Countdown to Extinction (episode)
| This article is about the episode Countdown to Extinction. For the comic issue, see Countdown to Extinction (issue). |
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 "Whoa, what, really? My bad, Prime." | |||||||||
| "Countdown to Extinction" | |||||||||
| Production code | #700-11 | ||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||
| Airdate | December 1, 1984 | ||||||||
| Written by | Reed Robbins and Peter Salas | ||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||
In the aftermath of Cybertron's catastrophic orbit of Earth, Starscream seizes control of the Decepticons and puts into motion a plan to destroy the planet.
- Japanese title: 地球消滅計画 (Chikyū Shōmetsu Keikaku, "The Earth Obliteration Plan")
Synopsis
The previous threat of Cybertron's orbits over Earth have passed. Optimus Prime and the Autobots work to help repair cities and do other generous/benevolent type things. After all, Megatron is MIA, believed killed in the explosion that moved Cybertron from Earth's orbit. But they are not the only ones to notice Megatron's absence.
Starscream, believing Megatron destroyed, forces Doctor Arkeville to take him to his secret laboratory. Once there he discovers another of the Doctor's inventions, the Exponential Generator, a power source that, if it overcharges, will detonate with enough energy to destroy the Earth.
Seeking to gain power for himself, Starscream links the generator to a timer and then takes Doctor Arkeville with him to Cybertron, which is still nearby. He plans to collect the energy unleashed by Earth's destruction to revitalize Cybertron. He coerces Shockwave into serving him, and to help in the restoration of Cybertron.
Meanwhile on Earth, Megatron has returned to the Decepticons, having survived the explosion of his starship. When he learns that Starscream and Doctor Arkeville are apparently working together he sets off in pursuit with the other Decepticons.
The Autobots detect the Decepticon activity and set off after them. After a short battle the Autobots are trapped in quicksand. Ironhide freezes the quicksand with his liquid nitrogen allowing them to escape. Laserbeak, who was standing guard over them, is captured and Jazz forces him to play his findings. The Autobots learn that the Decepticons are heading for the Doctor's secret laboratory and they set off to follow them.
The Doctor, unwilling to let Starscream benefit from the Earth's destruction, attempts to sabotage the energy collectors but the Decepticon security system stuns him with a blast of electricity. Starscream has the badly-injured Doctor 'repaired' by the medicroids, leaving him more machine now than man. Of course, he was twisted and evil to start with, so.
The Autobots and Decepticons arrive at the laboratory and battle each other again. Unaware of the danger it represents, Megatron covets the exponential generator and fights Optimus Prime for its possession. During the fight Megatron receives a communication from Shockwave on Cybertron.
Shockwave, unwilling to serve Starscream, warns Megatron about the timer and Starscream's plan. Megatron rips the timer from the wall just in time. On Cybertron, Starscream is baffled that the Earth has not exploded and sets off back to check the timer.
The exponential generator has become volatile and begins to go critical, ready to explode. Prime rips it away from Megatron, but the Decepticon leader says he needs the Autobot leader's help. Transforming, Megatron tells Prime to load the generator into his gun barrel, and then fires it into space. It explodes and the blast sends Starscream crashing to Earth where Megatron is waiting for him.
With the threat ended, the Autobots let the Decepticons go. Bumblebee wonders what will happen to Starscream, and the other Autobots are amused at the thought of what Megatron plans to do.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Hey, I didn't volunteer for this geeky assignment. I want Skywarp's job."
"Butt out, Frenzy. Geek work's made for a geek! Like you!"
- —Skywarp and Frenzy bickering before resorting to violence.
"I, Doctor Arkeville, genius of science, say... OPEN SESAME!"
"How original."
- —Dr. Arkeville shows Starscream the entrance to his secret lab.
"Hey Optimus, how'd you like to hear the number one on the Decepticon hot cassette charts?"
"As I believe the Earthlings say...lay it on me, man."
- —Jazz and Optimus Prime
"Your destiny is to serve me, my potent beauty."
- —Megatron's interest in the exponential generator gets a little creepy.
Rumble: Megatron, it's...it's the Autobots!
Megatron: Impossible! They were doomed!
Skywarp: Don't worry. We'll make them regret undooming themselves.
- —The Decepticons prepare to kick some exhaust port.
Megatron: Here! Have a ton of fun!
[Megatron throws a boulder at Optimus and misses.]
Optimus: Hahaha! Your aim's improving, Megatron!
- —Optimus Prime is having a blast.
"Welcome home, noble voyager."
- —Megatron missed Janeway too.
Bumblebee: Hey Prime, what do you think Megatron's gonna do to Starscream?"
Optimus: Nothing gentle, I would say.
[general laughter]
Jazz: I think we seen the last of ol' Starcreep alright! And that's the first thing that's gone right all day.
- —The Autobots muse on Starscream's fate after Megatron is last seen carrying him off screen.
Notes
- In the Family Home Entertainment VHS promotional blurb for this episode, the narrator claims the exponential generator's explosion is powerful enough to destroy the entire universe. So, uhhh, maybe every bit of TF fiction produced after this actually represents a different universal stream!
Technical or animation glitches
- During the reconstruction, there's a brief shot of with two Brawns, one handing the other a concrete block. In the next shot, one of them has turned into Gears, in time for Huffer to hassle him.
- When Megatron arrives at Decepticon Headquarters, while the sliding doors open, Megatron briefly disappears.
- In that same scene, during a shot of Decepticons standing in front of Megatron, Skywarp's chest is colored black.
- Just after that, when Laserbeak flies into Soundwave's cassette holder, it briefly becomes blue like the rest of Soundwave's body, but during the close-up, its coloring changes to Laserbeak's red-and-white.
- The damage caused to Megatron's chest by the exponential generator disappears after he leaves the lab.
Continuity errors
- The timer that Starscream connects to the exponential generator leads to some dubious situations:
- It takes Starscream less than 30 seconds to reach outer space (and have a good bit of distance between him and Earth). He then reaches Cybertron in about 4 hours. However, Starscream's toy bio states that he can reach Mach 2.8. Hmm.
- There's a time lapse of around 15 minutes between the moment Megatron finds the exponential generator and when he opens it up. That, of course, could be overlooked seeing how it may take Megatron, who's unfamilar with the lab, that much time to figure out the controls.
- The battle outside Doctor Arkeville's lab goes on for 2 hours. Maybe not so dubious, but it's not the norm for the television series.
- How is it that everyone seems to know where Doctor Arkeville's secret laboratory is?
- The explosion from the exponential generator is supposed to be powerful enough to destroy the Earth, and yet the actual explosion is so small, all it does is knock Starscream out of the air. (See also War of the Dinobots for another example of an "Earth-destroying" explosion).
- While this episode is supposed to take place immediately after "The Ultimate Doom", the Japanese continuity places that three-parter at the end of the series, leaving everyone clueless as to how Starscream and Arkeville know each other and how Arkeville is turned back into a human from a cyborg.
Continuity notes
- Takes place almost immediately after "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3".
- Frenzy first appears in this episode...and he's red.
- As proof of his leadership, Starscream shows a badge with the Decepticon symbol. Every other leader just had Laserbeak perch on his shoulder or arm.
- < < What makes Starscream the leader? Megatron's ship blew up! > >
Real-World references
Trivia
- The Sunbow Productions cast list for this episode lists "Tyrex" and "Bronton" as Dinobots appearing with non-speaking roles. Evidence points to these being early names for Grimlock and Sludge coined by writer Donald F. Glut; in an interview with Glut[1], he revealed that, prior to the Dinobots receiving their final names, he had submitted more "dinosaurian" names for them. Why Glut's proposed names were used on a cast list page for an episode he did not write — particularly when Grimlock and Sludge had been referred to in prior cast list pages under their proper names — is unknown.
- For some reason, this episode was commemorated by an exclusive Super Collection Figure giftset sold at the Wonder Festival 2002 convention in Japan. The set included both a metallic-painted PVC of Optimus Prime holding Megatron in gun mode and a metallic-painted PVC of Prime in truck mode.
