Still stuck on the asteroid, Starscream yells that he can't stand it -he can't stand this cosmic prison! Brawl tells him to shut up and fires at him, reminding him that if it weren't for him, Megatron wouldn't have banished them to this lousy asteroid.
Starscream transforms and takes off, but Onslaught asks where he is going -he can't make it back to Earth, he doesn't have enough power. Besides, this army has a mission! Starscream turns around and drops some bombs off, saying they are too crude to accomplish anything. Onslaught says his strategy is brilliant, but Starscream calls them all a bunch of military morons, and anything is better than being stranded with them. He heads off into space.
Brawl says to place Starscream on the revenge roster, and Swindle says to have him placed after Megatron, Cybertron and the planet Earth. The Combaticons continue with their mission, which is to get to Cybertron. They can see the planet in the distance, so Onslaught tells Blast Off to increase his speed, as he tows the asteroid towards it.
On Cybertron, Shockwave is doing some tests with the Sentinels, and setup some holographic missiles. The Sentinels quickly take aim and start firing at them.
Being holograms, the missiles aren't destroyed, but the Sentinels are clearly aiming at them accurately. But Shockwave then sees that Cybertron is under attack, as the Combaticons are heading towards the planet. He has the Sentinels fire a warning barrage at the asteroid. He tells the invaders to dock their craft, and surrender.
The Combaticons land and head to where Shockwave is. Shockwave tells them to identify themselves.
Swindle tells him that some refer to them as Combaticons, but the team transform and unite, as their combined form states that he is also known as Bruticus. One of the Sentinel robots fire at him, so Bruticus blasts it away. Shockwave orders for Bruticus to be destroyed, but Bruticus grabs him and says he controls the Sentinels -so if he's destroyed, the robots are defeated!
Shockwave says he must protect Cybertron from all hostile threats, as he transforms and blasts Bruticus in the face. Bruticus drops him and falls over. But he says that even though he's outnumbered, he's still going to win.
He picks up Shockwave and uses him as a weapon, blasting away the remaining Sentinels. He then places Shockwave into one of his launchers, and states his mission is accomplished...
...as Shockwave gets launched far away into space. Bruticus says Cybertron is theirs, as he transforms back to the individual Combaticons. They pick up the pieces and head towards the Decepticon HQ, as Onslaught says operation revenge has begun.
On Earth, the Insecticons are attacking a city. Megatron says they have such voracious appetites, and says they must have more energy. He has a machine ready, which the Insecticons and their clones use to transfer energy into energon cubes.
Megatron has Dirge and Thundercracker place the cubes they've made into a nearby space bridge. Optimus Prime and a small group of Autobots arrive, and Prime tells them to attack. They move in, but the Insecticons dig down into the Earth to escape.
Tracks comes across a tunnel that the Insecticons made, and fires a couple of missiles into it. As he heads back out, Megatron fires at him and Prime, and asks if Prime dares to disrupts his energon flow.
Prime tells him how would he like his circuit system disrupted, and fires at him. But he then notices that the Insecticons are heading towards another neighborhood, so he and the Autobots head towards it. As they arrive, there are people everywhere running around in panic. Prime says it's too dangerous to fight with all these people around.
He contacts the Protectobots, and tells them evacuation assistance is needed now. The Protectobots -Hot Spot, Streetwise, Groove, First Aid and Blades -leave their secret base and head towards the city.
At the Autobot HQ, Perceptor tells Spike that if he's interested in the universe, he can enlarge it for him. He transforms into his microscope mode and points towards Teletraan I, which is displaying an area of space. As Spike takes a look, he says it looks like it could go on forever. Perceptor says that it does, and this is just Spike's solar system. Spike then sees a shooting star, but Perceptor says it's not really a shooting star -it's really a meteorite entering Earth's atmosphere. Spike says he'd hate to imagine a real star shooting into the Earth. Perceptor tells him the chances of this planet ever colliding with a real star are remote.
In space, Shockwave happens to collide with Starscream. Shockwave tells Starscream he must help him, as Cybertron has been invaded. Starscream didn't realize he was that close to Cybertron, so transforms back to his jet mode and welcomes Shockwave aboard -they've got a planet to reclaim!
On Cybertron, Onslaught says that Decepticon technology has advanced considerably since they were imprisoned by Megatron. He believes the power of this device could be altered to effect their revenge on Megatron. Outside, Brawl is getting restless, wanting to attack the Earth now, but Blast Off tells him to restrain himself -he's sure Onslaught has a brilliant plan in mind, he always does. Inside, Onslaught has placed his backpack down and linked it up to the space bridge. He is able to control the movement of the entire Earth, and sends it on a direct course into the sun.
Back on Earth, the Protectobots are going around the city, guiding everyone out. As Streetwise gathers up a few people, he finds one guy passed out on the road. He tells First Aid about it, so he comes over and picks the guy up.
With everyone out, the Protectobots report that all humans are evacuated. Prime tells the Autobots to blast away, so they start firing at the Insecticons.
Powerglide then lands in the city, and drops off Perceptor and Spike. Perceptor warns that Teletraan has reported energy disruption caused by signals from Cybertron. Somehow, Earth's orbit has been altered, and is now heading towards the sun. Prime says they must take the space bridge to Cybertron at once, and stop whatever it is that's causing this. He and Spike head towards the space bridge.
But Megatron is already there, and immediately starts shooting at them. Realizing he was heading for the space bridge's controls, Megatron tells Shrapnel to stop him, which he does by removing the control panel from the space bridge and then heading underground. Prime realizes he's too late.
On Cybertron, Onslaught tells the others that he's pleased to report their mission of revenge is proceeding splendidly. Using the space bridge, they shall drive the Earth, with Megatron on it, into the sun. However the team then come under attack from several aliens. They fight back, but Onslaught says they aren't even slowing them down. Blast Off doesn't get it -his ionic blaster should be disrupting their electrical flow!
The Combaticons keep firing, unaware that they are fighting a bunch of holograms. Shockwave and Starscream have arrived on Cybertron, and Shockwave operates the hologram projector. Starscream says once the Combaticons use up all their power, they'll be easy to defeat. Then they can resume control of Cybertron. Shockwave reminds him that he is the guardian of Cybertron, as Megatron appointed him. Starscream says Megatron is a fool, then demands to know how to operate the projector. Shockwave decides to show something new, and changes the holograms so they are now gargoyles.
The aliens vanish, but the Combaticons are then fooled into thinking they've got more invaders to deal with. Brawl is fine with it though, and tells the others to annihilate them. As they continue fighting, Shockwave and Starscream head inside the Decepticon HQ. Shockwave finds that someone has altered the space bridge receiver, and now the Earth is on a collision course with the sun.
Starscream says that's terrific, as all the Autobots on Earth will be destroyed. Shockwave reminds him Megatron is also on Earth, and says he must try to reverse the procedure. Starscream says he'll do nothing of the sort, and shoots him from behind.
Back on Earth, the Autobots are scanning the area as they search for the space bridge's control panel. Prowl thinks he's found it, only to pull up an old, battered TV set. Megatron watches from a short distance away and laughs, but is then contacted by Starscream.
Starscream tells him to acknowledge him as the new Decepticon leader, or he'll allow the Earth, and Megatron, to fall into the sun. Megatron thinks he's bluffing, so Starscream tells him to check a thermometer. He also tells him he will rule the universe, even if he's the only one left in the universe! He says he'll be waiting for his answer, and then cuts the call. Meanwhile, the Combaticons are still fighting the gargoyles, but Onslaught says they can't stop them, as their weapons have ran out of power.
Blast Off says he doesn't understand, but Swindle says maybe this will clear things up. He shows the Combaticons the hologram projector he's found, and says they've been had, before he switches the holograms off.
On Earth, Megatron tells Ramjet and Dirge to find the Insecticons, and get the space bridge control panel back. On Cybertron, Starscream says if Megatron doesn't give him control, he'll see him destroyed. Shockwave recovers and shoots Starscream in the back.
Starscream calls him a fool as they are partners, but Shockwave says he only serves Megatron. Starscream fires back and tells him to go back to Earth and die with Megatron. Just then the Combaticons show up, and tell them to cease fire. Brawl says they are now their prisoners, and he and Blast Off throw them into a cell.
Back on Earth, things are getting hot, and the land is beginning to catch fire in places. The Protectobots, along with Inferno and Red Alert, try to put out as many fires as they can. Blades heads into a village, and gets several people out via a deployable basket.
Meanwhile, the Insecticons enter a parking lot, and start to chow down on some cars. Ramjet finds then and summons Megatron, who arrives and wants to know where his control panel is. Shrapnel reveals that he's still got it.
The Autobots and Spike also arrive, and Spike sees that the control panel has been damaged. The Insecticons then flee, but Shrapnel leaves the control panel behind. Perceptor transforms and takes a look at it, and says it is repairable -but he'll need several parts to do it. Prime says he will donate some of the missing parts from his own components, but only if Megatron agrees to do the same.
Megatron refuses -he is autonomic perfection! Spike says he'll be evaporated perfection if they don't get to Cybertron and stop Starscream. Megatron tells Ramjet that if Perceptor does anything suspicious, then he is to shatter his lenses from the inside.
Meanwhile, the Protectobots are still trying to save people, but Blades doesn't know what to do -he can't cool the whole planet! Groove and Streetwise assist in guiding several people into a freezer. Groove worries the humans will freeze in it, but Streetwise says no way, as the temperature keeps climbing too fast outside. The humans will be fine -at least until the ice melts. At the space bridge, Perceptor has finished repairs, and installs the control panel back into place.
Megatron tells Ramjet to transport them, but Prime stops him. Megatron says they'll handle it, and Prime says that's right, they will handle it -Decepticons and Autobots. The group head into the space bridge, as Perceptor stays behind to activate it.
The team arrive on Cybertron, and Prime tells everyone to find Starscream. They then hear Starscream crying out for help, and find him and Shockwave locked up. They are released, as Starscream blames everything on the Combaticons -they made him threaten Megatron. Shockwave says Starscream is lying. Megatron tells Starscream that all is not forgiven, he is free at his command, but only to deactivate whatever device is moving the Earth into the sun.
Starscream says only if Megatron relinquishes leadership of the Decepticons. Megatron tells him not to be a fool, so Starscream says let the Earth burn. They then get blasted back, as Brawl appears and says that Starscream is their prisoner.
A big battle begins, as the combined forces of the Autobots, Decepticons and Sentinels take on the Combaticons. Prime tells Prowl and Sideswipe to cover him, which they do by shooting at Blast Off...
...causing him to crash into Vortex. Megatron shoots down Onslaught, Brawl and Swindle. Brawl says they're being ganged up on, so Vortex suggests ganging up on them.
The Combaticons transform into Bruticus, who says that he hates Cybertron, and hates them all. Prime realizes that the space bridge has been altered by the Combaticons, but Sideswipe asks if there is some way to stop Bruticus. Starscream says there is, so Megatron tells him to help them preserve the Earth, and he might preserve him. Starscream says he thought Bruticus might rebel, so he built in a failsafe mechanism.
As Bruticus fights some Sentinels, Starscream explains that there are three spots on his back -if those are all hit, Bruticus will be deactivated. As Bruticus knocks away the Sentinels, he says he was banished -he doesn't like being banished! They were imprisoned here on Cybertron for millions of years. Megatron fires at him, but Bruticus picks him up and starts shaking him around, saying that now he will have his revenge. This gives Prime the chance to get behind him and shoot the three spots.
Bruticus falls down and says he can't move. Sideswipe rushes into the Decepticon HQ and quickly uses the space bridge controls to send the Earth back onto its original orbit, saving the planet. Prime tells Megatron that Bruticus is a hazard to the galaxy. Surprisingly, Megatron agrees, and says they must destroy him.
The group head outside, and Ramjet and Starscream attach grappling hooks to Bruticus. They drag him into the air, as Megatron bids Bruticus goodbye. He fires a single shot, that causes Bruticus to explode.
The Autobots head back to the space bridge, but Prowl says he still doesn't trust Megatron. Sideswipe agrees, finding it odd Megatron is just letting them go back to their friends on Earth without even a blast for goodbye. Prime says no matter whatever Megatron's evil motives are, they have to admit that if it weren't for his help, they'd have no friends to return to. As they head back to Earth, the Decepticons remain behind. Megatron tells Starscream he has redeemed himself -his plan has worked, and Bruticus is theirs. It's revealed that the Bruticus Megatron destroyed was just a hologram, and the real one is still here. But Megatron is having him reprogrammed to only obey him, and when that is done, he'll be unstoppable!
NOTES
-SCRIPT DIFFERENCES: Click here for details.
-This episode marks the debut of the Protectobots. Unlike the other special teams introduced recently, they don't get an origin story, and just appear out of nowhere.
-The Protectobots also present a bit of a problem, as three of them transform into things other Autobots could already do. Streetwise and Prowl both turn into police cars, Inferno and Hot Spot both turn into fire trucks and Ratchet and First Aid both turn into ambulances. The next season will not feature any of the three older characters, but the Protectobots will make plenty of appearances in it.