The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts

« Transformers: The Headmasters ep 12 »
This dish cheap, but undeniably tasty.
"The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts" 謎の休火山大噴火 () (Nazo no Kyūkazan Daifunka)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	September 25, 1987
Writer	Toyohiro Andō
Director	Akinori Ōrai
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Autobots race to rescue a Peruvian village when the Decepticons cause a nearby volcano to erupt.

Synopsis

Buried with a donkey / He's my favorite honkey!

In Autobot City on Earth, Ultra Magnus and Scattershot detect some unusual seismic activity centered on the South American village of Pan. At that moment in this village, as a young orphan boy named Pipiro, along with his donkey Koro, returns to the home he shares with his sister, Alyssa, and her donkey, Dodo, a seismic tremor occurs, putting the village in danger.

Meanwhile, on Athenia, the Autobots are examining the data they have acquired on the mysterious planet Zarak in the dark nebula, and Twincast deploys Steeljaw and Ramhorn to acquire information. Simultaneously, on Chaar, Scorponok converses with Sixshot on Earth, instructing him to occupy the Autobots with Earth affairs as much as possible—this seismic tremor is the first of such attempts. Scorponok's aim is to draw the Autobots' attention away from their operations on planet Zarak, where Octane is running a slave labor camp forcing imprisoned Beastformers to construct a giant robot.

For the 459th time, the village Pan is about to be destroyed by lava, or possibly ambrosia salad.

Back on Earth, the volcano near Pan erupts, and molten lava sweeps toward the village. The Protectobots and Trainbots are scrambled for a rescue mission, but Sixshot dispatches the Predacons and Decepticon Headmasters to stymie them. As Raiden and Predaking fight, Defensor is paralyzed by a blast from Mindwipe, while Pipiro and the rest of the village watch. With Ultra Magnus unable to spare any more troops, the call goes out to Athenia, and the Autobot Headmasters are transported to Earth by Broadside to join the fight. As the Headmasters take out Predaking, the Trainbots save the villagers. A burning hot ash cloud soon fills the sky from the volcano's eruption, but Brainstorm is able to use it to his advantage, flying around and through it to drag the hot vapors down, forcing the Decepticon Headmasters to retreat.

So to make this show less violent, you want to shoot the Decepticons with this!?

Earlier, the Headmasters' departure for Earth had been observed by Laserbeak, who, along with Soundblaster report back to Scorponok that his strategy is working. When the Autobots claim victory on Earth, however, Cyclonus and Scourge question the validity of Scorponok's strategy—more seismic and volcanic activity like that can only ultimately result in the Earth's destruction, and if that were to occur, what would become of all the natural energy it offers? Scorponok dismisses these concerns, revealing that he has discovered a new source of energy far beyond the simple energon that Earth's natural resources can offer—plasma energy, an unlimited force of planetary energy that was released when Cybertron was destroyed. On the day that the Decepticons have gathered the power of plasma energy for their own, Scorponok vows, he will reveal his true face, and destroy the Autobots. This revelation, however, is overheard by Steeljaw and Ramhorn, who are pursued by Soundblaster as they try to escape.

"Human boy!" "Donkey! Donkey kicks human boy!" "Guys, guys, that's not the way you play 'Rock Paper Scissors'."

Back on Earth, the Autobots and humans are relaxing, only for the Decepticon Headmasters to make a devious move, emerging from the undergrowth to seize Pipiro and Koro, threatening their lives if the Autobots do not disconnect from their transtectors. It is Dodo the donkey who saves the day, charging at Skullcruncher long enough to create a distraction that enables the Autobots to get the upper hand, saving Pipiro and forcing the villains to retreat. As goodbyes are said, Alyssa gives Chromedome her necklace as a token of thanks.

Returning to Athenia, the Autobots hear Steeljaw and Ramhorn's report, and their resolve to defeat the Decepticons strengthens even more.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

Continuity notes

• The mysteries of planet Zarak, the dark nebula and the robot being built there first came to light in "The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok". See that article for the details.
• Beastformers previously appeared in "Rebellion on Planet Beast", where the Decepticons also had them toiling in a factory.
• The Autobots previously dealt with a problematic Peruvian mountain in "Fire on the Mountain".

Animation and technical errors

Meanwhile, a short distance away a dance party had broken out.

• Lava is shown to flow down the side of the volcano and just about reach the village several times (sometimes through reuses of the same animation) without any apparent effect, which goes some way to explaining why the Autobots are somewhat laissez-faire about fighting the Decepticons rather than saving the villagers.
• After the Trainbots find the villagers, we switch to a shot of the Autobots and Decepticons grappling, though Predaking seems to be mostly flailing at the air over Chromedome's head.

Continuity errors

• Broadside, who is a plane remember, flies from Athenia to Earth in less time than it takes for the volcano to finish erupting.
• For some reason, all the Autobots think that the best way to save the endangered villagers is to fly directly at the mouth of the erupting volcano. Not only this, after Broadsides tries this tactic and backs off (not to be seen again), the Trainbots then do exactly the same thing and express surprise that it's not successful.
• It doesn't seem to occur to anyone that blasting a trench for the lava to flow into would potentially save the village. Instead, they're quite happy to write the village off completely.

Trivia

Coincidence or foreshadowing? YOU DECIDE!

• Even while surrounding himself with flames, Scorponok can still remain entirely hidden in shadow. That takes a certain kinda skill.
• Exactly how the Decepticons cause the volcano to erupt is never explained.
• Octane has gone from an opportunistic outcast to a sadistic foreman. Maybe he's found his niche?
• Pipiro is waaaay too friendly with his donkey.

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "The Dormant Volcano Erupts Again" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: October 4, 1992

• In the Omni Productions dialogue script for this episode...
  • Twincast and Razorclaw are again identified, respectively, as "Platon" and "Lee". Octane is identified as "Bear". Kaen, who had previously been "Powell", is now "Al". Defensor is simply "Robot".
  • Shouki is at first identified as "Sogo" (which had been used for Razorclaw in an earlier episode), but is later referred to as "Sogi" (which would be used for Scorponok in subsequent episodes).
  • Hot Spot is referred to as "Hok".
  • Predaking, who had been "Puda" in the last episode, is referred to in dialogue as "Polita".
  • Silverbolt is identified as "Fai".
  • Soundblaster—most recently "Citos", but also "Bulada" and "Puda"—is identified here as "Sand".
  • Broadside is referred to as "Planton".
  • Raiden—in what is the closest approximation of a real Trainbot name so far—is referred to as "Ladeen".
  • Hardhead, whose name had not been giving Omni Productions any troubles up to this point, is identified as "Train" in the dialogue directions for the final portion of the episode.

• Title: "The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts" (Shout! Factory sub)

• The cold open of Scorponok standing and diabolically plotting is omitted.
• The subtitles translate the mention of Scramble City's seismograph into a completely made-up "Autobot Seismic Research Center".
• Dialogue where the old man at Pan expresses belief that Koro is the reincarnation of one of Pipiro's parents is cut.
• As is the norm for Shout!'s translation, the Mini-Cassettes are referred to as "Deployers".
• Immediately after the Predacons have combined into Predaking, Shouki strangely seems to express confusion that the "Trainbot's" have combined. The original simply has him utter an order to the Trainbots to combine.
• The subtitles once again try to prematurely claim that Earth is a source of plasma energy in Scorponok's evil plan rant. In the original, he simply states that the plasma energy released by the destruction of Cybertron is a more rewarding source of energy than anything Earth has to offer. Subtitle Scorponok also claims that the plasma energy will bring forth "everlasting Energon"—a change from the simple "eternal energy" of the original.
• The Decepticon Headmasters hold Pipiro and Koro hostage so that the Autobot Headmasters will teach their "transforming technique" to the Decepticons. This strange ransom diverges from the original demand that the Autobots give up their transtectors.

Italian

• Title: "La misteriosa esplosione del vulcano spento" ("The mysterious explosion of the extinguished volcano")

• Defensor is both called by his Japanese name ("Guardian") and his English/Italian name... in the exact same scene! What's even worse is that Guardian is actually Metroplex's Italian name, making the scene even more confusing.

Mandarin

• Title: "Xiūmián Huǒshān de Shénmì Pēnfā " (休眠火山的神秘喷发, "The Mysterious Eruption of the Dormant Volcano")
• Original airdate: ?

Home video releases

Laserdisc

1996 — Transformers: The Headmasters Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.

DVD

2002 — Transformers: The Headmasters — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2005 — The Takara Collection Vol 1 — Transformers: Headmasters (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers: Headmasters (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2011 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory) — Japanese audio with optional English subtitles only.