During an energon storm, Waspinator's body is taken over by an old enemy.
Tropes:
- All Men Are Perverts: Even Starscream can’t resist Blackarachnia, as once they make an alliance, he can be seen reaching for her booty before Scorponok intervenes.
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: The Predacons attack, as the Maximals make repairs caused by the energon storm. At Starscream's suggestion, they attack not from the southwest (where the severe damage would get the Maximals' priority), but from the relatively undamaged northeast. In the ensuing firefight, Dinobot takes a nasty hit, so Optimus orders a retreat.
- Bad Boss / Benevolent Boss: Megatron does both at once after the Predacons seize the Maximal Base. He credits Starscream for the success and rewards him with a promotion. When Terrorsaur complains, though, Megatron smashes Terrorsaur's face into the table.
- Batman Gambit: Dinobot was injured in battle. Optimus has him fake being more worse off than he actually is to sell the team's phony surrender plan. Dinobot's put in a CR Chamber and Optimus is chained up in the hold, which is exactly what was planned on for retaking the base.
- Big "WHAT?!": Optimus when the Predacons attack the undamaged side of the Maximal Base.
- Blatant Lies: Starscream claims he was destroyed while defending Galvatron against Unicron.
- Call-Back: Blackarachnia knows that Starscream's story of how he sacrificed himself in fighting Unicron is a lie, since she researched that he was actually killed by Galvatron after betraying him.
- Doing In the Wizard: Starscream's stint as a ghost in the original cartoon is now attributed to his immortal spark. Downplayed, as Sparks are essentially Cybertronian Souls.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Upon Dinobot explaining Starscream's treacherous history, Optimus gets an idea how to play to that.
- Foreshadowing: Starscream deliberately zeroes in on the the seemingly random planet the Beast Wars were on and implies he'd been trying to go there for quite some time. Upon arriving, he muses that his Spark is capable of both traveling through space AND time, a comment that none of the characters seem to catch the significance of. This makes much more sense when it's revealed they were on Earth the whole time. Of course Starscream would be heading there since that's where the bots he knew would still be fighting the Great War and traveling through time explains how his Spark is there when his actual body is both still alive and in stasis in the Ark at that precise moment. It also explains how he's still a spark ghost despite him being seemingly restored to life in G1's third season episode "Ghost in the Machine" and Beast Wars being set centuries after G1. Starscream must have made the journey through time to prehistoric Earth before that episode.
- I Lied: After imprisoning Optimus, Starscream starts barking orders at the other Maximals and warns them to behave or else.Tigatron: We had an agreement, Starscream!
Starscream: And now we have another one. - In the Back: During the attack on the Maximal Base, Megatron gets the drop on Dinobot this way.
- Innocuously Important Episode:
- If retroactively. Next season will see the introduction of a Maximal experiment to recreate Starscream's indestructible spark.
- This is also the episode that concretely establishes the Maximals and Predacons as the descendants of the Autobots and Decepticons.
- Insistent Terminology: G1 Megatron is referred to only by his later name Galvatron throughout this episode, with no reference to him having been Megatron's namesake. This is likely done to avoid complicating things by introducing a separate Megatron into the story.
- Insult Backfire:Rattrap: You're nothin' but a no good, schemin' snake in the grass!
Starscream: Flattery will get you flattened, vermin. - Insult to Rocks: Quothe Optimus:Optimus: I have to tell you, Starscream, you're giving space debris a very bad name.
- It's All About Me:Blackarachnia: You got blasted by Galvatron, after you betrayed him.
Starscream: Galvatron was a fool! I deserved to lead! - Oh, Crap!: Rattrap and Cheetor sneak in towards the Predacon Base, only to get caught under lights and see numerous guns target them."RHINOX!"
- Properly Paranoid:
- Megatron is immediately suspicious of Starscream despite claims of pledging him his loyalty. While pleased with their victory, he orders Scorponok to keep an eye on Starscream just in case.
- When it's all over, Blackarachnia claims that she was only pretending to side with Starscream to learn his true intentions. Megatron observes she's smooth and that that doesn't inspire confidence.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: With the battle going badly, Optimus orders a full retreat from the base.Rattrap: Like this rat needs instructions on deserting a sinking ship.
- Shout-Out: Right before Starscream is blown up, Optimus quips "Hasta la vista, Starscream". He even dons a pair of Cool Shades before he flies off, just like the T-800. In the Japanese version, Optimus instead says "Farewell, Starscream."
- Skewed Priorities: Hiding out in the jungle after having to retreat from the base, Cheetor expresses certainty that one of the Predacons is in his room right now touching his stuff. Rattrap suggests he go tell someone that cares.
- The Starscream: Guess who? Blackarachnia also decides to take lessons in treachery from Starscream, only to betray him after he leaves her for the Maximals. Dinobot also refers to 'Screamer as the most notorious traitor in Cybertronian history.
- This Cannot Be!: Dinobot upon hearing Starscream has possessed Waspinator.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Airazor flies by the base, just as the other Maximals are retreating. She has this reaction and figures she better go get Tigatron.
- Weak, but Skilled: Waspinator never has much luck in a fight, but Starscream's countless years of combat experience make the body more formidable than ever before. Characters who usually get the best of Waspinator handily can barely keep up with these aerial tricks.
- Wham Line: Waspinator's first line following the freak storm. Not just because it lacks his Third-Person Person speech patterns, but is also a different voice altogether."Waspinator": Yes, here I am at very long last.
- Followed soon after by his introduction.
Allow me to present myself. Air Commander Starscream of the Decepticon Battle Fleet. - You and What Army?: Rattrap yells at Dinobot to do a better job of pretending to be gravely injured, leading to an argument.Dinobot: If you don't shut up, rodent, you shall be my role model!
Rattrap: Oh, yeah? You and whose—?
[Tigatron angrily snarls]
Rattrap: All right, fine. I'm shuttin' up. If it ain't the dinosaurs up your nose, it's the felines. - You Fool!: Dinobot's reaction to learning that the Maximal Elders classified all records about Starscream.
