Coming directly off the previous episode, Dreadwing wants to counterattack the Autobots for having lost the Star Saber, but Megatron clearly points out that the Star Saber has rendered any attack meaningless for the cons. While Dreadwing then points out that they have a prime relic as well in the Forge of Solus Prime, Megatron also points out that they need a Prime to use it. This then gives him an idea on how to get the edge on the Autobots.
Meanwhile Optimus is listening to an age old message from Alpha Trion. It's revealed that he sent all the relics to Earth.
Tropes:
- A God Am I: Megatron tries to convince Optimus that they are gods because of the power they both now wield. See You're Insane! below.
- All There in the Manual: The Prime whose arm Megatron plunders was later confirmed to be Liege Maximo
, the trickster member of the Thirteen. - Appendage Assimilation: Megatron gains the power of the Primes when he grafts the right arm of a deceased Prime onto himself.
- Badass Transplant: Megatron gains the power of the Primes by cutting off his own forearm and replacing it with one from a dead Prime. Bonus points for wanting to stay awake during the operation and barely even flinching.
- Batman Gambit: Dreadwing is uneasy about robbing a tomb, due to Skyquake's demise. Megatron keeps him motivated by saying what they'll do here will ultimately avenge Skyquake and others who died fighting the Autobots. Dreadwing immediately forces open the tomb.
- Big "NO!": Megatron, as Optimus and Smokescreen are about to escape.
- Bittersweet Ending: The Autobots claim the first Omega Key but at the cost of the Star Saber.
- Call-Back: Megatron says the Decepticon Space Bridge was moved to behind the Moon, due to the Autobots finding the previous hiding spot.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Megatron admits he'd kill Arcee where she stands, but he wants her to deliver a message to Optimus to face him for the Iacon Relic.
- Chekhov's Armory: Alpha Trion sent the Iacon relics to Earth, not to keep them out of Decepticon hands, but to put them in Autobot hands, for he knew that the war would come to Earth.
- Chekhov's Gun:
- The Forge of Solus Prime is finally put to use by Megatron, but only after replacing his arm with that of another late Prime.
- Specifically for the episode, take a look at Smokescreen's right arm before he and Arcee go through the Ground Bridge. (This ties into the below spoiler)
- Disney Death: It seems that, like Cliffjumper, we barely met Smokescreen before he died. Except that he turns out to have been wearing the Phase Shifter, which saved his life.
- "Eureka!" Moment: As Megatron goes on about needing to counter the Star Saber, Dreadwing says he had heard the Decepticons also possessed an ancient relic. Megatron says only "the hand of a Prime" can activate the Forge of Solus Prime, but then he starts laughing over the idea he's just come up with.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Team Prime are excited that restoring Cybertron may be possible if they find all four Omega Keys. They then realize that they may have to leave behind the kids after; possibly even permanently.
- A Father to His Men: With Smokescreen presumably killed by Megatron, Bulkhead and Bumblebee want to even the score. Optimus orders them to stand down, saying he won't risk anyone else under his command in a fight that only he could handle.
- Fling a Light into the Future: Alpha Trion's message to Optimus. Also doubles as a Fling a Chekhov's Armory into the Future!
- Forged by the Gods: The Star Saber. And its evil counterpart, the Dark Star Saber; forged from the blood of a god, by Megatron using a hammer of the gods.
- Grave Robbing: How Megatron obtains the means to use the Forge. It does take long for Optimus to find out just by looking at Megs' new arm, and is rightfully disgusted.
- Godzilla Threshold: Megatron resorts to digging through a gravesite to access the creative means to counter Optimus's Star Saber.
- Heroic BSoD: Arcee after Smokescreen is presumably killed.
- I Call It "Vera": "I call it the Dark Star Saber! Slayer of Primes, if you will."
- Locked Out of the Loop: While both sides go after the final four Iacon Relics, the Decepticons don't know that they are the Omega Keys.
- Loophole Abuse: The Forge can only be used by Optimus, or some other prime. After his talk with Dreadwing, Megatron finds a workaround back on Cybertron.
- Not Quite Dead: Smokescreen is seemingly vaporized by the Dark Star Saber's blast, but it turns out it simply activated Phase Shifter. He was knocked out after his rough landing and woke up during the big fight.
- Oh, Crap!: Easy to miss but Optimus gets one when Megatron shatters the Star Saber.
- Recycled In Space: This episode is Optimus Prime and Megatron recreating Star Wars.
- Rule of Three: Arcee fears losing Smokescreen after already losing Tailgate and Cliffjumper. Luckily, Smokescreen defies this.
- Status Quo Is God: The Star Saber is quickly destroyed after one episode. It gets repaired for the season finale, but it never again plays such a prominent, powered up role.
- Takes One to Kill One: Megatron forges his own evil version of the Star Saber to fight Optimus on equal footing, and it appears for a while that they are at a Mutual Disadvantage where Like Cannot Cut Like... until a particularly forceful Blade Lock cuts the Star Saber in half.
- Tempting Fate: Smokescreen expresses certainty that Megatron's practically finished, due to how Optimus has the Star Saber. The next scene is Megatron ordering Knock Out to perform the surgery.
- We Will Meet Again: Megatron takes Optimus and Smokescreen escaping just fine.Megatron: [laughs] Run, Optimus. Run! Those trinkets from Iacon will not save you. Not when I now possess the power TO TEAR THIS WORLD APART!
- Whole-Plot Reference: The arc set up here, and running through the next few episodes, is essentially a truncated version of Transformers: Cybertron, where the 'Bots and 'Cons race for the Omega Keys and a way to save Cybertron.
- "You!" Exclamation: After Smokescreen reveals he's still alive and has the key, Megatron shouts this.
- You're Insane!:Optimus: I am but a soldier, Megatron. And you are a prisoner of your own twisted delusions!
