One Shall Rise, Part 1
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| "One Shall Rise, Part 1" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | October 1, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Nicole Dubuc and Duane Capizzi | |||||
| Directed by | Todd Waterman | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
The Autobots discover that Dark Energon is responsible for an epidemic of natural disasters.
Synopsis
As Dark Energon rains from the sky and Megatron prepares to deliver a killing blow to Optimus Prime, a GroundBridge opens and Bulkhead tackles Megatron. While the big guy keeps Megatron busy, Arcee and Ratchet pull Optimus through the GroundBridge. Arcee calls out to Bulkhead, who races back through the GroundBridge just before it closes. Megatron, left alone, realizes he now has all of the Dark Energon he needs.
Back at base, Optimus is glad to see that Raf is OK, but June reminds him that Raf's lucky to be alive. The Autobots discuss why so much Dark Energon is on Earth, though Ratchet is skeptical that it's literally the blood of Unicron. Sick of the kids being endangered, June decides to take Raf to a real hospital, and announces she's taking the other kids as well, since they don't belong in the Autobots' war. Miko refuses to go, and Jack decides to stay too. June takes off in her car with Raf. No sooner has she left than Agent Fowler contacts the Autobots to report that earthquakes have occurred simultaneously worldwide, and other disasters are springing up as well.
As June drives away the base, lightning begins striking the ground near her car. She swerves to avoid it, and crashes into a power pole, though neither she nor Raf are hurt. The danger is not over, however, as a tornado begins bearing down on them. June tries to escape from it, but it begins to lift the car off the ground. Help arrives in the form of Bumblebee, who grabs the car's front end and prevents it from flying off into the storm, while Raf climbs onto him over the hood. There's a moment of alarm as the car is ripped away, but June manages to survive clinging to the hood which Bumblebee is still clutching. Bumblebee drives the relieve pair back to base.
Back at the volcano, the Decepticons are busy gathering up Dark Energon and loading it aboard the Nemesis. On the ship's bridge, Megatron is suddenly seized by a vision of the Earth exploding.
Bumblebee arrives back at base, and everyone's relieved to see Raf and June safe, though she grounds Jack. At roughly the same time, Fowler arrives to find out if the Autobots have made any progress in finding answers. Ratchet has traced the source of the earthquakes to the Earth's core and when he plays the tiny tremors as sound, everyone present hears a heartbeat. Meanwhile Soundwave plays the same sound to Megatron, who feels it resonating through his head.
Deep within the volcano, Unicron awakens.
Realizing that Unicron is at the Earth's core, Optimus explains to the humans present about the age-old war between Primus and Unicron, the creation of the Thirteen, the Well of All Sparks and the defeat of Unicron. Fowler thinks they should find the hole Unicron crawled into the Earth through and fill it with explosives, but Optimus believes that the Earth formed around Unicron as he slept. Everyone wonders what will happen next.
Airachnid reports that the Nemesis hold is full of Dark Energon. Megatron places her in command while he goes to talk to Unicron. As the ship moves away, Megatron flies down to the lip of the volcano and beseeches Unicron to speak to him. Unicron is unimpressed with Megatron, and senses the taint of Primus. Unicron is shocked that the last of the Primes still lives, and tells Megatron he'll deal with it himself.
Optimus scouts one of the locations where a quake has struck and confirms that like the others it's rich in metals. Ratchet warns him of an increase in spark activity, and a few moments later, Unicron himself appears to Optimus as a huge stone being. Optimus asks Unicron to consider the many humans inhabiting Earth, whom rely on Unicron, but Unicron considers them parasites and opts to blast Optimus with lightning instead. Optimus retaliates, blasting Unicron until the stone golem falls and crumbles into the ground. Optimus has not won, however, as more Unicrons burst out of the ground all around him.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"The ‘Cons killed a unicorn?" (Awkward silence) "White horse with a horn on its head... prances around all sparkly?"
- -Miko sure knows how to lighten the mood.
Optimus: It deeply grieves me that I have failed. But I will do everything in my power to ensure that no harm comes to our human friends – or any human – ever again.
June: Optimus… they’re children. They do not belong in your world. They should be worry about grades, prom dates, pimples – not their own survival!
- -A spark-to-heart in which Optimus and June don't quite see eye to optic.
Miko: Do you really expect me to get into a non-transforming vehicle?
June: Miko, I’m serious.
Miko: You’re not my mother.
Bulkhead: Miko…
Miko: Neither are you!
- -Miko asserts her independence - again.
"...I awaken..."
- -Unicron, bringing all the sinister foreboding you'll ever need.
"Before the beginning... there was Primus. And, there was Unicron. One, the incarnation of creation – the other... of destruction. For eons; Primus and Unicron battled, the balance of power shifting between them more times than could be counted. Only by creating the Thirteen – the original Primes who preceded me – was Primus finally able to defeat Unicron, and cast him out. Primus became one with the very core of our planet, creating life through the Well of All Sparks, while Unicron was never to be heard from again... until now."
- -Optimus Prime tells the tale.
Unicron: SILENCE, WORM. I HAVE NO NEED OF YOUR LOWLY ASSISSTANCE.
Megatron: Please, my lord, I exist only to serve you.
Unicron: WHAT IS THIS I SENSE? THE TAINT OF PRIMUS? HERE?!
Megatron: That is Optimus, the last of the Primes; our sworn enemy.
Unicron: YOU PROFESS LOYALTY TO ME, YET ALLOW A DISCIPLE OF PRIMUS TO LIVE?!?!
Megatron: I will destroy him for you! His screams shall be heard--
Unicron: I GROW WEARY OF YOUR PRATTLE. SURELY IF YOU HAD THE POWER TO DESTROY THIS PRIME, YOU WOULD HAVE DONE SO ALREADY. I WILL DEAL WITH HIM MYSELF.
- -Confronting Unicron himself, Megatron starts to feel a little like Starscream.
Optimus: I humbly request your ear, Lord Unicron.
Unicron: And what would a Prime be so compelled to say to me?
Optimus: I make this appeal not for myself, but for this planet which you constitute – and the beings that inhabit it. Humankind relies upon you; for life, sustenance. Your resurrection will only result in the destruction of a species which evolved from the seeds of your very greatness.
Unicron: So this humankind of whom you speak… you consider them my progeny?
Optimus: Indeed.
Unicron: Parasites! They, too, shall know my wrathful hand – once I am finished with you!
- -Nice try, Optimus, but Unicron has never been much of a people person.
Unicron: The line of Primes has grown weak in my absence. And thus, you shall fall!
Optimus: That outcome is inevitable… but not on this day!
(Optimus shoots the golem until it breaks. Several more then form from the surrounding rock.)
Unicron golems: Yes, disciple of Primus… on this very day. For Unicron may be one… but we all are Unicron!
Notes
Animation and technical errors
Continuity notes
- The blade that forms from Optimus' right arm remains broken in this episode, having been damaged by Megatron in One Shall Fall.
Transformers references
- Primus and his conflict with Unicron originated in Marvel's Transformers comic way back in the 1980s.
- The Thirteen first came into Transformers lore in Dreamwave's Transformers: The Ultimate Guide.
- The Well of All Sparks meanwhile originated in Dreamwave's 2003 War Within: The Dark Ages miniseries.
- This episode gives direct confirmation that the Core of Cybertron is Primus. Furthermore, the appearance of the Core shown in the episode is almost identical to its appearance in War for Cybertron.
Real-world references
Trivia
- This episode was initially intended to air on TeleToon on August 28, 2011, but its broadcast was replaced at the last minute by a rerun of "Predatory". It was then aired exclusively in Singapore on September 29, 2011.
- This episode's intro sequence is shorter than previous ones, skipping the shots of the kids with their respective partners.
- A unicorn joke regarding Unicron actually happened in canon.
- The piece of music that plays during the scene with Jack's potential separation from Arcee is the one that can be heard back during the similar situations in Darkness Rising, Part 4 and Darkness Rising, Part 5.
- As of this episode, June dubs Jack grounded until the age of twenty-five. Let's see how long that lasts.
