The Autobot Warrior, Sixknight?!



Both Sixknight and Cancer have been greatly affected by their experiences with the Autobots, and decide to do something about their conflicted loyalties.


 * English/Malay dub name:  "A New Friend, Sixshot"

Detailed synopsis
The recruitment of Road King to the ranks of the Autobots has completed the search for the Godmasters, and Ginrai celebrates with the Pretenders, although they offer so many toasts to their recent successes that he can't even get the time to drink. It's at this point that Metalhawk hits him with a bombshell – he wants Ginrai to take over as leader of the Autobots! Ginrai is not thrilled with the idea, but the Pretenders don't give him much choice in the matter.

Elsewhere, the Decepticon Headmaster Juniors are relaxing on a beach. Cancer tries practising his martial arts, but can't focus – his mind is clouded with memories of Minerva and the kindness she has shown him in the past. Wilder and Bullhorn tease Cancer mercilessly about his infatuation, although Cancer's loudly denies it. Bullhorn begins to really lose his temper, suggesting that Cancer just go and join the Autobots if he likes her so much, and the pair almost starting fighting for real before Wilder breaks it up and tells them to return to the base, where Giga and Mega have arranged a lavish feast for dinner. As Giga pontificates about the loss of the newest Godmasters to the Autobot side, Mega notices that Cancer is not eating, and calls him to her chambers after the meal. There, she consoles him and presents him with a gift – a tiny Transformer named Browning, who Cancer quickly makes friends with.

In the fields surrounding the Autobot base, the Autobot Headmaster Juniors relax, and Minerva tends to Ranger's horse. Looking into the horse's eyes, she is reminded of Cancer's own "beautiful eyes," and wonders aloud what he is doing, much to the consternation of Cab and Shūta. Suddenly, their relaxation is brought to an abrupt halt by the arrival of Sixknight, who throws down his guns and expresses his desire not to fight, but to merely speak with Ginrai. Shuta contacts the base and Ginrai agrees to meet with the six-changer.

Meanwhile, Cancer and Browning have taken a helicopter from the Decepticon base, and brought Wilder and Bullhorn to Japan. Desperate to prove to his team-mates – and perhaps to himself – that Minerva means nothing to him, Cancer has them disembark in mid-air, boarding their Transtectors and returning to the area in which Cancer was originally captured by the Autobots. His plan is to being tearing up the area to draw the Autobots out, although the scheme gets off to a bad start when the diminutive Browning proves too small to pilot the still-flying helicopter, and it crashes on top of the Juniors.

At the same time, Ginrai arrives before Sixknight, and the six-changer asks him the question that has been torturing him since they last fought – how could a Transformer have lost to a frail, fragile being like a human? An impassioned Ginrai explains that the great strength of human beings is their indomitable spirit, and their will to fight for the sake of their loved ones, even if they know they cannot win. Sixknight rejects this answer, unable to comprehend losing to an intangible concept, rather than to a physical force, but Ginrai continues that explaining that it is this strength to overcome such fears and limitations that makes humans great. Just then, a report of the Headmaster Juniors' rampage comes in, and the Autobots immediately depart to deal with them. Sixknight, however, wants to prove to Ginrai that he is not a Decepticon, and offers to take care of the Juniors himself.

As the Juniors tear through a city, and Cancer calls out for Minerva to show herself, Sixknight drops out of the sky and immediately begins pummelling the three Juniors. Ginrai and the Autobot Juniors soon arrive, and Ginrai orders them to hold back, unsure of what to make of Sixknight's actions and waiting to see more. Sixknight's multiple transformations push the Juniors back and force them to change strategy, pretending to surrender and them rushing Sixknight when he moves in. The tables are briefly turned, but Minerva darts onto the battlefield and appeals to Cancer, who cruelly rebuffs her. While he is distracted by her, however, Sixknight is able to seize him and hurl him into his comrades, putting things back in his favor again. Now no longer willing to spare the Decepticons, Sixknight is about to deliver the killing stroke when he pauses, unsure of whether or not to go through with it. Browning uses his hesitation to ask Minerva for help in saving Cancer, transforming to pistol mode and having her fire him at Sixknight. Browning unleashes a volley of smoke bombs, which obscure the battlefield and allow the Decepticons to escape. Sixknight realises that what he did was enough, and that he did not truly have it in him to kill them. Convinced that Sixknight is trustworthy, Ginrai invites him to the Autobot base, but Sixknight remarks that he should not trust him so easily. Telling Ginrai that he now realises there was a purpose in their meeting, he departs, saying that they will meet again.

Stats
Written by:  Hiroyuki Hoshiyama

Original airdate: 13th September 1988

Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Transformers references

 * Road King was recruited by the Autobots in the previous episode.
 * Cancer and Minerva's unusual relationship began in "A Strange Friendship: Cancer and Minerva."
 * Sixknight previously appeared and battled Ginrai in "A Powerful Foe!! Sixknight the Wanderer."

Real world references

 * While reclining on a couch in the Autobot base, Diver has a book resting on his face - "The Currents of Spade," by "Izaac Esimov."

Miscellaneous trivia

 * While on the beach, Cancer's thoughts turn to Minerva when he sees a pair of crabs walking along together. It's easy to forget that Cancer's unfortunate name comes not from the disease, but from the astrological sign of the crab, derived from the fact that his Transtector is a crab-monster. So, he's just one crab, all on his own, and the sight of a pair of them makes him sad. Aww.
 * This is the first Super-God Masterforce episode to feature a full insert song, in the form of "Miracle Transformer," which was previously heard in instrumental form in "Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter."
 * Super-God Masterforce took a two-week break between the airing of the previous episode and this one.