Alpha Q: Identity

« Transformers: Energon ep 20 »
Actually, Omega Supreme doesn't appear for another 15 episodes.
"Alpha Q: Identity" アルファQその正体 () (Alpha Q so no Shōtai) "Alpha Q's True Identity"
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	21 May 2004 (Japanese) July 3, 2004 (English)
Writer	Akira Okeya
Director	Masayuki Ōseki
Animation studio	Actas, Studio A-CAT (3D)
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy

Unicron's arrival causes the Decepticons on Cybertron to rebel, while Kicker learns the truth about Alpha Q.

Synopsis

"What the scrap? What was I drinking last night?!

On Cybertron's battered surface, bands of marauding Decepticons run rampant, while below ground, a chained prisoner strains against his bonds.

Within Unicron, Megatron's troops report that the planet is in chaos due to the revolting Decepticons, but Megatron dismisses these latecomers to the party as mere cowards. Snow Cat agrees, prompting Megatron to bash him across the room and threaten to feed him to Unicron. Starscream declares Snow Cat unworthy to serve as bait, but Megatron has someone else in mind.

Rodimus narrates: Alpha Q's home planet was destroyed by Unicron, who had been wandering the galaxy, destroying everything in his path. Unable to stop the Chaos Bringer, the planet's inhabitants destroyed their own planet as a last act of resistance, sending Unicron into a deep sleep. Rodimus and company had promised to come and help defend the planet, but they arrived too late, finding nothing but ruins. Alpha Q had survived within Unicron's inert form, however, roaming the galaxy once more. Soon he discovered that anything devoured by Unicron could in fact be restored; all he needed to restore Planet Q was enough energon. The Terrorcons were likewise devoured by Unicron, then restored and controlled by Alpha Q.

As Rodimus finishes his story, Misha and Kicker understand at last what Alpha Q is doing and why Rodimus is trying to help. Their ship approaches Unicron's detached head.

Dr. Jones isn't too happy with Optimus Prime's decision to let Kicker go, but his family reassures him that he's old enough to handle himself.

Say, Landmine, you ever wonder what it would be like to be useful?

Alpha Q observes the approaching Kicker and wonders about him and his strange name. Landmine and Prowl, waiting in the ship, also wonder. Rodimus, Misha and Kicker enter Alpha Q's chamber. After some banter with Ironhide, he speaks with Alpha Q and immediately demands that Alpha Q reveal his true face. Impressed, Alpha Q switches to his true, "calm" visage. Kicker demands Ironhide's release, then stalks off, angry that Alpha Q won't take off his masks. Alpha Q attacks him with tentacles, which Kicker counters with the Energon Saber. He beats Alpha Q repeatedly, to no effect, demanding that he come out.

On Cybertron, Optimus surveys the battered surface and learns that the Decepticons have headed underground. Inferno thinks the old underground prison might be still be functional, and they head to check it out. Suddenly, Hot Shot sees something that makes him realize that the "nasty renegade Decepticon" Shockblast, who "left behind a trail of seriously damaged Transformers," is still held captive in that prison. Sure enough, the Decepticon hordes are fighting their way toward him.

Megatron is pleased to hear that his plan is being carried out. Tidal Wave says that they can't work with the vicious Decepticon, but Megatron isn't interested.

Tensions rise in Unicron's head as Kicker continues bashing Alpha Q. He wants to see the hidden Alpha Q, who finally relents and shows Kicker everything that he has lost....

Countless soldiers of Planet Q fought and died as Unicron began devouring their world, sucked up into the air to be devoured alongside the fragments of their crumbling world. Their leader, Scorponok, urged them to fight on, while Alpha Q panicked and fretted over Rodimus's failure to save them. Scorponok urged Alpha Q to detonate the planet while there was still a chance, though the terrified Alpha Q begged him not to.... The explosion destroyed the planet, but only after Alpha Q had been consumed by Unicron. He has lived alone and empty since then, until finding how to free the consumed Terrorcons. Only Megatron's awakening ruined Alpha Q's plans.

Kicker is impressed by Alpha Q's story...but says that Alpha Q can't just give up now because he's afraid of getting hurt. Kicker tells him that if he wants his planet back, he has to just go for it; if he never makes a stand, the Decepticons will walk all over him.

Shockblast tears free from his chains, just as a Decepticon arrives to free him and escort him back to Megatron. Shockblast simply blasts through the door—and through the Decepticon. Stalking out into the corridors, Shockblast takes an Autobot guard hostage, using him as a shield against another guard, before blasting them both. Optimus's team arrives in the prison to find Shockblast gone, and they set out after him.

Kicker declares that the meeting is done and that they need to get back to helping Optimus and the others who are actually out there fighting. Rodimus allows them to go. Ironhide mopes as they leave that none of their plans work out, but Kicker says not to worry about it.

Scorponok and Rodimus ask Alpha Q if he's sure about letting the humans go. Alpha Q responds by activating something within Unicron, causing the whole head to shake. Still walking back to the ship, Kicker seems to have a realization...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Never fear, Kicker is here."
"Really?"

—Kicker tells Ironhide the blatantly obvious... and Ironhide still doesn't believe him.

Kicker: So, this is the guy causing all the commotion?
Hysterical face: He's even smaller up close. Goodness, I think we've made a mistake. Well, he's already here. Let's give him a chance.
Sinister face: Tell us about your gift.
Angry face: Go on!
Hysterical face: He's been putting us on! He has no gift!
Kicker: Whoa, would you just relax, buddy? You don't have to pounce on me.
All faces: What?!
Kicker: I'm here to see Alpha Q, so step aside. Where is he?
All faces: I am Alpha Q!

—Kicker meets Alpha Q, resulting in the usual nonsense.

"Man, I figured this would be a waste of time. None of my plans ever work out!"
"Don't worry about it."
"Huh?"
"At least we got to see the inside of the galaxy's biggest bad guy. There's not many people that can say they've done that!"

—Ironhide mopes, while Kicker tries to cover his own frustration.

Notes

Differences with Super Link

• In Energon, Snow Cat says that the late-rising Decepticons are obviously loyal to Unicron instead of Megatron; Megatron rather inexplicably bashes him across the room for it. In Super Link, he says that the revolt was caused by Unicron, rather than Megatron: "Megatron didn't do it; it was Unicron!".... which, uh... just trust us, it works better in the original.
• Starscream and Megatron's subsequent lines about using Snow Cat as "bait" are complete Energon nonsense. Originally, Starscream says that they should just let the Decepticons run rampant as they please; Megatron replies that there may yet be one useful Decepticon left on the planet, as the scene cuts to Shockblast.
• Rodimus's history lesson about the Terrorcons is an Energon addition, though it's essentially correct.
• In Energon, during Doctor Jones's and Prime's argument, Doctor Jones says that Prime doesn't understand because Kicker is not his son, Prime responds that he will never risk the life of a soldier and hangs up. In Super Link, they simply accuse each other of making light of the situation.
• Energon omits Ironhide's shame at his wounded appearance when Kicker arrives (hence why Ironhide briefly turns his head away.)
• Kicker's demand to Alpha Q is mistranslated; instead of demanding that Alpha Q take off his mask, he's supposed to be telling him to "show his true face", which he immediately does, and later to "show his true form".
• In Super Link, Kicker's initial reason for trying to walk out on Alpha Q is that, with Ironhide released, he's got no further business there. Energon changes it into him just deciding that "I'm not playing with that four-headed freak."
• A mis-timed Energon-inserted "Uh?" from Hot Shot makes it seem like he's seen something which causes him to remember the imprisoned Shockblast. He's supposed to just have a moment of "Oh yeah..."
• Energon leaves the nature of Shockblast's crimes vague, noting only that he is a "renegade Decepticon" who left "a trail of seriously damaged Transformers" behind him. In Super Link, it is explained that, during the ten-year period of peace between Armada and Energon, Shockblast refused to lay down his arms, and was happy to turn on his fellow Decepticons in order to keep fighting — a sociopathic disregard for even those of his own kind that is clearly on display throughout the rest of the episode, as he wantonly sacrifices the lives of other Decepticons who have come to rescue him for his own ends. This, then, is the reason for Tidal Wave's distrust of Shockblast, which doesn't come across as clearly in Energon.
• In Super Link, Alpha Q's "true" voice is that of a high-pitched young girl, which is in-line with some early production material that indicated the alien's true identity would be the princess of Planet Q. Energon changes this into layered dialogue consisting of multiple voices speaking in chorus that identifies itself as "the voice of all those lost on Planet Q".
• Misha's "He's nuts" observation re: Kicker is an Energon addition.
• In Super Link, Kicker compliments Ironhide for getting this far on his own, and berates himself for thinking he could change anything by coming there. Both reactions are scrubbed away in Energon, replacing them with more lightweight banter.
• At the end, Unicron isn't "coming to life" as Misha claims; he's moving, indicating that Alpha Q has decided to take direct action in the wake of Kicker's pep talk. This Energon flub is compounded by an animation change; while Super Link clearly shows Unicron's head moving through space, Energon has a slow-zoom that makes the head look stationary.

Pain Count

• "Uh?": 11
• "Take it easy": 1
• "You've gotta be kidding": 1

Animation and technical errors

• After Ironhide tells Kicker he can't get the truth out of Alpha Q on his own and Kicker walks back towards the latter, the half of Ironhide that was visible is all that gets rendered (meaning half his body is missing).
• Rodimus's hand is clipping through his knee pad as he stands in the background during the entire sequence between Kicker and Alpha Q.
• Inferno, while Powerlinked to Hot Shot, is missing his cannons as he and Optimus are going after Shockblast.

Continuity notes

• Optimus contacts Rad after Shockblast escapes from his cell. Rad doesn't actually appear this episode or reply at all.
• Powerlinx forms:
  • Energon Saber
  • Optimus Prime Super Mode
  • Powerlinx Inferno with Hot Shot

Continuity errors

• Oddly, in the flashback sequence on Planet Q, the natives (who would later become Terrorcons) are wearing energon stars despite the existence of energon having yet to be discovered.
• When Misha, Kicker, and Ironhide are leaving and the entire place is shaking, Armada Galvatron's corpse is shown despite the fact that he had already been resurrected about fourteen episodes ago.

Foreign localization

Italian

• Title: "L'identità di Alpha Q" ("Alpha Q's Identity")

• Once, Optimus uses the word "Transformer" (without an S at the end) as a plural.

Home video releases

DVD

2004 — Transformer: Super Link — Volume 005 (Interchannel) — Japanese audio only.
2008 — Transformers: Energon — The Ultimate Collection (Paramount)
2014 — Transformers: Energon — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)