Changing Gears
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In a plot to drain the sun for power, the Decepticons capture and alter the grumpy Autobot Gears.
Japanese title: "Steal the Solar Energy!"
Detailed synopsis
Megatron orchestrates a conflict with the Autobots in order to capture Gears and remove a vital component from his system. Megatron's plan is to use Gears's circuit board in his Solar Needle, a solar collector which his Decepticons are constructing to harness energy from the heart of the sun. The removal of this component from Gears corrupts his personality, turning him from a surly grump into a happy-go-lucky, ultra-polite guy who'll do absolutely anything for anyone, allowing Megatron to manipulate and control him. Mentally, Gears still knows the Decepticons are evil and doesn't want to help them, but he's been rendered so "nice" that he can't refuse any request. Unbeknownst to Megatron, the Solar Needle is flawed, causing a dangerous instability within the core of the sun. The Autobots arrive in order to rescue Gears and prevent Megatron from using the device. Though nearly defeated, they are finally able to drive off the Decepticons with the help of Gears, whose component has been restored, and destroy the device.
Stats
Original airdate: October 1, 1985
Written by: Larry Parr
Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Regulars
Guests |
Notable quotes
"I should be very angry with you Megatron. You are an evil son of a retrorat, but for some reason, I just can't get too upset."
- —Gears
"How can I help you, Megatron, heh heh, you rotten hunk of scrap."
- —Gears, piling on the flattery.
"What did you do to Gears, you monster? You turned him...nice!"
- —Ironhide, at Gear's sudden change in personality.
"All right, now let's blast that Solar Needle and roll out."
"I suppose you want me to do that."
"Be my guest."
- —Optimus Prime and Gears, grumpy once again.
Other notes
Animation and/or technical glitches
- When Starscream says the line "Oh, no, you don't. Your circuits stay right here," the voice saying the line is Thundercracker's.
- When the Autobots show up at the quarry to rescue the humans, Megatron "energizes" a number of boulders at the top of a cliff. The Autobots have their backs to the cliff, meaning the boulders should hit them from behind or land on top of them. The boulders actually hit the Autobots from all directions, including Sunstreaker, who is hit by a boulder traveling in the opposite direction of where it should have come from.
Continuity errors
- The Autobots somehow drove from their base in the Western United States to the "geographic center of Africa" in "slightly less than 2 Earth hours". After traveling through at least eight time zones, it appears to be roughly the same time of day as when the Autobots left their base.
- Throughout the latter half of the episode, Optimus Prime and Megatron argue that the Solar Needle may/may not destroy the universe. While the sun's exploding would obliterate our solar system, it couldn't destroy the universe in its entirety, unless the Solar Needle is some of the most advanced technology ever wielded by the Decepticons.
Transformers references
- Gears' change in personality is brought on by the absence of his personality component as well as Starscream's null ray. This may imply that Starscream has the ability to nullify specific electronics/processes of his choosing, or that Gears' personality is a major part of his ability to function.
Real-world references
- References
Miscellaneous trivia
- Gears's special circuit board looks like an audio cassette tape. Whether it can transform is not yet known.
