The Judge (episode)

« Transformers: Cyberverse ep 49 »
Here come da judge, here come da judge...
"The Judge"
Season	3
No. in season	13
Production company	Allspark Animation
Airdate	February 20, 2020 (UK) April 19, 2020 (USA)
Writer	Zac Atkinson
Director	Jean Texier
Animation studio	Boulder Media Studio
Watch this episode on YouTube

The Autobots and Decepticons discover the terrible secret behind the Quintesson menace.

Synopsis

Jetfire and Sky-Byte perform a fly-by of the Quintesson tower, drawing the attention of a Prosecutor patrol, but they successfully manage to return to Iaconus, the Titan's cloaking module hiding them. They return Perceptor's scanner to him with the data they have gathered. Wheeljack eagerly expresses his desire to destroy it.

With the data, Wheeljack explains to the Autobot-Decepticon alliance how exactly the Quintessons have been able to get around multiple universes: their ship has a multiverse drive. If he can get to it, he can reprogram it and send the invaders into another universe. Unseen by all, Dead End slinks away, heading to Iaconus's stasis barracks, where Megatron is brooding. Though the Decepticon leader snarls at him to leave, Dead End says he has something that might interest him. Megatron asks what in the universe could possibly interest him, and Dead End smirks...

Back with the alliance, they see the security camera footage of the Sharkticon forces swarming outside the tower. Hot Rod and Soundwave observe that there is simply too many of them to make getting to the tower feasible. Bumblebee despairs that Wheeljack's plan will work, to which Maccadam agrees. It will not work until they turn off Iaconus's cloaking module. Hot Rod and Bumblebee are not taken with this, noting that the Quintessons would just march right in on them and wipe them out. Maccadam points out that if the Quintessons are busy doing that, they will not be defending their ship. With the plan agreed on, Hot Rod asks who'd be crazy enough to sneak onto the ship. Optimus Prime immediately volunteers, as does Bumblebee. And so does Megatron.

As all their forces report they are ready, Hot Rod gives Maccadam the go-ahead to remove the cloaking module. The Quintesson Judge sees the Titan and panics, vowing to destroy it before it destroys them. Lord Gnaw vows to lead the attack but the Judge overrules him: they will lead the attack personally. The Quintesson forces swarm Iaconus and the resistance fights back. In the command center, Hot Rod watches, and feeling the need to do something, goes to join the fight himself. Soundwave stops him, telling him commanders command. And they have backup, as outside Windblade leads a squad of fliers in swarming the Judge. Seeing this, Hot Rod calls the infiltration team, telling them it's now or never. The team makes their way inside, Wheeljack noting the multiverse drive is at the top of the ship. As Bumblebee remarks on their good luck that no-one is there, the Scientist watches them.

Back with Iaconus, Hot Rod orders all forces to hold the line, but the Quintesson forces prove relentless, to the extent that Arcee and Shadow Striker find themselves running out of ammo. Hot Rod calls the team again, telling them to hurry up. In the ship, the team reaches the multiverse drive. Wheeljack is enraptured by the sight of a gateway to other universes but the mood turns when the Scientist makes himself known and tells them they should run. Megatron shoots the Quintesson dead but a back-up body immediately appears. Optimus shoots that one and this time several more replace it. Optimus orders Wheeljack to complete the mission while he and Bumblebee hold off the Scientist.

With the others clearing a path for him, Wheeljack reaches the multiverse drive, not noticing as he rigs the drive that Dead End is giving a conspiratorial look to Megatron. Preparing to bail out, he warns the Decepticons that if they don't leave, they'll be going to another universe. Dead End states they will but he will not and shoots Wheeljack, sending him falling to the floor. Megatron tells Optimus he can keep this universe but the Decepticon leader will take all the rest. The ship detaches from the Quintesson tower and disappears into a portal. The Judge witnesses this and begins shooting off a barrier that disables Cybertronian, Quintesson and Sharkticon alike.

Hot Rod announces that it's time for the commanders to join in, which Soundwave agrees with. The two rush outside, joined by Whirl and Clobber, where they dogpile onto the rampaging Judge, hitting it with everything they have. The Judge starts firing wildly, their shots disabling the tower's shields. Optimus witnesses this and tells Bumblebee they need to evacuate, a decision that proves wise when a shot from the now completely out-of-control Judge slices through the tower, depowering it. The Judge flies into the structure, toppling it.

Clambering onto the wreckage, Hot Rod takes in the sight: with the Judge, the tower, and the Quintessons no more, the Transformers have won. But the celebration proves short lived, as the rubble around the tower shifts, and the new Judge emerges, its three faces spinning rapidly until it settles on the familiar face of Starscream. As judge of the universe, Starscream declares them all guilty.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"I just love alien tech. And I can't wait to destroy it!"

—Wheeljack lives for the simple things in life.

"It's a gateway to other universes! This must be how the Quintessons rule the multiverse. (portal closes) Huh?"
"Yes. Welcome to the heart of Quintesson power. Fascinating, isn't it? Now... you should run."

—Wheeljack learns the Scientist doesn't like sharing.

"You can have this pathetic little universe, Prime. I'll take all the others!"

—Megatron is still a sore loser.

"I am the Judge of this universe, and it! Is! GUILTY! HAHAHAHAHA!

—Judge Starscream delivers his verdict.

Notes

Continuity notes

• He's back! Starscream had last been seen on Croaton's heel way back in "Ghost Town", with the next episode explaining how he came to be in this state.

Transformers references

• Yet another "Soundwave superior, X inferior" crib. This time, it's "Quintessons inferior".
• Perceptor's scope is detachable, much like his Generation 1 counterpart's Titans Return toy.

Real-world references

• TBA

Other trivia

• Beginning with this episode, the series' title switched from being "Transformers: Cyberverse" to "Transformers Bumblebee: Cyberverse Adventures" during the season's original UK broadcast. When later broadcast in the US, the title change occurred back at the beginning of the season.
• Not to question the Quintessons if they've got such a good success rate at destroying universes, but Starscream was their choice for judging a universe? Starscream, of all beings?

Animation and technical errors

• TBA

Foreign localization

German

• Title: "Der Richter" ("The Judge")
• Original airdate: December 19, 2020

Portuguese

• Title: "O Juiz" ("The Judge")
• Original airdate: September 24, 2021

Home video releases

• TBA