Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1

With the help of corrupt businessman Shawn Berger, Megatron frames the Autobots and turns public opinion against them.

The mayor of Central City is officially opening a new solar tower when his speech is interrupted by Starscream, Thrust, Dirge, and Ramjet. After the Decepticons realize there is no energy in the tower yet, guards come out with tanks and attempt to shoo them away. The tanks are destroyed and the guards escape with their lives, while the mayor calls for the Autobots.

An Autobot attack force, consisting of Optimus Prime, Ironhide, Smokescreen, Tracks, Warpath, and Bumblebee, arrives at the scene. Everyone transforms to robot mode except Tracks, who transforms to his flight mode and takes off after the Coneheads, who are making a quick exit. Tracks uses a radiator-mounted black beam gun to blind Dirge. Ramjet seeks revenge for this and knocks Tracks clean out the air. On the ground, Starscream is being hammered by laser blasts from Ironhide, Smokescreen, Prime and Warpath. Thrust saves him with a missile barrage. Smokescreen retaliates and fires his shoulder-mounted lasers, which damage Thrust's guidance systems. Beaten and battered, the Decepticons retreat.

The mayor thanks the Autobots and decides to honor them at City Hall. Spike Witwicky comments that it's about time the Autobots got some recognition for their actions.

In his office, Shawn Berger watches the events and is infuriated, since he wants to be mayor so badly. He sends his guards out, claiming he needs to think. He picks up an odd-looking cassette on his desk, which transforms into Laserbeak. The Decepticon grabs Shawn and flies out of the office and then out of the city, towards a mountain ridge.

There, Megatron, Soundwave and Dirge await Shawn's arrival. Megatron tells Shawn that he can help get the power that he so desperately desires, even two cities if he wants. In return, Shawn must use his wealth, power and influence to help the Decepticons. Megatron tells Berger that, like many others, he's been blinded by Autobot propaganda. He persuades Berger into thinking the Decepticons are good and the Autobots are evil and that all he needs is evidence. Berger agrees to help, and Dirge takes him back to his office. After Berger's departure, Megatron tells Soundwave that Berger "thinks he will be king, but he will be nothing more than a pawn!"

At a deserted oil field, Optimus Prime shows up with a group of Autobots: Wheeljack, Sunstreaker and Ironhide. Berger flies in a news helicopter overhead and records the Autobots stealing energy. Ironhide notices the helicopter and warns Prime, who begins to fire on it. Megatron, Starscream, Thrust, Dirge and Ramjet save Berger and drive off the Autobots. Wheeljack fires as he escapes and knocks off the camera beneath the copter. Dirge finds it and gives it to Megatron, who must return it to Berger, since it "contains valuable evidence".

At Central City's City Hall, the public is gathered and cheering the Autobots, who are rolling parade-style through town. The Autobots all transform and head towards the Hall. Inside, Optimus Prime is joined by Hound, Ironhide, Cliffjumper and Bumblebee. After a brief moment of reading out the wrong speech, the mayor finally gets it right and proceeds to request the airing of a video of the work the Autobots did at the Solar Plant yesterday. However, Berger has had the tapes switched, and the audience sees the tape the Decepticons made. It shows additional scenes of Prime and Wheeljack turning the coneheads evil with a ray gun and Prime claiming that the Autobots will claim the Earth for their own once fully trusted.

Now hated by the public, the Autobots return to base. After a brief rest period, they end up being arrested by the mayor and Berger's private army. They and the Decepticons are taken to court. During the trial, Spike escapes and sets out to clear the Autobots' names, but Soundwave launches Ravage to slow Spike down. After slamming Ravage in a revolving door, Spike escapes. He later finds the tape room and watches one of the tapes...which reveals that the Autobots at the oil field were Decepticons in disguise. He starts to head back to the trial with the tape, only to find his path blocked by Ravage.

—Megatron, possibly the most honest politician in the world.

—Tracks demonstrates his black beam gun.

—Starscream as Optimus Prime with the creepiest laugh ever...(an early Nemesis Prime?)

—Ironhide has apparently never noticed that Optimus Prime has no mouth.

—Megatron. No, this isn't miscited.