The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2
From Transformers Wiki
| The name or term "Key to Vector Sigma" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Key to Vector Sigma (disambiguation). |
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| Optimus, remind us why this is a good idea again? | |||||||||
| "The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2" | |||||||||
| Production code | 700-56 | ||||||||
| Season | 2 | ||||||||
| No. in season | 41 | ||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||
| Airdate | November 26, 1985 | ||||||||
| Written by | David Wise | ||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||
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To counter the new Stunticons, the Autobots create the Aerialbots, but the new team members aren't so sure about the Autobot cause.
Contents |
Synopsis
On Cybertron, the Autobots are busy converting old drone rockets into Earth planes. Once their redesigns are complete, they take the ships to Vector Sigma. However, without the Key to Vector Sigma, which is in the possession of Megatron, they cannot activate the supercomputer and give Cybertronic personalities to the new bots. Alpha Trion, however, intends to activate it by merging his lifeforce with the computer. Optimus Prime tries to stop him, but Alpha Trion merges with the supercomputer. It gives life to the new Aerialbots: Silverbolt, Slingshot, Skydive, Fireflight, and Air Raid.
The Autobots and Aerialbots prepare to leave, but Alpha Trion gives Optimus a warning: the Key to Vector Sigma will have different properties on Earth, which could destroy the planet. However, Shockwave overhears this. Heading back to the surface, the Autobots and Aerialbots encounter more Centurion droids, but the Aerialbots are able to get them to Omega Supreme. Omega returns them to Earth, but suddenly explodes.
Ratchet, Wheeljack, and Sparkplug Witwicky begin working to restore Omega, while the Autobots and Aerialbots head toward the base with the superfuel. Shockwave contacts Megatron, informing him of the recent developments on Cybertron, and the Key's power, so Megatron decides to run some tests. At the base, the humans believe that the Autobots attacked them, and open fire. Slingshot is pissed, but Ironhide reminds them that they are simply confused. Suddenly, they detect high speed movement. Optimus initially believes that it's Starscream and the jets, but it's the Stunticons, who quickly overwhelm the Autobots, forcing the Aerialbots to take to the air. Slingshot is attacked by Motormaster. Silverbolt goes to save him, but suddenly panics. Megatron, still testing the Key, orders the Stunticons to return to base.
However, during the tests, Soundwave trips and drops the Key, causing it to discharge its energy... turning the ground below it into metal. Megatron realizes that the Key can not only give life to machines, but also turn organic matter into metal. He now has a new plan—convert Earth into a new Cybertron.
Back at the base, the Aerialbots are unimpressed with the Autobots and disgusted with the humans they are supposed to defend. Optimus confronts Silverbolt about his panic, and learns that Silverbolt is afraid of heights. In a questionable command decision, Optimus appoints Silverbolt to be Aerialbot leader, hoping it will give him something to focus on other than fear. Soon, Teletraan I detects the energy emissions from the Key, and its result. The Decepticons are heading toward Seattle, and the Autobots roll out. Meanwhile, Silverbolt attempts to convince the Aerialbots to return to the base, saying that if they're the best, they should run the place. He shows them that the Decepticons will destroy them, showing how bad they are. He also shows the humans' capacity for compassion, letting them see how Sparkplug continues to work on Omega while Ratchet goes to recharge. Convinced, the Aerialbots move out.
Near Seattle, the Stunticons are overwhelming the Autobots, with Optimus Prime about to be crushed to death, when the Aerialbots arrive and save the Autobot leader. Megatron and Optimus reveal their last aces in the hole, ordering the Stunticons and Aerialbots to form Menasor and Superion, respectively. Menasor has the strength advantage, but Omega Supreme arrives, and turns the tide. The Decepticons retreat with the Key, but Silverbolt races after Megatron, knocking the Key from his hand and switching to robot mode to destroy it. Silverbolt believes he's about to go splat, but Slingshot manages to save him. The Aerialbots are convinced to join the Autobots, while Optimus appears convinced that Alpha Trion made the right choice.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"He gave himself up just so we could have some jets? That's nuts!"
"No. One Autobot gave his life so that six could be born. He made a choice...the kind of choice I hope they'll be able to make when the time's right."
- —Blaster and Optimus Prime on the sacrifice of Alpha Trion to create the Aerialbots. Prime approves of the kamikaze concept, apparently.
"And we're sworn to protect these bird brains?"
- —Slingshot, on humans
"Somebody ought to revoke those dudes' driver licenses."
"Those guys are out of their cotton picking heads!"
- —Blaster and Ironhide after their first encounter with the Stunticons.
"He's afraid of heights, can you believe it? And you call yourself a jet."
- —Slingshot figures out Silverbolt's phobia
"Our best bet would be Omega Supreme, but he's down, maybe dying."
"And you let the Aerialbots take a powder?"
- —Optimus Prime sures knows how to liven up a party. Ironhide isn't helping much.
Skydive: "The robot ran out of power ..."
Air Raid: "...but the human is still working! Where does he get his energy?"
Silverbolt: "From his wellspring of concern for an Autobot. Are you getting the point yet? We owe the Autobots our liiivvees!"
- —Silverbolt sets the Aerialbots straight about a couple of things.
"Aerialbots, show 'em what you've got!"
"NO! It can't be!"
"Surprise, Megatron! Meet Superion!"
- —Optimus Prime introduces the shocked Megatron to the first Autobot combiner.
"MENASOR CRUSH! DESTROY!
"TALK IS CHEAP!"
- —Menasor and Superion have an engaging conversation.
"So long, cruel world!"
- —Silverbolt after destroying the Key to Vector Sigma
Notes
Continuity notes
- Alpha Trion notes that he is a "first-generation product of Vector Sigma. We share the same computation matrix." He then reactivates the computer by merging his own power supply - and life force - with it.
- Omega can simply launch his arms into the air to form his rocket ship.
- This is not the last you'll hear of the Key to Vector Sigma. The Key, and, in particular, its ability to transform organic material into techno-matter play a key role in the events of Beast Machines.
- This episode, along with the previous one, offers a unique perspective the differing world views of Megatron and Optimus Prime as the Stunticons and the Aerialbots are given their personalities: Megatron favors the narrow-sighted interest of hating Autobots (Everything is fodder, right?) while Optimus values individual thinking and preserving life (Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, right?).
Real-world references
- The sound effect used for Omega Supreme's brain pulses is the same one used for the Dalek control rooms in all episodes of Doctor Who since 1963. It had previously been used in "Microbots".
- The final battle happens just outside the Seattle-Tacoma region.
- Star Wars sound effects:
- Millennium Falcon engine burst and TIE Fighter roar as the Aerialbots first take to the air on Cybertron.
- Falcon engine again as the Aerialbots fly out of the tunnel, TIE engine as they enter Omega, and Falcon a third time as Omega flies away from Cybertron.
- Falcon engine yet again as Omega flies through space, and again as he touches down on Earth.
- Diving X-wing Fighter sound as Silverbolt aborts his attempt to help Slingshot.
- A clashing lightsaber sound is used repeatedly for the Key's matter-transforming effect.
Animation and technical errors
- The glowing aura around Vector Sigma appears and disappears repeatedly between shots.
- As Alpha Trion merges with Vector Sigma, two of Blaster's buttons suddenly merge into one.
- "He made a choice..." Wheeljack's missing his orange details.
- Vector Sigma clearly has the key stuck in the side of it when it creates the Aerialbots.
- Coloring errors:
- Shockwave's eye isn't colored its usual bright yellow as he walks in during the Aerialbots' creation.
- Shockwave's "ears" are purple instead of gray as he listens in on Alpha Trion's warning.
- "So what are we waiting for?" - the top of Ironhide's torso is all red; it should be half gray.
- When Shockwave contacts Megatron in-flight, Breakdown is colored as Silverbolt.
- "Then we'll need a secret place to examine it further." - Wildrider is colored like Alpha Trion.
- As Omega watches the Aerialbots fly out of the tunnel, the animators use the cheatsy route of coloring his visor a solid yellow, rather than drawing his face underneath it.
- The coloring on Blaster's helmet is wrong as often as it's right. Multiple times, the round central part is colored red instead of white.
- As Ironhide walks up to challenge Slingshot, the inside of Skydive's cheekguards are the same yellow as his face, rather than the gray of his helmet.
- "On this world..." Soundwave's cheekguards are blue instead of silver. The camera then closes in on a rather badly-drawn Megatron... only to cut to a different shot showing Megatron at the same angle, in the same pose, but much more detailed and precise.
- "And you let the Aerialbots take a powder?" - the tops of Blaster's cheekguards are white instead of red.
- "None of the Autobots can hold a candle to us!" - the top of Slingshot's head is white instead of yellow.
- As Blaster says, "This is slaughter!," Optimus' headlights are red (with a strange pattern of panel lines) instead of white.
- The Aerialbots are missing whilst Optimus gives his request for the Aerialbots' personalities.
- Fireflight is entirely blocked by Optimus Prime's head during his introduction line. Down in front!
- "More I cannot say." - Optimus is missing one of his smokestacks.
- Omega's wound is clearly shown on the thick band below his Autobot symbol; the camera lingers on it for a long, significant moment as he leaves Cybertron. In the very next shot, the damage is gone. It doesn't re-appear until the shot of Omega exploding.
- Blaster gets a transformation noise as he spins around to unleash a sonic assault on the Stunticons, even though he doesn't transform.
- Blaster is drawn delivering Ironhide's "Those guys are out of their cotton-pickin' heads" line.
- When Ironhide argues with Slingshot about the Decepticons retreating, his waist is vastly oversized, looking somewhat like a...skirt...until Optimus intercedes, at which point it disappears for a moment before returning to its normal design.
- Later, as Slingshot tells Ironhide that the Aerialbots don't need the Autobots, the symbol on Ironhide's chest overlaps with the area near his waist, rather than being entirely on the rim under his windshield.
- In the same sequence, Optimus' smoke stacks are drawn midway down his shoulders.
- As the Aerialbots follow Slingshot out of Autobot Headquarters, Silverbolt is missing his right arm. It appears as he turns to look after them.
- Improbable viewpoints:
- Teletraan somehow gives Prime a first-person, on-the-ground look at what Megatron's up to. Did the Sky Spy just plop down in the forest?
- Teletraan's map of the central US is a bit distorted. Mississippi extends all the way up to the top of Tennessee, for example, and Kentucky appears to have split into three states.
- Slingshot is drawn mouthing Silverbolt's line about responsibility, and then Silverbolt continues gesticulating randomly while Slingshot delivers a lengthy retort.
- Silverbolt has no transformation sound as he returns to robot mode to destroy the key.
Rhino DVD release
The Kid Rhino release of this episode had errors not present in the original broadcast version, due to their use of incomplete film masters:
- When Silverbolt has his back to the camera as tries to put his point of view to Slingshot, his dialogue is accompanied with a fairly random series of gesticulations. The broadcast master featured a re-animated version of this sequence with Silverbolt now gesturing more appropriately in time with his dialogue. This short sequence was not corrected for the Shout! Factory DVD release.
- Once the key is destroyed towards the end of the episode, the forest is shown turning into metal, rather than returning to normal. This shot was corrected on broadcast, and the Shout! Factory version restores the corrected shot from the broadcast master.
Continuity errors
- The shuttlecraft that the Autobots rebuild are vastly larger than the Aerialbots they become.
- The Autobots are in a rush to rebuild Omega Supreme, correct? So why in the world does Optimus Prime have Wheeljack and Hoist - both fix-it men - come with him to visit the Earth naval base? Shouldn't they be at headquarters, trying to help to rebuild Omega? Wheeljack can be briefly seen helping Ratchet after the fight with the Stunticons.
- At one point during the battle, Wildrider is speeding towards Blaster. Blaster tells Wildrider to "Eat asphalt, chump!" despite the fact that his sonic blasts are ripping apart completely unpaved earth.
- Even more than most episodes, this one calls attention to the oddity of Omega Supreme's transformation. His rocket mode is the only part of him that travels through space; yet when he gets wherever he's going, he can always transform to his full robot mode, including all the bits he left behind on Earth. In this ep, Omega actually fires off his arms from his robot mode while running along - clearly leaving behind an armless robot on Cybertron!
- On-screen, Omega Supreme's explosion comes off as completely random - seemingly caused by nothing more than a random hole in his side whose cause is unknown to us. See the Trivia notes below for the lost explanation.
- Megatron said that the Key to Vector Sigma "de-energizes matter, turns it into metal". We can buy the turns-it-into-metal bit as handwaving techno science stuff... but removing energy from matter doesn't turn it into metal. (And if it did - wouldn't Megatron be stuck with an energyless world?)
- The Autobots might fare better against the Stunticons if they would stop and shoot them instead of driving around in circles. Y'know, shooting? That thing that works against all the other Decepticons all the time?
- Menasor rips the top floors off a building and smashes Superion with it. Hope the attack happened on a weekend, 'cause otherwise a bunch of people just died!
- Silverbolt doesn't even try to get out of his supposedly-fatal plunge at the end! Woulda ruined the pathos, we suppose.
Trivia
- The tank vehicles seen at the army base are the M.O.B.A.T. and the Armadillo from the G.I. Joe animated series.
- The Aerialbots conclude that humans are worthless after watching television. Should this tell us something?
- During the script stage, this episode had the sub-title "Fury of the Aerialbots".
- In this episode, Superion and Menasor are voiced by Frank Welker and Roger C. Carmel respectively, but from their next appearances onwards, the characters were both recast with new voices (Ed Gilbert and Regis Cordic, again respectively). Reflecting the fact that they're combiners, their voices are modulated to sound like they're a chorus of multiple voices - an effect that would be dropped after this episode.
- The shooting scripts for both installments of this two-parter contain several "deleted scenes" which expand greatly upon some of the more significant events in the story. In this episode:
- Omega Supreme repairs himself after his battle with Shockwave (deleted from Part 1, although this episode contains a vestigial reference to it, when Ironhide says: "Now all we've gotta do is hope that Shockwave didn't get the better of Omega Supreme!"), but is only able to do a rudimentary job, noting that his personal survival is "highly improbable." It is this which causes Omega to explode upon his return to Earth—he willingly puts himself in danger to bring the Autobots back so they can stop the Stunticons.
- Later in the episode, when the Aerialbots watch as Sparkplug works to repair Omega, Sparkplug turns on the young punks, explaining what caused Omega to explode, making them realize what he did for them, and what they owe the Autobots. This is very much in contrast to the complete non sequitur of the finished episode, in which the fact that Sparkplug can continue working when Ratchet can't, and then Silverbolt makes the Aerialbots somehow realize that they owe the Autobots their lives.
- Additionally, there are some extended scenes of Prime reaffirming that there are six Aerialbots, to squash the subtlety of the hint at Superion, and the Aerialbots watching more television.
- This is one of the very few episodes where Megatron insults Soundwave. Even then, Soundwave tripping on a branch ultimately leads to what Megatron believes to be a phenomenal discovery.
- Superion's combination sequence would be reused (on a different background) in "Aerial Assault".
- Apart from Motormaster and Menasor, none of the Stunticons have dialogue in this episode. What kind of advertisement is THAT?
Foreign localization
French
- Title (European French broadcast): "La fin d'Alpha Trion" ("The End of Alpha Trion")
- Title (European French DVD release): "La clé du succès - Partie 2" ("The Key to Success - Part 2")
- Title (Canadian French broadcast): "La clé pour Vecteur Sigma, partie 2" ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2")
- Original airdate: ?
- The annoying alien voice effect for the robots is still here.
- Optimus Prime mistakenly refers to Vector Sigma as "Victor Sigma" when he shows him the Aerialbots.
- Slingshot calling Omega Supreme "big one" is dubbed by the equivalent of "fatso".
- This is the first time since the beginning of the series that Shockwave is not dubbed by Georges Atlas. He is dubbed by Albert Augier, maybe as a revenge since Atlas is still dubbing Soundwave despite Augier's return.
- Missing lines:
- Several lines in vehicle mode are missing in the Aerialbots VS Stunticons battle.
- Rumble's line "The gears are ready to go" is missing.
- Optimus Prime's line "I've got to stop him somehow!" and Motormaster's answer "Now Optimus Prime, we'll see who's king of the road!" are both missing.
- Air Raid's lines in jet mode at the end are missing, making the narrative part about his fear of heights incomplete.
- Name dodging:
- Like the Stunticons did previous episode, the Aerialbots don't say their names. Instead, they say they are Autobots.
- Optimus Prime's line "Silverbolt what happened to you out there?" become "Excuse me, but what happened out there?".
- Megatron's line "Behold Menasor!" becomes "Look at this, Optimus!".
- As a response, Optimus' line "Meet Superion!" becomes "Good surprise, isn't it?". Strangely, Optimus Prime still calls Superion by his name a few seconds later, when the latter is stuck in the rocks.
- The Aerialbot's line "Silverbolt, you coming?" is simply dubbed by "Hey, you coming?".
Italian
- Title (dub 1): "La nascita degli Aerialbots" ("The Birth of the Aerialbots")
- Original airdate: ?
- This is one of the few episodes after Quest for Survival in which Optimus Prime is voiced by Piero Tiberi instead of Angelo Nicotra.
- Vector Sigma is referred to as "the Vector Sigma".
- Despite the title, in the episode itself Aerialbots are called "Aerobot", a name which will remain 'til the end of the season.
- In Slingshot's name, "Sli" is pronounced as "Sly".
- Ironhide's line: «Now all we got to do is hope that Shockwave didn't get the better of Omega Supreme» is changed to: «Now what we must hope is that Shockwave didn't get the better of Megatron». Wait... he really misnamed Omega Supreme as Megatron?! Erm... yes, he did... (possibly the fact that Omega Supreme's Italian name is "Megarobot" as something to do with it...)
- Title (dub 2): "La chiave di Vector Sigma - Seconda parte" ("The Key of Vector Sigma - Second part")
- Original airdate: ?
Japanese
Mandarin
- Title: "Mólì Shénqiú (Xià)" (魔力神球(下), "The Magic Ball, Part II")
- Original airdate: ?
Brazilian Portuguese
- Title: "A Chave Para Vector Sigma, Segunda e Última Parte" ("The Key to Vector Sigma, Second and Last Part")
- Original airdate: ?
Home video releases
- VHS
1986 — The Transformers — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn (A.M.T. Video Gems)
1988 — The Transformers — The Key to Vector Sigma & War Dawn (V.I.P. Video Gems)
1991 — The Transformers — The Key to Vector Sigma (Little Gems Video Club)
2000 — The Original Transformers — Volume 4: The Key to Vector Sigma (Rhino Entertainment)
1995 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Megatron Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1999 — The Transformers — Decepticon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 7 (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Collection 3: Series 2.2 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Volume 13 (Déclic Images) — European French audio only.
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — Transformers — Volume 06: Stagione Due Parte Quarta (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 — Transformers — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2009 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2011 — The Transformers — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)