Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

With Earth and Cybertron under joint Decepticon-Quintesson assault, the Autobots raise a last stand against their old enemies...and the race which created them.

Japanese title: "Quintesson's Conspiracy"

Detailed synopsis
The Decepticons open a sortie against the Autobots on Cybertron, and the initial attack took out the whole defense system. Ultra Magnus tells the others to go, while he holds them off. Rodimus Prime says that Magnus' courage will be remembered. Unsaid is the possiblity that there will be no one to remember it. From their ship, the Quintessons calculate that it will take less than a day to completely defeat the Autobots. After all, they've given Galvatron something worth fighting for...

On Earth, the new Decepticon battle station heads for Autobot Headquarters. Pipes and Warpath lead a counter offensive, but their efforts are stymied when the station transforms into Trypticon. Warpath orders Teletraan I to activate the defense systems, but Trypticon causes the volcano to collapse on the ship, destroying it. With his task there complete, Trypticon heads to his next target: Autobot City.

On Io, Sky Lynx hurries to rescue Wheelie, Blurr, and Marissa Faireborn from certain death from the natives. However, the Predacons arrive to steal the Transformation Cog intended for Metroplex. Initially, the Predacons turn out to be all bark with no bite. However, they merge into Predaking, and manage to disorient Wheelie, Blurr, and Faireborn. However, Sky Lynx attacks Predaking, and causes him to separate. Sky Lynx orders the others to board him, and Wheelie discovers the cog.

Meanwhile, Galvatron orders Blitzwing to give a status report to the Quintessons. However, Blitzwing overhears that the Quintessons don't have the Decepticon Matrix. What's worse, they want the Sharkticons to pull a large switch which will deactivate the Transformers all over the galaxy. Blitzwing tries to tell Galvatron, but the psychotic Decepticon leader merely beats him. Blitzwing realizes that there is one other option...side with the Autobots to stop the Quintessons.

On Earth, Trypticon has arrived at Autobot City, but Wheelie is able to get the cog to Pipes, who installs it in Metroplex. Coming online, Metroplex and Trypticon throw down. Their battle extends into another city (which everyone manages to evacuate from). Finally, Metroplex manages to overwhelm Trypticon, and throws Trypticon a great distance, where he lands in the ocean and sinks.

On Cybertron, Blitzwing, Rodimus Prime, and Spike Witwicky manage to stop the Sharkticons, but Galvatron, thinking the switch is the key to the Decepticon Matrix, pulls it. With the Transformers offline, the Quintessons land on Cybertron. As the Quintessons enjoy how great it is to be home, Spike grabs Rodimus' weapon, and destroys the lever. Reactivating, an incredibly angry Galvatron begins chasing the Quintessons, who manage to escape. Galvatron then prepares to fight Rodimus, but Blitzwing pulls his weapon on Galvatron, telling him that this has to end. Galvatron banishes Blitzwing from the Decepticons, and orders the Decepticons to retreat.

Rodimus notes that the battle is over for now, but the Autobot leader also notes that the Transformers may well have met their greatest enemies...

Stats
Original airdate: September 19, 1986

Production number: 700-90

Written by: Flint Dille

Featured Characters
("Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notable quotes
"Olé, sucker!"
 * Wheelie the bullfighter!

Blitzwing: "Mighty Galvatron, there is no Decepticon Matrix!" Galvatron: (smacks Blitzwing to the lower level) "Tell it to the Autobots!"
 * Blitzwing is given an idea by Galvatron.

Blurr: "Faster pipes, faster faster faster faster faster! Get down to work faster because we know Trypticon's gonna stop us and that's why we're gonna get..." Pipes: "Blurr...shut up!"
 * Blurr is given an idea by Pipes.

Metroplex: "This planet's not big enough for the both of us." Trypticon: "Me crush Metroplex!
 * Trypticon, meet gung-ho cowboy. Metroplex, meet ravaging dinosaur.

"We Transformers have looked into the face of our creators...and we have seen the face of an enemy."
 * Rodimus Prime

Animation and/or technical glitches

 * During the attack on Cybertron, a Decepticon similar in form to Cyclonus with Dirge's paint job is shown twice. One in robot mode, and once in flight mode. Prehaps 'Armada' -does- exsist...
 * Ultra Magnus punches Ramjet. As Ramjet spirals out of control, he's shown with Dirge's colors.
 * While retreating from Cybertron, there are five Cyclonuses flying with Galvatron. Considering that this is part five of Five Faces of Darkness, that just seems right. That or Armada can clone like an Insecticon.
 * The skylines on Earth and Io seem to change between shots. Sometimes on Earth they become star-filled nights, while on Io they become blue days with a few clouds.
 * During the scene when Trypticon attacks the Autobot headquarters, there are a couple shots that show Jazz along with Warpath and the other Autobots, but later he is seen fighting on Cybertron with the Autobots.
 * As the Autobots exit Sky Lynx, the transforming cog is shown as a large gear wheel, instead of an orb-shaped device.
 * When Wheelie narrowly misses Motormaster when running towards Metroplex to deliver the transforming cog, he comes across a whole line of Decepticon troops which includes the Insecticons, who were killed off in the Movie. Shrapnel is shown twice in this scene, standing directly next to his clone, but you can only see half of him. This scene also shows Blast-off and Swindle, which were also seen (at the beginning of) the Cybertron attack.
 * When the Autobots are celebrating the safety of the transformation cog after the little game of catch with the Decepticons, Constructicon coloured Transformers are seen "raising the roof".

Continuity errors

 * Despite the absence of the transforming cog, both Autobot City and Metroplex are showing transforming to their respective battle station modes. Blaster even announces it as "one city transform comin' up!"  Apparently, Metroplex only needs the cog to change into robot mode.
 * As Trypticon approaches Autobot City, the city is shown in a barren desert. It had previously been shown to be located in a lush mountain valley, and would be shown that way at the end of the episode.
 * Also, there appears to be a human city to be quite close to Autobot city, but previously in the Movie, there were no signs or suggestions of a human city being nearby. In addition, this poses the question of why the Autobots or humans built their cities so near to each other despite the fact that Autobot city is often under attack by Decepticons.
 * Both Dirge and Ramjet seem to die at the hands of Ultra Magnus on Cybertron, but they both show up in later episodes. Considering they were already seen eaten by Unicron in the Movie, this is not so surprising.

Transformers references

 * References

Real-world references

 * References

Miscellaneous trivia

 * It's sort of strange that Pipes has to explain that they have to install the transformation cog. Granted, this is not the only time this happens.

Keywords
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