Transformers storybooks
"The Quest for the AllSpark"
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint	HarperFestival
First published	May 22, 2007
Written by	Annie Auerbach
ISBN	9780060888343 0060888342
Page count	64
Price	$4.99

An abridged version of the Transformers film, told from Sam's point of view.

Synopsis

Though Optimus Prime and Megatron once ruled Cybertron together, Megatron was overtaken by greed and raised an army of soldiers, Decepticons, to take control of the planet by force. The war that followed was so devastating that Cybertron was left in ruins, and the Transformers' only hope for survival was to seek out the Allspark, out in space.

Later, in 1897, Captain Witwicky's ship has become entrapped in ice. As the men work to free it, The expedition's huskies lead the Captain to a patch of ice which suddenly splintered open. Captain Witwicky finds himself down into the resulting crevasse. Looking about, Captain Witwicky beholds a giant mechanoid submerged in the ice before him. Curious about the strange giant, he takes a few whacks at the ice encasing it, only to be blinded when the giant emits a laser that passes through his glasses and hits him directly in the eyes.

Later still, the Captain's great-great-grandson, Sam Witwicky, daydreams in class of getting his own car and dating the popular girl, Mikaela Banes. He is called upon by his teacher to present his genealogy report to class, and Sam explains how Archibald Witwicky went insane in his later life, babbling about ice giants. He is able to convince his teacher to give him an A for the presentation. This means that Sam has the grade he needs to complete his part of a deal he made with his father. Sam Witwicky has earned himself his first car. At the used-car lot, a yellow Camaro catches Sam's eye. Though initially the salesman is unwilling to sell the car for the amount the Witwickys are willing to pay, the car comes to life and destroy the other cars in the lot. Sam buys the Camaro.

Meanwhile, at Air Force One, the Decepticon Frenzy is busy infiltrating the pentagon's network. Though Frenzy finds the files he is looking for, he also triggers an alarm, and Air Force One is alerted to a hostile presence aboard. Frenzy kills all who see him in his robot mode, then assumes the form of a boombox to avoid further detection.

Back at the Witwicky household, Sam is awakened in the middle of the night and sees his car backing out of the driveway. Sam chases his car on his bike and calls 911 to inform the police of the theft. Sam follows the car into an old steel yard and the vehicle itself transforms into a humanoid robot. The robot pulls out a disk which beams up a symbol up into the sky. The spectacle is interrupted by three guard dogs who attack Sam, but his car comes to his rescue. The police then shows up, and mistakenly take Sam into custody. Sam manages to clear his name, though his bizarre story raises a few eyebrows. The next morning, when Sam sees his car back in his driveway, he panics and decides to head over to the house of his friend Miles. He is pursued by the Camaro as he rides his mother's bike. Sam winds up hitting a tree. A sympathetic Mikaela approaches him, only for Sam to inform her that he's losing his mind before taking off once more. Mikaela follows on her Vespa. Sam then encounters a police car who reveals itself to be another robot, Barricade. Barricade browbeats Sam about his "ancestral artifacts." Sam attempts to escape and crashes into Mikaela. Barricade crushes the girl's Vespa, and the two teens are left at Barricade's mercy. Fortunately, Bumblebee saves them, prompting them to climb aboard his vehicle mode. Barricade pursues, leading to a fight between the two robots at an old train yard. Frenzy, who was aboard Barricade, attacks the teens, but they dispatch him together using a power saw. When they are distracted, however, Frenzy's head disguises itself of a duplicate of Mikaela's Sidekick and stows away in her purse.

Bumblebee rolls up to the pair after defeating Barricade, with Sam now convinced that he means them no harm. The three drive off to meet a comet as it crashes down to Earth. The comet turns out to be another Autobot, Optimus Prime. The Autobot leader introduces himself and the rest of his troops to the teens. Optimus also explains their purpose on Earth: to find the Allspark before Megatron does. Sam's part in all this is clarified, as it is revealed his grandfather's glasses have been encoded with the Allspark's location.

Back at his house, Sam finds the glasses, only to be confronted by government agents. The whole family and Mikaela are taken into custody. Agent Simmons grills Sam for information about the aliens, but Optimus rescues them in short order. Sector Seven, the government branch investigating alien life forms, retaliates swiftly, and a horde of helicopters and SUVs arrive to fight the Autobots. Though most of the Autobots escape, Bumblebee is captured. Sam and Mikaela are taken into custody once more. Jazz wants to pursue, but with a heavy heart, Optimus declines; with the glasses in hand, there are more pressing matters to attend to.

The Autobots learn the Allspark's location, but Optimus reveals that he has grown weary of war. He declares that once they find the Allspark, he will combine it with his spark, destroying the both of them. This will result in the war only lasting another thousand years or so, as the last of their kind continue to fight. It will also hopefully ensure that the humans do not become more involved in the fight.

Sam and Mikaela are brought to Sector Seven headquarters. Frenzy sneaks off, and alerts the rest of the Decepticons of his location, asking that they bring his body. Agent Banachek meets with the teens, and agrees to release Bumblebee if Sam fills them in on the situation. Sam explains the difference between the Autobots and the Decepticons, and when shown Megatron encased in ice, explains that he is the leader of the evil robots. He explains both factions want the Allspark, which turns out to be located within Sector Seven headquarters as well.

The Decepticons arrive, and begin their assault on the Hoover dam, the front of Sector Seven's headquarters. Starscream destroys the power generators, causing the ice containing Megatron to begin to thaw. Blackout blasts a whole into the dam, and the torrent of water that pours in melts the ice further. Megatron breaks free and begins to look about for the Allspark. Thankfully, Sam had convinced Sector Seven to entrust it to Bumblebee. Sam, Mikaela and Bumblebee tear out of the dam and drive out onto the desert road to get the Cybertronian artifact away from the Decepticons. Within the dam, a group of Sector Seven agents are desperately trying to get a message out for back-up, and are reduced to using morse code to get through the Decepticons' interference. Frenzy attacks them, but inadvertently disables himself when one of his discs boomerang about and chops off his head once more.

Bumblebee meets up with the other Autobots in a nearby city, and prepares to fight off the incoming Decepticons with the help of some soldiers. Bumblebee's legs become severed in the ensuing battle. Sam manages to drag one of them back to him, and it begins to fuse back with Bumblebee. Jazz defeats Brawl. Jazz is then joined by Ironhide and Ratchet, who help him deal with Bonecrusher. The second Decepticon is also defeated, with the help of the military. The battle sways back in the Decepticons' favour when Megatron arrives and consumes Jazz's spark. Optimus finally arrives to join in the fight, and confronts Megatron. Bumblebee, still unable to move on his own, hands the Allspark to Sam. A soldier instructs Sam to get the Allspark to a nearby rooftop, so it can be picked up by helicopter. Sam's makes his way partway up an abandonned building, only for Megatron to catch up with him. When Sam refuses to hand the Allspark over, Megatron becomes enraged and blasts at the floor beneath the boy's feet. Sam is snet flying, but is caught by Optimus Prime. Optimus is impressed by Sam's refusal to give up, and when Megatron approaches them, Optimus urges Sam to use the Allspark on Megatron's spark, while the Autobot deals with Blackout and Starscream. Sam does so, and ends the battle with Megatron's death. The only surviving Decepticon, Starscream, flees.

The next day, at school, Mikaela kisses Sam in front of everyone in the hallway. Optimus and the Autobots were busy adjusting to their new life on Earth, living amongst the people while in disguise. Optimus made his way to the top of Mount Everest, and sent out a signal into space, urging all other Autobots wandering amongst the stars to join him on Earth.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

• The book is illustrated with stock artwork for the movie.
• Megatron and Optimus are referred to as twin brothers of the Prime dynasty.
• Frenzy hacks computers by emitting a high-frequency screech.
• When Bumblebee rescues Sam and Mikaela from Barricade, he plays "Rescue Me" on his radio.
• Megatron feeds on the sparks of his fallen foes, growing stronger with each one consumed.
• The Allspark calls out to the transformers once every thousand years.
• Though she is alluded to several times throughout the story, Sam's mother never takes part in it.
• Megatron's altmode is described as a "black hypersonic alien jet."
• Bumblebee manages to speak once, though with great difficulty.
• With the book focusing on Sam's story-arch, the military shows up out of nowhere for the final battle.
• Bumblebee has a holographic driver, described as a mustached man.

External links

• Listing at HarperCollins.com