Battlegrounds, Part 1

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"Hi everybody!" "Hi Megatronus!"
"Battlegrounds, Part 1"
Season	1
No. in season	25
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	June 15, 2015 (Australian iTunes) September 5, 2015 (USA)
Writer	David McDermott
Director	Frank Marino
Animation studio	Polygon Pictures, drop (2D)
Watch this episode on YouTube

As Optimus prepares to return to Earth to face the mysterious "evil" he's prophesied, the Bee Team must prevent Steeljaw's pack from teleporting that same threat onto Earth.

Synopsis

"Uh, you can keep him!"

Sideswipe sprints through the woods, but is knocked down mid-stride by Strongarm, who has managed to track him even while he's running. He tags her back and runs off, but when she catches up, Sideswipe is caught by Thunderhoof and Underbite.

In the Realm of the Primes, Optimus Prime's training is still ongoing, and he rescues a holographic human from an island in the middle of a lake of lava by shooting down some flying drones and using them as stepping stones. Micronus is unimpressed and says Optimus is still unready, however the environment suddenly darkens and crackles with lightning; a sign, Micronus says, that the time has come.

As Strongarm flees Underbite, she contacts base, but walks straight into a trap set by Fracture's Mini-Cons Divebomb and Airazor. The Decepticons start heading back to base with their prisoners.

In the scrapyard, the Autobots are alarmed at Strongarm's transmission suddenly cutting off and Bumblebee realizes that they're going to have to mount a rescue. At his suggestion, Fixit searches for nearby sites the Decepticons might be using as a base, and the Mini-Con finds a steel mill. As Denny argues that he should go too, since the team's numbers are depleted, Windblade arrives having been drawn to the place. She goes on ahead to scope out the mill and the other Autobots follow on the ground. Fixit activates the scrapyard's security system.

"Weren't there suppose to be thirteen of you?"

Steeljaw is for once pleased with his team, though the Decepticons puzzle over what the "First Decepticon" wants with the electronics they've collected. Steeljaw is more interested in freeing the captive Decepticons in the Scrapyard, and sends Fracture to go capture Fixit. The visage of the first Decepticon appears to Steeljaw once again and demands he complete the device required. When Steeljaw is insistent on freeing the Decepticons first, the first Decepticon tortures Clampdown (much to the amusement of Thunderhoof) until he changes his mind. The first Decepticon informs him that they need a metal mass of sufficient size to dissipate the energy caused by the first Decepticon's transition into the material universe.

Micronus takes Optimus to the Primes, who are disappointed that Optimus is yet unready. Optimus convinces them to send him anyway. They imbue him with a portion of their power, upgrading him into a new form.

Windblade reaches the steel mill but is knocked out of the air by a flying chunk of metal thrown by Underbite. While the other Autobots speed up in an attempt to go to her aid, the Decepticons are already making off with her.

Fracture reaches the scrapyard, but the security system gives him pause. Hank arrives to give Russell a spare Bronco Kowalski trading card, and Russell manages to convince her that it's unsafe to enter the scrapyard as they're spraying for bugs.

When gone am I, the last of the Jedi you will be.

The other Autobots fruitlessly search the steel mill, however Drift finds clues which put them back on the Decepticons' trail.

Russell's called back to the gate by Hank, who convinces him to open the gate. Unfortunately for him, this Hank is actually Airazor with a holographic disguise. Holding Russell hostage, Fracture demands Denny turn over Fixit.

The Autobots find that the Decepticons have chained their captured comrades to the Crown City Colossus and are erecting a huge and ominous archway in front of it.

This time, I'll be back.

Fixit confronts Fracture and manages to help Denny and Russell escape the Decepticon's grip. The trio take shelter in the diner. Grabbing weapons, they rush out to make a final stand, only to find that the Decepticons have already been defeated by Optimus Prime. Russell convinces Optimus to take him and his dad along to find the grave evil he's come to face.

At the statue, the first Decepticon demands the process begin to bring him into this universe. The three captive Autobots recover consciousness, but find themselves in agony as Steeljaw activates the arch. On the other side of the river, Bumblebee and his team start moving in. The Decepticons spot Bumblebee and Drift incoming, and when the pair arrive they're faced by Thunderhoof and Underbite. Grimlock arrives having taken a more direct route, but is prevented from destroying the arch by Clampdown. Above them, a huge vortex forms and a portal opens within the arch, through which a form begins to emerge. Optimus himself also arrives, and manages to destroy the arch. It explodes, sending everyone flying, however Optimus is too late: Megatronus has made it through the portal.

To be continued...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Drift, Grim, let's roll to the rescue! Wait, no, somebody's already using that battle cry."

—Bumblebee apparently remembers the Rescue Bots.

"Dis is what I call entertainment!"

—Thunderhoof enjoys Clampdown being tortured.

"Micronus, the crisis is upon us, and we sense our chosen champion is not prepared."
"If innocents are threatened, preparation comes secondary to swift action, determination and will. Send me to Earth, please."

—Vector Prime and Optimus Prime

"Our oafish teammate's enthusiasm is as large as he is."

—Drift on Grimlock

"At long last, Megatronus stands triumphant!"

—Megatronus has come to mess scrap up

Notes

Continuity notes

Hey, y'all are looking the wrong way if you're trying to do an MST3K thing.

• Megatronus first manifested to make his deal with Steeljaw in "Lockout", though his identity has remained a mystery until now.
• Though only Vector Prime is identified in the group shot of the shadowy Primes, we can suss out a few based on their features. The beard of the leftmost Prime suggests Alpha Trion, the braided hair of the Prime second from left points towads Solus Prime, while the rightmost one resembles Quintus Prime.
• True to form, Optimus Prime once again gives death the middle-finger and returns to the mortal plane. He ALWAYS comes back.

Prisoner manifest

• In stasis: Hammerstrike, Bisk, Chop Shop, Terrashock, Filch, Minitron, Springload, Ped, Quillfire, "that one with all the eyes", Malodor and the Skunkticons, Nightstrike, Vertebreak, Octopunch, Groundpounder, Headlock, Scowl, Scratch, Zizza, Pseudo
• Known at large: Steeljaw, Thunderhoof, Underbite, Clampdown, Kickback
• Released: Grimlock
• Countless others all missing, presumed at large

Transformers references

• Bumblebee orders his team to "roll to the rescue", but then remembers that "someone else" is already using that catchphrase.

Real-world references

• (tbd)

Animation and technical errors

• (tbd)

Trivia

• (tbd)

Foreign localization

Danish

• Title: "Slagmarker - 1. del" ("Battlegrounds - Part 1")
• Original airdate: ?

Finnish

• Title: "Taistelukentät - osa 1"
• Original airdate: ?

French

• Title: "Le retour d'Optimus" ("The Return of Optimus")
• Original airdate: July 1, 2015

Hungarian

• Title: "A vihar kezdete, 1. rész" ("The Beginning of the Storm, Part 1")
• Original airdate: October 6, 2015

Italian

• Title: "Campi di battaglia, Prima parte" ("Battlefields, First Part")
• Original airdate: September 24, 2015

Japanese

• Title: "Yomigaeru Kyodai na Aku" (よみがえる巨大な悪, "Resurrection of a Great Evil")
• Original airdate: December 6, 2015

Norwegian

• Title: "Slagmarkene del 1" ("The Battlegrounds Part 1")
• Original airdate: ?

Polish

• Title: "Ostateczne starcie - część pierwsza" ("The final showdown - part one")
• Original airdate: September 22, 2015

Swedish

• Title: "Slagfältet - del 1" ("The Battleground - Part 1")
• Original airdate: ?

Home video releases

DVD

2016 — Transformers Robots in Disguise — Season One (Shout! Factory)
2016 — Transformers Robots in Disguise — Battlegrounds (Beyond Home Entertainment)