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!!Tropes:
* ArmorPiercingResponse: It doesn't take much for Wheeljack to pick up on how the other Decepticons don't think much of their current leader. It's pretty easy for him to deflate Starscream's posturing during the climax.
-->'''Starscream:''' Do you not see that you are vastly outnumbered?\\
'''Wheeljack:''' I see fellas who might vastly enjoy watchin' me pound some dents into you.\\
'''Starscream:''' ''[flustered]'' Destroy him!
* BadassInDistress: Wheeljack is captured and impersonated. By episode's end, the impostor is exposed and the real Wheeljack is rescued.
* BerserkButton: Starscream tries to kill Wheeljack for laughing at the thought of him leading the Decepticons instead of Megatron.
* BluffTheImposter: A suspicious Bulkhead asks "Wheeljack" to tell the story about how they fought together at the Battle at Darkmount Pass. "Wheeljack" tells the story flawlessly, except...
-->'''Bulkhead:''' I wasn't there. I'd already left the Wreckers to join up with Optimus, but you wouldn't know that if all you did was access Wheeljack's public service record.
* BoringButPractical: For what it is worth, Starscream's plan to destroy the Autobot base was remarkably simple and effective: Send in an infiltrator, get him to open the groundbridge with fixed coordinates, and then swarm the base with Decepticon foot troopers. It only failed because there were factors he didn't foresee or know about: 1, The Autobot base was shielded to avoid detection, 2, Bulkhead having known Wheeljack personally enough to [[BluffTheImpostor know all the stories]], 3, the groundbridge was scrambled because of the Scraplets (which he had absolutely no knowledge of), and 4, the fact that Wheeljack got loose because his guard got arrogant and [[NeckSnap too close]]. And if it weren't for that last part, Starscream would have won in a matter of moments.
* ButNowIMustGo: Wheeljack decides not to stay with Team Prime and to continue searching for Autobots out in space.
* CantKillYouStillNeedYou: Starscream was about to turn Wheeljack into another Cliffjumper right until Soundwave clutches onto Starscream's arm to prevent this. Starscream agrees that Wheeljack may still be of use.
* TheComicallySerious: Ratchet [[GrumpyOldMan does not like parties]].
--> It's like a recurring nightmare!
* ContinuityNod: Obviously, the Scraplet attack was fairly recent if Ratchet mentions that the Ground Bridge equipment still shorts out on occasion due to the damage.
* DeathBySecretIdentity: Makeshift gets blown up before he can reveal the location of the Autobot base.
* DevilInPlainSight: Makeshift in disguise was acting weird, had creepy moments (visible to the characters) and had an unhealthy obsession with the location of Autobots' base. Nobody suspects anything (except Bulkhead, who thought that his friend was acting weird).
* DynamicEntry: Wheeljack enters the Autobot base by jumping through the Ground Bridge portal and kicking Makeshift in the back.
* EngineeredHeroics: Since the Autobots would detect any Decepticon presence at the meeting spot, the disguised Makeshift smacks around some Vehicons in order to sell his masquerade.
* TheFaceless: The audience never gets a good look at Makeshift's real appearance.
* GenreBlindness: "Wheeljack" was just rescued from the Decepticons and his main questions are the location of the base on the map. It's a basic premise for an impostor-plot but nobody realises it (even Bulkhead only thinks that his friend is acting weirdly).
* IWarnedYou: While in captivity, Wheeljack tells Starscream that Bulkhead will inevitably see through any imposter. {{Exaggerated|Trope}} in that Bulkhead '''''immediately''''' sees through Makeshift's disguise, but everyone else [[IgnoredExpert fails to catch on]].
* IdiotBall: The Autobots and kids hold it very hard in this episode. "Wheeljack" was just rescued from the Decepticons, and his main questions are the location of their base on the map. [[DevilInPlainSight Everyone with a piece of mind]] (or [[GenreSavvy Genre Savviness]]) [[DevilInPlainSight immediately think something's wrong]]. [[GenreBlindness Except our heroes]]. Plus, [[IgnoredExpert others didn't believe Bulkhead at first]].
* IgnoredExpert: The Autobots don't listen to Bulkhead saying his old friend isn't acting normal since he hasn't seen Wheeljack in such a long time. {{Subverted|Trope}} when Bulkhead enacts his successful BluffTheImposter.
* ImposterForgotOneDetail: Part of Bulkhead's BluffTheImposter, the fake Wheeljack recounts fighting beside Bulkhead at the Battle of Darkmount. Bulkhead says he got all the details right, before pointing out that Bulkhead himself wasn't there: he'd already joined up with Optimus by that time. But the impostor wouldn't have known that if all he had for reference was Wheeljack's service record.
* OhCrap: Makeshift's last words are a subdued "Oh no" before [[WhyAmITicking the bomb attached to him]] detonates.
* OutOfCharacterAlert: Because Bulkhead is Wheeljack's old friend, he near-immediately realised something was wrong with his "friend" but everyone points out, [[BothSidesHaveAPoint not unreasonably]], that Wheeljack might have changed a bit over the long period of time since Bulkhead last saw him. It takes a BluffTheImpostor test to confirm that Bulkhead is correct.
* PapaWolf: Bulkhead is not happy when Makeshift grabs Miko as a hostage.
-->'''Bulkhead:''' Decepticon scum! Let the girl go and face me!
* ProperlyParanoid: On both ends. Starscream gets impatient when he doesn't hear from Makeshift as soon as he expected out of fear the Autobots will eventually see through his disguise. Ironically only Bulkhead gets suspicious, despite the Autobots warning him Wheeljack might have changed since he last met him.
* RaceAgainstTheClock: Starscream acknowledges how Makeshift only has a finite amount of time to learn the location of the Autobot base before someone figures out the deception.
* SketchySuccessor: Wheeljack openly laughs when told that Starscream has taken over for Megatron.
* SomebodySetUpUsTheBomb: The Autobots send Makeshift back with [[WhyAmITicking a little surprise...]]
* SpotTheImposter: Bulkhead is able to see through Makeshift's disguise eventually. When both Wheeljack and Makeshift are together, the others have the sense to just let them fight it out and see what happens, implying that the latter is unable to copy everything his former captor has.
-->'''Bulkhead:''' That's my Jackie.
* StoryBreakerPower: WordOfGod confirms this is why Makeshift was killed off.
* TemptingFate:
** Bulkhead boasts that the Decepticons will wish that Wheeljack never showed up. On the ''Nemesis'', Soundwave has already picked up the communication and identified the new arrival, so Starscream orders Makeshift into action.
** With the portal open, Makeshift says it's time to get the real party started, but it's Wheeljack who performs the DynamicEntry.
* TooPowerfulToLive: Makeshift was killed because, according to the WordOfGod, he has a StoryBreakerPower that could scrap half of the plot.
* WalkingTheEarth: Optimus offers Wheeljack a place with the Autobots, but Wheeljack decides he's not ready to give up his freelancer lifestyle [[PutOnABus and leaves for the moment to explore Earth and search for other Autobot survivors]].
* WoundedGazelleGambit: Wheeljack flails about helplessly in his restraints. He does this to goad the guard into coming close enough to threaten him at gunpoint to knock it off. At the right moment, Wheeljack grabs onto the guard with his legs and shakes him up, correctly anticipating any wild blaster fire will disable the systems powering the restraints.
* YouFool: Starscream says this to Makeshift after he realizes he was tossed through the ground bridge with a bomb attached.
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