Disarmed

« Transformers: EarthSpark ep 20 »
Gentlemen,... BEHOLD! The Matrix of Leadership!
"Disarmed"
Season	1
No. in season	20
Production company	Entertainment One Nickelodeon
Airdate	July 28, 2023 (Paramount+) April 6, 2024 (Nickelodeon)
Writer	Maasai Singleton
Director	Matthew Humphreys
Animation studio	Icon Creative Studio
Watch this episode on Paramount+

Robby's attempt to learn more about his cyber-sleeve attracts the attention of Mandroid, who wants the technology for himself.

Synopsis

In the G.H.O.S.T. base deep under Witwicky, Hardtop marks off another day of captivity. Meanwhile, Swindle explores the nearby tunnels looking for a way to break his brother out. At the Witwicky Ranger Station, Dot Malto puzzles to Optimus Prime over the energon readings she's been getting. As they observe the signal getting closer, a nearby boulder is pushed aside and Swindle emerges from the ground. The Decepticon makes a run for it when he spies Optimus and Dot, who give chase. Swindle takes the opportunity to fire on Dot during the pursuit, reasoning that Optimus will be forced to protect her, and one of his shots hits the back of Dot's truck where Robby is riding. Robby, however, is unharmed due to an energy shield produced by his cyber-sleeve. Swindle makes a desperate attempt to attack Prime, only to have a restraining bolt slapped on him. While Dot is upset Robby put himself in harm's way, Robby's enthused by the new "cybershield" ability he's gained, which Optimus believes is a product of the power of Quintus Prime.

Optimus takes the Maltos to G.H.O.S.T. HQ where Wheeljack scans Robby and Mo using Teletraan-1. The sleeves turn out to be ancient Cybertronian technology which Optimus likens to the Matrix of Leadership. Retelling the story of how he was once Orion Pax until he had the Matrix bestowed on him, Optimus wonders what the future holds for the two kids.

Meanwhile, Croft finds Mandroid in a sorry state in his lab. Mandroid insists he needs to tend to his deteriorating condition before he can provide G.H.O.S.T. with any new technology, so she gives him access to G.H.O.S.T.'s systems. He's able to use the systems to access the Autobot database and spy on the discussion Optimus is having, leading him to learn about the cyber-sleeves and the Emberstone that granted them to the kids. Though Dot has misgivings about the kids endangering themselves, Optimus believes his guidance will help them master their powers. Mandroid reasons that studying the cyber-sleeves will allow him to heal himself and begins plotting.

In the recroom, the Terrans and Robby spar with simulated Arachnamechs. Watching remotely, Mandroid triggers interference in Wheeljack's systems to have Optimus called away. Robby has Hashtag turn up the difficulty on the recroom, at which point Mandroid invades the control system and starts making his own changes. The simulation switches to the space bridge battleground and a simulated Megatron appears in front of the kids. They manage to evade him, but Robby realizes that the only way to shut down the simulation is to get Hashtag to the distant physical console. Elsewhere Optimus finds Croft has beaten him to the glitch Wheeljack reported, and she insists she's handling it. While Hashtag races for the console, the rest of the kids keep Megatron distracted, until Mandroid juices up the simulated Megatron who is able to knock everyone flying. Hashtag fights to shut down the simulation as Megatron batters at Robby's cybershield, and Robby's appeal to Quintus Prime results in the cyber-sleeve giving him a towering energon form. Robby's initially able to use his new form to fight back against Megatron until the sim Decepticon gets the upper hand. Fortunately at this point Hashtag regains control of the simulation, and Robby is able to deck Megatron, sending a surge of green energy through the systems. Alerted, Wheeljack and Dot break into the now-inactive recroom to find Robby lying limp on the floor. As Dot holds him, Mo takes his hand and her own cyber-sleeve glows, bringing Robby back to life. Though Robby's alive again, the Terrans realize that they can no long feel each other's emotions as the emotional link has been severed.

Croft finds Mandroid in his lab and chews him out for the damage to G.H.O.S.T.'s systems. Mandroid, however, reveals he's learned the key to accomplishing their plans and asks her to bring him the Emberstone.

Featured characters

(Characters in italic text appear only in Flashbacks.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Look at me, you are my heart walking outside my chest. I need you to stay safe."

—Dot impresses on Robby how much she does not want him fighting Decepticons.

(blares horn) "Don't act like I'm not here! ... Rude."

—Swindle ruins a perfectly good moment.

"In my darkest hour, Quintus give me power!"

—Robby calls on Quintus Prime.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Hashtag's time under Mandroid's control in "Home, Part 2" is recalled when she finds herself forced out of G.H.O.S.T.'s systems, courtesy of Mandroid, when she tries to shut down the simulation.

Transformers references

• As is the norm at this point, Optimus Prime began as the humble Orion Pax, although his past as a manual labourer specifically evokes his backstory in the The Transformers episode "War Dawn". The idea that Orion received the Matrix from a Prime—specifically, what appears to be a version of Alpha Trion—has its roots in the episode "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4", which established that Trion had safeguarded the Matrix for eons, waiting for a 'bot worthy of carrying the artifact; this plot beat also made its way into the "Aligned" continuity and the Cyberverse cartoon.
• Optimus Prime's brief flashback features our first look at the Thirteen original Transformers of this universe. As evidenced by the apparent lack of Micronus Prime, the Primes either don't match up to the traditional roster introduced in The Covenant of Primus, or else they've been drastically redesigned. However, each member of the Thirteen is shown holding one object or weapon, many of which correspond to a pre-existing artifact. Recognizable artifacts include what might be the Forge of Solus Prime, Megatronus's Requiem Blaster, the Matrix of Leadership, held by what appears to be a version of Alpha Trion, the Enigma of Combination, the Triptych Mask, what may be Amalgamous Prime holding the Transformation Cog as it appeared in Transformers #34, and the Star Saber. The other artifacts and their bearers are too abstract to draw any concrete connections, although the two 'bots on the far right are probably meant to be incarnations of Liege Maximo and Vector Prime.
• The virtual Megatron simulation sports a retractable purple Energon mace, as Megatron originally did in the G1 episode "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2". We'll see in later episodes the actual Megatron does also have this weapon.

Real-world references

Errors

• Nightshade and Wheeljack mispronounce Teletraan I as "TeleTRON One", an error first seen in the franchise in Beast Wars and later repeated (solely by Optimus Prime) in Cyberverse. This is later corrected when Optimus and Agent Croft pronounce it "TeleTRAN One" in "Stowed Away, Stowaways".

Trivia

Foreign localization

German

• Title: "Entwaffnet" ("Disarmed")
• Original airdate: July 29, 2023

Hungarian

• Title: "Hatástalanítás" ("Disarmament")
• Original airdate: September 16, 2023

French

• Title: "Désarmé" ("Disarmed")
• Original airdate: September 23, 2023

• For the first time in the franchise, the dub choses to use the name Matrice de création ("Matrix of Creation") instead of Matrice du commandement ("Matrix of Leadership").
• Also for the first time, the names Teletraan I and Orion Pax are pronounced the English way, keeping the "one" in English and not pronouncing the "an" and "on" sounds the French way.

Brazilian Portuguese

• Title: "Desarmado" ("Disarmed")
• Original airdate: July 29, 2023

Home video releases

DVD

2024 — Transformers: EarthSpark - Season 1: Episodes 11-26 (Paramount)