Unite!! Multiforce

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Landcross would quickly discover the folly of attempting to light his farts.
"Unite!! Multiforce" 合体!! マルチ戦隊 () (Gattai!! Multisentai)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	11 April 1989
Writer	Hajime Suzuki
Director	Katsutoshi Sasaki
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Multiforce seek to prove themselves in battle against the Dinoforce.

Synopsis

In an asteroid field somewhere in space, aboard the Thunder Arrow, the Decepticons gather before Deathsaurus's throne in preparation for their latest strike on Earth. Leozack and his newly arrived Breastforce teammates Jallguar, Killbison and Drillhorn explain their plan for attacking an energy plant to the Dinoforce. Rather than simply steal the energy, however, they plan to steal the entire plant and use its facilities to constantly generate more energy for their war effort.

Elsewhere on Earth, the Multiforce teach Jan about the principle of levers by showing him how to move a large rock with a stick. Star Saber soon arrives and sends the Multiforce out on patrol, extra-wary now that the Decepticons have been confirmed as having arrived on Earth. Jan begs to be taken along and Wingwaver agrees, but not a lot of patrolling gets done as Jan wastes everyone's time making Wing take him flying. As Wing sets down beside the rest of the team along a shoreline and Jan hops out of his cockpit, a dark, burning cloud on the horizon catches everyone's attention...

Mere moments previously, at the energy plant that is the Decepticons' target, one of the workers takes a break from his appointed task to feed an abandoned puppy that he found in the city streets and has been caring for. Suddenly, the plant is rocked by an explosion as Yokuryu bombs it from above, and the rest of Dinoforce emerge from the ocean and start wreaking havoc (both on the plant, and thanks to their clumsiness, on each other). The explosions they create are the cause of the cloud that draws the Multiforce to the plant, and Wing engages Yokuryu in an aerial duel while Dashtacker and Machtackle make an especially dramatic entrance as they confront the rest of the Dinoforce. Wing manages to blast Yokuryu out of the sky, but he crashes back into the midst of the rest of the Dinoforce, allowing the reunited team to merge into Dinoking. The Multiforce refuse to call for help, wanting to prove themselves as warriors, but Jan takes reports to Star Saber anyway, and he and the Brainmasters head for the energy plant. Immediately after making his report, however, Jan is attacked by Rairyu's shell, but is pulled to safety at the last second by some of the factory workers.

Hmmm....Must've taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque...

Outside the energy plant, the Breastforce emerge from beneath the sand, having detected Jan's transmission and intending to be ready for Star Saber's arrival. As they make their way into the base, the Multiforce is just about to initiate their own combination, but Leozack blasts them before they can merge. Thankfully for the Multiforce, an argument breaks out between Dinoking and the Breastforce about the amount of destruction the combiner is causing, giving the Autobots the time the need to link up into Landcross! Things start looking up even more when Star Saber and the Brainmasters arrive, with the Brainmasters taking on Jallguar and Killbison while their Supreme Commander aids Landcross against Dinoking.

As the battle rages above, Jan and the factory workers find themselves trapped in an underground section of the plant. There, they are approached by a puppy, and the workers all recognize it as the pet of their friend. They follow it as it leads them to its master, who has been trapped beneath a collapsed pipe which none of the men can lift the pipe. Luckily, Jan is able to put the principle of levers to work, and together, they all elevate the pipe and the man is hauled to safety.

Back up top, Star Saber topples Dinoking, who splits back into the Dinoforce. The cowardly Decepticons make themselves scarce instantly, and, faced with the towering forms of both Star Saber and Landcross, the Breastforce quickly do the same. Star Saber tells Landcross to always call on him for help when he needs it, because they have not simply come to Earth to fight. Their goal is to protect Earth and mankind, and Landcross vows that he will do this as best he can.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"The stupidity of you fools is as limitless as the universe."

—Leozack on the Dinoforce.

"Wherever the Decepticons may appear, we will be there to drive them away!"

—Machtackle, hamming it up.

"You're 100,000 years too young to try and beat me in an aerial battle!"

—Yokuryu tries to assert superiority over Wing.

"Who's your leader, troops?"
"The great Goryu!"
"Oh, right. Run away!"

—Goryu leads the rest of the Dinoforce in a retreat.

Notes

Animation and technical errors

• As seen in the above picture, Jallguar's helmet is orange instead of black when the Breastforce is poking their heads out of the sand.
• When Dinoking stands over the fallen Landcross, his eyes are blue instead of red.

Continuity notes

• Wing makes a rare solo appearance this episode, actually fighting Yokuryu, then joining the rest of Multiforce to fight the Dinoforce directly. Unfortunately Waver seems to get forgotten and he simply sits on the shore in boat mode for most of the episode—even visible in the background of several fight scenes, sitting there doing nothing. When it comes time for Multiforce to unite, Wing and Waver have already recombined, though we don't get to see when.
• Wingwaver teaches Jan about levers. Later in the episode he has to use a lever to save a man! Now that's foreshadowing.

Real-world references

• When Rairyu's shell chases Jan through the ruined plant, its roars are those of Daiei Film Co.'s giant monster, Gamera, who, ironically, is often found saving children.

Trivia

• This is the first regular episode since "Approach of the Demon Meteorite" (nearly two years prior!) to not be written by Toyohiro Andō, Yoshihisa Araki or Hiroyuki Hoshiyama.
• Obviously, as suggested in the title, this is the first appearance of Multiforce's combined form, Landcross. (Well, as long as you don't include the preview from last episode.)

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "Merge, Landcross" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: June 2, 1991

• The hamminess of Machtackle and Dashtacker's appearance in the battle is toned down.
• Leozack asks Dinoking "what are you doing here?" rather than just asking what he's doing.
• The unnamed worker who's looking after the dog is given the name Peter.

Home video releases

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Victory — DVD Box 01 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — The Takara Collection Vol 3 — Transformers: Victory (Metrodome)
2006 — Cult Sci-Fi Legends (Metrodome) - unknown soundtrack
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2008 — The Transformers: Victory (Madman Entertainment) — Optional Omni dub.
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) — Optional Omni dub.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory)
2012 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Victory (Shout! Factory)