A disgruntled former Sumdac Systems employee seeks revenge and profit by taking control of one of the Autobots and sending him on a rampage.
Tropes:
- Alien Arts Are Appreciated: Bulkhead tries to become an artist with Sari's encouragement. While he's still a beginner, some of his art is a hit with human audiences.
- Big "NO!": Bulkhead when he wakes up to find the rest of his body stolen, leaving him only as a helpless head.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Invoked by Professor Sumdac towards the Headmaster. The Headmaster is not amused.
- Continuity Nod: This isn't the first time that Bulkhead laments how every one simply sees him as a big wrecking ball. However, this is the first episode where he's actually given an outlet to feel better about the destructive nature of his powers.
- Death Glare: Several of Bumblebee's jokes and comments earn him these from Bulk.Bumblebee (trying to put out a fire): Oh! I got it! No problem! Where's the fire extinguisher!Bulkhead: Attached to Prime!Bumblebee: Okay, problem. Well, just, don't sit there, give me a hand!Bulkhead: (Death Glare)Bumblebee: Right, my bad.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Twice is Henry Masterson guilty of this. First, he is so busy demonstrating his weapon, it falls on deaf ears when Sumdac tries to tell him that his company doesn't specialize in weapons. Meanwhile, Masterson's new invention accidentally fires off a missile heading to the city. Masterson is psyched by the demonstration, while Sumdac has to spell it out that his invention is about to endanger an untold amount of people in Detroit who didn't ask to be bombarded with a missile today.
- Gentle Giant: Bulkhead tries to be this, and doesn't mean any harm...but his sheer size, strength, and clumsiness tends to cause a lot of damage.
- Grand Theft Me: Bulkhead gets his body stolen, sans head.
- Guile Hero: The Autobots, Fanzone, and Sumdac pull this on Masterson; they get into the power plant by pretending that the Autobots are Fanzone's car (Bumblebee), a police escort on a motorcycle (Prowl using a hologram), a red semi filled with Masterson's ransom (actually Prime with Bulkhead in the trailer), and an ambulance in case of any injured (Ratchet). Once Masterson admits that he'll destroy Detroit anyway, the 'bots drop the ruse.
- Heroic Sacrifice: Averted. Optimus volunteers to sacrifice himself to shut down the overloading reactor core, but Bulkhead manages to save his commanding officer with some quick thinking.
- Internet Jerk: Henry Masterson - though he actually has the tech and the ability to back up his threats.
- Ironic Echo: Courtesy of Professor Sumdac once the Autobots manage to ambush Masterson.Professor Sumdac: I believe the phrase is "Total Ownage Noob".
- Lame Pun Reaction: Done straight by Bumblebee regarding Bulkhead not losing his head (in the metaphorical sense). This earns him a Death Glare from the decapitated Bulkhead.
- Laser-Guided Karma:
- A mild example, but Bumblebee gets his revenge on Bulkhead for making fun of his height back in Total Meltdown.
- Averted with the Headmaster himself, who manages to be a Karma Houdini.
- Leet Lingo: Henry Masterson speaks like this.
- Losing Your Head: Poor Bulkhead.
- Mad Scientist: Henry Masterson.
- Mythology Gag: At one point, while travelling incognito in a convoy, Optimus has ditched his vehicle mode sirens and has hooked up with a normal trailer - making him resemble his G1 self.
- While travelling in the same convoy in place of Fanzone's police car, Bumblebee overrides the captain's taste of music with his own (ala the 2007 movie), much to the chagrin of Fanzone.
- The Headmaster unit is a nod to the Headmaster gimmick from the original Transformers toyline, in which a smaller figure would transform into the head of a Transformer's robot mode.
- Never My Fault: Henry Masterson gets angry with Professor Sumdac for rejecting his ideas and firing him, while ignoring the fact that he should have thought twice before introducing military technology to a Technological Pacifist. Not to mention that he carelessly launched a rocket at the city and put people's lives in danger.
- Not Helping Your Case: During an interview with a reporter bot, Bulkhead denies the statement that he's just a big wrecking machine...only to then cause a lot of damage when he races to stop a missile.
- Suddenly Shouting: "Bumblebee, I'm all for being one with my art. But this might be taking it A LITTLE TOO FAR!!!"
- Technological Pacifist: Professor Sumdac firmly establishes that his company doesn't make military technology, getting increasingly angry every time Henry Masterson mentions war bots. This, as well as Masterson carelessly launching a rocket at the city, causes Sumdac to fire him immediately.Professor Sumdac: Mr. Masterson! I have told my staff time and again, we do not make military robots or Headmaster Units that take over other military robots for... more military things!
- What the Hell, Hero?: Bulkhead gets chewed out by an angry mom for how much destruction he tends to cause while carrying out heroics.
