Some Body, Any Body

Some Body, Any Body is the sixteenth episode of Transformers: Robots in Disguise season 1.

Plot
When the Team's latest quarry leaves Sideswipe powerless, the young Autobot must learn that he can't always rely on his physical prowess.

Synopsis
Speeding through a subway, Sideswipe reports in to Bumblebee, who is currently heading towards Crown City with Strongarm and Grimlock. Sideswipe ducks out of sight as a subway train passes by, but is so busy cracking jokes at Strongarm's expense that he doesn't notice the other train which pulls up, until it transforms into a Decepticon and attacks him.

Sometime later, the other Autobots reach the section of subway, but Sideswipe's long gone, as is the Decepticon. Fixit has trouble pinpointing a signal for either, so the Autobots split into pairs to go hunting.

Sideswipe wakes to find he's restrained to a table. The serpentine Vertebreak appears and though Sideswipe asks hopefully to be untied, the madly-cackling Decepticon instead moves in with all manner of tools.

Fixit is surprised to find he's detected two signals for Sideswipe. He and Bumblebee follow one of the signals and soon spy Sideswipe coming towards them down a tunnel, however when "Sideswipe" attacks Bumblebee, it's clear that Vertebreak has grafted his head onto Sideswipe's body. Vertebreak explains that he's taken Sideswipe's attributes for his own as he wipes the floor with Bumblebee. Once he's finished testing out his new body, he intends to return to Cybertron to exact revenge on those who wronged him.

After Strongarm calls Bee, Vertebreak takes advantage of a passing subway train to head off and continue his testing on Strongarm and Grimlock. Picking up Fixit, Bumblebee asks the Mini-Con to check the Alchemor prisoner manifest before radioing Strongarm to warn her of what's coming. Fixit's able to find Vertebreak's stats and the Autobots are shocked to learn of the Decepticon's skills in grafting.

Bumblebee and Fixit continue tracking the other signal and find Vertebreak's makeshift laboratory. As they explore, they hear Sideswipe's voice and follow it to find Sideswipe's disembodied head in a jar. The despondent Sideswipe doesn't think he'll see his body again, but Fixit thinks he can use Vertebreak's notes to fix Sideswipe up. Leaving Fixit to examine the notes, Bumblebee takes Sideswipe's head and goes to help the others.

Vertebreak attacks Strongarm and Grimlock as they dodge trains, however as Grimlock prepares to attack Sideswipe, Strongarm points out they can't damage Sideswipe's body. Vertebreak fights Strongarm while Grimlock is first held up behind a subway train, then struck by a second train as he rushes to help. Bumblebee and Sideswipe find Strongarm unconscious and once she comes around, she fills them in on the fight. Hearing Grimlock and Vertebreak fighting nearby, the trio rush to his aid, though Sideswipe is left sitting nearby while Bumblebee and Strongarm engage the Decepticon. Vertebreak is eventually defeated, however as they're picking him up, a subway train speeds down the tunnel towards them.

With the train in hot pursuit, the Autobots attempt to sprint to the next intersection. Bumblebee and Strongarm transform, allowing Grimlock to ride on them, and barely make it out in time. Unfortunately Vertebreak has the chance to recover and unsheathes his Decepticon Hunter. As the three able-bodied Autobots fight him, Sideswipe complains that they're risking damage to his body, however Bumblebee realizes that the fact they're trying not to damage Sideswipe's body is hampering them. After Sideswipe's head is knocked over and passed from Autobot to Autobot, he realizes that he's able to anticipate Vertebreak's fighting moves. By calling out instructions to his teammates, he's able to have them counter Vertebreak's moves, and the Decepticon is swiftly brought down again.

Back in the laboratory, as Sideswipe's head is reattached, he immediately pulls a prank on Strongarm by whispering something about her which caused her to get closer to him but he revealed she even worries slow. She challenges him to a race back to the scrapyard, however as they head off, Sideswipe discovers something is connected up wrong, and he can't transform. The other Autobots speed off, and Sideswipe's left trudging back to base with Fixit, who takes the opportunity to relate a blow-by-blow description of the surgery.

Autobots

 * Bumblebee
 * Strongarm
 * Sideswipe
 * Grimlock
 * Fixit
 * Jazz

Decepticons

 * Vertebreak

Quotes
"I bet this is Sideswipe's idea of a joke. I can practically hear his incredibly annoying laugh."
 * —Strongarm

"Hey, how 'bout you untie me, and I'll shake your hand… things."

"HA HA HA HA HA!"

"[laughs nervously] It's not that funny…"
 * —Sideswipe tries to fool Vertebreak

"A Decepticon named Vertebreak connected his head to Sideswipe's body."

"That's nasty."
 * —Bumblebee and Grimlock discuss the merits of science.

"So, how's your day been going?"
 * —Sideswipe's head

"Nice job. It took all of you, but you subdued my nerd bodyjacker."
 * —Sideswipe has taken no blows to his ego

Continuity notes

 * Some of the tools in Vertebreak's lab made appearances in the Transformers: Prime.

Prisoner manifest

 * In stasis: Hammerstrike, Bisk, 4/5ths of Chop Shop, Terrashock, Filch, Minitron, Springload, Ped, Quillfire, Malodor and the Skunkticons, "that one with all the eyes", Nightstrike, Vertebreak
 * Known at large: Steeljaw, 1/5th of Chop Shop, Thunderhoof, Underbite, Clampdown
 * Released: Grimlock
 * Countless others all missing, presumed at large

Trivia

 * The fight choreography in this episode is for some reason leagues above the series' standard fare. Vertebreak With Sideswipe's Body pulls off martial arts moves comparable to Arcee at her best!