Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5
Title card via TFWiki, fan-archive fair use
The Autobots defend both Cybertron and Earth as Galvatron and the Quintessons' schemes collide.
The Decepticons open a sortie against the Autobots on Cybertron, and the initial attack took out the whole defense system. Ultra Magnus tells the others to go, while he holds them off. Rodimus Prime says that Magnus's courage will be remembered. Unsaid is the possibility that there will be no one to remember it. From their ship, the Quintessons calculate that it will take less than a day to completely defeat the Autobots. After all, they've given Galvatron something worth fighting for...
On Earth, the new Decepticon battle station heads for Autobot headquarters. Pipes and Warpath lead a counter offensive, but their efforts are stymied when the station transforms into Trypticon. Warpath orders Teletraan I to activate the defense systems, but Trypticon causes the volcano to collapse on the ship, destroying it. With his task there complete, Trypticon heads to his next target: Autobot City.
On Io, Sky Lynx hurries to rescue Wheelie, Blurr, and Marissa Faireborn from certain death from the natives. However, the Predacons arrive to steal the Transformation Cog intended for Metroplex. Initially, the Predacons turn out to be all bark with no bite. However, they merge into Predaking, and manage to disorient Wheelie, Blurr, and Faireborn. However, Sky Lynx attacks Predaking, and causes him to separate. Sky Lynx orders the others to board him, and Wheelie discovers the cog.
Meanwhile, Galvatron orders Blitzwing to give a status report to the Quintessons. However, Blitzwing overhears that the Quintessons don't have the Decepticon Matrix. What's worse, they want the Sharkticons to pull a large switch which will deactivate the Transformers all over the galaxy. Blitzwing tries to tell Galvatron, but the psychotic Decepticon leader merely beats him. Blitzwing realizes that there is one other option... side with the Autobots to stop the Quintessons.
On Earth, Trypticon has arrived at Autobot City, but Wheelie is able to get the cog to Pipes, who installs it in Metroplex. Coming online, Metroplex and Trypticon throw down. Their battle extends into another city (which everyone manages to evacuate from). Finally, Metroplex manages to overwhelm Trypticon, and throws Trypticon a great distance, where he lands in the ocean and sinks.
On Cybertron, Blitzwing, Rodimus Prime, and Spike Witwicky manage to stop the Sharkticons, but Galvatron, thinking the switch is the key to the Decepticon Matrix, pulls it. With the Transformers offline, the Quintessons land on Cybertron. As the Quintessons enjoy how great it is to be home, Spike grabs Rodimus' weapon, and destroys the lever. Reactivating, an incredibly angry Galvatron begins chasing the Quintessons, who manage to escape. Galvatron then prepares to fight Rodimus, but Blitzwing pulls his weapon on Galvatron, telling him that this has to end. Galvatron banishes Blitzwing from the Decepticons, and orders the Decepticons to retreat.
Rodimus notes that the battle is over for now, but the Autobot leader also notes that the Transformers may well have met their greatest enemies...
— Galvatron and Ultra Magnus meet for the first time after the movie.
—Wheelie the bullfighter!
— Predaking makes his entrance
—Blitzwing gets some inspiration from Galvatron.
—Blurr annoys Pipes.
- Just from the episode alone, it's impossible to tell who the line "It'll be passing above us soon" is being spoken by, as it doesn't correspond to any of the known voices of the Autobots present. This just left Swerve and Tailgate as possible candidates for the line (since neither was ever seen to speak any other lines, it could have been either of them). The episode's script would later confirm that the line belonged to Tailgate, and was delivered by the eternally overlooked Ted Schwartz.
- Scrapper's first line was written as the inexplicably Brooklyn-esque "Wot's da point? We're supoifluous" in the dialogue script. Actor Michael Bell delivered it as normal.
- This episode is the last appearance of the volcano, Autobot Headquarters, and Teletraan I. The computer would be replaced later in the season by Teletraan II.
- The large switch was located at "coordinates omega-zero-one" within Cybertron. The Quintesson's emergency escape pod was on "level 14".
- Pipes cites the late Optimus Prime and quotes his catchphrase, "Transform and roll out!"
- Gadgets and powers: Bumblebee is shown with a rooftop cannon in vehicle mode during the first attack run on Trypticon. The weapon appears to be based on that of Outback.
Screencaps via TFWiki (Teletraan I), used under fan-archive fair use.