Megatron is captured by Ravage, but sways him to his side when he reveals the true secrets hidden on the Golden Disk.
Tropes featured:
- Apologetic Attacker: Being a good sport, Silverbolt makes sure to apologies in advance for punching out Cheetor, both times, so he can pursue Blackarachnia instead.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: None of the Maximals want to work with Ravage. Then Ravage (and his powerful ship) joins Megatron.
- Big "SHUT UP!": Blackarachnia when Silverbolt rationalizes that her only shooting him in the leg somehow proves her inner Maximal goodness.
- Both Sides Have a Point: Optimus is correct that Silverbolt's relationship with Blackarachnia has compromised the Maximal's position in ways he doesn't know, and that she is using him for her own ends, but Silverbolt is correct that she does genuinely care about him, as she is far more patient with him then she would've been had any other Maximal managed to track her down.
- Butt-Monkey: Blackarachnia's ship accidentally crashes into Waspinator, shattering him into multiple pieces. When we see him next, he's reduced to a head attached to one of his hands, struggling to move along and bemoaning this turn of events. It's not until "Optimal Situation" that he's shown finished putting himself back together.
- Continuity Nod: Ravage mentions the Golden Disk's destruction in "Code of Hero".
- Continuity Snarl: Megatron's history lesson of the Great War has some errors, namely that it started in 1977 or that the war on Earth was fought in secret. Possibly justified due to most data on it being barred from people of his time but one wonders why Ravage doesn't correct him.
- Crazy-Prepared:
- The original Megatron's time travel gambit.
- The Predacon Megatron as well. He knew Ravage would send the Maximals to the Energon mine so he had Inferno lying in wait for them.
- The original Megatron anticipated the possibility he would lose the Great War and left behind a message for Decepticon descendants to use transwarp technology to change history.
- Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: After Silverbolt makes his escape.Rattrap: I used to be young like that.
Optimus: [bitterly] What?
Rattrap: I, uh, I mean we got trouble! - Enemy Rising Behind: As Rattrap is informing Optimus that Ravage has switched sides, Ravage's ship and Megatron are rising behind him and Cheetor, the two not noticing until after Rattrap is finished.
- Fangs Are Evil: The original Megatron displays these in his message on the Golden Disk. It's odd considering he lacks them in the flashback that shows him inscribing the message into the Disk where he's identical to his G1 self.
- Fling a Light into the Future: A villainous example; the original Megatron sent secret instructions for any Decepticon descendants to travel back in time. The next episode reveals what that mission is.
- Foreshadowing: The mission Megatron sent Waspinator on continues to be this. It's got something to do with a mountain and a cave Megatron found but later sealed up.
- Good News, Bad News: From Rattrap at the end of the episode. The good news? The Maximals don't have to take orders from Ravage anymore. The bad news? Ravage has abandoned his original mission and instead joins Megatron.
- Greater-Scope Villain: This episode introduces the original Megatron as this. He recorded instructions onto the Golden Disk that should be followed in case he lost the Great War.
- Handwave: Exactly why the original Megatron chose the Golden Disk (very primitive technology by Cybertronian standards) to inscribe his message is never stated nor is it explained how the Disk made its way to Cybertron or why it's coveted by Cybertronians.
- Instant Sedation: Subverted. Silverbolt has to punch poor Cheetor twice before he goes into stasis lock.
- Lampshade Hanging: After Blackarachnia expresses disbelief that he saved her even after she shot him, Silverbolt remarks it's his duty as both a Maximal and a heroic character.
- Leave No Witnesses: Megatron knows Ravage is going to do this to the rogue Predacons and the Maximals. Ravage doesn't bother hiding it from him.
- Love Is a Weakness: Optimus correctly suspects Silverbolt has feelings for Blackarachnia and confines him to his quarters, warning him that she will exploit this for her own goals. Unfortunately, Silverbolt still believes he can get her to defect to the Maximals and soon breaks out.
- Manipulative Bastard: Megatron goes from being Ravage's prisoner to his superior in a few minutes, and all it took was a message from the original Megatron.
- The Mole: It turns out Tarantulas has been the Tripredacus Council's mole on Megatron's crew the entire time.
- Mythology Gag:
- Ravage transforms into his G1 cassette mode with the G1 transformation noise.
- Ravage's line about Megatron having the original's name, but not his army is reference to the fact that in the early planning of the Beast Wars line, Megatron and Optimus were the original Megatron and Optimus Prime, before it was decided they'd be descendants.
- Not Quite Dead: A fragment of the Golden Disk survived Dinobot's Eye Beam.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Megatron when it looks like, regardless of any knowledge he might have, Ravage is just going to carry out his execution.
- Ravage gasps in shock when he sees Megatron wasn't lying about the hidden message, as it's a recording of the original Megatron.
- Optimus and Cheetor have a massive one when they see Ravage's ship, now on Megatron's side, behind them, complete with an Eat the Camera from Optimus.
- Pretender Diss: Megatron gets one by Ravage.Ravage: I served under the original Megatron. You have his name, but not his army.
- The Reveal:
- Predacon Megatron named himself after the Decepticon original, implying that he is not a descendant, but a Legacy Character.
- Tarantulas is a Predacon government agent.
- Megatron's real reason for stealing the Golden Disk from Cybertron and traveling to prehistoric Earth: the disk contains a message from the original Megatron, instructing any future Decepticons (i.e. the Predacons) to use Transwarp technology to travel back in time. To what ends? See the next episode for details...
- Riddle for the Ages: What the original Megatron says in his message before it cuts out is never explained, though the plan he left behind is explained in the following episode.
- Shown Their Work: Assuming the Voyager probes were launched in 1977 in Transformers, then the flashback is spot on showing Voyager 2 passing Saturn in 1984.
- Taking You with Me: Inferno tries to eliminate Optimus and Cheetor in the Energon mines. He ends up vaporizing himself.
- Undying Loyalty: Ravage has this towards the original Megatron. A message from him revealing that the Predacon Megatron is acting on the Decepticon's instructions moves Ravage to aid the new Megatron.
- Wham Shot: The remaining piece of the Golden Disk shows a recording of the original Megatron, who declares that the Decepticons have lost the war against the Autobots. And starts to provide The Reveal of the Predacon Megatron's ultimate goal.
- Xanatos Gambit: As Predacon Megatron states, G1 Megatron had every intention of winning the war against Optimus Prime and the Autobots — but, he also was savvy enough to anticipate that, however unlikely, the Decepticons could end up losing. So, knowing that Transwarp technology was being developed, Megatron intentionally set up a Time Travel Gambit that future Decepticons could exploit just in case.
