Transformers Armada: Race for the Mini-Con Robots

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	"Race for the Mini-Con Robots" {{#if: \| {{#if: \|; (')}} {{#if:\|; ""}}}}
Publisher	Reader's Digest Association Inc.}}
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Imprint	Reader's Digest Children's Books}}
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First published	February 26, 2003}}
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Writer	Michael Teitelbaum}}
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Illustrator	DreamwaveStudios (interior pencils and cover painting)}}
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ist}}{{#if: \| by}}	}}
and Elements }}by	}}
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ISBN	0-37944-0103-1}}
TPB ISBN	ISBN }}
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Page count	64pp}}
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{{#switch:{{#sub:xx|2|14}}|dark cybertron=}}

The Autobots and Decepticons clash once more, and several Mini-Cons join both sides.

Synopsis

On the Moon, Megatron paces impatiently as his numerous soldiers modify the crashed remains of the Mini-Con ship into a base of operations. As Megatron rants about the destruction of Earth and of the Autobots, Cyclonus accidentally drops one of his tools nearby, causing a metallic clink as it hits the ground. The two Decepticons dig up the source of the sound, a Mini-Con panel buried in the lunar dust. Claiming the Mini-Con as his own, Megatron sends electro-magnetic energy into the panel, activating it. A powerful bond between Mini-Con and Bulk is instantly formed, and Megatron dubs his new partner Leader-1. After testing the Mini-Con's power, Megatron turns to Cyclonus, and informs him that Starscream and Demolishor have been tasked with scanning and cataloging Earth vehicles in anticipation for the Decepticons' return to the planet. After they assume the shape of Earth's most powerful military vehicles, Megatron informs his troops that it is time to pay Optimus Prime a little visit...

Meanwhile, at the Cosmo Scope Research Center and Interstellar Observatory's school, Rad, Carlos, and Alexis wait impatiently for classes to end. The Cosmo Kids soon bolt out to meet with each other and their Mini-Cons, only to encounter Billy and Fred. The pair are skeptical about Rad's story that their new extreme sport vehicles are new models not yet in the catalogs, and decide to secretly follow them. The Cosmo Kids make their way back to the cave where Optimus Prime is setting up home base for the Autobots. High Wire activates the now-hidden entrance to the cave, granting the kids access to the remains of the Mini-Cons' ship. Though the ship is deserted, the Mini-Cons locate Optimus Prime's energy signature in the nearby mountains, and the group leaves to meet up with the Autobot. They find him with two of his soldiers, overlooking a stretch of road as vehicles pass by. Farther behind, Billy and Fred reach the cave, only to find a wall of solid rock where the entrance once stood. Bewildered by the development, the pair turn back. As they leave, Fred thinks for a second he sees four giant robots in the distance. When he and Billy look again, they see nothing but a few military vehicles.

As the children introduce themselves and their Mini-Cons to Optimus Prime's soldiers, a series of explosions coming from the base's direction informs them that the Decepticons have returned. With the kids and their Mini-Cons leading the way, the group heads back to base, and confronts Megatron. Megatron announces that he does not care about the children or any other inhabitants of Earth, but he will crush anyone who stands in his way of acquiring Mini-Cons. Optimus reiterates his stance on allowing the Mini-Cons to be used for Megatron's evil ambitions, and the two groups begin fighting. The children and their Mini-Cons watch the battle from a nearby hiding spot. The Autobots find themselves on the losing side of the battle, prompting Optimus to assume his "Super Optimus Prime" form. Now a robot of titanic proportions, Optimus swats Cyclonus and Starscream out of the sky like annoying insects.

Unwilling to forfeit, Megatron powerlinks with Leader-1. The two robots transform together, Leader-1 becoming a giant cannon and Megatron, doubling in size, becoming an enormous tank. Megatron fires Leader-1 at Optimus, and though his shot misses by a wide margin, the shockwave and recoil is so powerful that it sends all combatants tumbling to the ground. Inadvertently, Megatron's blast starts a rock slide, which is headed towards the Cosmo Kids. Though the Mini-Cons aren't fast enough to get the children out of harm's way, Hot Shot's new sports car mode is. Once the rock slide is over, Hot Shot doubles back to help Optimus. As Hot Shot drives over the rubble, Alexis points out to him four Mini-Con panels that have been exposed by the terrain shift. Each of the children and Hot Shot grab a panel, with Hot Shot activating his immediately. The Mini-Con that emerges crackles with energy. Dubbing the new recruit "Jolt", Hot Shot powerlinks with him and resumes his course into battle. Nearing Red Alert, the panel in Carlos's possession activates in turn. This Mini-Con is dubbed "Longarm" by his new partner. Red Alert instructs the children to keep hold of the remaining panels while he and Hot Shot help Optimus finish the fight.

On the Decepticons' side of the battlefield, Starscream and Demolishor help Megatron right himself. The Decepticon leader tells his troops not to worry about him, but to finish off Optimus Prime instead. The two soldiers acknowledge Megatron's orders, and rejoin Cyclonus in the fray. But the Autobots' boosted power proves too much for them, and the Decepticons are sent back flying towards Megatron. Disgusted by his troops' incompetence, Megatron once more attempts an assault on Super Optimus Prime, only for the Autobot leader to bend Megatron's cannon as he fires, making Megatron's explosive shells fire upwards, and detonate harmlessly in mid-air. Realizing that the Decepticons are outmatched, Megatron orders a retreat and warps away. Only Cyclonus lingers behind, feinting an attack towards the Autobots, only to veer towards the children at the last moment. Cyclonus grabs the remaining Mini-Con panels from Rad and Alexis before vanishing.

Megatron, Starscream, Demolishor and Leader-1 rematerialize on the Moon, next the to Decepticon workers still busy with building the headquarters. Embittered by yet another defeat, the Decepticons begin to squabble. The in-fighting only stops when Cyclonus materializes, brandishing the Mini-Con panels he has swiped. Starscream attempts to claim one of the Mini-Cons for himself, but Megatron objects. Congratulating the copter-bot, Megatron allows Cyclonus to keep one of the Mini-Cons, while the other is given to Demolishor. Starscream fumes that an opportunity to gain power has passed him by, and vows to himself to overthrow Megatron in due time. Cyclonus's Mini-Con is christened Crumplezone, whereas Demolishor's new partner is named Blackout.

Back on Earth, the children apologize profusely for allowing the Mini-Cons to fall into Decepticon hands. Optimus assures them that there was nothing they could have done, as Cyclonus had caught them all by surprise. Nonetheless, the children plead with Optimus to allow them to continue helping the Autobots in the ongoing conflict. Though it takes some convincing, Optimus agrees to allow the children to continue aiding them, so long as they exercise caution. With that, the children and the Autobots bump their fists together in a circle of friendship.

Featured characters

{{#if:* Optimus Prime (8)

Red Alert (15)
Hot Shot (16)|

{{#if:* Optimus Prime (8)

Red Alert (15)
Hot Shot (16)|| style="background:#ffdddd;" valign="top" |
Optimus Prime (8)
Red Alert (15)
Hot Shot (16) }}{{#if:* Megatron (7)
Cyclonus (9)
Starscream (11)
Demolishor (12)|

Autobots }}{{#if:* Megatron (7) Cyclonus (9) Starscream (11) Demolishor (12)\|	Decepticons }}{{#if:* Rad (1) Carlos (2) Alexis (3) Billy (13) Fred (14)\|	Humans }}{{#if:* High Wire (4) Grindor (5) Sureshock (6) Leader-1 (10) Jolt (17) Longarm (18) Crumplezone (19) Blackout (20)\|	Mini-Cons }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}{{#if:\|	Misc }}
Megatron (7) Cyclonus (9) Starscream (11) Demolishor (12) }}{{#if:* Rad (1) Carlos (2) Alexis (3) Billy (13) Fred (14)\|	Rad (1) Carlos (2) Alexis (3) Billy (13) Fred (14) }}{{#if:* High Wire (4) Grindor (5) Sureshock (6) Leader-1 (10) Jolt (17) Longarm (18) Crumplezone (19) Blackout (20)\|	High Wire (4) Grindor (5) Sureshock (6) Leader-1 (10) Jolt (17) Longarm (18) Crumplezone (19) Blackout (20) }}{{#if:\|	}}{{#if:\|	}}

Notes

This book contains collectible stickers for Grindor, High Wire, and Sureshock.
The entire first chapter of the book recaps events from the previous book.
The book also features a flip-animation gimmick; if one flips through the pages quickly, it creates the illusion that faction symbols zoom in and out at the top-right corner of the book, alternating between Autobot, Decepticon, and Mini-Con.
Though not necessary for the process to take place, Transformers have a tendency to shout out "TRANSFORM!" when they change shape.

Trivia

Leader-1 transforms into a machine-gun instead of a buggy. When he is combined with Megatron, he instead becomes an additional cannon for Megatron's tank mode. (!)
Jolt transforms into an over-sized hood ornament in the shape of a stylized lightning bolt instead of a helicopter. (!!)
Longarm transforms into an additional arm for Red Alert instead of hook-crane truck. (!?!?)
Neither Crumplezone's nor Blackout's alternate modes are described, however.
There is a great deal of emphasis put on specific Mini-Con/Bulk pairings being "destined" to be together.

Errors

The aesthetic and workings of the Transformers brand seem to escape the author completely. The Transformers are continuously described as assuming their vehicle forms via a process more accurately described as "morphing" than "transforming." Though transformations were glossed over so quickly in the previous installment that it wasn't very noticeable then, here Michael Teitelbaum goes to great length to describe the Transformers shifting from one mode to the other. Needless to say, the transformations described do not match up to the characters' transformation schemes as they are portrayed by their toys and every other piece of media.

Optimus Prime's head expanded, squaring off into the shape of an enormous tractor cab. His neck stretched, forming the coupling device which attached the cab to the long trailer behind it. His body elongated, forming the trailer. Then his hands and feet divided again and again until they had morphed into the giant truck's eighteen wheels. His arms and legs fused together, forming the large rectangular container box that rested on the trailer portion of the vehicle.{{#if:|{{{quote2}}}}}{{#if:|{{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}|}}|}}

However, the bizarre fashion in which the Autobots and Decepticons transform pale in comparison, when it comes to weirdness, to the description of Optimus assuming his "Super Optimus Prime" form:

Optimus Prime began to grow. [...] Bigger and bigger he grew, sprouting enormous arms and legs, his body expanding in height and width. [...] The semi-tractor trailer truck, which moments before had seemed so huge, was now just a section of the giant robot, serving as one of Optimus Prime's feet.{{#if:|{{{quote2}}}}}{{#if:|{{{2}}}{{#if:|, {{{3}}}|}}|}}

Though the text describes the Mini-Con panels to be small enough for the children to carry them easily, one illustration depicts them to be of significant size, even when compared to Cyclonus.
On page 62, Optimus muses that the Autobots possess two Mini-Cons, and the Decepticons possess two Mini-Cons. However, the Decepticons possess three Mini-Cons.

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