Using the new Transmetal Driver, Megatron creates a new clone of Dinobot. Meanwhile, Cheetor finds himself caught by the strange energies from the malfunctioning device.
Tropes featured:
- An Arm and a Leg: Quickstrike is the only one that tries fighting the new cyber-creature head on. The (mostly off-screen) thrashing he gets leads to his cobra arm being ripped off and tossed aside.
- Big Word Shout: After Quickstrike gets trashed, Megatron angrily shouts, "WHO?!"
- Brutal Honesty: When Optimus asks where Cheetor is, Depth Charge tosses him a piece of the cat's chestplate.
- Butt-Monkey: As the Predacons struggle with the cyber-creature, Waspinator is calmly flying in. Megatron mistakes him for the creature and accidentally shoots him.
- Continuity Nod: The site of Dinobot II's creation is actually the same spot where the Golden Disk was briefly hidden.
- Disney Death: Cheetor is caught in an explosion while tossing an alien Transmetal driver to Depth Charge. He somehow survives but undergoes a painful change between parts 1 and 2.
- Due to the Dead: After breaking the news, Depth Charge tells Optimus and Rhinox, "Cat was tough. He went out fighting."
- Foreshadowing: Depth Charge throws the Transmetal Driver into the lava, but viewers see Blackarachnia snatch it for herself in the nick of time.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: Shortly before Depth Charge is emerging from the CR Chamber, we see a closeup of a readout flashing "FF*CK" in green (the F characters are stacked vertically), followed by "YOU" in red. This text is upside down, probably intentionally to lessen the chances it would be noticed before the episode aired.
- Gory Discretion Shot: Quickstrike is completely dismembered by Cheetor from behind a large boulder.
- Heroic BSoD: Optimus has one when he thinks Cheetor's been killed by Megatron.
- Hidden Heart of Gold: Depth Charge is stunned by Cheetor apparently being killed, but he acts all detached when delivering the news to Optimus and Rhinox.
- The Igor: During Dinobot II's creation, Waspinator plays this role to the hilt.Waspinator: Yes, Master!
- It's All My Fault: Optimus blames himself for Cheetor's supposed death, as he believes that Cheetor wouldn't try to take on the Predacons if he wasn't so hard on him.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: After falling off the cliff, a dazed Megatron orders a retreat before passing out.
- Meaningful Background Event: As Depth Charge gets information about the Transmetal Driver, Blackarachnia sits atop the cave entrance.
- Not Quite Dead: Cheetor is shown to be alive (but badly damaged) shortly after his apparent demise.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: As Depth Charge acts all snarky during the interrogation:Quickstrike: Snotty little flounder, ain't he? Lemme gut him for you, Boss!
Rampage: No, he's mine! I shall feast upon his still pulsating Spark! - Parting-Words Regret: As Optimus mourns Cheetor's apparent death, he blames himself for it.Optimus: Cheetor. This is my fault, Rhinox. I was rough on him, so he... so he tried to prove something.
- Properly Paranoid: Optimus immediately suspects what this new cyber-creature really is.
- Shout-Out: Dinobot II's creation, natch. See The Igor above.
- The cyber creature's actions are reminiscent of werewolf films, such as An American Werewolf in London and The Howling, and the creature even uses a feline version of howling at the moon.
- Megatron at one point is sent spinning like the Tazmanian Devil and falls over a cliff like Wile E. Coyote.
- Strange Minds Think Alike:Waspinator: Waspinator not like new lizard-bot!
Depth Charge: I agree with the bug, but then I'm not crazy about any of you. - Villains Out Shopping: Megatron is lounging in a CR hot tub, complete with a rubber ducky, when Rampage confronts him about using his spark to create Dinobot II.
- Wham Episode: Dinobot II makes his debut, and something is clearly going on with Cheetor.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Optimus chews out Cheetor for firing at Waspinator while he was carrying a protoform.
- The Worf Effect: Cheetor's new Transmetal 2 body is able to single-handily take out the Predacons through a combination of speed and stealth attacks.
- You Fool!: Megatron's reaction to Dinobot II and Rampage accidentally shooting each other.
