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Darksyde (BW)

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The name or term "Darksyde" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, seeDarksyde (disambiguation).
TheDarksydeis aspaceshipfrom theBeast Eraof theGeneration 1 continuity family.
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Welcome to theDarksyde.Your hostess will be serving you a choice of beverages and honey-roasted nuts.

TheDarksyde(alsoDarksideorDark Side) is the name of thePredaconvessel thatMegatron's troops "borrowed" to get toEarthafter he stole theGolden Disk.Terrorsaurnamed her, thoughWaspinatorwanted to call her the "Buzzerbot".Megatron didn't care either way. After it crashed on prehistoric Earth, the PredaconInfernopreferred to call the ship "theColony",though just about everyone else referred to it as thePredacon base.

Among the ship's features is anonboard computer.

Contents

Fiction

Beast Warscartoon continuity

Beast Warscartoon

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Note the space dart board behind it

Exitingtranswarp,theDarksydewas immediately fired upon by the pursuing Maximal science vesselAxalon,though the better-armed Predacon ship quickly took the upper hand. Despite the urging of hisfirst officerto destroy theAxalonwhen the Maximal's shields failed, Megatron arrogantly decided to merely toy with his opponents by slowing down the ship enough for theAxalonto catch up, then unleashing a broadside from theDarksyde's side guns, severely damaging the Maximal ship.

However,Megatronwould not have long to gloat, as several well-aimed plasma cannon shots from theAxalonstrafed the hull of theDarksyde,crippling the ship. Soon afterwards, both ships crash-landed on the planet's surface.Beast Wars (Part 1)

The crashedDarksydebecame the Predacon base, their center of operations on Earth. The ship apparently crashed in a volcanically-active area, as the impact created lava-filled concentric cracks around it, and an upwelling of lava in the main control center. While it's arguably dangerous to have a control room where you can't walk across the floor withoutmelting,it does look seriously badass.

The base contained a main control and monitoring center with a holographic projector; given the absence of a proper floor, hover platforms were commonly used by the Predacons to get around much of the base. The base also includedCR pitscapable of restoring severely damaged Predacons (or Maximals) to full functionality; a private suite used by Megatron, including a CR tank/hot tub; a lab area used by Tarantulas; holding cages suspended over the lava pits (keyed to Megatron's voice command); and a secure storage area which held the Predacons' remaining transwarp cells. The grounds surrounding the base were laced with automatic weapons, programmed to scan for and target Maximal energy signatures.

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How electrifying!

In addition to day-to-day Predacon operations, the base was the scene of several battles. The first involved a messy and destructive hunt for Cheetor, who accidentally teleported into the control room. The Maximals subsequently sent a bomb over to destroy the base, but Cheetor helped disarm it, as the detonation would also destroy the Maximal base via a common Energon vein beneath both ships.Equal MeasuresAnother resulted from Megatron's attempt to reprogram Rhinox into a Predacon; the rogue Maximal very nearly brought Megatron down from power by taking out first his troops, then his kneecaps. Rhinox's comrades stormed the base to recover him, however.Dark DesignsThe Maximals forced their way into the base a third time when Optimus Primal was infected with a rage-inducing virus; the berserk Maximal leader stormed through the Predacon base, taking out troops one after the next, until his comrades arrived to heal and retrieve him.Gorilla Warfare

The Maximals also managed to infiltrate the base more covertly on numerous occasions. When the Predacons managed to hack into Maximal communications, Rattrap went undercover as a turncoat. He escaped from one of the suspended prison cages and searched through the Predacon base till he found a Maximal codebreaker chip installed in one of its communication panels.Double JeopardyRattrap entered on another occasion to install a spy camera and cable; when the Predacons discovered it, they faked their own destruction, drawing the Maximals into the abandoned base to salvage space drive parts. Optimus Primal noted that even abandoned, a Predacon ship was still a dangerous place.VictoryUsing Rattrap and Airazor as a distraction, Tigatron slipped into the base to search for information about the latest alien site to have revealed itself (though this turned out to have been exactly what Megatron wanted all along.)Before the Storm

At least once, the base's lava pits proved to be a distinct liability. When the planet was hit by a quantum surge in the wake of the Planet Buster's destruction, Terrorsaur and Scorponok lost control of their hover platforms, collided, and tumbled off. The two sank into the lava and were never seen again.Aftermath

Tarantulas proved able to cut power to the base at will; he did so once with a magna pulse,Spider's Gameand again through unknown means when Ravage and the Maximals arrived to take Megatron prisoner. The base took considerable damage while under assault from Ravage's transwarp cruiser.The Agenda (Part 1)

After the destruction of the Maximal base, Megatron's troops stole the Sentinel shield module from the Maximals, and installed it in the Predacon base, providing it with a defensive energy shield.Changing of the Guard

When theVokemissaryTigerhawkwas sent to Earth to arrest or destroy Megatron, he flew on a direct course to the Predacon ship. With their firepower having no affect on the invader and Tigerhawk's background radiation disabling the force field, the Predacons were forced to abandon the ship, leaving it to be destroyed by the emissary's meteoric landing.Other Victories

Timelines

The ship that would later become known as theDarksydewas stored atPredacon Transwarp Research Center D-F.As part ofMegatron's plan to steal theGolden Disk,he sent "Terrorsaur"and"Waspinator"to procure it as an escape craft. Once the theft was complete, the Predacons used it to make their getaway fromCybertron.Theft of the Golden DiskThe two fliers had had a contest to determine their ship's name. "Waspinator" had wanted to call itBuzzerbotbut lost out to Terrorsaur's suggestion ofDarksyde.For reasons known only toPrimus,Megatron agreed with "Waspinator's" suggestion.

Flanked byBuzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship,theDarksydeprepared to execute a transwarp jump. The two ships were engaged by theAxalonbefore the former Decepticons managed to cripple theMaximalcraft allowing theDarksydecrew to begin decoding the Golden Disk's contents. Half a mega-cycle later, theAxalonmanaged to catch up with theDarksydeand re-engaged in battle even as thePredaconsjumped.Dawn of Future's Past

Ask Vector Prime

InAurex 1104.30-JH Zeta,theDarksydealso carried Megatron's Predacons to prehistoric Earth and served as their headquarters. That is, untilWedge Shapedefied herServility Programand brought theDarksyde's codes with her. The Maximals proceeded to storm the Predacon base and rescue the captive Mini-Cons, almost decisively ending the Beast Wars in one stroke.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/13

2005 IDW continuity

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"Sir, we're on a collision course with fanwank!"

A vessel identical to theDarksydewas used byShockwaveto check on hisOre-13project on Earth. He encountered theMaximalshipAxalonunder the command ofDomitius Major,which he promptly shot down, and upon landing to check on its crew was struck by the idea of anovelexperiment.Strange VisitorsWhen theDynobotsarrived on Earth, they shot down the ship. Finished with his work on Ore-13, Shockwave sent a signal to the craft for pickup only to get no response, alerting him that attack was imminent.Spotlight: Shockwave

Another ship of the class was used by a group ofMaximalsto attack the strandedThrottlebotsonRegalis Vin2017.The Dead Come Home, Part 2The Maximals deployed more ships of this design when they engaged theAutobot fleetoverCaminus.Last Stand

2021 IDWBeast Warscomic

ATranswarp Drive-equipped warship, theDarksydewas stored at theGreat ShipyardinVoswhere it was liberated bySkold,Tarantulas,andWaspinatorfor use as an escape ship inMegatron's plan to steal theGolden Disk.Having destroyed the rest of the shipyard, theDarksydewas able to escape to a remote corner of the universe as the crew attempted to hack into itstime travelcapabilities. By the time that Tarantulas had managed to do so, theDarksydewas intercepted by the Maximal craftAxalon.The mightier fighter, theDarksydewas able to keep theAxalonon the back foot as it jumped through time, dealing a crippling blow to the Maximals when they followed. Undeterred, the Maximals rammed their craft into theDarksyde,sending the ship into the gravity well of a nearby planet where it made a crash landing. TheDarksyde's onboard computer quickly rebooted and reconstructed its crew withbeast modesto protect them from the high levels ofenergon radiationon the planet.Savage Landing Part 1

As the Predacons took stock of their situation, a trio ofVokvisited their craft. When Skold accidentally scanned theDarksyde,she detected the unspace energy signature that they'd left behind. WhenTerrorsaurtook a scouting flight, he chanced acrossNyxand brought his prisoner back to theDarksyde.Savage Landing Part 2

After a failed attempt to torture information out of the Maximal, the Predacons subjected her to Tarantulas'Transformation Lock Lens,leaving her trapped in robot mode and vulnerable to the fatal levels of energon radiation. Disgusted by these tactics, Dinobot destroyed the Lens and outfought his former allies, shoving them all back inside theDarksydebefore he triggered its lockdown protocols, trapping them all in the ship.Savage Landing Part 3

Thanks to Tarantulas' hacking skills, the Predacons managed to exit the ship, heading out to hunt Dinobot. Before they departed, Megatron programmed theDarksydeto self-destruct ten nanokliks after anyone entered, making sure that only he could countermand the order.Savage Landing Part 4

After a failed attack against the Maximals, the Predacons retreated to theDarksydewhere Megatron and Tarantulas sequestered themselves. When Megatron's temper began to rise as he failed to decode the Disk, Terrorsaur, Waspinator and Scorponok elected to go on anenergonhunt, leavingSkoldto watch the ship.Pod Part 1WhenBlackarachniacame online, she, after bringing down the other orbiting stasis pods, made her to theDarksyde.Pod Part 2During Blackarachnia's welcome party, Skold went out to mope, discovering and befriending the new MaximalRazorbeast.When he was injured in fighting offiron wolves,Skold pondered bringing him back to theDarksydebefore she realized that her fellows would kill him, taking him to theAxaloninstead.Thicker SkinThe Predacons eventually capturedPowerhugand imprisoned him in their brig.Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

In retaliation for Blackarachnia's attack on theAxalon,the Maximals attacked theDarksyde,Maximals Strike Back, Part 1providing enough of a distraction for Nyx and Rattrap to sneak into the ship.Maximals Strike Back, Part 2While Nyx destroyed the ship's transwarp drive, Rattrap claimed the Golden Disk only to trigger a security system, delaying their escape long enough for Megatron to corner them. Revealing that the Maximals had destroyed the transwarp drive, Optimus managed to bluff Megatron into releasing them in exchange for the return of the Golden Disk.Maximals Strike Back, Part 3

As Megatron tried to repair the transwarp drive,Saberbackinfiltrated theDarksydeand lured Megatron out.Primal RageAlongside Optimus, Megatron faced off against theChildren of the Vokbefore Primal convinced theVokto spare the Cybertronians, so they could see what would happen if two enemies joined forces.Children of the Vok

Despite promising not to interfere, the Vok reached out to Tarantulas, offering him their secrets if he destroyed theDarksyde's transwarp drive. Needing a ship to escape in however, Tarantulas only locked down the drive. When Rhinox and Scorponok discovered this, the Predacons imprisoned Tarantulas only for him to summon Terrorsaur'szombiefiedcorpse. Observing via the security cameras, Scorponok sent a message to theAxalon,inspiring Tarantulas to do the same and call Cybertron for an escape ship.The Beginning of the End

The combined Maximals and Predacons faced off against the totality of the Children of the Vok outside theDarksydebefore the Vok themselves arrived, intending to turn theirreversion deviceon the planet and destroy all Cybertronians. Before the superweapon could fire, Rattrap and Waspinator managed to use theAxalon's transwarp drive to both destroy the Vok and shunt Megatron into the future. After interim leader Blackarachnia refused to extend the truce, the Maximals flew off. When queried as to her future plans, Blackarachnia noted that they should begin repairing theDarksyde,eyeing the Vok's reversion device as a useful supply of spare parts.The End

Toys

Beast Wars 10th Anniversary

  • Megatron(2006)
A small toy of theDarksydewas included with theBeast Wars 10th Anniversaryversion ofMegatron.The packaging calls it thePreadconPredacon ship,possibly due totrademarkissues. (A typo on the packaging was corrected by a sticker.[1])

Notes

  • The name of the Predacon ship comes from fandom interpretation ofTerrorsaur's line from theBeast Warsepisode "Equal Measures",which welcomesCheetor"to the dark side" upon Cheetor's arrival within the Predacon ship. Since there wasn't an established name for the ship at the time, some fans thought that Terrorsaur may have been speaking more than metaphorically. The name was used in theTransformers Beast Wars: Transmetalsvideo game,making the name official,and again years later in the booklet insideKid Rhino'sBeast Warsseason 1 DVD set. In theBotCon 2006exclusive toy box set and accompanying story, "Darksyde"was spelled with a" y "to avoid possible trademark problems. Regardless of this development, theBeast Wars Sourcebookcontinued the traditional spelling, but rendered it as "Dark Side".Despite the glee with which the name is joyfully batted around in the fandom, the show itself never specifically calls it anything other than" the Predacon base "or" Predacon ship ".

Foreign names

  • Japanese:Terror Crasher(テラクラッシャーTera Kurasshā)[2]

References

  1. Sticker covering a typo onBeast Wars 10th AnniversaryMegatron's packaging with correct "Predacon" spelling.
  2. The name can be seen in various Japanese guidebooks andtrading cards,but there are several alternateromanizations,such as "Terra Crasher", referring to the fact that it crashes into Earth.
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