"Factories are busy... manufacturing weapons to be used against the greatest threat the world has even known... evil, super powerful robots: Decepticons!"

Chip has arrived at a factory, and talks to one of the scientists there. He's to try and use his skills to improve their efficiency, so they can double their weapons output. Chip says he'll try, but just as he gets started, an explosion takes out one of the walls. Some Decepticons have arrived.

They easily deal with the factory's security, and start filling up energon cubes. The scientist thinks there is nothing they can do, but Chip tells him not to bank his computer chips yet. He tries to contact the Autobots. At the Autobot HQ, Ironhide is contacting Optimus Prime, asking if he's managed to find the location of next Decepticon space bridge. He's scanned the area where the space bridge first appeared, but his readouts came back to zero. Spike is with him and says they may as well head back to HQ.

Just then Optimus picks up Chip's distress signal. He tells the Autobots back at HQ to roll out, whilst he and Spike head there as well. Back at the factory, Starscream's team have finished filling up all of the energon cubes, and have sucked the factory dry. Mission leader Starscream reports back to Megatron, who instructs him to return to HQ with the energon, whilst he waits for the coordinates for the next space bridge. Once he has them, they'll transport the energon to Cybertron.

Starscream wants commending for his efforts, but then Prime and Spike arrive. Prime charges through the cubes and Decepticons, scattering them everywhere. Megatron sees what's happening, but tells the Decepticons they outnumber him 3 to 1 -they need to gang up on him, and destroy him! Starscream shoots at Prime, hitting him and sending him flying into a wall.

Spike asks if Prime is ok and he says he is, but tells him to keep back. Thundercracker unleashes several missiles, but Prime manages to shoot them all down.

Skywarp says that whilst Thundercracker's blown it, he won't. He fires a missile at Prime, which Prime ducks to avoid, but it's a heat-seeking missile that goes right back at him. Prime punches it, which makes it change course and hit the roof, blowing it up. Starscream sees his chance and tackles Prime, shoving him into a wall and causing him to drop his gun...

...causing it to fire a shot that hits the main computer. Spike screams that the computer is going to blow, so Prime punches Starscream off of him and then jumps up to where Chip is. He places himself right in front of the computer and says he'll shield them...

...just as the computer explodes. Prime absorbs the blast and staggers back, as the Decepticons see what he's done. They decide to take advantage and hit Prime with everything they've got! Prime gets blasted by lasers and missiles.

They then pick up unidentified vehicles approaching, and turn to see the Autobots on the way. Megatron tells them not to fight -get the energon cubes instead. They do and quickly flee the scene, just as the Autobots arrive. Ironhide wants to run them into the ground, but Spike says they can't -they've got to help Optimus Prime! The Autobots crowd around their fallen leader. Prime says he's badly damaged, and losing energy rapidly. He asks Wheeljack if he can fix him, and he says he'll try -but not here.

Prime manages to transform, but says his mobility is limited and part replacement is essential. He is towed back to HQ by Ironhide and Ratchet. Chip says he's got to make it, but Spike has his doubts, as he got hit real bad. Bumblebee tells them to lighten up, as he believes Optimus will pull through -he's got to!

Meanwhile, Starscream's team have returned to base. Megatron sees all the energon, but asks what the status of Optimus Prime is. Starscream says he's been permanently deactivated, they saw him fall. Megatron says they may have seen him fall, but can they guarantee his laser core was extinguished? He wants to be certain, and has Soundwave send Laserbeak out.

Megatron instructs Laserbeak to fly to Autobot HQ and learn the true condition of Optimus Prime. Laserbeak heads there, and enters via the top of the volcano that the Autobot's ship had crashed into millions of years ago. He transforms and lands in cassette mode on Brawn, who fails to notice him.

Brawn heads into the room where Ratchet and Wheeljack are working on Optimus Prime. Laserbeak discreetly leaves Brawn and transforms, before hiding behind some rocks. He deploys a camera, which sends a video feed to Megatron. Megatron listens in as the Autobots have their doubts about Prime's chances for survival.

Megatron tells Laserbeak to finish Prime off! Laserbeak does as commanded, and swoops down to shoot at Prime with some eye lasers. These lasers hit Prime's chest, tearing into him and setting off some kind of reaction. The Autobots move back as Prime explodes!

As the smoke clears, the Autobots gather back around their leader, who is still alive. Prime says he is functioning, but his energy is draining fast. Ratchet says Prime doesn't have much time left, unless they can replace a part that he passed to Wheeljack: a cosmitron. Wheeljack says he's got one of these... in his old workshop... on Cybertron. And to make matters worse, the Decepticons had put a computerized lock on the door.

Huffer says it's useless -he just knew it was useless! Ironhide shuts him up and says they've got a computer whiz-kid who might be able to get some of them through that door: Chip! Chip says it looks like he's just volunteered, which is fine with him -he's always wanted to visit another planet!

Back at the Decepticon base, Megatron tells everyone that without Optimus Prime, the Autobots will be helpless. Starscream says they should attack now, but Megatron tells him they'll attack when he so orders. Instead, he contacts Shockwave to find out when the space bridge will materialize, and finds out it'll be within 32 billion astro seconds, at the following coordinates. Megatron sees that the space bridge will appear near a forest.

Meanwhile, Ironhide asks Chip how they'll even get to Cybertron, even Prime couldn't find a clue to the whereabouts of the space bridge. Chip says it's because Prime didn't use the greatest detective on Earth: Teletraan I. Chip inputs all the data on the space bridge's last appearance, hoping to get it to predict where the next one will appear.

Starscream has been sent to the space bridge with some other Decepticons, and they fill up a vehicle with energon cubes. He's not happy through, thinking his talents are wasted here -he should be in sole command of everything! Reflector says the space bridge is ready, so Starscream shoves one of them into the vehicle. The space bridge is activated and Reflector drives the vehicle into it.

Reflector arrives on Cybertron, and Shockwave reports that the energon cubes have been received. Meanwhile, back on Earth, Chip has found out the space bridge's location and heads towards it with Bumblebee, Trailbreaker, Bluestreak and Ironhide. A storm starts and they are immediately spotted by the Decepticons. Reflector runs towards them, and uses a bright flashing light to short out the Autobot's optic sensors.

Starscream rips a tree out of the ground and goes to smash the Autobots with it, but Megatron contacts him and tells him to stop. He tells to let the Autobots win, as the rain has given him an idea. Ironhide then freezes Starscream, whilst Bluestreak shoots down Reflector...

...whilst Trailbreaker uses a force field to take out Rumble. The Autobots move on, but Megatron congratulates his troops and tells them to return to HQ. As the Decepticons retreat, the Autobots drive into the space bridge and head to Cybertron.

When they arrive, they are immediately shot at by Shockwave. As the other Autobots scramble, Ironhide grabs a weapon off the wall, and uses it to blow apart a new exit.

The Autobots quickly head through it and escape. Megatron contacts some other Decepticons on Cybertron and tells them to destroy the Autobots with acid rain. The Autobots quickly reach Wheeljack's workshop, and Chip inputs several different button sequences to try and get the door open.

He gets the doors open and Ironhide quickly finds the cosmitron. He says they need to get back to Prime, but just then, the 3 Decepticons arrive and concentrate their fire.

They create the acid rain, but the Autobots can't wait and try to run back the way they came from. But the acid rain causes them to short circuit and collapse. Megatron sees everything and tells the Decepticons that everything has got according to his plan. The Autobots are without their mighty leader, and four of their number have been vanquished on Cybertron. Starscream suggests they attack, and Megatron agrees, saying he will personally lead it. The new age of Decepticon supremacy is about to begin!

Back on Cybertron, Bumblebee says they've failed and the acid rain has disabled their circuitry. Chip tells them that no one's ever really disabled as long as they has courage! Trailbreaker thinks he has enough energy left for a force field, and activates it. This shields them from the acid rain, and their automatic repair systems start to put them back in shape. Bluestreak says that whilst that's happening, he'll take care of their 3 rainmakers, and fires at the acid rain clouds...

...destroying them, stopping the rain and also sending the Decepticons away. The Autobots are feeling a lot better, but Chip tells them to stop talking as they need to save Optimus! He orders them to transform and roll for his life. They head back to the space bridge and drive back through the broken wall. Shockwave thinks they're fools for coming back.

He starts shooting at them, but fails to stop them from getting into the space bridge. They soon all arrive on Earth, and rush back to the Autobot HQ. At the HQ, Wheeljack accesses Teletraan 1 and finds out that all of the Decepticons are heading straight towards them. Huffer thinks they're doomed without Optimus Prime.

Spike says they can't go down without a fight, and grabs Jazz's gun. He asks if he has to fight this battle alone, and runs off. Sparkplug says he can't, but Huffer says they can. He's got Spike's message, and tells the other Autobots to transform. As they head out, Ratchet says he and Wheeljack will remain here to guard Optimus Prime. The other Autobots head outside and see the Decepticons flying towards them.

Spike says to let them have it, and a big battle starts between the two sides. It doesn't take long for the Decepticons to gain the upper hand, and they begin to overwhelm the Autobots. Spike gets pinned down by Ravage, but a bright flash of light causes the Decepticon to back off.

The light was caused by Bumblebee, who picks up Spike and heads inside HQ. Ironhide, Trailbreaker and Bluestreak join the battle, but are immediately attacked by Starscream. Inside HQ, Ratchet receives the cosmitron, and he and Wheeljack get to work.

Back outside, the Decepticons have won, and Megatron asks if there is anyone in the universe who can challenge his might. A voice calls out that there is one: Optimus Prime! The Autobots and Decepticons are shocked that he's alive, and Starscream tells Megatron that Prime has accepted his challenge. The battle code requires for Megatron to engage Prime in combat alone.

Prime says it's just two two of them. Megatron fires, but Prime dives down and crashes into him, knocking his cannon off his arm. They get into a brawl, but Optimus turns the tide by ripping up some of the ground under Megatron, causing him to fall. Megatron realizes he's weak due to using up too much power in his battle against the Autobots, and as Prime starts shooting him, he says he requires assistance.

Starscream says it's unfortunate -if Megatron can't fight his opponent himself, he's not fit to be their leader. Starscream says he's the only suitable one to be their leader anyway! Megatron makes one last attempt to fight, but is easily blasted back. Optimus asks if he yields, and he says he does, for now -and only for now!

Starscream orders for a retreat, and to take their leader back for repairs. As the Autobots celebrate, Chip says that takes care of the Decepticons, but Spike says no -they'll be back.

NOTES

-SCRIPT DIFFERENCES: Click here for details.

-This episode proves that whilst there are 3 Reflectors, only one of them is real. When Bluestreak shoots one, it gets pushed back into another and vanishes in a flash of white light. Bluestreak then shoots another...

...which gets pushed back and kind of merges with the real Reflector. Reflector's toy consisted of 3 individual characters- Spectro, Viewfinder and Spyglass -who could all combine together into a camera. The Reflector in the cartoon is mainly based on Viewfinder's toy.

-Speaking of Reflector, there is a fourth Reflector who Starscream shoves into the vehicle that's going through the space bridge. This "Reflector" isn't voiced by Chris Latta, and in the script, wasn't supposed to be Reflector either -he was down as "Unnamed Decepticon". I guess the writer's intention was to have some generic Decepticon in this role, but when it came to the animation stage, nobody knew what to do so they just used Reflector's design instead.