Transformers: Armada ep 1 »
Just look at that thousand light-year stare.
"First Encounter" 遭遇 (であい) (Deai) "Encounter"
Production code	TF: A-01
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	August 23, 2002 (English) 10 January 2003 (Japanese)
Writer	Ryō Motohira
Director	Hidehito Ueda
Animation studio	Actas Inc.
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy
Watch this episode on YouTube

Three ordinary children find themselves faced with robotic visitors from another world and an extraterrestrial war on their own planet.

Synopsis

Cybertronian architecture was greatly influenced by the Inebriation Movement.

Eons ago, the Transformers were sent out as explorers by a "unique digital entity." One of the first planets they inhabited was Cybertron. But the Transformers warred with one another over tiny robots named Mini-Cons, used as tools to boost power. Eventually, an internal protocol awakened the Mini-Cons, and they joined forces to resist domination by either Autobots or Decepticons. After a long war, the Autobots and Decepticons called a truce. A craft was constructed for the Mini-Cons and blasted into space to stop them from being used in another war. It traveled for millions of years until it collided with a Moon; damaged, it crashed to the surface of the Moon's parent planet. The Mini-Cons lay dormant for millions of years as the planet's terrain shifted and changed around them...

In the present day, a boy named Rad narrates, introducing himself and his friend Carlos. They race to school (Rad wins) and meet a schoolmate named Alexis. Rad asks her if she wants to come with them to explore a cave, but she rejects him. They then meet and argue with two boys named Billy and Fred. They then head to class for the day. So far, an ordinary day.

"Darn it, Rad. Your nightlight is way too bright!"

After school, Rad and Carlos race up the mountain to the cave. Billy and Fred follow them using a locator stuck to Rad's bike. The boys head into the cave, using a rope and a trail of rocks to mark their path. Billy and Fred follow them at a distance and accidentally destroy part of the rock trail; soon, they become lost after being scared by some bats. While advancing deep into the cave, Carlos accidentally treads on a stone plate. It begins to slide downwards, with the boys rapidly riding on top. At the bottom, the boys find themselves in a strange artificial building of an unknown purpose. There, they discover a glowing green stone, in reality, a Mini-Con storage panel, and Rad picks it up, activating a beacon that causes an earthquake.

"When you wish upon a staaaaaar... makes no difference who you aaaaaaare..."
"Strafe, those are LASERS."
"Oh."

Alexis notices the earthquake and heads off to investigate the cave. The beacon shuts down the Space Research Center's computers. The beacon then fires out of the cave in three parts: one red, one purple, and one green. The green portion activates the Moon's spaceship wreckage, causing Mini-Con panels across the Earth to activate. The other two parts alert the Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron to the location of the Mini-Cons. The best warriors of the opposing sides teleport to Earth to seek the Mini-Cons.

Hey you! The worst of your nightmares is coming!

Back on Earth, the earthquake is over. Rad and Carlos exit the cave safely and soundly. Suddenly, they see a strange purple halo in the sky. Then the warp gate opens with a gigantic robot inside: Megatron. At this moment, Alexis shows up and tells the boys not to panic, but it is too hard for them. When Megatron moves towards Rad, the boy drops the panel; it activates, and High Wire emerges. High Wire scans Rad's bike and transforms himself into a bicycle. The three kids ride High Wire to try to escape Megatron, but Megatron flicks a boulder at them, knocking them off the Mini-Con. Megatron blocks their path, claiming High Wire belongs to him and demanding they return High Wire to him or else. But suddenly, another giant robot teleports in, and the two giants square off in battle.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Hey, we were just wondering if you wanted to come with us after school. We're heading up the mountain to scope out this wicked cave we found..."
"Sorry guys, but I'm gonna have to take a rain check. I've got a math test, and I told my mom I'd come straight home. So for the last time, the answer's no!"

—Alexis uses the old "math test" excuse to blow off Rad.

Rad: "Is it just me, or do you get the distinct feeling that Little Miss Stuck-Up dissed us big time?"
Alexis: "I hope you realize I heard that Rad!"
Carlos: "I tell you, man; there's just no winning when it comes to girls, is there?"

—Rad and Carlos learn the eternal truth; women are difficult to comprehend.

"Would you hurry up? They've probably gone home already!"
"Hey! You don't have to yell at me. I got feelings too, ya know! I-I'm trying my hardest, but no, nothing's ever good enough for you!"
"Aw, quit your bellyaching!"
"My therapist says I don't have to take this from you because you're not the boss of me! Besides, I'm getting hungry again."

—Billy and Fred arrive at the cave Rad and Carlos are exploring.

"Ah, it would have had more fun if I'd brought my sister."

—Billy reflects on the company he keeps.

Megatron: "You have something of mine."
Alexis: "We have what?"
Megatron: "Give it back immediately, or you shall suffer the consequences."
Rad: "Oh...great."
Megatron: "I have given you your chance, Earthling."

—Megatron giving chances?! Unthinkable!

Robot Wars has nothing on these two.

"Stand down, Megatron!"

—The line that made a room full of fans cheer at BotCon 2002, as Optimus Prime appears.

Notes

Differences with Legends of the Microns

• Uniquely, this episode's name was changed for Armada; the Legends of the Microns version is called "Encounter," keeping with the rest of the one-word titles in the show.
• The opening scene narration is Armada-exclusive. Consequently, the Japanese dub doesn't mention the Transformers' origins or the "unique digital entity," and there's no talk of a truce between the Autobots and Decepticons. Instead, we hear a real-time dialogue through radio chatter, clarifying that we see a battle between the Autobots and Decepticons. The former tries to keep the latter back until the Mini-Cons' ship can warp to safety. The Armada narrator also says the Mini-Cons' ship takes millions of years to arrive at Earth, whereas Legends of the Microns indicates the journey is immediate.
• The aerial view of Earth's changing topography closing the opening sequence is cut down and sped up in Armada.
• Aside from some laughing and whooping, the scene of Rad and Carlos heading for school is silent in Legends of the Microns, lacking the narration that describes them. Instead, Rad introduces himself to the audience in the later narration about the Cosmoscope Research Center. Furthermore, the boys racing to school and bumping fists over Rad's victory is the Armada interpretation of the scene. Their "brofisting" in the Japanese dub is about them finally being ready to do something they reveal later.
• Rad doesn't mention he and Carlos finding a cave when talking to Alexis and instead says they have something interesting planned. Then Alexis says she's too busy to play with the boys and apologizes. In Legends of the Microns, Rad talks about how Alexis was closer to them and "played in the mud" with them when they were younger, and Carlos says she's now spending all her time studying to become president. Armada has Rad and Carlos grumbling about being dissed and not understanding girls. Then Alexis calls back to them sarcastically as she walks away; she says nothing in Legends of the Microns.
• Billy and Fred spout fairly generic "bully" dialogue in Armada. In Legends of the Microns, they make teasing inquiries about Rad and Carlos's plan, recalling the last time they explored the woods. Billy mentions a landslide by the back of a hill a while ago and says Rad and Carlos will face punishment if they don't have permission to go there. According to Fred, they seemingly get punished frequently but never learn their lesson, prompting Carlos to demand that Fred stop feigning innocence. Throughout the episode, Armada makes Billy more hostile towards Fred while Fred is far more pathetic and food-obsessed; these exaggerated traits define them for the rest of Armada, while Legends of the Microns gives them more intelligent moments here and there.
• Rad thinking Alexis likes him but is playing hard to get is an Armada-exclusive element. Unlike Armada, Rad's introductory narration in Legends of the Microns actually sets up the episode's plot; he reveals having plans with Carlos that day but, unknown to them, they'd "trigger an outrageous situation." Also, Rad whispering to Alexis, and her response are only faintly audible.
• Instead of asking Rad if he's excited about going up the mountain, Carlos asks if they're ready, and Rad assures him they are, with most of Armada's filler dialogue between them as they leave removed.
• In Armada, Fred's locator was a gift; in Legends of the Microns, it's called a transmitter instead, which Fred says he took from his dad without asking. The Japanese dub also removes Fred's "glandular problem" line.
• After entering the cave, Rad asks how deeper it goes before asking Carlos if they have enough rope, to which Carlos replies they do. Carlos's dialogue about the rope is removed, and the later shot of Billy noticing it is also silent.
• When they arrive at the cave, Fred complains about being tired and hungry and wants to go home. He claims it's not in his nature to enjoy exploring and that it's something Billy is better suited at than him. The POV shot of Fred pointing at Rad's bike is silent. Then Billy guesses Rad and Carlos were planning to go spelunking. Fred asks if they should go home, but Billy calls Fred an idiot and says they're going after the others. In Armada, Billy rags on Fred for being a wuss.
• The following scene with Rad and Carlos is primarily silent as Rad's dialogue while making the rock arrow is reduced, and so is his subsequent talk with Carlos.
• Legends of the Microns mentions Rad's love and knowledge of the outdoors more than Armada as Carlos asks if Rad loves outdoor exploring, and Rad answers yes. After faintly hearing Fred's voice later, Rad tells Carlos it was probably the wind since that's how it makes an echoing sound.
• Fred's childhood phobia of dark places dialogue is now his fear of getting lost, leading to Billy reminding him about the rope before seeing it run out. Then Fred insists they turn back, and Billy demands him to stop joking around. While stomping on the rock arrow and ruining it, Billy repeatedly swears and asks where Rad and Carlos went before continuing, sounding angrier than he does in Armada. Billy's only source of frustration in the scene in Armada is Fred's endless whining.
• After hearing Billy and Fred scream, Carlos doubts it's the wind, and Rad agrees. Then Carlos wants to turn back to be sure and tells Rad to accompany him.
• Carlos's line about him and Rad opening a hidden shaft leading to the chamber is now him guessing that he lost his Maglite, prompting Rad to bring out the torch. In Armada, the following shot of the boys looking at the ruins fades to black almost instantly after Rad's line. In Legends of the Microns, Rad's line now has an echo effect, and after the zoom-out, the shot holds for a second before cutting to black instead of fading.
• After the mid-episode commercial bumper, Rad repeats his last line. Then Carlos calls the sight incredible and says it's now like another world in the cave. Instead of calling out to anyone possibly living there, Rad and Carlos decide to explore further, concluding they've found a wrecked spaceship sooner than in Armada. In Legends of the Microns, it's silent from Carlos descending the stairs to Rad finding the Mini-Con panel. The Japanese dub removes Carlos's line about the panel looking radioactive, and Rad asks what it is in a lower and more hesitant tone. The scene of the ruined ship becoming active again is silent.
• Alexis's internal dialogue as she goes to Mount Astrogate is changed to wondering what awakened beneath the mountain.
• Rad and Carlos's dialogue as they escape the cave is more frantic than in Armada. As Megatron appears, Carlos's line about things getting freaky again is removed. Instead of sounding like he's stretching, Megatron roars in the Japanese dub, making his presence known loud and proud.
• In Armada, Alexis babbles instructions about keeping still so Megatron doesn't spot Rad and Carlos. In Legends of the Microns, she distressingly asks about Megatron and why the boys are at Mount Astrogate since she's merely investigating the earthquake.
• Instead of just agreeing to jump on High Wire as he does in Armada, Carlos wonders how three people can fit on a bike, with the jump-cut to the kids piled on intended as a comedic moment in Legends of the Microns.
• In Legends of the Microns, Alexis reacts to High Wire's transformation by saying they should name him "Wheelie," the character's Japanese name. This line would make no sense with High Wire's English name, so Armada replaces it with Alexis saying that she hopes the Mini-Con can outpace Megatron. Then Armada has Carlos brag that Megatron can't catch them, and Alexis quips about Carlos speaking too soon. In Legends of the Microns, Carlos, agreeing with Alexis on High Wire's name, cheers for the Mini-Con to go faster before shouting that Megatron is after them.
• Megatron dramatically identifies High Wire as a Mini-Con, and the kids are amazed when he speaks. In Armada, he demands they return "something" to him, and that's about it. In Armada, Megatron threatens the kids' lives but only commands them to return High Wire to him in the Japanese dub. In Armada, Alexis asks what Megatron is talking about, and Rad later exclaims in frustration. In Legends of the Microns, Carlos speaks instead of Alexis, and Rad questions what Megatron means by "Mini-Con."
• When Optimus appears, Armada plays the show's theme song for the rest of the episode, but Legends of the Microns plays the track "Charge!."
• Megatron and Optimus's voices have an added echo effect, making them sound disembodied. Just before charging at Optimus, Megatron says, "Why you!"
• In Armada, Rad blames himself for the Transformers coming to Earth in his ending narration; however, in Legends of the Microns, he believes that he, Alexis, and Carlos are all responsible. The English version might be correct in this case, but the Japanese version is still debatable.

Animation and technical errors

• In the opening, the narrator uses light-years as a time measurement unit when it's a distance measurement unit. This mistake periodically reappeared throughout Armada and the sequel series Energon.
• Carlos's eyes have whites in them in some scenes. Sometimes, Rad suffers the opposite problem.
• When Rad and Carlos leave school, Rad's bike tires are initially thick but return to their normal size in the next shot. The bike's tires are thick again when Megatron trashes it.
• After Rad makes the arrow out of rocks and he and Carlos go deeper into the cave, their dialogue is the same pitch as if they didn't move. Legends of the Microns fixes it to lower their voices and adds an echo effect.
• The Mini-Con panel activation sound starts a split-second before Rad touches High Wire's panel.
• When she sees Megatron, Alexis is strangely calm, but her facial expression says otherwise. Megatron equally frightens her in Legends of the Microns.
• High Wire instantly appears in his new colors in the shot after scanning Rad's bike.
• After Megatron notices Optimus, Rad holds High Wire's Mini-Con panel, although High Wire emerged from it two minutes ago.
• In the scene where Optimus grapples with Megatron, Rad is wearing a bike glove, though he's been barehanded since arriving at the cave.

Continuity notes

• This episode is the homeroom teacher's only appearance in the series.
• Megatron and Optimus debut in their Cybertronian forms.
• High Wire debuts as the first Mini-Con to awaken from stasis in the series; he is also the first Mini-Con to appear in their Cybertronian form and acquire an Earth vehicle mode.
• Gadgets and powers:
  • This episode reveals that the Mini-Cons have built-in scanning systems; future episodes will show this is a common feature among all Transformers of this universe.
    • Until this point, most Transformers cartoons showed that individuals couldn't scan alternate forms without the aid of their ship computers or stasis pods. However, there were some exceptions.

Continuity errors

• If the Transformers called a truce, why are they fighting as the Exodus prepares to warp away? It's a non-issue in Legends of the Microns since it doesn't mention any ceasefire.
• Rad tells Alexis that he and Carlos found a cave, but it later sounds like Rad is showing it to Carlos for the first time. Rad asks if Carlos is ready to enter it in the Japanese dub, so it's not an issue.
• Rad introduces himself as if that's his legal name when it isn't. In Legends of the Microns, he introduces himself as Brad (short for Bradley) and clarifies that "Rad" is his nickname.
• He might be joking, but Rad hints that Alexis has feelings for him; however, no romance develops between them in the future. It's not an issue in the Japanese dub since Rad makes no such claim.
• Billy mentions having a sister in this episode, but never again. He doesn't mention having any siblings in Legends of the Microns.
• In Legends of the Microns, Rad's flashlight lacks the lens flare it had when he turned it on, but it returns in a later scene. The lens flare is consistent in Armada.
• When Alexis discovers the earthquake's epicenter is the mountain, she mentions Rad going there but forgets about Carlos. In the Japanese dub, she only says the earthquake's epicenter is beneath the mountain and doesn't mention the boys since she has no prior knowledge they'd be there.
• Legends of the Microns reveals the mountain is called Mount Astrogate, and characters mention it often in the Japanese dub. Armada completely neglects this detail, so when Alexis says "the Astrogate" in "Vow," English-speaking viewers don't know what she means, and it's never explained.
• Unlike Rad and Carlos, Alexis is strangely unfazed when encountering Megatron. It's a non-issue in Legends of the Microns since Megatron's appearance also startles her.
• A great precursor of things to come, Armada seriously doesn't know how to handle the idea of the kids being able to understand their Mini-Cons. Rad understands High Wire's request to jump on in both show versions. In response to Alexis's desire to go faster, however, Legends of the Microns has Rad accurately translate High Wire's answer (he's at maximum speed); in contrast, Armada has him unable to decipher the beeping. It will be near the end of the series before the kids' ability to understand the Mini-Cons gets explained, partially requiring the Linkage comic for additional context. The comic reveals that Mini-Cons' souls were essentially "split off" from humans in the distant past, so they operate on the same mental wavelength. Armada never wised up to this, so the kids' ability to understand their partners in the English dub comes and goes regularly. In Legends of the Microns, the kids understand the Mini-Cons consistently throughout the show.

Transformers references

First homage.

• As an origin for the Transformers, the narrator describes a "unique digital entity" coming into being and sending out a race of living machines to explore the galaxy. Logically, this was meant to refer to Primus, who still hadn't appeared in any cartoons. The typically warped Armada dialogue makes it sound like the robots sent out by Primus find and colonize Cybertron. But—as fans would already know, and as the Energon cartoon would reveal—Cybertron itself was Primus's body, which birthed the robots. The idea of the Transformers being colonizers in their early days would—through a likely coincidence—be revisited and reaffirmed in the Cybertron cartoon. Concurrently, Ask Vector Prime in Transformers Animated: The AllSpark Almanac explicitly confirmed the digital entity's identity as Primus.
• The Japanese version's opening and Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003 reveal the Decepticon ship is their flagship called "The Doomsday." The Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003 also revealed the Autobot and Mini-Con ships' names are the Hyperion and Exodus respectively.
• During Cybertron's scenes, many Generation 1 character models are used as generic Autobots and Decepticons, including Hound, Braver, and Road King. The series would continue this trend for all scenes with random Transformers set on Cybertron.
• Since the original Transformers cartoon itself, this episode marks the first time a Transformers series used a variation of the original Generation 1 theme music.

Real-world references

• In Legends of the Microns, Rad says Alexis used to "play in the mud" with him and Carlos when they were younger. It's a typical Japanese expression that explains how friends play together in childhood.
• In the Japanese dub, Rad says he and Carlos brought a "Maglite and torch" before leaving school; Carlos mentions losing his Maglite later in the cave's hidden chamber. Maglite is a flashlight brand.

Trivia

• Although the furigana is "deai," the kanji 遭遇 would usually be pronounced as "souguu." In the end, the meaning of "encounter" is still the same. "Deai" would be either "出合い" or "出会い."
• Footage from the first few minutes of this episode was compressed into 30 seconds to create the series's first title sequence.
• Billy and Fred debut as recurring guest characters in this episode but later become part of the regular human cast. According to Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003, the Armada series producers kept meaning to write them out of the show but ultimately never got around to doing it; hence, their staying through to the show's end was wholly accidental. Signs of this unrealized plan possibly remain in the show as Billy and Fred are absent from some episodes without explanation after formally meeting the Autobots and gaining access to their base.
• For stuff introduced in the Japanese version:
  • This episode is the only one not to include Optimus's narration about the key elements happening in the show's story before playing the opening, which makes sense since this is the first episode.
  • The show's first title sequence debuts here, infamously spoiling some character arrivals later in the series. During this sequence, the song that plays is "Transformer: Dream Again."
  • The end credits have Laserbeak hovering over the Transformers characters who arrived in the show's first nine episodes. Unlike the title sequence, the only thing that changes about this ending is the song that plays, with this episode up to "Linkup" using "Never Ending Road."
  • The following episode preview narration has either Rad, Carlos, or Alexis telling the viewer the next episode's basic premise before ending with the line "Fight, Convoy! TRANSFORM!"
• This episode begins several trends for the English dub:
  • This episode's first few minutes are condensed into the show's title sequence from the next episode until episode 40, "Remorse."
  • The end credits use the same images and clips from their respective episodes throughout the series.
  • It uses the first commercial bumper featuring Optimus as pointless filler; however, the Japanese dub uses it as the episode title card.
  • The commercial bumpers use the wrong music. This error also applies to the scene transitions, though there are rare exceptions.
  • Some scenes use different music than the Japanese dub; Armada often reuses the Transformers theme tune countless times as an "insert song."
  • The transformation noise is sometimes included at random times; the Japanese dub removes it for the most part.
  • Unlike Legends of the Microns, the Transformers' voice actors have their voices put through a filter to make them sound robotic, a creative decision that carries through to Energon and Cybertron.
• The Japanese dub's title sequence from episodes 1 to 26 shows Over-Run Powerlinxing with Optimus and unlocking a unique power punch attack; Over-Run never appears during the show's run.
• According to Legends of the Microns Year Book 2003, Billy and Fred's voice actors did the dialogue heard during the Japanese dub's opening scene.

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "La Découverte" ("The Discovery")
• Original airdate: September 13, 2003

German

• Title: "Die grüne Armada" ("The Green Armada")
• Original airdate: December 1, 2003

Hungarian

• Title: "Az első találkozás" ("The First Encounter")

Italian

• Title: "Primo contatto" ("First Contact")

• This dub corrects the light-years mistake by having the narrator simply saying: "Billions of years ago...".

Korean

• Title: "사이버트론과의 만납" ("Meeting Cybertron")

Polish

• Title: "Pierwsze starcie" ("First Clash")

Portuguese

• Title: "Primeiro Encontro" ("First Encounter")

Russian

• Title: "Pervoe znakomstvo" (Первое знакомство, "First Encounter")

Home video releases

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 1 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — Transformers: Armada — Vol:01 (Universal)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part One (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers: Armada — Volume 1 (TFou Vidéo) — French audio only.
2005 — Transformers: Armada — Triple Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Bumper Double DVD Collection (Universal)
2008 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers: Armada — Volume One (Shout! Factory)