Past, Part 1

An Autobot and a Decepticon arrive from Cybertron, each with histories tied to the Autobot crew.!

=Armada Episode 31=


 * Original air date: Saturday March 29, 2003
 * Preceded by: Runaway
 * Followed by: Past, Part 2
 * Major characters (in order of appearance): Hot Shot, Wheeljack, Sideswipe, Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Optimus Prime, Blurr, Billy, Fred, Megatron, Nightbeat

Synopsis


''Surrounded by flames, Hot Shot tries life off a large piece of debris holding down Wheeljack's legs. Over Wheeljack's protest, Hot Shot runs to get additional assistance, leaving his friend waiting. Outside of the flames, Hot Shot's superior refuses to let Hot Shot endanger himself by entering the flames again.''

On Earth, the kids mock Skid's self-introduction. Skids greets Blurr, but Blurr is embarassed and denies knowing Sideswipe. After coming inside, Sideswipe stands on his own head and calls for help to jog Blurr's memory of the two meeting.

''On a sunny Cybertron, Sideswipe has been suspended upside down (possibly due to a poor attempt at a parachute landing). After a brief name exchange, Blurr blasts the rope holding Sideswipe in place.''

Seeking his savior, Sideswipe followed Blurr to Earth. But Blurr has no interest in the enthusiastic wannabe and walks away. When Sideswipe tries to follow, he stumbles and disturbs Blurr's work. Blurr, Optimus, and Hot Shot meet and decide that Hot Shot is best suited to becomes Blurr's mentor.

Fred and Billy play a videogame. Billy wins, but both players are scolded by Alexis.

Hot Shot walks out into the rain to take Sideswipe under his wing. After the two are introduced, they go to the target range. Sideswipe manages to destroy his target, but without anything close to precision. Outside, Sideswipe display that he can't Transform very fast either.

''Wheeljack, stranded inside of the burning terrain, calls out for help. While Hot Shot doesn't answer, Megatron marches from the flames.''

By a pretty lake, Sideswipe and Hot Shot have a heart to heart. Sideswipe explains how he idolizes the dedication of Blurr, but Hot Shot instead suggests Side Swipe set more reasonable goals to find his own identity. A black car monitors the two in secret.

Alexis enjoys Fred and Billy's video game.

Cruising on a highway, the black car agressively approaches the two Autobots. They attempt to ignore him (assuming he's domestic to the planet), but Wheeljack knocks away Side Swipe and shows his defaced Autobot logo to Hot Shot. Sideswipe connects with his Mini-Con and accelerates to fight back, while Hot Shot remembers:



''On Cybertron, years ago, Hot Shot is appointed the supervisor of an enthusiastic younger bot. In Person, Wheeljack's idolization is matches Side Swipe's idolization of Blurr. Wheeljack then cryptically mentions the possibility of the two being seperate by battle.''

Use of holograms, vanishing, and aggressive driving allow Wheeljack to easily knock Sideswipe off of a cliff on one side of the road. With the younger Autobot out of the way, Hot Shot and Wheeljack are formally reintroduced. Wheeljack disregards Hot Shot apology for the abandonment on Cybertron and explains how Megatron saved and recruited him. Now the two stand on opposite sides.

Quotes

 * Rad: Anyone order a pizza?
 * Carlos: Yea man, a pepperoni ice cream and double anchovies.
 * Alexis: Ewwwww


 * Enthusiasm will get you nowhere buddy, take a chill pill! -Hypocritical Carlos.


 * Hot Shot: Attention Soldier, Sideswipe, as this moment, you will be working under the supervision and guidance of hot shot
 * Side Swipe: Under hot shot?
 * Hot Shot: That's right kid
 * Side Swipe: Well who's that?
 * Hot Shot: I am! I'm hot shot, you idiot!


 * I'm exceedingly proud to be fighting alongside you Hot Shot, my unit has heard all about you. -Wheeljack, lol unit

Aberrations, Errors, Contrarieties

 * One of the members of Hot Shot's team on Cybertron is identical in design to Wheelie, only... much larger.
 * Hot Shot's superior in the flashback is voiced by Brian Dobson, but despite the dorkish behavior, it's unlikely he's Red Alert.
 * Isn't it weird that during Sideswipe's flashback, Cybertron happens to have clouds?
 * It's never explained if Wheeljack is teleporting, or using light-manipulation.
 * Nor is it explained where Sideswipe picked up his Mini-Con Nightbeat
 * Animation error: Connecting with his Mini-con changes Sideswipe's appearance, but in the next over-head shot, they re-use artwork of him before he powerlinked.
 * Hot Shot's other superior on Cybertron uses an identical design to Fortress Maximus, but in different colors and much, much smaller.
 * Color error: When Wheeljack first pulls his weapon out, it's colored grey. In the next shot, it's the proper color of yellow.
 * Hot Shot and Wheeljack are drawn without the details that indicate having terrestrial alternate modes. But Megatron is animated in his Earth animation model, instead of the pre-scan animation model he had in First Encounter