User:WillR113/Sandbox

In early 1985, Ron Friedman's initial script for The Transformers: The Movie had been rejected (apparently because it focused too much on the villain’s). However, the terms of his contract meant that the film had to be based on a script he wrote. So to continue production on the film they needed him to write a new script. Not leaving this to chance a 16 page outline was created and he was told to base the new draft on it. While this draft would ultimately form the basis of the final film it is still quite different. The script first came to light when it was purchased after Friedman sold it on Heritage Auction in 2010. (For practical purposes this article covers the outline supplied by Sunbow, the draft script and the slightly revised version)

Background

With the first draft we don't know how much input Hasbro or Sunbow had. For this draft we know exactly how much input they had. Sometime between February and 28th March 1985 a 16 page outline was written by Sunbow to dictate the plot. It features a cast of new characters to introduce, a scene by scene overview of the film and infamously a list of characters to kill off. Many elements of the film originate here, such as the future setting, Autobot City and the Moonbases. Thanks to Friedman's handwritten notes (as he presumably read through this outline for the first time) we have some idea of his response to it. He questions certain elements, brainstorms new details and suggests story reworks. This draft was written in just under a month, being finished on the 27th April. A few days after completing this draft, Friedman began to slightly revise the script, which he finished on May 2nd. By this we mean he reworked the first 14 pages and nothing else.

Friedman's second script is a mix of the requested new elements and various parts of his previous draft. It seems Friedman's new script didn't meet Hasbro standards. After it was submitted, Sunbow staff Joe Bacal, Tom Griffin, Jay Bacbal, Flint DIllie, Roger Slifer, Carole Weitzman held a meeting to rework the script into something suitable. This lasted 16 hours. Ultimately, Flint Dille was chosen to edit the script and spent the next several months reworking it into the final film over the course of 20 drafts.

Synopsis

Five years have passed since the Transformers awoke on Earth. From the moons of Cybertron, the Autobots launch a shuttle to send supplies to Earth. As it passes through an asteroid field the Decepticons begin to trail the shuttle through space. At a fishing hole on Earth, Hot Rod and Daniel detect the incoming shuttle. Driving past Autobot City to Lookout Point they see Kup cording off the area.

As the shuttle enters Earth's atmosphere the Decepticons blast into it and kill the crew. Through his observation binoculars Daniel spots the Insecticons eating the ship. Megatron flies up and commands his troops to destroy Autobot City before firing at Hot Rod. As he rides the landslide down, Blitzwing targets the Autobot. Suddenly Kup appears and kicks him off the mountain blasting Shrapnel in the process. The trio rush back to the city as the attack continues. At the city, Perceptor alerts Ultra Magnus of the attack. Magnus initiates Autobot City's transformation procedure. Hot Rod and Kup run over the Insecticons as they devour the last bridge into the city, leaving the Autobots trapped inside. From a "WAR SCREEN" Magnus commands the Autobot against the enemy forces. Noticing the Constructions near the southern wall which houses the Roboto-zoo he releases the Ani-Bots who manage to fight the invaders off. On Magnus' order, Perceptor tells Blaster to transmit a message to Optimus Prime. Soundwave attempts to stop this broadcast, ejecting the cassettes Rumble, Frenzy, Ravage and Ratbat to attack Perceptor. Blaster fights back with his own cassettes Cubbie, Stripes, Stinger and Bolts. More details on the battle later

On Cybertron, Prime and the Dinobots receive the message and board a shuttle headed to Earth . Enroute they are attacked by Astrotrain. The battle continues. The Constructicons have formed Devastator. Seeing this Magnus orders the Ani-bots to form Dragon Beast. Prime's shuttle arrives and the Dinobots leap out to face the assembled enemy forces. Outside the city the Decepticons begin to retreat. Megatron screams at them to keep fighting until he realizes Optimus' shuttle has landed next to him. Just like last time, the fight is pretty much the same as the final film.

A dying Megatron demands Starscream take his Life Spark back to Cybertron as the Decepticons retreat on the newly arrived Astrotrain. Gathering around Optimus, Perceptor declares his wounds fatal. Prime gives Magnus his Life Spark and names the reluctant Autobot his successor . Ultra Magnus orders the Autobots to follow the Decepticons into space after they fortify Earth against further attacks. As Astrotrain reaches Cybertron the Decepticons argue over who will be the new leader. Fighting breaks out as Megatron pitifully objects that he's still alive. Arriving at the Hall of Heroes, the dying Megatron begs for his Life Spark to be placed alongside the other leaders. The fighting spills into the Hall destroying all the statues which causes the Life Sparks to fly off into space. One of the statues crushes Megatron, finally killing him and his Life Spark is left to float into space with the others.

As the Life Sparks drift through space, a furious Megatron demands to have his body restored at any cost. The ghostly voice of Ingestor hears his cries and with a "PALE, COLD RAY" drags the Life Sparks to the "HELL-LIKE, MECHANICAL" planet of Unicron. Ingestor offers him power in exchange for permanent servitude to him which Megatron is forced to accept. Bathed in a beam of light he is rebuilt into Galvatron. The other Life Sparks are also rebuilt as Scourge, the Sweeps, Cyclonus and his armada. At Ingestor's command they fly to Cybertron to claim all of its remaining energy. Starscream's coronation is basically the same, so let's skip ahead. Galvatron demands the Decepticons bring the planet's Energon to him. Ingestor absorbs this with his Cold Rays and Unicron begins to rebuild itself as it flies towards Cybertron. From a base on the third moon of Cybertron Jazz and Cliffjumper alert Earth about the approaching planet. Which, again, is similar to the final film. With the moon destroyed, Ingestor orders Galvatron to drain Earth next. Galvatron briefly attempts to resist only to be punished by Ingestor.

At Autobot City, the superfast messenger, Blurr brings news of the moon's destruction and the imminent arrival of the Decepticons. Suddenly, the Decepticons arrive and a massive fight ensues. We'll give you more details later. There is a lot of death. Magnus orders Hot Rod and the Dinobots to one of the newly constructed shuttles. Hot Rod's shuttle takes off under enemy fire as Magnus begins his own launch using the rocket 's thrust to melt the attacking Sweeps. Taking off they are persuaded by Decepticon jets led by Astrotrain, before managing to outrun them using a "hyper vault" to blast off at infinite speed. That night after Galvatron learns about the Autobots' escape, he boards a "SPACE CARRIER" as his troops begin harvesting Earth's Energon.

On the shuttles Kup tells the Dinobots an old war story. Things continue like the final film for a bit until Perceptor realises the Decepticons are beaming energy into space. With no other options they are forced to follow the "energh {sic} stream" through space. Perceptor plugs himself into shuttles "SCANNER-MONITOR" to track the stream, briefly catching a glimpse of Unicron. Galvatron's armada catches up to them, destroying Hot Rod's shuttle and throwing its occupants into space. Magnus escapes them by detonating 3/4 of his ship making it appear to have been destroyed and they head to a nearby planet for repairs. Back on Earth, Scourge and the Sweeps search for surviving Autobots. Tracking a signal they find only the burnt remains of a Decepticon soldier. As they leave Blaster and the other Autobots come out of hiding. Wheeljack tells the group he's lost track of the shuttles and that draining Earth's energy is weakening the planet. They only have 48 hours left until the Earth is destroyed. We don't see Blaster's group after this. Just so you know.

Hot Rod and Kup land on Quintesson, running into a mechanical squid. Like last time we can skim over this part. Magnus shuttle has a rough landing on planet Junkion. The Autobots attempt to salvage parts from the junk which makes up the planet. When Daniel wants to help, Arcee gives him the Exo-suit, a device that will increase his strength and speed. Outside the Junkions spot the intruders and prepare to fight.

The Sharkticons have captured Hot Rod and Kup, taking them to their masters the Quintessons. Imprisoned, their fellow prisoner Granix tells them that their fate will be to fight to the death in the arena. Outside, the Dinobots have found their way to the Quintesson Castle trying to find the others, only to be turned away by a guard who points them in the other direction.

In space, Unicron has absorbed more energy and grown larger. Ingestor tells Galvatron that Magnus still lives and orders him to kill him. Galvatron resists his orders only for Ingestor to inflict his "cold rays" on him, before using one of the metal trees that cover the planet to throw him into space. Briefly content Unicron devours another of Cybertron's moons. Hot Rod and Kup are sentenced to fight the Sharticons. Outside the Dinobots run into Wheelie, the "Wolf Boy of Quintesson". He tells them that they've been deceived and they need to save their friends. In the arena, Hot Rod's is able to take the lead Quinesson hostage. The leader just laughs at them as his head disconnects from his body and flies to safety, leaving them to the Skarticons. As the pair prepare to fight to the end, the Dinobots arrive and turn the tide, filling the grandstand with fire. The few remaining Sharticons turn on their masters and begin to eat them. Wheelie shows the Autobots a Quintesson cruiser as they leave the planet. Back on Junkion repairs are nearly finished. The Junkion lay in wait, preparing to attack until they see the approaching Decepticons and retreat. The Autobots fight back against the assault. On Magnus' order, Perceptor has created "Pseudo-clones" - non-sentient replicas of the Autobots. The clones are sent on a suicide charge to fool the Decepticons into thinking their enemies were killed, but the ruse will be exposed if they examine the remains. Realizing this Magnus fights alongside the clones knowing that the death of the Autobot leader will distract the Decepticons .

Magnus is finally overwhelmed by a hoard of Decepticons and Galvatron kills him with a point blank shot from his fusion canon. Cutting Prime's Life Spark out of him with a laser saw and putting it in a glass bottle, the leader demands his men head back to Earth, while he deals with Ingestor.

As the Decepticons leave, the Autobots come out of hiding and mourn their fallen leader. This doesn't last long as the Junkions have returned, forcing them to flee. Unable to escape, they are cornered when more Junkions appear from underneath the scrap. The ensuing fight is halted when the Quintesson Cruiser appears overhead. As the ship lands Hot Rod approaches the Junkion's with Energon Sticks and recites the Universal Greeting. You know how that goes. With everyone now friends the Junkions rebuild Ultra Magnus. A much more mature Hot Rod points out the Decepticons were beaming Earth's energy into space and they still need to stop them. The surrounding crowd cheers and they all board their cruisers.

Back in space, Galvatron threatens Ingestor to release him from servitude. This just makes him laugh, so Galvatron detonates a bomb to destroy Unicron. Ingestor happily reveals that was the last piece of energy he needed and the planet begins to transform revealing that it and Unicron are one and the same. Ingestor restrains Galvatron and for his insolence forces him to watch as Cybertron is destroyed. The Autobots arrive as his attack is underway, with Hot Rod ordering them to intersect him. The Junkions and Dinobots fly out to distract him. Hot Rod's ship flies towards Unicron's head crashing into his ear. Racing into the ear, Hot Rod tells the other to keep him distracted, while he tries to find the core of the creature. Sensing intruders inside him, Ingestor picks Galvatron up and shoves him through his eye socket telling him he may allow him to live if he kills the Autobot.

Deep inside Unicron Galvatron and Hot Rod fight, the Decepticon overpowering him. In a last show of strength Hot Rod grabs the bottle containing the Life Spark and is transformed, the ghostly voice of Optimus declaring him Rodimus Prime.

The fight continues until Rodimus is able to destroy the bottle and release the Life Spark energy. Ingestor starts to explode and tears himself apart to get to the Life Spark. An explosion sends Galvatron into space. As he escapes Rodimus is able to free Cybertron's moons from Ingestor's stomach. Flying into space a ghostly image of Optimus tells the exploding creature that all evil must end.

On their ship the Autobots mourn Hot Rod, until they see Rodimus fly towards them as they all cheer.

Cast

Autobots

• Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime - The outline bluntly describes him as "reckless, headstrong, short tempered and cocky." The movie charts his " grow[th] from boyhood to manhood, both physically and mentally, eventually becoming the new leader of the Autobots". Rodimus Prime is apparently "fully mature".
• Kup - Tanker is Kup now, making his development into the final film complete. The name ‘Kup’ comes from Pickup truck, though there is no indication that Friedman knew this. The outline has no info on his alt mode, the closest it gets is saying he has wheels.
• Ultra Magnus- He's still "the large and soldierly City Commander". He’s personality is serious and practical with Friedman describing him as being like Hortatio Hornblower. Also, at one point he turns his hand into a loudspeaker. Neat!
• Springer- Still "very muscular" though now he's a "bantering Indiana Jones type Autobot". While going through the outline, Friedman noted he could reuse Rusty Steel's personality for him. The outline calls him Ultra Magnus’ wise-cracking second in command, though deep down he unquestionably respects him. He’s still not a Triple Changer yet.
• Arcee- This time she actually gets to go on the adventure (and with barely any misogyny!) This version introduces her relationship with Hot Rod, and mothering of Daniel.
• Daniel- An all American 12 year old boy who looks up to the Autobots. He has trouble using his Exo-suit, but at the end is able to master it to saving Arcee. He’s still not Spike's son yet.
• Perceptor- The Autobot scientist we know and love. Like in the final film his gimmick is that he uses too much scientific jargon which confuses the others, though there are way more examples of that in this draft.
• Blaster- Described as "a black rock D.J." He has a larger role than in the final film leading the surviving Autobots against the Decepticons on Earth. The outline describes his cassettes as a "lion, tiger, scorpion and robot", which Friedman reworked into Cubbie, Stripes, Stinger and Bolts. Only Cubbie would make it unchanged though renamed to Steeljaw. Bolts would be split in two as Eject and Rewind. Stinger and Stripes would be cut entirely.
• Anibots- .A team of Autobots with animal altmodes who are kept in the "Roboto-Zoo lab" They are Simba, a lion, Pardo, a Leopard, Shriek, an Eagle, Thump, a Buffalo and Clump, a Rhinoceros. They combine to form the Dragon Beast, a "huge, DRAGON LIKE MECHANO-BEAST". The outline simply dictated "the Anibots (lion, tiger, eagle, buffalo and rhinoceros) who also come together to form a huge robot" and said they'd fight the Construcicons. Based on that description Freidman then came up with their names and combined form. Clearly, the Anibots are an early version of the Predacons, though there was a misunderstanding between Ron and Hasbro. Now, while the line up of animals would change, the combined form was likely always intended to be the conventional giant robot made up of smaller robots. Ron didn't know this and from the "form a huge robot" line let his imagination go wild and came up with something that was surely never intended to be released. At some point this group gets dropped from the film but not before concept art was drawn.
• Blurr- an Autobot "Special Messenger" described as a "fast, fast mover and fast, fast talker". He's introduced alerting the others to the destruction of Cybertron's third moon. Besides changing his job and showing up earlier in the film he's the final version of the character.
• Wheelie- An Autobot "Robotoid kid" that lives as "the Wolf Boy of Quintesson". Stage directions give Wheelie more backstory then in the final film, stating that after he’s the only survivor of a crashed spaceship after the Sharkitcons ate the rest of the crew. He wears a necklace of Sharkticon teeth. His weapons are "a three bladed laser knife" and a "SLING which hurls FIRE STONES."

Decepticons

• Galvatron - The rebuilt form of Megatron who "still resembles Megatron somewhat". The outline describes him having a “cannon mode”, which isn’t mentioned in the script. After being reborn he declares "There is no Megatron! I am Galvatron and I rule!" Despite this the draft makes more allusions to him being Megatron, like at the end when he reveals this to Rodimus.
• Scourge/the Sweeps - The bearded leader of the Sweeps. Built from the converted Life Spark of a former Decepticon leader (as are the other Sweeps). The Sweeps is now the proper name of the group seemingly due to a miscommunication between Ron and Hasbro. They still search for surviving Autobots so the name technically works. Like in the previous draft they turn into land vehicles. Scourge has a mid-transform position which features his head sticking up in vehicle model to perform scans. Bizarrely, the Nazi imagery also carries over with the outline describing Scourge as a "SS trooper" and the Sweeps being "smaller" "similar creatures" wearing "dark and matching uniforms".
• Cyclonus - He's another converted essence and is the commander of the Decepticon Planes. This "armada" or "Jet Force " consists of smaller, but similar looking robots that turn into "FIGHTER PLANES". He disappears completely from the script after the Autobots flee Earth on page 89. His outline profile in its entirety reads "He needs to be developed."

Others

• Ingestor/Unicron-The Entity has been renamed Ingestor. Other proposed names were Absorber, Unitron, The Amalgamator, Amalgamon and Masticar. Sunbow felt the idea of a talking planet was "a stretch", and asked for his dialogue to be kept to a minimum. Firedman ignored this. The outline also claims they were going to try to cast Orson Welles. Good luck with that. Most of his actions are the same as in the previous draft (introduced as ‘The Absorber of Unicron’, rebuilding Megatron, the appearance of the planet Unicron, and how he grows large the more energy he consumes) while his earlier backstory has been removed entirely. This version also adds an extensive final battle on his massive body as the Autobots fight to stop him destroying Cybertron. The first page Friedman's revised script features a new intro where the planet flies through space. This would eventually evolve into the sequence of him devouring Lithone that opens the movie proper.
• Quintessons-Their role is similar to the final film, though their appearance carries over from the previous draft. The psychic powers have been removed. They still have slender bodies which are too small for their massive heads. In an extra twist it's implied these are their true form as when the leader disconnects his head, it flies away to attach itself to another body. The outline suggests they have a "friendly face, a stern face, an evil face, (a face of your choosing) and a face of Death", which Friedman reworked into "SMILING, ANGRY, GRIMACING, SUSPICIOUS" and "a DEATH'S HEAD".
• Sharkticons- While their design and role as the Quintessons guards carries over from the first draft their shock sticks (which freeze someone in time) are now just regular electric batons. A scene repeated from the last draft reveals that their cries still translate to "we eat". Apparently, Grimlock inspiring them to rebel against their master’s is to show they share "a kind of Proletarian commonality" with "lower life forms". page 105
• Junkions- A group of robot Road Warrior Hell's Angels made of rusty and disused metal. Like in the previous draft their able to repair their damaged bodies with their planets garbage making them essentially indestructible. However, this time their backstory (and connection to Unicron) has been removed. They also now ride into battle on their comrades in motorcycle mode. The outline intended their language to be a mix of "alien lingo", Latin phrases, TV talk and generic expressions, though only really the TV talk made it into the script.
  • Wreck-Gar- He remains the Junkion leader. Sensibly, his design has been switched with that of a generic Junkion from the first draft (as Freidman realized having one of the heroes dress like a Nazi was a bad idea). He now looks like "a rusty junk metal version of a Viking helmet and a BRILLO like wooly wire-metal vest". The design and role was also swapped so now the Nazi Helmeted Junkion is just a generic who briefly fights Springer. He sounds like" a cross between Henry Kissinger-a tv talk show host like Bert Parks, and Mr. Rogers on amphetamines"

Wreck-Gar isn't mentioned in the outline suggesting Friedman used him on his own initiative.

Notes

• During the opening battle of Autobot City....
  • Wheeljack isn't a horrible misogynist, here he works a control console in the "WAR SCREEN", with Magnus.
  • There is one other change in the revised draft: the Constructions fight with the Anibots is expanded by half a page.
  • Powerglide and Warpath(who can also fly apparently) intercept Blitzwing over the city, causing him to crash through the city walls, landing in the fishin' hole from the opening. They then drop bombs on him, blasting him into the air.
  • Thundercracker and Skywarp lead a group of Decepticons trying to break into the city, while Bluestreak, Hound and Sunstreaker lay in wait. During the ensuring fight Bluestreak cuts Thundercracker in half with his "LASER SABER". Skywarp and the others swarm him until Hound opens fire, blasting off their legs.
  • Just before Optimus and Megatron's final fight begins, Dirge attempts to tackle Prime from behind, only for the Autobot leader to grab him with one hand, turn him upside down and throw him to the ground.
  • In the aftermath of the battle we get a brief scene of the surviving Autobots cleaning up wreckage and dead Decepticons.
• Scrapper calls Starscream "a pompous Alumin-ass"
• The Hall of Heroes carries over into this draft. It is now a "METALLIC EQUIVALENT OF A CLASSICAL , ROCK-CUT MASOULEUM" in a metal mountain. Questionably, it's still described as "High tech" "Nuremberg Party Rally".
• The flames at the base of each Decepticon leader’s statue contains their Life Spark. This detail actually made it into the final film where it now means nothing.
• Former leaders named in the Hall of Heroes are Ghoulon, Murdron,and Bloodron.
• Galvatron is given the insignia of Ingestor.
• During Starscream's coronation, a reluctant Dirge performs a ritual from an ancient book to the new leader's annoyance.
• As Galvatron kills a confused Starscream at his coronation he declares "there is no Megatron! I am Galvatron and I rule!".
• Galvatron kills Starscream by disintegrating him with a blaster. Just to clarify that, he pulls out a gun and shoots him dead.
• Ingestor uses his "cold rays" to pull the Energon Cubes through space to Unicron. This allows the planet to reform itself and travel to Cybertron.
• In one of the less creative Friedmanism, Dirge describes Unicron absorbing Energon through his Cold Rays as "Like soda-oil through a straw".
• The moon Jazz and Cliffjumper escape from is the third moon. After devouring it Unicron, "swells in size so it looks even closer - like a baloon sic."
• The Decepticons have a new rallying cry of "Ingestor and victory."
• During Galvatron’s attack on the City.
  • The script offhandedly reveals that some of the invasion force "have been on Earth all this time."
  • The Autobots learn of Ingestor's name from Galvatron's battle cry.
  • Magnus releases "Optic Dazzler Gas", a white exploding gas clouds that blind and disorient the Decepticons.
  • Springer throws grenades at enemy troops, causing them to fall over like dominos. Then he jumps around, drawing fire causing them to miss and melt the other troops in the crossfire.
  • Cyclonus and the Constructicons are commanded to melt the city. They succeed at this.
  • Similarly to the final film Blurr has to herd the Dinobots into the shuttle.
  • Perceptor karate chops two Sweeps in half, from the head to groin, with each half then walking around bumping into each other.
  • The Dinobots are caught in the Decepticon fire bombing, having to use their "temperature monitors" to cool down.
  • Galvatron surveys the ruined city, plotting to overthrow Ingestor. He is driven off by Powerglide and Warpath.
  • Cyclonus "bombs Gears to pieces", the blast throwing Windcharger into the air and the Decepticon then ramming into him. His parts then rain down on a group of retreating Autobots below.
  • At night in the aftermath of the battle, the Decepticons haul away the Autobots Energon. A furious Galvatron boards a "FLATTOP "SPACE CARRIER" to follow the Autobots.
• The story Kup tells the Dinobots has slightly more detail here. The Ick Yacks are apparently cyborgs from Phospho-Norn.
• The shuttles have an "Intercom phone", which projects holograms.
• During Arcee's call to the other shuttle, Perceptor locks on to energy the Decepticons are transferring from Earth. He has to interface with the ship's computer in order to track it.
• Autobot and Human slaves from the ruins of Autobot City, are forced by the Sweeps to haul Energon Cubes to a transporter.
• Cyclonus is last mentioned on page 89.
• Quintesson is described as "a huge Baroque pearl."
• After crashing in the sea of the planet, Hot Rod turns into an "undersea action" "auto mode"", generating "a glass "bubble" head piece" to breathe.
• Hot Rod blasts a "Robotoid Squid" that takes Kup apart, scaring it away. He then collects Kup parts with his magnet powers he apparently has.
• Quintesson has "low dune-like red metallic hills".
• Kup attempts to track the Dinobots with his homing sensors.
• On the top of a ridge, they run into the Sharkticons. Kup uses the "universal alien language Salutation. Like in the film it briefly works.
• Page 101 mentions that the Sharkticons have captured Sludge. This isn't mentioned again and we later learn Sludge is with the other Dinobots. This error is due to Friedman just reworking a scene description from the previous draft where Sludge was captured as well.
• Granix was captured on a scientific expedition.
• When the Dinobots enter the Quintessons castle, a Sharkticon tries to eat Grimlock only to pause as it finds he tastes terrible.
• We don't really get an explanation as to how Unicron knows Magnus survived. In the film it's because he sensed the Matrix, here nothing.
• Hot Rod and Kup are found guilty of trespassing, "under the laws of the Quintessons". This is techincally accurate but the trials are still a sham though, Granix says so.
• During the sentencing Kup realise the Quintessons' heads are their weak spot.
• The Quintesssons have other prisoners awaiting trial. The only one described in detail by the script is a ‘Huge Robotoid Warrior of Glass with Iron Fittings’. He’s seen cheering on the captured Autobots when their thrown into the Sharkticon pit. After Grimlock crashes the trial he escapes and helps the Dinobots fight the Qunitessions. The Huge Glass Warrior is last seen guarding some captive Sharkticons as the Autobots leave Quintessa.
• The Quintesson spaceship has the "five faced insignia of Quintessons."
• During the Autobots fight on Junkion, Magnus plan involves secretly switching out the other with Pseudo-Clones. The real Autobots will hide in a gully.
• In this draft Magnus "can deal with that". He says this when he realises he will have to sacrifice himself.
• Wheelie is the one to suggest they try to make peace with the Junkions, which Kup rejects.
• The Junkions have a spaceship which is introduced with no fanfare.
• After he transforms Ingestor is described by the script as a ‘galaxy sized robot’. It's difficult to describe just how stupidly big this would make him. Even more laughable the same page describes his arms as only being the size of a continent!
• Before he attacks Cybertron Ingestor picks Galvatron up like an ant and drops him onto his eyebrow. His giant metal eyelashes wrap around Galvatron restraining him so he's forced to watch his planet be destroyed.
• During Ingestors destruction of Cybertron:
  • Ingestor tears Shockwave's lab out of the ground like a carrot. In the process he ends up pinning Shockwave to a generator with his finger, before swallowing the base whole.
  • Skywarp and Thundercracker try to stop Ingestor with a barrage of Laser Cannon fire. He swallows the bombardments than eats the chunk of the planet their standing on.
  • When flying in space the Junkions wear "space-gear", which is "Transformed tricycles which are space sleds, and rocket belts."
• When Hot Rod enters Ingestor the other continue the fight on his outer body.
  • Blurr races across Ingersto's chest and neck with a "Bumper with flame nozzles"attached to him a which spews fire behind him.
  • Arcee is knocked into a forest of metal hair on Ingestor's shoulder, which begins to strangle her. Daniel is able to leap down and finally mastering control of his exo-suit, yanks the hairs out.
  • Like in the film the Dinobots fly around and assault Ingestor, here they are joined by the Junkions who use grappling hooks to traverse his body.
  • Ingestor is able to scrape Magnus and Perceptor off his neck with his fingers.
  • Despite Perceptor's warning, Ingestor is able to smash Blurr with his hand. This really looks like it kills him, but he is later revealed to be have survived.
  • When all hope seems lost the Autobots hide behind his horns to stay out of his sight.
• Galvatron and Hot Rod fight takes place in Ingestor's stomach where Cybertrons moons are caught in a web and slowly being digested.
• During Rodimus' fight with Galvatron, the Decepticon is able to overpower him. He is saved when Jazz and Cliffjumper are revealed to be alive in the remains of their swallowed shuttle and open fire on Galvatron. the distraction allows Rodmius to break free and then beat Galvatron until he collapses.
• When Injestor is being torn apart Galvatron is blown into space. Jazz and Cliffjumper are also thrown into space but since their still in the remains of the escape pod their fine.
• At the end Rodimus rushes back into Ingestor's stomach to free the moons, blasting through the webbing holding them in place, which allows them to float into space and back into Cybetron’s orbit.

Deathtoll

In this draft, Friedman was given permission to kill off most of the 1984 range.

Comparisons to the finished film

What Changed

• This script takes place five years after the Autobots awoke on Earth, seemingly placing the events of the script in the year 1990.
• No opening on Lithone, though the revised draft features a brief scene of Unicron flying through space which would evolve into it.
• The script now opens on Cybertron's moons.
• Unlike in the final film we're given more details about the Autobot Moonbase. The fact it's also a munitions factory remains in the final film though not explicitly mentioned.
• Autobot City has been introduced. We don't really get any details about it besides being a new base but the final film gives it an extra purpose of generating energy for the Autobots. Narratively it also has the effect of creating a stronger opening sequence and streamlining a lot of the running around that characteristiced the previous draft.
• Rather than intercept the Autobot shuttle here the Decepticons trail it all the way to Earth. Friedman's revisited draft would add the attack on the shuttle which is carried into the final film.
• All the human characters from the last draft except for Daniel have been cut. He still isn't Spike's son.
• The brief scene of Magnus rebuking Hot Rod for leaving his post would remain up until the storyboard stage before being cut.
• Various scenes in the battle of Autobot City would be reworked. Due to the length of these scenes a more detailed overview is in the notes section.
• The Anibots would be dropped. This is presumably due to the group being reworked into the Predacons.
• Blaster's cassettes would be massively reworked.
• The script actually shows Optimus Prime and the Dinobots receiving Blaster's message, boarding the shuttle and being attacked by Astrotrain.
• The Matrix and Megatron's essence have been replaced with Life Sparks. These are tiny glowing versions of a Transformer. Their more explicitly a Transformers 'soul' (though there's still no explanation as to why Optimus' Life Spark is able to transform Hot Rod or destroy Ingestor at the end). The outline told Friedman to drop the Matrix but at some point it gets added back in. According to Friedman's notes on the outline "only leaders have essences". In the final film Megatron is only dying, not a disembodied damned soul thing.
• Hot Rod bemoans being responsible for Prime's death but Kup and Arcee tell him it wasn't his fault.
• Most of the Hall of Heroes details carry over from the previous draft. In the final film it isn't even named. The major addition in this version is Starscream's coronation.
• That said Scourge, the Sweeps, Cyclonus and his Armada being reformatted life sparks of former leaders would be reworked into them being the converted forms of dead Deception soldiers.
• The Unicron and Ingestor twist would be dropped for the final film. There it was just Unicron
• Unicron having to absorb energy would be dropped.
• The shuttle launch is more complicated with them having to escape the Decepticon forces in space by hyper-vault.
• The scene of Perceptor plugging himself into the shuttles computer briefly catching a glimpse of Unicron is dropped.
• Blaster's subplot as a guerrilla fighter on a Decepticon controlled Earth would be dropped at some point.

What stayed the same

• Various characters’ debut in this draft or undergo changes into the version we know:
  • New characters introduced include Wheelie along with the Decepticons lieutenants Scourge and Cyclonus (though neither of them do much). Hot Rod now becomes Rodimus Prime at the climax, conveniently symbolizing his character development.
  • The name of Hot Rod’s grizzled mentor has been changed from Tanker, completing his evolution into Kup. Similarly Mentlar’s role as Autobot scientist has been switched with Preceptor.
• New elements introduced:
  • Hot Rod and Daniel being friends
  • Starscream’s coronation and subsequent death
  • Unicron attacking Cybertron

Remnants

• Astrotrain's sudden appearance in the aftermath of the battle of Autobot City is justified here. He been fighting Optimus Prime's shuttle in space and has only just arrived on Earth.

Miscommunications

It seems the outline provided to Friedman didn't quite work as intended. He and Hasbro appear to have misunderstood a few details.

• The outline gives no mention of what the movie cast turn into. As a result of this when they do transform their alt modes go described.
• Friedman's second revision adds the sequence of the Decepticons ambush and take over of the Autobot shuttle presumably happened because he re-read the outline and realised the Transformers weren't meant to fly through space on their own.
• The Autobots that crash land on Junkion were meant to send a distress signal which Hot Rod and Kup intercepted. However, Friedman didn't add this scene leaving no explination as to how they find their friends again.
• Hot Rod saving the moons inside Unicron stems from Friedman misinterpreting a line about Hot Rod hearing the "trapped Autobots from the

moons of Cybertron and goes back inside the Entity to rescue them.".Obviously, they wanted a scene where the hero rescues the Autobots survivors on the moon.Well, Friedman interprets this rather literally with Rodimus managing to free Cybertron's moons from Unicron's stomach before he explodes.

Gallery

As this draft was approved it had various pieces of concept art based on it produced.