Beast Machines

Episode 2: Master of the House

SPOILERS AHEAD

SYNOPSIS:

Optimus Primal trains the Maximals how to transform.  Try as he might,
RatTrap can't seem to catch the frame of mind.  They are interrupted by
a drone (probably not a Vehicon "clan").
In searching for a base, BlackArachnia and Cheetor go above ground
against orders.  BA taps into a public info system to find out all the
data was wiped.  Black Arachnia, the only Maximal who hasn't been on
Cybertron (assuming Maximal life and memories start at a Protoform)
seems to know a lot about Cybertron -- at least more than the others
can recall.

They discover that Cybertropolis, home to 10 million Transformers, is deserted
as if they left in a hurry.

The "Air Force" attacks the two and Primal and RatTrap come to their rescue.
Primal decides to rush past the guards and enter the Council Chambers.
The others lead away the enemy drones.  Much to Primal's dismay, Megatron
is the uncontested total ruler of Cybertron.  Megatron accuses Primal of
loosing the Beast Wars and causing the death of all Transformers there.
Primal is able to launch his own psychological attack (a button almost
unintentionally pushed) and Megatron goes furious.  This disrupts his
control over the mindless Vehicons.  SIDENOTE:  This is where we first
hear the term "Vehicon" in the show.
Megatron has to disconnect from his flawless machine and under the robe,
we see his Transmetal II Dragon body.  Megatron regains control and
realizes that maybe his initial approach with the Vehicons isn't the
best way to get the Maximals.
Primal is overcome with the prospect of all those deaths on his head
and has to be dragged away by the other Maximals.  This is reminiscent of
the scene in Transformers: The Movie were the Autobots have to drag
the Dinobots onto the shuttle to escape the Sweeps.


DESIGN NOTE:

I am sure the aforementioned scene has no reference to TF: The Movie but
we fans make such streched connections all the time.  ;)


IMPRESSIONS:

The episode fills the direction of the show where the first episode merely
teased us with some disjointed events.  We now have a complete platform
of where the Beast Machines story will jump off from.  We have our conflict,
our heroes, our villian, mysteries, and ideological themes.


QUESTIONS:

Question arises, how could Megatron accomplish all this by himself?
How could he create a virus that decimates Cybertron's population yet
somehow miss 4 of 6 of his most hated enemies?
How could he become master of Cybertron and create his own army of
Vehicons in such a short time?  We aren't told how much time has past.

When will RatTrap transform?
What is Megatron trying to become?

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