The Ultimate Doom, Part 3

As Cybertron's orbit ravages Earth, the Autobots take the fight to the Decepticons.


 * Japanese title: "Day of Destruction," Part 3

Summary
On Cybertron, a brainwashed Sparkplug Witwicky sounds an alarm on Spike, Brawn, and Bumblebee. As Shockwave and Soundwave attempt to destroy them, Skyfire, Wheeljack, and Trailbreaker rescue them. Heading to Wheeljack's lab, they review the hypno-chip data they've gained.

On Earth, Megatron is overseeing the construction of a large hydroelectric generator that will allow the Decepticons to harvest more energy. Doctor Arkeville is becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Megatron's disregard of his interests, and feels that Starscream may be more sympathetic. Optimus Prime leads Jazz, Prowl, Ironhide, and Bluestreak (on surfboards) to the generator, where their wipeout prevents them from being able to stop the Decepticons from leaving in a shuttle carrying energon cubes. Arkeville is left to die, but Starscream saves him, having his own plans for the scientist.

On Cybertron, Wheeljack develops a device that should disrupt the hypno-chips' control over the humans. Spike attempts another rescue of his father, but is discovered by Shockwave. However, Wheeljack's device works as planned, and the Autobots flee back to Earth with Sparkplug, who is now freed from Decepticon control.

On an island, Megatron is overseeing the loading of a shuttle with energon cubes while Mirage goes to see if he can direct the humans away from the ship. Nearby, Starscream's own experiments in draining neural energy from Arkeville have failed to fill a single energon cube. Megatron discovers them and prepares to execute Starscream for treason (again). However, Mirage manages to direct the humans away from the shuttle, and Prime orders an attack. The Decepticons outnumber the Autobots, but Skyfire and company soon arrive to even the odds as well as to free the slaves from the Decepticons' control. However, Cybertron comes into view of the island, causing a tidal wave, and Megatron flees in the shuttle for Cybertron.

Spike declares that they just need to knock Cybertron out of Earth's orbit, but Prowl says that they'd need massive amounts of energy to do that. Suddenly, Prime realizes that the energon on board the shuttle could theoretically be enough to move Cybertron. Prime orders the Autobots to shoot Megatron's shuttle. The plan works, with the energon on board moving Cybertron away from Earth.

Back on the island, Spike remarks to Optimus that Megatron appears to be gone for good, but the Autobot leader, knowing his mortal enemy's survival rate, is not so sure. In space, Megatron comes back online and flies away from the wreckage of the shuttle, vowing revenge.

Quotes
"Take them". "I don't take so easily."
 * Soundwave and Brawn.

"All the comforts of home...if you don't mind living in an auto-repair factory."
 * Wheeljack, on his workshop.

"Thanks, guys, for not giving up on me. Especially you, Spike." "Dad, it's like you always told me: You never give up the people you love." "Mushy, but true."
 * Sparkplug and Spike have a touching father-son moment, with addendum by Brawn.

"My slaves will drown!" "I thought humans liked to play in the ocean."
 * Dr. Arkeville teaches Megatron an important fact about human anatomy.

"You're not pushing slaves around this time, Megatron."
 * Optimus Prime, preparing to open a Kremzeek brand can of whup-ass.

Stats
Writer: Leo D. Paur

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Characters

Minor Characters (in order of appearance): Characters

Original Air Date: November 17, 1984

Technical/Animation Glitches

 * As usual, most of the Cybertronian seekers are colored as Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp.
 * While escaping from the Decepticon lab on Cybertron, Soundwave's Decepticon insignia is not shown.
 * When Thundercracker is wrestling with Ironhide, his color is a significantly brighter shade of blue than usual. It is back to normal in the next scene, when he flies away.
 * In one scene, Prowl's face is missing, leaving only his "empty helmet" when Skyfire arrives.

Continuity Errors

 * In the jungle, when the energon cubes are being loaded, Megatron says: "I want the slaves to work faster. Where is Dr. Arkeville?" But it was he who previously abandoned Arkeville at the power plant, and he had no way of knowing Starscream had rescued the doctor from drowning.
 * Oddly, Megatron was able to survive an explosion which had enough energy to shift the orbit of Cybertron. Considering previous evidence of his durability, how he could survive a planet-moving blast is a mystery.
 * And for that matter, if the explosion pushed Cybertron away, why wasn't Earth moved in the opposite direction?

Transformers References

 * Wheeljack's place on Cybertron, previously seen in "Divide and Conquer", is shown again.
 * For someone who turns into a gun, Shockwave has terrible aim.
 * Starscream's attempts to convert Doctor Arkeville's neural energy into energon fail. What this says about the intelligence of both scientists is debatable.

Real-World References

 * Reference

Miscellaneous Trivia

 * A couple of Decepticon cars are shown in this episode, but it's not clear if they are Transformers. They seem to be similar to Jazz in Cybertronian vehicle mode.