TRANSFORMERS.TV
Home /Cartoons /Generation 1 /S02E10
Generation 1S02E10Season 2 · 1985–86

Attack of the Autobots

Written by David Wise · First aired 1985-10-04 · Production code 700-19

Title card via TFWiki, fan-archive fair use

Synopsis

Megatron reprograms several Autobots into ruthless Decepticon servants, turning Optimus Prime's own soldiers against him.

The Autobots rush out to meet a Decepticon sneak attack on their headquarters, unaware that it's actually a diversion. While they're occupied, Megatron and Starscream coat themselves in a temporary "invisibility spray" and sneak inside. Megatron sabotages the Autobots' recharging chamber with a personality destabilizer device, before calling off the attack, leaving the Autobots bemused. After the Autobots recharge the next day, Teletraan I alerts them to the imminent launch of a rocket, and rather than protect it, they want to destroy it. Optimus Prime obeys Megatron's first order and smashes Teletraan I.

Bumblebee, Jazz, Spike and Sparkplug find a spot in the middle of nowhere for Jazz to try out his new sound system. Bumblebee leaves them to it, heading back to Headquarters. Bumblebee makes it back first, and finds Teletraan disabled and Bluestreak behaving oddly. Bluestreak forces him into the recharging chamber, but Jazz arrives in time to discover something's wrong. Jazz manages to disable Bluestreak. Sparkplug repairs Teletraan I, who tells them that the rest of the Autobots are now evil!

Meanwhile, Optimus leads the Autobots on an attack at the local Air Force base, where they begin trashing military jets. Spike and Bumblebee rush off to the base to stop them, and Sparkplug and Jazz stay behind to work on a cure. Hound and Ratchet, on Megatron's orders, have gone after the plans for the human solar energy satellite being launched on the rocket. They start chasing the satellite's inventor, Doctor Harding. Bumblebee reaches the Air Force base, but is unable to persuade Optimus to stop his rampage.

Meanwhile, the Decepticons take over the rocket base and plan to take the rocket and satellite back to Cybertron. At headquarters, Sparkplug cooks up an attitude exchanger that will "First, drain evil. Second, recharge good." After he and Jazz test it successfully on Bluestreak, he starts building more. As Hound and Ratchet close in on Dr. Harding, Jazz turns up with the first batch and resets them back to good. At the Air Force base, Bumblebee continues to try to stop Optimus, who seems bent on destroying the smaller Autobot along with the planes.

The other Autobots find Skyfire, and change him back to good using an exchanger, then use him as transport to get to the Air Force Base. There, they manage to change the rest of the Autobots, except for Optimus Prime. The devices pacify Prime's Combat Deck and Roller, but Prime is still on a rampage. Bumblebee takes it upon himself to change the Autobot leader back and succeeds. Optimus gives him a nice, big hug for his trouble.

Back at the rocket base, Megatron and the Decepticons have boarded the reprogrammed rocket and take off. The Autobots intercept them aboard Skyfire. Prime and Ratchet detach the satellite while Jazz uses a "musical sonic boom" to disable the rocket. The Decepticons abandon it without any further resistance and retreat. Skyfire takes everyone into space, and Prime throws the solar satellite into orbit.

Finally back at headquarters, Prime thanks everyone for helping out, especially Bumblebee. But then Ratchet gets jealous and claims credit for firing the attitude exchangers (which was actually Hound's idea. Hmmm...). Jazz reminds everybody that they have to fix all of the jets that Optimus Prime smashed at the Air Force base, and Spike breaks the tension with a lame joke that his dad finds hilarious.

Memorable quotes

—Optimus Prime does his best to emulate Spider-Man.
—Brawn worries about the Decepticons' dietary needs.
—Teletraan I displays some pretty incredible capabilities as it debates with Megatron, right before Optimus shows the computer where to stick it
—Jazz and his sound system are a bit much for Sparkplug...not to mention a nearby cliff.
—Evil Optimus Prime (No, it's not Nemesis Prime or any other evil Primes you know.)

Notes of interest

  • David Wise reused elements of this story for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) episode "Slash - The Evil Turtle from Dimension X", especially the climax of the story and its rocket chase sequence. This was not an entirely unique incident, as Wise was known for recycling his plots.
  • Ratchet calls Rumble a turkeytron.
  • Gadgets and powers: The Autobots' optics switch from blue to red when they're evilified, and back to blue when they're recharged with good.
  • We get to see all three of Optimus Prime's components in action, which is rare. This is the third appearance of the Combat Deck's interior cannon in the series, but the only time it was drawn to be toy-accurate.
  • Prowl fires a Laserbeak-ensnaring net from his retracted hand. He fired a similar net at Ravage in "More than Meets the Eye, Part 3".
  • Jazz deploys his (newly upgraded) speakers. They're loud enough to bring down a mountainside.

Characters in this episode

Full roster →
Optimus Prime
Megatron

Screencaps

6 stills
Attack of the Autobots screencap 1Attack of the Autobots screencap 2Attack of the Autobots screencap 3Attack of the Autobots screencap 4Attack of the Autobots screencap 5Attack of the Autobots screencap 6

Screencaps via TFWiki (Teletraan I), used under fan-archive fair use.

Discuss this episode on the forum →← All episodes