The Ultimate Weapon



While Galvatron threatens the Autobots with a vague and mysterious "ultimate weapon", First Aid leaves the Autobots.

Detailed synopsis


In the far-flung future of 2006, Holland is the most violent nation on Earth. Bands of roving street gangs throw grenades into windmills for no obvious reason. Unable to rely on the police, old ladies begin arming themselves in their gardens. Desperate, the police turn to the Autobots, who seek to stem the fighting. The Protectobots, after some harshing on the part of Rodimus Prime, roll out to stop the violence. Ultra Magnus tries to calm Rodimus, saying he's just as good a commander as Optimus Prime was. Rodimus, however, feels that he will never live up to the legendary Autobot leader's legacy. Who could?

Arriving in the city, the Decepticons attack, and Blades is injured. First Aid takes him to Metroplex to get repairs, while Galvatron attacks. Retreating, Galvatron taunts Rodimus with the threat of the Ultimate Weapon. At Metroplex, Swindle breaks in and manages to steal Metroplex's transformation cog. First Aid tries to reason with Swindle, but the Combaticon merely shoots the Autobot medic, then leaves. Amid a fleet of naval destroyers, Trypticon rises from the sea and eats a ship before destroying the rest. Galvatron tells Trypticon to hurry to Metroplex, but realizes when and when not to push the dinosaur. Swindle arrives and attempts to haggle for the cog. Galvatron offers him a limited-time deal: Hand over the cog, or see his life get ended.



At Metroplex, First Aid is feeling guilty over his pacifism. While Rodimus maintains that he would never force First Aid to violate his beliefs, First Aid decides to leave to clear his head. Learning that Trypticon is coming, the Autobots roll out. Reaching a nearby city, Trypticon menaces a train, but Defensor manages to save it, even with only one arm. The Aerialbots move in to attack. Air Raid gets shot down, while Silverbolt flies into Trypticon's stomach through his mouth, firing all the while. Injured, Trypticon is forced to retreat. However, it's only bought them time, as Metroplex is still the only one who can fight Trypticon, and he's locked in city mode. Even with the cog, First Aid is the only one who understands Metroplex's systems enough to fix him. Hot Spot decides to track down his AWOL teammate.



Rodimus and Magnus head for Trypticon's hiding place, with Spike and Daniel posing as repairmen. Vortex, nearly duped, realizes that the cars are Autobots due to the pollution-free fuel that they are using. Daniel is thrown off a cliff, but Magnus saves him. Rodimus and Magnus distract the Decepticons while Spike and Daniel steal Trypticon's cog. Returning to Metroplex, they install Trypticon's cog in Metroplex, while the Decepticons install Metroplex's cog in Trypticon. (It's easy to get lost, but just pay attention and it will make sense.) Convinced that he "can still smash", Trypticon heads for battle. Metroplex transforms from city mode, but both cities are suffering problems.



At a junkyard, First Aid is keeping an old robot company while fixing abandoned refrigerators in an effort to think about something other than the Autobots. Hot Spot finds him and informs him of Metroplex's problem. Though still unsure of rejoining the Autobots, First Aid realizes that Metroplex's danger is more important. Meanwhile, Trypticon has gained the advantage and thrown Metroplex into a nearby lake. (Talk about irony.) Heading for Metroplex, First Aid manages to get inside and properly align the transformation cog, allowing Metroplex to transform fully. Metroplex throws Trypticon deeper into the lake, and the dinosaur sinks. Galvatron threatens to use the Ultimate Weapon, but Rodimus realizes that the weapon is a bluff. Out of options, Galvatron retreats. First Aid's faith in his work is restored, and Rodimus's confidence is emboldened, at least until the next time he has a crisis of faith.

Stats
Original airdate: November 10, 1986

Written by: Arthur Byron Cover

Featured Characters
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notable quotes
"Why don't you get used to losing, Galvatron? It's all you ever do!"
 * —Rodimus Prime hits the Decepticons where it hurts: in the war record.

"Hey! Wait a second! Who are you? Where'd you come from? How'd you get in?!?" (Swindle shoots the floor from under Scamper and Slammer, causing the Autobots to crash) "No time to answer stupid questions!"
 * —Scamper, the world's worst security guard, is blasted by Swindle.

"I heard you were a pacifist, but I don't believe there's a Transformer who won't fight for his life!" "I don't believe in fighting. I'm a medic, not a warrior." "Then you'll die for your beliefs!"
 * —Swindle taunts First Aid.

"Best humans can do?" (Trypticon tosses battleship halves at attacking ships) "Come, Trypticon, stop trifling with that. Metroplex awaits." "Trypticon hungry!"
 * —Trypticon and Galvatron discover that naval destroyers taste great and are less filling.

(Spike runs into Cyclonus) Cyclonus: (with disgust) "Humans..." Spike: "Uh, everything's fine in there. Uh, the problem must be somewhere else." Cyclonus: "Then don't dawdle, human. Trypticon must be repaired for the greater glory of Galvatron!" Spike: "You got it, you got it... gee, I ain't ever worked for such a bunch of grumpy employers."
 * — A rather clueless Cyclonus lets Spike and Daniel get away with Trypticon's transformation cog.

"Hey, keep it down! This is a residential area!" "Trypticon turn Metroplex into slum!"
 * —Metroplex and Trypticon discuss urban renewal in a whole new way.

"What you doing? Stop! Let go of me!" "As you wish!"
 * —Trypticon panics as Metroplex regains control of his transformations and tosses the Decepticon into the lake.

Galvatron: "I still have my ultimate weapon, Rodimus! Surrender now, or I'll unleash its force upon you all!" Rodimus Prime: (to Ultra Magnus) "You know, I think I've finally started to wise up. If such a weapon existed, he'd have used it a long time ago!" Galvatron: "I tell you for the last time, Rodimus. Surrender, or there won't be an Earth left to protect! Surrender! This is your last chance, or—" Rodimus Prime: "You're bluffing, Galvatron." Galvatron: "I tell you this is the end!" Rodimus Prime: "You're right. It is, because I used the real "ultimate weapon": my mind! Galvatron: "Stay back!" (Rodimus Prime continues walking towards Galvatron) Galvatron: "I said stay back!" (Rodimus Prime continues walking as Galvatron becomes more panicked. Finally, he throws the "ultimate weapon" control device on the ground) Galvatron: "Aarh! There will be another day, Rodimus!" (Galvatron retreats) Rodimus Prime: "And we'll be ready."
 * —Galvatron's less-than-impressive bluff is called by Rodimus Prime.

Other notes

 * It is unclear what species of robot the junkyard robot is, as his speech and mannerisms clearly demonstrate him to be sentient rather than some kind of human-built drone.


 * When Trypticon attacks Metroplex, the animation is of a noticably higher quality than the rest of the episode and the norm of the overall series.

Animation and/or technical glitches

 * The guns carried by the rebels dissapear when they run up to the windmill and throw their grenades, and reappear as they run away.


 * The laser beam the old woman fires from her pistol is red, but the laser beam that actually hits the car tires is blue.


 * During their initial assault in the village, Octane is seen among the firing Decepticons, even though Galvatron had placed a price on his head in Starscream's Ghost.


 * When Ultra Magnus orders Steeljaw and Ramjet to attack, he wields a completely different gun to the one he normally uses. His normal gun reappears in subsequent shots of him.


 * When Galvatron responds to Rodimus Prime's question during the village battle, Cyclonus's mouth is missing.


 * During Trypticon's attack on the naval fleet, Blitzwing is hovering next to Galvatron, even though he was banished after Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5.


 * As Silverbolt exits Trypticon's mouth, he's coloured like Air Raid.


 * When Spike tells Daniel that they'll be just in time for their rendezvous, Spike is not carrying the toolbox containing the transforming cog. It reappears when they exit Trypticon.


 * Trypticon completely misses Metroplex when they fire on each other, yet Metroplex falls down.


 * Greeting First Aid's return, Ultra Magnus holds the medic's hands. Oddly, instead of letting go as he did with Rodimus Prime, First Aid appears to continue to hold Ultra Magnus's hands throughout his dialogue about agreeing to help the Autobots.


 * When Galvatron declares that while Trypticon may have been defeated he still lives, his laser cannon is enormous.


 * As Rodimus Prime tells Ultra Magnus that he has finally wised-up to Galvatron's bluff, Ultra Magnus' left shoulder overlaps Rodimus' rear wing, even though Rodimus is standing closest to the viewer and should instead overlap Ultra Magnus.

Continutity errors

 * Galvatron acts a whole lot saner in this episode then he usually is in the third season. He's not as sane as in The Transformers: The Movie, of course, but it's somewhere.

Transformers references

 * References

Real-world references

 * References

Miscellaneous trivia

 * While not an out-and-out mistake, the Autobots assertion that only First Aid could adjust the transformation cog for Metroplex seems a little dubious. Pipes, who was seen installing the thing in "The Five Faces of Darkness Part 5", surely would've been able to, if not Perceptor or the load of other Autobot handymen running around. Of course, it is possible that those guys were all off Earth at the time.


 * Vortex almost finds out about Spike and Daniel's plan merely from the clean Autobot fumes Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus exhaust, but does not seem to notice the fact that Daniel is way too young to drive, nor that the vehicles are quite obviously the two Autobot leaders.


 * How the mighty have fallen part 1: This episode suggests that the Decepticons operating on Earth now hire legitimate human workers for repair duties, instead of just enslaving them as would have done so in the past.


 * How the mighty have fallen part 2: Menasor is defeated by a single blast from the Autobots, despite previous outings that showed him to be one of the most powerful Decepticon combiners. Later, the entire Stunticon team are soundly and totally defeated (off-camera) by Rodimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, despite previous outings depicting them as a serious threat to the Autobots.

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