Energon Tower is the tenth episode of Energon. It first aired in the United States on April 9, 2004 on Cartoon Network.
Content[]
Summary[]
The Autobots and humans work to complete an energon tower defense grid for Earth before the Decepticons can find out about it.
Plot[]
Dr. Jones arrives at Ocean City to push for and oversee his energon tower project, to Kicker's surprise. The project gets underway with Federation backing and massive work crews both human and Transformer. Kicker notes that it's the biggest project "since building Armed City". Alexis reports to Dr. Jones about incoming supplies, and recalls the terror of Unicron. She offers to help get more personnel, but Dr. Jones says that it's not necessary. By re-using existing structures, they expect the project to take about a week. Sally and Mrs. Jones return to Ocean City, wondering if Dr. Jones and Kicker will get along this time. Kicker is worrying to Optimus Prime about a possible attack during the construction, when Dr. Jones comes looking for him, annoying him by calling him "Junior". Kicker turns him down for lunch and leaves with Misha. On Mars, Cyclonus is bored as the energon scavenging operations drag on, but Megatron promises him action soon. Soon the time comes to return to Unicron. Megatron vows to create a new mobile fortress, and does so. Within Unicron, Megatron has his sword recreated into a more powerful weapon. Demolishor is thrown slightly for a loop by when Megatron questions him about Ocean City; Megatron then orders the Decepticons to attack while Prime is stationed there. Alpha Q observes the Decepticons leaving Unicron aboard the mobile fortress, and figures it's the perfect chance to steal back the energon, dispatching Terrorcons. Kicker has traveled with Misha to Jungle City, anxious to get away from his dad. He detects an incoming attack. Ocean City braces for attack. The Autobots and the automated defenses hold off the Terrorcons, but Megatron emerges from the sea and attacks Prime with his new sword. Demolishor winds up facing off with Ironhide, and hesitates till he's goaded into action by Megatron. Ironhide breaks off from the battle to pursue Scorponok. Dr. Jones leaves a shelter in the middle of the fight to go help, with Sally following. Ironhide contacts Kicker, who ignores him. Sally follows up, telling him that their dad is injured. The Transformers square off: Jetfire vs. Scorponok, Inferno and Hot Shot vs. Tidal Wave; Demolishor vs. Ironhide; Prime vs. Megatron. Megatron taunts Prime that Unicron's revival is already underway. Alpha Q and Starscream observe the Terrorcons returning from Unicron's body, loaded with energon for Unicron's revival. Kicker arrives in the middle of the battle aboard Skyblast and gives some tactical help to the Autobots. Scorponok attacks him, but suddenly a huge tower begins to arise from Ocean City. It sends a beam into the sky, enhanced by a team of Signal Flares. Something huge emerges from the sky -- the energon tower! It lands and connects with the energon tower, glowing red with energy. The pulses begin destroying the Terrorcons, and Megatron orders a retreat. Dr. Jones emerges, alive and well, and rejoicing in the energy pulses washing over the city. Kicker yells at Sally for lying about their dad being injured; she counters that it was the only way to get him to return. Dr. Jones explains his "energon shockwave assault" to the Autobots. Prime worries that, having seen the energon tower, Megatron will be back soon. Megatron angrily wonders how the Autobots built the tower without him finding out. And Alpha Q observes as Unicron's head flickers with new energy; it won't be long now...
Trivia[]
In the episode[]
Background[]
English dub changes[]
Characters[]
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulars
Guests |
Quotes[]
"Demolishor! I understand Optimus Prime is stationed in your old home town."
"Yes, I mean -- it's more or less the same place."
"Inarticulate as always."
"Forgive me, sir; it's just, I spent a lot of time away, so even though I come from there --"
"Never mind!"
- — Megatron isn't going to let Demolishor have an easy time.
"What is this monstrosity?"
"Big. BIG!"
- — Megatron and Tidal Wave, who gets right to the point
"Uhhh.... translation anybody?"
- — Ironhide watches
the Energon cartoonthe energon tower descend.
"What is this stuff, anyway?"
"...It's the awesome power of energon! Amazing."
- — Hot Shot and Optimus Prime want you to buy those toys!
Notes[]
Lost in translation[]
A huge number of backgrounds were not finished for the dub version of this episode. Most of the time, an adequate substitute was used (in fact it's not clear why some of them even needed to be changed), but in a couple of places it makes the story less clear.
- Superlink and Energon use different opening shots of Ocean City, and again when Sally and her mom arrive.
- The dub takes an idle thought by Kicker about how "each of the armed cities" will have its own Energon Tower, and turns it into the wildly nonsensical statement that "this was the biggest project since the construction of Armed City".
- Immediately after, Kicker's impressed thought that "I never would have thought of that" gets dub-mutilated into a scornful "I don't know what these people are thinking."
- In the dub, the cables that attach Megatron to Unicron are missing their color. Superlink also adds some glow effects to the cables as they power up, and likewise to Megatron's eyes.
- The dub makes Megatron's dialog while creating the new mobile fortress somewhat at odds with the animation. He proclaims "we WILL create a new fortress", only for it to happen just a second later; he then orders the Terrorcons to "seek out what will be your new home", as if it wasn't right there in front of them. In Superlink, he simply orders Unicron to create the fortress, then tells the Terrorcons that it is their home now.
- Demolishor's statement that he's spent a lot of time away (quoted above) was originally a statement that Optimus Prime often leaves Ocean City, and might not be there.
- Superlink features full coloration on the demonic faces that briefly appear around Megatron's sword. They also glow green before exploding. In the dub, they're simply shaded blue.
- Alpha Q's "no one here but us!" is, of course, a dub flub, since Alpha Q isn't in Unicron's body.
- Superlink features new establishing shots of Jungle City, scrolling through cliffs and showing the tower under construciton. Energon recycles some still shots of the ancient pyramids instead.
- Kicker's thought "you don't know the half of it" is purely a dub addition.
- Still more unfinished/changed backgrounds as Dr. Jones leaves the shelter, and Sally arrives in the control room.
- Scorponok's "poison claw" line, rather inexplicably said in reference to his tail, was original just a line about some "poison".
- The Signal Flares' bizarre cry of "SOREEEE!!!" (a nonsense word said for emphasis of action) as they bring in the tower is changed to a simple and more Western-palatable "Fire!" for the dub.
- More unfinished animation: the bottom of the descending energon tower looks like a fuzzy moon in the dub. Superlink replaces this with a darkened orb.
- Energon lacks any animation to show the suborbital top of the tower activating. In Superlink, a different background painting is used, with red energon pulses.
Pain count[]
"Uh?": 12
Stock footage: 2
Energon is great: 2
Animation and/or technical glitches[]
- When Scorponok shoots down Jetfire, absolutely nothing is shown falling into the ocean.
- The top of the energon tower is missing when it first powers up.
Continuity errors[]
- Just where Scorponok is going, and why it's so important, is never quite made clear. Also not made clear is why he's climbing the city when he could just fly and probably reach the top faster.
- Demolishor cuts off Ironhide's pursuit of Scorponok, but for some reason it's not actually shown on camera.
- Why is Ironhide contacting Kicker?
- Sally isn't shown leaving the shelter; we don't realize she's done so till she arrives in the control center.
Real-world references[]
- Dr Jones calling his son "Junior" may be a rather odd homage to the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, where Dr. Henry Jones does just that to his son.
Other Notes[]
- Apart from the conversation between Dr. Jones and Alexis, this episode's dialog actually flows pretty well.
- Scorponok is really enjoying the battle, laughing madly through the whole thing.
Keywords[]
Gallery[]
Episode[]
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