You cried. Don't lie!
A strange creature emerges from a damaged stasis pod, and both Rampage and Silverbolt find a strange type of kinship with it.
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Summary
As Megatron sleeps off the damage he took in his last battle, Rampage sneaks into his chamber. His plan to re-obtain the piece of his Spark is foiled as Megatron grabs it and uses it to put him back in his place.
At about this time, a search for the Predacon jamming towers leads to Rattrap, Cheetor and Silverbolt becoming separated as seismic tremors are felt. The earthquakes bury Cheetor and Rattrap and reveal an unstable stasis pod. Megatron sends Rampage and Inferno to retrieve it; Inferno reaches the pod first and tries to drag it back but is quickly defeated by Silverbolt. Rampage arrives at the scene and muses over the inhabitant in the pod - another outcast like him? At about this moment, Silverbolt returns to the pod to confront Rampage, but both are thrown back as a powerful psionic scream destroys the pod, just as Cheetor and Rattrap free themselves from the rocks. The Maximals immediately fly back onto the ledge in time to witness the emergence of Transmutate.
While Rattrap expresses... doubts... over the new arrival, Silverbolt and Rampage respond positively to her and immediately implore her to join their respective factions. Just at this moment, Inferno returns and starts a fight, provoking Transmutate to invoke her scream again. The psionic energy incapacitates the Maximals, leaving Rampage to escort her from the scene, promising that as her "only friend", he will protect her. The Maximals come to, as Optimus arrives. Rattrap and Cheetor head back to base while Silverbolt helps to find Transmutate. Meanwhile, a holographic image of Megatron inspects Transmutate and decides that she is worthless. Rampage protests and begs for a chance for her to prove herself. Later, Silverbolt catches sight of Transmutate seemingly lying comatose, but as he approaches her, he learns too late that it is an ambush, and is brought down. Transmutate hesitates over Silverbolt, causing Inferno to rudely push her aside, which in turn provokes her to invoke her scream again, which sends Inferno flying. Just as Rampage steps forward to destroy Silverbolt, Optimus arrives and buries him under a rock. Transmutate is dissuaded from using her scream by Silverbolt, who is then carried by her back to the Axalon.
At the Maximal base, Optimus and Rhinox come to the conclusion that, with her near-non-existent intelligence, nightmarish structure and sheer power, Transmutate is too dangerous to be kept in her current condition - she must be placed in stasis lock. Silverbolt objects to such an action, arguing against the notion that because she does not fit the Maximal definition of perfection, she must be destroyed!
As Transmutate wanders about the Axalon, Rampage contacts her and persuades her to fly to his position. She does so, leaving Silverbolt to decry the Maximals as fools and leave the Axalon in search of her. He arrives in time to see Rampage with Transmutate. A brutal fight ensues, and the two combatants force each other over a cliff. At the sight of this carnage, Transmutate resolves to stop her friends from destroying each other. She flies down in between the Maximal and Predacon just as they both fired their missiles. Silverbolt and Rampage scream in disbelief as Transmutate is destroyed by the energy she used.
Optimus and Cheetor arrive to see a broken Silverbolt and a distraught Rampage. As they prepare to attack the Predacon, Silverbolt tells them to "let him be. For the moment, we are brothers."
Quotes
[Rampage 'quietly' enters on a sleeping Megatron, but is caught out]
Megatron: Did you really think to catch me so unaware? I think you need a little reminder. Yeess..."
[Megatron squeezes Rampage's Spark Chamber. Rampage struggles]
Rampage: You've... proved... your point!
Megatron: Never forget how holds the essence of your Spark. And thus, is your master.
Rampage: That I promise you.
Rattrap: Oh man. There's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on around here...
Silverbolt: It seems unlikely that Megatron would build a jamming station in an...unstable region.
Rattrap: Yeah. Ya mean, it's no fault o' his! Eh eh eh eh eeh. Get it? Fault?
[Rattrap laughs to himself. Silverbolt looks lost]
Rattrap: Earthquake, hello?
Silverbolt: [halfheartedly] Yes, I see. Haha! Most...amusing...
Rattrap: ...Sheesh...
"Are we Predacons now?! Do we destroy that what does not fit our view of perfection?!"
- —Silverbolt, who is very pissed off by what the Maximals want to do with Transmutate.
[Transmutate flies to the voice of Rampage]
Rampage: I knew you wouldn't fail me. We are two of a kind. We belong together.
Silverbolt: [calling from behind] Stop! This one is not for you!
Rampage: It is ONLY for ME!. [Rampage attacks Silverbolt]
Optimus Primal: Cheetor and I will take care of Rampage.
Silverbolt: No. Let him be. For the moment, we are brothers.
- —Silverbolt showing mercy towards Rampage after Transmutate's death.
Stats
Writers: Christy Marx
Original air date: March 10, 1998 (Cartoon Network Preview); May 2, 1998 (Regular Syndication)
Major characters (in order of appearance): Characters
Minor characters (in order of appearance): Characters
Notes
- When new, this episode was at the center of an April Fool's joke gone horribly, horribly wrong. A copy of the script was altered by persons unknown at Mainframe to include some rather lurid scenes, such as Rattrap mounting Transmutate. Regardless of whomever the victim of the joke was intended to be, the altered script found its way onto alt.toys.transformers, to the horrified chagrin of the fandom [1] [2].
- As if that weren't bad enough, the script was leaked before the episode actually aired in the US, leaving the fandom debating whether the entire story, and the naughty bits in particular, were actually legitimate.
Technical/Animation glitches
- When Transmutate unleashes a burst of energy upon exiting its pod, knocking Silverbolt and Rampage for a loop, Rampage is missing his robot mode "kibble".
- When Silverbolt declares to Rampage "This one is not for you!", he's missing his wing assembly.
Continuity errors
- Rampage calls the protoform Transmutate before he actually asks it for a name and goes through his "Part transmetal," description and decides upon the name, Transmutate.
Transformers References
- Rattrap claims that Arcee is his great-aunt.
- Also, Susan Blu, Arcee's voice actor, provided the voice of Transmutate.
Real-world references
The central conflict in this episode is based around a metaphor for euthenasia.
External Links
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