The Hunt for Black Pyramid
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 Everything's better down where it's wetter. | ||||||
| "The Hunt for Black Pyramid" (Kesshi no Jump! Mach Alert) "Resolute Jump! Mach Alert" | ||||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS, Studio Gallop | |||||
| Airdate | 3 May 2000 (Japanese) September 14, 2001 (English) | |||||
| Written by | Tadashi Hayakawa (Japanese) Marc Handler (English) | |||||
| Director | Akira Katō | |||||
| Animation studio | Studio Gallop | |||||
Undersea pyramid.
A Predacon power source?
Swim! Autobots, swim!
Synopsis
Still needing more energy to power the Predacons' base, Megatron sets his sights on a new source of power: the undersea Black Pyramid. Gas Skunk and Slapper wire the pyramid up to the ship's energy systems, but while making the installation, Slapper fears being discovered by the Autobots. Above, on a research vessel, Koji and the wily scientist Doctor Okasai prepare for their trip to see the Black Pyramid, unaware the Predacons are there.
From his own ship, Megatron sees the research vessel approaching. Sky-Byte and Dark Scream are sent to destroy the ship before it discovers the Predacons' activity, and as the two Predacons leave, it's clear Sky-Byte and Dark Scream have a grudge with each other.
Dr. Okasai and Koji buckle up and prepare for aquatic descent. Pieces of the ship shift their alignment as the entire vessel rotates its nose downwards until the ship is vertical. Once the ship is standing in the water, the compartment holding Koji and the Doctor lowers into the sea—where they're unintentionally dangled in front of Sky-Byte. The crew of the ship panic, while Dark Scream attacks the sections of the ship above sea level. Sky-Byte rams the compartment, knocking Doctor Okasai out cold, and Koji radios for help from his Autobot friends.
Prime, about to get waxed, hears Koji's distress message and leaves the fire hall he was stored at (leaving behind one very confused attendant). He travels out to sea on the Global Space Bridge while T-AI orders the Autobot Brothers to follow Prime (although she has a bit of difficulty getting Side Burn to follow instructions). The four Autobots meet up together and reach the end of the Global Space Bridge's ability to extend out to sea - a large distance short of the ship.
Side Burn, eager to show off, is the first to leap from the end of the road, but he chickens out at the last moment. Prowl is the next to try jumping, making use of his jet boosters, but he only makes it far enough to baffle and confuse Kelly (who happens to be on a fishing trip). While Optimus prepares to make a mighty full-throttle leap, Side Burn and X-Brawn swim towards their destination. Prime makes an incredible leap, breaking a handful of the laws of physics, and reaches the ship.
Prime knocks Dark Scream off of the research vessel. Sky-Byte leaps from the sea to confront Prime, and after Sky-Byte recites some bad poetry, the two plunge into the sea as they begin their battle. T-AI asks Koji for a situation report, and he tells her that Prime is at a disadvantage underwater and losing badly. T-AI orders X-Brawn to help repair the damage done to the research vessel.
While Prime continues to battle Sky-Byte, being tossed around by the shark, X-Brawn works to repair the ship. Finally he asks Prowl to give it a push, and the ship returns to horizontal alignment, lifting Sky-Byte and Prime out of the water. No longer at such a disadvantage, Prime puts on one of the "gloves" from his super mode and punches Sky-Byte back into the depths. With Sky-Byte's defeat, Megatron destroys the Black Pyramid so the Autobots can't use it.
Although the day has been saved, the Autobots know that there's still a Predacon threat. Prime states that he and the Autobots will continue to defend the planet.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Predacons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Don't tell me to relax, I hate to relax!"
- —Slapper
"Whatever, you pathetic little guppy."
"What did you just say—?"
"Nothing! I said I wish I... had a puppy."
- —Dark Scream and Sky-Byte bicker
"It's a robot squirrel or hamster or something!"
- —Crewman, on seeing Dark Scream
"Now you got me as worried as a steer in a steakhouse."
"Dude, where do you come up with this stuff?"
- —X-Brawn and Side Burn
"I'm going to pretend that didn't happen."
- —Kelly, after seeing a police car fall out of the sky in the middle of the ocean
The cobalt ocean roils
zephyrs blow cold,
and another hapless foe is crushed beneath my heel.
- —Sky-Byte's poem
"You might do better with limericks! Your imagery is derivative. It lacks semiotic cohesion, and the 'hapless foe' is you!"
- —Optimus Prime's critique
"My next poem will be your eulogy, as you rust away in a watery grave. Then we'll see whose imagery lacks semiotic cohesion!"
- —Sky-Byte's retort
"It's not happening, it's not happening, it's not happening... I'm going to sleep."
- —Kelly
Notes
Differences with Car Robots
- The dub of this episode gussies up the Black Pyramid as an energy-generating "Matrix Chamber". In Car Robots, it's just an ordinary archaeological ruin that the Predacons have hidden the Megastar in so that they can (as is pretty obvious from the visuals) tap the nearby undersea oil pipeline.
- In Car Robots, Dark Scream says "地獄耳" (jigoku mimi), literally "Hell ears" and meaning "sharp hearing", when Sky-Byte heard a comment Dark Scream didn't meant for him to hear.
- Also in Car Robots, when the Autobots realize the Cybertron Network didn't have enough of a reach, X-Brawn comments "帯に短し、襷に長し" (obi ni mijikashi, tasuki ni nagashi). It's a proverb meaning literally "too short for a belt, too long for a sleeve tie"; in essence "neither one, nor the other". A tasuki is a length of cord used to tie kimono sleeves out of the way, while an obi is the sash/belt that ties the kimono closed and in place on the wearer.
- In Car Robots, Optimus points out that Sky-Byte's "bad poetry" is a senryū, a Japanese poem form similar to haiku but in the more dark humor or cynical context. And that it was not funny at all.
- Doctor Okasai's original Japanese name is Akashi.
Continuity errors
- The Black Pyramid's location is described first as being west, then east of Zuma Point. Whups!
Real-World references
- The pyramid is based on actual underwater structures off the coast of Japan.
- The unusual phrasing of this episode's title suggests it is a reference to the book/film The Hunt for Red October.
Trivia
- Kelly's boat has the registry number UF 26 S/C.
- One of the crewmen knows about the Predacons, confirming (along with "Bullet Train to the Rescue") that the Transformers' war is common knowledge. Yet Kelly still has no idea what's going on. She needs to watch the news once in a while.
- After Prowl jumps into the water, he's missing for the entire underwater fight, only showing up at the end to give the ship a nudge. What was he doing?!
Home video releases
- DVD
2000 — Transformers: Car Robots — Vol. 2 (Pony Canyon) — Japanese audio only.
2004 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Volume One (Maximum Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Three-Disc Box Set: Part 1 of 2 (Maximum Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Evil Intent (Maximum Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Special Edition 2-Disc Set (Maximum Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise / Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation / Action Man (Maximum Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Season One (Maximum Entertainment)
2007 — Transformers: Robots in Disguise — Ultimate Collection (Maximum Entertainment)
