#i went and made a spreadsheet of my existing recs so i can track if i have already recced them easier but like. somehow...

[velvetwyrme]

i was kinda worried that i couldnt be able to find enough fics for the new fic reclist/s and um. i already have 153 tabs for various ut fics open, which is more than i can include in one post (tumblr seems to have a 100 link limit, last i checked) so i'm. fine.

i shouldnt be so surprised, considering how much i read but hkjrhdsjjkdhgf its. yeah okay.

[afterspark-podcast]

G1 Episode 17: Transcript

Episode Show Notes

[This can also be found on AO3!]

[Stinger]

O: No, no absolutely--but I'm talking about--

S:I know.

O: --like, Aliens!

S: I know.

O: You know, and it’s just like--

[Intro Music]

O: Hello, and welcome to the Afterspark Podcast, an episode by episode recap of the Generation 1 Transformers cartoon. I'm Owls!

S: And I'm Specs!

O: And today we're gonna be talking about episode number 17: Autobot Spike.  Let's talk about giant robots today, shall we?

S: Mm-hmm.

O: Also a note for, uh, I guess season 2 onwards?  Uhh, we are gonna go by the order that's on my DVD set, because that's the set we're using when we're scripting.  Ah, it technically, it seems like it's the um, airdate order versus if you go on the TF wiki it's like by episode--

S: It varies though, the page I was looking on for when I was doing the reordering on the fanfic rec document, it has like episode number or airdate number and then like, actual order number on the other side, it was like what?

O: Yeah, it was like the episode internal number for the studio or for the writing staff or something. I'm not really sure I understand it, but basically if you go on TF wiki or at least the page we have initially used to like, make our spreadsheet for things, it uses that number instead of the air date and I think the DVDs are using the air date.  So that's what we're gonna go off of just so we don't have to try to keep track of it as much.

S: So yes, some of these may not be in chronological order, I guess?

O: Uh so, if you're like, “Hey why did you do this episode instead of this episode?” that's probably why, we will still get to all of them though.

S: Yes, we will.  Just weird order.

O: Yeah.  We had to pick something and this is what we did.  Anyway, welcome to season 2 of the Transformers, complete with a brand new opening and teasing us with brand new characters. (And by characters we meet toys.)

S: Yes, yes new toys to add to your burgeoning army.

O: [laughs] Today at the Autobot base, Sparkplug is playing God!

S: The Autobots are just fine with this.  Apparently, they don't have um, moral or ethical quandaries with this.

O: I mean considering that um, Wheeljack and--

S: The Dinobots.

O: Yeah, I was going to say, Wheeljack and Ratchet just decided to create new life ah, no problem.  I guess, yeah, they must not be worried about a God complex.

S: I guess.

O: Uh, Sparkplug’s new creation is called Autobot X.

S: Unfortunately, he's definitely not a looker.

O: Autobot X is a literal Frankenstein's monster uh, made out of a hodgepodge of spare Autobot parts.

S: He's even got bolts on his helmet where his neck should be, it’s um, yeah.

O: He's like--I wanna say he didn't have much of a neck, which is why we phrased that way, but yes.  Uh, Spike even calls it a Frankenstein's monster.  Which confuses poor Bumblebee but Spike doesn't want to take the time to explain the human pop culture reference to his giant alien robot friend.  This is fine.

S: Honestly, he could just direct him to the library.

O: Or put on a movie. [laughs]

S: Yeah.

O: We know a movie exists in this world!.

S: Yeah, as we will um, see later.  Autobot X is an amalgam of Prowl, Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, Optimus Prime, Trailbreaker, Jazz, and Hound parts.

O: It's apparently got Jazz's crotch.  Uh, to which, all we can say is, he's got a party in his pants.

S: Yes, literally!  Especially if he can do that speaker doohickey--if he's got those speaker doohickeys somewhere.

O: Weirdly enough he seems to have a mostly unique face, uh, helm, uh, that kind of reminds me of Ultra Magnus?  Which is hilarious, cuz Ultra Magnus doesn't even exist in the series yet.

S: Yeah.  Sparkplu--well actually, presumably they know about him and they just decided to make his face look like that.

O: Okay, but if Sparkplug--

S: I mean in uni--I mean in universe not the--

O: No-no-

S: Oh no, you’re right.

O: Because Sparkplug’s the one that made him, and so Ultra Magnus, if he--it does exist which presumably he does--

S: Yeah.

O: He's on Cybertron--

S: Yes.

O: And Sparkplug would have never met him!

S: Yes, the Autobots didn't have any, like contribution to the--

O: The design? [laughs]

S: Unless they just had like, a face that looked like Ultra Magnus’s lying around.

O: I don’t know.

S: Which would be weird.

O: That’s so weird!

S: Let’s move on now, shall we?  Sparkplug is gunning for a Wheeljack's job as resident mad scientist.

O: Wheeljack seems vaguely insulted by this, as he should be.

S: Mmm-hmm.  Surprising no one, Autobot X begins rampaging around the room destroying things, and Sparkplug can't control it.  I'm not sure why they expected any differently, considering what happened with the Dinobots but...

O: This proves that Sparkplug may be at Wheeljack’s level, but he certainly hasn't surpassed it. [laughs]

S: Yeah...yeah.  So on the list of powers this abomination has, we have super-strength, force lightning as it combats the Autobots' attempts to subdue it.

O: Autobot X is knocked out and Sparkplug laments that it needs to be perfected.

S: [sighs] Sparkplug.

O: Everyone here makes terrible decisions.

S: They do, they do.  Wheeljack and Ratchet offer to help, with Wheeljack wanting to shove Autobots' consciousnesses into Autobot X while their bodies are being repaired.

O: Just put them in stasis!  It’s easier!

S: I'm not sure why their minds somehow, um interfere with the repair process but, that's the logic we're going with.

O: Apparently, and Optimus is totally okay with this horrifying idea.

S: Clearly he hasn’t put a whole lot of thought into it.

O: Like, it cannot be an easy process to swap bodies around like, otherwise people I think would do--er, um--robots would do it more often in this series!

S: Well, we do see the Combaticons’ like, does little cube thingies that Starscream steals from robot prison--

O: Yeah, but that’s not their--

S: --later but...

O: I mean, you’re right, but still.

S: It's-it’s very different, that's their personality components or whatever.

O: Yeah.

S: [unintelligible]

O: So, at this point in time, Teletraan I goes off alerting the Autobots to the presence of Decepticons.

S: And as the Autobots roll out we must remember that this is the start of a new season so let's have another toy roll call except--I think, these are--I don't think any of these characters are new?

O: I don't think they are, but they're reminding the kids who have come back you know, presumably after however long since the new season got, you know, uh--

S: Last season ended or whatever.

O: Last season ended, yeah, that’s what I mean.  The Decepticons are apparently attacking the *New* Air Force rocket base.

S: And then trained army men try to shoot the Cons with teeny, teeny, tiny handguns.  It's silly.

O: It's very silly, and then Megatron fires a warning shot that doesn't actually hit any of humans.

S: Though I must say, I don't think I saw any cannons in this particular base.

O: No, no this one actually looked like, you know it was maybe up to date with the 80’s weaponry!

 S: Yeah...those were some really big rockets.

O: Yeah.

S: The Autobots proceed to show up.

O: With Starscream wordlessly pointing as they approach.

S: And then a fight breaks out.

O: As it is prone to do in this particular series. Uh, and to get back on my high horse--fuck you Brawn, uh, he kicks Soundwave into a giant rocket here, which then proceeds to knock down a bunch of other rockets.

S: It's like dominoes.

O: Dominoes!  But with rockets!

S: Instigated by a robot getting kicked into them.

O: Yes, that was poor Soundwave.

S: Um-hm, and the Autobots were specifically trying to avoid all of this damage happening which makes it more infinitely hilarious that it actually happens.

O: Brawn clearly didn't get the memo. [laughs]

S: The fighting continues, with Thundercracker and Skywarp destroying the other rockets in the base.

O: Bumblebee and Spike arrive on scene.

S: There will be regrets.

O: [laughs] Just regrets!?!

S: Megatron and Soundwave take off, with Megatron turning it into his gun mode and Soundwave firing him at Bumblebee as a diversion.  And then Optimus gasps, “They hit Spike!”

O: No they didn’t!  They didn’t even hit Bumblebee!  They hit in front of Bumblebee and then he just kind of fell over on his side!  I’m not saying Spike would be unaffected, but I certainly don’t think this was--should be life threatening!

S: Yes, but this is like, a bug made out of a giant alien robot that presumably doesn't have fucking airbags and there is no restraining harness, no seat belt.

O: He wasn’t even going that fast though, and it was like, kind of this slow tip over!?!  It just--it didn’t look like a--just didn’t look like it should have done that much!

S: It probably didn't do much to Bumblebee but that doesn't mean that Spike didn't hit his head in an unfortunate manner.

O: I-- [unintelligible muttering]

S: I think is dumb but they went with what they went with and we can't really argue with it.

O: [groans]

S: At least I don't think we can.

O: Ohhh, watch me! [laughs]

S: Well, okay, yes we can.

O: [continues to laugh]

S: [sighs] Megatron is very happy at the possibility of having killed a 14 year old boy.

O: Ironhide and the others pull out Spike and load him up into Ratchet.  You know, moving someone who might have a spinal injury or a head injury.  This is fine.

S: They did not take proper precautions and Spike is apparently in critical condition so...probably the Autobots hurt him more than the fall did.

O: Quite possibly!  And then we cut to a doctor talking to Sparkplug and--who says, “If only we could separate Spike's mind from his body!”

S: It's called a medically induced coma, you ass.  And then Sparkplug says, “Oh hey, wait!”

O: Alright, I buy that we can move a robot's mind around because machines and electricity or whatever but why on earth can this be possible with a human mind in this series?

S: I don't know, but it sure set up some stuff that fanfic writers use.

O: Oh, did it!

S: Um-hm.

O: And as if we need more Frankenstein shenanigans in this episode, back at the Ark, the Autobots prepare to transfer Spike's mind into Autobot X.

S: Ratchet says that Spike’s mind not being in his body will allow the doctors to operate and I mean how does this help with anything?

O: I don't see how it possibly could.

S: I mean--

O: I really don’t!

S: Unless it's some sort of brain surgery, I could maybe kind of see that.  Maybe, maybe.

O: Even then that seems unlikely though.

S: Yeah, I don't-I- don't know. I'm spitballing here.

O: [laughs]

S: Is there a doctor in the house? No, no, we've just got a bunch of mechanics.

O: Surely nothing can possibly go wrong here!

S: This stupidity does indeed work.

O: And by work, we mean Spike begins rampaging all over the lab just like Autobot X!

S: He's a very unhappy camper. Anyway, Spike is ramp--anyway, Spike is rampaging around the lab yelling, “WHYYY!?!”

O: You know, why have I been turned into an abomination?

S: [sighs]

O: Sunstreaker and Sideswipe come in and try to restrain him, but Spike just yeets both of them through the air.

S: That's kind of great.

O: It is kind of great, but I feel bad for Sunstreaker and Sideswipe.  They did nothing to deserve this, this episode.

S: Yeah, and then Optimus shoots Spike to stop his rampagey ways.  And then Sparkplug is very apologetic for what they've done saying that did the only thing that they could think of.  Which was--

O: Which was clearly sneak Spike out of the hospital in the middle of the night because when Sparkplug told the doctor this was the plan, they must have thought he was nuts!

S: Who the heck knows, I think it's--I think the entire plot is dumb but let's move on from that.  Autobot X is super freaking tall, he's at least as tall as Optimus so that's kinda…

O: It's really big!  Cuz Optimus is like, one of the biggest ones.

S: Yeah, like Skyfire I think, is taller but..

O: Skyfire is way bigger but-but out of a like, kind of normal cast like, Optimus and Megatron tend to be the biggest.

S: Yeah.

O: Surprise though, Laserbeak has been here the entire time recording all of this!

S: He's a good spy.

O: He's a good spy, unlike Bumblebee. [laughs]

S: Yeah, yeah, yeah, don't--

O: I apologize for nothing!

S: Bumblebee, you do not stand up to transform when you are within sight--

O: [laughs]

S: --of the people you're spying on.  Don't do it.  Nevertheless, he totally did it, and then he got brain tentacled for his troubles.

O: Yep, cuz we needed more reminders of that.  Anyway, our good birb returns and reports to Megatron.

S: And then Megatron decides to see if he can use Spike's instability to destroy the rest of the Autobots.

O: With Starscream living on the edge again, ah, insulting Megatron to his face and getting shoved for his troubles.

S: Back at the Ark, Ratchet is still trying to fix Bumblebee and Spike has apparently been left under the care of Wheeljack.

O: Which by left under the care of Wheeljack, that means he got shoved into a room with a TV and you'll never guess what movie is on!

S: Yep, we're being very on-the-nose today.

O: Surprise, surprise--it's Frankenstein.

S: And as Igor shouts, “You’ve created a monster!” on TV, Spike destroys the television set. Which may or may not be part of Teletraan 1.

O: Yeah, he then begins to trash the rest of the room too.

S: That's it, no more TV for you for six months, Spike!

O: To add to Autobot X's weird power list--he also has jet feet.

S: Obviously, we gotta make this body that we're just gonna put people in occasionally very, very useful and let it fly.

O: Uh, Sparkplug decided he was gonna cram in the features here, you know.

S: He just wanted all the features.

O: He wanted all the features.

S: Ratchet, Wheeljack, Sparkplug, and Bumblebee attempt to calm Spike with little success.

O: Spike smashes his way out of the Ark, and we see that Reflector’s been left on surveillance on the Decepticon side.

S: You gotta use what you have and when you have a camera, yeah.

O: Still better at surveillance than Bumblebee!  [laughs]

S: Yeah. [laughs] Bumblebee follows on the ground, apparently without a working method of communication back to base as Ratchet has yet to repair his radio transmitter.

O: Reflector’s also following Spike, holding position until Megatron arrives.

S: And Spike is just holding an entire darn conversation with himself basically saying--he's a monster, so no helping humanity for him.

O: I know they keep saying he's unstable but him being evil here is just kind of weird.

S: He's more chaotic neutral than anything, I guess?  But I think, he's like--99% of his impulse control was split between Bumblebee and being super tiny and neither of those is currently available to him, so…

O: [laughing] True!  He’s currently as big as Optimus Prime and Bumblebee is not here quite yet.  Uh, Bumblebee does however, catch up with Spike and warns him that his current body is making it harder for Spike to think but Spike whacks him off a cliff with a tree.

S: I'm going to amend that and say that most of his impulse control was being tiny and not being able to do dumb shit.

O: I could--I can believe that, although Cliffjumper being tiny and doing dumb shit does not seem to be a hindrance.

S: Yes, but the thing is Spike is a lot squishier than Cliffjumper.

O: True.  Megatron shows up with other cons in tow.

S: And Reflector’s t-posing for dominance here so...um, take that as you will. [laughs] Spike and the Seekers fire on each other but Megatron lands and tells them to stop fighting.

O: We, uh get a glance at Megs’ apparently trick knee here as an animation error causes some really funky motion with him.

S: Yeah.  Bee is able to climb back up and he attempts stealth.

O: He is literally standing behind Megatron with his head perfectly visible, um, from behind some rocks.

S: [exasperated sigh] Then Megatron apparently offers Spike Starscream's job or being second, “Only to me!”

O: Spike seems to agree, as he shakes Megatron’s hand and wants to, “Make them pay real bad!”

S: [even more exasperated sigh]

O: [laughs]

S: Bumblebee escapes back to the Air Force Base, where Optimus and company are currently working.

O: The Autobots arrive to confront Spike, who is wielding Megatron and fires on them.  Weird Autobot X power number 4:  Boobs slash headlight cannon laser gun thing.

S: Considering but that's Prowl’s chest, that tells me more than I expected the cartoon to tell me about Prowl.

O: Yeah guys, tmi.  Tmi!

S: I mean, we never see Prowl do that.

O: [while laughing] We never see Prowl do that!

S: Apparently, he's just very polite so…

O: It is impolite to shoot things out of your boobs!

B: [giggle]

S: The Seekers enter the fray, and then Ironhide fires...oil from his arms at them?

O: I guess we'll just add that to the list of Ironhide’s Swiss Army knife abilities.

S: God, Ironhide can do so much stuff!

O: So much shit.

S: Sparkplug shows up then and gets shot at, but Spike panics and saves him with--

O: Autobot X power number 5!  Weird grippy claw, thing.

S: Which apparent--I think that's supposed to be like, Trailbreaker’ss gun, but I don’t know…

O: We don’t know what this thing is, but he uses it!

S: Yup, it’s like...yeah, yeah.  Megatron attempts to get Spike to defeat the Autobots, but Spike instead fires on the Decepticons

O: But Spike’s sworry, so he's forgiven.

S: Yeah, um, at some point Megatron and the Decepticons just...skedaddle.

O: Yeah, they just leave.  They're done for the day, this plan did not work, bye.

S: Yeah and so, Spike is zapped back into his real body and the transfer device breaks and then Bumblebee wonders what it would be like for a robot in a human body.

O: Sadly, when we actually do get this in canon or in the cartoon it's kind of boring and in my opinion, this is not the best characters they could have picked for the scenario.  Just legitimately, I think the entire thing would have been vastly improved if it had been all cons. Involved say, Starscream, Soundwave, and Megatron, yes?

S: There is actually um, a piece of fan fiction by Wayward [Insecticon] that is basically that.  All the Decepticons get turned into humans.

O: And I'm willing to bet it is better than the episode where fucking Arcee, Rodimus, and uh-- Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and--

S: Springer!

O: Springer do because that one...the only good thing in that episode was me dead-ass looking at the screen and going, “Rodimus definitely, definitely had sex with that woman the night before and she is bringing him breakfast in bed.”  There is another explanation for this and I will say the same damn thing when we go through the episode.

B: [laughing]

O: Regardless, that is it for today.  Join us next time for, “The Immobilizer,” or as I like to call it:  Hello Carly! [said in the same tone as, “Hello nurse!” from Animaniacs]

S: It'll be nice to see Carly.

O: I like Carly, so I'm looking forward to this, also, we get--Wheeljack cuz this is one of Wheeljack’s inventions, yeah?

S: Um-hm.

O: Alright, so Specs, what fanfic do we have for today?

S: Ok, today we have two pieces of fanfic.  There technically could be three, but the third one, it has actually been removed from the internet.  And while I could use the Wayback Machine to get you to the author's site.  Since they removed it from Fanfiction Net, I don't think that's a thing I should do.  Which makes me sad because I really, really like that one and...yeah.  And I've got well, I have a copy of it cuz I saved--I saved the mobi back when it was still on Fanfiction Net.

O: Yeah.

S: Um, but since I can't really share it with anyone I'm not going to include that one, though I might mention the name.  But, so, I have two that are readily accessible to share.  Um, “Chrysalis,” by Ape32.  It’s G1 cartoon AU, rated T, for teens, and it's Gen. I've only actually gone through the first three chapters of this one so if there is um, romance in later chapters I'm afraid I don't--I haven't reached that part yet.

O: So none as first we're aware, right now.

S: Yes.

O: Apologies if there is later, however.

S: Yes, thank you, thank you very much.  So characters:  Spike, Sparkplug, various Autobots and Decepticons.  And in summary, uh, “It’s g1 a season two AO.  Spike's life is changed forever by his single act of vengeance.  Now he must adapt or lose not only his mind and his friends, but his very soul as well.”  And so, uh, the reason for choosing this is that this is an alternate universe continuation of Autobot X, where Megatron makes a very cruel decision.  I think you can guess what happens, um…

O: Yeah.

S: Yeah, and so this is an incomplete multi-chapter piece of fanfiction that was last updated in 2008.  So, it's highly unlikely that it's going to be updated again but it's actually let me...

O: Sounds like a really interesting premise though, like, I'm gonna read it and I normally don't read it incomplete stuff, unless they're like, currently ongoing because I'm like, “Ahhh!  It's never going to be finished!”  But tha-that's a really interesting concept!

S: Yeah, and let me... it's 15 chapters.

O: Okay, so you know, still a pretty good read.

S: Yeah, sixty-six thousand words, or thereabouts.  Mm-hmm, and so, yeah, I'd recommend that so far.  And then my second recommendation is, “Hopeless,” by WaywardInsecticon.  I...it's actually been a while since I've read this and I'm pretty sure it's Marvel G1, but that's apparently what I put down in my notes.  I don't remember.  But it's definitely G1.

O: Yeah.

S: I think the reason I chose Marvel G1 was because Mindwipe’s in there.  But I've read it (actually several times), it's just been a while.  It's rated T for teen, it's Gen.  There aren't any pairings.  Uh, the characters here--it focuses on original characters but there's also Mindwipe and Flywheels, who are not particularly well-known Decepticons.  Though we do know Flywheels from…

O: The IDW comics.

S: Yes, his unfortunate big feet were the only things left off him.

O: [laughs]

S: In summary, “Dark Star is a Decepticon who used to be a 17 year old girl.  Now she's trapped on Cybertron with no friends, no idea how to function, and no help but Mindwipe who was the one who changed her in the first place.”  And yeah, the theme for this was humans getting turned into robots and--

O: Eyyy!

S: Pretty much, yeah.  And it's a one shot so, yeah.  I definitely recommend that and then the third one which I...which we won't actually be linking to--

O: We will not actually link to it.

S: For a variety of reasons.  Was the, “Starting Gate,” by Korat.  Which was a G1 cartoon, uhh, one.  It was rated T, Gen, no pairings.  The original--the main character was an original character and in summary, “Life has a funny way of throwing things at you sometimes, that you would never expect.  Either you learn to run with it or you don't.”  It was heavily G1 based, it was never completed and the author took it down, ah... When did I save this?  I think I saved it like, a little while before she took it to down--or they took it down.  I saved this in...2012.  June 29th, 2012.

O: Well then.

S: Ahhhh, the flagfic--the FLAG fanfiction downloader.

O: [laughs]

S: Yeah, so yeah, we're not gonna link to that, but it basically involved Starscream... Starscream basically it was--it sort of making friends with a human and then things go very, very bad.

O: Things go very wrong, very fast.

S: Yes, and let's move on to the art.

O: So, our recommendation for today is Coralus.  Ah, they primarily seem to do IDW, at least from a lot of the stuff I saw, but there might be some--a variety of things on there.  Their colors are GORGEOUS in everything.

S: They are!

O: Like, oh my god, seriously, some of my favorite colors out of all of the fan artists we've recommended.

S: Um-hm.

O: They have a number of Ratchet/Drift fan art, but there's also a lot of different art from-from various characters from the IDW comics.  We linked to a few pieces that I really enjoyed, uh, their Rung one in particular is one of my favorites.

S: I love it too.

O: It's really pretty!  Uh, so, I think we've mentioned this enough it should be apparent, but Rung is actually Primus in the IDW comics.  And so the piece of art with him is basically him, kind of drawn overlaid with more of what Primus probably looked like in the past.

S: Or, well the general Primus designs--

O: Yeah.

S: --that are considered canon.

O: Yeah, uh, but it's it's really pretty and also like, Rung’s expression is really lovely because it's just very kind.  Which is why I think-I think partially why I liked Rung so much of the comics is that like, Primus and a lot of them is like either you know the-the literal center of their planet--

S: Um-hmm.

O: --or kind of a warrior god.

S: Yeah.

O: And so to have it be this very kind, sweet character, is one of my favorite things.

S: Who's not a combatant, and he just wants to help people.

O: It's very sweet.  Uh, we also--we did link to some of their Drift/Ratchet art, which is very, very cute.  And then the last one we linked to was Sunstreaker, who is one of my favorite G1 characters who I haven't gotten to talk about enough. [laughs]  But, yeah, uh, we will be linking to their Tumblr… We are actually posting this on AO3 as well, or at least embedding it.  So any artists that make money through other avenues with their fan art we will not be posting links to.  I will also not be mentioning it in here, since we have to embed this on a site that forbids it.  However, if there are links, uh, you can find them on our Tumblr page, like our Tumblr Episode Notes, uh, at least as far as linking on an AO3 we will be linking to their Tumblr and their... I guess just their Tumblr because all those other ones make money.  They're all, like stores and stuff.

S: Um-hmm.

O: We will be linking to their Tumblr and you can also find links on our Tumblr, and you can, you know find the other places where they are online.

S: And that just about wraps up for us today.  Remember to check us out on Tumblr or Pillowfort as Afterspark-Podcast for any additional information, show notes or links we may have mentioned.  You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter at AftersparkPod (all one word) and various other locations by searching for Afterspark Podcast such as AO3, iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and Youtube, just to name a few.  Till next time, I'm Specs!

O: And I'm Owls!

S: Toodles!

[Outro Music]