Darkest Hour (episode)

Optimus Prime and Megatron's standoff for the Omega Lock takes an unexpected turn, with potentially tragic results

Summary
Megatron has offered a trade of sorts: the Omega Keys in exchange for the safe return of the Jack, Miko and Rafael to the Team Prime. The human trio are being held by Starscream, Soundwave and Knock Out in special clear canisters, but will die if they are removed and exposed to Cybertron's atmosphere. Optimus Prime agrees to the trade, and buries the Star Saber into the ground by the lock. Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee surrender their weapons, and the trade begins as Team Prime exchange their keys for their human allies. Once all the keys are in Decepticon hands, a bridge of seekers come through a ground bridge to surround Team Prime.

Back on Earth, Ratchet is trying to communicate with Team Prime, but June Darby calls trying to get a hold of her son. Ratchet promises to get a hold of her immediately if he hears from her, then hands up. On Cybertron, Megatron activates the Omega Lock, which pulsates with blue energy and channels the Allspark energy into the conduit. After revitalizing a building into something new, Prime pleads with Megatron to keep the humans out of the battle, but Megatron reveals his true intent - ruling both Cybertron and Earth. Megatron the uses the spacebridge to fire the Omega Lock's energy through it to Earth to begin reforming it. Optimus admits to Miko that the Omega Lock's energy will destroy all life on Earth in order to reform it to favor Cybertronian life.

Prime, enraged by Megatron's lust for an additional world to rule, pulls the Star Saber out of the ground and, in an Excalibur-style move, destroyed the lock with a single blow, but not before cutting off Megatron's grafted arm. The resulting blast destroys several Decepticons and sends Megatron flying into one of the lock pillars. While Starscream rages about the lock's destruction, Megatron acknowledges that they now have the position of the Autobots' base.

Back on Earth, Ratchet is stunned to see Team Prime come through the spacebridge with the children, and then flies off into a fit when he learns Prime destroys the Omega Lock. While everyone argues Prime made the correct decision, Ratchet disagrees, arguing about all the "Energon spilled...for nothing." Afterwards, Agent Fowler contacts the team, screaming about the Pentagon going DefCon 1 because of the blast Megatron sent at Earth through the spacebridge. Team Prime goes to the top of the bluff, discovering Megatron's fortress had been created by the beam, and that the Nemesis had docked there.

Megatron rallies his troops to attack Autobots and seize control of Earth. Starscream and an armada of jets begins to strafe the base, and an army of insecticons also attack, but not before Agent Fowler gets into a helicopter to counterattack. Prime ordered everyone into the base as Fowler launches a suicidal attack on the Nemesis, only to be cornered by an insecticon. Fowler sits in a Mexican-standoff with a Con, when Wheeljack arrives to at least  try  to save the day. As Prime orders the evacuation of the base, Fowler and Wheeljack attempt to hold off the Decepticons as long as possible, saving Team Prime and June Darby in the process.

As the Autobots leave the base for other parts of the United States, Megatron parks the Nemesis over the base, then has a weapon deployed which destroys the mountain with a single, terrible blast. Prime and Ratchet are the last ones standing, with Ratchet leaving just before the blast so Prime can destroy the ground bridge. As Prime raises the Star Sabre to deliver the final blow, Megatron fires the weapon, destroying the base. Megatron and Starscream then fly in to examine the wrecking, and in the distance, Optimus Prime's apparently lifelesss arm sticks up from the wreckage.

"Jack, it's time to come out and play!"
 * ==Quotes==
 * -- Starscream, attempted to be cute.

"You first, big boy!"
 * -- Knock Out, sounding about as flirty with Bulkhead as one can get.

"If I don't get the girl, I'll make you eat this key!" "You're welcome!"
 * -- Bulkhead, showing Knockout Knock Out who the bigger Bot really is (beyond the obvious that is!)

"Behold! The Age of the Decepticons!"
 * -- Megatron turning on the Omega Lock and returning a building to its former glory.

"Why rule only one world, when I can rule two?"
 * -- Megatron combining the Omega Lock and Spacebridge into a REALLY bad-ass weapon!

"Why rule only one world, when I can rule two?"
 * -- Megatron combining the Omega Lock and Spacebridge into a REALLY bad-ass weapon!

Miko: If the Omega Lock can restore Cybertron, it can do the same to Earth, right? Optimus: No. It will cyberform your planet in favor of its new matrix, destroying all indigenous life in the process.
 * -- Optimus Prime, going a little bit Trekkie with his borrowing of a line from 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'.

"I guess we should cancel the welcome home party!"
 * -- Knock Out, just before his smartassness gets him smacked by Starscream.

"Optimus, we needed that!"
 * -- Ratchet, this time angry enough to actually beat the Pit out of Prime for destroying the Omega Lock.

"In Jasper, Nevada! I don't get it!  I've already had the town evacuated.  Why here?" "Because the Decepticons have discovered the location of our base."
 * -- Agent Fowler & Optimus Figuring out that Megatron's plan for the Autobots is, to quote Egon Spengler, "very bad."

"Decepticons! Transform and RISE UP!!!!!!" "I thought he'd never ask!!!!"
 * -- Megatron & Starscream, for one of the few moments in the ENTIRE history of the Transformers franchise, actually AGREEING on something!

"Special Agent Fowler to Air Defense Command, I need immediate combat support!"
 * -- Agent Fowler, thinking the United States Air Force can take out Decepticon jets....yeah, please let us know how that goes!

"Survival is our only priority now."
 * -- Prime, admitting the obvious.

"The day I'm outflown by a bunch of toasters is the day I...."
 * -- Agent Fowler, just before he slags his pants seeing the Nemesis go "Independence Day" on the Autobot Base.

"And that's how you wreck a Wrecker! HAHAHAHA!!!"
 * -- Starscream, for once EARNING his arrogance.

"I...never imagined it would end like this..." "Neither did I, old friend!"
 * -- Ratchet & Prime, saying good bye to each other just before Megatron unleashes the power of the Nemesis on the base.

"This is the place, alright." "This WAS the place."
 * -- Starscream & Megatron, completely on the same page for the FIRST...TIME...EVER.