Megatron has returned, now with bigger plans of his own dwarfing Starscream's. Using his new finding, Megatron does an experiment on Cliffjumper's lifeless chassis, something which the Autobots find...
Tropes:
- Bad Boss: When Megatron revives Cliffjumper as a Terrorcon, he simply stands back and watches with a smile on his face as the creature tears apart two Vehicons, while Starscream is horrified at the sight.
- Just before that, he was clearly intending to sacrifice Starscream or one of his own troops just to test it out. Fortunately, Starscream had an alternative idea...
- Came Back Wrong: Cliffjumper, after he was brought back as a Terrorcon by Megatron.
- Chekhov's Gunman: A nasty example. Cliffjumper, who was killed in the previous episode, has his corpse used as Megatron's first Dark Energon test subject.
- Diagonal Cut: How Megatron curb-stomps Terrorcon!Cliffjumper.
- Didn't Think This Through: Lampshaded by Optimus. He had wanted the kids to remain in the base under their watch for a while but he hadn't considered Earth Customs as Jack and Ralf are rightfully concerned their parent might send the cops out looking for them. As such he assigns Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee to watch over the kids.
- Establishing Character Moment: The first time he appears, Agent Fowler angrily ribs Optimus Prime for the recent slew of Decepticon rampages upon the human highway, claiming that he's very close to just about authorizing US military action on the Decepticons. Optimus pleads Fowler to leave the fighting to the Autobots, citing that humans do not stand a chance against Starscream's military.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: Starscream tries to point out the flaws in using the Dark Energon to his master after the debacle with Terrorcon!Cliffjumper, but his warnings fall upon deaf ears.
- Half the Man He Used to Be: When the Terrorcon!Cliffjumper tries to attack Megatron, the Decepticon leader simply slices the monster in half.
- Hope Spot: When the Autobots detect Cliffjumper's life signal coming back online, Arcee and Optimus believe that there may yet be a chance to save him. This assumption is proven incorrect when they do find him.
- Innocently Insensitive: Miko opened her question barrage a little too early for Arcee to be okay with it, fortunately, Jack quickly picks up on it.
- Mr. Exposition: Optimus has some explaining to do when the kids show up at the base.
- Mythology Gag: The purple goo shares the property of changing ordinary machines into Transformers with the All Spark.
- Non-Human Undead: Terrorcon!Cliffjumper, who is (or was) a Cybertronian.
- No Indoor Voice: Agent Fowler.PRIME!
- No One Could Survive That!: Starscream writes off Optimus as dead when he reports his success at blowing up the Energon mine. Megatron is less than convinced.
- Our Zombies Are Different: Megatron demonstrates the effects of Dark Energon on Cliffjumper's corpse, turning it into a sparkless, mindless beast whose only apparent goal is to destroy all around it in a blind rage.
- Outrun the Fireball: The Autobots escaping the destruction of the Energon mine.Ratchet:: Cutting it a bit close?
- Plot Hole: It's never actually explained where Megatron got the giant Dark Energon crystal seen aboard the Nemesis; he returned without any massive objects in tow. Unless he has a subspace storage pocket.
- Ridiculously Human Robots:Miko: Robots...who get dizzy?Raf: Robots...with emotions.Jack: Robots...who can die.
- Right for the Wrong Reasons: Ratchet rightfully believes somethings wrong when Cliffjumper's pops back online and doesn't believe that he's alive. He had at first dismissed it as another computer error but then the Autobots find out Cliffjumper's been turned into an undead Terrorcon.
- Running Gag: Bulkhead destroys Ratchet's medical claw starts a long-running gag throughout the series.Bulkhead: Team Prime knows when to use force, and how much to use!Ratchet: Bulkhead, I NEEDED THAT!
- Series Continuity Error: When Agent Fowler rebukes Optimus Prime for the previous episode over the highway incursion in this episode, his description of the carnage—"7 wrecks, 34 fender-benders, a three-hour traffic jam"—seems highly unlikely from the animation. Perhaps Fowler is prone to hyperbole?
- We Have Reserves: As mentioned above, Megatron revives Cliffjumper, turning him into a zombie, and simply stands back and watches with a smile on his face as the creature tears apart two Vehicons.
- Wham Line: Arcee is on the receiving end of this when she tries to save what she thinks is Cliffjumper from falling to his demise.Arcee: Let's get you home, partner.Zombie Cliffjumper: (looks up at her and snarls) ARUGH!
