Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!!



The Transformers' interplanetary travels bring them to planet Darhos, where the Autobots aid desperate prisoners in overthrowing the Decepticons and the planet's decadent ruling class. But that's not all - the key to defeating Scorponok is also hidden on this world!


 * English/Malay dub name: "Scorponok's Weakness"

Detailed synopsis
As the Autobots onboard Battleship Maximus continue in their pursuit of the Decepticons from planet to planet, Daniel, Wheelie and Arcee are afforded a brief moment of relaxation, which Daniel spends playing video games, shooting holographic Decepticons with a light gun. Wheelie is unimpressed with his marksmanship and plays William Tell with a ball, challenging Daniel to shoot it out of his hand - only to wind up getting shot in the arm.

On the bridge, the Headmasters detect an SOS signal, which they trace to the planet Darhos. Setting down in the planet's northern hemisphere, they trace the signal to a factory, where the Decepticon Headmasters are playing target practise with the human-like workers. As the villains kill the workers with a hail of laser fire, they justify their actions by pointing out that this is a penal colony, and the dead are convicted criminals. This, of course, does not wash with the Autobots, who attack the Decepticons, forcing them into a quick and painful retreat. Searching for their enemies, the Autobots come upon a group of three prisoners, who explain that a Beastformer named Tekna was responsible for sending the SOS.

The three prisoners are brought to Battleship Maximus to recuperate, and Daniel and Wheelie attempt to make friends with them. Unfortunately, the lead prisoner seizes the boy and holds a knife to his throat, demanding control of Battleship Maximus in exchange for Daniel's life. As Fortress stalls for time, telling the prisoners that the Headmasters must return to the ship in order to pilot it, Daniel is able to wrestle free and use his video game gun to blind the prisoners, who are then hit with a paralysis ray by Fortress. Their advantage lost, the trio explain the reason for their actions - in the past, the wealth of the energy-rich southern hemisphere of Darhos was shared amongst its inhabitants, until an elite group seized power and monopolized control of the planet's rescources. The lead prisoner was in charge of a failed rebellion against this corrupt ruling class, and consigned to the prison camp. Now knowing the truth of the matter, Fortress offers the Autobots' aid.

Meanwhile, still out exploring, the Headmasters come upon a mass grave of dead prisoners. Punch arrive on the scene, and explains to the Headmasters that this masscare was ordered by Galvatron, to prevent the secret weakness of Scorponok's Transtector being revealed. The being who knew this secret, Tekna, was one of the Beastformers who worked on the construction of the Transtector, but who managed to escape the killing and is currently hiding in the North-South Caves. While Hardhead and Brainstorm return to Battleship Maximus, Chromedome and Highbrow head into the caves to search for Tekna, who they soon locate. Tekna explains that Scorponok's Transtector has a secret weak spot hidden on it - but before he can tell the Autobots what it is, he is cut down from behind by a laser blast from Weirdwolf! As Chromedome holds off the Decepticon, Highbrow takes Tekna to Battleship Maximus for medical care.

Meanwhile, Battleship Maximus has set down in the southern hemisphere, where the ruling class and the Decepticons are enjoying a feast as energy from the planet's sub-aquatic oilfields is being loaded into Scorponok as part of the deal between the two groups. A battle between Hardhead and Brainstorm and Sixshot and the Horrorcons erupts, while Chromedome and Highbrow soon returning from their mission to join in. The Headmasters suggest using the Master Shot attack, but Hardhead and Brainstorm find that the battle has depleted their energy, leaving them unable to transform. Leaping from their Transtectors, the four Headmasters initiate the "Head Formation," linking hands and pooling their interal energies, recharging Hardhead and Brainstorm and allowing all four to transform to robot form. Battleship Maximus disconnects its cannon, and the Headmasters take control of it, opening fire on the Decepticons. When the weapon is turned on Scorponok, he transforms to robot mode, and Fortress retaliates by transforming into Fortress Maximus. As the two titans battle, Galvatron orders Scorponok to retreat - although defeated in battle, the Decepticons still successfully escape will all the energy they have acquired from Darhos.

Shortly, the Autobots confront the planet's rulers, who offer them energy in exchange for protecting them. Daniel speaks up for the group, who shouts the Autobots' refusal in the emperor's face so hard that he collapses back into a reflecting pool. It's soon made abundantly clear that the former prisoner leader will be taking charge of the planet, and the Autobots depart, with more pressing matters still to be dealt with. As Chromedome tries to gently coax the information on Scorponok from the badly-injured Tekna, the Beastformer raises one hand, and then drops it, as he dies. Beneath the fur of his forearm, however, the Autobots discover a strip of microfilm, which Higbrow suspects contains the secret of Scorponok's weak spot. Tekna's body is given a space burial, and Highbrow sets to work attempting to decode the information...

Stats
Original airdate: 18th December 1987

Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Animation and/or technical glitches

 * When Scorponok departs Darhos, he's about three or four times longer than he should be. He actually looks more like a ship, instead of just a giant flying scorpion.

Transformers references

 * Planet Darhos was previously mentioned in "Head On!! Fortress Maximus," as the planet of origin for the carnivorous plant featured in that episode. As the ruling class and the Decepticons already have a deal going when they are introduced in this episode, presumably contact between the two groups was established prior to that earlier episode, and the Decepticons acquired the plant's seeds through that partnership. Indeed, if this is true, it may be assumed that the Decepticons were responsible for the ruling class rising to power.
 * Enslaved Beastformers were shown working on Scorponok's Transtector back in "The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok". Tekna is a generic Beastformer, not based on any figure from the toyline, but similar dog-based Beasformers appeared in "Rebellion on Planet Beest."
 * The power-up ability used by three of the Headmasters in the previous episode returns in this episode, now with all four Headmasters involved, and is given the name "Head Formation." Sharing some similarities with the power-up function of the Cross-Head On, it will be an important power for the remainder of the series, and key in the final battle.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * As in Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears, the MegaZarak mentioned in the title is, of course, the Japanese name for Scorponok's Transtector.
 * This episode originally aired in Japan as part of a quadruple bill alongside "Battle for Defense of the False Planet", "Head Formation of Friendship" and "Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship" on December 18th.
 * The R2 DVD release of this episode suffers from a subtitling glitch, in which, on a few occasions throughout the episode, subtitles from another episode appear onscreen. Painfully ironically, the subtitles are from "I Risk My Life for Earth", the episode in which Scorponok's weak spot is revealed, and one of the subs which appears is the very line that contains that revelation. Oy.