Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1
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 I feel a great disturbance... like a million robots crying out at once and then being silenced. | ||||||
| "Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1" (Cybertron-sei Kikiippatsu Zenpen) | ||||||
| Production company | Takara, Toei | |||||
| Airdate | September 4, 1987 | |||||
| Writer | Yoshihisa Araki | |||||
| Director | Jōhei Matsūra | |||||
| Animation studio | Toei | |||||
| Continuity | Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity | |||||
When Vector Sigma develops a powerful new alloy, the Decepticons initiate an all-out strike against Cybertron to claim it for their own.
Synopsis
On a spying mission on Cybertron, Soundblaster and his cassettes discover that Vector Sigma is in the process of developing a powerful new alloy named Cybertonuron. They report back to Galvatron who begins making plans to attack Cybertron so they can seize the new material. Meanwhile Twincast has discovered the development as well, and reports it to Rodimus Prime on Athenia. The Headmasters, deep in their training, wonder if they shouldn't be doing more against the Decepticons.
Galvatron dispatches the Predacons to Cybertron as an advance squad, and a short time later is cautioned by Scorponok, who is actually more concerned over the level of power that Galvatron will achieve with the alloy more than anything else. Despite this, Galvatron, Soundblaster and the Decepticon Headmasters head to Earth in Astrotrain to gather up their forces there. Their arrival is observed by Twincast, who lets Rodimus's team know. Kup observes that Galvatron seems to always have three days of rest followed by four days of making things hard for the Autobots. Chromedome and Hardhead immediately decide to head for Earth, though Fortress warns them to only observe and not get involved in any fights.
On Cybertron, two Autobot scouts spot the Predacons readying their weapons. Though one of them is spotted and shot, the other runs off to raise the alarm.
Back on Earth, Galvatron inspects the Stunticons and Combaticons as he prepares for the attack. Sixshot informs Scorponok that Galvatron plans to exile him, as his services will no longer be required if Galvatron can acquire the Cybertonuron, galvanizing the shadowy villain into action. Chromedome and Hardhead reach the Decepticon Earth Base, but are too late—the entire Decepticon army has already used the space bridge to invade Cybertron! Storming out of Decepticon Headquarters, Galvatron's men begin shooting the place up and blasting the Autobot security guards.
Rodimus gets a call from one of the guards, alerting him to the invasion and alerts the other Autobots to prepare to depart, though they have a momentary problem when Blurr turns out to be stuck in his chair. Although Fortress recommends holding off on a counter attack, suspecting a trap, Rodimus is determined to go free Cybertron. Fortress is reluctant to accompany the mission, but Chromedome and Hardhead contact him from Earth to say they're heading for Cybertron with the Autobots' Earth forces. With no other choice, Fortress fires up Battleship Maximus and Rodimus and his men jump aboard as it's departing.
The Decepticons are wiping out the last of the Autobot guards when the Autobot forces from Earth turn up and join in the battle. Chromedome and Hardhead confront the Decepticon Headmasters, but are marginally outnumbered. Fortunately Battleship Maximus arrives on the planet and lets Rodimus off some distance from the battle so he can inspect the dead Autobot guards. While Brainstorm and Highbrow go to help their fellow Headmasters, Rodimus Prime confronts Galvatron himself. After they exchange blows, Galvatron uses his cannon mode to bring down a wall on Rodimus. Before he can finish off the Autobot leader, Soundblaster arrives with the important news that Vector Sigma has completed the formula for Cybertonuron, and is poised to begin production of the alloy. The distraction gives the other Autobots time to dig out Rodimus.
The news has also reached Scorponok, who realizes it's time to act. Recalling Weirdwolf, Skullcruncher and Mindwipe, he equips the Headmasters with three bombs, which they will plant in Vector Sigma's chamber at the heart of the planet. When they explode, the entire planet will be destroyed, taking the Autobots and Cybertonuron with it...!
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Notes
Animation and technical errors
- When the cassettes are shown sneaking into Vector Sigma's chamber at the start of the episode, Soundblaster is with them, shimmying up a tower. It is apparent that he has been animated in place of Rumble, who pops his head through the floor of the chamber in the next shot, especially since the cassettes are all then shown returning to Soundblaster, who is waiting outside.
- When Rewind transforms and enters Twincast, he's colored blue, red and yellow, looking like Twincast himself.
- Throughout the episode, Decepticon Headquarters is miscolored as Iacon.
- Headstrong's insignia—when he shoots at the generic guards—is an odd fusion of both factions' insignias. Maybe he read his debut issue at Marvel, and got the concept of symbol-switching confused?
- Astrotrain's regular size changing is one thing, but here it becomes downright preposterous. Astrotrain, in shuttle mode, enters Decepticon Headquarters through the space bridge, at which point the audience might think this is a rare moment of him not size changing. Only, next shot, it turns out he had passengers. Five Stunticons, five Combaticons, three Headmasters, Soundblaster and Galvatron to be exact. How is that supposed to fit?
- As the Aerialbots charge into battle, they are led by... Superion.
- When the combiners merge, their torsos hop into the air and just hover there while their arms connect, with their legs linking up last. One might argue that the Decepticons and Aerialbots can get away with this (as they can fly), but the Protectobots don't got no excuse.
- Arcee's left shoulder thingy is drawn oddly pointy throughout Rodimus's fight with Galvatron.
- In a dramatically drawn panning shot, Tracks is seen being kicked in the face by fellow Autobot and noted pacifist First Aid.
- Weirdwolf is colored like Skullcruncher when he and Mindwipe are ganging up on Chromedome.
Transformers references
- Cybertonuron is noted as being many times stronger than Cybertonium, the element introduced in "Desertion of the Dinobots". This is stated, however, with the implication that Cybertonium is unusually strong itself—something that is in no way indicated in its debut episode.
Foreign localization
English
- Title: "Crisis on Cyberton, Part 1" [sic] (Omni Productions dub)
- Original airdate: ?
- In the Omni Productions dialogue script for this episode...
- Rumble is identified as "Inka" and Soundblaster as "Puda" (who was "Bulada" in a prior episode script).
- Razorclaw is identified as "Sogo".
- Twincast is referred to as "Kister" in narration, while Blurr is referred to as "Bill" and "Billy".
- Onslaught is identified as "Dow", and he refers to the Combaticons as the "Dolong Regiment".
- Scorponok was originally identified in dialogue as "Locke". However, this was crossed out and replaced by "Scorponok". This correction will only be made baffling by later scripts that alternately refer to him as "Sogi" and "Chandler".
- In an incredibly bizarre mix-up, the Sixshot/Scorponok conversation is written out with Sixshot identified as "Lok" (the script's shorthand form of "Locke") and Scorponok identified as "Jart".
- Sadly, the generic guards are only identified as "A" and "B".
- In the Omni Productions dialogue script for this episode...
- Title: "Planet Cybertron Is in Grave Danger: Part 1" (Shout! Factory sub)
- The Predacons are outright ordered to attack the Autobot guards on Cybertron in the original, and they do. The subtitles present it as more of a stealth mission.
- The attacked Autobot guard strangely orders the other guard to tell "the Rodimus Prime". This is an artifact from the original translation being simply "the commander".
Spanish
- Title: "Crisis en el Planeta Cybertron, Primera Parte" ("Crisis on the Planet Cybertron, First Part")
Italian
- Title: "Cybertron è in pericolo - parte 1" ("Cybertron is in danger - Part 1")
Trivia
- Tracks makes a rare (and very brief) appearance just before the Headmasters mix it up on Cybertron.
- This episode originally aired in a double-bill with "Terror! The Six Shadows" on September 4, 1987.
- Exactly why Sixshot told Scorponok that Galvatron planned to banish him after getting the cybertonuron is a mystery. Despite getting useful info, Scorponok wasn't very grateful to Sixshot in later episodes.
- The Headmasters are shown to be training on exercise equipment such as treadmills and exercise bicycles, despite the fact they're robots.
Home video releases
- Laserdisc
1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
