Feral Scream Part 1

Obsession? What obsession?

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Megatron uses alien technology to create a new Transmetal 2 version of Dinobot, and Cheetor is caught in the blast as the device malfunctions.

Summary

In a dark and stormy night, Optimus Primal and Cheetor battle with Megatron and Waspinator for a stasis pod. Cheetor pulls out a massive rifle, but instead of hitting Waspinator, his shot explodes closer to Optimus, collapsing the ledge he's standing on and burying him in an avalanche. The two Predacons retreat with their prized pod, and Cheetor is left to see to the fallen Maximal Leader. Depth Charge arrives without warning and helps uncover Optimus by blasting some rubble away with a "power pizza". After it's clear Primal is still alive, Depth Charge flies off to hunt down and destroy Rampage. a damaged Primal drives back to the base, while a reckless Cheetor is instructed to wait for back up, and assist Depth Charge.

It's ALIVE!

In a dramatic ceremony, Megatron loads the stasis pod into a machine, with DNA cells from the first Dinobot to serve as an identity, and half the spark of Rampage. Given life in a blank protoform by lightning, and all tied together with the properties of the Transmetal driver, Dinobot II, a Frankenstien's monsteracon, is born. Depth Charge crashes the birthday party, but the new Dinobot displays an intense ferocity against the manta. Cheetor "spices things up with Cheetor pepper" (shoots stuff).

Dinobot II transforms and inspects his new body, accidentally blowing off his own finger in the process. Cheetor grabs a Predacon hover-platform and uses it to snatch the Transmetal driver from the apparatus Megatron assembled to create the new Dinobot and tosses it to Depth Charge. Megatron, still on the scene, blasts Cheetor into the electrical current, frying him good. Cheetor spends a minute, tortured by the machine, and the assembled transformers cover themselves as a large flash of white light explodes the mountainside. Apparently, Cheetor is dead.

Back in the Maximal's base, Primal is repairing himself. Depth Charge arrives and reports Cheetor's death. Depth Charge heads into a cave to scan the driver, and finds that it's a device of alien nature that has been altered by Megatron. He decides to destroy the device by tossing it into some lava, but once Depth Charge's back is turned, Blackarachnia catches the device before it is immolated.

Outside, Primal blames himself for Cheetor's death - but as it turns out, Cheetor is still alive, and in bad shape.

In the Predacon base, Rampage expresses displeasure over having his Spark's core given to the Dinobot clone. The king crab who was once protoform X tries to reclaim the fragment of himself, but Dinobot uses his ability to tease his fragment of Rampage's spark, causing Rampage great pain. Dinobot is sent to recover the Transmetal driver. the predacon mascot Rubber Ducky watches contently from the tub.

Depth Charge emerges from a CR Chamber, and sets out to Sub-Grid Zarak to hunt Rampage. When there, he's ambushed and captured by Dinobot. Dinobot and the Predacons interrogate Depth Charge, but a feral monster jumps out of the darkness, lands into the scene and strikes down Megatron. Quickstrike follows the blur behind a rock, but is quickly dismembered. When the strange feline blur jumps out again, Rampage and his new "brother" try to shoot it, but only end up blasting each other away from the set.

Megatron is left on his own, and overprotective of himself, he blasts away the wandering Waspinator. The beast hits Megatron in the back, and Megatron stumbles and plants his own transmetal tail into the ground, causing himself to spin like the Tazmanian Devil out of control and over a cliff. Depth Charge is left alone to wonder who or what saved him, but his heroic creture of mystery sneaks away into the shadows when Primal returns.

Back at the Maximal base, Cheetor stumbles onto the scene and passes out. Primal and Rhinox rush to give him immediate attention.

To be continued...

Quotes

"From the tempest's fury, the spark ignites...to sire new life! Transmetal 2 life! Ahaha-haha!"

-- Megatron channels his inner mad scientist

"Waspinator not like new lizard bot!"
"I agree with the bug. But then, I'm not crazy about any of you."

-- Waspinator and Depth Charge

"Gone. Ain't that a kick in the lug nuts."

-- Depth Charge regarding the transmetal driver

"Yesss...Master...."

-- Waspinator putting his acting classes to good use.

"Yee-haw! Here comes poison!"

-- Quickstrike thinking he is hot stuff.

"Hey! Take it easy with the power pizzas!"

-- Cheetor after Depth Charge blasts Optimus free.

"Wow. That big water-bat really shined you." "Seems to be a trend."

-- Optimus making a joke after Cheetor accidentally blasted him off a cliff.

Stats

Writers: Greg Johnson
Original Air Date: January 31, 1999

Characters (in order of appearance): Waspinator, Megatron, Cheetor, Optimus Primal, Depth Charge, Dinobot II, Rhinox, Blackarachnia, Rampage, Quickstrike

Notes

• Megatron creates Dinobot II in this episode.

• Cheetor is accidentally exposed to the Transmetal driver in this episode, beginning the process of becoming a Transmetal 2 over the course of this and the next episode.

• After seeing Dinobot II, Cheetor asks Depth Charge if it is Dinobot. Depth Charge immediately explains that it is a clone, without any confusion as to who the original was, despite never having met him. All this implies that the other Maximal's have informed Depth Charge about the series' history.

• Blackarachnia acquires the Transmetal driver in this episode. She will later use it to be come a Transmetan 2 as well in Crossing the Rubicon

• This episode has one of few scenes with Primal in his Optimal body's beast mode.

• This episode also marks the only time Rhinox is seen outside in the whole of season 3 (except from peeking round the door in Crossing the Rubicon). No wonder he's on the chunky side.

Animation and/or technical glitches

• During the top shot of the Darksyde, the ship is clearly mirrored. The (looking from top) left wing is whole and right wing is broken, when in reality the wings are reversed. It was shown correctly in part 2, however.

Transformers references

• There is a subgrid near the Maximal base called Zarak.

Real-world references

• Megatron's creation of the Dinobot clone is clearly based on the creation of the monster from Frankenstein, complete with Waspinator as Igor.

• After grabbing the Transmetal driver, Cheetor yells for Depth Charge to "Go deep", a reference to American football.

• Megatron spins around and over a cliff in a manner similar to the Tasmanian Devil "Taz" and Wile E. Coyote cartoon characters, respectively. Complete with appropriate sound effects.

• After Megatron gives the order to retreat in the failed attempt to recover the transmetal driver, Taps can briefly be heard playing in the background.

• A possible reference to 1987 film Predator, when Dinobot 2 uses his laser to eye his hand/claws. Very similar to a scene in Predator.

Notes

• Cheetor nearly DESTROYED a protoform (using a cannon similar in design to Optimal Optimus's cannon). Granted it was a blank, and the shot only damaged Waspinator, but still...

• Even levers do not like Waspinator.

• Waspinator is an Igor! Nwehehehehe...

• Depth Charge knew who to blast first when Rampage isn't in sight. (Hint: Waspinator goes first.)

• Notice how little concern Megatron has for blasting the wrong target. (This is Waspinator's worst day thus far.)

• Tarantulus does not appear in this episode, nor does he appear in the second part.

• In Code of Hero, Megatron mocked Dinobot for being "old technology" and "obsolete". In this episode, he resurrects Dinobot into the most cutting-edge (figuratively and literally) technology in the series thus far.

External Links

• Link

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