The Hunt for The Black Pyramid

Be vewy quiet. This is bwack pywamid season!

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Undersea pyramid.
A Predacon power source?
Swim! Autobots, swim!

Detailed synopsis

Still needing more energy to power the Predacon's base, Megatron sets his sights on a new source of power: The undersea Black Pyramid. Gas Skunk and Slapper wire the pyramid up to the ship's energy systems, but while making the installation, Slapper fears being discovered by the Autobots. Above, on a research vessel, Koji and the wily scientist, Doctor Okasai prepare for their trip to see the Black Pyramid, unaware the Predacons are there.

From his own ship, Megatron sees the research vessel approaching. Sky-Byte and Dark Scream are sent to destroy the ship become it discovers the Predacons' activity, and as the two Predacons leave, it's clear Sky-Byte and Dark Scream have a grudge with each other.

Dr. Okasai and Koji buckle and prepare for aquatic descent. Pieces of the ship shift their alignment as the entire vessel rotates its nose downwards until the ship is vertical. Once the ship is standing in the water, the comparment holding Koji and the Doctor lowers into the sea - where they're unintentionally dangled in front of Sky-Byte. The crew of the ship panic, while Dark Scream attacks the sections of the ship above sea level. Koji radios for help from his Autobot friends.

Prime, about to get waxed, hears Koji's distress message and leaves the fire hall he was stored at (leaving behind one very confused attendant). He travels out to sea on the Global Space Bridge while T-AI orders the Autobot Brothers to follow Prime (although she has a bit of difficulty getting Side Burn to follow instructions). The four Autobots meet up together and reach the end of the Global Space Bridge's ability to extent out to sea - a large distance short of the ship.

Side Burn, eager to show off, is the first to leap from the end of the road, but he chickens out at the last moment. Prowl is the next to try jumping, making use of his jet boosters, but he only makes it far enough to baffle and confuse Kelly (who happens to be on a fishing trip). While Optimus prepares to make a mighty full-throttle leap, Sideburn and X-Brawn swim towards their destination. Prime makes an incredible leap, breaking a handful of the laws of physics, and reaches the ship.

Prime knocks Dark Scream off of the research vessel. Sky-Byte leaps from the sea to confront Prime, and after Sky-Byte recites some bad poety, The two plunge into the sea as they begin their battle. With Prime at a disadvantage underwater, Koji radios T-AI for help. T-AI orders X-Brawn to help repair the damage done to the research vessel.

When he ship is repaired, it returns to horizontal alignment. In the process, it lifts Sky-Byte and Prime out of the water. No longer at such a disadvantage, Prime puts on one of the "gloves" from his super mode and punches Sky-Byte back into the depths. With Sky-Byte's defeat, Megatron destroys the Black Pyramid so the Autobots can't use it.

Although the day has been saved, the Autobots know that there's still a Predacon threat. Prime states that he and the Autobots will continue to defend the planet.

Stats

Original airdate:

Written by: Marc Handler

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Predacons	Humans	Others
Optimus Prime (8) T-AI (9) X-Brawn (10) Prowl (11) Side Burn (12)	Megatron (1) Gas Skunk (2) Slapper (3) Sky-Byte (6) Dark Scream (7)	Regulars Koji Onishi (4) Kelly (13) Guests	Doctor Okasai (5)

Notable quotes

"Don't tell me to relax, I hate to relax!"

-Slapper

"Whatever, you pathetic little guppy."
"What did you just say?" -
"Nothing! I said I wish I... had a puppy."

-Dark Scream and Sky-Byte bicker

"It's a robot squirrel or hamster or something!"

-Crewman, on seeing Dark Scream

"Now you got me worried as much as a steer in a steakhouse."
"Dude, where do you come up with this stuff?"

-X-Brawn & Side Burn

"I'm going to pretend that didn't happen."

-Kelly, after seeing a police car fall out of the sky in the middle of the ocean

The cobalt ocean roils
zephyrs blow cold,
and another hapless foe is crushed beneath my heel.

-Sky-Byte's poem

"You might do better with limericks! Your imagery is derivative. It lacks semiotic cohesion, and the 'hapless foe' is you!"

-Optimus Prime's critique

"My next poem will be your eulogy, as you rust away in a watery grave. Then we'll see whose imagery lacks semiotic cohesion!"

-Sky-Byte's retort

"It's not happening, it's not happening, it's not happening... I'm going to sleep."

-Kelly

Other notes

Continuity errors

• The Black Pyramid's location is described first as being west, then east of Zuma Point. Whups!

Real-World references

• The pyramid is based on actual underwater structures off the coast of Japan.

Miscellaneous trivia

• The unusual phrasing of this episode's title suggests it is a reference to the book/film The Hunt for Red October.

• The dub of this episode gussies up the Black Pyramid as an energy-generating "Matrix Chamber." In the original Japanese version of the episode, it's just an ordinary archaeological ruin that the Predacons have hidden the Megastar in so that they can (as is pretty obvious from the visuals) tap the nearby undersea oil pipeline.

• Kelly's boat has the registry number UF 26 S/C.

• One of the crewmen seems to know about the Predacons somehow.

External links

• Hunt for the Black Pyramid transcript on RiDForever.info

• Pyramid pictures