Life? Death? Lightfoot Must Choose



As the Decepticons' newest plan slowly begins, Lightfoot finds himself alone against the Decepticons with his father's life at stake.


 * English/Malay dub name:  "The Struggle Between Life and Death"
 * Also known as: "Lightfoot Finds His Back to the Wall," "Lightfoot Must Choose: Life or Death?"

Detailed synopsis
The recent defeats suffered by the Decepticons have pushed Devil Z to take a new course of action, and he determines to contact the other Decepticons warring out in space to bolster his forces. In preparation, Mega and Giga instruct Hydra and Buster to focus their efforts on taking out the Autobot Godmasters, separating them and destroying them one by one, with Lightfoot being selected as their first target. Still smarting over the fact that they allowed the four other Godmasters to fall into Autobot hands, the brothers are especially enthusiastic about their mission.

In the Autobot base, Shūta races to the control room to show the Pretenders the wooden Ginrai doll that he and Cab have made, only find the room deserted save for Phoenix, who is working on the console wiring (and who proves highly amused by the doll). Shūta wonders where everyone is, but Phoenix remains silent on the matter. In truth, Metalhawk, Lander and Diver are atop a nearby mountain, awaiting the arrival of one of their own Autobot comrades from space, fellow Pretender Grand Maximus. Grand soon arrives, his spaceship cloaked from view, and informs his friends of the communication between the Earth-based Decepticons and the Decepticons in space. Unaware of the specifics of the villains' plan, Grand has managed to learn that the Decepticons are sending some kind of super-weapon to Earth, and has come to Earth to present the Autobots there with counter-measures. To stop this mystery weapon before it can reach Earth, Grand's plan is to upgrade Super Ginrai so that he will be able to fight in space. Grand gives Metalhawk the designs for the necessary enhancements, which will form a drone unit called "Godbomber" that will merge with Ginrai. Ginrai himself is a somewhat miffed when he hears this plan a little later, thinking that perhaps Grand doubts his ability to fight without enhancements, but Lander soon puts him in his place. Ginrai and the Pretenders then decide to keep this so-called "Bomber Project" secret from the Headmaster Juniors until the time is right, and the serious tone of the meeting is lightened when Phoenix presents him with Shūta's unflattering doll.

In Canada, Road King is filming a commercial for Lightfoot's company, British Motors, although Lightfoot's father, Leftfoot, is running late for the shoot. This is because he is conducting an interview with two reporters – except that the reporters are actually a disguised Hydra and Buster, and the camera they use to photograph him is a hypnosis ray that renders his unconscious. The Godmaster brothers take him prisoner and proceed to take control of the building, dispatching Leftfoot's panicked secretary with a note for Lightfoot, demanding that he come to them alone of his father's life is forfeit. Despite the protests of Ranger and Road King, Lightfoot complies with the note, only to find the building deserted save for an injured worker, who tells him that the Decepticons, his father and the other workers are in the second factory building. Lightfoot speeds to the scene and is confronted with a platoon of Seacons; about to don his armor, he is halted by the appearance of the Godmaster brothers, who have his father suspended from a crane with a knife pressed to his neck. Hydra demands that Lightfoot either join the Decepticons or give them his Master-Braces, and moves to cut Lightfoot's hands off to get the bracelets.

Ranger and Road King, meanwhile, have contacted the Autobot base, and Ginrai speeds to Canada to aid them. He arrives just as they are observing Lightfoot's struggle with Hydra, and directs Ranger to rescue the hostages while he disarms Hydra with a well-thrown rock. Lightfoot strikes back, shattering Hydra's visor with by smashing his Master-Brace into it, and Buster rushes to his brothers' side, leaving the hostages open for Ranger to free. With the Decepticons' plan foiled, the Godmasters all transform to robot mode and battle breaks out, with Road King, Ranger and Ginrai holding off the Seacons while a furious, fighting-mad Lightfoot takes on Hydra and Buster himself. This proves to be a bit more than he can handle, however, and he needs just a little help from Ranger and Road King to give the villains one of their most severe beatings yet, actually severing Buster's arm. A horrified Hydra calls retreat, although the brothers are not above spitefully blowing up the factory building with some parting laser blasts as they fly away.

A little later, Leftfoot thanks the Godmasters for their help with food and drink, thankfully that only buildings were destroyed, rather than lives. He offers to help the Autobots with anything they may need, large or small, and in thanks for his kindness, the four Godmasters all star in his company's new advert together.

Stats
Written by:  Yoshihisa Araki

Original airdate: 27th September 1988

Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Transformers references

 * It was revealed that the other Autobots and Decepticons were warring out in space in "Birth! Headmaster Jrs".
 * Lightfoot's father was previously seen in "Lightfoot: A Dramatic Encounter". See that article for notes on his horrible pun-name, which is first used in dialogue in this episode.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * This episode begins the second half of the Super-God Masterforce animated series, and immediately kicks off the plot that will carry the show through to its end. The episode also introduces the second opening sequence for the series, and like the first, it's not afraid to drop spoilers for upcoming character introductions, featuring as it does Overlord, Godbomber and God Ginrai.