Broken Lance

Broken Lance is a concept in the Animated continuity family.

Broken Lance was a private code word used by Sentinel Prime and Optimus Prime in their Academy days to signify that Sentinel "was about to get caught doing something he shouldn't".

Fiction

Animated cartoon

When the Decepticon's captured the Autobot flagship, Sentinel sent the codeword as an encrypted message "on an emergency sub-frequency" as a cry for help to Optimus. Decepticon Air

Notes

• The phrase "Broken Lance" is similar to the U.S. military term "Broken Arrow", which is used to describe a cock-up involving nuclear weapons. In this context, it is more likely to be a reference to the 1996 action film of the same name, in which John Travolta hijacks a stealth bomber (in order to sell the nuclear missiles on board).
• "Lance" refers to Sentinel's weapon of choice.