Tangled Web

Writers: Len Wein

Megatron sends Tarantulas to build a new energon processing station, but Tarantulas has other plans.

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Waspinator, Inferno, Inferno, Megatron, Tarantulas, Blackarachnia, Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap, Silverbolt

Minor Characters (in order of appearance): Characters

Original Air Date: November 16, 1997

Summary
As the Predacons busy themselves around their base, Megatron summons Tarantulas and assigns him to work with Blackarachnia and Quickstrike to develop a refueling station at a newly detected store of energon cubes. Megatron also assigns Waspinator and Inferno to develop a jamming tower to disrupt Maximal communications.

As the Predacons gather supplies and equipment for their assigned tasks, Tarantulas throws a transmitter into Quickstrike's collection of equipment with the hope of summoning the Maximals to undermine Megatron's plans.

Meanwhile at the Maximal base, Rhinox is conducting experiments on Optimus Primal's new transmetal form to see if they can learn its limits. Their experiment is interrupted by a short circuit and Cheetor's report of a strange Predacon signal on a Maximal channel. Rattrap and Silverbolt are near the signal and sent to investigate.

Quickstrike, Blackarachnia, and Tarantulas arrive at their assigned destination and Tarantulas decides that the site is a perfect location for his new lair (his last one had been destroyed previously and destroys the transmitter that he had been using to signal the Maximals. Blackarachnia too realizes that this site would be an optimal fortress and mentions it to Tarantulas.  He then tells her about his plan to commandeer the site for himself to overthrow Megatron and destroy the Maximals and then tells her that she must join him in his scheme because of their psychic link.  He soon recruits Quickstrike to his cause.

Losing the Predacon signal, Rattrap and Silverbolt are forced to follow the Predacon's scent and soon come across the Predacon's trail.

As he relaxes in his CR tank hot tub, Megatron learns that Waspinator and Inferno have finished their assignment. When Megatron attempts to contact the other Predacons, though he only gets static and soon realizes that the arachnids are up to something.

Back at the Tarantulas's would-be-lair, Blackarachnia is determined to end the psychic link that Tarantulas has been using to control her and threatens to blow up all of the energon there. While he initially is willing to let her do it, Tarantulas soon learns that their link goes both ways and that he shares Blackarachnia's pain and agrees to break the link.

Outside the cavern, Rattrap and Silverbolt finally find the Predacons and engage in a battle with them. The fight begins to go the Maximal's way, but Silverbolt refuses to strike down Blackarachnia because she is a woman.

Soon the Maximals realize that the Predacons are guarding the cave and attempt to get in. Their plans are foiled when the entrance blows up. This forces the Predacons to retreat back to Megatron who chastises them for their incompetence.

Later though, it becomes clear that Tarantulas blew up the entrance himself so that he could return have the cave for himself.

Technical/Animation Glitches

 * Glitch

Continuity Errors

 * Error

Transformers References

 * References

Real-World References

 * Tarantulas says "Of course you realize this means war" at one point, a phrase commonly used by Bugs Bunny


 * Tarantulas says "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home" a reference to the old song |"Home! Sweet Home!"

==External Links==
 * Link