The Transformers The Movie
Ron Friedman first draft
November 18th, 1984, revised February 13th 1985
General note: No named characters die unless stated
- Decepticons besiege Autobot encampment at steel mill. Introduced to Magnus, Hot Rod, Tanker (proto-Kup) and Arcee. Decepticons use massive fusion cannon to drop “fire snow” (think Cybertronian napalm). Autobots concerned as running out of rocket fuel, hoping for Optimus Prime to arrive with supplies and reinforcements
- Freight train loaded with rocket fuel, Prime and other Autobots headed for the battlefield. Introduced to General Blaze (Patton-type) and Col. Rusty Steel (Indiana Jones-type. Think Springer in human form. “Big brother” figure to Daniel). Autobots and humans on the train fend off multiple assaults led by Megatron. When Starscream attempts to derail the train, it transforms to a battle mode and sends him packing.
- Siege reaches apex. Decepticons send in Assault Towers and prepare to fire massive fusion cannon at approaching train. Train transforms again into giant robot snake and smashes Decepticon artillery
- Prime confronts Megatron. They fight, Hot Rod interferes, Prime is wounded, Megatron is taken back to Cybertron for his essence to be interred. The Autobots take the wounded Prime back to the Autobot volcano.
- The Decepticons argue and fight over leadership all the way back to Cybertron and into the Hall Of Heroes (coronation chamber). They continue to fight, ignoring Megatron who is crawling on the floor and begging them to inter his essence in the urn to be preserved. A stray shot melts the urn. Megatron's essence leaves his body, which crumbles to dust.
- Autobots bring the wounded Prime back to HQ which is upgraded to a fortified city-state, including human military and scientists. Introduced to Daniel and his mother Ellen Prentiss. As Ratchet works on Prime, Hot Rod blames himself.
- Megatron's essence drifts through space, destined to extinguish, vowing revenge.
Encounters The Entity (Unicron), makes the deal, is changed into Galvatron. Heads back to Cybertron.
- Prime dies, passing on his matrix (All Transformers have one, which in this case looks like a ghostly miniature version of Prime) to Ultra Magnus. Who then announces that while the construction of a new space battle fleet - intended to finish the Decepticons - nears completion. Earth is to be fortified against future attack.
- Back on Cybertron, the fight over leadership is STILL going on as Galvatron arrives. Instead of killing Starscream, a cold ray of energy turns all of the Decepticons present and the entire population into “Servants Of The Entity”. Mutated, scaled versions of themselves that draw power directly from The Entity itself. It orders Galvatron's army to head for Earth, after which Cybertron is shrivelled up and absorbed into The Entity. Galvatron objects, but is cowed into submission. He obeys, but secretly vows vengeance for Cybertron.
- General montage of cruisers being built and Autobot volcano being fortified. Banter between Rusty, Daniel and Ellen setting dynamics for the rest of the movie. Start of recurring “gag” where Arcee demonstrates hyper-competence behind Wheeljack's back. Only for an oblivious Wheeljack to make an exasperated comment about “she-bots”. Autobots realise Cybertron is gone, at which point Galvatron's armada begins the attack. Drawing power from The Entity, the combined force destroys the new battlefleet and melts the Autobot volcano to the ground. Ultra Magnus leads the retreat into the mountains.
- Autobots hiding out in mountains, avoiding detection by Decepticon sweep parties (described as “Gestapo men”). Arcee reveals Decepticons' construction of an “energy-drain cage” out in space that will absorb the Earth's energy and leave it a shrivelled husk within four days. Magnus decides to get one cruiser operational to seek the Decepticon's new power source in the Shadow Nebula. Hot Rod and Tanker are sent to find recruits for the mission. As sweep party closes in, humans escape down waterway on rafts while a combination of Hound's holograms and other tricks keep the sweep party confused and off-balance long enough for the Autobots to retreat.
- Hot Rod and Tanker in the desert, find and recruit Springer (straightforward muscle, not like we've come to know him). Then they go to an oil refinery base holding out against Decepticons, after fighting off an attack, they recruit Mentlar (proto-Perceptor) and the Dinobots (only Grimlock, Sludge and Swoop). Blurr arrives and swiftly joins their team.
- Fortified ice dome where the cruiser is about to launch. Ultra Magnus, Blurr, Mentlar and Rusty inside the cruiser. Hot Rod, Tanker and Dinobots riding on hull. Daniel and Ellen say goodbye to Rusty, but are forced to board the cruiser as Galvatron attacks. Ice dome is melted. An intense battle to get the cruiser into space, including evading the energy cage which attempts to close on them. As Galvatron blames his troops, The Entity speaks, orders him to pursue the cruiser and destroy the Autobot force. General Blaze, Wheeljack and Arcee lead human and Autobot survivors on Earth into hiding.
- Cruiser in space. Light-hearted character stuff with humans trying out Exo-suits. Decepticons catch up and attack. Magnus orders Tanker's group to split up and rendezvous on the far side of an asteroid. Galvatron sees through the plan and orders Laserbeak to maintain surveillance. Mentlar plugs into the ship's computer, learns the precise nature of the Entity energy source and devises a plan. Tanker's group on the asteroid comes under attack. Galvatron senses the presence of Optimus Prime (matrix). Mentlar ignites flares to blind their pursuers and the cruiser lands on the asteroid. Galvatron attacks and humans use exo-suits in fight (suggested that exo-suits work by telekinesis?). Massive warp storm disrupts the battle. Thundercracker and Hook set off explosives which blow Hot Rod, Tanker and the Dinobots off the asteroid and send them hurtling through space. Storm badly damages Galvatron's cruiser overhead, causing it to crash on top of Decepticon force. Magnus and co. emerge from rubble, return to the cruiser and set off again for the Shadow Nebula.
- Back to Earth, which is shrivelled and sunken as energy drain continues. Starscream contacts Galvatron (reprise of old relationship with Megatron). Who believes Autobot forces are dead, and is returning to Earth to complete the operation.
- Hot Rod lands in the ocean of an unknown planet (what would become Quintessa). Scene with the robot squid and rescuing Tanker plays out like the finished movie.
- Magnus' group in the cruiser arrive at Planet Unicron. The ship is damaged by an energy forcefield, on a collision course with the nearby moon.
- Blaze, Wheeljack and Arcee are on the run, evading aerial assaults. Arcee brings down Starscream, sending him crashing through a freeway overpass on top of a blockade of Decepticons barring their way. Allowing the group to escape. Galvatron arrives to berate Starscream when The Entity speaks. Telling Galvatron that the Autobot force in space is alive and he must annihilate them. Galvatron feigns obedience, but as soon as The Entity's presence is gone, he defies it and continues to lead the assault on Earth.
- Hot Rod repairs Tanker, both set out to find Dinobots, encounter Sharkticons, Universal Greeting, taken prisoner. The two take hope in readings of Dinobots nearby, but find Sludge and Swoop frozen (only Grimlock unaccounted for). All are carted off by Sharkticons, intended to be eaten.
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