him.
- In Armada, Megatron says combining the Mini-Con weapons will unleash the "ultimate power of the universe" and conquer the Autobots forever. In Micron Legend, he says that if Thrust's theory about the Mini-Con weapons is right, they'll release a large amount of energy.
- Rather than claiming the Decepticons will have their victory, Thrust says the Autobots will have a lot to fear.
- While approaching Mars, Jetfire has an additional line about what Starscream could be up to.
- Jetfire is silent when Comettor transforms, and he is surprised by the approaching storm.
- Since she can't see anything on Mars, Alexis asks Jetfire what's happening instead of telling him he's on his own. Rad also says they can't hear Jetfire rather than asking what he just said.
- About Fred's nose itching, Alexis says it's unavoidable and something he should've thought about when putting on the spacesuit.
- In Armada, Fred asks how he's going to eat lunch if he can't touch his face. In Micron Legend, he asks if he, Billy, and Carlos were going to go into space, and the other two answer, "Yeah!".
- Right after Starscream shouts "Megatron, where are you?" he has an extra line asking where Megatron is hiding in Micron Legend before he shouts, "Show yourself!".
Starscream, Tidal Wave, and Jetfire are more obscured by the storm than in Armada. The English dub also initially shows Tidal Wave as formless black shapes with no detail.
- Instead of "hoping" that Starscream's okay, Hot Shot claims to be worried about him as he's an ally now.
- Starscream orders the Star Saber Mini-Cons to be quiet instead of demanding them to leave him alone before they "abandon" him.
- During the scene of Starscream brooding by himself, Armada has Starscream question why he's with the Autobots since taking down Megatron is all he wants. He says the Autobots don't understand what it's like to be a Decepticon before vowing to make a stand on Mars and crush Megatron. Micron Legend makes the scene silent and gives Starscream an internal monologue instead, one in which he doesn't mention Megatron at all. Instead, he asks himself what he wants. He laments that Jetfire will be unable and unwilling to help him since the Autobot only sees him as another Decepticon and cares more about the Mini-Cons than him, but then Starscream says he won't let Mars be the end of him.
- In Micron Legend, Jetfire is silent as he walks towards Starscream, and when Jetfire extends his hand, Starscream says he doesn't need any help.
- Armada has Jetfire tell Starscream to get up and help find the Mini-Con; Micron Legend has him say the Mini-Cons lead him to Starscream, and the latter should accept the Mini-Cons' help no matter how much he hates the Autobot.
- Instead of telling Jetfire he will pay for arresting him, Starscream calls him "a loud-mouthed pest."
- Strangely, in Micron Legend, Jetfire doesn't tell others about arresting Starscream and only says that he's injured. When it cuts to Optimus after he tells Jetfire to bring Starscream back to Earth, he says, "That'll do," as his line about Starscream needing to be taught a lesson is removed, and he doesn't acknowledge the kids.
- Jetfire telling Starscream to quit struggling is changed to him saying they are close to leaving Mars' orbit.
- In Armada, Jetfire's lecture to Starscream is about how, unlike the Decepticons, the Autobots need to work together and help each other. After that, Starscream mentions Megatron, seemingly ignoring what Jetfire said. In Micron Legend, Jetfire says the Autobots' job is to help their friends, which include the Mini-Cons, and since everyone agrees, Starscream is now one of them, they all want to help him. Then Starscream asks about the missing Mini-Con.
- After the above exchange, Armada has Jetfire tells Starscream not to try and stop him from taking him back to Earth before Starscream tells him to wait. Then Jetfire tells Starscream to save his breath, Starscream says he sees "him," and Jetfire assumes he means Megatron but Starscream says he means the Mini-Con. In Micron Legend, while the shot focuses on Jetfire, Starscream tells him to wait, Jetfire tells him to quit wasting time, and during the close-up of Starscream, he says that he found "it." Jetfire thinks he's talking about Megatron, so he says they don't have time to deal with him, but Starscream clarifies that he found the Mini-Con.
- In Armada, Starscream says the Mini-Con is on the asteroid, and Jetfire says that he sees it before telling Starscream his "personal motto." In Micron Legend, Starscream is silent, and Jetfire doesn't say that he sees the Mini-Con until the shot where the panel flickers. As they approach the asteroid, Jetfire asks Starscream if that's where it is, and Starscream asks if they should rescue it. Then Jetfire says, "When the going gets tough...we get going!"
- After seeing the Mini-Con, Jetfire says this is Starscream's mission instead of telling him to grab the Mini-Con as they fly over it.
- Megatron doesn't say that he and Thrust are heading out. Instead, he says that only he is heading out.
- Starscream tells Jetfire to release him if he expects them to save the Mini-Con.
- Instead of telling Starscream to fight and calling him a coward, Megatron simply curses him. Also, Thrust's "Let there be power!" line is removed.
- In Armada, as the Mini-Con weapons glow, Megatron announces it as the awaited moment. In Micron Legend, he asks if it could be what Thrust was talking about.
- Armada has Hot Shot believe Jetfire and Starscream may have encountered the Decepticons; Micron Legend has him ask what Alexis means when she says she can't see what happened, despite this being the case throughout the episode. The Japanese dub also has Jetfire appear on the monitor when he gets back in contact while static remains on the screen in Armada.
- In Armada, Alexis asks about Starscream even though Jetfire previously said they both on the way back, before Jetfire cracks a joke about him and Starscream gives his sarcastic response. Micron Legend corrects this error by having Jetfire say that Starscream is fine, and the latter tells him to be quiet.
- In Micron Legend, Thrust doesn't call out to Megatron until the scene transitions to the close-up shot of the Decepticon leader, and Thrust only calls him name once instead of three times. Megatron also only asks where he is.
- In Armada, Thrust says the explosion of energy blasted them all back. He then says that tremendous power was created through the union of the Mini-Con weapons. It's slightly reworded in Micron Legend as Thrust says only Megatron got blasted back by the energy wave. As he talks about the weapons combining, it cuts to Optimus and Jetfire finishing Thrust's sentence, instead of repeating the line about the power unleashed as Armada does it.
- Optimus claims the revelation concerning the mysterious power should be kept on the DL to avoid causing needless panic in Armada, but Micron Legend changes this to Optimus wanting to prevent anyone else getting involved.
- Alexis' ending narration has her say that although Starscream says defeating Megatron is his only goal, she thinks he has another one and likes to believe the day when Starscream becomes an official Autobot isn't that far away.
Animation and technical errors
- The first rock Starscream cuts already has the line showing the slice effect before he hacks through it.
- As he calls out to Sideways, a shot with Thrust jump cuts to a shot with the same background, then jump cuts back to Thrust. Micron Legend corrects this.
- The diagram Alexis shows looks nothing like the solar system.
- Where does Swindle come from in the opening scene? He isn't attached to Starscream during his temper tantrum, but after the first commercial bumper, the Mini-Con is suddenly on Starscream's shoulder.
- The Transformers look off-model in some scenes with their enlarged torsos and small heads.
- After Thrust tells Cyclonus, Wheeljack, and Demolishor to get to work on the spaceship, Cyclonus' mouth is miscolored to match his head.
- Carlos, Billy, and Fred don't react to Starscream in the launch gate.
- While Megatron and Thrust talk after Starscream and Jetfire leave Earth, Thrust says Tidal Wave will attack them once the other two get near the "base." Micron Legend fixes this so that Thrust says Tidal Wave will attack Jetfire and Starscream once he figures out their location.
- The whites of Carlos' eyes appear after Alexis loses contact with Jetfire.
- In the scene with the children after Fred complains about his itchy nose, Billy's mouth opens but nothing comes out.
- Despite being in the middle of a storm, the scene of Tidal Wave grabbing Starscream is visible, and for a split second, it looks as though there are two Starscreams when Tidal Wave grabs him. Micron Legend fixes these mistakes.
- The Decepticon insignia periodically appears on Starscream's arms and disappears from them.
- During the scene of Jetfire lecturing Starscream after leaving Mars when Starscream brings up Megatron, the shadow of his lower lip overlaps with his lower jaw.
- Just before he tells Jetfire that he's spotted the Mini-Con, Starscream says he sees "him" instead of "it". After this, when Starscream says, "Over there!" his mouth doesn't move.
- Jetfire says he sees the Mini-Con despite there being no indication of it, and he says that he sees it again after the panel flickers.
- For some reason, Armada plays the cartoon's transformation noise when Megatron readjusts his position when Thrust and Tidal Wave find him after the battle.
- In the ending scene, as Alexis talks to Starscream, his lower jaw is miscolored.
- During Alexis' ending narration, Armada shows Starscream walking from right to left, although he previously went in the opposite direction. Micron Legend fixes this and has Starscream walking from left to right.
Continuity errors
- When Jetfire and Starscream come under attack, Jetfire claims that he would separate them from the handcuffs if he could, but surely the Star Saber is more than capable of cutting them apart?
Trivia
- The kanji 火星 would be as "kasei," while "shoutotsu" is used for 衝突.
- The ghostly head of Sideways's rider appears momentarily before ultimately manifesting Sideways himself.
- As is generally the case, Firebot is never named.
- The rock Starscream gives to the children is eventually fashioned into a pendant by Alexis. Mysteriously, this pendant has a deep connection with Starscream's spark.
- Jetfire has a storage compartment on his back large enough for a Mini-Con.
- This episode marks the second time Starscream's eyes glow in a scene.
- The commercial bumpers now have sound effects added to them.
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "Starscreams Fehde" ("Starscream's Vendetta")
- Original airdate: This episode was never shown on TV, but was dubbed in 2003. The dub premiered in 2009 with the German DVD release of the show.
Hungarian
- Title: "Mentőakció, 2. rész" ("Rescue Mission, Part 2")
Korean
- Title: "뭉쳐야 산다" ("Union is Strength")
Home video releases
- DVD
2003 — Transformers: Micron Legend — Volume 9 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Battle for the Mini-Cons (Rhino Entertainment)
2006 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment)
2009 — Transformers: Armada — Volume Two (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
