Transformers Quick Episode Guide

Transformers Episode List

SEASON ONE

1x01 More Than Meets the Eye Part 1
1x02 More Than Meets the Eye Part 2
1x03 More Than Meets the Eye Part 3
1x04 Transport to Oblivion
1x05 Roll For It
1x06 Divide and Conquer
1x07 Fire in the Sky
1x08 SOS Dinobots 
1x09 Fire on the Mountain
1x10 War of the Dinobots
1x11 The Ultimate Doom Part 1
1x12 The Ultimate Doom Part 2
1x13 The Ultimate Doom Part 3
1x14 Countdown to Extinction
1x15 A Plague of Insecticons
1x16 Heavy Metal War

SEASON TWO

2x01 Autobot Spike
2x02 Changing Gears
2x03 City of Steel
2x04 Attack of the Autobots
2x05 Traitor
2x06 The Immobilizer
2x07 The Autobot Run
2x08 Atlantis Arise
2x09 Day of the Machines
2x10 Enter the Nightbird
2x11 A Prime Problem
2x12 The Core
2x13 The Insecticon Syndrome
2x14 Dinobot Island Part 1
2x15 Dinobot Island Part 2
2x16 The Master Builders
2x17 Auto Beserk
2x18 Microbots
2x19 Megatron's Master Plan Part 1
2x20 Megatron's Master Plan Part 2
2x21 Desertion of the Dinobots Part 1
2x22 Desertion of the Dinobots Part 2
2x23 Blaster Blues
2x24 A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court
2x25 The Golden Lagoon
2x26 The God Gambit
2x27 Make Tracks
2x28 Child's Play
2x29 Quest for Survival
2x30 The Secret of Omega Supreme
2x31 The Gambler
2x32 Kremzeek!
2x33 Sea Change
2x34 Triple Takeover
2x35 Prime Target
2x36 Auto-Bop
2x37 The Search for Alpha-Trion
2x38 The Girl who Loved Powerglide
2x39 Hoist goes Hollywood
2x40 The Key to Vector Sigma Part 1
2x41 The Key to Vector Sigma Part 2
2x42 Aerial Assault
2x43 War Dawn
2x44 Trans-Europe Express
2x45 Cosmic Rust
2x46 Starscream's Brigade
2x47 The Revenge of Bruticus
2x48 Masquerade
2x49 B.O.T. 

SEASON THREE

3x01 Five Faces of Darkness Part 1
3x02 Five Faces of Darkness Part 2
3x03 Five Faces of Darkness Part 3
3x04 Five Faces of Darkness Part 4
3x05 Five Faces of Darkness Part 5
3x06 The Killing Jar
3x07 Chaos
3x08 Dark Awakening
3x09 Forever is a Long Time Coming
3x10 Starscream's Ghost
3x11 Thief in the Night
3x12 Surprise Party
3x13 Madman's Paradise
3x14 Nightmare Planet
3x15 Ghost in the Machine
3x16 Web World
3x17 Carnage in C-Minor
3x18 The Quintesson Journal
3x19 The Ultimate Weapon
3x20 The Big Broadcast of 2006
3x21 Fight or Flee
3x22 The Dweller in the Depths
3x23 Only Human
3x24 Money is Everything
3x25 Grimlock's New Brain
3x26 Call of the Primitives
3x27 Face of the Nijika
3x28 The Burden Hardest to Bear
3x29 The Return of Optimus Prime Part 1
3x30 The Return of Optimus Prime Part 2 

SEASON FOUR

4x01 Rebirth Part 1
4x02 Rebirth Part 2
4x03 Rebirth Part 3 




***




Season 1

More Than Meets The Eye Part 1
by George Arthur Bloom
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 1)
With their energy reserves dwindling, the Autobots set out to find new
reserves in their ship but are followed by the Decepticons who attack inside
a meteor shower. They board the Autobot ship, and in the battle which ensues,
the ship is damaged and thrown off course to crash land on Earth. Several
million years later, an eruption of a volcano causes the computer to
reactivate and its repair program kicks in, repairing the closest Transformer
to the specifications on Earth vehicles gathered by a probe. That Transformer
happens to be Skywarp who moves his fellow 'cons into the repair beam. They
leave the Autobots behind and prepare to raid the world's resources, but
Starscream unwittingly causes the Autobots to be reactivated. Some Autobots
track down the Decepticons' base, but are discovered and barely escape. The
'cons attack an oil rig manned by humans Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, and
when the Autobots arrive, they and the humans are caught up in the
destruction of the platform.


More Than Meets The Eye Part 2
by George Arthur Bloom
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 1)
The Autobots escape from the rubble and save the humans. Spike and Sparkplug
return to Autobot HQ with them to help them in their battle. The Decepticons
continue to plunder Earth's resources and make Energon cubes, planning on
returning to Cybertron with enough energy to lead the Decepticons to victory.
The Autobots intervene, but are not able to stop the 'cons plot. In an
attempt to trap the 'cons in the cave they are mining in, Bumblebee and
Sparkplug go in to set an explosive device. They run into problems and Prime
send Roller in to help. The device goes off, trapping Bumblebee and Sparkplug
and injuring Prime through Roller.


More Than Meets The Eye Part 3
by George Arthur Bloom
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 1)
Bumblebee and Sparkplug are quickly rescued, but the Decepticons are able to
blast their way out. Hound and Prime come up with a plan to trick the 'cons.
The captured Ravage is allowed to escape, having overheard the (false)
location of a rocket base. The Autobots await the Decepticons attack at a
holographic rocket base generated by Hound. The 'cons arrive, but Megatron
has anticipated the plot and the 'cons are actually dummies, with the real
'cons attacking the real site. The Decepticons have built a new ship to take
them back to Cybertron. Prime and the Autobots make every attempt to stop
them and fail, but the Decepticon ship sabotaged by Mirage who has
unbeknownst to his fellow Autobots stowed away on the ship. The Decepticon
ship crashes into the ocean.


Transport to Oblivion
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 7)
The Decepticons, working out of an undersea base created from their crashed
ship, create a "space bridge" back to Cybertron. Bumblebee and Spike are
caught spying and are to be used to test the device which has already failed
to work once. Bumblebee is reprogrammed to lead the Autobots into a trap, but
Megatron must call off his assault on them since the space bridge is
reactivated and must be used within a short period of time. Spike is saved by
Bumblebee, and the Energon being transported is detonated, throwing Megatron
into the bridge as it is activated.


Roll For It
by George Arthur Bloom
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 6)
The Decepticons, now led by Starscream, continue to attack targets on Earth,
but are easily Thwarted by the Autobots. Prime sends Prowl and Bluestreak
after the Decepticon attack force, but they bite off more than they can chew.
A very much alive Megatron contacts the Earth-bound Decepticons and returns
via space bridge. Meanwhile, Bumblebee, Spike, and wheelchair-bound
computer-whiz friend Chip Chase visit a human project to develop an
anti-matter formula. A backup is given to Chip for safe-keeping. At home,
Chip receives a distress call from Prowl and assumes control of him, enabling
him and Bluestreak to overcome the Decepticons they have tracked down.
Megatron and the Decepticons attempt to steal the anti-matter formula, but
the scientist is able to delete it from the computer. Megatron is quickly
able to extract the location of the backup from the scientist and has Chip
kidnapped. The Decepticons take over the anti-matter project compound and
hold Chip hostage. Hound and Mirage manage to infiltrate the compound using
their unique skills and get Chip out. The Autobots attack, but anti-matter
powered Megatron is too powerful. Eventually, the anti-matter becomes too
unstable and Megatron must jettison it and retreat.


Divide and Conquer
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 5)
The Decepticon jets badly damage Optimus Prime in an attack on a power plant.
A group of Autobots must go to Wheeljack's lab on Cybertron to obtain a part
needed to repair Optimus. The Decepticons attack while the Autobots are thus
weakened, but Prime is repaired at the last minute and answers Megatron's
challenge for a one-on-one combat. The 'cons are defeated and retreat.


Fire in the Sky
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 4)
The Decepticons are plotting to drain the Earth's energy through a crystal at
the North Pole. They discover a Transformer, Skyfire, buried in the ice and
revive him. Skyfire, a scientist, crash-landed on Earth before the Autobot
ship crashed during a survey mission with Starscream. He allies himself with
the Decepticons because of Starscream, and takes Spike and Sparkplug
prisoner, being too powerful for the Autobots to stop. However, when he sees
how Megatron treats his human prisoners, he changes sides. The Decepticons
are defeated, but only at the cost of Skyfire, who ends up frozen in the ice
once again.


SOS Dinobots
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 3)
The Autobots discover fossilized dinosaurs in their cave and it leads them to
creating three Dinobots, Grimlock, Slag, and Sludge to help them. They are,
however mentally unstable, and Prime orders them deactivated. When all the
Autobots are captured by Megatron, Wheeljack violates Prime's previous orders
and reactivates the Dinobots. They save the others, thereby proving their
worth, and Prime allows them to stay activated.


Fire on the Mountain
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 8)
The Decepticons plan to use an ancient crystal as an energy source for their
new weapon. After the Autobots detect the energy source, the newly-unthawed
Skyfire is dispatched with Windcharger and Brawn to survey the area. They
discover Decepticon activity and the entire Autobot force comes in to restore
the crystal to its rightful place.


War of the Dinobots
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 9)
The three Dinobots get out of the Autobots' control and ally themselves with
the Decepticons. The Autobots design two more Dinobots to bring the others
back under their control.


The Ultimate Doom Part 1
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 2)
The Autobots learn that an attack on the Maharaja was nothing more than a
diversion by the Decepticons to leave the Ark unguarded. The Decepticon tapes
get inside the Ark and manage to capture Sparkplug in the middle of the
commotion. Sparkplug is taken to the Decepticons' underwater base where a
hypno-chip is put in him in order to turn him into a mindless slave. The
hypno-chip was designed by Megatron's new human ally, Dr. Arkeville, in order
to create an army of human slaves to build a giant and more powerful Space
Bridge that could transport Cybertron itself into Earth's orbit. The energy
released by this act would be converted into Energon and easily transported
to Cybertron. Sparkplug is rescued by the Autobots who take him back to the
Ark, unaware that he is under Arkeville's control. The Autobots are attacked
by the Decepticons, who got inside the Ark due to the controlled Sparkplug
sabotaging Teletran 1. Spike is able to repair Teletran, forcing the
Decepticons to make their escape. The Autobots find the location of the new
Space Bridge and attack, but Optimus Prime is forced to open the Space Bridge
or the already-approaching Cybertron would be destroyed. As Cybertron passes
through the Space Bridge, the Earth's weather begins to turn violent.


The Ultimate Doom Part 2
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 2)
As the Autobots battle the elements and the Decepticons, Megatron's slaves
are lost, prompting the Decepticons to return to their base to capture more.
The Autobots send out the Dinobots to handle the raging tidal waves, floods,
and earthquakes while they form a plan, but the volcano housing the Ark
erupts, forcing Ironhide to plug it to prevent the loss of their base. When
Optimus Prime finds out that Sparkplug has been taken to Cybertron, he sends
Skyfire, Trailbreaker, Wheeljack, Brawn, Bumblebee, and Spike to their home
planet to rescue him. Brawn, Bumblebee, and Spike fall into a trap that leads
right to the Decepticon lab, where they learn the truth about the
hypno-chips. Sparkplug is located within the lab, and the hypno-chip is
activated, forcing Sparkplug to sound the alarm and alert the Decepticons of
the Autobot presence.


The Ultimate Doom Part 3
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 2)
The Autobots manage to escape, but have no choice but to leave Sparkplug
behind. They hide in Wheeljack's lab, where they began to build a device that
would free the slaves from the hypno-chip's control. On Earth, Optimus Prime
and the rest of the Autobots arrive at Megatron's energy-generating base as
they await the oncoming tidal waves. On Cybertron, Wheeljack is able to use
his device to free Sparkplug and escape back to Earth. The Autobots follow
Megatron to his island outpost as the slaves load his starcruiser with the
newly created Energon cubes. Megatron discovers Starscream's deceit once more
as he tries to develop his own way of creating Energon. He escapes Megatron's
wrath as the Autobots attack. Wheeljack frees the remaining slaves with his
device while the Autobots defeat the Decepticons. Megatron makes a last ditch
attempt to escape on his starcruiser, but is shot down by the Autobots, with
the Energon on board exploding and forcing Cybertron back out into orbit. The
Autobots recover as Megatron floats through space awaiting his revenge.
[Roger M. Wilcox notes that this three parter is very similar to the five
part GoBots premiere, "Battle for Gobotron," in plot]

Countdown to Extinction
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 11)
Both the Autobots and Decepticons recover from the aftermath of Cybertron's
proximity to Earth. Megatron returns to lead the Decepticons. Starscream
breaks into Dr. Arkeville's lab, and connects the exponential generator there
on a timer, which will cause it to explode and destroy Earth. He then travels
to Cybertron, where he will collect the released energy. Megatron and Prime,
warned by Shockwave, team up to stop the explosion; Starscream returns to
find out what went wrong, and is dragged away by a none-too-pleased Megatron.

A Plague of Insecticons
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 12)
Both the Autobots and Decepticons move to investigate the appearance of
several new Transformers, the Insecticons. The first battle is between
Skyfire and the Insecticons. The Decepticons form an alliance with them, and
steal oil from a refinery. The Autobots intervene, but are seriously damaged
by the lightning bolts shot at them by one of the Insecticons. They realize
that if they transform they are insulated from the electricity with their
rubber tires and defeat the Insecticons. The Decepticons and Insecticons end
up turning against one another.

Heavy Metal War
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video as Volume 10)
Megatron has built the Constructicons to create a machine capable of
transferring all the Decepticons' special powers over to him. He then
challenges Prime to a fight which he must accept by a code of honor. Megatron
defeats Prime, and the Autobots must keep their side of the bargain and
abandon Earth. Meanwhile, the Constructicons have broken into Autobot
headquarters to deactivate Teletran 1 before it can reveal that Megatron has
cheated. They are confronted by the Dinobots and, even as Devastator, are
defeated by the Autobots once they discover the truth. The Decepticons are
all driven into a chasm.



TRANSFORMERS EPISODE GUIDE
Season 2

(1985-1986, 49 new episodes, with the 16 first season episodes randomly
scattered through the run for a total of 65 episodes)
New opening titles and closing credits were used for the second season,
featuring some of the second year characters, and a new version of the
opening music was used for them. The second season titles and credits
replaced the first season ones when the first season episodes were run.
Episodes ran weekdays, beginning in September 1985
[Buzzsaw and Frenzy make occasional appearances in episodes 17-26, but no
other new characters are introduced until episode 27, when second year
characters begin to appear without explanation (and don't ask why #28 is
first year characters only. My best guess is some sort of production delay)]

Autobot Spike
by Donald F. Glut
Sparkplug creates Autobot X out of spare parts. The robot goes crazy during
its first test and is put into storage. Later, Spike gets badly injured in a
firefight with the Decepticons. To save his life, the Autobots transfer his
mind into Autobot X so the doctors can operate on his body. With an unstable
mind and Megatron's goading, Autobot Spike turns against the Autobots, but
relents when he nearly kills Sparkplug. Spike's body makes it through the
operation, and Spike's mind is returned to it.


The Immobilizer
by Earl Kress
[This episode was probably aired second to introduce Carly to the audience]
Wheeljack has created the Immobilizer, a new weapon that can temporarily stop
any Transformer in its tracks. The Decepticons manage to steal it partly due
to Carly (first appearance) distracting Ironhide from his lookout post.
During the battle which follows, Ironhide rescues Carly from the Decepticons,
but they have made the Immobilizer's affect permanent and start immobilizing
Autobots left and right. With the assistance of Brawn and Jazz, Spike and
Carly manage to reverse the effects of the Immobilizer and save the Autobots.
The Immobilizer is then destroyed.


Dinobot Island Part 1
by Donald F. Glut
[This episode was probably aired to introduce many of the second year
characters to the audience (particularly due to the stilted introductory
lines by many of them)]
Powerglide and Bumblebee discover a prehistoric island filled with dinosaurs.
The Dinobots destructive fighting tactics end up causing harm and havoc to
the Autobots during a demonstration. As a result, Prime orders the Dinobots
to be secluded on an island where they will train to better control
themselves in combat, and to be able to work better as a group when they
fight. The Decepticons find out about the island and want to tap the many
natural resources for power. Megatron eventually learns of this, and then
discovers that the island is rich in energy. The Decepticons arrive on the
island and proceed to turn the energy into energon cubes. They confronted by
the Dinobots, and Megatron stampedes some dinosaurs to force the Dinobots
into a tar pit, trapping them.


Dinobot Island Part 2
by Donald F. Glut
As the Deceps steal energy from the island to fill energon-cubes, it disrupts
the time-space continuity, causing other timewarps to appear at random across
the world. The Autobots have to send mammoths, cowboys and other historic
relics back through the timewarps before they are trapped in modern day. The
Autobots eventually figure out the cause of the timewarps, and send a force
to stop the Deceps on Dinobot Island. They arrive on the island, but are
taken out rather handily. All does not look well until the Dinobots revive
and stop the Deceps. Prime sees they have learned to function better as a
group and allows them to return to the Autobots.


Traitor
by George Hampton & Mike Moore
The Decepticons capture an unstable power source (electrocells) and seek to
exploit them, with the Insecticons' help. Mirage's plan to turn the
Insecticons and Decepticons against one another backfires when he is
mind-controlled by Bombshell. Under the Insecticon's influence he leads the
Autobots into a trap. Ratchet removes Bombshell's cerebro shell and learns
the truth, however. In a final battle with Megatron, the electrocells are
destroyed.


Enter the Nightbird
by Sylvia Wilson & Richard Milton
The Decepticons, working out of a desert base, steal an experimental female
ninja robot named Nightbird, and use her to steal the Autobots' computer chip
containing information on the world's energy sources. She succeeds in
stealing the chip from Autobot headquarters, but is confronted and trapped by
the Autobots. The Decepticons come to her aid, but she is ambushed by the
jealous Starscream. The Decepticons chase after the fleeing Starscream,
leaving Nightbird and the chip with the Autobots.


Changing Gears
by Larry Parr
Normally grouchy Gears is abducted by the Decepticons and Megatron steals his
personality cartridge to use in his latest plot, making Gears friendly to
them. The Autobots must stop the Decepticons from using a space needle from
penetrating and destroying Earth's sun and they retrieve Gears' component,
but nobody is particularly happy.


A Prime Problem
by Dick Robbins & Bryce Malek
The Decepticons discover a chasm full of crystals that destroy machinery, and
they create a machine that can duplicate Transformers. The Decepticons
duplicate Optimus Prime and confuse the Autobots as to who is the real Prime.
The Autobots and Decepticons fight near the chasm, and the duplicated Prime
destroys a duplicated Starscream to further confuse the Autobots. The
Autobots are just about ready to follow the fake Primeinto the chasm when he
(controlled by Megatron) breaks the masquerade by not showing any concern for
Spike's welfare. The Autobots knock the fake Prime into the chasm, and the
fake Prime is destroyed. The Decepticons abandon their desert base in this
episode.


Atlantis Arise
by Douglas Booth
Atlantis is raised from the ocean by the Decepticons and the inhabitants plan
to take over the Transformers and Washington, D.C.


Attack of the Autobots
by David Wise
Megatron alters the Autobots' rechargers to change the Autobots to evil. Jazz
and Bumblebee (who did not recharge) and Sparkplug, work to restore the
Autobots and prevent Megatron from stealing a solar power satellite. After
restoring the Autobots to good, Jazz shatters the Decepticons' escape rocket
with a musical sonic boom, and their plot to return to Cybertron with the
satellite is thwarted.


The Master Builders
by David N. Gottlieb & Herb Engelhardt
Grapple has designed a solar energy-collecting tower, but Prime won't allow
its construction on the grounds that it's too difficult to defend, and the
consequences would be too great should Megatron take it over. Hoist and
Grapple go to sulk in the desert, and the Constructicons dupe them into
believing that they've deserted. They build the tower, supposedly for the
sake of building it, but after it is finished the Constructicons turn it over
to their leader and the Autobots are forced to destroy it.


Microbots
by David Wise
Megatron has obtained a new super energy component, the "Heart of Cybertron,"
from the crashed Decepticon ship. It is violently unstable, and could explode
catastrophically at any time. Perceptor, Brawn and Bumblebee are shrunk to
micro size to sneak into Megatron's body (he's "drunk" at the time) and
retrieve the component. The search is difficult, given Megatron's immune
system, and the argument between Perceptor and Brawn of mind over power, but
Perceptor finally earns Brawn's respect as the trio finds the component and
manages to escape Megatron and shoot the self-destructing component just in
time.


The Insecticon Syndrome
by Douglas Booth
The Autobots and the Insecticons engage in battle in a forest where the
Insecticons are eating the trees. After beating the Autobots, the Insecticons
along with the Decepticons go to a base containing a power source which the
Insecticons feed on which turns them into big bugs, also making them very
unstable. In the process, they kidnap Soundwave and turn him into their slave
(thanks to one of Bombshell's cerebro shells) and badly damage Wheeljack and
Ironhide, which forces the Autobots to retreat. Soon Megatron and Starscream
realize that Soundwave and all the other Decepticons are under Insecticon
control. Bombshell launches two cerebro shells, one hits Starscream and he
becomes controlled, but Megatron crushes the other one before it hits him.
Prime warns Megatron that any blast that hits one of the Insecticons could
destroy them all. The Autobots create three antidotes to prevent this from
happening. Megatron is forced to work with the Autobots and transforms to
fire the antidotes. Bombshell and Kickback are saved and return to normal
size, but Shrapnel explodes before the antidote put in him by Spike can work.
The Decepticons are freed from Insecticon control and Bombshell reassembles
Shrapnel. The Insecticons retreat with the Decepticons chasing them.


Day of the Machines
by David Wise
Megatron reprograms Torq III, a supercomputer, to obey him. He uses it to
control oil tankers, and direct them to a platform under his control. Optimus
Prime destroys the computer; the Autobots attack the platform, and escape as
it self-destructs.


Megatron's Master Plan Part 1
by Donald F. Glut
Megatron's Master Plan Part 2
by Donald F. Glut
Megatron conspires with a human politician and sets up the Autobots so it
appears that they are not acting in Earth's best interest. The Autobots are
put into a ship and sent back to Cybertron, but discover Megatron has reset
the course to take them into the sun. Meanwhile, Spike discovers the truth on
Earth. The Autobots return to Earth low on energon, but they are still able
to defeat the Decepticons.


Auto Berserk
by Antoni Zalewski
Red Alert has always been a little jittery, but he is pushed over the edge
when an explosion jolts his circuitry while he is helping guard a deadly
tank. He thinks Prime is out to replace him, and runs away scared. Starscream
is once again kicked out of the Deceps and strikes out to take the tank
himself. Eventually, Red forms an alliance with Starscream and the Autobots
have to retrieve the tank and repair Red's circuits before he self-destructs,
with Inferno in charge of the rescue of his old friend.


City of Steel
by Douglas Booth
New York City is rebuild by Megatron into a steel city. Optimus Prime is
captured and disassembled. The Autobots locate his pieces scattered
throughout the city.


Desertion of the Dinobots Part 1
by Earl Kress
Desertion of the Dinobots Part 2
by Earl Kress
The Transformers begin to suffer the effects of the decay of a rare element,
Cybertonium, which does not exist on Earth. The Earth-built Dinobots are not
affected, but - disenchanted with always doing the Autobot's dirty work -
have left for Cybertron. The Decepticons get their supply from the Space
Bridge, but the Autobots need the Dinobots to get them their supply. Carly
and Spike pursue them to Cybertron and team up with Swoop who is the only
Dinobot to escape capture. Together the three rescue the others and after a
brief history lesson, the Dinobots are convinced to return to Earth with the
Cybertronium for the Autobots.


A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court
by Douglas Booth
Warpath, Hoist, and Spike are fighting Starscream, Ravage, Rumble, and Ramjet
when the Decepticons go in a cave to escape, pursued by the Autobots, and all
are transported back to medieval times. The Decepticons hook up with one
Lord, while the Autobots hook up with another knight whose daughter Spike is
attracted to. Spike gets a full suit of armor and rides Warpath in a joust
against Rumble and Ramjet. The joust is not spectacular, because the
Transformers are low on fuel. The Decepticons kidnap the knight's daughter,
and are able to repel the Autobots because their human ally provided them
with an energy source (right before they betrayed him, of course). They also
have an advantage because they have made a primitive gunpowder. The Autobots
eventually win, the daughter agrees to marry her kidnapper, and the
Transformers go back to the cave with a wizard who promises to send them
home. The action is not over yet, because the Transformers must duck a dragon
to get to the cave. They find themselves back in the middle of the major
battle they started out in.


The God Gambit
by Buzz Dixon
Cosmos discovers an energy source on Titan (a moon of Saturn), but is pursued
and disabled by Astrotrain. Astrotrain persuades Titan's inhabitants to
worship him as a god, and to help him mine the energy crystals. Omega
Supreme, with Perceptor and Jazz aboard, arrives and eventually drives off
the Decepticons.


The Core
by Dennis Marks
Megatron constructs a drill to reach the center of the Earth and tap the
energy there, despite Starscream's warnings that this will destroy the
planet. The Autobots, meanwhile, have come up with a way to control
Devastator. In their attack on the drill, however, Megatron activates a
countermeasure. The conflicting signals cause Devastator to go berserk; only
by cooperating are the Autobots and Decepticons able to control him again.
Devastator destroys the drill, and the earth is safe.


Make Tracks
by David Wise
Tracks is stolen by a human and his abilities to talk and transform are lost.
Once reconnected, he reveals who he really is and the two work together to
discover that the Decepticons have hired humans to steal a total of 500 cars
which they are converting. The Decepticon-controlled cars are unleashed and
the Autobots spread out over the city to stop them. They are highly
outnumbered, though, when the cars all turn into Decepticons drones. They are
finally stopped by Blaster disrupting their remote control signals.


Blaster Blues
by Larry Strauss
Blaster feels unappreciated for his ability to pound out the tunes, but other
tunes are overwhelming earth, as Megatron uses a radio-jamming device on the
moon to disrupt all radio signals. The Autobots assist the radio-less humans
anyway they can, while Cosmos and Blaster try to stop the Deceps. They are
captured, but Blaster uses his own music to jam the Deceps' radio jammer.
Meanwhile, Omega Supreme and Astrotrain duke it out for control of the
jamming base.


The Autobot Run
by Donald F. Glut
The Autobots participate in a stunt show and race for charity, but the
Decepticons employ a device to lock them into their vehicle modes. Alerted by
Hound, the few Autobots not present at the charity race work to free their
friends.


The Golden Lagoon
by Dennis Marks
A group of Autobots end up in a firefight with Megatron and several
Decepticons. Beachcomber and Thrust become separated in the conflict and end
up in a forested area. Beachcomber finds a hidden lagoon with a pool of
electrum. Unfortunately, Thrust discovers that if one coats oneself with this
electrum, one becomes invulnerable. The Decepticons coat themselves with the
electrum and trash the Autobots. Eventually, the Autobots figure out what is
going on, find the pool, and coat themselves with electrum. Megatron wishes
to destroy the pond before this can occur. The Autobots arrive just before
the Decepticons and bathe in the liquid. What follows is a standoff in the
secret lagoon. Eventually, the Decepticons' coating of electrum wears off and
they flee, but before retreating, Megatron destroys the electrum pool and the
resulting explosion destroys all life in the area. The once beautiful lagoon
is now wasteland and Beachcomber is horrified at the fighting he has brought
to the peaceful forest.

Quest for Survival
by Reed Robbins & Peter Salas
Cosmos, Spike, and Bumblebee are bringing robotic insecticide to Earth to
stop the Insecticons when they are caught by robotic plants called
Morphobots. They manage to escape, but carry the plants with them
unwittingly. Cosmos goes down and the Morphobots multiply quickly. The
Decepticons discover what is going on and try to claim the insecticide for
themselves. The Autobots get through the Morphobots by using Blaster's music,
but the insecticide is destroyed. The Insecticons try to feed on the
Morphobots, but instead are eaten by them (except the original Shrapnel,
Bombshell, and Kickback who escape). The Autobots shoot the Morphobots back
into space in a rocket.

The Secret of Omega Supreme
by David Wise
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 12)
Omega Supreme tells his story to Optimus Prime of how he was guardian of
Crystal City on Cybertron. There he was friends with the Constructicons until
Megatron changed them and they destroyed the city. Now he seeks revenge and
has pursued them to Earth.

Child's Play
by Beth Bornstein
Through a freak accident with the space bridge, a group of Autobots and
Decepticons find themselves transported to another world where they are the
size of toys. A child helps the Autobots, but the other aliens believe they
are dangerous and want them dissected. They finally escape using a toy rocket
modified by Perceptor.

The Gambler
by Michael Charles Hill
(chronologically comes immediately after Child's Play)
En route to Earth from the planet of giants, the Autobots are captured and
de-energized by a gambler and con-man. Smokescreen is unaffected and teams up
with the being to win - via gambling - enough energon to restore the ship and
the Autobots. The Decepticons Astrotrain, Dirge, and Ramjet attempt to
interfere, but are driven off with the help of another Autobot, Defcon.

The Search for Alpha Trion
by Beth Bornstein
Shockwave discovers that "female" Autobots have been raiding the Decepticon
energon stockpiles. Megatron sends Starscream and a few other Decepticons to
capture their leader, Elita-1. They do so and blackmail Prime into coming to
Cybertron to rescue her. He is captured and is executed by Starscream.
Elita-1 uses her time-freezing ability and saves Prime, but it nearly costs
her her life. Only Alpha Trion can save her. Meanwhile, Powerglide, Inferno
and Ironhide have come looking for Prime and they join forces with the other
females to fight off the Deceps. It is also implied in this episode that
Alpha Trion created Optimus Prime and Elita-1.

Auto-Bop
by David Wise
Megatron is using a dance club to play hypnotic music, which he uses to force
humans to help him construct buildings. Tracks and Blaster infiltrate the
place with the help of Tracks' pal Raul and his buddies. Raul discovers the
best cure: a splash of water. Tracks frees the humans while Blaster has a
one-on-one battle with Soundwave--"all talk, no shock".

Prime Target
by Flint Dille & Buzz Dixon
A (stereotypical) British hunter wants to get the ultimate prize, the head of
Optimus Prime, mounted over his fireplace. So, he manages to lay several
clever traps for other Autobots including Grapple, Inferno, Beachcomber, and
Blaster, and takes them hostage in his castle. He then challenges Prime to
come and release them. Prime works his way past many other complex traps, and
naturally frees his comrades and escapes with his head.



Prime Target
by Flint Dille & Buzz Dixon
A (stereotypical) British hunter wants to get the ultimate prize, the head of
Optimus Prime, mounted over his fireplace. So, he manages to lay several
clever traps for other Autobots including Grapple, Inferno, Beachcomber, and
Blaster, and takes them hostage in his castle. He then challenges Prime to
come and release them. Prime works his way past many other complex traps, and
naturally frees his comrades and escapes with his head.

The Girl Who Loved Powerglide
by David Wise
A spoiled, rich teenage girl gets attacked at a carnival in honor of her
birthday by the Decepticons. Powerglide saves her, and she falls for him. She
tries to tag along with him. The Decepticons want her because they believe
she has the secret of her father's last invention. The Decepticons capture
her and try to suck the info out of her brain, but she is too much.
Powerglide has severely been beaten up. She looks at the locket that her dad
said never to take off, which she also knows contains the invention's secret,
and throws it into some machinery, saving Powerglide. Powerglide opens his
chestplate, and there is an outline of a glowing heart.

Triple Takeover
by Larry Strauss
Blitzwing and Astrotrain are dissatisfied with the Decep ranks and take off
on their own. They dupe Starscream into leading himself and Megatron into a
trap. Blitzwing takes over a stadium and abducts a football coach, believing
him to be a strategic genius. The Constructicons build a fortress and maze
around the stadium, and build four Autobots into a throne after they fall.
Meanwhile, Astrotrain makes an "army" of subway trains and uses them to
collect power. Megatron eventually gets loose, and brings down the rebellion.


Sea Change
by Douglas Booth
Seaspray falls for a girl on another planet. She is a resistance fighter
against a robot called Deceptitran. There is a pool that changes beings into
anything they want. The girl and Seaspray change into merpeople and go to the
underwater base of the rebels. In the process, Rumble is tricked into
becoming a tree.

Hoist Goes Hollywood
by Earl Kress
Hoist saves some stuntmen in a Hollywood movie and is asked to star himself.
He is quickly joined by Tracks, Warpath, Sunstreaker, and Powerglide who all
want in on the movie business. They unwittingly stumble upon the Decepticons
as they try to rescue Dirge and a machine stolen from Wheeljack's workshop on
Cybertron which have crashed at the studio. The Decepticons are stopped and
Wheeljack reveals that the machine never really worked anyway.

The Key to Vector Sigma Part 1
by David Wise
The Key to Vector Sigma Part 2
by David Wise
The Decepticons seek out Vector Sigma in order to give their new warriors,
the Stunticons, life (so they can have an advantage on the ground). The
Autobots pursue on Cybertron. The Decepticons get the key to Vector Sigma,
and they manage to successfully gain access and give the Stunticons life. The
Decepticons also accidentally discover that the Key has the power to
transmute organic material into machinery and Megatron plots to make Earth
into a second Cybertron. In order to stop them, the Autobots create the
Aerialbots, but the cost is Alpha Trion's life. The Aerialbot leader,
Silverbolt, must overcome his fear of heights in order to successfully defeat
the Stunticons.

Masquerade
by Donald F. Glut
After several skirmishes with the Stunticons, the Autobots finally manage to
capture them as they are trying to steal mysterious mechanical parts. The
Autobots place them in special cells so they can't form Menasor. Wheeljack
then comes up with a special camouflage paint to allow the Autobots to
disguise themselves as the Stunticons, thereby sneaking close to Megatron
without him knowing it. Sideswipe, Prime, Mirage, Windcharger, and Jazz
disguise themselves as Breakdown, Motormaster, Dragstrip, Wildrider and Dead
End to find out what the spare parts are for. The gambit succeeds, and they
find out the part are for a super laser, but Breakdown causes his cell to
malfunction and he breaks free. He frees the other Stunticons and they return
to Decepticon camp to warn Megatron. When they arrive at camp, Megatron
cannot distinguish between the two groups of Stunticons. As a test, he
commands them to form Menasor, and whoever cannot will be destroyed.
Surprisingly, both groups do. Prime has Windcharger use his magnet beam to
hold the Autobots together while Mirage creates an illusion of Menasor. The
real Menasor hits the fake one, however, and the fake one comes apart. The
charade discovered, the Autobots manage to destroy the laser barely get away
from the Decepticons.

Aerial Assault
by Douglas Booth
Somewhere in the Mideast, the Deceps and an arms smuggler have kicked the
local prince out of his palace and are using his resources to steal airplane
parts; the planes are disassembled, built into harmless looking vehicles for
transport, and then taken apart to be used to build an air fortress. The
Aerialbots are sent to investigate, and Sky Dive and Slingshotgo undercover.
They are partially taken apart, and befriend a teenager named Hassan who
helps them reconstruct themselves. Slingshot is still without a weapons
console as the other Aerialbots fight the Combaticons and the new air
fortress. He and Hassan make the repairs just in time to form Superion to
defeat Bruticus. Everyone is surprised to find Hassan is the ousted prince.

Trans-Europe Express
by David Wise
A million dollars will be given to the select charity of a trans-Europe race,
where several Autobots participate. The race is actually set up by the
Deceps, who are searching for the weather-controlling Pearl of Bahoudin and
need a metal from the race car of snobbish driver Augie Canay to contain it.
The Stunticons trash most of the Autobots during the race, leaving only
Bluestreak, Tracks and Bumblebee to retrieve the pearl and Augie's car. Augie
sacrifices his car to defeat Menasor, while the others destroy the pearl once
it has been released from its protective shell.

Cosmic Rust
by Paul Davids
Decepticons are dying of the Cosmic Rust that Megatron picked up on a lost
robot colony. They kidnap Perceptor to diagnose it and come up with a cure.
Perceptor says the cure is element X, which the Autobots used to coat the
Statue of Liberty. The Decepticons get the element to cure themselves, and
infect Perceptor when he is rescued, the rest of the Autobots. Blaster radios
from Cosmos in space that there is no more element X to be found. The
Autobots do battle with the Decepticons at the Statue of Liberty so they can
scrape off some element X. The Autobots win and go back to Autobot
headquarters, and use the element to cure themselves.

War Dawn
by David Wise
(released on video in the US by f.h.e. Home Video on Volume 12)
The Autobots and Aerialbots travel to Cybertron on Omega Supreme to stop
Megatron's latest plan. The gullible Aerialbots are tricked by the
Decepticons and sent back to the beginning of time, but due to the timely
intervention of the Autobots, are only transported back by in time a few
million years where they observe how Transformer Orion Pax and his friends
were recreated by Alpha Trion into Optimus Prime and others and became
leaders of the Autobots on Cybertron against the forces of Megatron.


Starscream's Brigade
by Michael Charles Hill
Starscream is banished by Megatron to an island where he discovers the
remains of several

WWII vehicles. He masterminds a plot in which he steals five personality
components from Cybertron and installs them in the vehicles, reforming them
into his forces, the Combaticons. He then uses them to take out his revenge
on Megatron, who cannot stop the Combaticons as Bruticus, even with the help
of Devastator. The Stunticons arrive at the last minute and defeat Bruticus
as Menasor and Starscream and the Combaticons are banished to an asteroid.

The Revenge of Bruticus
by Larry Strauss
Starscream travels to Cybertron where he continues his plots against
Megatron. Earth is driven into the sun via the space bridge, and the
Protectobots evacuate humans from dangerous situations. Megatron and Prime
team up to stop Bruticus, who is out of control on Cybertron. Starscream
volunteers the information on Bruticus' weak points and he is seemingly
defeated. In reality, Megatron has gained control of the Combaticons and
Prime has been fooled.

B.O.T.
by Earl Kress
Three college students are forced to build something as a science project,
and they end up creating B.O.T. Meanwhile, the Protectobots end up fighting
the Combaticons, who are trying to upgrade themselves without Megatron's
knowledge. They end up destroying all the Combaticons except Swindle, who
escapes. Swindle sells the spare parts of his comrades for money, but when he
tells Megatron what happened, Megatron gets angry and has a bomb placed in
Swindle's head that will blow up in a set amount of time if Swindle fails to
rebuild the Combaticons. In the meantime, the three students need a computer
board to make their robot work. They think they find what they need when they
pick up Brawl's personality board. After inserting the board into the robot,
the robot goes berserk and rampages through the city. Swindle rebuilds the
Combaticons, but without Brawl's personality board they can't form Bruticus.
Swindle finds B.O.T. and restores Brawl's brain, and Megatron orders the
Decepticons to Autobot headquarters. Megatron has a new weapon, that when
fired, will obliterate the crashed ship and the Autobots. The Protectobots
are called to the scene, and they merge to form Defensor, who puts up a
shield to buy time. The college kids eventually get their robot online who
saves the day by getting close enough to the cannon and self-destructing.

Kremzeek!
by David Wise
[The airdate I have for this is blatantly after all the other episodes aired
and the episode seems out of sequence. I can only assume that either 1) There
was a prior airing that I do not have not documented or 2) The episode was
delayed for unknown reasons.]
Somehow, an energy being is created who is small compared to the Autobots,
and runs around yelling Kremzeek! Kremzeek! He goes into the electrical lines
and ends up in Japan. At some point, a Japanese scientist helps the Autobots.
An army of little Kremzeeks becomes a very big Kremzeek but the Autobots
transmit it into the Decepticon base using the 'cons energy magnet.


Season 3

(1986-1987, 30 new episodes, with 65 previous eps for total of 95 eps)
The new episodes for the third season take place after movie. Episodes were
shown on weekdays starting in September 1986. New episodes were usually shown
on Mondays and Tuesdays, with older episodes running the rest of the week.
Another new title sequence was used for the third season, updating to the
third year characters. Another new version of the music was used. The first
and second season episodes retained the second season opening titles and
closing credits, but the new music was dubbed over them, and that is how they
have continued to air, even on the SF channel. The Five Faces of Darkness
miniseries that opened the season had its own opening titles, adapting some
of the scenes. It used the standard season 3 music.

Five Faces of Darkness Part 1
by Flint Dille
In the midst of celebrations over Unicron's defeat, Wheelie and Blurr are
sent to Earth with a new transformation cog for Metroplex, and Spike, Magnus
and Kup are kidnapped by mysterious captors. Arcee, Grimlock, Rodimus Prime
and Springer capture an alien who claims the Deceps are behind the plot, so
they go to Charr (the new Decep base) to investigate, but the Deceps are in
bad condition, low in energy, and Cyclonus and Scourge are off looking for
the missing-presumed-dead Galvatron. Although they decide the kidnappers must
be someone else, Grimlock and Rod have their cover blown and are in for a
major trashing.


Five Faces of Darkness Part 2
by Flint Dille
Arcee and Springer rescue Rod and Grimlock from Charr, but Rod appears dead.
He is actually making a subconscious journey into the Matrix, where he is
shown that the Quintessons are the real kidnapers. He wakes up and prepares
for a rescue on Quintessa. Meanwhile, Scourge and Cyclonus find Galvatron,
who is fully recovered and ready to resume the fight with the Autobots. The
Quintessons are about to feed Kup, Spike, and Magnus to the Sharkticons for
an unspecified crime when the others show up and pull them out, but the
Quints decide to destroy Quintessa if it will mean killing the Autobots....

Five Faces of Darkness Part 3
by Flint Dille
The exploding Quintessa sends the Autobots to the trash dump Goo, where a
garbage scow dismembers Springer. Wheelie and Blurr are stranded on a distant
planet, plagued by Decep attacks, space storms and mechanical bats. Marissa
Fairborne of Earth Defense Command (first appearance) answers their distress
call, but her ship is also blown up. The Quints have made a deal with the
decrepit Deceps, and offer them energy in return for destroying the Autobots;
all except Blitzwing accept and follow the Quints to Goo, where they open
fire on the stuck Autobots.

Five Faces of Darkness Part 4
by Flint Dille
Galvatron and the others find Blitzwing, who is still on Charr and who tells
them their comrades are on Goo. Galvatron calls off the fight to conference
with their suspicious new allies, the Quintessons. The Quints secure an
alliance with Galvatron by suggesting that there is a Decepticon Matrix to be
found. The Junkions give the Autobots a lift and repair Springer. Rod is
curious about the Quint's motives, and journeys into the Matrix once more to
get a final answer. It turns out the Quints are the original creators of all
Transformers eons ago when the Autobots and Decepticons had not begun to
fight. The Transformers revolted and drove the Quints off the factory of
Cybertron, and the Quints have been looking for revenge ever since. Knowing
this means deep trouble, Rod and the others put Cybertron on full alert, but
a clever trick destroys Cybertron's power station, allowing the Deceps to
literally walk in as an all-out battle begins.

Five Faces of Darkness Part 5
by Flint Dille
As the fighting on Cybertron goes on, back on Earth, the Constructions have
created Trypticon, who attacks the still transforming cog-less Metroplex. Sky
Lynx is sent to retrieve the cog from Wheelie and Blurr, and ends up fighting
off the new Predacons before making it back to Earth. The cog is given to
Metroplex during the battle, and he throws Tryptie over the horizon.
Blitzwing discovers that there is no Decepticon Matrix. On Cybertron, the
Quints sneak past the distracted Deceps and Autobots and activate a
immobilization device, which they had previously tried unsuccessfully to use
to stop the revolt of the Transformers. All Transformers are immobilized, but
Spike isn't and manages to reverse the freeze ray. After the Quints escape,
the fighting is called off by Blitzwing, who forces Galvatron to retreat for
the time being.

The Killing Jar
by Michael Charles Hill & Joey Kurihara Piedra
The Quintessons are ever expanding their research on living beings, and
decide to conduct a study on a new group of subjects. Marissa, Cyclonus,
Magnus, and Wreck-Gar are captured and put into cages for study. The Quints
toy with them, gaging their interactions, and don't notice the ship is
dangerously near a black hole; they are sucked into a negative world. The
Quints end up studying how everyone works together as they all cooperate to
find a way of pulling the ship out.

Chaos
by Paul Davids
Blast-Off and discovers a wimpy alien using a very powerful cannon: a
bazooka-device which shoots green explosive crystals. The crystals are "shed"
from the body of Chaos, a giant humanoid monster that Kup met ages ago.
Galvatron goes to Chaos's planet and builds a giant gun (with which he plans
to destroy Cybertron). Kup and some other Autobots stop him, and Kup turns
the gun on his old enemy, Chaos.

Dark Awakening
by Antoni Zalewski
The Autobots discover the ship which contains the dead bodies of several
Autobots, including Optimus Prime. It seems, however, that Optimus is not as
dead as previously thought, and he reclaims the Matrix from Rodimus Prime.
The others soon realize that Optimus is not acting under his own free will,
and it is all a plot by the Quintessons. The Matrix is returned to Hot Rod
and the others escape, leaving Optimus to pilot the ship to his death.

Starscream's Ghost
by Megeen McLaughlin
[takes place after Thief in the Night and Fight or Flee]
Trying to escape from Galvatron and the Decepticons who want him destroyed,
Octane befriends Autobot Sandstorm, who gets him asylum. The Decepticons,
however, track him down and attack him on Cybertron, where he takes refuge in
a Decepticon crypt. He then encounters Starscream's ghost, who possesses
Cyclonus and pretends to torture Octane. Galvatron discovers the truth at the
last minute and blasts Cyclonus. Cyclonus comes to, with no memory of what
happened; meanwhile Scourge is possessed by Starscream...

Thief in the Night
by Paul Davids
[takes place after Fight or Flee]
After the battle with Metroplex, Trypticon has been vanquished, but
Decepticon Octane has found him, and has taken him to an oil-rich country,
where they do the king's bidding in exchange for special energon. The
Autobots catch on to what's happening after world monuments begin to
disappear and the evidence indicates a dinosaur Transformer. The other
Decepticons find Octane and he convinces Galvatron he was scouting resources
for him. The Autobots soon arrive with Metroplex, and Trypticon is once more
defeated.

Forever is a Long Time Coming
by Gerry & Carla Conway
The Quintessons build a device which focuses chronal energy in an attempt to
go back in time, stopping their robots from rebelling. A team of Autobots end
up in Cybertron's past, fighting against the Guardians, while a timid robot
from the past, A-3, is transported to the 21st century. The time-travel
mechanism eventually goes berserk, threatening the entire universe as time
begins to lose meaning. Eventually, A-3 is returned to the past, where he
deactivates the Guardian robots, and bids the Autobots to return home. Later,
an Autobot notes that A can stand for "Alpha" and 3 can stand for "Trion"...

Surprise Party
by Steve Mitchell & Barbara Petty
Following Daniel's surprise birthday party, Ultra Magnus saves Wheelie's
life. Both Daniel and Wheelie want to do something nice for him, so they
decide to throw him a surprise party. There's only one problem: no one,
including Ultra Magnus, knows his birthday. Daniel and Wheelie go to the
Autobots' records planetoid to learn the info. Cyclonus sees this and
captures them, setting the planetoid on a collision course with Cybertron.
Daniel and Wheelie get off the place, and the planetoid is destroyed.

Madman's Paradise
by Craig Rand
Spike Witwicky and his wife Carly host a banquet for a visiting ambassador.
Their son Daniel gets impatient and storms off. Grimlock follows him, and
they find a mystical chamber where Quintessons banished their criminals. They
slip through to a world of magic, and fight on the Red Wizard's side, only to
find out that he is a Quintesson, and that they must help the Golden One.
Ultra Magnus, Blaster, Eject, Rewind, Ramhorn, and Steeljaw show up to help,
they go home, and everyone is happy.

Carnage in C-Minor
by Buzz Dixon
[Conflicting sources here, but this is most likely location based on rerun
periods]
The Transformers find a planet where sound technology is the norm, and three
people use their combined voices as a super weapon. The Deceps convince the
soprano female, who is dissatisfied with her society, to join them; Soundwave
records her voice and wreaks havoc. The Autobots hook up with the alto, her
lover, and she rejoins them. The Deceps manage to record the bass voice, and
prepare to attack Metroplex with the three voices; Blaster counters them with
the "anti-sound" of the singers.

Fight or Flee
by Tony Cinciripini & Larry Leahy
[This episode may have been aired so early in sequence because of continuity
with Starscream's Ghost. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it was finished
early enough to schedule correctly -- or maybe the schedulers were just
ignorant]
Sandstorm is the leader of a group of pacifist Autobots on a planet with a
rich energy core called Paratron. The Deceps find the planet and take it
over; the Autobots on the planet will not fight them, as they have sworn off
war to keep their planet peaceful. The other Autobots land on the planet and
convince their compatriots that fighting is the only way to get rid of the
Deceps. The Deceps decide to blow up the planet if they can't keep it, and
all Autobots are evacuated to Cybertron.

Web World
by Len Wein & Diane Duane
Galvatron is brought to a world in order to repair his deranged mind.
Psychologists try every treatment that they have to try to cure him, but they
all fail. When they run out of options, they decide to use a treatment that
would destroy the "damaged" part of Galvatron's brain. Cyclonus realizes that
that would turn his leader into a mental vegetable and puts up a fight. In
all the commotion, Galvatron breaks free and destroys the planet using the
knowledge he gained in his mindmeld.

Ghost in the Machine
by Michael Charles Hill & Joey Kurihara Piedra
Starscream's ghost seeks a new body and, through the body of Scourge,
reactivates Unicron's head. He is given three tasks to fulfill in order to
receive his body. He must first steal Metroplex's eyes (but one is destroyed
and one of Trypticon's must be taken), then steal Trypticon's transforming
cog, and finally connect Unicron to Cybertron as his new body. Scourge cuts
out of the deal, and the plan to give Unicron a new body is stopped, but
Starscream has his body, although he finds himself drifting through space
aimlessly.

The Dweller in the Depths
by Paul Dini
In a plot to destroy the Transformers and reclaim Cybertron, the Quintessons
convince Galvatron and the Decepticons to unleash a half-organic,
half-metallic beast located at the center of Cybertron. It attacks the entire
planet, forcing the Autobots to eject a newly installed power core to prevent
the beast from becoming unstoppable.

Nightmare Planet
by Beth Bornstein
Daniel is having nightmares, and the Autobots find themselves caught up in
them with Predacons. They manage to battle through the situations they find
themselves in with the help of an unconscious Daniel's imagination. They soon
discover that Daniel is the subject of a Quintesson experiment, and rescue
him.

The Ultimate Weapon
by Arthur Byron Cover
Galvatron claims to have a new weapon which is capable of mass destruction
which he uses as a threat to get what he wants. First Aid, a pacifist by
nature, leaves his fellow Autobots after failing to stop Swindle from
stealing Metroplex's transformation cog. First Aid is finally persuaded by
Hot Spot to return, and he steals Trypticon's transformation cog and installs
it in Metroplex. Rodimus realizes Galvatron is bluffing about the weapon or
he would have already used it, and the Decepticons retreat.

The Quintesson Journal
by Richard Merwin
[takes place after The Big Broadcast of 2006]
Two ancient races are at war. The Quintessons have been aggravating the war
for centuries(?) so that they can sell arms to both sides. The Autobots
eventually discover a lost Quintesson Journal detailing these activities and
display it at a peace conference they set up between the two races. The races
call off the war and go their separate ways.

The Big Broadcast of 2006
by Michael Reaves
[adapted in TF comic #43]
The Quintessons transmit subliminal messages over the Junkions' airwaves in
an attempt to control them. The Junkions first become hostile and then
generous -- a phase in which they decide to share their doctored airwaves
with the other races in the galaxy, spreading the subliminal messages even
further. Cyclonus attempts to convince Galvatron of the strategic
possibilities of this but he refuses to listen, so Cyclonus investigates on
his own.

Money is Everything
by Carla & Gerry Conway
[takes place after Grimlock's New Brain]
[New teams are introduced in time for the holidays as with previous year]
The Technobots are patrolling Earth with Marissa Fairborne and capture a
smuggler who has been double crossed by the Quintessons. He takes his ship
and some of the Technobots to the Quintesson base against the plans of
Fairborne. The others follow and are attacked by the Terrorcons, who are
being controlled by the Quintessons on timers. The smuggler uses a clever
ploy to reenergize the damaged Technobots using the device he smuggled, and
Abominus and the Quintessons are defeated.

Only Human
by Susan K. Williams
Rodimus, Magnus, Arcee, and Springer are captured by humans led by Cobra
Commander and their consciousnesses are removed. They find themselves in
human bodies, and barely escape being killed in a trash compactor. Meanwhile,
their Transformer bodies are going to be used to infiltrate Autobot City and
destroy the remaining Autobots. Springer manages to be the pilot of his own
body and rescues the other Transformer-humans and then attacks Autobot City
straight on to let them know something is wrong. The Autobots are returned to
their bodies by Perceptor.

Grimlock's New Brain
by Paul Davids
Galvatron attempts to sabotage the Autobots' new power source on Cybertron by
introducing particles that cause Transformers to go out of control. The
Autobots travel through the subterranean caves of Cybertron to shut down the
malfunctioning power source, and Grimlock is charged with the particles,
which makes him brilliant. Galvatron is determined to find more of the
particles and discovers they only exist in Unicron's brain. The Decepticons
and Terrorcons travel to Unicron's head and get a new supply, but Grimlock
has anticipated this and the Autobots counterattack. The Autobots are being
defeated by the particles, but Grimlock creates the Technobots to battle the
Terrorcons who have formed Abominus. Grimlock's incredible knowledge is
transferred to Computron. The 'cons are defeated and their supply of the
particles is destroyed.

Call of the Primitives
by Donald F. Glut
During a huge battle, all of the "primitive" Transformers are summoned to a
planet. An energy creature has been unleashed, and it drains the life energy
of all the other Transformers. Its creator, Primacron, was also responsible
for Unicron and many of the primitives, and his assistant believes that only
the instincts of those Transformers can stop the intellect of Primacron. All
except Grimlock are defeated and he stops the energy being who has betrayed
Primacron by throwing the system into reverse.

Face of the Nijika
by Mary Skrenes & Steve Skeates
Long ago, the Quintessons locked up a race of people in some kind of quadrant
lock to prevent them from using the light of the stars to do wondrous things
which would present a danger to their own power. Running from the Autobots,
the Quintessons retreat to that planet, but the Autobots follow and the
quadrant lock device becomes damaged. The race trapped on the planet hate
both the Quintessons and their robots, causing trouble for the Autobots.
Perceptor is separated from the others and he is locked in microscope mode.
One of the natives carves out his Autobot symbol and a vital component
beneath it which he uses to repair a robot astronaut from before the first
coming of the Quintessons. Perceptor manages to take control of this robot
and the two of them become friends. The Quintessons also need Perceptor's
component to fix their quadrant lock device so they kidnap Perceptor's friend
and force him to give it up. The Autobots attack at that time, defeat the
Quintessons, and take the planet out of the quadrant lock.

The Burden Hardest to Bear
by Michael Charles Hill
Rodimus is feeling annoyed at having to be the leader. Coincidentally, he has
a run-in with some Decepticon cars and crashes down a mountainside, losing
the Matrix. The 'cons bring it to Galvatron, who attempts to use it to
soup-up his cannon but fails. He orders Scourge to destroy it, but Scourge
takes the Matrix into himself and becomes super-powerful. He rebels against
Galvatron and attacks Earth. Hot Rod, is jubilant over not having to deal
with leadership anymore, but ends up defeating Scourge and retakes the
Matrix, realizing it is his responsibility.

The Return of Optimus Prime Part 1
by Cherie Wilkerson & Marv Wolfman
(first aired February 24, 1987)
Humans using a new experimental metal pilot their ship into the star in which
the ship piloted by Optimus Prime is burning up. They rescue the body and
bring it back to Earth. One of the scientists has a grudge against Prime and
Transformers and wants to use him as bait to set the other Autobots up. The
scientists discover their ship has been covered in spores that induce hate
and plan to use these on the Autobots. Another scientist warns the Autobots
of the trap, but she is not informed of the whole plan and the Throttlebots
and Aerialbots, as well as many Autobots are infected. The Decepticons
arrive, intending to steal the metal, but are themselves infected, except for
Galvatron. The infected Transformers go on a rampage, infecting Transformers
and humans alike. Rodimus escapes and shuts down Metroplex, but is pursued
and infected by Ultra Magnus. Sky Lynx follows his previous orders and
captures a Quintesson to rebuild Optimus. They arrive on Earth and Optimus is
brought back to life.

The Return of Optimus Prime Part 2
by Cherie Wilkerson & Marv Wolfman
(first aired February 25, 1987)
A small force of Autobots who were deactivated by Superion rather than
infected are rebuilt by the Quintesson. Bumblebee is rebuilt into Goldbug.
The Autobots must get the Matrix from Rodimus, and they need the metal
Galvatron stole to protect Optimus from infection. They locate Galvatron, but
nearly all of the Autobots and Galvatron are infected in the process. Optimus
gets the Matrix from Rodimus, but the remaining Autobots are infected. He
enters the Matrix and uses it to cure everyone, but the knowledge of the
Matrix has been lost in its use.


Season 4

(1987-1988, 3 new episodes added to existing 95 for total of 98)
Another new opening was used for the three new episodes, using a lot of
footage from commercials for the year 3 and 4 toys. No new music was
introduced, and the first through third season episodes remained in their
third season formats.

Rebirth Part 1
by David Wise
In a race on Cybertron, Hot Rod manages to defeat the other Autobot cars,
including Blurr with the help of Spike in the driver's seat. Autobot
Brainstorm declares that Autobots could be even more efficient with human
operators. Meanwhile, The Decepticons attack Autobot City in an attempt to
steal the key to the plasma chamber on Cybertron. They succeed and Punch is
badly damaged. The 'cons then attack Cybertron and try to gain access to the
chamber, but, when they try to open it, ten Decepticons (led by Cyclonus) and
twelve Autobots (led by Hot Rod), as well as Spike and Daniel, are propelled
to the far away world of Nebulos, along with the key. The planet Nebulos has
two factions: the Hive, evil Nebulons who use their mental power to control
machines to do their bidding, led by Lord Zarak, and their opponents who hate
machinery and just want to live in peace. Each group of Transformers falls in
with its respective camp, but the good Nebulons nearly destroy the 'bots,
hating machinery. Daniel is severely wounded in battle, and the 'bots decide
they need an edge after half their number are captured by the 'cons. They
plan to link with four Nebulons (and Spike and Daniel) to become Headmasters.
Cerebros, a pacifist, refuses to bond with Spike, but the others successfully
complete the operation, with Daniel's bond to Arcee, saving his life.

Rebirth Part 2
by David Wise
The 'bots rescue their friends. The 'cons meet up with the evil Nebulons, who
mimic the Autobot's Headmaster idea: the five monster 'cons become
Headmasters. Cyclonus and the other four 'cons have their weapons bonded with
evil Nebulons. Another fight ensues, and the 'cons defeat the 'bots, but
Brainstorm scans a 'con Targetmaster during the fight. The 'bots limp back
and duplicate the Targetmaster idea with the remaining five of their number.
Meanwhile, the Hive converts their base into Scorponok, which attacks just
after the 'bots defeat the 'cons and recapture the key. (At some point in
this ep, the other Transformers find Nebulos.)

Rebirth Part 3
by David Wise
The 'cons get the key back, and return to Cybertron. Galvatron has a giant
engine built on Cybertron to move it close to Earth's sun. He then uses
Cybertron's plasma chamber to attempt to drive the Earth's sun nova and
capture the energy. Optimus Prime arrives on Nebulos after a conference with
Alpha Trion, and the Autobots pursue, except for pacifist Cerebros and Spike
who stay behind. Cerebros is convinced by Spike to help rebuild an old Hive
city , defended by drones (Gasket and Grommet). As the Autobots are
threatened with defeat on Cybertron, the city arrives (flying through space),
with Spike and Cerebros. Spike becomes Cerebros' head, and in turn, Cerebros
becomes the head of the transformed city, now Fortress Maximus who defeats
Scorponok. Spike and the Nebulons use the giant engine to suck the surplus
off of the Sun before it novas, and uses the energy to bring about a Golden
Age on Cybertron. Scorponok and the 'cons flee off into space.