Editing Beast Machines: Transformers (section)

===Season 2 (2000): ''Battle for the Spark''===
{{Episode table|background=#FFFF00|overall=5|season=5|title=22|director=20|writer=20|airdate=18|episodes=
{{Episode list
 |Title=Fallout
 |DirectedBy=Raul Sanchez Inglis
 |WrittenBy=Robert N. Skir & Marty Isenberg
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|8|5}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=1
 |EpisodeNumber=14
 |ShortSummary=Optimus and Megatron are disintegrated while battling with the powers of the Plasma Energy Chamber and the Key to Vector Sigma. Optimus finds himself inside the afterlife again, where he comes to terms with his fanatical servitude to the Oracle and meets with a regretful Rhinox for the last time. As Optimus experiences visions of Maximals he knows, he successfully disperses the dueling energies of the Key and the Chamber into the void. Now the only living things on Cybertron, the remaining Maximals attempt to restore Silverbolt and Waspinator from the Vehicon Generals, but are rejected and instead return to the Oracle's chamber. There, they find a revived Optimus, who apologizes for his cruel and selfish behavior and informs them of their true mission from the Oracle: to restore balance between the organic and the technological on Cybertron. As the Maximals decide to find and liberate the collected sparks of Cybertron's populace, they encounter a gigantic floating replica of Megatron's head on the surface. 
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Savage Noble
 |DirectedBy=Greg Donis
 |WrittenBy=[[Len Wein]]
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|8|19}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=2
 |EpisodeNumber=15
 |ShortSummary=Although the Maximals brace for an attack, they quickly realize the giant head is unresponsive. Optimus attempts to locate Megatron's spark while the other Maximals continue searching for Jetstorm and Thrust. The Vehicon Generals ambush them but are in turn ambushed by a strange organic dragon-like creature. Jetstorm and Thrust reluctantly agree to help destroy the creature, but the Maximals are separated from them and find a wolf-like Maximal named Noble, who Nightscream immediately bonds with over their shared survival. Noble disappears as the Vehicons continue hunting for the dragon creature (now nicknamed Savage); Savage ambushes Rattrap and the Maximals corner it long enough for Nightscream to calm it down, whereupon it transforms into Noble. Optimus vows to help Noble control his other half.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Prometheus Unbound
 |DirectedBy=Sebastian Brodin
 |WrittenBy=Marv Wolfman
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|8|26}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=3
 |EpisodeNumber=16
 |ShortSummary=Noble has continually disappeared each night in an attempt to break into Megatron's giant head fortress, to the concern of the other Maximals. Nightscream alone supports Noble, but Optimus orders the two to stay behind while they infiltrate the fortress looking for Cybertron's sparks. Noble and Nightscream follow the team anyway, where Noble continually sabotages the Maximals' attempts at stealth and activates numerous deadly traps to slow their progress. Noble sneaks away and enters the control room, triumphantly extracting a spark from his body and revealing himself to be Megatron. Now in control of the giant head, Megatron reactivates Cybertron's systems and the Vehicon army, forcing the Maximals and a distraught Nightscream to retreat.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=In Darkest Knight
 |DirectedBy=George Samilski
 |WrittenBy=Steven Melching
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|9|2}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=4
 |EpisodeNumber=17
 |ShortSummary=As Nightscream's search for any remnant of Savage/Noble is cut short by Jetstorm and Thrust, Rattrap combines a DNA scanner and a spark extractor to help reformat any new sparks the Maximals free. Blackarachnia steals the device as the Maximals save Nightscream, but the fight is quickly cut short as Megatron captures Optimus and Cheetor, the feral Savage/Noble drags Nightscream away, and Blackarachnia, at last, reformats Jetstorm into a technorganic Silverbolt using Rattrap's devices. However, Silverbolt's time as a Vehicon has warped his once goofy and chivalrous personality into a dark and brooding loner who hates himself and his willingness to follow Megatron's ideology. Rattrap helps Nightscream escape from the mindless Savage/Noble as Megatron interrogates Optimus and Cheetor for information on manipulating Cybertron's collected sparks for his use. Blackarachnia and Silverbolt arrive, and the latter rejects Megatron's dogma and helps free the Maximals. Although Silverbolt is hesitant about rejoining the Maximals, Blackarachnia promises to support him no matter what.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=A Wolf In The Fold
 |DirectedBy=William Lau
 |WrittenBy=Brynne Chandler Reaves
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|9|9}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=5
 |EpisodeNumber=18
 |ShortSummary=Although the Maximals are happy to have Silverbolt back, they cannot shake the gloom of losing Rhinox, but their break is cut short when Megatron's head fortress begins drilling tentacles into Cybertron's underground. One tentacle finds the Maximals and infects Silverbolt with a strange red virus, which is quickly passed onto the others and dramatically increases their aggression. Unable to control his teammates, Optimus attacks the head alone while the others violently squabble, but Megatron captures him for a philosophical debate while Thrust leads an army of Cycle Vehicons to destroy the Maximals. During brief lapses in the fighting and infighting, the Maximals surmise that they have been infected with a new variant of an ancient Cybertronian disease known as the [[Hate Plague]]; Optimus leaves the fortress to save the Maximals but is also infected by the virus. The Maximal leader somehow encourages his comrades to mentally purge the Hate Plague from their systems as the head fortress attacks again, and they successfully cure themselves and escape underground.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Home Soil
 |DirectedBy=Dennis Heaton
 |WrittenBy=Meg McLaughlin
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|9|16}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=6
 |EpisodeNumber=19
 |ShortSummary=A mysterious spaceship approaching Cybertron is shot down by Megatron's orbital satellites and crashlands on the surface. Silverbolt and Rattrap report the crash as the other Maximals worry about the wilting techno-organic orchard, but the journey to the crash site turns into a race when Thrust and a squad of Cycle Vehicons engage them. The Maximals split up to cover more ground, and reach the crashed ship only to be attacked by a strange plant monster, which escapes underground and inadvertently threatens the orchard. Optimus channels the power of the Oracle and reformats the plant monster into a techno-organic Cybertronian, who introduces herself as a Maximal named [[Botanica (Transformers)|Botanica]]. Like Optimus, Botanica once captained a Maximal exploration vessel and adopted the plant-based form of her assigned world's lifeforms, but the crashlanding shorted out her higher functions. As thanks for restoring her, Botanica drives away a group of Tank Vehicons and adjusts the orchard's lighting to revitalize the techno-organic plants. The head fortress destroys Botanica's ship as Megatron vows to finally crush the growing Maximal resistance.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Sparkwar Part I: The Strike
 |DirectedBy=Steve Sacks
 |WrittenBy=Brooks Wachtel
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|9|23}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=7
 |EpisodeNumber=20
 |ShortSummary=To Thrust's consternation, the Maximals easily destroy a squadron of his Cycle Vehicons and salvage their parts for Botanica's research into Cybertron's organic core. Optimus defends their newest recriut's pacifism as Thrust and Megatron argue about the Maximals' victories; Megatron decides to implant two sparks into two brand-new Vehicon Generals, who ignore Thrust's boastings and prepare to engage the Maximals. Botanica continues researching the green goop as the Maximals encounter the new Generals, who lure them into an ambush before introducing themselves as [[Obsidian (Transformers)|Obsidian]] and [[Strika (Transformers)|Strika]]. Botanica is assaulted by strange visions of her past and present friends in danger as Obsidian and Strika use their tactical genius and wealth of battle experience to herd the Maximals into a corner. The Maximals are only saved by Botanica's intervention, and Megatron congratulates Obsidian and Strika for their loyalty despite failing to capture the Maximals. Despite the new enemies, Optimus thanks Botanica for her assistance and vows to continue searching for the missing sparks.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Sparkwar Part II: The Search
 |DirectedBy=Gino Nichele
 |WrittenBy=Michael Reaves
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|9|30}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=8
 |EpisodeNumber=21
 |ShortSummary=As Megatron deploys Obsidian, Strika, and Thrust in preparation for a Maximal attack, Rattrap completes work on small cloaking devices that should theoretically conceal them from the Vehicon scanners. Optimus receives visions from the Oracle and splits the Maximals up to go search the locations; Cheetor, Blackarachnia, and Silverbolt are ambushed by Obsidian, Rattrap and Botanica are attacked by Strika, and Optimus and Nightscream travel deeper underground and discover the ruins of the ancient Autobot city Iacon. There, Nightscream is ambushed by Thrust while Optimus speaks with a holographic replica of his ancestor [[Optimus Prime]], which turns out to be Megatron in disguise. Megatron informs him that he gave the Maximals false visions to separate Optimus and extract the Oracle's remaining knowledge from him. The Maximals fend off Obsidian and Strika and retreat while Savage/Noble saves Nightscream, and Optimus informs the team that he also extracted information from Megatron: the location of the sparks, inside the head fortress.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Sparkwar Part III: The Siege
 |DirectedBy=Luke Carroll
 |WrittenBy=Steven Melching
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|10|7}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=9
 |EpisodeNumber=22
 |ShortSummary=As the Maximals watch Obsidian, Strika, and a horde of Vehicons refuel Megatron's head fortress, the feral Noble appears and accidentally exposes their position. Cheetor orders Nightscream to send Noble away as their plan to save the sparks commences, while Megatron abandons his body and begins consuming the missing sparks with his own spark. Rattrap's improved cloaking devices allow the infiltration group enough time to enter the head fortress, but Strika finds one of the discarded devices and reconfigures it to deactivate the others. The Maximals evade Thrust and at last find the massive containment unit with the other sparks, but Megatron's spark appears and begins absorbing them en masse. The other Maximals' sparks are also nearly extracted, but Noble sacrifices himself to save Nightscream, who disrupts the process with a sonic blast, seemingly vaporizing Megatron's spark and resealing the containment unit. The Maximals find themselves in control of the sparks and the head fortress but mourn the loss of Noble.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Spark of Darkness
 |DirectedBy=Greg Donis
 |WrittenBy=Nick Dubois
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|10|28}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=10
 |EpisodeNumber=23
 |ShortSummary=Although Optimus celebrates Megatron's seeming demise, some of the other Maximals are unconvinced he is truly dead. Regardless, the Maximals split up to begin restoring Cybertron's populace: Cheetor and Nightscream leave to find the Vehicon Generals, Blackarachnia and Silverbolt start inspecting the scrapped Cybertronian bodies to see whether any of them can still host sparks, and Rattrap and Botanica return to the techno-organic orchard. The latter two kiss in the midst of a heated argument as Blackarachnia and Silverbolt are attacked by a massive lumbering zombie, which soon explodes and discharges a strange red spark. The red spark possesses a broken Cycle Drone and attacks the orchard, but Botanica quickly destroys it and sends the spark away once more. With the Maximals now in control of Cybertron's future, Obsidian and Strika agree to support them, but the red spark animates a discarded Aero Drone and nearly kills Nightscream before being forced away again. As Obsidian and Strika are welcomed into the Maximal fold, the red spark attacks the group again; Rattrap repolarizes the spark and traps it inside a Diagnostic Drone. Alive once more, Megatron reactivates the head fortress's defenses and attempts to destroy the Maximals, but Obsidian and Strika grab him and retreat, where he decides to end things permanently.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Endgame Part I: The Downward Spiral
 |DirectedBy=Angela Stevenson
 |WrittenBy=Michael Reaves
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|11|4}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=11
 |EpisodeNumber=24
 |ShortSummary=Megatron restarts production of the Vehicon drones and orders Thrust, Obsidian, and Strika to lead an attack on the head fortress while he constructs himself a new body of "suitable irony." Optimus refuses to release the sparks into bodies, fearing that Megatron will recapture them. The Maximals, unable to access the head fortress's weapons, divert all power to the shields. Nightscream, Silverbolt, and Blackarachnia use Rattrap's reconfigured cloaking devices to disguise Vehicons as Maximals, sending the drones into disarray, while Botanica is cut off from Cybertron's organic core and is forced to leave the head fortress. Silverbolt's team destroys the drone factories while Strika uses Botanica's escape pod technology to breach the shields and shoot down the head fortress. Rattrap uses the last of the ship's power to shield the spark containment unit as the Maximals regroup within the wreckage and prepare for their final stand.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Endgame Part II: When Legends Fall
 |DirectedBy=George Samilski
 |WrittenBy=Steven Melching
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|11|11}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=12
 |EpisodeNumber=25
 |ShortSummary=Vehicons surround the crashed head fortress as the Maximals ready themselves; Optimus speaks with the Oracle one final time, and the collected sparks grant the Maximals a temporary power boost. Megatron orders the Vehicons to attack, but the drones are stymied by Rattrap's last-minute reactivation of the shield. However, the shield soon falls, and Botanica forces Rattrap and Nightscream to accompany her to the orchard when she senses it under attack. The Vehicons break through the Maximal defenses and the sparks attempt to help, but Megatron cuts off the Maximals' power boost through his own connection to the Oracle. Cheetor valiantly attempts to hold off Obsidian, Strika, and Thrust alone as his comrades fall, but to no avail. The Maximals' sparks are extracted as Optimus comes face to face with Megatron, now wearing his old "[[Optimal Situation|Optimal Optimus]]" body.
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{{Episode list
 |Title=Endgame Part III: Seeds of The Future
 |DirectedBy=William Lau
 |WrittenBy=Robert N. Skir
 |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|2000|11|18}}
 |EpisodeNumber2=13
 |EpisodeNumber=26
 |ShortSummary=Megatron gloats about his new body and his ultimate victory to Optimus, adding the other Maximals' sparks to the containment unit. Enraged, Optimus attacks, and their fight takes them across Cybertron's empty surface and underground areas. The sight of the destroyed techno-organic orchard and the Maximals' sparkless bodies gives Megatron enough time to capture Optimus and return him to the surface. Megatron begins absorbing the collected sparks and grows to tremendous size, before activating the Key to Vector Sigma and converting Cybertron's organic core into technomatter. As the sparks of the Maximals encourage him, Optimus unbalances Megatron and sends them plummeting into the core, completely destroying them and triggering a planetary reformatting. The other Maximals awaken on a fully techno-organic Cybertron, their bodies and minds restored; as Rattrap and Botanica happily reunite, and Silverbolt's original personality fully reasserts itself, Waspinator complains about his new tiny techno-organic body. The Oracle shows Cheetor a final vision of Optimus Primal's departed spark, and Cybertron's populace prepares to resume life on their newly-evolved homeworld.
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