While Jack and Rafael help enforce Team Prime's Robots in Disguise mantra, Miko is continuing to help Bulkhead recover from his brush with Tox-En. Apparently, it's affected his ability to walk, though he can apparently still drive easily. Suddenly, they get a signal that something has landed on Earth. While a few members want to send Wheeljack in to investigate, after the events of "Hurt", Ratchet vetos the idea, sending in most of Team Prime (aside from the injured Bulkhead) to investigate.
They reach a Decepticon escape pod, only to be ambushed by Decepticon forces (though oddly lead by none of its leaders). Suddenly, another pair of blasters comes from behind. It's another Autobot, only one less skilled at shooting, as he accidentally ignites an energon line from the pod, leading to an explosion that obliterates and drives off the remaining cons.
After the explosion dies down, the bot introduces himself as Smokescreen, graduate of the Autobot Elite Guard, and former guardsman of the hall of Iacon Records. (and a fanboy of THE Optimus Prime) Given the recent activity surrounding the Iacon Database, the Autobots aren't exactly trusting at first. However, when Smokescreen mentions that he learned under Optimus's old mentor Alpha Trion, who mentioned that he nominated Optimus for Prime leadership, Optimus gives Raf the go to bring Smokescreen to base.
Miko is excited to finally see a new face at base, but the others are rather skeptical about Smokescreen's sincerity of story. Thus, he tells the tale of how he ended up on Earth.
In the waning days of Cybertron, he graduated from the academy in order to aid the Autobot effort, but was disappointed with guard duty at Iacon instead. When the Cons launched an assault on the archive, Smoke was thrilled to finally get in on the action, as the last soldier between the archive and the cons. However, something knocked him out, and he later came to on a prison ship, which he managed to free himself from, which explains how he was in an Decepticon escape pod.
Smoke's confident that the war can't be all that hard since they have Optimus. However, Bulkhead chooses this moment to come in, showing the wounds of war, and clearly angry at the new kid. Still, they trust his story enough, and have Jack give Smoke a tour of the base. Being a former clerk at Iacon, he recognizes quite a few relics the Autobots have collected during their time, especially the Phase Shifter. Then there's the surprise relic: Arachnid. Smoke's clearly surprised by her, but doesn't press any further when Jack says it's, "The kind you don't wanna mess with."
Meanwhile, Starscream has finally made it back from the Antarctic, and is using the internet to find more relics for himself. He later comes upon a photo of humans excavating something called Red Energon, which apparently gives Transformers Super-Speed. And since he still has the Apex Armor, he plans on claiming it for himself as well.
Bulkhead meanwhile is unhappy as Smokescreen clearly could be considered his replacement on Team Prime. The others assure that since Smokescreen is New Meat, that his position is not in doubt, but Bulk still has his doubts. Meanwhile, Raf has also found the red energon, and Optimus has Agent Fowler move the chunk from the site ASAP. Smokescreen wants to be part of the retrieval process, but as he has no vehicle yet, they have Jack go with him to pick a mode instead.
Starscream arrives at the dig site, only to find they already move the energon.
Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee move in to retrieve the red energon from a shipping center where they've been moving the energon, but Starscream, utilizing his ground bridge remote, meets them there, using the Apex Armor to shrug off whatever they throw at them. Smokescreen returns to base having picked a vehicle, but Ratchet is hesitant to send him without Optimus's permission.
As the armor makes Starscream impossible to damage, Optimus finally calls for backup. Bulkhead wants back in, but Smokescreen gets the go first, though not without suspiciously trying to grab the Phase Shifter from the archives.
Starscream is about to topple the autobots, when Smokescreen drives into the shipping yard, as a Racecar! However, using the Phase Shifter he grabbed, and to everyone's surprise, Smokescreen kicks Starscream out of the armor. Quickly analyzing the situation, Starscream fires a missle at the main chunk of Red Energon, creating a smokescreen for him to escape with a smaller chunk that had fallen off during the battle.
Despite being a bit rough in terms of protocol, with the recovery of the Apex Armor, Optimus officially inducts Smokescreen into Team Prime. Meanwhile in the background, Bulkhead admits that Smokescreen did well, before going into the bowels of the base to sulk, despite Miko's best efforts to assure him that he'll be back in action in no time.
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: A slightly more subtle one. Ratchet's clown car line is very evocative to "Get a job in a sideshow".
- Actually Pretty Funny: Starscream notes that some things he finds on the Internet to be “amusing”.
- Anti-Climax: Starscream had been easily fighting off Optimus, Arcee, and Bumblebee due to being equipped with the Apex Armor. Once Smokescreen comes in, Starscream assumes he’ll curbstomp him just as easily. However, Smokescreen takes out Starscream without effort by using the Phase Shifter to kick him out of the armor.
- Ask a Stupid Question...: Smokescreen is excited to join the fight with Team Prime and asks "How hard could it be to end it?" Bulkhead begrudgingly drags himself to show the newbie just "how hard" it has been so far.
- Beware the Silly Ones: Starscream learns the hard way when encountering Smokescreen for the first time. He though he was just dealing with some Autobots rookie and there's no way he could beat him while he's wearing the Apex Armor. Then Smokescreen kicks him out of it with the Phase Shifter.
- Bittersweet Ending:
- For Starscream. He loses the Apex Armor suit to the Autobots but is at least able to acquire Red Energon (he was running low on any type of Energon).
- For Smokescreen, he officially earns his place in Team Prime, though Bulkhead is still bitter about it, and still out of action to prove himself.
- Breather Episode: After the intensity of "Hurt", the solemn "Out of the Past" - and before the grisly and dark "The Human Factor" - we have a lighthearted episode about a young, friendly Autobot joining Team Prime.
- Clown Car: After discovering the escape pod, Arcee quips about the attacking Decepticons all coming out of it. Ratchet counters with a reference to the trope.
- Combat Stilettos: Smokescreen lampshades how Starscream has these. Apparently the stories he heard about him were just that detailed.
- Continuity Nod: The Autobots still remember their ordeal with Makeshift, so they aren't exactly keen to invite Smokescreen to the base at first.
- When Smokescreen is given a tour of the base, all the relics the Autobots currently have are mentioned. Including a statis-induced Airachnid.
- When Arcee suggests calling in Wheeljack, Ratchet objects and cites what happened in "Hurt."
- Cool Car: What Smokescreen chooses for his vehicle mode.Arcee: Apparently, no one defined "low profile" for him.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Smokescreen comes as an overenthusiastic idiot who is in over his head. Then, he uses the Phase Shifter to literally kick Starscream out of the Apex Armor.
- Comically Missing the Point: Smokescreen ultimately chose a race car as his alt mode, either not knowing that a race car isn't a low-profile vehicle or not caring because he thought it was cool-looking. Arcee points this out.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: Still recovering, Bulkhead thinks his teammates are planning to replace him with Smokescreen. Optimus reminds him that they are still outnumbered and need all of the help they can get especially since recruiting Wheeljack is currently out of the question.
- Easy Come, Easy Go: Within his first appearance since obtaining it, Starscream loses the Apex Armor.
- Easily Forgiven: While expressing annoyance about Smokescreen supposedly taking his place, Bulkhead says the team should've just called Wheeljack instead. It's an indication that, unlike Ratchet, he doesn't begrudge his old friend for the events of "Hurt" in the slightest.
- Establishing Character Moment: Smokescreen is introduced when he runs into the fight, despite clearly not being as skilled as some of the other 'bots, accidentally shooting an Energon trail (which wins the fight), then being completely floored when he meets Optimus Prime. It shows that he's an eager though inexperienced warrior who sincerely wants to serve Optimus Prime and his team.
- Expecting Someone Taller: Smokescreen mockingly tells the Apex Armor-wearing Starscream, "I thought you'd be taller."
- Failed Attempt at Drama: Starscream's initial effort to steal the Red Energon falls short when he finds the humans had already moved it away.
- A Father to His Men: Optimus assures Bulkhead that he is not being replaced.
- Flat "What": After making a grand entrance and bragging about his superiority, Starscream has this reaction after noticing the construction site has already been cleared.
- Foreshadowing: Jack shows Smokescreen around the base, including the acquired relics. It's how Smokescreen knows to help himself to the phase-shifter before facing Starscream.
- The Knights Who Say "Squee!": Smokescreen can't contain his excitement when first meeting Optimus.
- Literal Metaphor: Arcee calls Smokescreen "too green" , which Miko responds that he is not as "green" as Bulkhead. She referred to Bulk's green color, so Ratchet clarifies that Smokescreen has slimply a lot to learn in order to be a team player.
- The Mole: Subverted. The others are suspicious of Smokescreen at first, and the way he acts around the Iacon relics casts further suspicion on him for the audience. This ultimately culminates in what looks like an attempt to steal the Phase Shifter (and possibly kill Ratchet), but it turns out he's loyal, just a loose cannon who needs to be brought up to speed on protocol.
- Mythology Gag: While finding a suitable vehicle for his altmode, Smokescreen considers a cement truck more fitting for a Constructicon, who were part of the Decepticons in G1.
- New Meat: Smokescreen becomes the team's newest member.
- Oh, Crap!: Ratchet's reaction to seeing Red Energon on Earth.
- Oh, No... Not Again!: When Raf says he's again picked up something on the computer, Ratchet expresses annoyance over the prospect of yet another Bumblebee sighting.
- Refused by the Call: When an Apex Armor-powered Starscream gets involved in the battle for the Red Energon, Bulkhead is desperate to go in and help. Ratchet refuses, and sends out Smokescreen instead.
- Title Drop: When Starscream sees Smokescreen, he remarks that the Autobots have a "new recruit."
