Beast Machines: Transformers
Episode Guide
Credit goes to TV.com.
Teletran2 Note: Beast Machines is a continuation of Beast Wars. Fugitives on their own world, the Maximals have to retake Cybertron from Megatron and his army of drones, while adjusting to their new technorganic bodies.
Season One
(13 episodes – first broadcast 1999)
The new series opens as Optimus, Cheetor, Black Arachnia and Rattrap discover themselves suddenly back on the Transformer homeworld of Cybertron – with no memory of how they got there. Instead of a hero’s welcome for winning the Beast Wars, our heroes are hunted by a mysterious new breed of Transformers – the Vehicons.
These vicious machines enforce the will of Megatron, who has returned with a vengeance. Megatron has wrestled possesion of Cybertron, leaving Optimus and his team constantly under fire and on the run.
Forced underground, the Maximals undergo a strange reformatting that not only alters their Beast/Robot bodies, but the very essence of HOW they transform. No longer an instantaneous response, transformation is now a disciplined skill that must be learned and refined like a martial art.
The Maximals face their greatest challenges as they struggle to free their planet from Megatron and his Vehicons.
01. The Reformatting
Optimus finds himself back on a deserted Cybertron, being chased by an army of mindless tanks. Locked in his original beastmode by a virus, and suffering from amnesia, his only option is to flee. One by one he encounters his old friends, and it becomes apparent that something is leading them... somewhere...
02. Master of the House
The Maximals split up and go in search of a new base when a mole-drone drone interrupts their much-needed training. But Blackarachnia drags Cheetor along to investigate the surface instead and discovers that Cybertron’s archives have been erased. After having to fend off another drone attack, the four Maximals make their way towards the Council Chambers to find out who’s running things.
03. Fires of the Past
The Maximals are attacked once more by Megatron’s drones, while Rattrap is looking through Cybertron’s backup files for a clue to what has happened to their homeworld. When they escape again, Megatron reconsiders his stance on sentient subordinates.
04. Mercenary Pursuits
Optimus detects a familiar spark and sends the Maximals out to look it. Unfortunately all he finds is Tankorr, ready to “smash beastbots”. Rattrap however, still stuck in beastmode, finds a “transformation enhancer” program – though it turns out to be a bit too much of a good thing.
05. Forbidden Fruit
Optimus discovers a Maximal bat hiding in the shadows. At first he flees, though when Jetstorm ambushes them he is forced to cooperate.
06. The Weak Component
After botching a reconnaissance mission, and discovering his beastmode is weaponless, Rattrap’s self-esteem hits an all-time low and he heads off to strike a deal with a weakened Megatron.
07. Revelations (1): Discovery
Optimus floods the underground levels with coolant while fleeing the Viecons. Forced to go to the surface the Maximals end up in a graveyard with thousands of Maximals whose sparks have been removed. They are soon tracked down again, and in the ensuing firefight Blackarachnia and Thrust are trapped in a spark removal facility about to blow up.
08. Revelations (2): Descent
While Optimus insists on meditating to explore deeper into the Oracle, Cheetor takes the rest of the Maximals out to probe Tankorr’s mind to find out if he really is on their former comrades.
09. Revelations (3): Apocalypse
Rattrap and Cheetor face a dilemma in stopping the rampaging Tankorr without hurting Rhinox inside. Meanwhile Nightscream chases after Jetstorm to retrieve Blackarachnia’s spark.
10. Survivor
Megatron sends the diagnostic drone along with the Viecons to capture and study Nightscream in hopes of finding an effective way to purge his beastmode.
11. The Key (Techno-Organic War 1)
Optimus is now convinced that his mission is to return the organic life to Cybertron with the help of the green organic goo found in Cyberton’s core. The first obstacle is however Rhinox/Tankorr, who decides to pay the Maximals a little visit equipped with the newly found key to Vector Sigma – capable of turning organic life into techno-matter.
12. The Catalyst (Techno-Organic War 2)
While Rattrap discovers a growth acceleration program, Blackarachnia goes of to revive Silverbolt with some organic goo, and Megatron gets the key and sends Thrust and Jetstorm out to test it.
13. End of the Line (Techno-Organic War 3)
When he finds he no longer has control over the key equipped tank drones, Tankorr decides to provoke Megatron into action by showing Optimus the legendary “plasma energy chamber” in fake vision from the Oracle.
Season Two
(13 episodes – first broadcast 2000)
14. Fallout
In the aftermath of the plasma/techno-matter storm, Optimus’ spark floats free within the Oracle filled with guilt. Meanwhile the rest of the Maximals awake to find the entire planet off-line
15. Savage Noble
Megatron’s head floats unmoving in the air, but an automated defense system keeps the Maximals from accessing it. So Optimus tries to contact Megatron’s spark while the others go in search for Thrust and Jestorm, hoping they can be persuaded to join.
16. Prometheus Unbound
The Maximals prepare to enter Megatron’s fortress in search of the missing sparks. They decide on not bringing along Noble, but as the doors are about to close behind them he springs in and goes berserk, setting off the alarm.
17. In Darkest Knight
Nightscream is attacked by the Viechons while out looking for any trace of Noble. When coming to his rescue, Optimus and Cheetor are captured by Megatron while Blackarachnia is busy luring Jetstorm into a trap she hopes will restore Silverbolt.
18. A Wolf in the Fold
Megatron infects the Maximals with a virus that makes them unable to contain their frustrations, leaving them arguing continuously.
19. Home Soil
An unknown spaceship crashes down on Cybertron, and it’s a race between the Maximals and Thrust to see who gets their first.
20. Sparkwar (1): The Strike
After the Maximals scrap Thrust and his drones for the umpteenth time, Megatron decides it’s time to bring in some reinforcements.
21. Sparkwar (2): The Search
Optimus receives a vision – a short glimpse at the locations of the captured sparks. He decides to split the Maximals into three teams, each searching for one of the places he saw.
22. Sparkwar (3): The Siege
While Megatron starts to devour the captured sparks to strengthen himself, the Maximals prepare an attack to free them.
23. Spark of Darkness
Megatron is gone, but things are far from peaceful as old robot shells start attacking the Maximals.
24. Endgame (1): The Downward Spiral
The Maximals have control over the flying head, with the sparks safely inside. But Megatron is quick to order his replenished drone army to attack.
25. Endgame (2): When Legends Fall
As Megatron awaits the completion of his new body, he orders his army to recapture the crashed “head”.
26. Endgame (3): Seeds of the Future
The drones prepare the sparks for Megatron to absorb and Primal remains the only other transformer on-line to stop it.
