Heavy Metal War

Writer: Donald F. Glut

Megatron challenges Optimus to a one on one battle to end the war.

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Constructicons, Megatron, Starscream, Optimus Prime

Minor Characters (in order of appearance): Ironhide, Dinobots

Original Air Date: Saturday December 15, 1984

Summary
A busy construction site is attacked by driverless construction equipment, and several components are stolen. The construction vehicles return to Decepticon headquarters and are revealed to be the newly built Constructicons. The components they stole are parts to a machine that will allow Megatron to absorb the power chip rectifiers from his Decepticon warriors.

While the final preparations are completed on the machine, Megatron flies to Autobot headquarters and makes Optimus Prime an offer he can’t refuse. Megatron offers Prime a one on one battle with the winner staying on Earth to do as he pleases, and the loser taking his army and exiling themselves to deep space. Prime, confident in his own abilities, accepts the challenge and sets the match.

Knowing that Prime would be unable to resist a chance to honorably end their conflict, Megatron returns to the Decepticon base and uses the newly completed machine to gain all of the special powers of his warriors. Skywarp’s teleportation, Thundercracker’s sonic boom, Rumble’s seismic attack, etc. Knowing that Megatron would now be unbeatable, Starscream voices concerns that the Autobot computer Teletraan I would be able to detect what Megatron had done. Anticipating this problem, Megatron dispatches the Constructicons to take care of the computer.

The two armies arrive at the battle site, and the contest begins. Megatron unleashes a barrage of powers, (while Starscream gives a running commentary) and Prime is outclassed at every step. Not knowing that he has been deceived, Prime concedes the fight and comments that he underestimated Megatron. The shocked Autobots begin the trek back to base, and the Decepticons follow to make sure they leave.

Meanwhile, the Constructicons have nearly tunneled their way into the Ark and Teletraan-I. Teletraan-I, sensing the imminent danger, activates the Dinobots. The Dinobots respond and start pounding on the Constructicons opening up a lava channel in the process. The battle not going in their favor, the Constructicons pull out one last trick and combine into the super warrior, Devastator. The returning Autobots see the battle, but are unable to help. Inside the Ark, Teletraan-I is able to show that Megatron cheated, and the Autobots rush outside to help the Dinobots.

Distracted by one of Hound’s holograms, Devastator is shot by Optimus Prime and falls apart and into the lava. The other Decepticons are routed by the Autobots and also pushed into the lava. There is much rejoicing.

Notable Quotes
"Everybody reporting in as accounted for noble leader. Scavenger, Mixmaster, Longhaul, Bonecrusher, Hook... and myself." -- Scrapper reporting to Megatron that all the Constructicons have returned.

"But I need my power chip rectifier besides, the Cybertron Code of Combat states that each combatant must fight as they are without additional reinforcements. You wouldn't want to cheat, would you Megatron?" "I will win by any means, at any cost. Even if it means terminating you Starscream." "I was only making a legal point..." -- Starscream and Megatron.

"Let's see how he likes my new shockblast cannon!... that's a shock alright." -- Wheeljack as he attempts to shoot Megatron with his new Shockblast cannon which blows up on his shoulder instead.

"There's Teletraan-1, for Megatron, destroy it!" "Don't destroy Teletraan-1, Dinobots destroy you!" -- Scavenger as he leads the Constructicons into the Autobot base and about to destroy Teletraan-1 as Grimlock and the Dinobots begin firing on the Decepticon strike team.

"Dinobots. No. Fool Around." -- Slag talking to Grimlock and saying that they should get serious while attacking the Constructicons.

"It's no use Scrapper. They've brought in the heavy artillery." "Then its time we did the same, but only heavier. Constructicons, transform phase 1! Now, transform, phase 2!" -- Hook talking to Scrapper as the latter gets hit by a blast from the Dinobots. Scavenger then commands the Constructicons to merge into Devastator for the first time.

"Nothing defeats the Devastator, nothing!" "Nothing, little one? What would you say about me? HAHAHA!" -- Devastator and a "Giant Autobot".

"That giant Autobot was only an illusion, it wasn't real!" "No. But we are!" -- Megatron commenting on the giant holographic Autobot as Optimus Prime and his warriors attack.

"Is it really over, Optimus? I mean, have we seen the last of this war forever?" "Who can say, Spike? In this vast universe, is anything truly... forever?" -- Spike and Optimus Prime reflecting on the defeat of Megatron (their question is quickly answered, at least for the audience).

"We... shall... rise... AGAIN." -- Megatron floating in lava.

Technical/Animation Glitches

 * When Megatron descends to speak to the Autobots, and at two points during the duel with Optimus Prime, he is colored dark grey.
 * When Megatron laughs maniacally after being infused with the power of the other Decepticons, his head is disproportionally small, and his Decepticon insignia moves independently of his body.
 * When Megatron talks to Starscream after that, the two rectangular things on Starscream's chest are colored white instead of black.
 * When the Constructicons move out to dig the passage to the Autobot headquarters, Mixmaster is constantly moving a bit back and forth while driving, as if the animation frames are not ordered properly.
 * During the duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, where are the Autobots seen in the background sitting, in midair?
 * When Skywarp boasts that Megatron acquired the power of teleportation from him, he is colored like Starscream, who is seen sitting right next to him.
 * When the Autobots cheer inside their headquarters, Bumblebee's insignia is missing.

Continuity Errors

 * The Constructicons' origin would be one of the most confusing and inconsistent of the series. In "Heavy Metal War", Megatron states that they were recently built on Earth; however, in the second season episode The Secret of Omega Supreme, Omega reveals that millions of years earlier he befriended the then-benevolent Constructicons and that they would be subsequently reprogrammed by Megatron as a combining force for evil. Further complicating the Constructicons origins is a flashback in Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 where the Constructicons are shown creating Megatron, which contradicts the origin of being built on Earth.
 * Where were you on THAT one, Flint Dille?
 * The building site ruined and from which the components were stolen from by the Constructicons was actually a power plant that one of the construction workers stated to be able to provide whole planet with limitless energy. Evidently wasting the opportunity to harvest endless energy and fighting petty duels with Optimus Prime while being able to cheat is much more fun in the optics of Megatron than sticking to the old plan of acquiring as many energon cubes as possible and conquering the universe.
 * Ironhide is apparently able to detect the Decepticons by himself, without relying on Teletraan I. However, in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 1", the Autobots were unable to detect the approaching Decepticons with Teletraan sabotaged.
 * Was it really wise for Optimus to bring all the Autobots outside to watch the duel, thus leaving the headquarters undefended?

Transformers References

 * This episode introduces the Constructicons and Devastator.


 * This episode is also the "source" of the aborted "Lava Bath Safety" deco for the original Megatron toy.

Miscellaneous Trivia

 * During Teletraan's montage of the sources of Megatron's acquired powers, the descriptions for the individual Decepticons are verbatim quotes from the Transformers Series Bible's "Decepticon Rolecall" page, albeit including several lost-in-translation typographical errors ("Decepticon Lider", "Decepticon Commicator", "Sky Warp"). The most notable of those is Rumble (misspelled as "Runble") being identified as a "red robot". Furthermore, the seemingly random numbers listed on those screens are actually Hasbro's product codes for the respective toys. Interestingly enough, even Reflector is given a product number, even though he was never released at mass retail. However, the renditions of the Decepticons are not the official model sheets for those characters, but rather all-new drawings.

Real-World References

 * Reference