Darksyde (BW)

The Darksyde is a spaceship from the Beast Era of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Let's see what you can see... This article is in need of images. Specifics: toy

Welcome to the Darksyde. Your hostess will be serving you a choice of beverages and honey-roasted nuts.

The Darksyde (also Darkside or Dark Side) is the name of the Predacon vessel that Megatron's troops "borrowed" to get to Earth after he stole the Golden Disk. Terrorsaur named her, though Waspinator wanted to call her the "Buzzerbot". Megatron didn't care either way. After it crashed on prehistoric Earth, the Predacon Inferno preferred to call the ship "the Colony", though just about everyone else referred to it as the Predacon base.

Among the ship's features is an onboard computer.

Fiction

Beast Wars cartoon continuity

Beast Wars cartoon

Note the space dart board behind it

Exiting transwarp, the Darksyde was immediately fired upon by the pursuing Maximal science vessel Axalon, though the better-armed Predacon ship quickly took the upper hand. Despite the urging of his first officer to destroy the Axalon when the Maximal's shields failed, Megatron arrogantly decided to merely toy with his opponents by slowing down the ship enough for the Axalon to catch up, then unleashing a broadside from the Darksyde's side guns, severely damaging the Maximal ship.

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

The crashed Darksyde became 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 without melting, 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 included CR pits capable 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.

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 Measures Another 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 Designs The 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 Jeopardy Rattrap 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. Victory Using 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 Game and 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 the Vok emissary Tigerhawk was 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 the Darksyde was stored at Predacon Transwarp Research Center D-F. As part of Megatron's plan to steal the Golden 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 from Cybertron. Theft of the Golden Disk The two fliers had had a contest to determine their ship's name. "Waspinator" had wanted to call it Buzzerbot but lost out to Terrorsaur's suggestion of Darksyde. For reasons known only to Primus, Megatron agreed with "Waspinator's" suggestion.

Flanked by Buzzsaw and Laserbeak's ship, the Darksyde prepared to execute a transwarp jump. The two ships were engaged by the Axalon before the former Decepticons managed to cripple the Maximal craft allowing the Darksyde crew to begin decoding the Golden Disk's contents. Half a mega-cycle later, the Axalon managed to catch up with the Darksyde and re-engaged in battle even as the Predacons jumped. Dawn of Future's Past

Ask Vector Prime

In Aurex 1104.30-JH Zeta, the Darksyde also carried Megatron's Predacons to prehistoric Earth and served as their headquarters. That is, until Wedge Shape defied her Servility Program and brought the Darksyde'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

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

A vessel identical to the Darksyde was used by Shockwave to check on his Ore-13 project on Earth. He encountered the Maximal ship Axalon under the command of Domitius Major, which he promptly shot down, and upon landing to check on its crew was struck by the idea of a novel experiment. Strange Visitors When the Dynobots arrived 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 of Maximals to attack the stranded Throttlebots on Regalis V in 2017. The Dead Come Home, Part 2 The Maximals deployed more ships of this design when they engaged the Autobot fleet over Caminus. Last Stand

2021 IDW Beast Wars comic

A Transwarp Drive-equipped warship, the Darksyde was stored at the Great Shipyard in Vos where it was liberated by Skold, Tarantulas, and Waspinator for use as an escape ship in Megatron's plan to steal the Golden Disk. Having destroyed the rest of the shipyard, the Darksyde was able to escape to a remote corner of the universe as the crew attempted to hack into its time travel capabilities. By the time that Tarantulas had managed to do so, the Darksyde was intercepted by the Maximal craft Axalon. The mightier fighter, the Darksyde was able to keep the Axalon on 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 the Darksyde, sending the ship into the gravity well of a nearby planet where it made a crash landing. The Darksyde's onboard computer quickly rebooted and reconstructed its crew with beast modes to protect them from the high levels of energon radiation on the planet. Savage Landing Part 1

As the Predacons took stock of their situation, a trio of Vok visited their craft. When Skold accidentally scanned the Darksyde, she detected the unspace energy signature that they'd left behind. When Terrorsaur took a scouting flight, he chanced across Nyx and brought his prisoner back to the Darksyde. 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 the Darksyde before 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 the Darksyde to 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 the Darksyde where 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 an energon hunt, leaving Skold to watch the ship. Pod Part 1 When Blackarachnia came online, she, after bringing down the other orbiting stasis pods, made her to the Darksyde. Pod Part 2 During Blackarachnia's welcome party, Skold went out to mope, discovering and befriending the new Maximal Razorbeast. When he was injured in fighting off iron wolves, Skold pondered bringing him back to the Darksyde before she realized that her fellows would kill him, taking him to the Axalon instead. Thicker Skin The Predacons eventually captured Powerhug and imprisoned him in their brig. Skold's No Good, Very Bad Day

In retaliation for Blackarachnia's attack on the Axalon, the Maximals attacked the Darksyde, Maximals Strike Back, Part 1 providing enough of a distraction for Nyx and Rattrap to sneak into the ship. Maximals Strike Back, Part 2 While 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, Saberback infiltrated the Darksyde and lured Megatron out. Primal Rage Alongside Optimus, Megatron faced off against the Children of the Vok before Primal convinced the Vok to 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 the Darksyde'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's zombiefied corpse. Observing via the security cameras, Scorponok sent a message to the Axalon, 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 the Darksyde before the Vok themselves arrived, intending to turn their reversion device on the planet and destroy all Cybertronians. Before the superweapon could fire, Rattrap and Waspinator managed to use the Axalon'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 the Darksyde, eyeing the Vok's reversion device as a useful supply of spare parts. The End

Toys

Beast Wars 10th Anniversary

• Megatron (2006)

• Known designers: Joe Kyde (deco artist)

A small toy of the Darksyde was included with the Beast Wars 10th Anniversary version of Megatron. The packaging calls it the Preadcon Predacon ship, possibly due to trademark issues. (A typo on the packaging was corrected by a sticker.^[1])

Notes

• The name of the Predacon ship comes from fandom interpretation of Terrorsaur's line from the Beast Wars episode "Equal Measures", which welcomes Cheetor "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 the Transformers Beast Wars: Transmetals video game, making the name official, and again years later in the booklet inside Kid Rhino's Beast Wars season 1 DVD set. In the BotCon 2006 exclusive toy box set and accompanying story, "Darksyde" was spelled with a "y" to avoid possible trademark problems. Regardless of this development, the Beast Wars Sourcebook continued 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 on Beast Wars 10th Anniversary Megatron's packaging with correct "Predacon" spelling.
2. ↑ The name can be seen in various Japanese guidebooks and trading cards, but there are several alternate romanizations, such as "Terra Crasher", referring to the fact that it crashes into Earth.