Heavy Metal War

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The agony of defeat.
"Heavy Metal War"
Production code	#700-13
Season	1
No. in season	16
Production company	Sunbow Productions
Airdate	December 15, 1984
Written by	Donald F. Glut
Animation studio	Toei, Ashi Productions, Nakamura Production
Continuity	Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Watch this episode on YouTube

Megatron challenges Optimus Prime to a one on one battle to end the war.

Synopsis

Silly Megs, tricks are for kids!

A busy construction site is attacked by driver-less construction equipment, and several components are stolen. The construction vehicles return to Decepticon headquarters and are revealed to be the newly built Constructicons. The components they stole are parts to a machine that will allow Megatron to absorb the power chip rectifiers from his Decepticon warriors.

While the final preparations are completed on the machine, Megatron flies to Autobot headquarters and makes Optimus Prime an offer he cannot refuse. Megatron offers the Autobot leader a one on one battle with the winner staying on Earth to do as he pleases, and the loser taking his army and exiling themselves to deep space. Confident in his own abilities, Prime accepts the challenge and sets the match.

Fear me, for I have the power of... poo gas!!

Knowing that Prime would be unable to resist a chance to honorably end their conflict, Megatron returns to the Decepticon base and uses the newly completed machine to gain all of the special powers of his warriors. Skywarp's teleportation, Thundercracker's sonic boom, Rumble's seismic attack, etc. Knowing that Megatron would now be unbeatable, Starscream voices concerns that the Autobot computer Teletraan I would be able to detect what Megatron had done. Anticipating this problem, Megatron dispatches the Constructicons to take care of the computer.

The two armies arrive at the battle site, and the contest begins. Megatron unleashes a barrage of powers (while Starscream gives a running commentary), and Prime is outclassed at every step. Not knowing that he has been deceived, Prime concedes the fight and comments that he underestimated Megatron. The shocked Autobots begin the trek back to base, and the Decepticons follow to make sure they leave.

Not Brawl.

Meanwhile, the Constructicons have nearly tunneled their way into the Ark and Teletraan I. Sensing the imminent danger, Teletraan I activates the Dinobots. The Dinobots respond and start pounding on the Constructicons, opening up a lava channel in the process. The battle not going in their favor, the Constructicons pull out one last trick and combine into the super warrior, Devastator. The returning Autobots see the battle, but are unable to help. Inside the Ark, Teletraan I is able to show that Megatron cheated, and the Autobots rush outside to help the Dinobots.

You'd think Starscream would be used to this, but no...

Despite the arrival of the rest of the Autobots to the fight, Devastator is still too powerful to be defeated, so Hound distracts the monstrous Decepticon with a hologram of a colossal Autobot. Stunned at the sudden appearance of a robot even bigger than he is, Devastator is shot by Optimus Prime and falls apart. The Constructicons try to drive away, but the Dinobots blast them into the lava. The other Decepticons are routed by the Autobots and also pushed or knocked back by gunfire into the lava. There is much rejoicing.

...Until Megatron rises from the lava, vowing that the Decepticons will rise again.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Forgive me, but I believe your boast sounds vaguely familiar."

—Starscream, after hearing another of Megatron's promises to destroy the Autobots.

I'm alright! I'm alright. That was supposed to happen.

"Let's see how he likes my new shockblast cannon! [The cannon explodes in his hands] Uhh... hnh... that's a shock, all right."

—Wheeljack

"But I need my power chip rectifier. Besides, the Cybertron Code of Combat requires each warrior to fight as he is, without additional reinforcement. You wouldn't want to cheat, would you, Megatron?"
"I will win by any means! At any cost! Even if it means terminating you, Starscream!"
"I was only raising a legal point..."

—Starscream and Megatron

"Doesn't this remind you of the gladiatorial combats in ancient Rome?"
"Maybe it would if I knew what you were talkin' about."

—Chip and Ironhide on the duel between Optimus and Megatron.

"Sludge not see these Decepticons before."
"Not see again either. Because we dino-mite them to pieces!"

—Sludge and Snarl vs. the Constructicons.

"It is ended."
"Is it really over, Optimus? I mean, have we seen the end of this war? Forever?"
"Who can say, Spike? In this vast universe, is anything truly forever?"

—Optimus Prime and Spike, with a question that is quickly answered, at least for the audience

Notes

Production information

• First draft script: 27th July 1984
• Script revised by Ron Friedman: 1st August 1984
• Final script: 13th August 1984
• Dialogue recording: 23rd August 1984 (Note - Gregg Berger not present for main session, later pick-up session required)
• Returned to the US for telecine: 3rd December 1984

Continuity notes

• This episode introduces the Constructicons and Devastator.

This fist of mine glows with an awesome power chip rectifier!

This shovel of mine glows with an awesome sensor reading!

• Gadgets and powers:
  • The Constructicons show off a variety of armaments and abilities, such as Mixmaster melting a whole steam roller into goop and later firing a stream of rock-melting liquid (the cannon flipping up from his cab is perhaps a nod to his toy's "attack mode"), Long Haul having dump truck mode missile launchers (also a possible nod to his toy's "attack mode"), and Scavenger's shovel-based sensors.
  • Long Haul has the rather amazing ability to fill up his cargo bed with a payload, transform to robot mode, then convert back to dump truck mode... and still have the cargo be there!
  • Ironhide detects Megatron's approach using a sensor that displays on his chest, not unlike abilities he displayed in "S.O.S. Dinobots" and "The Ultimate Doom, Part 1".
  • Cliffjumper's glass gas, if that's what it's supposed to be, acts a lot more like Ironhide's liquid nitrogen. He shoots a huge stream of it from his retracted wrists, and it encases Megatron in ice.
  • Speaking of which, being encased in ice does not affect Megatron's ability to fly.
  • Ironhide doesn't even bother retracting his fists; he just shoots lasers right out of them. It's an unusual conceit for Transformers, though not unheard of.
  • As explained in this episode, power chip rectifiers are what give Transformers their unique special abilities.
  • The episode gives us a showcase of the Decepticons' most notable abilities, as Megatron uses Starscream's cluster bombs and null rays, Reflector's light-generating abilities, Rumble's earthquakes, Skywarp's teleportation, and Thundercracker's sonic abilities.
    • Incidentally, this is the first time said sonic abilities have been used explicitly. And it's not even by the guy they belong to.
  • Optimus shows the strange ability to fire lasers out of his palm. He's blocking Megatron's shot with the other arm at the same time, almost like he's absorbing the energy and shooting it back.
  • Teletraan-1 can make up its own mind to wake up the Dinobots when a threat is detected.
  • Grimlock actually uses his rocket launcher, though it's drawn as one of the barrels of his laser rifle shooting off like a rocket.
  • Snarl's sword can fire energy blasts from its tip. The Dinobots actually using their swords is something that doesn't happen often, but this is the second time Snarl has been shown with his. Instead of being red, as per the toy and comics, it uses the gray coloring it has in Snarl's package art.
  • While the lasers in the Dinobots' dinosaur modes come out of their eyes, horns or mouths, Snarl's dinosaur mode lasers come out of his nostrils. Yeah.
  • Hound projects one of his holograms out of both fists.
  • Hey, turns out the Constructicons can turn themselves all into one big robot! Wonder if the toys can do that??
• When the Constructicons are tunneling, Scrapper refers to Scavenger with his working name "Scrounge". In their More than Meets the Eye bio, Dreamwave would paint this as a deliberate derogatory term other Decepticons sometimes refer to him as.
• Soundwave totally pets Ravage on the head like a kittycat. Adorable!
• This episode is also the "source" of the aborted "Lava Bath Safety" deco for the original Megatron toy.
• The Law of Cybertron will be invoked again many years later, to resolve the Generation 2 War. The Autobots Triumph in the Battle of Good Vs. Evil!

Real-world references

• Star Wars sound effects:
  • Millennium Falcon engine burst/whine as the Constructicons take off from the construction site.
  • Same effect as Megatron leaves Autobot Headquarters.
  • Lightsaber ignition sound when Megatron activates Reflector's light powers.
• Chip provides the episode's requisite dose of "Oh, it's educational" by likening the leaders' combat to the gladiatorial matches of ancient Rome.
• Mixmaster gets in on the act by naming a couple of acids by formula: H₂SO₄ (sulfuric acid) and HCl (hydrochloric acid).
• Oh, and the construction site will make energy from the earth's magnetic field. "Magnetic field" sounds like science, right??

Technical or animation glitches

• It seems the artists might have had only script directions to go by when drawing the Constructicons' vehicular attack modes, and not actual character models. Both Long Haul and Mixmaster deploy weapons that are of similar description to their toys' attack forms (cab-mounted cannon, twin missile launchers), but look nothing like them.
• Coloring errors:
  • As Long Haul deploys his missiles, his Decepticon symbol is red, and missing its "cheeks".
  • The top of Hook's head is green as Scrapper bows to Megatron... and again in the very next shot.
  • Scavenger's face is colored all-green as he welds. If it was a stylistic decision to show the light from his welding, then it should flicker along with the welding lights.
  • As Scrapper directs the others working on the infuser, his head is green instead of black, and Mixmaster's drum and torso are purple instead of green.
  • The top of Wheeljack's chest is colored glass-blue instead of white after the shock cannon blows up.
  • During the pan across the Decepticons before the strength transfer, Soundwave is missing the line in the middle of his mask, and his yellow stripes are mostly colored blue.
  • Megatron's waist is red instead of silver after the transfer.
  • When Megatron talks to Starscream after that, Starscream's air vent "boobs" are colored white instead of black.
  • The front of Scrapper's head is red instead of black as Megatron orders him to move out.
  • As Scrapper transforms, his whole helmet is green.
  • As Optimus explains the code to Spike, Ironhide's forehead isn't fully drawn in.
  • "Defeat, Megatron?" Megatron's fusion cannon is white instead of black during this line.
  • At the end of the across the Decepticons seating themselves, Soundwave's optic visor is blue instead of red.
  • Laserbeak's head is light gray as he ejects from Soundwave.
  • Megatron's faction emblem is missing before he teleports.
  • And it's missing again as he says the Autobots must exile.
  • After Megatron teleports, Skywarp is colored like Starscream as he talks about the his ability.
  • Starscream's right arm is colored dark gray for a moment, while he talks to Skywarp about the rectifiers.
  • Wheeljack's missing one of the lines on his "ears" as he and the others listen to Optimus say he was not prepared.
  • Prime's tires are light gray as he transforms to truck mode, and his headlights aren't colored in.
    

    

    Oh, and Scavenger's chest shouldn't be purple, either.
  • Scrapper's helmet is green in two shots as he and the others run into Autobot Headquarters.
  • Scavenger's back is purple as he and the others back away from the Dinobots.
  • Snarl's helmet is the same medium gray as his body as he joins Sludge.
  • As Devastator walks toward the Dinobots, Swoop's head is white, while Sludge and Slag are block-colored gray.
  • Devastator's hand is green instead of purple as he throws Grimlock.
  • The top of Starscream's chest is red instead of gray as Megatron rants about the hologram.
• "Besides, the Cybertron code of combat requires..." Starscream's hand phases behind the transfer machine's light during his monologue.
• There's a discontinuity between shots as Megatron is infused; in one shot he's moving and reacting in visible pain to the power transfer; in the next, he's just standing there like a statue.
• Also in the above scene, when Megatron says "I now possess all your powers in addition to my own" his "helmet" is significantly wider than his usual onscreen character model's, and in the NEXT shot ("Optimus Prime and the Autobots... are FINISHED!! Huhuhwarhahahahaha!!") his helmet suddenly shrinks back to its usual narrow width. It would therefore be reasonable to surmise the animators were using Megatron's G1 Toy as a drawing reference for the former shot, as his helmet IS significantly wider than the "normal" Megatron's onscreen model.
• After Megatron talks of the Constructicons destroying Teletraan I, he's suddenly no longer attached to the machine.
• When Megatron laughs maniacally after being infused with the power of the other Decepticons, his head is disproportionately small, and his Decepticon insignia moves independently of his body.
• When the Autobots transform into their alternate modes right before leaving to the duel, Trailbreaker transforms outside the Ark somehow.
• When the Autobots transform back into robot mode when they arrive at the duel, Ironhide, already in robot mode, transforms into his alternate mode. The next scene shows him in robot mode again.
• When Starscream lands behind Megatron before the latter's duel with Optimus Prime, the animators forgot to animate the dust Starscream's feet stir up, so we can see that his legs are not fully drawn, and instead of feet, they end in paint blotches.
• Chip is drawn speaking Spike's line "It's Earth history, Ironhide!"
• During the duel, what are the Autobots supposed to be sitting on? Air?
• After the boulder Prime threw at Megatron splits in two, it completely disappears before the shot ends.

"Rise Huffimus Prime!"

• Huffer is drawn with six wheels instead of four as he takes Prime's trailer.
• Only a moment after Huffer takes Prime's trailer, as the Autobots depart the battlefield, the animators have drawn Prime towing his trailer again, but covered up their error by coloring him orange like Huffer.
• Mixmaster's cab-weapon changes color and form between scenes (it's a gray sphere when the Constructicons start tunneling; it's a green gun when they reach Autobot Headquarters.)
• Mixmaster's acid-laser changes from pink to orange between shots. The weapon that fires it has gone back to gray in the second shot.
• The animation doesn't really show a hole melting in the floor; a section of the floor just vanishes and is replaced with a melted hole.
• Grimlock has his original head design in this episode, rather than the later, toy-based one he normally is drawn with.
• Grimlock's galaxial rocket launcher is drawn as one of the barrels of his laser rifle shooting off.
• The Dinobots' voices are heavily processed in his episode, far beyond the norm, giving them a crunchy, gravely sound.
• The inside of Sludge's robot mode mouth is glowing orange again. Clearly this is part of his character model, but why and how did such a bizarre choice come about in the first place?
• As Scrapper clutches his wounded shoulder, he has two small eyes instead of a visor. (It makes him look a lot like Rewind.)

But let's face it - he looks much, much cooler with the visor.

• Much like Kickback's insect head, the cartoon could never quite make up its mind whether Devastator was supposed to have two small eyes or one big visor. This episode shows him with eyes as he monologues, then the visor shows up just a shot or two later.
• "Then -- Then Megatron cheated!" Ironhide's mouth is drawn with teeth and a tongue.
• When the Autobots cheer inside their headquarters, Bumblebee's insignia is missing, Wheeljack's ears aren't flashing, and Jazz's mouth is blinking on and off.
• As the hologram fades out, Hound isn't shown in the nearby cave from which he's supposed to be projecting it.
• When Megatron finds out the "Giant Autobot" is a hologram, his cannon kibble is gone for a brief second.
• In the final closeup of Megatron's face, several of the lava streams are flowing behind his eyes and back out. OUCH!
• When we first see the Autobots in the Ark after the duel, Ironhide punches empty air, the whole screen shakes, and he says, “Uh, sorry about that” to no-one.

Rhino DVD release

More than most episodes, the Kid Rhino DVD version of this episode is full of animation errors that do not appear in the original broadcast version or prior home video releases (as a result of incomplete film masters being used for the DVD), as well as crude attempts made by Rhino to fix some of these errors.

Some are merely aesthetic complaints:

• In one shot, the camera pans sideways to follow the Constructicons, however they aren't moving, so they actually lag behind the screen. Then, as they round a corner, they are animated above the animation cel of the building they drive around, and you can see they are not fully drawn. Their vehicle modes end in unfinished lines and paint blotches until they come fully into view.
• As the Constructicons make their big introductory transformations, the camera doesn't pan up with Bonecrusher, Long Haul, and Mixmaster, leaving them cut out of the shot from the thighs upward. Bonecrusher is also visibly floating above the ground.
• After Long Haul transforms, the equipment he's supposedly carrying simply pops into view. As the outlines tell us, it has been retroactively shopped into the image.
• The Rhino DVD portrays the power-chip smelter as a featureless rectangular smear, lacking all the light effects and animation that should be present.
• When Megatron says "Scrapper, you have your orders...", the Constructicons' eyes / eye visors no longer glow red in response.
• As he drives up to start digging, Mixmaster is constantly jumping a bit back and forth while driving, as if the animation frames are not ordered properly.
• The shot of Spike saying "I mean, they don't call those creeps Decepticons for nothing." is much cruder and more anime-esque.
• When the Autobots transform to leave base for the battlefield, Optimus Prime's left headlight blinks in and out a couple of times.
• Then, as they all drive out of the Ark, the screen freezes for a moment. The Autobots seem to have teleported after the animation finally continues.
• Spike's animation during the shot of Chip saying "That answer your question, Ironhide?" is different.
• The sky behind Ironhide, when he is informing us of his ignorance of Earth's history, jumps noticeably at the beginning of the shot, and the shadowy outlines around him vibrate wildly.
• The audience isn't actually sitting on the edge of the pit, rather they are all somehow seated on the slopes.
• The black shading around Megatron's eyes is missing during a closeup shot of him. In the same shot, his body is wildly moving around as if he is running.
• At two points during the duel with Optimus Prime (one of them recycled as him landing at Autobot Headquarters), Megatron is colored dark gray.
• When the miscolored Megatron blasts Prime away, the background isn't moving to simulate the camera pan, whereas Prime's animation is.
• The humans in one shot are drawn horribly off-model, with terrible looking teeth, may we add. Spike shows his pre-final print uppers again in a later shot.
• When Skywarp boasts that Megatron acquired the power of teleportation from him, he is colored like Starscream, who is seen sitting right next to him.
• During the Dinobots' fight scene with the Constructicons, some of the laser-firing animation is missing, leaving the characters with huge "holes" and gaps on their bodies where said laser shots should have been animated. This also renders the shot of Sludge firing his eye-beams completely pointless.
• And as Swoop fires his missiles, the background art isn't moving, making it look like he is floating.
• Also in one shot, the rock covering the Constructicons is missing from the foreground, and again, we see incomplete drawings instead of fully-drawn robots.
  • However a later shot has a cave mouth drawn over the screen's outer rim, which shouldn't be there, as the scene takes place outside.
• The shot of the Constructicons falling in lava features slightly less detailed lava.

However, some of the screwups actually confuse the plot:

Rare appearance of the yellow Cliffjumper variant.

• Power chip rectifier only appear in the finished animation as little more than small glowing pink dots. When Starscream removes his, this glowing effect is missing, meaning he's holding nothing, and that none of the rectifiers ever actually appear on-screen in the Rhino version.
• When Rhino DVD Optimus Prime hurls a boulder at Megatron, Megatron still lights up to use Skywarp's teleportation ability to get out of the way... but after the teleporation glow effect fades, Megatron is still standing there. The boulder flies straight through him with nobody seeming to care, including Megatron himself.
• When Megatron is talking to Starscream while the Constructicons are building the infuser machine, Starscream is colored like Skywarp.
  • Speaking about the Constructicons being hard at work, this sequence is completely missing. We are instead treated to a shot of Megatron and Starscream standing silently for seconds.
• When Cliffjumper runs up and uses his glass gas, he is coloured like Bumblebee.

That sure isn't a cave you're in there, Mixmaster.

• The animation sequence of Megatron landing at the Autobot base is missing entirely, and is replaced by looped animation from later in the episode of Megatron landing after a jump, along with a recycled snippet of Cliffjumper looking elated after encasing Megatron in ice from just a few seconds earlier.
• When Megatron lands, there are two Optimus Primes and Ironhides there to greet him.
• As the Autobots help Prime make his decision, the camera pans are missing, and the scene is instead shown as multiple, separate shots. Secondly, Wheeljack's light effects are mis-aligned. Finally, the added lens-effects in Prime's optics makes him look like he's about to cry.
• When the Constructicons move out to dig the passage to the Autobot headquarters, they're all shown outdoors instead of inside the base.
• A transformation sequence for Trailbreaker, recycled from "More than Meets the Eye, Part 1", still retains its exterior background even though it's supposed to happen inside Autobot Headquarters.
• When the Autobots arrive at the pit in vehicle mode, Ironhide is seen transforming from robot mode to vehicle mode. Then, he is back in his robot form.
• Where the finished episode tries to disguise the fact that the animators have drawn Prime towing his own trailer by coloring him life Huffer, in the unfinished animation used for the DVD, Prime is colored in his normal colors.
• Instead of using the finished shot, we see recycled animation of a standing Prime being hit when Megatron delivers his final blow. He should be lying on the ground.
• The animation of the lava is absent in a couple of shots.

But, uhhh, hey, that silver DVD case sure is shiny and pretty!

Shout! Factory DVD release

• Like "Countdown to Extinction" before it, the sound effects of this episode are cranked down to near-inaudibility, compared to the music and vocal tracks.
• This episode is also one of several affected by Shout!'s inability to obtain complete master reels to restore the incomplete animation used in the Kid Rhino releases, resulting in 1-inch tape versions being used instead. Picture quality is thus all over the map. The scenes of Megatron approaching Autobot Headquarters are noticeably under-lit. Several scenes are in visibly softer focus compared to shots before and after, such as the pan of Autobots as Cliffjumper says "I don't trust 'im!"

Continuity errors

"Where'd you get the Constructicons?"
"We found them."
"Found them? On Earth? Constructicons are Cybertronian!"
"The Cosmos may fly into the sun or the Omega Supreme or the Astrotrain may seek warmer climes in winter, yet these are not strangers to our land."
"Are you suggesting that Constructicons migrate?"

• This episode gives the first of three contradictory origins for the Constructicons.

• The building site that the Constructicons raid is a power plant. One of the construction workers states that it will be able to provide the whole planet with limitless energy, raising the question of why the Decepticons didn't raid such a powerful energy source for energon.

• So this head worker guy sees driverless, talking construction vehicles, that turn into giant malevolent thieving robots with the Decepticon symbol on 'em... but somehow he only figures out that they're Decepticons when Scrapper says they work for Megatron. Is Megatron's name more famous than all the defining aspects of his faction?

• Ironhide is apparently able to detect the Decepticons by himself, without relying on Teletraan I. However, in "The Ultimate Doom, Part 1", the Autobots were unable to detect the approaching Decepticons with Teletraan I sabotaged.

• Optimus Prime takes out Devastator with a single shot from his laser rifle, something rather at odds with the later portrayal of combiners as nigh-invulnerable. Maybe they were upgraded?

• It's a bit strange that Starscream of all mechs should be concerned with legalities and suggest that Megatron try to fight honorably... but there is a touch of sarcasm when he says "You wouldn't want to cheat, would you, Megatron?"

• There is a rather huge hole in Megatron's "Destroy Teletraan I" plot: When the Autobots come back from Optimus Prime's defeat, wouldn't a burning-and-smoking Teletraan I immediately scream "Megatron DID cheat" rather than cover that fact up?

• Mind you, the Autobots confidently rely on Teletraan I to let them know if Megatron is cheating but then don't leave anyone monitoring it or have a real time communication link with it. It's only by the Decepticon's good graces that they were allowed to go back to Autobot HQ and check its findings before potentially taking up their exile in space.

• The Autobots return to headquarters as the Dinobots have begun their battle with Devastator. They have time enough to repair Optimus Prime and detect the Decepticon deception, and meanwhile, the Dinobots are still fighting Devastator.
  • On that note the Autobots don't even try to tell the Dinobots that they were leaving and the fight was over. Were the Autobots going to leave the Dinobots behind and strand them on Earth!?

• Speaking of which, didn't anybody notice the big flaming hole in the floor of Autobot Headquarters?

• So the Decepticons couldn't FLY out of the lava when they fell in?

• Doesn't anybody notice Megatron down there floating in the lava?

Trivia

Transformers was anime before it was anime.

• The art style of this episode has a distinctively Japanese flavor to it (in a handful of scenes), similar to that of "Roll for It" and "S.O.S. Dinobots". Masami Ōbari's believed to be involved with this episode.^[1] Nobuyoshi Habara was also involved with the episode, working on some shots during the actual battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, though which shots are unspecified.^[2]
• The animation pretty much gets Devastator's transformation spot-on. Enjoy it while you can; it won't last.
• Storyboards for this episode indicate that at one point in the scripting process, power chip rectifiers were also tied into the ability to transform. Upon giving up their rectifiers, the Decepticons lose their ability to transform, and during the fight, Megatron transforms into a jet! ^[3]
• Scenes and dialogue deleted from this episode include Wheeljack showing off the latest improvements he has made to the Dinobots outside Autobot Headquarters (during which Megatron arrives), Scavenger referring to Scrapper with his working name "Gravedigger", Megatron using Soundwave's mind-reading powers on Optimus Prime during their fight, and Starscream sarcastically pointing out that the other Decepticons could help Devastator fight the Dinobots - except that they don't have their powers (to which Megatron retorts that "my Devastator needs no help").
  • An extended portion of dialogue is also cut from Megatron's address to Optimus Prime, resulting in the rather clumsy line in the finished episode, "Our war has gone on for millions of years — Decepticons fighting Autobots — in which opposing leaders — you and I, Optimus Prime — may do battle." In the episode's dialogue script, following "Decepticons fighting Autobots," Megatron finishes his first sentence by lamenting the endless nature of the war. Prime shares in his regret, but deems it necessary as long as Megatron continues his pursuit of conquest. Megatron then speaks again, raising the topic of the "age-old law of combat," then picking up the finished line from "in which opposing leaders..."
  • Ironhide's "sorry about that" non-sequitur is the result of a cut to the start of the scene: while watching the battle through the hole blasted out the side of the volcano and frustrated at not being able to join in, Ironhide slams his fist against the cavern wall, causing it to shake. He sheepishly apologizes.

The "red robot" is clearly blue.

• During Teletraan I's montage of the sources of Megatron's acquired powers, the descriptions for the individual Decepticons are verbatim quotes from the Transformers Series Bible's "Decepticon Rollcall" page, albeit including several lost-in-translation typographical errors ("Decepticon Lider", "Decepticon Commicator", "Sky Warp"). The most notable of those is Rumble (misspelled as "Runble") being identified as a "red robot". Furthermore, the seemingly random numbers listed on those screens are actually Hasbro's product codes for the respective toys. Interestingly enough, Reflector is given a product number, even though he was never released at mass retail. However, the renditions of the Decepticons are not the official character model poses for those characters, but rather all-new drawings.
• The head construction worker's cry as Scavenger drops him is recycled from "The Ultimate Doom, Part 2" (from when Laserbeak kidnaps two security guards.)
• The episode's ending sure seems intended as a potential conclusion to the series, just in case it wasn't renewed for a second season. Turns out that Transformers was a bit of a hit, so that whole falling-into-lava thing was ignored (though it was alluded to in the title sequence animation for season two, as the Insecticons traverse in lava).
• The giant Autobot hologram image Hound projected went anonymous for 26 years until it received an identity at BotCon 2010 as the Elite Guard member Halonix Maximus.

Who's a good widdle killy-kitty? YOU IS!

• When the Autobots and Decepticons are getting ready to watch the fight, Soundwave lets Ravage out and Ravage then sits beside Soundwave and audibly purrs while Soundwave pets him. This is both very cute and very creepy.
• Devastator referring to himself as "the Devastator" might be a leftover reference to the character's working name of "the Destructoid".
• When aired on Hub Network's video-on-demand, the Kid Rhino version is used for some reason, even though Hub Network otherwise airs the original pre-Kid Rhino versions.

Foreign localization

French

• Title (European French broadcast): "Le sursis" ("The reprieve")
• Title (Canadian French broadcast & European French DVD release): "La guerre du métal lourd" ("Heavy metar war")
• Original airdate: ?

• About the European French dub:

• All the scenes in which the Constructicons talk in vehicle mode are not dubbed. Only Scrapper is fully dubbed and Hook has one line when he talks in robot mode. This results in frozen shots of construction vehicles with catchy music. They must hate the Constructicons, since the same will happen a few episodes later...
• Scrapper introduces his colleagues with French names, "Perforeur", "Tronçonneur", "Creuseur", "Dévastateur", "Phénix" and himself. These names will never be used ever again in the series.
• Moreover, "Dévastateur" is used for both Bonecrusher and Devastator in the episode.

German

• Title (Generation 2 dub): "Der Zweikampf" ("The Duel")
• Original airdate: May 28, 1994

Italian

• Title (both dubs): "Il duello" ("The Duel")
• Original airdate: ?

• In the first dub Huffer is called "Piedone" ("Big Foot") in this episode, despite his Italian name being Turbo.

Japanese

• Title: "Cybertron-sei no Okite" (せイバートロン星の掟, "The Laws of Planet Cybertron")
• Original airdate: September 7, 1985

• In Japanese anime fashion, Megatron yells the names of several of the special attacks he's purloined from his minions; namely, Reflector's "Flash Beam" and Thundercracker's "Sonic Beam".

Mandarin

• Title: "Shuāng Xióng Dàzhàn " (双雄大战, "Fight between Double Leaders")
• Original airdate: ?

Brazilian Portuguese

• Title: "A Guerra dos Metaleiros" ("The War of the Metalheads")
• Original airdate: ?

Russian

• Title: "Voyna tyazhelogo metalla" (Война тяжёлого металла, "Heavy Metal War")
• Original airdate: ?

Serbian

• Title: "Sukob metalnih ratnika" (Сукоб металних ратника, "Battle of the Metal Warriors")
• Original airdate: ?

Latin Spanish

• Title: "Fuerte Guerra de Metal" ("Heavy Metal War")
• Original airdate: ?

Toys inspired by this episode

• War for Cybertron: Kingdom Huffer (2021)

This Deluxe class version of Huffer is specifically molded to be able to tow the trailer of Earthrise Optimus Prime, recreating a scene from this episode.

Home video releases

VHS

1986 — The Transformers — Volume 10: "Heavy Metal War" (Family Home Entertainment)
1987 — Transformers — Heavy Metal Wars / The Girl Who Loved Powerglide (Tempo Video)
1989 — Transformers — A Ghost in the Machine / Heavy Metal Wars (Tempo Video)
1990 — Transformers — Heavy Metal Wars / The Girl Who Loved Powerglide (Abbey Home Entertainment)
2000 — The Original Transformers — Volume 6: Evolution Revolution (Rhino Entertainment)

LaserDisc

1994 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Convoy Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1998 — The Transformers — Autobot Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2002 — Transformers: Generation 2 (Sony Wonder)
2002 — Transformers — Original Series: Volume Three (Sony Wonder)
2002 — Transformers — Complete Original Series: Deluxe Edition (Sony Wonder)
2002 — The Original Transformers — First Season Collector's Edition (Rhino Entertainment)
2002 — The Original Transformers — Volume Three (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — Transformers — Collection 1: Series 1 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 1 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Volume 4 (Déclic Images) — European French audio only.
2006 — The Best of The Transformers (Madman Entertainment)
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Classic Episodes (Metrodome)
2007 — Classic Transformers — Series One: Part Two (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2008 — Transformers — Volume 02: Stagione Uno Parte Seconda (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 — Transformers — Season One (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2011 — The Transformers — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — The Complete First Season: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — Roar of the Dinobots (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)

References

External links

• Full episode script, finalised on 13th August 1984
• Model sheets and background layouts
• Gallery of full episode storyboards