- All units: Optimus Prime has returned!- Ultra Magnus
Team Prime wages war against the Decepticon citadel, but with the Decepticons having a major advantage over them, someone needs to pull off an unthinkable miracle if the Autobots are to win.
Tropes:
- Batman Gambit: In "Darkmount, NV", Jack unwittingly attracted a couple of Decepticons when sending a text to his mom about his well-being. This time, Ratchet has him and Miko call in random places of the US using a Decepticon frequency, to spread the forces of Darkmount thin enough to attack through.
- Big Damn Heroes: Optimus flying into Darkmount, just as Megatron ordered the prisoners executed and each plasma cannon fired at the nearest human cities.
- Big Damn Reunion: With Optimus back in action, thanks to Smokescreen, Team Prime is whole once again with Ultra Magnus and Wheekjack joining them.
- Blasting It Out of Their Hands: Megatron shoots Ultra Magnus' hand-held BFG when he tries to attack the fusion cannons' power core.
- Call-Back: "Megatron, BE GONE!"
- Ratchet sending Predaking to the Arctic is a call back both to how the Autobots sent the Scraplets there and how Soundwave once tricked Arcee off of the Nemesis.
- As part of their ploy to lure the Decepticons out, both Jack and Miko use their cell phones, just Jack unwittingly did in the season opener.
- Optimus grabs a transformed Megatron by the tail fins, whirls him around and tosses him (into Darkmount's power core no less) in much the same way Megatron did with Starscream after his own return in Out Of His Head.
- Came Back Strong: Optimus, thanks to the Forge of Solus Prime and Smokescreen refusing his destiny.
- Casual Danger Dialogue:Shockwave: (as Darkmount collapses all around him) Soundwave, I require a Ground Bridge.
- Curb-Stomp Battle:
- He tries his best, and even lands a hit or two, but Ultra Magnus ultimately gets a pretty one-sided thrashing from Megatron, who even puts down Magnus as "no Optimus Prime."
- In turn, Megatron gets his aft handed to him quite thoroughly by the rejuvenated Optimus.
- Deus Exit Machina: Once Predaking is sent out, Ultra Magnus quickly gets his attention and orders Ratchet to open the GroundBridge. Predaking gets dumped in the Arctic and is quickly frozen.
- Didn't See That Coming: Megatron and later Optimus are admittedly surprised to see Ultra Magnus on Earth.
- Dynamic Entry: With security too tough for the Stealth Team to get past, Ultra Magnus gets into the power core by jumping off a roof and through the window.
- "Eureka!" Moment: As Optimus starts to pass on, Smokescreen gets an idea and looks at the Forge of Solus Prime.
- "Hell, Yes!" Moment: "All units, Optimus Prime has returned." Cue the Autobots and their allies celebrating.Ratchet: Thank the AllSpark!
- He's Back!: And feeling Prime.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Optimus sends Megatron flying and then frying inside his own plasma cannon's energy channel, causing the cannon to malfunction.
- Hope Spot: Ultra Magnus is about to destroy the power core, only for Megatron to blast his rifle.
- I Did What I Had to Do: Smokescreen admits that he did what was necessary to bring back Optimus, at the cost of the Forge's remaining power.Ratchet: Is it true the Forge has been drained of its power? Then any hope of rebuilding the Omega Lock has truly been lost.
Smokescreen: I... did what I felt was right.
Ratchet: And your instincts have again proven to be quite sound. - Instant Expert: Optimus has no trouble with his new flight-mode or weaponry after being upgraded by the Forge.
- Leave No Survivors: Megatron says something along these lines at one point.
- Lock-and-Load Montage: After Ultra Magnus issues the order to do exactly this.
- Militaries Are Useless: Averted in the most epic way possible. When Optimus Prime disables Darkmount's fusion cannons, a squad of USAF jet fighters led by Agent Fowler launches a barrage of missiles that send the whole fortress collapsing to the ground.
- Mythology Gag:
- This isn't the first time Optimus is dead or, in this case, dying, before rising up again.
- Ultra Magnus can't deal with Wrecker style.
- Megatron refuses to retreat, even when the battle has been lost. Ironic, huh?
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Starscream's neglecting to destroy the Harbinger after rejoining the Decepticons is finally brought to the forefront here, to Megatron's rage.
- Oh, Crap!: Subtle, but Megatron and Starscream's reaction to seeing Optimus Prime flying towards them.
- Pretender Diss: After winning their fight, Megatron dismisses Ultra Magnus as "no Optimus Prime" and drags him away for questioning.
- Say My Name: Megatron, while dogfighting Optimus, angrily screams Optimus' name while charging at him.Megatron: OOOOOOPTIMUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!!!!!!!!
- Screw Destiny: When Smokescreen is faced with accepting the Matrix of Leadership and letting Optimus die for the greater good, he chooses to sacrifice Cybertron's future to save Optimus (and deal a devastating blow to the Decepticons as a result).
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Shockwave, once things go badly."Soundwave, I require a ground bridge."
- Shout-Out: The jet fighters backing up Fowler are Skystrikers.
- Skewed Priorities: Megatron refuses to retreat, even as Darkmount literally falls apart around him. Starscream has better perspective and carries out the retreat.
- Status Quo Is God: The Autobots are fully reunited, Darkmount has been reduced to rubble and the Decepticons have escaped on their ship. The Forge of Solus Prime is spent of its energy, the Star Saber and Dark Star Saber are apparently lost (technically, the Star Saber is just on the warship, unavailable to either party), and Predaking is frozen solid in the Arctic. All that's needed for business as usual is for the Autobots to find a new base, which is provided in the next episode.
- The Stoic: Shockwave reacts to Darkmount falling apart right on top of him by calmly telling Soundwave he needs a GroundBridge and slowly walking into the portal.
- Tactical Withdrawal: Despite Megatron's protest, Starscream orders a full retreat to maintain hope of winning the war another day.
- This Cannot Be!: Ratchet's reaction to picking up a flying Autobot signal. Starscream has a similar reaction when seeing who it is.
- Too Powerful to Live: Implied when an act of subterfuge leads the Predacon dragon to be groundbridged by Ratchet to the arctic in order to take it out of play where it would have otherwise singlehandedly defeated the Autobots.
- Use Your Head: During their duel, Megatron sends Magnus flying across the room with a single headbutt.
- What Were You Thinking?: When Starscream discovers that the Autobots are using his old hideaway in the Harbinger, Megatron rightfully chews him out for leaving a place with functional Decepticon technology unsecured.
