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The Probe-3.

Rats! I knew I should have charge my MP3 Viser!

As a probe from Cybertron approaches the planet the Maximals desperately try to make contact with it, but Megatron has other plans.

The Probe (Japanese title: 恐怖の新兵器!) (Kyōfu no Shin Heiki! "New Weapons of Terror!") is the eleventh episode of first season of Beast Wars: Transformers, is the eleventh episode of the Beast Wars: Transformers series and is overall the eleventh episode of the Beast Era of the Transformers series. It is overall the one hundredth-ninth episode of the G1 Era of Transformers.

Summary[]

Numerous probes are launched from Cybertron, programmed to search through time for the missing Axalon. One pod floats through the rift in space-time created by Megatron and approaches the planet on which the Beast Wars are taking place.

On the planet's surface, Cheetor challenges his teammates to a race home. Rattrap does a commendable job in keeping up with the cheetah, but Primal wins the race by using his flight mode. Primal and Dinobot scold Cheetor for letting his own guard down. Once inside, the four Maximals meet with Rhinox, who is trying to use the ship's scanners to detect something in space. Rattrap pulls up a visual, revealing that the orbital object is a temporal probe. Rhinox makes an attempt to contact the probe, but it moves out of range before communication can be established. However, there's one more chance to get the probe's attention, by duplicating the Axalon's transwarp signal by the time the probe make its return journey. The Maximals are happy, except for Dinobot who look rather perturbed.

The next morning, the Maximals begin construction of the signal array they'll use to contact the probe. Although they're in Predacon territory, they have Tigatron protecting them. Tigatron detects a tipsy Waspinator and blasts the insect away easily. But by shooting down Waspinator, he makes himself a target of the transformation lock lens, a diabolical machine that Tarantulas has built. Eventually, the device fires a beam that hits Tigatron, trapping him in his beast mode. Without his blaster, Tigatron is ensnared in an energon web. Cheetor arrives to aid Tigatron, but quickly finds himself in the same situation.

At the construction site, Dinobot admits that he imagines that upon returning to Cybertron, he'll be persecuted as a Predacon and be arrested along with Megatron, but Primal assures him that this won't happen. Scorponok, spying on the Maximals, films some footage of the device and sends it to Megatron. Once the device is complete, he begins an attack upon it, but is quickly blasted before the array can be damaged. All the array needs is a transwarp component, which Rhinox will deliver from the Axalon.

The two cats have been caged inside the Predacon base, where Megatron reviews footage of the Maximals constructing their signal array. Cheetor accidentally lets slip that the array is being made to contact a probe. The Predacons rush out of the room, leaving the captives unsupervised. Tigatron begins to swing his suspended cage. Cheetor copies this behavior, and the two cages soon strike other, knocking their bottom panels open. Tigatron lands on his feet and catches Cheetor, saving him from a lava bath. They then head for the Predacons' restoration chambers to escape the transformation lock.

Terrorsaur attacks the array, and the three Maximals scare off the flier. Dinobot comments that Terrorsaur always was a coward. Megatron agrees, but notes that he still makes a great diversion. Then he and the two spiders engage the Maximals at closer range, with Tarantulas's device to assist them. Dinobot is locked into his Beast Mode and is defeated with several kicks to the face from Blackarachnia. Rattrap uses his rifle to blast Blackarachnia over the edge of a cliff. With her out of the picture, Rattrap talks to Dinobot, who is experiencing transformational dysfunction, only for Rattrap to be struck by the lock lens as well. The two Maximals are then blasted by Megatron.

Optimus Primal fights against Tarantulas and fires a shot right through the spider's chest. Then Primal is locked into his beast mode like the others. Megatron nearly kills Primal, but Rhinox arrives just in time and sends Megatron flying with a mighty punch. With the Predacons defeated, Rhinox activates the array. He only needs to enter in the code that will allow the array to mimic the Axalon's transwarp signal and contact the probe. But at the crucial moment, Tarantulas's evil device strikes Rhinox, and without fingers to use in his beast mode, the array is useless. With all the present Maximals incapacitated, there is nobody to stop Megatron from destroying the array, he then fires the missile at the array as it explodes in a flash of fire and Megatron laughs.

After gloating about his victory, Megatron prepares to finish off Optimus and Rhinox. Cheetor and Tigatron arrive and destroy Tarantulus's device and scare off Megatron But the damage has been done-the probe flies past the planet, uncontacted. Megatron boasts that the war will continue until he wins; the Maximals worry that they may never be rescued.

Quotes[]

Rattrap: "Don't cats ever get tired of being stupid?"

Rattrap on Cheetor not watching where he's running.


Dinobot: "Well OF COURSE we wouldn't want to miss our chance to go home"


Rattrap: "HEY HEY HEY, what's biting your sensors Dinoboob?"

Rattrap just said boob. loool


Tarantulas: "Don't cats ever get tired of being stupid?"

Tarantulas and Rattrap share the same sense of humor.

Stats[]

Writers: Craig Miller and Marv Wolfman
Original Air Date: October 15, 1996

Major Characters (in order of appearance): Cheetor, Rattrap, Dinobot, Optimus Primal, Rhinox, Tigertron, Waspinator, Tarantulas, Scorponok, Terrorsaur, Megatron, Blackarachnia

Notes[]

  • Generally specking, this is the first episode of Beast Wars: Transformers were Megatron technically wins, as he was successfully able to destroy the Maximals' array which prevent them from contacting the probe and return home to Cybertron.
  • Dinobot's hesitation towards the idea of being rescued is a concept revisited in the next episode, "Victory".
  • On the American DVD release of Season 1, this episode appears out of order, coming after "Double Jeopardy". This is particularly noticeable in the presence of the Sentinel defense system before its introductory episode. However, the Madman release for Australia has this episode appearing in the proper place.
  • As Terrorsaur makes his attack, Dinobot's eyes are not green when he fires his eye lasers.
  • Scorponok's black and white POV shot has purple Cybertronix text on the bottom. It translates to "f**k".
  • A more clever use of Cybertronix comes when Rhinox identifies the probe. The text scrolling on the bottom repeats "ceci est un alphabet tres bizarre et je ne comprends rien," French for "This is a very odd alphabet, and I do not understand anything."
  • In the VHS release of this episode, most of the fight between Dinobot and Blackarachnia is cut. After Dinobot is hit by the transformation lock, we see Rattrap aim his blaster and fire, then we see the screen after Blackarachnia falls off the cliff. Most likely this was done because the episode where Blackarachnia first appeared was not included on this VHS, as the first two episodes, as well as "Chain of Command" and "Fallen Comrades" were on the VHS, and Double Jeopardy was on a different VHS.
  • The "transformation lock lens" is similar to the "transfixatron" from The Transformers Season 2 episode "The Autobot Run".
  • It may be possible that the Probe's design was later reused as a Jamming Station in future episodes.
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