The Ark Addendum - Highbrow's Transform (& Farscape Geekwatch)

Howdy, y'all!  Sorry that it's been a while since I've posted here.  I'm in the process of moving my wife and I to Albuquerque, from New Haven and Los Angeles, respectively. This includes the purchase of a new home, which has taken up much time and energy.  Between that and ComicCon this weekend, I've been swamped.

However, I didn't want to neglect you, my loyal readers, so I checked Martin's wish list and found Highbrow's transformation.  Here it is!  It's one of the more elaborate ones.  Note how, though there are only six frames, three of them have insets. My favorite detail has to be the inset of his gun, popping into his hand, in step 6.

A funny sidenote: Gort got his own transform, which I'll try to clean up and post next week.  Most of the Master guys didn't, or got a very very simple one.  His is fully detailed.  I wonder why.

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I've also been neglecting my of Farscape Geekwatch.  We've watched a few more.  There's kind of a dearth of genre references, though, so I can reasonably do this quickly.

S01E11: Till the Blood Runs Clear.  No real sci-fi references to speak of, though Crichton references Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, as well as Disney's Pluto.  This episode introduces Furlough, the hefty mechanic, who will play an important role in season 3. 

S01E12: Raphsody in Blue. An important Zhaan episode, wherein she gives up her frock.  Again, no genre references.  Could my memory be failing?  Perhaps later seasons will pick it up a lot more.  Looney Toons gets name-checked, at least. 

S01E13: The Flax.  We're introduced to a new tech, the Flax, an invisible web that will play a role in the S2 three part season ender.  AGAIN, no sci-fi or fantasy references, though Top Gun is mentioned.

S01E14: Jeremiah Crichton. A fun episode where Crichton attempts to go native. Yet again, no solid genre nods, though there's a Lion King reference. John to the native's Masata, or wise man: "Well, hakuna matata, Masata."

S01E15: Durka Returns. A solid Rygel episode, where his old nemesis returns as an apparently brainwashed ward of a new race, the Nebari.  Chiana, a Nebari prisoner who really just wants to live a little away from her stifling culture, is a welcome new addition to the crew.  Not quite genre, but worth mentioning.  John: "Durka's gone Hannibal Lecter on us." To her credit, Chiana calls John on his incomprehensible (to anyone on that side of the galaxy) speech.

Farscape: The Complete Series is is for sale on Amazon.com, and I'll get through a few more before ComicCon if I can. 

The Ark Addendum - Weirdwolf's Transform

And, we're back!  This week's Ark Addendum bounces back to the Headmasters!  Yup, it's another extended transformation sequence: Weirdwolf!

As an aside, I really liked how all of the smaller Headmasters from 1987 had head-based names.  Brainstorm, Chormedome, Hardhead, Highbrow, Mindwipe, Skullcruncher... very clever.  And then there's this guy.  I'm betting he originally had a name like Snapjaw or something, and it failed to clear, making him the odd man out.  Shame, though.  I guess it was hard to keep up, because by 1988 only one of the six new Headmasters had a 'head' name.

The Ark Addendum - Yukikaze's Transform

Well, it's about that time again.  Yup, it's another Ark Addendum.  This week, I round out the Trainbots, with the transformation sequence for Yukikaze.

BTW, Yukikaze translates roughly to "Snow Breeze."  It's a fairly common name in Anime and Manga, especially for cold-based characters.  The name itself would be reused in Beast Wars II as the space ship (non-sentient) for the Maximals.  Oh, and speaking of, Beast Wars II is coming out on DVD, finally.  I guess I'll be able to dump my old commercial VHS tapes of it.  If we're very lucky, maybe Shout!Factory will release a sub of it.

The Ark Addendum - Suiken Transform

Howdy, loyal readers!  Another week, another Ark Addendum.  I'm almost done with the Trainbots - only one more after this one.  (Alas, I've only got 5 of the 6, and no Raiden.)  Still, pretty neat stuff I think.

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In other news, here are a few more SDCC pictures.  I think this finishes up my stash.

First up, me getting choked.

Here's some fun graffiti.

 Awesome Two-Face.

Bill and some terrific Young Justice cosplayers.

Me and both Silk Specters.

The Ark Addendum - Seizan's Transform

Another week, another Ark Addendum!  Continuing the theme that I've been exploring, I bring you another transformation of one of the Trainbots.  This is Seizan, the Blue Mountain.  Why Blue Mountain?  Ummm... not sure.  I was happy to find out that Suiken, 'Water Fist', was the Drunken Boxing style of Martial Arts.  Anyone know what significance Blue Mountain might have?

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More SDCC photos!  I feel like I fit right in with the Imperials.

Doesn't Daphne look adorable?

Bill gets his Slave Leia on!

Jim Sorenson - TIME LORD!

OK, more SDCC photos next week!

The Ark Addendum - Getsui's Transform and SDCC 2011

Sorry, took another week off there.  Was very busy last week with Comicon and, um, a project that I can't talk about yet but which will make some of my fans very happy.  What am I talking about?  Hmmmm.....

ANYWAY, here's another Trainbot transformation, Getsui this time.  Neat stuff, huh?  As usual, very dynamic, especially with the motion lines in the first panel.

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So, another Comicon has come and gone.  Mostly it's a chance for me to do professional networking, but I did get to do a few panels here and there: Kevin Smith and Young Justice.  Panels were nifty, networking was productive, but overall it's an exhausting experience.  But what makes it fun for me, mostly, is the costumes.  Sme fans do a terrific job.  Here were a few that caught my eye.


Me and a poor sod from Dharma.  I wonder if he knows what fate awaits him.

Bill with a Suicide Girl wearing an awesome shirt.  I picked up a nice SG hardcover book this year, my main souvenir. 

Lovely Chun-Li!

Me getting beaten up by a rather terrifyingly accurate Rorschach.

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More to follow later!  Oh, and while I'm on the subject of SDCC, I wanted to mention Crave, a site I've blogged about before and occasionally sit down with for powwows on the collector marketplace.  They're running a SDCC give-away with some Transformers prizes, so if you're looking for a Masterpiece Convoy (and, let's face it, who isn't?) or some other nifty toys (Boba Fett, Amazon gift cards) then you might want to head over to www.crave.com/comicon.  You've got till the end of the month, so don't dally!

The Ark Addendum - Shouki's Transform

Oops, sorry, I glance up and the next thing I know, two weeks have gone by.  I realize that last week I skipped The Ark Addendum, but this week I'm back in force.

Time to break out the Trainbots!  I'll warn you in advance, I don't have all of their transform sequences.  I'm missing one of the train-to-robot sequences, and I don't think I have Raiden's combination either.  Still, I figured that it was better to post what I had than not.

What boy doesn't love to play with trains?  I know I loved them when I was a kid.  There's something so majestic about a mighty engine pulling a dozen or two cars along.  Thee have certainly been no shortage of Transformers train toys, most of which come from Japan.  The trainbots were the first dedicated train team from Transformers.  (Well, there was the Astroforce... oh, I'd love the models for the Astroforce!)  They'd be far from the last. 

As for the specifics of Shouki's Transform, I don't have too much to say.  It's not spectacular, but it gets the job done.  I do remember that I had a lot of fun researching the Trainbots for  Transformers: The Complete Ark  (order it today!) .  Getting the best translations for their names and a bit about their personality was very satisfying.  Hope you enjoyed those efforts, and this transformation.

The Ark Addendum - Crosshair's Transform

Time for another edition of The Ark Addendum!  After having this feature share space with the Ron Friedman scripts, in order to get those out the door a bit faster, we return to our regular schedule of whatever random model I'm feeling today.

Today I'm feeling like getting away from the Sunbow cartoon and dancing over to Japan.  We haven't done a Transform sequence in a while, so how about... Crosshairs!

One thing that's a bit odd about the sequence is how we see his Targetmaster fly away from him in the second step... but then Pinpointer (or Pointech, if you're feeling the Japanese love) isn't on the model in step one.  Whoops!  Anyway, enjoy! 

The Ark Addendum - The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts (part 2)

And now, as promised, part two of The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts!  Once again, my profound thanks to Steve Mapes of Transformers At The Moon for providing me these model sheets. 

Here we see the rest of Pipiro's family.  They're a rather wholesome looking bunch, no?  It's fun that they provided a little scale chart as well.  I thought about knocking out the Japanese and replacing it with English, but instead opted to just describe what was said in my text description.

The Ark Addendum - The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts (part 1)

Wow, busy week for me last week.  A college buddy of mine is getting married this December, so this extended weekend I headed on down to New Orleans for the bachelor party.  I'll admit, I was skeptical that the added expense of an out-of-the-way trip would be worth it, but as it turns out The Big Easy is a great place to party with you testosterone-charged male pals.  (The gals there seemed to be having a good time too, so I suppose it cuts both ways.)  Drinking and debauchery in the French Quarters, and plenty of good food and history along the way.  Oh, and along the way, in a Hudson's News stand at the airport, I found a nice trade of The Last Stand of the Wreckers!  Let's get some more excellent Transformers fiction in front of the masses!  (Yeah, I know, I know, I'm exhausted in that picture.  Had I found it on the way TO New Orleans, I'd have been bright and chipper and perhaps even wearing a fez.)

In any event, that's why there was no Transformers comic review last week.  Sadly, War of the Worlds is a bit on hold until my new DVDs arrive, as the latest episode is corrupted on YouTube.  At least I'm not skipping the main event, though, the weekly dose of new Transformersy model goodness that is The Ark Addendum!

This week's edition is brought to you thanks to Steve Mapes of Transformers At The Moon.  Yes, the very same fellow who (along with his bro) made it possible for me to put in an appearance at Auto Assembly 2010.  He recently acquired some Headmasters models, and while mostly they overlapped with my own material, he did have a few pages that were new to me.  And so, I bring you, The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts!  This is the first of two of the models, and showcases the main guest star of the episode, Pipiro!  Pipiro is an orphan from the South American village of Pan, and he's friends with a donkey named Koro.  I love the crude height-comparison sketch figure next to Koro on the right; it's just so goofy.

The Ark Addendum - Skull's Transform

I'm less than 24 hours away from the start of my journey to Auto Assembly.  I'm very much looking forward to heading back to the UK. (I spent a semester studying math, ah, mathS, in London) Hopefully, if you're a UK resident and are reading this blog, you'll show up and say hi.

Since I'll be away, this will probably be the last blog post for the next week or so, depending on what the internet situation is.  I figured I'd leave you with a cool Ark Addendum.  This week, it's a transformation sequence from Headmasters, the villainous Skull, the Japanese counterpart to Skullcruncher. 

Actually, Skull isn't that villainous really.  He owes more to the bumbling thug archetype than to anything really nasty.  The transform, though, makes him look pretty bad-ass.  I like that he neither starts nor ends in his traditional character model pose.  The ending, in particular, has a nice feel to it, what with the extended sword and the bend knees.

BTW, one of my favorite D&D characters ever was a half-orc barbarian, very high STR and CON, very low INT and CHA, named Grax Skullcruncher.  I wonder where I got that name from...

Oh, and don't forget, there are still five more days to bid on the LOOSE exclusive from SDCC, Wonder Woman's invisibible jet.  Remember, all proceeds go to charity.  Head on over to ebay to place your bids.  Right now it's a steal at $1.50 or so.

The Ark Addendum - Planet Sandra shuttle

About a year ago, I posted an Ark Addendum for the inhabitants of Planet Sandra, from the SOS from Planet Sandra episode of the Takara Headmasters series.  Today I figured I'd finish off that episode with some models of the shuttle that the Autobots pilot to that world.  Rather than reuse the existing Autobot shuttle models, as they had done in earlier episodes like Approach of the Demon Meteorite, they got a brand new one.  It's massive; according to notes on the model, it's even larger than Fortress Maximus!

The Autobots pilot this behemoth to Planet Sandra to render aid to that world’s inhabitants.  Note the huge size of this ship, a bit larger than Fortress Maximus.

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Oh, by the way, Bill Forster has updated his Deviant Art page with some of the original art  for the AllSpark Almanac II.  You can get a closer look at guys like Longrack Major from the Omega Sentinel page, Astrotrain from the Great War board game, and  Sky Lynx from the Maccadam's menu, plus plenty more.  What are you waiting for?

Transformers: Headmasters – "SOS From Planet Sandra"

Spike: We're the only ones who can save Planet Sandra. But if we use the energy from Athenia, we'd have to compensate for it on Earth.
Fortress: That's why it's better to ship it straight from Earth.
Arcee: Commander! It's the data on Earth's stockpile. Ultra Magnus' report says the figure at the bottom is the minimum requirement.
Spike: Will this small amount be enough?
Fortress: They must understand our situation.



A call for help from an unknown planet in a parallel universe is received by both the Decepticons and Autobots. The hidden world is critically low on energy and needs assistance.

Galvatron, Scorponok and the Decepticons decide to disregard it, not wanting to get involved in such business, however Galvatron nevertheless dispatches Ratbat to track the Autobots, as he knows they will also have received the plea for help. On Athenia, the message was indeed monitored and Fortress has determined that it originates from a solar system which is exactly parallel to Earth's, planet Sandra occupying a similar position. He discusses with the Headmasters, Arcee, Spike, Carly and Daniel the prospect of sending energy aid to this mysterious planet, but Spike is concerned that their own energy levels are too low.

After double-agent Punch informs Fortress that the Decepticons ignored the SOS, Fortress and Spike agree to send aid from the energy stockpiles on Earth. A rescue party is formed, including Daniel for his first educational trip into outer space. Of course, this activity has been spied by Ratbat and reported back to Galvatron, who feels that all of Earth's energy belongs to only him and thus he immediately heads out to put an end to it. He meets with Sixshot to discuss surveillance on Autobots energy movements in the area.

Following this, we find Ultra Magnus, Twincast, Protectobots and Technobots at the Autobot Earth HQ, loading up the Trainbots with energon cubes, but they are soon attacked by Galvatron, Sixshot, the Terrorcons and Constructicons. There is a great all-out battle that occurs, involving the combiners and Magnus versus Galvatron, while Sixshot effectively brings down the Trainbots. Arcee on Athenia is alerted to this troubling development, confers with Fortress and the rest, who then decide to instead use energy stored on Athenia.

Chromedome: Why are you stopping me? We have to hurry!
Fortress: I have an idea. Athenia's stockpiles are about the same as Earth's.
Spike: Do you want to ship the energy from Athenia?
Fortress: To divert the enemy's attention.
Spike: But then Athenia will have nothing.
Fortress: Galvatron will come in pursuit. Let's move it from Earth to Athenia.
Spike: Good idea. We can rebuild the energy on Athenia.

As the battle still rages on Earth, Galvatron and Sixshot deduce that the Autbots will send energy aid from Athenia instead. Galvatron decides to dispatch Scorponok, noting that occasions like these are why they have him. Scorponok does indeed intercept Battleship Maximus on its way to Planet Sandra, initiating a fierce conflict in space. During the fray, Chromedome and Hardhead transform to vehicle mode but their small robot forms sneak away to the spacecraft carrying the energy aid. Spike, Daniel and Wheelie are already aboard and together they careen through a dimensional rift to enter the parallel universe where Sandra exists. They make contact with the inhabitants and prepare to land.

On Sandra, Spike, Daniel and the Autobots, expecting a planet very similar to Earth, are surprised to find it an almost barren wasteland. In meeting with the administrators, they learn that Sandra once had a thriving culture but the inhabitants used the planet's resources indiscriminately and wastefully. Spike sorrowfully notes that Earth could face the same desolation if humanity is not careful and wise in its use of energy resources. The people of Sandra announce that they have researched new forms of energy and will be ready in seven years to utilize them, which is why they need outside aid to achieve this goal.

Suddenly, they all spy Battleship Maximus in sky, having passed through the dimensional rift, yet it is being pursued by Scorponok. They engage in combat as Galvatron also joins in, battling Brainstorm and Highbrow. Hardhead and Chromedome decide for the moment to stay in their tiny robot forms in order to discreetly plant bombs on Scorponok. He soon erupts in flames, forcing a retreat by him and Galvatron. Soon after, the Autobots agree to assist the inhabitants of Sandra in their research for new energy resources.

This episode I found exciting and fast moving, as it opens with the mysterious SOS, the discovery of the parallel solar system, the battle on Earth which then forces a change of tactics for helping the planet Sandra and finally the sobering glimpse of a possible devastating future for Earth. The animation is solid throughout, especially during the Earth-based scenes, where we get combiner clashes and a killer fight between Magnus and Galvatron, their first since US G1 season three. Spike gets a juicy dramatic scene when he openly disagrees with Fortress. He may be the Autobots' long-time and most fervent human ally, but he certainly is not just a "yes-man", nodding politely at whatever is decided. In this episode and the one that follows, he shows courage in both stating his differing opinion to his friends and going toe to toe with Galvatron.

And speaking of Galvatron, this is first episode following his return where we see back in command of the Decepticons. Scorponok offers his opinion early on, but otherwise fills the role of giant foot-soldier. Again, it's anyone's guess why the writers decided to bring back Galvatron for a short stint and sideline Scorponok, but I actually don't mind so much, still being a fan of seeing the crazy guy mix it up!

Transformers: Headmasters – "Return Of The Immortal Emperor"

Chromedome: The Decepticons have become more cunning since Galvatron disappeared.
Fortress: Scorponok is hideously cruel.
Hardhead: Damn it! Which planet are they going to target next?
Highbrow: They know how dangerous it is.
Chromedome: You're naive. Scorponok is obsessed with vengeance.
Fortress: Reinforce the patrols. We have to know everything they are planning.

Following the devastating destruction of the planet Mars, Arcee and Spike investigate the aftermath, piloting through the debris aboard Broadside's aircraft carrier mode. They return to Athenia and report to Fortress that the area is on the verge of becoming dangerous, moreso if another planet is destroyed in the solar system. They all set on patrol immediately to monitor for Decepticon activity.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Wheelie playfully argue outside about whether Fortress or Scorponok is stronger before seeing a strange, multi-colored light in the sky, which then rockets past them. Arcee reports this "UFO sighting" to Fortress, who promises security checks of the area. Unknown to Fortress and the others, Chromedome and Hardhead have snuck away to the battleship's outer hatches, planning their own sneak attack on the Decepticon HQ on Charr.

On Charr, Scorponok receives word from double-agent Counterpunch that Fortress is patrolling nearby. We see Ravage and Laserbeak watch this conversation from elsewhere and they decide to "warn the boss", i.e. Soundblaster. Yes indeed, Ravage and Laserbeak do surprisingly speak to each other in this scene, contrary to their former, silent selves in the US series. However, one could look back to part two of the original mini-series for an instance of Ravage reporting his findings in plain English to Megatron, by way of playback in Soundwave's tapedeck mode. Perhaps they always possessed this ability, but simply never had much to talk about?

Back in space, Chromedome and Hardhead travel on their own towards Charr, but soon are hiding behind nearby asteroids as they notice Blitzwing out for a reconnaissance flight. Next they see Scorponok heading right towards and find themselves trapped by Blitzwing coming back around. Weirdwolf and Skullcruncher emerge from Scorponok and in a brief scuffle they send Chromedome and Hardhead back across space, crashing into Fortress.

Back on Charr, Soundblaster is leading a mysterious meeting with his cassettes:

Ravage: Don't get carried away by what they're up to.
Soundblaster: Don't worry. I have many veteran information gatherers like yourself.
Laserbeak: We're all working very hard on it.
Soundblaster: So you'll be digging up some important new information, then, won't you?
Laserbeak: When you say important...?
Ravage: We're in the thick of fighting as we speak.
Soundblaster: If we go to Earth, there'll be some of them around. Let's go!

Above Charr, Fortress, unable to charge enough energy to use the Master Sword, is being battered by Scorponok. Just as it seems he will be beaten, the strangely lit UFO races by and in between the two of them, allowing Fortress to escape. Once the Autobots return safely to Athenia, we find Daniel channeling 1977's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" with his keyboard, tapping in notes in hopes of attracting the odd spacecraft. It actually did make me laugh that the writers included this reference, as he even states that he "saw it in a movie"!

At the Decepticon HQ on Earth, Soundblaster meets covertly in the dark with Sixshot, who intuits that he is about to hear some bad news. Suddenly, the glowing UFO appears before them, Sixshot challenges it verbally and looks to be completely absorbed by the light. When it fades, Soundblaster finds he is alone.

Meanwhile, Cyclonus and Scourge report to an impatient Scorponok that "all preparations have been made for the ceremony" and that all Decepticon leaders are requested to attend, then ply him with bold statements of how he will one day be ruler of the entire universe. This is no doubt the bad news that Soundblaster was prepared to deliver to Sixshot before the latter disappeared. We see this same news delivered by Counterpunch to Fortress and Twincast, with further details that the Decepticons are now headed towards Earth's moon. Not to blow it up, as initially feared, but for Scorponok's coronation as emperor.

On the Moon, in the Sea of Silence, a stadium has been constructed for the coronation, since we all know that the Decepticons, like all good villains, love the showy pomp and circumstance. Cyclonus announces Scorponok, who then addresses the crowd that he is the new emperor, prepared to destroy both Fortress and the Autobots HQ on Earth. Just then, his coronation is disrupted by Fortress himself, bearing down on the Moon. Scorponok commands the Decepticons to spring into battle and they are met Headmasters, Trainbots, Superion, Computron and Defensor.

During a brief pause in the action, Soundblaster arrives and attempts to gain Scorponok's attention, but the mysterious UFO descends quickly, shooting beams of light at both Transformer armies. Sixshot materializes from the light, before it dissipates completely, revealing a fierce looking spaceship. It lands and from within it emerges… Galvatron.

All parties are shocked and almost speechless at his return, Scorponok most especially looking humbled and distraught. Galvatron rallies the Decepticons to attack the Autobots and they are driven from the Moon in defeat. Afterwards we discover that he had been watching from afar:

Galvatron: It seems you can't govern yourselves when I'm not around, Scorponok.
Scorponok: At least we're making an effort...
Galvatron: Am I not welcome back?
Scorponok: What are you saying? Lord Galvatron, why didn't you show yourself sooner?
Galvatron: I was observing. I wanted to see what had happened in my absence. I saw a lot. It seems everything's ready.
Cyclonus: In fact...well...we were awaiting your return.
Galvatron: Scorponok, Sixshot has told me of your achievements. Your skills seem to have improved. But now that I'm back, I'll take charge. Galvatron is emperor of the Decepticons.

And so with that exchange, Galvatron continues his prediliction for interrupted the coronation of others who decide they should rule the Decepticon forces. At least he didn't blast Scorponok to dust! I guess he figured he was much more useful to keep around than Starscream ever was, but nevertheless this episode surprisingly brought a seemingly swift end to Scorponok's time as ultimate leader. It's a pretty nifty episode, ending with an Autobot retreat, following upon their effective loss on Mars and thus giving the Decepticons a better string of victories than they've experienced for some time.

Soundblaster and Sixshot seemed to have soured on the new leadership, so perhaps it is to their advantage that the former emperor returns. I find it interesting that the writers of this series, who had quickly moved most of last season's cast to the benches, brought Galvatron back to the forefront. I guess it's really hard to argue against the fierce charisma and intensity his character brings to the show, whether now or as Megatron!

Transformers: Headmasters – "Explosion on Mars! Scorponok Appears!"

Twincast: My God! What is that?
Zarak: At last, it is finished. My work of art – Scorponok.
Mindwipe: Incredible!
Zarak: Come aboard.
Mindwipe: It's amazing!
Zarak: Wait, there's more to come. You're about to see something even more amazing!

Here is the exciting conclusion to this two-parter revolving around Zarak's plan to destroy Mars in order to collect the plasma energy from the resulting explosion. Fortress Maximus is completed depleted of energy and unable to transform due to the attack which closed out the previous episode, while Highbrow and Brainstorm are recovering from their injuries. Spike, Daniel and Wheelie have been safely returned to Athenia, thanks to the Trainbots. Now there is a waiting game as the Autobots still search the planet Mars for the bomb coordinates, not even knowing how much time they have remaining.

Hardhead monitors some activity nearby, spots a Terrorcon and he and Chromedome immediately charge forth to attack. They are met in battle by the Decepticon Headmasters, however. In response, the Trainbots are ordered to return to Mars in order to assist in the fight. Strangely enough to the Autobots, the Decepticons depart in haste, while we the viewer have seen Zarak command this retreat.

Suspicious of this enemy retreat, Fortress contacts Ultra Magnus at Autobot City on Earth to uncover any information they can from the Decepticons residing there. Magnus dispatches Twincast to infiltrate their opponents' base. We see Twincast stealthily approach the Decepticon Earth HQ, which is currently guarded by Thrust and Dirge. He dispatches Steeljaw and Rewind, distracts the "coneheads" with a direct assault and Rewind sneaks inside.

On Planet Zarak, Zarak is ready for the final stage of his plan and commands a select group of Decepticons converge on Chaar. Soundblaster contacts Sixshot on Earth and informs him that he needs to attend. All of this is overheard by Rewind, who reports back to Twincast. They proceed to follow Sixshot to the Decepticon space bridge, which appears to be the same one at the bottom of that old riverbed from Season One. Admittedly, this was great to see, as were the cameos of Thrust and Dirge. Anyway, Twincast follows Sixshot, using the space bridge to transport him to Chaar.

Once there, Twincast, hidden away in the main Decepticon HQ, witnesses a bold presentation, broadcast from Planet Zarak. We all watch with Soundblaster and the rest (Astrotrain, Blitzwing, the Predacons, etc) as the small planet cracks and crumbles in space, revealing the massive form of Zarak's transtector, Scorponok. The Decep Headmasters, after having fled Mars, are invited on board, before it transform from city mode to scorpion and heads for Chaar. The Decepticons prepare to welcome Lord Zarak but suddenly Soundblaster discovers Twincast and the two long-time, well-matched enemies engage in a fight. Cassettes warriors from both of them are tossed into the mix as well yet Twincast is able to escape.

Fortress is altered of this development while Chromedome and the others are battling the Terrorcons. Highbrow and Brainstorm, fully repaired, join the fray. Scorpnok then appears over Mars, to everyone's amazement, having warped in from Chaar, and easily defeats all the Autobots nearby. He then heads towards Fortress, who is still unable to transform and has no energy.

Fortress: Zarak!
Scorponok: My name is no longer Zarak! I am Scorponok!
Fortress: Scorponok, you say?
Scorponok: Fortress, now you are going to pay for kicking me off Planet Master!

Transforming to robot mode, Scorponok proceeds to trounce the inert Fortress. However, he is informed that the bombs are all in place and instructs Soundblaster to begin the countdown. Soon, the bombs placed at the poles erupt, followed by the plasma charges and Mars is engulfed in flames. The Decepticons retreat and Fortress orders his Headmasters to follow suit. Chromedome insists they save their commander and they rush inside the great battleship. As they find themselves surrounded by explosions on all side, they realize that the energy produced is being absorbed by Fortress Maximus.

Mars is destroyed as Scorponok watches in glee, but he is soon shocked to see Maximus flying out of the flames and straight towards him. He absorbed enough plasma energy to transform and escape and he successfully routes the Decepticons, with a strike of his Master Sword to Scorponok's shoulder. There is rejoicing by the Autobots due to Fortress's survival yet this is greatly tempered by the shocking failure to save Mars from destruction.

Thus concludes the mini story arc following the destruction of Cybertron as we watched Zarak's mysterious plans and construction of his transtector finally come to fruition. Zarak has turned out to be a most dangerous and unpredictable foe, even moreso now with the aid of Scorponok. This two-parter was as tense as the pair involving Cybertron and nicely rounds out the first batch of 15 episodes of the series. There are few sub-par installments in this group, such as "Terror of the Six Shadows" and "The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts", but overall they provide a fun mix of action, mystery and character, following new and beloved characters.

It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if the US G1 season four had not been limited to three episodes. Here Takara held off on the reveals of Maximus and Scorponok until a dozen episodes had passed, building the tension with shocking crises and major leadership changes on both sides. It's obvious that the US G1 series would have also shown a power struggle between Galvatron and Zarak, as seen in this series, but who knows if the former would have been driven off-screen completely.

I also had a thought about Soundblaster, while watching this episode. Soundwave had always appeared fiercely loyal to Megatron and later Galvatron, no matter who attempted to usurp command. Now remade as Soundblaster, he seems to have become more shrewd, letting his allegiance follow whoever appears to be the final victor for role as Emperor, in this case Zarak. This aligns a bit more with his portrayal in the Marvel comic book, so it's interesting to note this change. Also good to see another showdown between he and Blaster... I mean, Twincast!

Transformers: Headmasters – "Head On, Fortress Maximus!"

Fortress: There it is.
Hardhead: Eh?
Fortress: The plant originates from the Planet Darhos. It's a carnivorous species.
Hardhead: A carnivorous plant from the Planet Darhos?
Chromedome: What's it doing on Earth?
Hardhead: Don't you see? It was brought by the Decepticons.
Chromedome: Oh...I see, yes. I was just thinking that, too.
Hardhead: Keep up!

As this episode begins, we find Fortress, Chromedome and their fellow Headmasters patrolling the galaxy and debating whether or not to attack the Decepticons while Galvatron is missing, presumed dead. Meanwhile on Earth, what seems to be an earthquake disturbing San Francisco actually reveals itself to be a giant man-eating plant. This aspect is soon confirmed as we see the green, tentacled mass devour manned helicopters and cop cars.

In response to this new bizarre threat, Ultra Magnus sends the Technobots, Trainbots and Arielbots to help, but once they arrive in San Francisco they are met by Bruticus and Menasor. This type of crisis followed by an ambush obviously is reminiscent of last episode's situation, so it must be that Zarak is behind it all. A pitched battle ensues, including one between Bruticus and Raiden, both wielding lightsaber-esque energy swords. Ultra Magnus watches from Autobot City and wonders if he should request reinforcements.

A quick transition to the Headmasters' battleship shows him in contact with them, after which Fortress realizes he might be familiar with this type of carnivorous plant. It originates from a planet called Darhos and had to have been placed purposely on Earth by the Decepticons, prompting Fortress to race towards Earth.

Strangely enough, the episode then turns to Athenia, as Daniel tends to his garden and Wheelie needles him about it. The plant Daniel states he brought from Earth has not yet broken forth from the ground, so he continues to tend to it. Suddenly something does burst from the soil, looking nothing like the picture on the seed package. We the viewer recognize it as a smaller version of the monstrous plant attacking San Francisco, but for Daniel and Wheelie it is a mystery.

We then rejoin the nicely animated action in an evacuated San Francisco, as the Autobot Headmasters arrive, jumping in to take down that plant and being taunted by the Decepticon Headmasters, newly on the scene as well. The plant itself even bursts forth from its concrete cocoon to stride through the city. On Athenia, Spike investigates their new denizen, which proceeds to chase them down and attack the base. He reaches the same conclusion about the plant's origin as Fortress and that Daniel was used to transport the seeds, as it were. During their transmissions, they lose contact with Fortress as his battleship is assaulted by the immense plant.

And so at the time when Fortress is being completely beaten, is when both Fortress Maximus and the Master Sword make their appearance, in a wonderfully animated sequence that will be used in subsequent episodes. Fortress is at first hesitant to draw forth the Master Sword but the peril is real and when he does, he and the massive battleship combine into the mighty Fortress Maximus, much to the surprise of the Decepticons, even Zarak, who watches from Chaar. The Japanese animated series have a well-known penchant for lengthy, elaborate transformation sequences, showcasing all sides of the character and each stage, which is then repeated when needed later. The only downside is that these can sometimes seem more like filler, when the time could be better spent on story and dialogue.

With the Master Sword in hand, Maximus easily dispatches of the monster plant. On Chaar, Zarak and Soundblaster are amazed, but Zarak is mostly unconcerned, still confident that his transtector under construction will be more than a match for Maximus. Meanwhile, on Athenia, the marauding plant seemed to share a link with its match on Earth and explodes as well.

Hardhead (to Fortress Maximus): Commander?
Fortress: Is everyone safe?
Highbrow: Very clever, Commander. You never told us you could grow so huge.
Fortress: Well, I did have my reasons. Let's get back to Athenia!

Even though this episode centers on another of Zarak's plots to distract the Autobots from his still unfinished transtector using a crisis on Earth, I think it holds up better than then previous episode involving the Peruvian volcano. There are some exciting action sequences in San Francisco with the combiners and Headmasters, recalling similar city-based action sequences found in season two of the US series. I can't explain the appearance of lightsabers for both Bruticus and Raiden, however, although a similar weapon showed up in Transformers: The Movie, used by Megatron. Let's just say they decided to add surprises to their personal arsenals!

The duplicate plant threat on Athenia works as good counterpoint, a miniature version of what occurs on Earth. Daniel's character shows some growth in his willingness to be accountable for what he perceives to be his mistake and take action by striking against the plant on Athenia. It's of course not an effective counterattack, I mean, he only carries a big stick and that thing eats children for breakfast, but regardless I much preferred this Daniel who shows some strength to the version that bawled in earlier episodes.

And we do finally witness Fortress Maximus revealed and in command. If I recall correctly, his transform sequences is repeated often later with little variation, but at least it's a fun one to watch!

Next time out, to quote Schwarzenegger, "Get your ass to Mars!"

Transformers: Headmasters – "The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts"

Zarak: Sixshot, there will be no more mistakes, understand?
Sixshot: I understand, sir.
Zarak: All preparations for our next attack on the Headmasters are complete. Turn the Autobots' attentions on the Earth as much as possible in order to hide our movements on Planet Zarak.

In this, the 12th episode in "The Headmasters" series, we have a title which spells out the primary action taking place, but does not hint at its part in the overall whole of Zarak's grand, mysterious plan. It opens on Earth with Ultra Magnus and Scattershot detecting unusual seismic activity in the Andes Mountains in Peru, after which we jump to the inhabitants of a simple village called Pan at the foot of a long-dormant volcano in the same mountain range. In this village we meet the annoyingly high-voiced Pipiro, his sister who renames nameless, his grandparents and Pipiro's oddly affectionate donkey named Koro. Pipiro and Koro wind up wrestling not long after their introduction. OK, so that's not quite a high point of this episode, but thankfully the playfulness is broken when they experience terrible tremors which begin to topple their homes.

Meanwhile, on Athenia, Fortress, the Headmasters and Twincast are examining the strange planet found at the center of the nebula from the last episode. They conclude that it belongs to the Decepticons and Twincast sends his cassettes Steeljaw and Ramhorn to investigate. We cut to Charr and find Zarak instructing Sixshot, still on Earth, to distract as much as possible the Autobots from the new Planet Zarak. A brief glimpse of this planet is granted, where we see enslaved Beastformers, from the earlier episode "Rebellion on Planet Beast", working to construct a giant transtector form. Initially, the Decepticon plot to use the Beastformers as slave labor was halted by Rodimus and he left the Monsterbots Repugnus and Grotusque to act as guardians. Either our lovable Monsterbots were killed in a Decepticon raid after this incident, leaving the inhabitants of Planet Beast open to capture again, or more of the Beastformers had been transported off their home planet before Rodimus knew of any problems. Either way, we get to see good ol' Octane here, apparently back with the Deceps, whipping the heck out of those poor Beastformer slaves.

Back on Earth, the once dormant Peruvian volcano is erupting and the bulk of the episode then follows the attempts to rescue the villagers. The Trainbots and Protectobots are dispatched from Scramble City, which Sixshot spies, and in response the Predacons aim to block them. Predaking fights Raiden, while the Protectobots are surprised by the Decepticon Headmasters.

Ultra Magnus requests help from Athenia and Chomedome, the Headmasters, Wheelie, Spike and Daniel immediately set forth, traveling in Broadside. This is spied by Laserbeak, however, who reports back to a very pleased Zarak. A brief exchange involving him, Soundblaster, Cyclonus and Scourge occurs:

Zarak (to Laserbeak): So, the Headmasters are headed towards Earth? My strategy is turning out as planned.
Cyclonus: What strategy?
Soundblaster: The less you second team know, the better.
Cyclonus: What does he mean by "second team"?

Following this are various skirmishes back in Peru as the Autobots continue to rescue the villagers and yet are constantly plagued by the attacking Decepticons. Eventually, Chromedome and the Trainbots are successful and the Decepticons retreat. In the aftermath, Pipiro and his family express sadness at the loss of their home and Chromedome deduces it was all a Decepticon ploy to divert attention away from the dark planet in the nebula.

On Charr, Cyclonus and Scourge express confusion over this seemingly odd plan, which could endanger using the Earth as a vital source of energy. Finally including the befuddled "second team" in the loop, Zarak outlines the specifics of his long-term goal to them, unconcerned if the Earth is destroyed.

Zarak: I've discovered a new source of super-energy.
Scourge: Super-energy?
Zarak: When Cybertron was blown up, a lot of plasma energy was created. By collecting all this plasma energy dispersed in space, we can create everlasting energy.
Cyclonus: Everlasting energy?
Scourge: Incredible!
Zarak: That day I will reveal my true identity!

We suddenly find that Steeljaw and Ramhorn have been monitoring all of this and Soundblaster immediately pursues them down the corridor. This bit I found a nice reversal of events from previous episodes, including this one, when the Decepticons seem much more apt at espionage and information gathering, thanks to Laserbeak, Ratbat and Ravage. Plus, this scene lays out Zarak's frighteningly extreme plan of destroying entire worlds to gather more energy.

Just when you think the episode is wrapping up, we rejoin Chromedome and the gang in Peru, watching Daniel and Pipiro chase the donkey Koro into some thick bushes. In a last minute surprise, Skullcruncher appears out of hiding, flanked by Weirdwolf and Mindwipe, gripping the donkey by the tail. Mindwipe grabs Pipiro and threatens to kill him. Then from out of nowhere, the mother donkey charges at Skullcruncher, bashes him hard enough to knock him over and in the confusion the Headmasters proceed to easily route the Decepticons. That momma donkey must have a skull made of iron!

Spike volunteers to stay and study the tremors as Pipiro's sister hands Chromedome a charm necklace as a parting gift, causing some sarcastic comments by Hardhead and Wheelie. The final scene occurs on Athenia as Fortress and his team listen to the recording made by Steeljaw and Ramhorn, who escaped Charr unscathed, and now are aware of Zarak's aims.

This episode has its highs and lows, the former found in the smaller moments of intrigue and the latter in the middle section involving the volcano. I found the villager rescue sequences a bit tedious, but when it's framed by the scenes on Charr it helps the episode overall. In addition, it's always great to see Ultra Magnus, Scattershot and the Protectobots, Cyclonus and Scourge are at last invited into Zarak's inner circle and there is the excellent reveal of Steeljaw and Ramhorn getting the drop on the Deceps with Soundblaster attempting to chase them down – total win!

The Ark Addendum - Chromedome's Transform

In honor of Brian's triumphant return to the blog, reviewing the Headmasters series episode by episode, I thought I'd post a nice Headmasters model this week. And who could be more Headmasters than Chromedome?

It's kind of funny. In America, Chromedome is a hoity-toity intellectual. His name means 'bald', though I suppose with Transformers the more literal interpretation of the metaphor makes more sense. In Japan, though, he's the hotheaded youth, struggling with his future destiny as a leader of men, er, bots.  That's a common archetype in Transformers, especially the Japanese original series. All in all, I think I prefer the boring American version. At least it's different, and at least his name makes sense.

Transformers: Headmasters – "Zarak The Shadow Emperor"

Hardhead (to Twincast): Go on, set up the karaoke.
Twincast: After I've had a drink.
Hardhead: Come on!
Chromedome (to Brainstorm): Hardhead... one drink and all he wants is karaoke!
Hardhead: Come on!

It has been quite a break since I last reviewed an installment of the Takara "Headmasters" series, but now I aim to dive back in and reach the series finale unobstructed – wish me luck! The opening ten episodes of "The Headmasters" form their own mini-arc, introducing the new cast of characters while moving the old cast off-stage in both subtle and not so subtle ways. With the surprising destruction of Cybertron, this series can now explore its own path without having to emulate its US G1 predecessor as much. This of course can be simultaneously interesting and frustrating for long-time fans, but there is still much fun to be had here, especially as we advance into the subsequent story arcs.

On Athenia, Arcee, Daniel and Wheelie are mourning the loss of Cybertron and missing Rodimus, who departed with Kup and Blurr to find a new home for the Transformers and left Fortress in charge in his absence. To help lift everyone's spirit a party is thrown, during which Spike announces the launch of a joint Earth/Cybertron energy-collecting solar satellite. In addition, there is the odd sequence of Wheelie chugging energon wine and Hardhead singing karaoke to the series theme song, the latter of which provided for me the biggest belly laugh in Chromedome's wry observation!

Meanwhile on Charr, Soundblaster, Sixshot, Cyclonus, Scourge and the Headmasters presume Galvatron has met his ultimate fate, being trapped in the center of Cybertron when it exploded. From the shadows, Zarak plays a brief prank on them all by appearing as Galvatron, but then informs that their Decepticon Emperor is still alive. Zarak says he has been instructed to lead for the time being. All except Soundblaster are dubious of this claim and who can blame them?

Zarak: You are to obey my orders as though they were from Lord Galvatron.
Cyclonus: Soundblaster! Should we believe him?
Scourge: What, believe Zarak?
Soundblaster: I am Lord Galvatron's representative. You have no choice but to believe it.

On Earth, the preparation to launch the solar satellite has been spied by Ratbat, who reports back to Charr. Cyclonus and Scourge decide that they will need to prove their worth to Zarak, in order to compete with the sycophantic Soundblaster, and secretly recruit the Predacons to help them destroy the satellite. They fail miserably thanks to the efforts of the Trainbots, Chromedome, Hardhead and Brainstorm, allowing the satellite to launch successfully.

Back on Charr, Zarak is meeting with his Headmasters, informing them of his findings regarding the solar energy collector. It will generate and store enough power to add to Zarak's transtector body, still being constructed, and so they immediately proceed on a mission to steal the satellite. The Autobots' efforts to stop this nefarious deed is thwarted by a surprise attack on their HQ by Sixshot. Chromedome is injured. However, all is not lost as Fortress, correctly deducing that the satellite was not brought to Charr, calculates its new destination as being a mysterious body of gas in a black nebula.

Chromedome, feeling personally responsible for the recovery of the satellite, leads his team to retrieve it from the edge of the nebula. Following a fierce battle with the Decepticon Headmasters, the satellite sends its collected energy into the nebula where it is then received on a dark planet within. We see a very large, shadowy shape lit by this influx of energy, an ominous shape that is missing a head.

Meanwhile, Weirdwolf taunts the Autobot Headmasters by telling them they cannot return the satellite to Earth orbit without destroying it, as a telepathic link will instruct it to detonate. Chromedome is torn about the next step but reluctantly decides he will destroy the satellite himself. Once back on Earth, he apologizes to Spike, yet is assured that relations between humanity and the Autobots is undamaged. Fortress looks on, concerned and lost in thought, fearing something terrible will result from the energy sent into that nebula.

This episode begins a short arc during which Zarak takes full command of the Decepticons and uses them only to gather energy for his newly constructed, giant transtector body, that being Scorponok. We also see the paralleling shift in power dynamics on both sides, Autobot and Decepticon, as established, home-grown leaders are removed and replaced by outsiders. Fortress plays only a small role here, but he will soon show himself to be the perfect Autobot leader for this moment, due to the years he spent stranded with Zarak on Planet Master. This experience grants him a special insight beyond what Rodimus or even Optimus could access.

Zarak continues to ignore or simply patronize all Decepticons except his own team of Headmasters. He could prove to be a greater threat to the galaxy than Galvatron because of his lack of loyalty to either side or even to the Transformer race in general. This makes Zarak quite an interesting villain to watch. In addition, there is much distrust and disunity among the Decepticon ranks overall, as Soundblaster smartly aligns himself with Zarak, Cyclonus and Scourge clumsily aim to gain favor and Sixshot secretly spies on them all, seemingly content to play rogue. I guess I would feel a similar arrogant aloofness if I was a ninja with six alternate modes! Meanwhile, Chromedome shows his youthful eagerness to personally invest himself into everything, but without much consideration for consequences to himself or those around him, a fault which might cause trouble shortly.

All in all, an okay episode with some nice bits of humor and characterization, with an twist on the old energy collecting plot device, a staple of the G1 universe. Here collecting the energy is a means to an end, not the goal itself, but merely a stepping stone to help lay the groundwork for Zarak's grand plan. The episode is a step down from the massive action and game-changing events of the preceding two-parter, but it sets the stage for the next escalation in the conflict.

The Ark Addendum - Solar-1

Welcome to another edition of The Ark Addendum. This fine January week, I bring you ... the Solar-1 satellite, from Headmasters episode The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok.

What is the Solar-1, you ask? Why, only the finest example of Autobot/Human friendship one could imagine. Sharing technology and labor, the two sides constructed this magnificent symbol, able to generate untold gigawats of power and beam it back down to a receiving station on Earth.

But what's this? The evil new Decepticon leader, Scorponok, hatches an elaborate plan and successfully snares it for his own nefarious purposes.  Chromedome has no choice but to destroy the satellite, rather than allow it to continue to power up the mysterious Decepticon installation on the planet Zarak. He worries about what his failure to recover the satellite will mean for human / Autobot relations, but Spike reassures him that Earth understands.

It's actually a rather nice design.  I like how much thought was put into every stage of the design.  The rocket looks very rocket-y, while still having a deployable satellite tip. The satellite itself unfolds a bit and sports a rotating tip.  Even the ground station gets a pretty cool, futuristic design.  For a one-time-only prop, it certainly got plenty of love.  Incidentally, I've posted other models from The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok as an earlier Ark Addendum. Check it out!