Survivor
| ||||||
 We're sorry, Nightscream, but the tribe has spoken. | ||||||
| "Survivor" | ||||||
| Production company | Mainframe Entertainment | |||||
| Airdate | November 27, 1999 | |||||
| Written by | Brynne Chandler Reaves | |||||
| Directed by | Dennis Heaton | |||||
| Animation studio | Mainframe Entertainment | |||||
| Continuity | Beast Wars continuity | |||||
Megatron targets Nightscream for capture, so he can learn more about how the Maximal was able to survive the virus.
- Japanese title: 機械のはらわた (Kikai no Harawa ta, "The Innards of the Machine")
Synopsis
In the Council Citadel, Megatron rages at yet another setback in purging his organic form. He changes to dragon mode and unleashes a fireball at the Diagnostic Drone, who suggests an easier method would be to simply transplant Megatron's spark to a new body. Megatron is not keen on leaving his spark unprotected, so the Drone suggests another course of action: the Maximal Nightscream seems to have scanned an organic body, so if they could capture him, study the process and reverse it... Megatron orders his Vehicon generals to take the Diagnostic Drone to the catacombs and capture Nightscream.
Optimus Primal and Rattrap are trying to help Nightscream unlock his memories. To their surprise, they find that the young Maximal has a built in DNA scanner, to which he responds that everyone junked the stasis pods in favour of inbuilt scanners in the Quantum Cycle Upgrade. After Rattrap mentions they'd been off-planet fighting the Beast Wars, he resoundingly mocks them for losing said wars and is reminded that the Maximals lost friends during it. As Optimus stresses the importance of finding out where Nightscream scanned organic DNA on Cybertron, Rattrap drops a seed from the tree they found earlier into his hand. Cheetor reminds Primal of what happened last time they ate fruit from that tree, but Optimus merely says that the seed is what the Oracle was referring to when it mentioned "the seeds of the future".
The Maximals return to the chamber where they originally found the tree, only to discover it's been sealed off. Nightscream begins to use his sonic attack to break through. Unfortunately the soundwaves gain the attention of the Diagnostic Drone, and the Vehicons interrupt Nightscream before the barrier is breached. Thrust buries Optimus beneath some rubble, while Blackarachnia immobilises Jetstorm in a web and then confronts Thrust. The pair freeze, waiting to see who will make the first move, until a recovered Jetstorm fires on Blackarachnia. The other three Maximals are reluctantly fighting Tankor with the knowledge he contains Rhinox's spark, until he blasts them all. The Maximals recover to find that Nightscream is gone.
Elsewhere in the catacombs, their friend is being spirited away by the Vehicons. The Diagnostic Drone observes that the regeneration chamber they've put Nightscream in doesn't seem to be doing anything for him. The chamber is opened, and the young Maximal transforms, much to the fascination of the Drone who says that his technorganic body is repairing itself and they will be able to use the same process to purge Megatron's beast form. The Drone closes itself in the regeneration chamber with Nightscream, who promises to tell the secret of his ability—and then unleashes a sonic attack at point blank range. Thrust and Jetstorm pursue the boy while Tankor digs out the Diagnostic Drone. Nightscream manages to lose the two Vehicons with some fancy flying.
Tankor digs out the Drone, but hides it under some rubble as the other four Maximals pass, searching for their friend. He again pulls out the Diagnostic Drone, who is surprised at Tankor's change of personality. Tankor explains that his time as both a Maximal and Vehicon has given him a greater perspective and though Megatron's plan has merit, it has one problem—Megatron himself. Tankor intends to personally become ruler of Cybertron. The Diagnostic Drone says it's programmed to serve only Megatron, and so Tankor begins the reprogramming.
Meanwhile, Nightscream has reached a dead end with Jetstorm and Thrust once again closing in behind him. He uses his sonic attack to escape through a tunnel, and the two Vehicons are cut off by the other four Maximals. Optimus pursues Nightscream while Rattrap, Cheetor and Blackarachnia fight the Vehicons, swiftly defeating them. Blackarachnia hesitates in slagging Thrust, which give the Vehicons ample recovery time to take off after Optimus and Nightscream.
Tankor completes his reprogramming job and gives his new loyal servant the task of tracking down a particular energy signature.
Elsewhere, Nightscream finds himself in a cave staring at the skeleton of a bat. Optimus arrives as the young Maximal realises that the fossil was picked up by his DNA scanners, allowing him to reformat into his bat mode and survive Megatron's purge. While he's still wrought over why he survived and no one else, Jetstorm and Thrust pop up in time to be blasted by his sonic cry. The blast reveals more bones, and Optimus realises that Cybertron once had organic life. Nightscream angsts that if he hadn't been so self-absorbed, perhaps he could have saved other Transformers. Optimus commiserates and they plant the seed Rattrap found.
Back at the Citadel, the Diagnostic Drone can give no excuse for yet another failed purge and suggests the problem is Megatron himself. After the Drone is dismissed, it contacts Tankor to report. Tankor thanks the Drone for the accurate information on the energy signature—he has found the Oracle.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Maximals | Vehicons | Others |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Quotes
"You tend to be a little out of the loop when you're on a distant planet fightin' the Beast Wars."
"And you did a fine job winning it. Oh, I forgot, you fumbled the ball at the very last nano-click."
- —Rattrap name-checks the previous show and Nightscream demonstrates why he has few fans.
"Fascinating. His robot mode is implementing biologically-enhanced nanosurgical capabilities. It seems to accelerate the beast mode's natural healing abilities."
- —Diagnostic Drone makes with the technobabble.
"Tankor, protect me! That's an order."
"I think it's time we come to an understanding about who gives the orders."
"You?!"
"Oh, I'm sorry. Were you happier when my vocabulary was limited to TANKOR SMASH!? Poetic, perhaps, yet somehow it isn't me anymore."
- —Diagnostic Drone is surprised at the latest revelation that Tankor is Rhinox.
"Step into my parlour said the spider to the flyboy."
"Missed me! Missed me! Now you gotta kiss me!"
- —Blackarachnia and Jetstorm have somewhat unique fight banter.
"They deserved to live as much as me, more even! Why did I get to live? WHY?"
"Beats me, kid, but I'll be happy to put you out of your misery!"
- —Nightscream asks the question many of us wonder about him while Jetstorm offers a practical solution.
"According to my data, failure to purge your DNA contamination may actually stem from your own subconscious desire to maintain your beast mode."
- —Diagnostic Drone to Megatron.
Notes
Technical/animation glitches
- How do you get DNA from a fossil anyway?
Continuity errors
- When chasing after the escaped Nightscream, Thrust uses the transformation code "accelerate", instead of his usual "overdrive".
- Cheetor's telling Blackarachnia to take Thrust out is odd considering they've already established the Vehicons contain Maximal sparks (though considering how well it went last time they freed one...)
Transformers references
- When Nightscream chastises the Maximals for losing the Beast Wars, Rattrap angrily replies "You watch your mouth junior, I lost friends in that war." This is most likely a reference to Dinobot, and to lesser degrees Tigatron, Airazor and Depth Charge.
Real-world references
- When Jetstorm ambushes the Maximals, he taunts them by sneering "Honey, I'm home!" This is a repeating line from the '50s sitcom I Love Lucy.
- When Nightscream escapes he remarks about how he can't return to the others because he'll lead the Vehicons right to them. He then laments about how he'll be "alone again, naturally," a line from the song of the same name by Gilbert O'Sullivan.
- The images when Rhinox describes Megatron's scheme are very Nazi-esque.
