Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)

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Goooooooooo, Wildcats!
"Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2)" 奇跡の戦士ターゲットマスター (後編) () (Kiseki no Senshi Targetmasters (Kōhen))
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	19 February 1988
Writer	Toyohiro Andō
Director	Takao Yoshizawa
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The birth of the Targetmasters heralds another heartbreaking loss for Chromedome when the Autobots pursue the Decepticons back to planet Master.

Synopsis

Try not to think too hard about where they put their hands.

As the light from the plasma energy explosion dims, the Headmasters recover the unconscious bodies of Pointblank, Sureshot and Crosshairs and pull them back into the damaged Battleship Maximus. There, they discover that three of the refugees from planet Master have been fused to their arms by the plasma energy in a weaponized form, and they return to Earth to surgically remove them. Although they are physically separated, each pair remains linked, with Pointblank and co. now able to telepathically understand the Master language. Fortress dubs them "Targetmasters", and then begins preparations to head for Master to stop the Decepticon attacks there. Daniel petitions his father to be allowed to accompany the Autobots on their mission, and he is given permission.

Meanwhile, on Master, the Horrorcons, Predacons, Terrorcons and Decepticon Clones are attacking an installation, and coming under heavy return fire. At the same time, Sixshot informs Scorponok that Battleship Maximus will soon be on its way after undergoing repairs, but Scorponok is not concerned—Slugslinger, Triggerhappy and Misfire have also become Targetmasters!

We've got to stop making our buildings out of stone.

In time, Battleship Maximus blasts off for Master, with Chromedome speculating on the reason for Scorponok's sudden shift of attention to the planet. Pointblank assures Daniel and Wheelie that their battle-hardened strength and new Targetmaster partners will win the fight, and takes the time to throw another jab in the direction of the Headmasters, accusing them of short tempers and a lack of experience. The Headmasters brush off the insults and stalk away, but once alone, grumble about the Targetmasters' arrogance, prompting concern from Daniel and Wheelie about the bad atmosphere on the battleship.

Back on Master, the Decepticon Targetmasters enter the ongoing battle, shooting out the weapons holding the other Decepticon back and allowing the Decepticon Headmasters to attack directly. At that moment, Battleship Maximus appears and the Autobot Headmasters and Targetmasters leap into the fray, beating back the Decepticon Headmasters and Horrorcons. Scorponok escapses beneath the planet's surface, burrowing under the desert sand in scorpion mode, as the surviving Master warriors thank the Autobots for their aid. Chromedome spots a familiar face picking his way out of rubble—an old friend of his named Jack—but when he attempts to speak to him, Jack walks on by, apparently not even recognising his old comrade, before collapsing due to his injuries.

Squiggly purple lines of searing pain!

A little later, as Jack recovers aboard Battleship Maximus, Chromedome enters, but Jack still seems not to recognise him. Daniel suggests that Chromedome transform to his small robot mode as that might be the reason, and Chromedome does so, but Jack just leaves the room, claiming he has work to do. Chromedome catches up to his friend, and they discuss their past—it soon become clear that Jack is still morose over having washed out of the rigorous Headmaster training program, but Chromedome claims that Jack's scientific mind makes him just as important, and that just because he's a Headmaster, he's no better than him. The friends embrace, but underground, Sixshot is already scheming to exploit their friendship for his own evil ends. Using his powers of disguise to pose as Chromedome, he approaches Jack and catches him off guard, knocking him out. Jack is brought back to Scorponok, where Sixshot tortures him—aware that Jack worked on the design of Battleship Maximus, he attempts to force the secrets of the Master Sword from him. However, it takes Mindwipe's hypnotic powers to obtain any information, and even then, all Jack can tell them is that the Master Sword is made of a special metal, and that only Fortress knows what kind. Unable to learn anything more from him, Sixshot conceives a new plan—implanting a bomb inside Jack to blow up Battleship Maximus.

Chromedome, outside Fortress Maximus, with the laser blaster.

Discovering that Jack has been kidnapped, the Autobots deduce the reason for his capture, and realize that Scorponok has come to planet Master to find the metal that the Master Sword was made from. Just as they are about to head out to rescue him, however, the mesmerized Jack appears on the horizon, marching towards Battleship Maximus. Twincast quickly scans him and detects the bomb. Chromedome tries to convince his friend to stop, but Pointblank is in favor of simply doing away with the threat, and links up with his Targetmaster partner to open fire on Jack. Highbrow attempts to stop him, but Pointblank calls it "the nature of war" and is about to fire when Chromedome steps up, preferring to commit the act himself. After a moment's hesitation, Chromedome leaps into his friend's path and shoots him through the chest; Jack collapses, and with his last words, apologizes to Chromedome, before the bomb detonates, leaving only a giant, smouldering crater. The Decepticons try to take advantage of the Autobots' shock, but in the battle that ensues, a vengeful Chromedome turns the tide by blasting Sixshot's arms clean off. The villains retreat, and Chromedome is all set to pursue them, but Pointblank holds him back. Chromedome burns with anger over having taken his own friend's life, but Pointblank tells him to save it for the next battle, and Chromedome admits that while he does not like Pointblank, he has come to respect his power. Pointblank is likewise impressed by Chromedome's determination, and the pair resolve to work together in the future.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Hey, that was shameful, Chromedome! You were crying like a baby!"

—Wheelie is still insensitive.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Jack's death in this episode further amplifies the grudge that Chromedome holds against Sixshot, previously established in "I Risk My Life for Earth", begun by the deaths of Abel—in "Terror! The Six Shadows"—and Ultra Magnus—in "Ultra Magnus Dies!!"

Animation and technical errors

• When Chromedome says "Right, Jack?" after explaining to Daniel that he and Jack are friends, there are two Chromedomes on screen.
• Dotted throughout this episode are robots drawn based on the animation models of several of the Autobot Master Warriors. The colorations of these characters, however, are way off of the actual colors of the toys, so it's not entirely clear whether or not these are supposed to be the characters in question. See their own articles for more details.

Trivia

• The Japanese take on the Targetmasters is slightly different than the American approach, but not as much as their take on the Headmasters. Here, rather than have the small robots transform into guns that the larger robots hold, the larger robots' fists retract, and the guns plug into their wrist in a process known as "Target On."
• The Targetmaster guns' electronic beeping as "dialogue" and penchant for sitting on their larger partners' shoulders would, many years later, show up again in the behavior of the Mini-Cons in the Armada cartoon.
• It's kind of tragic that the six Master refugees were fleeing from Slugslinger & co., but three of them wound up enslaved bonded to their pursuers.

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "The Miracle Warriors, Part 2" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: January 24, 1993
  • The Headmasters figure that the Decepticons are simply after the metal Battleship Maximus is after, rather than anything to do with the Master Sword.
  • Rather than using his last words to pass on the information that the Decepticons know about the Master Sword, Jack apologizes to Chromedome.

• Title: "The Miracle Warriors - The Targetmasters: Part 2" (Shout! Factory sub)

• "Pit" shows up again!

Mandarin

• Title: "Yǒngzhě Jiànglín: Mùbiāo Zhànshì (Xià)" (勇者降临：目标战士(下), "Brave warriors come: Targetmasters - Part II")

Italian

• Title: "I Soldati dell'Apocalisse, i Target-Masters - parte 2" ("Soldiers of Apocalypse, Targetmasters - Part 2")

Spanish

• Title: "Era mi mejor amigo" ("He was my best friend") (America)

Toys inspired by this episode

Awkward...

• Greatshot (March 31, 2018)
  • Japanese ID number: LG-EX

Jack is included as Legends Greatshot's Headmaster. While Legends Sixshot's Headmaster is a new mold decoed like a miniature Sixshot, Jack is a retool of Titans Return Revolver, Titans Return Sixshot's Titan Master.

Greatshot was a TakaraTomy Mall exclusive. He was available for pre-order on 11 October at 12:00 am until 2 November at 1 pm, and was shipped in late March 2018.

Home video releases

Laserdisc

1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2011 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.