Consumed

« Transformers: Titans Return ep 9 »
Next time, on Dragon Ball Z...
"Consumed"
Production company	Hasbro Studios, Machinima
Airdate	January 2, 2018
Written by	Eric S. Calderon F.J. DeSanto Adam Beechen
Director	Yuzo Sato
Animation studio	Tatsunoko Production

Trypticon takes the most deadly snack break of all time.

Synopsis

Optimus Prime is surprised and pleased to see Fortress Maximus awake, thanking Windblade and Emissary for their efforts. Trypticon fires on Maximus, who shields the bots in his hand and lets them down, ordering them to safety. Trypticon returns to robot mode and fires a blast of flame at Maximus, who retaliates with a laser blast of his own. As the two beams clash, Emissary runs to Maximus to boost his power. Optimus asks Victorion if she and the other Combiners can unite again, but they are too low on energy, so he instead orders everyone to flank Trypticon from all sides to create distractions.

Though Emissary offers his aid to Fortress Maximus, he refuses, telling the Titan Master he will be needed to find another Titan to take his place if he perishes, with Windblade offering Emissary a lift. As he moves into position, Optimus finds Megatron casually watching events unfold. He demands Megatron assist the cause, but Megatron remarks that this isn't the true battle, having taken Optimus's earlier warning to heart. As they speak, Maximus wins the beam struggle, leaving Trypticon stunned, and he fires another blast that knocks the rampaging Titan on his back. Victorion lunges at the fallen Trypticon, but he senses the Enigma of Combination within her and catches her in his mouth, swallowing her.

Near the Primal Basilica, Perceptor continues to run carrying the Matrix of Leadership, but pauses to examine it more closely, finding the same unique particle he found in Starscream's Enigma-altered body. Suddenly, the Matrix begins speaking to him, and though he initially protests, he begins running back towards the fight.

Now empowered by the Enigma of Combination, Trypticon fires an immense blast at Fortress Maximus, who slowly attempts to press against it and approach his opponent. This only causes Trypticon to increase the blast's intensity, knocking Maximus to the ground. Trypticon then fires a rainbow-colored beam at the remaining three Combiners, putting them under his control and causing them to attack Maximus. Windblade fires on the Combiners, knocking Devastator and Menasor off Maximus, but she and Computron strike each other simultaneously, causing her to crash at Megatron's feet. Maximus gets back up, but the Combiners continue to strike at his feet. Optimus fires at them as a distraction, but they quickly grab him and attempt to rip him apart.

No longer willing to sit around, Emissary runs towards the battle, but Trypticon kicks him away. Windblade pleads with Megatron to help them, and he agrees, though he insists that Windblade will owe him after this. Optimus finally shakes off his attackers, and is quickly joined by Megatron, who shoots down Devastator before he can sneak attack Optimus. Windblade fires on Trypticon, giving Fortress Maximus an opening to move in and attack. Though the two are evenly matched, Perceptor appears and uses the Matrix to get Trypticon's attention. Despite Optimus's protests, Trypticon swallows both the Matrix and Perceptor, causing a surge of energy that knocks everyone away as Trypticon begins to grow.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Down in front, I can't see the battle!"

—Megatron wishes he had better seats.

"So you believe me now?"
"I'm maintaining a wait-and-see attitude."

—Optimus Prime pleads with Megatron.

"Mind control. What little processors Devastator and Menasor had...they belong to Trypticon now."

—Windblade doesn't think much of the Decepticon Combiners.

Windblade: "Megatron, we need you."
Emissary: "We can do this without him."
Megatron: "Yes, you're doing a great job so far."

—Even in a crisis, Megatron still has time for snark.

"I'm hardly sentimental about this...ball of dirt and circuits."
"Then because I'm ASKING you."
"That's it? Out of the kindness of my spark?"
"Yes."
"Well I don't have any kindness in my spark. But amusement, that I have."

—Megatron is slowly convinced to help by Windblade.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Optimus asks if Megatron finally believes him, referring to their conversation back in "The Fight Begins".
• Perceptor refers to the "special particle" he was studying back in "Aftermath and Rebirth" and "Our Heroes Respond".
• Though it isn't stated outright, the implication of Trypticon's ability to mind-control the Combiners most probably comes from his having swallowed the Enigma of Combination (which Victorion was in possession of at the time), which was first said to have the power to control Combiners way back in the second episode of the Combiner Wars cartoon, "The Council".

Errors

Continuity errors

• Considering he started running hours prior, you'd think Perceptor would have covered a lot more distance by now, but he's barely moved from where he left at the Primal Basilica.

Animation and technical errors

• When Fortress Maximus says "No Emissary", the subtitles say "No necessary."

Trivia

• Nolan North fills in for many of Fortress Maximus's screams and effort sounds, in place of his normal voice actor Michael Dorn.
• Fortress Maximus certainly makes plenty of use of the guns in his legs.
• A full 26 seconds of animation scripting from "The Fight Begins" is reused, only instead of Metroplex, it's Fortress Maximus who's fighting Trypticon. Frame-for-frame, the actions are the same as the ones from the earlier episode: Trypticon dodges two punches before being hit by the third, then rams his opponent in the abdomen before bringing his head upwards to knock his opponent backwards. He then charges his opponent again, and the two grapple for a few seconds before Trypticon gains the upper hand. Finally, Trypticon is hit in the head by a spinning back kick, followed by the two combatants squaring off for a moment.