With Optimus Prime critically injured and the Maximals' future in jeopardy, Optimus Primal is forced to take drastic measures to ensure the timeline's stability...
Tropes featured:
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: The Predacons destroy the Axalon because it was empty and a vulnerable target. The Doylist reason was because Optimus' new body didn't fit in the ship anymore.
- All Your Powers Combined: Primal's new body combines his alternate mode and flight powers with Prime's truck mode with the size being halfway between the two (somewhere around G1 Bumblebee).
- Badass Boast: "The universe cowered once at the name of Megatron, and it shall do so again!"
- Big Damn Heroes: With Silverbolt's help, Blackarachnia manages to delay Optimus Prime's death long enough for the Maximals to save him, thwarting Megatron's attempt at changing the future. At least, for now.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Axalon is destroyed and the Ark exposed, but the timeline is safe for now and the team gets a new member. Plus, Optimus Primal gets a new form.
- Came Back Strong: Once the trauma wears off, the presence of two Sparks in Primal's body causes it to get an upgrade.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: While not said outright, it's why Megatron doesn't outright kill Blackarachnia. She still has the access codes to the Ark, so he has to settle for venting his frustrations with a non-lethal shooting.
- Continuity Snarl: This episode created a controversy when Optimus Prime's Spark was near identical to the Matrix of Leadership. A later comic explained the issue.
- Didn't Think This Through: As Blackarachnia points out, Megatron forgot, or just didn't care, she was a Maximal protoform and as such her existence is now on the line, so she activates Teletraan-1's defense system to blast the Predacon leader clear out of the Ark.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Rattrap gets a deserved backhand fom Rhinox for making a joke about Prime's state.
- Enemy Mine: Blackarchnia helps heal Optimus Prime because she's a Maximal protoform and thus won't exist if he doesn't. Makes you wonder what she intended to do with the Ark before Megatron showed up.
- Evil Versus Oblivion: Blackarachnia insists she is still a Predacon but is also a Maximal protoform, so she would be erased from existence along with the rest of the Maximals if Megatron's plan succeeds. This motivates her to help the Maximals save Optimus Prime.
- Foreshadowing: Megatron promising to make the Ark a constant target is followed up in later episodes.
- Godzilla Threshold: Optimus taking on Prime's Spark while the body is repaired. The others point out one can't hold two Sparks in a body (especially when one is as powerful as Prime's), but Optimus says they have no choice.
- Later media would make this a twofold example, as Vector Prime broke his Alien Non-Interference Clause to help Optimus recover from near-death, while remaining invisible so no one knew about him.
- Heel–Face Turn: With Megatron finally fed up with her backstabbing, Blackarachnia has no choice but to join the Maximals.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Though he doesn't die (and in fact gets an upgrade), Primal is fully willing to take on all the risks of merging Prime's Spark with his own.
- Later materials reveal this to be the case behind Prime's Matrix shaped Spark container. If ever someone wanted to steal the Matrix, they'd assume his Spark was the genuine article and take it instead.
- In-Series Nickname: Megatron calls Optimus' new form "Optimal Optimus".
- Jerkass Has a Point: Rattrap. Even if they stopped Megatron, the Ark is now exposed and vulnerable without a forcefield and now the Maximals have to protect it. Optimus agrees with him.
- Killed Off for Real: The Axalon is destroyed.
- Lampshade Hanging:Cheetor: Jumpin' gyros, Optimus sure learns a new body fast.
Rattrap: Yeah, well, what do you expect? (looks at camera) He changes 'em often enough. (Rimshot) - Made of Iron:
- Megatron's attack in the last episode didn't kill Optimus Prime but he is dying.
- Inferno survived the Energon explosion largely intact if scuffed up and barely functioning.
- Tarantulas' droids simply plug his body parts back together. No explanation is given as to why they didn't do the same for Ravage.
- Mid-Season Upgrade:
- After housing Optimus Prime's spark, Optimus Primal gains a new form, which Megatron dubs "Optimal Optimus".
- After losing the Axalon, the Maximals move into the lair where the Autobots' Ark is resting, in order to defend it from the Predacons.
- Mood Whiplash: Silverbolt offers an emotional speech to Blackarachnia, culminating in an anguished Skyward Scream after she powers down.Rattrap: Yeesh, where's my cyber-violin?
Rhinox: Very touching, Silverbolt, but she's just in stasis-lock. - Mythology Gag: After transforming into his "Optimal" form, Primal utilizes two of his predcessor's catchphrases: "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings" and "Transform and roll out!" Also, after first being transformed, Primal's voice becomes slightly deeper, calling back to Peter Cullen's performance as Optimus Prime in the original cartoon.
- Not Quite Dead: Inferno was shown being vaporized, and he's revealed to be alive here. Tarantulas (last seen getting blown up in Ravage's ship) has been put back together.
- Nothing Is the Same Anymore: After two Seasons as their base of operatons, the Maximals lose the Axalon.
- Oh, Crap!: Optimus when he realizes that the Axalon is undefended.
- Pulling Themselves Together: Megatron orders this verbatim to all Predacons.
- When last seen, Waspinator was left in many pieces. We first see him here, as he finishes putting himself back together, the last part being his head.
- Inferno was almost vaporized by exploding energon and is shown staggering to his feet and restarting his fried thrusters.
- Rampage has been turned into a charred chassis by a nuke and has to peel himself off a rock.
- Tarantulas has his drones assist him in this trope by collecting his parts and assembling him after he got two bombs glued to his hands. They even load the parts in trays! One drone also kicks Ravage's head off a cliff edge.
- Real Life Writes the Plot:
- Why Inferno is still alive despite onscreen vaporization. The writers didn't know at the time if there would be a third season, so they expected Inferno to be dead. Upon renewal, he was back in action.
- The destruction of the Axalon is twofold. One with the Ark now the center of attention the writers don't have to split the teams minding the base and the Ark. Two, Optimus' new form wouldn't fit inside so nobody has to think on the logistics of that.
- Retcon: This is the first piece of media to establish that Generation 1 characters have Sparks.
- Rimshot: When Rattrap quips about Optimus's regularly changing body.
- Sickening Sweethearts: Rattrap's opinion of Silverbolt and Blackarchnia is snark about playing a sappy violin solo.
- Token Evil Teammate: Blakcarchnia becomes this for the Maximals because she is working with them despite identifying as a Predacon.
- Trash the Set: The Axalon which has been the center of the Maximals activities thus far has been destroyed.
- Undying Loyalty: After Optimus threatens to blast Megatron to pieces:Inferno: I will protect you, Royalty.
- Unexplained Recovery: Apparently, Inferno’s loyalty to Megatron allowed him to survive total incineration.
- Villain Respect: Rampage is admittedly impressed with Optimus's new form. He still tries to shoot him, though.
