A Plague of Insecticons
| This article is about the cartoon episode. For the similarly-named Marvel UK Annual story, see Plague of the Insecticons!. |
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 We're gonna need a big swatter! A really big swatter! | |||||||||
| "A Plague of Insecticons" | |||||||||
| Production code | #700-12 | ||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||
| Airdate | December 19, 1984 | ||||||||
| Written by | Douglas Booth | ||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||
Reports of giant insects terrorizing Bali lead the Decepticons to discover their long-lost comrades, the Insecticons.
- Japanese title: インセクトロンの謎 (Insectron no Nazo, "The Mystery of the Insectrons")
Synopsis
On the island of Bali, there is a swamp through which people rarely travel. It is the Demon Swamp, and in that swamp lie monsters who appear to be enormous insects. But they are not insects, they are Shrapnel, Bombshell, and Kickback, and they are robots in disguise. They are driven by a single, unrelenting desire: food. Attacking a trio of boats, the insects feed on the grain, but quickly become interested in the reports of a farm. At the Autobot base, Spike overhears the reports of "robot insects", and a team is taken aboard Skyfire to investigate while Sparkplug remains to alert Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots.
However, Laserbeak comes across the transmissions, and Megatron is intrigued. He takes a group of Decepticons to Demon Swamp, where Soundwave dispatches Ravage to locate the robots' lair. The Decepticons discover that the lair is not a hollowed-out rock, as it appears, but an escape pod ejected from the Decepticon cruiser that brought them to Earth. Thundercracker realizes what Megatron has already figured out: The robot insects are Decepticons who have been modified to assume insect modes —Insecticons, if you will.
Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is leading the rest of the Autobots to the farm, but they are blocked by a local festival. Sideswipe leads the Autobots down a shortcut...which turns out to be a dead end. Refusing to admit defeat, Sideswipe decides to drill his way through the solid rock. Arriving at the farm the Insecticons are attacking, Bumblebee, Windcharger, and Brawn attack, only to discover that the Insecticons possess some impressive weapons systems. Worse, they can make clones of themselves by using shells and scrap metal. Overwhelmed, the Autobots take cover amid the crops, but Shrapnel releases a fragmentation grenade which cuts the crops down to size. Finally, Megatron and the Decepticons arrive. The Autobots realize they're in over their heads, but Skyfire has been damaged and cannot transform. Shrapnel finds something familiar about the Decepticons, and when Megatron explains that they came from Decepticon science, Shrapnel extends his hand in friendship...an alliance which will be solidified by destroying the Autobots at the farm.
Elsewhere, Sideswipe is getting nowhere slowly with his drilling, so Optimus Prime decides on a simpler tactic and drives right through the rock wall. Coming up on the farm just in time, Sideswipe and Sunstreaker tackle the Decepticons, who withdraw to a nearby oil refinery to recharge before they destroy the Autobots. During the respite, Wheeljack repairs Skyfire, who follows them in the air while the Autobots follow from the ground. The Insecticons attack Skyfire, and Wheeljack goes to help but is knocked out of the air by Kickback. Shrapnel takes control of Sunstreaker and Sideswipe, causing them to drive toward the Autobots, but Trailbreaker disrupts Shrapnel's control with his force field. Optimus throws Brawn at Shrapnel, but Kickback knocks him off. Fortunately, Skyfire is able to catch Brawn.
At the refinery, the Decepticons are busy making some energon cubes. Megatron offers the Insecticons a tanker filled to the brim, and the trio gorge themselves. Unfortunately, it also causes the oil to leak into the ocean. As the Autobots arrive, the Decepticons force them to take some cover. Shrapnel uses a shrapnel grenade to knock Optimus, Brawn, and Wheeljack into the ocean, where the Autobot leader warns that the oil could ignite. On cue, Thundercracker lights the oil on fire, only for the Autobots to knock him into the flaming water. Before the ship goes kaboom, Ironhide is able to douse the flames. However, storm clouds appear overhead, and Shrapnel uses them as a means to fire electricity at the Autobots. Spike realizes that the rubber in their tires will serve as insulation. Some Autobots go to vehicle mode, while others stand on them, neutralizing Shrapnel's abilities. In addition, Trailbreaker uses his force field to neutralize Shrapnel's control over the clones, causing them to go to pieces.
Megatron realizes that he's losing, so the Decepticon leader employs a time-honored strategy: "If I can't have it, no one can." Megatron sets the tanker on fire and pushes it toward the refinery. However, Optimus pushes the tanker underwater, and Megatron with it. Rising to the surface, Megatron prepares to blast Bumblebee and Spike, only for Optimus Prime to throw the tanker through the air at Megatron.
The Insecticons observe the deteriorating situation and decide to cut their losses. They begin to feed off the energon, but Megatron, his rage overwhelming his common sense, orders the Decepticons to attack the Insecticons. As the Insecticons flee with the Decepticons in pursuit, the Autobots claim victory. Optimus Prime still worries that the Insecticons will inevitably be drawn back towards the Decepticons, but when and if that happens, the Autobots will be ready.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Boy! Talk about hot lips!"
- —Windcharger is hit by an Insecticon blast.
"Still think they're optical illusions, Brawn?"
- —Skyfire, after getting his ass handed to him by an army of Insecticon clones.
"Well, let's look at the bright side—at least they didn't bring that sawed-off nerd Rumble along."
- —Brawn, showing he is an optimist, even in the worst situations.
"Uh-oh! What I wouldn't give for a laser-powered flyswatter."
- —Skyfire comes up with something else for Wheeljack to invent.
"Now, taste the lightning, Autobot fool!"
"It tastes terrible."
- —Shrapnel zaps Wheeljack.
"Megatron, CATCH!"
- —Optimus Prime plays catch...with a 10,000-ton oil tanker.
"Maybe we've picked the wrong allies, Shrapnel."
- —Bombshell, showing a rare moment of insight.
"The traitors! We befriended them, and now they steal our power source. Forget the Autobots, DESTROY THE INSECTICONS!"
- —Megatron. He really does have a hard time keeping his troops loyal.
Notes
Technical or animation glitches
- Bombshell loses all his yellow and purple coloration as he throws the first boat in the swamp.
- Shrapnel's bug head is purple instead of black as he notes that Kickback's meal is escaping.
- The "Wait for me!" rower makes a pretty spectacular and improbable leap onto the last boat.
- The show was never able to make up its mind about Kickback's insect mode head. Sometimes it's drawn with his robot mode face underneath it, just like the toy, even having him talk and emote with it. Other times it's just plain black, with his robot face replaced by a mechanical bug mouth, more like you'd expect from a giant super-advanced space robot trying to pass himself off as an ordinary giant metal robot grasshopper. This episode shows both versions at various times, even changing it between successive shots (such as the "there's more food to devour on a farm!" sequence.) At least once it splits the difference, showing abstract details colored like his face and eyeband.
- Kickback has no transformation noise as he swims up to his buddies and transforms.
- In the establishing shot of Autobot Headquarters, the ship is colored silver instead of orange.
- As Megatron orders his troops to move out, his faction emblem is all blurry.
- As Thundercracker exposits that the Insecticons are Decepticons, Soundwave is missing the yellow lines around his tape door.
- As the Insecticons stand on the (unfathomably huge) tree branch, both Shrapnel and Kickback's faces are dark gray instead of silver.
- In the next shot, Kickback's face is still dark gray.
- After the Autobots transform at the end of Sideswipe's "shortcut", Sunstreaker's engine intake is yellow instead of silver.
- As Skyfire arrives at the farm, his booster pack is white instead of red.
- Bombshell is missing his head cannon as the Insecticons raise their guns to fire.
- Brawn and company fall over into the pond before the Insecticons' fire actually hits them.
- In the first shot after the first commercial break, all of the Insecticon clones have disappeared from the field.
- As the Insecticons charge, Bombshell's head launcher is missing its little side laser dealies, and Bombshell's Decepticon insignia is blinking.
- Windcharger is drawn delivering Bumblebee's "I sure hope Prime" line.
- As Ironhide and Sunstreaker watch Sideswipe work on the tunnel, Sunstreaker's entire helmet is yellow, rather than just his ear-wings.
- Skyfire's face is white instead of gray as he tries to transform, and his antennae are blue instead of white.
- Bombshell's eyes are a creepy, empty, yet toy-like white (instead of red) as Shrapnel first addresses Megatron.
- Soundwave's missing his cassette door stripes again as the Decepticons take aim.
- As he stands aside to let Optimus through, Sideswipe's pile drivers have turned into drills.
- When Sideswipe and Sunstreaker get ahead of Optimus Prime after breaking out of the tunnel, both are coloured in Sunstreaker's yellow color scheme for a brief moment.
- Appearing/disappearing Autobots:
- Ratchet is shown transforming with the rest of Prime's team, despite not being part of it.
- When the Decepticons and Insecticons flee from the field, Thundercracker in jet mode is colored in Skyfire's white-and-red palette. The clones finally reappear in the same shot, after going missing for several scenes.
- Thundercracker is a dark, toy-like blue as he fills the energon cubes, rather than his usual medium blue.
- Prime's tires are white instead of black as Shrapnel takes control of the twins.
- In the following overhead shot, Sideswipe is colored black instead of red.
- The blue vehicle next to out-of-focus Prime doesn't correspond to any Autobot present, and there wasn't anyone in that location in the previous shot anyway.
- Shrapnel's bug-mode front half is white as he sends the twins on a second attack run.
- Kickback's robot head shows up beneath his bug head as he turns to kick Brawn off of Shrapnel.
- Thundercracker's arm laser is mounted on the wrong side and in the wrong spot as he aims at Skyfire.
- Skyfire's cockpit, boosters and thruster nozzles are white as he fires on the refinery, rather than blue, red and black, respectively.
- Soundwave's chest compartment isn't drawn in as Ravage ejects.
- Sunstreaker is red instead of yellow as the Autobots arrive at the refinery and transform.
- Wheeljack is in Bombshell's color as the Autobots start to run for cover.
- Brawn's helmet is yellow instead of gray as he and the others dive into the water.
- Wheeljack is missing his orange chest details as he stands in the water.
- Brawn is in Skyfire's colors as Thundercracker prepares to ignite the spilled oil.
- Megatron is missing his insignia as he wonders what Kickback is talking about.
- Prime's hand is red instead of blue as he orders Bumblebee to stay back.
- Shrapnel is missing his insignia as he wonders what went wrong.
- Someone got their signals crossed; after the Autobots prove able to defeat Shrapnel's lightning blasts by rolling on their tires, Optimus is also totally immune to normal Insecticon firepower.
- Bombshell is missing his purple color as he speculates on whether they picked the right allies.
- Reflector shows up out of nowhere as Megatron rails about the Insecticons stealing their energon, despite not having been seen in the entire episode.
- In the final shot of the assembled Autobots, Sunstreaker's head is yellow again. Trailbreaker's cheeks are colored blue instead of his eye visor (it looks like he's wearing reading glasses!) Sideswipe's eyes are red instead of blue. Brawn's green is very washed out.
Rhino DVD release
The Kid Rhino release of this episode had errors not present in the original broadcast version, due to their use of incomplete film masters:
- A cel layering error causes Skyfire's door to appear behind Spike and the Autobots as he boards them. As a result, the door closes behind Bumblebee and Spike as they wave to Optimus, only for them to disappear when it closes fully.
- Just before Brawn asks Optimus to throw him, Prime is in vehicle mode, then he transforms from robot to vehicle mode, and is then standing in robot mode.
Continuity errors
- The Insecticons' origin is fraught with problems. The story seems to be that they were aboard the Decepticon ship, and ejected in an escape pod before it crashed, four million years ago. What happened after that is not clear, but no version of the story completely jibes with the known facts:
- Megatron says that the Insecticons' escape pod was launched "before our own ship crashed here millions of years ago". One might reasonably take this to mean that the Insecticons were aboard the Nemesis; however, upon meeting Megatron a few scenes later, Shrapnel says to him "I don't know you", implying that they weren't aboard the Nemesis. The summary of the episode in the production bible clarifies this, saying the pod "... was originally part of the Decepticon spacecraft that jettisoned away just before the Autobots and Decepticons crash landed on Earth".[1] Guess Shrapnel was just feeling conveniently forgetful that day day.
- The narration ("a strange new form of robot") makes it sound like the Insecticons just recently awoke, as does the sudden distress call from the residents of Bali. But if that's the case, it's a huge coincidence that, after four million years, they were revived just a few months after their kin aboard the Ark.
- The alternative - that the Insecticons have been up and running around for millions of years - doesn't make sense either. How could neither the Autobots nor the Decepticons have ever learned of their existence until this episode?
- Digging a tunnel is seriously faster than just backtracking a mile or two to find another way around? Seriously?
- How does Skyfire manage to hide in the bushes with the other, shorter Autobots? He's about four Bumblebees tall! In fact the entire notion of corn that's tall enough to hide an Autobot is a bit far fetched. The absurdity is further called out a few shots later when the Autobots (and Spike!) are shown towering over the corn.
- How does Skyfire know Kickback's name? None of the Insecticons have introduced themselves.
- As per the cartoon physics norm, if anything besides the ground breaks your fall, you're just fine. Thus, Wheeljack smacking into Prime's trailer does absolutely no damage to him.
- Brawn gets the same treatment a second later, as Skyfire "catches" him.
- Megatron gives the very strange order to "activate the Ravage cassette".
- Kickback claims there is no spray capable of stopping the Insecticons. Guess he's never heard of robotic insecticide!
Continuity notes
- It may or may not be an intentional bit of continuity, but Starscream, last seen being hauled off by Megatron for unspecified punishment, is absent from this episode. Then again, Skywarp and Frenzy are missing too, which tells us absolutely nothing.
- Gadgets and powers:
- Laserbeak slides yet another gadget out of his head, this one a micro radar dish that he uses to contact Megatron.
- Megatron has the flashing pectoral rectangles to acknowledge Laserbeak's signal, as seen last episode.
- The Insecticons, presumably like all Transformers, have idento-computers that somehow "adapted them for life on Earth by turning them into Insecticons". Depending on your interpretation of this statement, it might be considered the first instance of a Transformer gaining a new alternate mode through internal reconfiguration, rather than through external reconstruction, a premise that would not gain traction until the Armada franchise in 2002.
- Not for the last time, Skyfire extends his legs in a sort of mid-transformation pause. (Sorry, Macross dorks, it's not a GERWALK/Guardian. Those have arms.)
- Rather than use his rather well documented pile driver abilities to dig his tunnel, Sideswipe just retracts his hands and smashes his way through with his arms. Looks like some animator misunderstood a script direction. They finally got it right in the final tunnel digging scene.
- Windcharger activates a magnetic "repulsor field" by pressing a button on his chest.
- Wheeljack uses his documented ability to fly. He even (mostly) keeps his arms at his side like he's supposed to, considering it's supposed to be wrist rockets that let him do it. He also uses his missile launcher... sorta. Actually the missiles just kind of fly out from behind his back.
- It's a showcase for Trailbreaker's forcefield, as he uses it to cut off Shrapnel's override waves and his control beams, the later destroying the Insecticon clones. It's also a rare instance of it actually being projected from the right place, namely the silver box gadget thing behind his head.
- Ironhide puts out a fire with foamy gassy white stuff that he fires from both retracted wrists.
- Kickback materializes a gun out of thin air, one of those occasional shots leading to fandom "subspace" theories about weapons and parts storage.
- As the stars of the episode, the Insecticons get a whole host of special powers:
- They quickly demonstrate one of their most characteristic powers, the ability to create clones of themselves almost out of nothing. Shrapnel claims ownership of the cloning beams, but Kickback is also shown generating them. Bombshell also seems to be involved, blowing up a derelict tractor with his "Insecta-shells" to create debris to form the clones. Of note, this power was never mentioned in any of their Tech Spec writeups, and was created solely for the cartoon.
- Shrapnel uses his grenade launcher, firing a steel ball from his wrist which then explodes into a bazillion razor-sharp fragments. His Tech Spec has the launcher as his hand-held weapon, but otherwise the ability is correct as shown. Later he identifies it as "a shrapnel grenade" (or perhaps a Shrapnel Grenade?)
- Shrapnel uses his "special override wave" to control Sideswipe and Sunstreaker.
- Shrapnel uses his famous ability to capture and fire lightning. He seems to need Bombshell's help to do it, though. True to his tech spec, the Autobots are able to counter the effects of the lightning by transforming and electrically insulating themselves from the ground with their rubber tires.
- Optimus demonstrates highly improbable amounts of strength, lifting an entire sunken oil tanker out of the water and throwing it at Megatron.
- The episode's closing dialog provides us with the interesting factoid that Spike is not yet old enough to drive, capping his likely age in 1984 at 15.
Real-world references
- The Insecticons inhabit the real world island of Bali, which is part of the nation of Indonesia.
- Star Wars sound effects:
- Falcon engine burst as Kickback launches to pursue the last boat.
- Falcon engine burst and Death Star superlaser as the Insecticons fly out of the swamp.
- X-Wing diving whine as Laserbeak reports his findings.
- Death Star superlaser again as the Insecticons launch to attack the farm.
- Falcon engine burst as the Insecticons fly to attack Skyfire.
- Death Star superlaser as Shrapnel and Bombshell cling to Skyfire's wings.
- X-wing diving whine in the same sequence.
- Luke deflecting seeker ball bolts as Thundercracker compresses the energon cubes.
- X-Wing diving whine as the Insecticons attach to the tanker.
- Death Star superlaser as Megatron launches to re-ignite the tanker.
- Death Star superlaser as the Insecticons flee from the refinery.
Trivia
- Wheeljack refers to the idea of a motorcycle alternate form as "something new". Ah, Transformers was so young and new back then!
- Some episodes provide plot, character development, and storytelling. Others are a big parade of battles and special buy-my-toy powers. The reader may draw their own conclusions as to which category this episode falls under.
- The Shout! Factory release (incorrectly?) credits this episode as being written by Donald F. Glut.
Home video releases
- VHS
- 1986 — The Transformers — Volume 12: "The Secret of Omega Supreme", "War Dawn", "A Plague of Insecticons" (Family Home Entertainment)
- Laserdisc
- 1995 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Megatron Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
- 1999 — The Transformers — Decepticon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
- 2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- 2002 — Transformers — Original Series: Volume Three (Maverick Entertainment)
- 2002 — Transformers — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Maverick Entertainment)
- 2002 — The Original Transformers — First Season Collector's Edition (Kid Rhino)
- 2002 — The Original Transformers — Volume Three (Kid Rhino)
- 2003 — Transformers — Collection 1: Series 1 (Madman Entertainment)
- 2004 — Transformers — Season 1 (Metrodome)
- 2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
- 2007 — Classic Transformers — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome)
- 2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
- 2008 — Transformers — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
- 2009 — Transformers — Season One (Metrodome)
- 2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
- 2009 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
- 2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
