Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger

« Transformers: The Headmasters ep 14 »
Fort Max binary bonds with Evel Knievel.
"Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger" 火星爆破!!危うしマキシマス () (Kasei Bakuha!! Ayaushi Maximus)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	October 9, 1987
Writer	Toyohiro Andō
Director	Jōhei Matsūra
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Autobots attempt to stop a Decepticon plot to destroy the entire planet Mars.

Synopsis

"Wheelie, we need to have a serious talk about your energon wine problem."

Scorponok unveils his latest plan to the gathered Decepticons; by planting a series of plasma energy bombs beneath the surface of Mars, and then triggering key explosions at the north and south poles, they can create a chain reaction that will destroy the planet, releasing more plasma energy for their devilish purposes. Mindwipe brings up the fact that they now know Fortress Maximus has a giant form, but Scorponok cryptically responds that he'll handle it.

As coincidence would have it, Spike, Daniel, Wheelie and the Trainbots are currently conducting a geological survey on Mars when unusual seismic activity on the planet attracts their attention. They head for the South Pole to investigate a huge explosion, but the cause isn't immediately obvious, and they split up to investigate. Daniel, Wheelie and Shouki watch as Hun-Gurrr and Rippersnapper emerge from a smoking crater, and they immediately radio a report to Athenia for help. The Headmasters depart for Mars in Broadside—Fortress, however, is still concerned with the mysterious Decepticon activity on planet Zarak.

On Zarak, Scorponok looks over his finished giant Transtector, and promises to use it to end Fortress.

Some of the new combiners are just weird.

On Earth, Ultra Magnus orders the Technobots to join the fight on Mars, but as they depart, they are intercepted by Trypticon and Sixshot. Although Metroplex comes to their aid, they are not able to make it to Mars.

Back on Mars, the Headmasters arrive in the midst of a firefight between the Trainbots and Predacons. As the battle rages, Wheelie, Daniel and Shouki are still keeping an eye on the crater when they're bushwhacked by the Terrorcons, who take the trio to the Decepticons' base in the tunnels beneath the planet's surface. Spike and the rest of the Trainbots fly overhead, but are unable to find their friends.

Elsewhere the Predacons merge into Predaking, but the four Headmasters also transform and topple the giant combiner.

Wheelie, Daniel and Shouki are imprisoned behind energy bars, and hear the Terrorcons talking about the imminent destruction of Mars. Daniel worries about the destruction that will cause on Earth.

On Chaar, Scorponok plans to lure Fortress to Mars, and orders Sixshot to make sure the other Autobots are too busy to come to Fortress's aid. Sixshot and Trypticon continue to keep the Technobots and Metroplex busy, so Ultra Magnus sends word to Fortress. Fortress is reluctant to go to Mars himself, and Arcee and Carly wonder why.

Wheelie has had it up to here with your jokes, human Transfans.

Daniel has an emergency beacon hidden in the Autobot symbol on his exosuit, and to hide its activation, he and Wheelie stage a fight between themselves—much to the amusement of the Terrorcons—that allows Wheelie to grab it and throw it into the energon bars, alerting Spike. The Headmasters rescue the two youths, who relay the fate the Decepticons have in store for Mars, and Chromedome sends message back to Fortress. Stirred into action, Fortress rushes to Mars in Battleship Maximus. Fortress sends Spike, Daniel and Wheelie back to Athenia in the Trainbots, while he and the other Headmasters stick around to try and force the bombing co-ordinates from the Decepticon Headmasters whom they've just spotted.

That's it Skullcruncher. Right through the loops. Do a barrel roll!

The Headmasters go into battle, with the Autobots attempting to question the Decepticons. They apparently succeed when Hardhead is able to trick Skullcruncher into becoming hypnotised by Mindwipe. While the Decepticons flee, the Autobots jump into the crater he indicated but it turns out to be a trap—the four Autobots are trapped into a series of explosive energy coils. Chromedome calls out to Fortress to use the Master Sword, but the commander is not mentally and physically prepared for the task, and the sword will not draw. As the explosions wrack the Headmasters below, a scream from Chromedome galvanizes Fortress, bringing the energies of his mind and body into harmony, and the Master Sword is unsheathed. However, as Fortress leaps from Battleship Maximus to initiate his transformation into Fortress Maximus, the Decepticon Headmasters launch a plasma energy bomb directly at him. A huge explosion follows, with the power of the Master Sword and the power of the plasma energy cancelling each other out. Drained of all his power, Fortress plummets back to the surface of Mars as the Headmasters watch in horror...!

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Mars is the fourth largest planet in the solar system. It is more than fifty percent bigger than Earth."

—The Narrator. Neither of these statements is correct!

Notes

Continuity notes

• Plasma energy, and Scorponok's plan for it, was introduced in "The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts".
• The mysterious Decepticon activity on planet Zarak was introduced back in "The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok". This plot thread culminates in the second installment of this two-parter.
• This episode marks the final appearance of Jazz.

Real-world references

• As Fortress first tries to draw the Master Sword, sound effects of the TARDIS dematerialization from Doctor Who are used.

Animation and technical errors

• When Hun-Gurrr first leaves the crater on Mars, he is colored like Sinnertwin.
• When the Technobots are shot down by Trypticon, Strafe's head is red instead of white.
• Trypticon's black armor is colored purple after he initially collides with Metroplex.
• The Predaking transformation sequence has a number of coloring mistakes, as does the Autobot Headmasters "Head On" sequence immediately after.
• Sinnertwin is colored white where he should be yellow as he and Rippersnapper watch Daniel and Wheelie fight.
• As Spike receives Daniel's signal, Brainstorm's torso is colored the same mustard color as his face.

Continuity errors

• After Trypticon intercepts their flight to Mars, the Technobots are saved by Ultra Magnus in Metroplex. He tells them to hurry on to Mars, so they... stand stock still and stare at him blankly.

Trivia

Battling Seizure Robots!

• Beginning with this episode and continuing throughout the series, the title sequence is modified as part of a tie-in promotion with the interactive Video Challenger light gun system. Henceforth, most of the Decepticons flicker white, essentially emitting a visual signal which could be picked up by the light gun that denoted them as targets to be fired on. The more Decepticons the kid with the gun shot, the more points they got!
• The Decepticon Headmasters defy anime tradition in the final moments of the episode by interrupting Fortress' Head-On transformation sequence by shooting a goddamn bomb in his face. This is both underhanded and hilarious.
• There is a lot of padding in this episode, both narratively and with footage reuse. Most notably, all four Autobot Headmasters get individual transformation sequences (complete with close-up on the stat panels in their chests) all of which are reused just a couple of minutes later.

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "Mars Explodes! Watch Out, Fortress Maximus!" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: October 18, 1992

• Title: "Explosion on Mars! Fortress Maximus Is in Danger!" (Shout! Factory sub), "Explosion on Mars! Maximus Is in Danger" (Shout! Factory menu)

Italian

• Title: "La distruzione di Marte - Fortress è in pericolo" ("Mars's destruction - Fortress is in danger")

Mandarin

• Title: "Huǒxīng Bàozhà! Jùwúbà Fútè Dà Wēijī " (火星爆炸！巨无霸福特大危机, "Mars Explodes! Fortress Maximus in Big Danger!")
• Original airdate: ?

• Soundblaster is called "Sanders".

Spanish

• Title: "Marte Explota ¡Cuidado, Fortress Maximus!" ("Mars Explodes. Take Care, Fortress Maximus!")
• Original airdate: ?

• Soundblaster is called "Sanders".

Home video releases

Laserdisc

1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2011 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.