Voice Actor Drama (2004) and Universe #½

 

Writer: Simon Furman

Performance date: July 31, 2004

 

"It never ends." — Simon Furman, Transformers tie-in writer

Rhinox has completed that orbital device that Primus brought him back from the grave specifically to work on. Its function is to disrupt Unicron's trans-dimensional tractor beams so he is unable to teleport more Transformers from other times and other universes to serve in his dark army or whatever. Its first trial is only partially successful, and ends with the alternate-universe Transformers from Unicron's latest abduction attempt being stranded on a distant icy planetoid. Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Waspinator, for some reason, go to retrieve them. I assume Waspinator is still in his miniature Thrust-headed wasp body from the end of Beast Machines, as he briefly appeared in that form during The Wreckers: Finale Part II.

At the same time (or should I say, in another time!), a spacetime vortex opens in the G1 era, pulling an Autobot shuttle transporting Bumblebee, Cosmos, and Tracks to that same frozen planetoid during the time of the Universe War. It's later revealed that this was caused by Rhinox's jamming pulse, somehow. They detect the distress signal from the stranded alt-universe Transformers below and Bumblebee and Cosmos go down to the planet to investigate, leaving Tracks to save Rattrap and the others when they arrive and come under fire from Unicron's retrieval (or retri-evil) team.

Rattrap, Silverbolt, and Waspinator are all voiced by Scott McNeil, the actor who did their voices in Beast Wars and Beast Machines. He has the stage all to himself for a good chunk of the performance, and it's good fun watching him essentially do a one-man play for several minutes. He also did the voices of Dinobot and Packrat, so it's a shame that Simon Furman couldn't contrive an excuse to bring in alternate versions of them and deal Scott McNeil five of a kind.

Tracks and the new arrivals go down to the planet, where they help the other Autobots fight off Unicron's forces, who are being led by ever-popular breakout character Reptilion. They defeat the bad guys, and Rhinox sends another pulse to reopen the vortex and send the Bumblebee and the others back to their time, now armed with knowledge of Unicron that they weren't supposed to have until the events of The Transformers: The Movie. No one is too worried about that temporal discrepancy, though, because in the very first scene Tracks was already complaining about Headmasters, Powermasters, Targetmasters, Micromasters, etc., none of whom was introduced in G1 cartoon continuity until after the movie. Whoops!

This one is okay. Not as funny as some of the other script readings, but it has the best soundtrack, courtesy of Vince DiCola promoting his new CD. At one point Rattrap plugs a forthcoming Transformers: Universe issue #½, which was never actually made, but a very short outline can be found online. It basically just retells the script reading with a few new scenes for additional context, including a new epilogue. With their ship destroyed in battle and Bumblebee's shuttle returned to its correct time, the Maximals and Autobots remain stranded on the ice planet until Cybertron sends them a new ride, "as Waspinator puts it... 'freezing my pointy butt off'. Silverbolt concludes: the jamming pulse needs a LOT more work..." Cut and print, that's a wrap on 3H Productions.