The Web



While testing a new communications device, Cheetor runs into trouble.

Summary
At the Maximal base, Cheetor volunteers enthusiastically to field test a new comm link Rhinox has developed to aid long range communication. Cheetor is instructed to take care of the device, and not engage with any Predacons. After Cheetor bolts out of the room, Rhinox expresses a bit of doubt, but Primal is confident that Cheetor will do fine.

Five microquads away, Cheetor hears an explosion, caused by Scorponok trying to recover a mega-cannon from one of the two ships. Cheetor radios a report to Optimus and heads off to investigate, openly defying Primal's orders to not get into any trouble. Primal leaves to recover Cheetor before something bad happens. Cheetor finds Scorponok and radios to Rhinox that he's going to take immediate action. Cheetor holds Scorponok at gunpoint, but Tarantulas surprises Cheetor, giving Scorponok the time he needs to take Cheetor out with a missile. By the time Primal arrives, the two Predacons are gone, and Cheetor is left heavily damaged.

Cheetor's dream: ''On Cybertron, Megatron, Waspinator, and Terrorsaur all open fire at Cheetor. Cheetor merely laughs at his attackers and blasts them away with ease. But from the darkness inside of an empty water tower, the glowing eyes of Tarantulas taunt Cheetor. Cheetor opens fire again, but finds his accuracy suddenly diminished. Suddenly Scorponok transforms and attacks, out of the blue Rattrap appears for a split second. With his blaster exhausted, Cheetor is unable to do anything but watch as a missile from Scorponok closes in''.

Cheetor reawakens on the Axalon, having been repaired by Rhinox. Cheetor tries to explain to the Maximals gathered around him that he had to take immediate action to stop Scorponok's recovery of the cannon, but Primal and the others are still disappointed with him for losing both the communicator and the cannon because of his impulsive actions. Once Primal leaves, Rattrap gives Cheetor a hard time, causing the cat bot to snarl back and rush out of the room again. Rhinox makes Rattrap face up to what Cheetor is surely going to do, so Rattrap relents and agrees to go after Cheetor.

In Predacon territory, Terrorsaur and Scorponok install the newly recovered cannon. Cheetor tries to sneak past them, but is so focused on waiting for the correct moment, he doesn't notice Tarantulas emerge from the ground behind him and is quickly ensnared.

Cheetor awakens in dark caverns, stuck to an energy web that restricts his movement. Tarantulas explains to Cheetor that the stasis web is draining his energy slowly, leaving the delicious body ripe for consumption. Tarantulas crawls over his captive's body and laughs with delight at the thought of his meal.

In the Axalon's main room, Primal, Rhinox, and Dinobot look over a holo-map of the crashed Predacon ship. Primal prepares to send Rattrap on a scouting mission, but Rhinox covers for his friend and says that the rat is talking to Cheetor.

Unknown to Primal, Rattrap is actually already in Predacon territory, following Cheetor's trail. Rattrap finds Tarantulas's lair, and engages his Predacon nemesis. While the two battle, Tarantulas increases the speed at which the web drains energy from Cheetor. Tarantulas hunts Rattrap through the cavern with a thermal scan, but Rattraps fools the vision with a "hot box" and beats the spider in a Mexican standoff.

After destroying the energy web, Rattrap grabs Cheetor and gets ready to leave, but one last blast from Tarantulas forces Rattrap to make his exit by diving away from a large explosion...which causes the cavern to collapse upon Tarantulas.

Back at the base, Rattrap lies to Primal and claims he and Cheetor were just hanging out together. The act spares Cheetor from Primal's anger. In private, Rattrap emphasizes to Cheetor that Rattrap was only lying to cover his own hide... but Cheetor is still grateful to his pal.

Quotes
"You know, that is why you mess up, kiddo. You don't have the sense to BE afraid." "OH, YEAH? I'll show you what I have the sense to do, motorhead! You and Big Bot!"
 * —Rattrap and Cheetor trade manly quips.

"I hate that rat."
 * —Tarantulas

Stats
Writers: Larry DiTillio

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor, Scorponok, Tarantulas, Megatron, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, Rattrap, Dinobot

Original Air Date: September 18, 1996

Technical/Animation Glitches

 * Being an early episode, Cheetor and the other characters pretty distinctly pronounce his name as "Cheater".

Continuity Errors

 * Cheetor wakes up after having been repaired by Rhinox, when generally the characters just emerge from a CR Chamber.

Transformers References

 * In Cheetor's dream, you can see Thundercracker in his Earth vehicle mode flying on Cybertron for a few seconds: the Decepticon sigil on his wing is the first direct Beast Wars reference to either the Autobots or Decepticons.


 * Cheetor's dream also contains a brief vision of Rattrap's rescue attempt before it actually happens. This is the first of several dreams, precognitive and otherwise, that Cheetor would have through the series.