Crisis in Jungle City
From Transformers Wiki
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 But the Justice League isn't here to save the day. | ||||||
| "Crisis in Jungle City" (Jungle City no Kiki) "Crisis of Jungle City" | ||||||
| Production company | TV Tokyo, NAS | |||||
| Airdate | 26 March 2004 (Japanese) June 18, 2004 (Canada) June 29, 2004 (USA) | |||||
| Writer | Shōji Tonoike | |||||
| Director | Oyunamu | |||||
| Animation studio | Actas, Studio A-CAT (3D) | |||||
| Continuity | Unicron Trilogy | |||||
A massive attack on Jungle City drives the Autobots to carry out a desperate last-ditch plan.
Contents |
Synopsis
Kicker and Misha stand at the foot of some ancient jungle pyramids, reminiscing about coming there years before together. Suddenly three military helicopters fly past, bearing crates. Kicker has a premonition that something big is about to happen. The choppers arrive at an energon tower construction site, where the Autobots are settling in.
Alpha Q is delighted that Starscream's memory has been erased, though it does make him completely useless. Now Alpha Q will need more energon to get rid of Megatron. He observes as his Terrorcons on Earth approach a station.
Megatron questions Starscream. Starscream has no memories, and is under Megatron's direct command. Tidal Wave reports on the Earthly Terrorcons... which is just what Alpha Q wants.
Misha relates the history of the 13th century Mayan pyramids, and their subsequently vanished civilization. Kicker wonders if Megatron did it—after all, he's old. Misha... hadn't thought of that before. Suddenly a phalanx of Terrorcons arrives; Kicker and Misha report it in to Optimus Prime.
The Autobots also detect a warp gate opening near Jungle City; Prime has the Omnicons secure the mine. Jetfire scouts and confirms Kicker's report. As the Autobots prepare to deploy, Misha begs for the ancient pyramids to be protected. Prime promises that they will be. Helicopters ferry Misha, Alexis and others away.
Megatron's fortress-ship emerges from a warp gate; Megatron observes that Alpha Q hasn't yet sent in his heavy artillery. He reasons that the Terrorcons will keep the Autobots busy while his troops grab the energon and destroy Jungle City.
The Autobots power up. The Terrorcon drones reach the energon and start devouring it. Ironhide completes the mine evacuation, but when Inferno worries that everyone didn't get out, Kicker impulsively races back in to check it out.
On the surface, the battle is joined, as Autobots and automated defenses blast the Terrorcons out of the sky. The Decepticons arrive and head for the battle.
Kicker and Ironhide find a Skyblast and a Strongarm who are stubbornly refusing to abandon their energon; despite prodding, a pair of Strongarms are caught when the Terrorcons break through.
Ironhide, Inferno, and Kicker stage an ambush for the Terrorcons in the mine, though Ironhide seems to be missing a lot. Inferno gives him a short lesson in anticipating his foes' moves. Despite their efforts, the Terrorcons' sheer numbers are letting them continue to take the energon.
On the surface, Megatron engages Optimus Prime and sends Tidal Wave to destroy the tower. The Omnicons report as various sections of the mine are captured. The Autobots are being overwhelmed as more Terrorcons arrive; the drones blast the tower, whose top explodes. Strongarm reports that only the mobile ground section remains. Prime inquires if the tower fueling system still works.
The Decepticons arrive at the pyramids, searching for Prime. In the city, Optimus Prime has reached a shocking decision. Via video link, Misha tells him that she understands, and only demands that they all return safely. Alexis says that humanity has survived the fall of civilizations before, and she's behind the plan.
The stump of the tower fills with energon, attracting Terrorcons. Megatron bursts into the city, still on the hunt. The dejected Autobots withdraw into the jungle. Inferno says that Ironhide can do the deed, but Prime steps up to do it instead. Ironhide insists, though, and takes careful aim.
Megatron wonders where the Autobots could be; he's disappointed. Scorponok points out that it may be a trap, and an instant later, he's proven right as a shot from out of the blue destroys a Terrorcon and sends its husk crashing explosively into the tower's remains. The energon erupts, obliterating the Terrorcons and sending the irate Decepticons into retreat.
Explosions obliterate the entire area, forests, bluffs, city, pyramids and all. Ironhide is flabbergasted. Kicker is regretful.
Back at Ocean City, Kicker stares out at the sea, when Misha finds him. Ironhide supports Prime in his decision, and Prime says that regardless of how they feel, it's the past now. Misha wonders if the Autobots will build a new tower. Suddenly, as they stare out at the Moon, Kicker's hair does its finding-energon-flashy thing. It's Lunar City, Kicker says; he's certain it has survived, and that's where the next energon tower will be built.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"I wish I could figure girls out."
- —Kicker gets nothing out of Misha.
Skyblast: Hey, what's with the alarm?
Strongarm: It means we're supposed to shut down the mine.
Ironhide: [through loudspeaker] Secure the mine! Repeat, secure the mine! Enemy detected and we're now in Code Red!
Strongarm: I told you.
Skyblast: Ah, just zip it!
- —Strongarm is slaggin' psychic!
"Well, if you ask me, the future is WAY more important than the past is!"
"That's up to Optimus."
- —Inferno overstates Prime's duties to Ironhide
"So many to choose from, so little time. But an experienced hunter is patient and waits for the right moment before he pulls the trigger!"
- —Inferno's rules of gunplay, Part 1.
"Try to anticipate his next move and that's where you should aim."
- —Inferno's rules of gunplay, Part 2.
"But they've got us completely pinned down, sir! If we stay put we're sitting ducks."
"Our mission is to keep Megatron from taking our energon."
- —Hot Shot is reminded by Optimus Prime that there's no difficulty that can't be overcome by re-stating the incredibly obvious!
"What's done is done and we can't look back. It was my decision and my decision alone. Now it's time to get on with our mission. Whether it was the right thing to do or not, it's in the past and now we must look to the future. History can't be changed, and there's no use in reliving what cannot be undone."
- —Optimus Prime reminisces on the destruction of Jungle City.
Notes
Differences with Super Link
- Energon makes it seem like Kicker and Misha have no idea where the helicopters are going, when it's to the construction project that they're both involved with. Super Link merely features a comment from Misha that the choppers must have frightened the birds.
- In Super Link, Alpha Q doesn't express delight over Starscream's memory wipe, since, y'know, it's like a major setback for him. Of course, one could simply chalk this up to Alpha Q being totally nuts.
- Energon omits Alpha Q's explanation that the Earth Terrorcons are a special stealth breed, made to elude enemy sensors. It instead has him state that "in their stealth mode, they can easily slip through the Autobots' pathetic radar".
- Kicker merely wonders if Megatron might attack soon, rather than randomly blaming him for wiping out the Mayans.
- Energon omits Inferno telling Ironhide that the past is what the future is born from, as well as Kicker's offhanded comment that Ironhide wouldn't understand anything that complicated. Instead, Hot Shot and Inferno just make generic remarks about preparing for battle. Kicker gets a similarly empty line, which clearly clashes with his sarcastic pose.
- In Super Link, the Omnicons more overtly disobey Prime's orders to evacuate the mine.
- Alexis's speech to Prime is shorter, simply saying that she leaves the matter to his judgment.
- Energon omits the fact that Jungle City is where Kicker and Misha first met.
Pain count
- "Uh?": 8
- "We need/they want energon": 3
- "Our mission is to": 1
- "We've gotta": 1
Animation and technical errors
- When Optimus Prime is talking to Misha over the communicator, a regular mode Optimus is shown with his Super Mode head while in closeup.
Continuity notes
- Gadgets and powers:
- Powerlinx Ironhide uses Inferno's "Plasma Blaster".
- Powerlinx forms:
- Optimus Prime Super Mode
- Powerlinx Ironhide with Jetfire
Continuity errors
- Sooooo... what became of Scorponok and the Terrorcons on Mars? Rodimus started attacking them at the end of last episode, but now Scorponok's back with Megatron like nothing happened.
Trivia
- After being sniped by Ironhide, the Divebomb drone is hand-drawn as it bursts into flames and falls to the ground.
Foreign localization
Italian
- Title: "Grosso guaio a Jungle City" ("Big Trouble in Jungle City")
Home video releases
- DVD
2004 — Transformer: Super Link — Volume 003 (Interchannel) — Japanese audio only.
2008 — Transformers: Energon — The Ultimate Collection (Paramount)
2014 — Transformers: Energon — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
