Powerspark is back!
And yes, I'm actually kinda genuinely happy about this, because I've learned something: Powerspark is infinitely more enjoyable so long as Optimus Prime is not around, nor spoken of.
So, uh, spoiler... that turns out to be the case in this episode. So let the good times roll out!
The eighth episode is officially titled "Star to Fall", but the YouTube title says "Cybercity’s MOST WANTED: Bumblebee!" Which means they better put some respect on Powerspark's name, or else he might come and pay them a visit! Now, as for the description...
Ah, that's a little more like it. Sounds like they're a little late to the Powerspark party, but hey, the important thing is they got there eventually.
And speaking of eventually, I'll eventually have to post the video, so no time like the present to give you your present:
Of course, where would we be without my spoiler-filled recap and review?
We start with Mirage taunting and trolling some of Starscream's drones in Cyber City -- wait, is it "Cyber City" or "Cybercity"? Whoever posted it to YouTube used both.
Anyway, Mirage does something usually reserved for his old alt mode, and hits the wall. This leads to Starscream making his fast-becoming-classic entrance whereupon he walks down to the ground by using his drones as floating steps.
Mirage tries to bargain for his life, but Starscream just gets frustrated. Then a wild Chop Shop appears! Now they can both be screwed, together!
Or at least, they would be, but Starscream keeps getting interrupted, and he's getting quite tired of it. This time it's by heavy footsteps coming from everyone's favorite new $30 faction leader, Powerspark!
Now here is a cool part of the episode: One of Screamer's drones scans Powerspark, but before identifying him as "Bumblebee", goes through a bunch of other characters with their 2D art from the series: Optimus Prime, Elita 1, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, Megatron, Chop Shop, Sky-Byte, Mirage, Soundwave...
But now there are some new faces we haven't seen outside of the toy aisle yet, too! Ratchet! Lockdown!
If that wasn't enough, there were two more for characters who haven't even been revealed as toys yet!
Sweet Vector Prime, does this mean that Nightbeat and Hot Rod are on their way to Cyberworld?! Sign me up! I can't wait to see what forms they take here!
Starscream: "Bumblebee! I must say, you look a lot better with your face covered!" Ohhhhhh, snap! It is on now!
Powerspark hulks out and tells Starscream, "This would be the part where you flee... 'emperor'."
Well, he didn't have to tell him twice! After a nervous laugh, Starscream does precisely that. And then Powerspark says "roll out" and gives chase... through the air?
He can fly now? Of course he can fly now!
After some fancy flying, Starscream transforms and lands on a building to taunt his pursuer about how size isn't always an advantage. Then Powerspark pulls a Mario on Screamer and lets him know that "Sometimes, it is."
The banter here is simple, but I love how well they are playing off each other here.
Mirage and Chop Shop catch up, as do the drones, and Powerspark powers up the latter in his chest cavity to take them on. He holds a hand out to Mirage to offer to do the same, but Mirage nervously passes. Powerspark takes it pretty well, all told. In fact, his temper has been very mellow so far in this episode -- unusually so. I kinda like it.
Powerspark offers a wager to Starscream: One on one, winner takes Cyber City. (The owner of my local comic book shop might take issue with that bet.) Starscream is game, breaks out a spear, goes on the offensive, and... well, turns out it doesn't do much.
While Powerspark handles Screamer's screaming, Mirage and Chop Shop have an amusing little team-up.
Starscream cries that he rules the skies, but Powerspark again gives chase and Yamchas him all over the place.
Yeah, his energon level is seriously depleted -- looks like he's down to Level 1 now.
Then, Powerspark does the unthinkable -- the unforgivable.
He takes Starscream's crown, and snaps it in two! He can't do that! Doesn't he realize that's a reference to 1986's The Transformers: The Movie?! Those are sacrosanct!
Then he steps on the pieces, crushing them underfoot. I guess that counts as a reference, too. Okay, so the sheet balances out.
Starscream tells a drone to summon everyone, and he means everyone. I hoped that this would mean maybe a new face or two, but no... Starscream has no friends, so it's completely and entirely drones. Every drone he has, but still, all drones.
This... this was kind of an impressive battle? Powerspark is immensely powerful, but despite the damage he dealt to their numbers, the drones were actually able to push him back. Powerspark launches his bee drone to do even more damage.
Eventually, the drones knock him off the building, and he grabs Chop Shop and takes flight, keeping ahead of the drones until it turns out he's just a bit too low to avoid the city wall, and he sort of "trips" over it and ends up eating grass. The drones form a barrier back into the city, and Starscream, holding his arm, tells them to hold the line.
Powerspark tells him he'd better run, then tells the others to come along, as the city's a wasteland, anyway. Mirage isn't thrilled that they nearly got offlined for nothing, but Powerspark doesn't want to hear it.
Back in his base of operations, Starscream starts plotting his revenge, and according to the schematics on screen, his revenge consists of... a Last Knight retool? Huh. And here I thought those weren't going to be used in the cartoon. Oh well, I'm sure this version will be more fun to see in action for the time it's on screen, and any 2.5 hour span around it.
Elsewhere, Snarl is on the hunt in some sort of compound for whoever took Grimlock's chassis.
SO. On the downside, this episode did almost squat to progress the story. Snarl's part was only a few seconds, and it gives Starscream motivation to power himself up, but little else.
And you know what? I'm fine with that! Between the teaser Easter Eggs, some fun and funny bits, and a peek at what Screamer is planning, I really enjoyed this episode. It was simple, but it was fun and entertaining for the five minutes it gave us.
Anyway, Mirage does something usually reserved for his old alt mode, and hits the wall. This leads to Starscream making his fast-becoming-classic entrance whereupon he walks down to the ground by using his drones as floating steps.
Mirage tries to bargain for his life, but Starscream just gets frustrated. Then a wild Chop Shop appears! Now they can both be screwed, together!
Or at least, they would be, but Starscream keeps getting interrupted, and he's getting quite tired of it. This time it's by heavy footsteps coming from everyone's favorite new $30 faction leader, Powerspark!
Now here is a cool part of the episode: One of Screamer's drones scans Powerspark, but before identifying him as "Bumblebee", goes through a bunch of other characters with their 2D art from the series: Optimus Prime, Elita 1, Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus, Megatron, Chop Shop, Sky-Byte, Mirage, Soundwave...
But now there are some new faces we haven't seen outside of the toy aisle yet, too! Ratchet! Lockdown!
If that wasn't enough, there were two more for characters who haven't even been revealed as toys yet!
Thanks to AutovoltGTS in the Allspark Discord for the pics!
Sweet Vector Prime, does this mean that Nightbeat and Hot Rod are on their way to Cyberworld?! Sign me up! I can't wait to see what forms they take here!
Starscream: "Bumblebee! I must say, you look a lot better with your face covered!" Ohhhhhh, snap! It is on now!
Powerspark hulks out and tells Starscream, "This would be the part where you flee... 'emperor'."
Well, he didn't have to tell him twice! After a nervous laugh, Starscream does precisely that. And then Powerspark says "roll out" and gives chase... through the air?
He can fly now? Of course he can fly now!
After some fancy flying, Starscream transforms and lands on a building to taunt his pursuer about how size isn't always an advantage. Then Powerspark pulls a Mario on Screamer and lets him know that "Sometimes, it is."
The banter here is simple, but I love how well they are playing off each other here.
Mirage and Chop Shop catch up, as do the drones, and Powerspark powers up the latter in his chest cavity to take them on. He holds a hand out to Mirage to offer to do the same, but Mirage nervously passes. Powerspark takes it pretty well, all told. In fact, his temper has been very mellow so far in this episode -- unusually so. I kinda like it.
Powerspark offers a wager to Starscream: One on one, winner takes Cyber City. (The owner of my local comic book shop might take issue with that bet.) Starscream is game, breaks out a spear, goes on the offensive, and... well, turns out it doesn't do much.
While Powerspark handles Screamer's screaming, Mirage and Chop Shop have an amusing little team-up.
Starscream cries that he rules the skies, but Powerspark again gives chase and Yamchas him all over the place.
Yeah, his energon level is seriously depleted -- looks like he's down to Level 1 now.
Then, Powerspark does the unthinkable -- the unforgivable.
He takes Starscream's crown, and snaps it in two! He can't do that! Doesn't he realize that's a reference to 1986's The Transformers: The Movie?! Those are sacrosanct!
Then he steps on the pieces, crushing them underfoot. I guess that counts as a reference, too. Okay, so the sheet balances out.
Starscream tells a drone to summon everyone, and he means everyone. I hoped that this would mean maybe a new face or two, but no... Starscream has no friends, so it's completely and entirely drones. Every drone he has, but still, all drones.
This... this was kind of an impressive battle? Powerspark is immensely powerful, but despite the damage he dealt to their numbers, the drones were actually able to push him back. Powerspark launches his bee drone to do even more damage.
Eventually, the drones knock him off the building, and he grabs Chop Shop and takes flight, keeping ahead of the drones until it turns out he's just a bit too low to avoid the city wall, and he sort of "trips" over it and ends up eating grass. The drones form a barrier back into the city, and Starscream, holding his arm, tells them to hold the line.
Powerspark tells him he'd better run, then tells the others to come along, as the city's a wasteland, anyway. Mirage isn't thrilled that they nearly got offlined for nothing, but Powerspark doesn't want to hear it.
Back in his base of operations, Starscream starts plotting his revenge, and according to the schematics on screen, his revenge consists of... a Last Knight retool? Huh. And here I thought those weren't going to be used in the cartoon. Oh well, I'm sure this version will be more fun to see in action for the time it's on screen, and any 2.5 hour span around it.
Elsewhere, Snarl is on the hunt in some sort of compound for whoever took Grimlock's chassis.
SO. On the downside, this episode did almost squat to progress the story. Snarl's part was only a few seconds, and it gives Starscream motivation to power himself up, but little else.
And you know what? I'm fine with that! Between the teaser Easter Eggs, some fun and funny bits, and a peek at what Screamer is planning, I really enjoyed this episode. It was simple, but it was fun and entertaining for the five minutes it gave us.
But what did you think? Catch anything I didn't? Feel free to talk about this episode here, or the series as a whole over in the "Transformers CyberWorld: Spoopy Ocean Times" thread in our forums!
