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"I am... Iron Man Girl?"
"TransWarped"
Season	3
No. in season	1–3
Production company	Cartoon Network Studios
Airdate	March 14, 2009
Written by	Marty Isenberg Michael Ryan Marsha Griffin
Directed by	Matt Youngberg Yoshio Frank Chatani (Part 1) Tetsurō Moronuki (Part 2) Yutaka Kagawa (Part 3)
Animation studio	Mook
Continuity	Animated cartoon continuity
Watch this episode on YouTube (Part 1)  Watch this episode on YouTube (Part 2)  Watch this episode on YouTube (Part 3)

In the aftermath of the battle at the mine, Sari and her father's relationship takes a strange turn; the Autobots have their work cut out for them trying to contact Cybertron; and Megatron and Starscream find a new opportunity.

Synopsis

Part I

No fair, I just got here!

Somewhere along the outer rim of the galaxy, the Autobot group, Team Athenia, led by Rodimus Prime, defends space bridge 687-030 against the Decepticons' "Team Chaar," led by Strika. She, Oil Slick, and Cyclonus strafe Brawn, Ironhide, and Hot Shot, badly injuring Hot Shot's leg and forcing team medic Red Alert to perform an amputation. Before she can do so, however, she is swallowed up by Spittor, who explosively vomits her back at her team. Rodimus contacts the Elite Guard for backup, but the Autobot forces are spread much too thin, defending space bridges from Decepticon attacks all across the galaxy. Oil Slick and Cyclonus proceed to take down Brawn and Ironhide, leaving Rodimus on his own, at which point Blackout arrives and all but finishes the fight with a huge electromagnetic pulse. Rodimus still has some fight left in him, but it drains away when Oil Slick offlines him with a vial of Cosmic Rust. Strika contacts Shockwave on Cybertron, who informs her that nobody is to TransWarp to the planet until Megatron himself arrives. But Megatron was supposed to be there megacycles ago...

I'mma firin' mah lazhar!

Off in the depths of space, the disembodied head of Starscream attempts to remove Megatron's stasis cuffs with his teeth as the Decepticon leader berates him all the while. As Starscream begins bellowing back at Megatron, the AllSpark fragment in his forehead begins to glow, and he undergoes a surprising transformation: His mouth converts into a sonic blaster that shoots the cuffs clean off Megatron's wrists. There is no time for the two villains to celebrate, however, as the giant form of Omega Supreme materializes above them. But after a moment, Megatron realizes that the colossus is offline...

Hush little baby, don't say a word. Sumdac's gonna build you a mockingbird.

On Earth, as the Autobots return to Detroit, Professor Sumdac explains Sari's origins to her as best he can, revealing that he discovered her in his laboratory years ago, in the form of a small, liquid metal robot. Sari finds the story hard to believe, and her strained patience reaches its end when the group returns to Sumdac Tower and confronts Porter C. Powell and Henry Masterson. Powell tries to smooth things over with Isaac, but Masterson's belligerent attitude dispels any attempts at peace, which is further ruined when he demands the Autobots return his Headmaster, or "heads will roll." Having entered the lab from the elevator behind them, Optimus picks up Masterson and asks for clarification on his threat. Isaac immediately fires both Powell and Masterson, but Masterson refuses to vacate the premises, and Powell takes another shot at Sari's disputed parentage.

POWER!!! UNLIMITED POWER!!!

In a moment of anger, Sari's hands transform into energy projectors that hurl the two men into the building's elevator. This newest revelation pushes Sari over the edge, and she walks out on the man she can no longer even think of as her father, returning to the Autobots' base with her "fellow machines." While Ratchet examines Sari—deducing that she's basically human, but partially Cybertronian—Prowl departs to carry out some research of his own. With Ratchet lost in his memories of Arcee, Bumblebee and Bulkhead head back to the Decepticons' destroyed mine base to salvage some equipment that will let them contact Cybertron and inform the Autobots there of the traitor in their midst.

On a small planetoid somewhere in space, Blurr is still trapped in a cement blob with Starscream's egomaniacal and cowardly clones. Blurr proposes using sonic pulses to dissolve the glue, and the egomaniac takes the idea for his own and successfully frees them. Blurr immediately speeds off, launching into space and literally running across the galaxy, ricocheting off everything in his path (including the egomaniac) to get back to Cybertron and inform the Elite Guard of Megatron's invasion plan.

Megatron and Starscream force their way into Omega Supreme's body, but this action brings the giant Autobot back online, and his internal systems immediately seize the Decepticons. Megatron exploits Omega's simple processor and convinces the titan to take him back to Cybertron "to face justice." Omega transforms back into ship mode and TransWarps off toward Cybertron.

Back on Earth, Bumblebee and Bulkhead are searching through the ruins of the mine when Bumblebee discovers a plasma dynamic thruster space bridge component that abruptly TransWarps him away. While Bulkhead is wondering where his buddy went, he is suddenly attacked by Henry Masterson, who recovered his Headmaster unit and Starscream's headless body from the mine the night before.

At Sumdac Tower, Prowl shadows Sumdac into his laboratory, quickly accesses his computers, and scans the scientist in an attempt to learn more about Sari's origins. Ratchet is having distinctly less luck back at the Autobot base, where Sari refuses to let him perform an exploratory surgery. The whole unpleasant affair reminds Ratchet of his past on Cybertron, when he performed open-processor surgery on Arcee and discovered she was carrying the codes that were key to the creation of Omega Supreme. Prime snaps Ratchet out of his flashback with the news that he cannot contact Bumblebee and Bulkhead, and Ratchet heads out to the mine to investigate.

Here we go again...

With the other Autobots busy, Optimus Prime tries to patch up the Sumdac family feud by surreptitiously opening a comm channel to Professor Sumdac's laboratory and explaining loudly and at length to Sari that he is going to take her to Burger Bot. Sumdac catches on and heads out to meet them there, but Sari is furious at being set up and refuses to talk to him. Unfortunately, the Headmaster soon arrives, having picked up Prime's phone call through bugs left in Sumdac Tower, and threatens to unleash t0t47 0wN4ge!

Part II

Heads out.

Optimus Prime engages the Headmaster, binding him with his grapplers and dragging him around the Burger Bot parking lot before taking a moment to usher the Sumdacs to safety behind a dumpster. The fight carries the two combatants to an overhead roadway and back, with the Headmaster eventually downing Prime with a slab of concrete. Sumdac is forced to take action, and he hides Sari within the dumpster so that he can draw the Headmaster's attention and keep her safe. Touched by this, Sari unleashes her energy projectors on the Headmaster in defence of her father, though they do little to the villain other than draw his attention. Prime rejoins the battle just in time, ramming the villain in truck mode and goading the Headmaster into trying to transform Starscream's body as well. Infuriated by Prime's claim that a n00b such as he would find it difficult, the Headmaster tries to meet the challenge... only to find his Headmaster unit squeezed clean off Starscream's body by the transformation process. As Starscream's lifeless carcass spirals off into the river, the Headmaster is apprehended by Prime and handed over to Captain Fanzone.

Back at Sumdac tower, Prowl reveals his findings to Prime, Sari and Sumdac: He believes that the body Sumdac found in his lab was, in fact, a Cybertronian protoform that scanned Professor Sumdac's genetic data. Sari takes the revelation in stride, although everyone else remains mystified as to how a protoform wound up on Earth in the first place. There is no time to dwell on the subject, however, as Ratchet radios Prime to inform him of Bulkhead's injuries and Bumblebee's disappearance.

Out in space, Omega Supreme re-emerges from TransWarp, and his systems all power down, having been sapped of energy by the effort of the teleport. Megatron attempts to escape from the confines of the giant Autobot's body, but without his weapons, he is unable. Starscream's new sonic blaster is similarly ineffective, and Megatron instead schemes to take control of Omega's very body.

"We... are going... to die!"

On Cybertron, Shockwave (in the form of Longarm Prime) is informed by Cliffjumper that the space bridge network has been shut down to prevent a Decepticon invasion of the planet. Suppressing his frustration, Shockwave is promptly presented with an outlet for his anger when Blurr comes streaking out of the sky and crashes at his feet. Blurr informs him of the double-agent on Cybertron, whom he plans to identify by cross-referencing his voice-print with the Cybertron intelligence database, and Shockwave immediately attacks the speedster, intent on silencing him before his cover can be blown. Blurr streaks off into a series of nearby corridors, but his speed fails to carry him beyond Shockwave's reach: Using a control console, Shockwave seals off the tunnels, and Blurr is crushed between two walls.

Back on Earth, Ratchet's treatment of Bulkhead is interrupted by Sari, who volunteers use of her Key to fix the larger Autobot's wounds. Ratchet is indignant, insisting that just because something is new, it doesn't make it better, but Bulkhead requests the Key. While Sari goes to work on Bulkhead's injuries, the sullen medic is overtaken by his memories; he recalls the creation of Omega Supreme and how he was partnered with the newborn titan to serve as his mentor, teacher and friend. Ratchet is roused from his unpleasant trip down memory lane when discussion turns to the whereabouts of Bumblebee, and before long, Bulkhead figures out that the plasma dynamic thruster has TransWarped Bumblebee off across the galaxy. Bulkhead suggests using a retrieval beacon generator recovered from the mine ruins to pinpoint Bumblebee's location, and Sari uses her Key to fix it before Ratchet can even begin examining it.

Aboard Omega Supreme, Megatron uses his stasis cuffs to "hotwire" Omega's body and bring it back online. However, when the light from Omega's "headlights" falls upon a nearby asteroid, Megatron and Starscream are shocked to see the rock react to the light, transforming into a humanoid monster that immediately attacks the ship! As more asteroids transform around him, Omega transwarps away to safety...only for Bumblebee, cruising on the tail end of Omega's TransWarp field, to materialize in his place, right in the midst of the Rock Lords! The largest creature swallows the tiny Autobot with a single gulp.

Simultaneously, on Earth, Bulkhead locks in on Bumblebee's position and teleports him back, but the Rock Lord he is inside comes with him and is immediately driven to a rampage by the blinding light of the Sun. Optimus Prime detects Bumblebee's signature within the creature, and the Autobots prepare to give chase as the alien stomps off through the city. Prowl is rather taken aback to see Ratchet wearing his EMP generator on his arm once more, while Prime has to deal with Sari's demands that she be allowed to join them in the fight now that she has powers. Prime refuses, and the Autobots zoom off after the rock monster, but Sari won't take no for an answer and is struck with inspiration: Give herself an upgrade! Sari concentrates, and a port opens in her chest, into which she inserts her Key...and in an explosion of energy, Sari's whole body transforms into a taller, older form, suited in combat armor!

Name: Starscream
Function: Jumper Cable

Meanwhile, Megatron has discovered that Omega Supreme has again expended all his power, and his stasis cuffs do not have the energy left to rectify the situation. He grabs Starscream's head and jams it into the circuits, where the traitor's AllSpark fragment energizes Omega's systems once more.

So, kids, don't play with too many knives!

Back in Detroit, the Autobots are attempting to figure out how to stop the Rock Lord without hurting Bumblebee, when the upgraded Sari comes streaking onto the scene on jet skates. As the Autobots look on in shock, Sari begins attacking the alien with arm-blades and an energy-hammer that morph out of her arms. A single strike of the hammer reduces the alien to boulders, freeing Bumblebee, who is immediately struck by Sari's new look, but then shouts a warning: The smaller boulders surrounding the pair have transformed into small creatures. But the creatures pose no threat to Sari, and she pounds them into pebbles. As Sari basks in her triumph, Ratchet realizes with horror that she has used the Key on herself. The elderly Autobot's concern is soon proven valid, as the Key overloads Sari's systems, and she loses control of her body. With Sari attacking everything and everyone around her, the Autobots attempt to stop her with a variety of non-lethal strategies, but Sari counters everything they throw at her, including Prowl's processor-over-matter technique. Even as Prime and Sari tell Bumblebee to keep back, the young Autobot races to his friend's side...only for the out-of-control Sari to stab him through the chest! Frozen for a horrific moment, Bumblebee is then hurled back by an energy discharge, and the light dims from his optics...

Part III

Ratchet leaps to Bumblebee's aid, but without Sari's Key, Bulkhead fears his little buddy is done for. Ratchet denies that he requires the key to do his job, but his memories of when he was forced to place the dying Omega Supreme in stasis haunt him as he begins to operate on Bumblebee.

D:

Sari, meanwhile, is storming through the city streets, causing objects to explode when she comes into contact with them, and the Autobots head after her, seeking to remove the Key in hopes of bringing her back under control. They corral her with a wall of steel girders, affording Prowl the chance to get the drop on her and rip the Key from her chest, but Sari continues to rampage. With Bumblebee fading, Ratchet goes back on his previous claim and requests the Key be brought to him, but when Prowl complies, he discovers that the energy of the Key has been completely drained. Prowl assures Ratchet that he can accomplish the task without the Key, and the old medic gravely takes up the challenge and manages to bring Bumblebee back online.

Back with Sari, Prime and Bulkhead, Sari's energies are growing increasingly more out of control, as the street beneath her explodes with every step she takes. Bulkhead suggests just trying to "hold it in," but when Sari tries, things get even worse, as she begins to glow with so much energy that she is on the verge of exploding. Optimus summons Ratchet so that he can use his EMP generator to take Sari down, and while Ratchet is hesitant to do so, Sari begs him to stop her. Ratchet fires, and Sari collapses, her energy fading.

Kid's meal premiums aren't what they used to be.

On Cybertron, Longarm Prime has Cliffjumper dispose of the crushed remains of Blurr and is then contacted by Megatron. Learning that the space bridge network is down and that the Earth-based Autobots are poised to blow Shockwave's cover, Megatron orders the Decepticons to cease their attacks on the space bridges so that he can solve both problems his own way. Team Chaar receive the transmission and fall back, much to the Elite Guard's surprise.

In the Autobots' base, Ratchet completes a rewiring of Sari's systems, bypassing the circuits that caused her to run out of control. Professor Sumdac soon arrives, having been informed of the location of the base by Optimus Prime. The Autobots are a little upset by this, but Prime makes it clear that there are to be no more secrets in this "family". The Autobots step outside the plant to give the Sumdacs some time together, and are in the middle of catching Bumblebee up on recent events when the small Autobot suddenly begins to glow with TransWarp energies once more. Bulkhead quickly deactivates the plasma dynamic thruster, but the source of the TransWarp wave the thruster was picking up soon becomes apparent, as Omega Supreme materializes in the sky overhead. Much to the Autobots' surprise, the titan fires upon them before transforming to robot mode, revealing a projected image of Megatron's face upon his visor! The Decepticon leader is in complete control of Omega's body and begins attacking the Autobots, forcing Optimus Prime to consider unleashing an uncontrollable Sari on the giant. Before resorting to this desperate last resort, the Autobots attempt to lure Megatron away from the city. Ratchet even upgrades Bumblebee's stingers to a more powerful battle grade for the mission.

I'm going to have to put you on the game grid.

Taking refuge in the nearby river, the Autobots attack Omega's legs, forcing open an access hatch through which Prime and Prowl enter Omega's body. Battling Omega's internal defences, Prowl taps into Omega's processor in order to help him fight off Megatron's control, and they succeed in forcing Megatron out of the system. Prime engages Megatron in order to keep Prowl safe, but as their battle rages, Starscream seizes control of Omega's mind and forcibly disconnects Prowl from Omega's processor. Prime and Prowl are unceremoniously ejected from Omega Supreme's body, but Starscream is not finished there; he uses Omega's internal defences to seize Megatron, and resumes attacking the Autobots all around him. Megatron manages to talk Starscream into an alliance, suggesting they forget Earth and conquer Cybertron together. Starscream struggles to activate Omega's TransWarp system, and while his attention is occupied with this task, Omega's consciousness fights its way to the surface and begs Ratchet to shut him down again. Ratchet regretfully unleashes his EMP generator upon Omega, but it has no effect, and Starscream transforms Omega into starship mode in order to begin the TransWarp. Bulkhead and Bumblebee hit upon the idea to plant the plasma dynamic thruster on Omega Supreme, and they hand it off to Prime to complete the task. Prime plants the thruster at the last second before Omega disappears into TransWarp, and Ratchet catches Prime with his magnets as he falls out of the sky.

Back at the Autobot base a little later, Sari comes to and admits to Ratchet that he was right about taking it slow. Sumdac apologizes for holding back the truth from Sari for so long, and Bumblebee thanks Ratchet for saving his tailpipe. Unfortunately, Bulkhead brings the mood down by reminding everyone that they still have to find a way to contact Cybertron.

Ripped Up Space

On Cybertron, Ultra Magnus holds an Autobot council and announces that all the evidence points to a double agent on Cybertron. Longarm Prime implicates escaped convict Wasp, and Ultra Magnus instructs Sentinel Prime and Jazz to put together a unit to hunt the fugitive down. Magnus also notes that he has to make contact with Optimus's crew on Earth, and Longarm hastily demands that all contact with them be filtered through him, responding to the council's wary looks by adding that it will be purely for security reasons.

In the sky above Cybertron, Omega Supreme materializes, and Starscream howls with glee...only for the Autobot spaceship to TransWarp away immediately to another random point in space...and another...and another...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"'Bulkhead' and 'genius' in the same sentence? I'll never get used to that."

—Bumblebee shows his high opinion of his best friend.

"I'll warn them even if I have to run halfway across the galaxy to Cybertron to do it!"

—Blurr, who apparently does just that.

"Sari, I don't pretend to fully understand humans, but from what I've seen, being a father is far more than a simple organic bond. It has much more to do with the spark. With the heart."

—Optimus Prime muses on the nature of family. Sadly, the fandom desires more concrete answers.

"Prepare for T-O-T! Total Ownage Time!"

—Headmaster to Optimus Prime and the Sumdacs.

"You taught me to protect like an Autobot, but all I did was destroy like a Decepticon."
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense."

—Omega Supreme and Ratchet, before the former is put into modified stasis

Ratchet: Omega, what are you doing?! Don't you recognize your old friend?!
Megatron: The question should be, "Don't you recognize your old enemy?"
Optimus Prime: Megatron?!
Megatron: Ah, then you do remember my name. Pity I can't remember yours.

—The Autobots learn that Megatron has taken control of Omega Supreme

"It appears you and I are destined to battle aboard this ship once more, Autobot."
"Bring it on, Decepticon."

—Megatron and Optimus Prime

"Starscream too powerful. Please, shut me down! I want to sleep again."
"I already had to use this thing once today when I didn't want to. Don't make me use it again."
"We do what we must, even if it sometimes doesn't make sense."

—Omega Supreme tries to convince Ratchet to use his EMP Generator

"Someday I really have to learn how to fly."

—Someday will come soon, Optimus Prime

Notes

Continuity notes

• As Sari dismisses Isaac Sumdac's story of her origin, she suggests that he should have told her how he found her "in a cabbage patch", or how "the stork" brought her. Similar ideas were suggested by Professors Bumblebee and Bulkhead in "The Return of the Headmaster". In that episode, the professors also suggested that Sari was really a robot, that she came to Earth in an egg, or that she could have fallen through a portal, all of which seem to have some nugget of truth to them: She is part-robot, she was contained in a strange pod, and she appeared in Sumdac's lab out of thin air. Foreshadowing!
• After Sari mentions those theories, Optimus Prime recalls how Sari told him of human manufacturing, which occurred in "Transform and Roll Out".
• Starscream says Omega Supreme is "more powerful than I imagined...well, not AllSpark-powerful...", in reference to his use of the same phrase to describe the AllSpark way back in "Transform and Roll Out!"

Transformers references

• Bar Oil Slick, every member of the new squads harkens back to a previous series. Rodimus, Ironhide, Brawn and Cyclonus are heavily based off their Generation One counterparts. Red Alert and Hot Shot take after their Unicron Trilogy incarnations. Spittor and Strika are both modeled after Beast Era characters, and Blackout's design is heavily influenced by the live-action movie version.
• While lecturing Sari on taking it slow with her powers, Ratchet says that there's "more than meets the vis-scanners" on having powers, a clear reference to the time-honored Transformers tagline "more than meets the eye".
• Arcee's open head looks waaay too much like Alex Milne's cover for IDW Publishing's "Spotlight: Arcee" to be a coincidence.
• Blurr races along a Saturn-style planetary ring, as his namesake had done in the Generation 1 season 3 title sequence.
• The building in which the Autobot High Council have their meeting looks somewhat familiar.
• Blackout seems to have retained his seismic stomp that was used by his movie counterpart.
• Team Chaar gets its name from the planet of the same name.
• After being told by Optimus to stay behind, Sari tells Optimus that she is a Robot Hero now too.
• Ratchet says that he has been the team's medic for 4 Million Stellar-cycles.

Real-world references

• Megatron tells Optimus, "You have persistence, Autobot. I hate persistence." This is based on Lou Grant's well-known dialogue from the first episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show—"You know what, you've got spunk! … I hate spunk!"
• Sari's transformation sequence upon absorbing the power of the key is a nod to the transformation sequence of the title robot in Gurren Lagann.
• Sari's use of a large hammer, sending it down with her buttocks in the air, references back to... about ninety billion different anime shows. Although they usually involve an upskirt of sorts that's very thankfully absent here.

Technical or animation errors

• When Megatron is first seen in space, parts of his helmet are miscolored red.
• Just before Omega Supreme is activated, Ultra Magnus accompanies Highbrow and Ratchet on a lift. In this shot, part of the Magnus Hammer's handle is missing.
• When Sari removes her key in order to place it in the homing beacon generator, the string doesn't actually go over her head... it just phases through her neck. Somehow.
• The damage to Starscream's body disappears during the commercial break.
• When Bumblebee tells Sari to watch out, her back kibble disappears for a moment. It reappears in the next shot.
• Once the key has been removed from Sari, the vaporized string attached to it mysteriously reappears.
• When Ratchet is talking to Bumblebee about Sari's condition, the side of his head is miscolored white.
• When Blackout attacks Rodimus, his chest is miscolored gray.
• After Bumblebee is slashed, there's a red spot on Bulkhead with an Autobot symbol inside it.

Continuity errors

• Megatron finds both of his rotors/swords after being freed from the stasis cuffs, despite leaving at least one behind when he was sucked into the space bridge in "A Bridge Too Close".
• If Sumdac was wearing gloves at the time he touched the protoform, how did it get his DNA? For that matter, how did Sari end up female?
  • Given that protoforms in Beast Wars scanned animals that were nowhere near their pods, Sari may have not actually required physical contact to scan Sumdac. Also, the protoform may have already been female before being activated.
• It is revealed that the streak of white in Isaac's hair came from the shock he received when he approached the protoform that would become Sari. Pay no attention to the streak in the hair of his younger self appearing in "Transform and Roll Out", please...
• Sari's protruding robotic elbow disappears without explanation while she's sitting on Ratchet's repair table.
• When Bumblebee gets blown away in "Part II" after being stabbed by Sari, he lands on his back. When we cut back to him in "Part III", he appears on his side.
• Bumblebee's rocket boosters seemingly appear out of nowhere.
  • The AllSpark Almanac II reveals that Ratchet installed the turbo boosters while he was repairing Bumblebee just in case he needed them.
  • With Ratchet's upgrading of his stingers and now this, it seems that Hasbro the Autobots have gotten over their "upgrades are bad, m'kay" phase. Spending two seasons out-gunned will probably do that to you.

Trivia

• Derrick J. Wyatt confirmed via Twitter after the show aired that like the series pilot, "TransWarped" was made "as one 70-minute movie", although it was also cut into 22-minute episodes for syndication.^[1] Unlike the pilot, however, "TransWarped" counts as three episodes out of the thirteen allotted for the show's third season. While Cartoon Network aired all three episodes in movie form for their premiere, Canadian network YTV opted to debut them in episodic form, airing only the first two in a double-bill, and then screening the final part the following week.
• Originally the first two episodes of Animated's third season were "Homecoming" and "Upgrade". When the decision came to open the season with a three-part movie, the season's original third episode, "Three's a Crowd", was pushed back, as it didn't fit with the previous episodes. The solution was to create a new episode, which became "Transwarped Part III".^[2]
• Two subplots were dropped when "Homecoming" became part of "Transwarped": One would have featured Bulkhead annoyed when Bumblebee was unable to accept him as a space bridge expert; the other would have had Powell unofficially promise Masterson that he would get his job back if "something" happened to the Sumdacs. After Masterson was arrested, Powell would distance himself from Masterson, rather than bail him out again.^[3]
• Several scenes are known to have been storyboarded for this three-parter, only to wind up being cut for time. One of these scene would have included an appearance by Beachcomber, who would have died at the hands of Shockwave. At the time, Isenberg asked Wyatt for an established character he would be able to kill without anyone getting mad, and Wyatt—apparently without hesitation—put forward Beachcomber.
  • As originally planned, Beachcomber would have caught Shockwave converting from his Longarm disguise and disposing of Blurr, and would have said "Dude, not cool." Shockwave, raising his weapon, would have replied "I have a very simple explanation," to which Beachcomber would have responded, "I don't get it...", before being blown to bits by the double-agent to maintain his cover.
  • Though Beachcomber turned up in crowd scenes later in the season, Isenberg would make another attempt on the Autobot's life in the unproduced season four episode "Trial of Megatron, Part 1".
• Another planned scene that was cut for time was an extended flashback to the final battle of the Great War, which would have featured Reflector, Straxus and the myriad Omega Sentinels.
  • While Reflector had a bio in issue #26 of the Transformers Collectors' Club magazine, it would take until the publication of The AllSpark Almanac II over a year later before Straxus and the Sentinels would be revealed.
• The creatures that turn into rocks may be a reference to the Rock Lords from the GoBots movie GoBots: Battle of the Rock Lords; the creatures were later canonized as such via Ask Vector Prime in 2015.
• Starscream gains a "sonic scream" as a head-mounted weapon in this episode. Coincidentally (or not?), in the initial Cartoon Network press release for Transformers Animated, Starscream's profile claimed that he had a sonic scream he could use to send foes spinning through the air. This ability is never seen again.
• The Headmaster's appearance in this episode marks the only time a human villain is used in Season 3. And even then, he's relatively minor compared to a Decepticon-controlled Omega Supreme.
• In his last line, Shockwave seems to forget to use his American accent. Probably because he's getting worried about getting caught.
• This episode marks the first live appearance of Cybertron.

Foreign localization

Brazilian

• Title: "Transdobra" ("Transwarp")
• Original airdate: ???

French

• Title: "Transmutation" ("Transmutation")
• Original airdate: ???

Spanish (Latin America)

• Title: "Teletransportados" ("Teleported")
• Original airdate: 6 October 2009 (Part 1)
• Original airdate: 13 October 2009 (Part 2)'
• Original airdate: 20 October 2009 (Part 3)'

Japanese

• Title: "Sari no Himitsu" (Part 1, サリの秘密, "The Secret of Sari")
• Original airdate: 2 October 2010

• For the opening pre-title sequence chatter, Tesshō Genda reprises his role as Generation 1 Optimus Prime in order to carry on a conversation with Animated Optimus Prime.

• Title: "Sari, Transform!?" (Part 2, サリ、トランスフォーム!?)
• Original airdate: 9 October 2010

• Title: "Megatron no Shōrai" (Part 3, メガトロンの襲来, "Megatron's Raid")
• Original airdate: 16 October 2010

Home video releases

DVD

2011 — Transformers Animated — Vol. 8 (Paramount) — Japanese audio only.
2014 — Transformers Animated — Season Three (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers Animated — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers Animated — Season Three (Madman Entertainment)

References

1. ↑ "@FortMax We made it as one 70 minute movie, but it has also been cut into three 22s."—Derrick J. Wyatt, Twitter, 2009/03/15
2. ↑ The AllSpark Almanac II page 177
3. ↑ The AllSpark Almanac II page 177