Beast Wars (Part 1)



A Maximal science vessel and a fugitive Predacon starship crash land on a mysterious, primitive world.


 * Japanese title: 超生命体トランスフォーマー登場 (Chō Seimei Tai Transformers Tōjō "Enter the Super Robot Lifeform Transformers")

Summary


In an unknown star system, a transwarp portal opens, releasing two starships, a fleeing Predacon warship and a pursuing Maximal vessel. Already carrying the scars of battle, both ships immediately open fire upon each other. On the Maximal ship, a youthful crewmember reports on their damaged condition, in response to which another crew member bitterly complains about their non-combat exploration vessel not being cut out for this mission. Their commander, Optimus Primal, states that they were the only ship in range capable of intercepting the fugitives.

On the fleeing Predacon starship, the first officer urges his leader, Megatron, to finish off the Maximals while their opponents' shields are down. Megatron arrogantly rebuffs this suggestion, preferring to toy with his opponents. A broadside attack cripples their enemies' engines and causes significant damage to their stasis hold. Optimus Primal orders the Maximals' cargo of stasis pods be released into safe orbit before firing the forward plasma cannons, strafing the Predacons' hull. With no engines, both ships are caught in the planet's gravitational pull and plummet to its surface.



Both ships are non-flightworthy after their crashes. The Maximals have landed on a cliff above a lake; the Predacon warship has landed smack in the middle of the ash-hardened opening of an active shield volcano. The Predacon computer informs Megatron that their location is unknown, as while the course settings were accurate, the readings were not consistent with what was to be expected of the location. Dismissing this for the time being, Megatron demands to know if the mysterious planet has energon, which the computer confirms to his elation. However, it warns that there is so much energon that prolonged exposure would permanently damage their robot modes. Declaring that they will take the forms of the most powerful creatures on the planet, Megatron orders his science officer to scan for local lifeforms which they could adapt as alternate modes to survive on this world. The Predacon ship launches a drone, scanning the fossils of a tyrannosaurus rex, velociraptor and pteranodon, as well as a living spider and wasp.

At the cliff, the Maximals have the same idea, scanning a gorilla, rat, rhino and cheetah. The Maximals check out their new forms and bicker amongst themselves until Optimus Primal orders the crew to moderate their conflict circuits, reminding them that their new beast forms are to protect them from the long-term effects of the abundant energon fields: While they need energon for power, their robot modes will short out after a few minutes of exposure. Optimus notes that they are on a very unusual planet, wherever it is. Rhinox points out that the transwarp drive allows them to journey through space and time, so they could be in any place, any time. Optimus expresses concern about the stasis pods in orbit, as it means the Maximals are outnumbered.



Back at the other crash site, the Predacons are testing out their new beast modes, bar one. First officer Dinobot, studying the Golden Disk he and his cohorts had stolen, is furious, declaring that this world cannot be Earth. He accuses Megatron of failure, both in battle against the Maximals and in failing to guide them to the right planet. Megatron laughs off Dinobot's accusations, and has Scorponok blast the treacherous Dinobot over the horizon. Megatron informs the other Predacons that it doesn't matter which planet they are on, as they had come looking for energon to fuel their war with the Maximals, and this planet is rich with it. Megatron dispatches his crew to seek out and destroy their enemies.



Meanwhile, the Maximals are surveying the land around them and cleaning up the wreckage on the Axalon. Rattrap complains about all the fuss over the Golden Disk, but Optimus Primal reminds him that the Disk is Cybertron's most closely guarded relic, a guide to a major source of energon, which is why Megatron stole it. Rattrap doesn't care, retorting they were supposed to be performing deep-space exploration and that it isn't his job to chase after criminals. He sarcastically speculates on Primal's readiness to handle a command position. Optimus further reminds him of the Great War, noting that if the Predacons are able to secure a massive source of energon, they wouldn't hesitate to start a new one. Rattrap isn't convinced.

Deciding to show off (and goof off), Cheetor gives chase to two cheetahs running on the plains near the ship. Optimus tries to call him back, but the energon radiation severely limits the range of their communications equipment.



Some distance away, Cheetor's two cheetah buddies are freaked out by toward a rather large wasp. Realizing it is a Robot in Disguise, Cheetor transforms and fires unprovoked. The Predacon Waspinator transforms and retaliates. Back at the Axalon, the other Maximals move out to give Cheetor backup, with Rhinox ramming his way through a pile of boulders to speed their progress. Waspinator manages to get the better of Cheetor when the Maximal's rifle jams, but fortunately, the other Maximals have arrived by then. Unfortunately, Megatron and the Predacons have arrived as well.



Optimus Primal tries to convince Megatron to not engage in hostilities, as the Maximals and Predacons have been at peace for centuries. Megatron spits back that while the Maximals may have been at peace, the Predacons, like all enemies who appear "peaceful", were merely biding their time. The Predacons have never forgotten their goal of galactic conquest, but were merely waiting for the right time to strike.

Both sides transform, and the battle is joined. As the Maximals seek cover, Cheetor is blasted by one of Scorponok's missiles and ends up with his leg trapped under a boulder. Optimus Primal orders Rattrap to assist Cheetor while he provides cover fire, but Rattrap flatly refuses to risk his life for anybody else, to Optimus' anger. The Maximal leader flies to Cheetor's position himself but is hit by Predacon fire, much to Rattrap's smug delight. Nonetheless, Optimus manages to free Cheetor while Rhinox "persuades" Rattrap to help provide the pair with cover fire. With the Predacons now seeking cover of their own, the Maximals make their escape. Megatron orders pursuit, but he and his Predacons begin succumbing to the effects of the energon buildup and are forced to revert to beast mode.



On the way back to base, Optimus Primal chews out Rattrap for disobeying a direct order, explaining to the petulant Maximal that he could have given better cover fire, an explanation which Rattrap accepts rather grudgingly. Cheetor notes that they seem to have escaped the Predacons. Primal isn't sure, as the Golden Disk theft reports indicated there were six Predacons, but they only encountered five in the previous battle. As if on cue, Dinobot appears, barring their way across a stone bridge to the Axalon. Dinobot states that he has left the Predacons to join the Maximals.. as leader. He challenges Optimus Primal to a one-on-one battle, with the winner to lead the Maximals, the loser to be destroyed!

To be continued...

Quotes
Dinobot: "No, no, no! It's all wrong! This cannot be Earth! Megatron, you failed! Not only did you fail to destroy the Maximals when you had the chance, you failed to bring us to the right planet! We stole the Golden Disk for nothing! You idiot!" (Dinobot tosses aside the Golden Disk) Megatron: "Heh, I beg your pardon? What did you call me?" Dinobot: "You heard. You are an idiot and an incompetent leader, and I am taking over. Dinobot, terrorize!" (Dinobot transforms into robot mode) Dinobot: "I challenge you to battle, Megatron. The winner shall lead the Predacons, and the loser shall be destroyed!" Megatron: "Ahh, you're so impulsive, Dinobot. Brave...but misguided." Dinobot: "Do you accept my challenge?!?" Megatron: "Ah-hahaha...there's more to being a leader than simple courage. Well, there's cleverness and cunning as well. Isn't that right, Scorponok?" (Scorponok fires a missile, blasting Dinobot away) Megatron: "Loser."
 * Megatron deals swiftly with Dinobot ' s belligerence.

Rattrap: "So, uhhh, this your first day on the job or what?" Optimus Primal: "Shut up Rattrap."
 * Optimus starts a hilarious trend among the Maximals, at Rattrap ' s expense.

"Ahh, a treacherous, under-handed sneak attack. Oh-ho-ho, I like you, pussycat, yesss."
 * Megatron ' s response to Cheetor's unprovoked attack

"This guy's got bearings of chrome steel."
 * Rhinox on Dinobot's bid for Maximal group leader

Animation and/or technical glitches

 * After Megatron's pre-battle speech, Terrorsaur's wings clip through each other when he flaps them.


 * When Waspinator fights Cheetor, the stripes on his thighs are mapped in the wrong axis.


 * As Optimus, Rhinox and Rattrap ride out to give Cheetor support, Rhinox breaks through a 'roadblock' of boulders. However, in the previous shot of this location, the boulders were not present.


 * When Rhinox picks up Rattrap and swings him around to face the Predacons, Rattrap's gun clips right through the boulder in front of them.


 * Scorponok is among the Predacons milling about outside the ship in their beast modes, yet he appears from within the ship to blast Dinobot only a few moments later.


 * During the battle between Dinobot and Optimus, Dinobots spinning blades are severely shortened and misshapen making it appear that it has been chibified.

Continuity Errors

 * Cheetor spends the longest time in the open while in robot mode, but does not suffer the effects of energon overload that the Predacons do.

Transformers references

 * Optimus Primal mentions the Great War, which is what the Transformers of the Beast era called the conflict between the Autobots and Decepticons.
 * Cheetor utters the popular words Robots in disguise when he notices that the giant wasp is Waspinator.