transformers: the war within #6 file · web viewpnl: planet earth: pnl: 180,000 years bc

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TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS —SHELL GAME #1

SCRIPT

Simon Furman

(SPLASH):

1. Dramatic, up angle on MAGMATRON (BW robot mode). He’s stood on a rocky cliff edge, on prehistoric BW Earth. He gestures wide, with an “it’s all mine!” expression. Magmatron is a real warrior-leader, someone who bellows his challenge at an enemy, inviting them to their death at his hands. Go to town on the sheer barbarian delight he takes in warfare. It’s what he lives for! Behind him (distance, airborne) we can see the Autobot shuttlecraft heading upwards, into the high atmosphere, the Maximals on their way home (as per ‘Nemesis’ pt2).

PNL: PLANET EARTH:PNL: 180,000 YEARS BC…MAGMATRON: MINE… ALL MINE! 2 (LINK): THE BEAST WARS ARE OVER…MAGMATRON: …AND THE WAR FOR CYBERTRON BEGINS

HERE!

Pages 2-3 (DOUBLE-PAGE SPREAD):

1. Main pic. Drop Magmatron (and behind him the other Predacons -- see next pic) into the far background (small). They’re stood at the edge (and further back from) a sheer cliff, overlooking a deep (dry) river gulley. There, crashed (but essentially intact) is the Nemesis (the vast Decepticon spacecraft from the final two episodes of the BW TV series). Try and emphasise the sheer scale of the Nemesis in relation to the BW characters.

MAGMATRON: WHAT A PHYRRIC VICTORY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO INHERIT A CYBERTRON CHANGED IRREVOCABLY BY THE ERRANT TIDES OF TIME.

2 (LINK): LET MEGATRON’S INSANE DREAMS OF TEMPORAL CONQUEST DIE HERE, ON THIS BACKWATER PLANET. THE FUTURE…

2. Go in on Magmatron again, but this time wide enough to include his fellow Predacons: DRILL BIT, MANTERROR, SPITTOR,

Transformers: Beast Wars #1 1st Draft Script Simon Furman

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RAZORBEAST (actually a Maximal deep cover agent with a Predacon insignia), IGUANUS and TRANSQUITO (all robot mode). There’s an encampment and some surrounding/background (Cybertronian) hardware (see p5).

MAGMATRON: … BELONGS TO MAGMATRON!2 (LINK): MY ARMY WILL DOUBLE IN SIZE AT STROKE,

AND IGNOBLE SURRENDER AND CAPITULATION WILL TURN TO GLORIOUS INSURRECTION AND OVERTHROW! PREDACONS…

3. Small pic: in the high atmosphere the Autobot shuttle enters (and disappears into) a Transwarp portal, reality rippling around it.

DIALOGUE PNL: “… LET US BEGIN!”

Page 4:

1. Angle on the various Preds, Drill Bit foremost (practically salivating with glee at what he’s done).

MAGMATRON: DRILL BIT, I TAKE IT YOU HAVE ENSURED NEITHER THE MAXIMALS NOR THE CAPTIVE MEGATRON WILL EVER MAKE IT BACK TO CYBERTRON.

DRILL BIT: YESS! THE TRANSWARP AGITATOR WAS DELIVERED, UNDETECTED, AS PER YOUR INSTRUCTIONS.

MAGMATRON: GOOD. IT WOULDN’T DO AT ALL TO HAVE THE HIGH COUNCIL SANCTION ANY WELL-INTENTIONED RESCUE/RETRIEVAL MISSIONS…

2. Angle on Manterror, Spittor and Iguanus, all ready, waiting for the command to be given. There’s no dissent here. All Magmatron’s warriors are fiercely loyal.

MAGMATRON: … NOT WHEN I HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR THE COMRADES OPTIMUS PRIMAL AND HIS HARDY CREW FORSOOK IN THEIR UNDERSTANDABLY INDECENT HASTE TO LEAVE THIS ROCK.

2 (LINK): MANTERROR, SPITTOR, IGUANUS…

3. The trio transform to beast modes, running/leaping off at speed.


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MAGMATRON: … AS SOON AS THE ACTIVATION SIGNAL IS BROADCAST, I WANT IN-SITU, REALTIME REPORTS. VECTOR COORDINATES HAVE BEEN STREAMED TO YOUR NETWORK PROTOSERVERS…

2 (LINK): NOW GO!IGUANUS: SIR! YOU HEARD LIEGE MAGMATRON, BEAST

MODES… MOVE!MANTERROR: IN YOUR CASE, SPITTOR… HOP TO IT!SPITTOR/FX: PTIU! 4. Angle on Transquito, transforming/taking to the air in beast

mode.

MAGMATRON: TRANSQUITO… YOU’RE ON LOOSE END DETAIL. WASPINATOR IS M.I.A. — MAKE SURE THAT’S A PERMANENT CONDITION.

TRANSQUITO: VRZZ… CONZZIDER IT DONE!

Page 5:

1. Angle on Razorbeast. He’s working on a mobile console/control unit, feeding in data, aligning a massive dish/antennae array (comprising five or six individual dishes). There’s a stack of mainframe hardware with display screens and a portable generator or three. Magmatron moves over to join him.

MAGMATRON: RAZORBEAST — HOW LONG UNTIL THE TRANSMITTER DISH IS ALIGNED?

RAZORBEAST: LOCAL TIME, ABOUT FORTY-ONE MINUTES. MAGMATRON: WHY THE DELAY?

2. Tight on Razorbeast (matter-of-fact) as he pulls up a holosphere map of prehistoric Earth (I’ll see if I can find actual reference maps for the continental landmasses of this time). Pinprick dots of lights pepper the globe (not all on land).

RAZORBEAST: YOU WANT THEM ALL, RIGHT? THAT TAKES TIME. THE STASIS PODS ARE SCATTERED WORLDWIDE, SOME AT OCEAN DEPTH. I HAVE TO COMPENSATE FOR AMBIENT PRESSURE, ALTITUDE, VARIANT CLIMACTIC—

MAGMATRON: YES, YES.


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3. Magmatron stalks off (towards us), forcing himself to be patient (but only more or less succeeding).

MAGMABEAST: ALL VERY FASCINATING, I’M SURE.2 (LINK): JUST LET ME KNOW AS SOON AS THE YOU’RE

READY TO SEND THE SHELL SIGNAL. I WANT TO GREET MY NEW WARRIORS… PERSONALLY.

RAZORBEAST: RIGHT.

4. Angle past Razorbeast, foreground. He watches as Magmatron moves off, towards a field-ops ‘tent’, a sort of foil-material structure that serves as Magmatron’s private space.

5. New angle on Razorbeast, tense/urgent. Satisfied that Magmatron is a safe distance away, he turns to another console, keying in instructions.

RAZORBEAST: C’MON, C’MON.

6. Inset: tight in on one of the dishes, as it rotates, pointing up at the sky.

RAZORBEAST (OFF): ONE OF YOU…

Page 6:

1. Cut to; RATTRAP (tight in), int. shuttle. He’s shaken awake by OPTIMUS PRIMAL (as per the TF Summer Special story).

OPTIMUS PRIMAL: … WAKE UP!2 (LINK): RATTRAP!RATTRAP: WH-?

2. Widen to include Primal. He looks down at Rattrap, concerned/amused.

PNL: AUTOBOT SHUTTLECRAFT, IN THE TRANSWARP FUNNEL:

RATTRAP: OP-OPTIMUS? I—OPTIMUS PRIMAL: MUST HAVE AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGED

SLEEP MODE. I GUESS WE’RE ALL PRETTY BEAT… NOT SURPRISING AFTER WHAT WE’VE BEEN THROUGH.

RATTRAP: RIIGHT. NOTHING LIKE A FEW REALITY-WARPIN’ ROUNDS WITH MEGATRON AN’ HIS


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BOOT-BOYS TO LULL YOU INTO A GENTLE SLUMBER!

3. New angle/wide (past Rattrap, extreme foreground), taking in the other Maximals (RHINOX, SILVERBOLT, BLACKARACHNIA & CHEETOR). All characters robot mode. Try for a bit of subtle hostility in their poses, though their expressions are benign.

RATTRAP: HAD THIS WEIRD, WEIRD DREAM! I WAS WITH THESE MAXIMALS, GUYS I’D NEVER SEEN, AND THEY--

CHEETOR: WHAT? SUDDENLY WE’RE NOT ENOUGH COMPANY FOR YOU?

BLACKARACHNIA: THE RAT HAS IMAGINARY FRIENDS, CHEETOR. NOT SURPRISING, REALLY… WITH NO REAL ONES TO CALL HIS OWN!

SILVERBOLT: NOW, NOW, BLACKARACHNIA. BE CHARITABLE…

2 (LINK): OPTIMUS PRIMAL IS CORRECT. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. TOGETHER. LET US NOT BICKER NOW.

RHINOX: FH! WHY CHANGE THE HABIT OF A LIFETIME?

Page 7:

1. Tight on Primal, bleeding into an image from the first season of Beast Wars… a generic (and of your choice) Maximals versus Preds (original beast modes) fight scene, but maybe including characters (such as DINOBOT, TERRORSAUR and TIGATRON).

PRIMAL: SILVERBOLT IS RIGHT, RHINOX. WE’VE COME QUITE A WAY, WE SIX. WHAT STARTED OUT AS A FAIRLY ROUTINE SCIENTIFIC SURVEY MISSION…

2 (LINK): … QUICKLY TURNED INTO A PITCHED BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL.

DIALOGUE PNL: “IF WE WEREN’T TRYING TO STOP MEGATRON KILLING US DIRECTLY…”

2. Flashback (from Season 2), as (within the Ark) BW Megatron prepares to blast the deactivated/slumped figure of G1 OPTIMUS PRIME.

DIALOGUE PNL: “… WE WERE FIGHTING A REARGUARD ACTION, DESPERATELY TRYING TO PREVENT HIM REWRITING HISTORY ITSELF!”


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DIALOGUE PNL: “OUR PROXIMITY TO THE ARK AND OUR SLUMBERING ANCESTORS INITIATED A TERRIFYING SPIRAL OF EVENTS…”

3. Flashback (from Season 3), as the Nemesis (airborne) shatters the volcanic peak (containing the Ark) with a powerful tractor beam.

DIALOGUE PNL: “… WHICH CLUMINATED IN MEGATRON COMMANDEERING THE NEMESIS, THE DECEPTICONS’ DEADLY BATTLECRUISER, AND SO NEARLY WIPING US ALL OUT.”

4. Now. Angle past Primal to Rattrap, who’s staring past (rather than at) him.

OPTIMUS PRIMAL: I THINK WE’VE EARNED A REST, DON’T YOU? WE’RE SO NEARLY HOME NOW… LET’S TRY NOT TO TEAR EACH OTHER APART BEFORE WE GET THERE.

2 (LINK): OK, RATTRAP?

5. Reverse angle, Rattrap’s pov (more or less). Behind/around Primal we can see (in their beast modes) OPTIMUS MINOR, WOLFANG and BONECRUSHER. Op Minor is actually hanging off Primal, extending a beseeching hand towards us.

PRIMAL: RATTRAP?OPTIMUS MINOR: WHY? 2 (LINK): WHY?

Page 8:

1. Same, but now we’re suddenly on BW Earth (instead of the shuttle), a dark/forested area. Optimus Minor is hanging off a tree, Wolfang and Bonecrusher circling around it towards us, heads lowered, pawing the ground, as if about to attack.

OPTIMUS MINOR: WE’RE MAXIMALS, LIKE YOU. AND YOU ABANDONED US!

BONECRUSHER: DON’T WASTE YOUR VOCAL INITIATORS, MINOR…

2 (LINK): … HE DOESN’T CARE!WOLFANG: OH, HE’LL CARE. HE’LL CARE WHEN WE’RE

GONE… AND WHAT TAKES OVER COMES A’HUNTING!


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RATTRAP: BUT…

2. Angle on Rattrap, moving forwards, confused. Scene is still forest/BW Earth.

RATTRAP: … I DON’T UNDERSTAND! YOU KNOW ME… BUT I… I DON’T KNOW YOU!

WOLFANG: YOU WILL…

3. Dramatic, as Wolfang (snarling, mouth open) suddenly leaps up at/towards us, claws out, ready to rake. Rattrap (extreme foreground) throws up his arms in a vain attempt to protect himself.

WOLFANG: … YOU WILL!RATTRAP: NO, WAIT…

4. Angle on Rattrap (wide). We’re back on the shuttle. His arms are up (as per last pic), but of course there’s no Wolfang. It’s just the other Maximals, staring at him (as if he’s lost his mind). No one’s very sympathetic.

RATTRAP: … DON’T!OPTIMUS PRIMAL: RATTRAP? OH FOR PITY’S SAKE… WHAT’S

WRONG WITH YOU?CHEETOR: SON OF THE SEWER’S LOST IT… BIG TIME. RHINOX: INDEED. BEAST WARS-SYNDROME, ANYONE?

Page 9:

1. Primal puts one massive hand in the small of Rattrap’s back, firmly steering him towards a makeshift C.R/regeneration chamber (set up inside the shuttle). As Primal does this, he signals to Rhinox.

OPTIMUS PRIMAL: RATTRAP, I BELIEVE A SPELL IN THE C.R. CHAMBER IS CALLED FOR. PERHAPS THERE’S SOME… AH, INTERNAL DAMAGE.

RATTRAP: WH-? NO… WAIT. I’M FINE. LISTEN, THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME.

OPTIMUS PRIMAL: RIGHT, RIGHT.

2. Rattrap is more or less shoved towards the C.R chamber, its door opening (Rhinox stood there, blocking the exit route to the rear/cargo sections of the shuttle).


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OPTIMUS PRIMAL: JUST A QUICK CYCLE, SORT OUT ANY LOOSE CONNECTIONS. RHINOX…

RHINOX: RIGHT THIS WAY… WE’LL HAVE YOU TUNED UP AND SPAT OUT IN NO TIME.

RATTRAP: I SAID…

3. Dramatic, as Rattrap ducks sideways, fast, rolling under Primal’s (massive) gathering hands.

RATTRAP: … I’M FINE!OPTIMUS PRIMAL: HH?SILVERBOLT (off): UNFORTUNATELY, MY LESS-THAN-FRAGRANT

FRIEND…

4. Rattrap comes up, Silverbolt, Blackarachnia and Cheetor, closing in. Their expressions are cold, hard, unfriendly (to say the least). Fists are clenched, Blackarachnia’s venom stingers glowing hot.

SILVERBOLT: … WE INSIST!CHEETOR: YOU’RE GOIN’ DOWN… I MEAN, IN…BLACKARACHNIA: … PIECE-BY-PIECE IF NECESSARY!RATTRAP: WH-WHAT…

5. Ext. view of the shuttle (in the Transwarp funnel). Around them, the energy patterns swirl violently, black tongues of lightning crackling.

RATTRAP (within): … THE FRAG’S GOIN’ ON?

Page 10:

1. Cut to: BW Earth. Angle on Magmatron, sat within his field-ops ‘tent’, in deep contemplation.

PNL: EARTH, PREDACON FIELD BIVOUAC:DIALOGUE PNL: “MAGMATRON… WE WANT YOU TO MAINTAIN A

CLOSE BUT DISCREET WATCH ON MAXIMAL STAGING POSTS…

2. Flashback. Cybertron, deep within a fortified (secret) Predacon military installation. Magmatron (retro-fitted into a pre-BW robot mode) is sat (in a pivoting tactical/command chair) facing a three-screen comm. station, on which we see (one per screen) the TRI-PREDACUS COUNCIL.


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TP COUNCIL 1/JAG: … AND REPORT ANY UNSCHEDULED ACTIVITY. OUR EFFORTS TO DIVERT THE TRANSWARP WAVE APPEAR TO HAVE SUCCEEDED, BUT SHOULD THAT CHANGE WE MUST ACT.

TP COUNCIL 2/JAG: IT’S DOWN TO US TO PUT OUR OWN HOUSE IN ORDER!

TP COUNCIL 3/JAG: OUR AGENT HAS BEEN DESPATCHED TO NULLIFY THE THREAT POSED BY THE RENEGADE… WE EXPECT CLOSURE SHORTLY.

MAGMATRON: I AM MONITORING ALL MAXIMAL CHANNELS, EVEN THE ONES THEY THINK WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT. SO FAR… NO ONE’S RAISED ANY RED FLAGS.

3. Screen images: the Tri-Predacus Council.

TP COUNCIL 3/JAG: GOOD, GOOD. YOUR LOYAL SERVICE TO PREDCACON CAUSE IS, AS ALWAYS, GREATLY APPRECIATED.

2 (LINK): YOU UNDERSTAND, WHERE THE RENEGADE CLEARLY DOES NOT, THAT WE MUST BIDE OUR TIME, GROW STRONG…

TP COUNCIL 1/JAG: … BEFORE RAISING OUR BATTLE STANDARD ONCE MORE. TRI-PREDACUS COUNCIL…

4. On Magmatron, severe, expression dark, hooded.

TP COUNCIL 1/JAG: … SIGNING OFF.MAGMATRON: OVER-CAUTIOUS, PREVARICATING FOOLS… BY

THE TIME THEY FINALLY DECIDE TO ACT, ANY WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY WILL BE LONG GONE.

2 (LINK): TRI-PREDACUS AGENT…

5. Screen image of BW RAVAGE (robot mode), in the cockpit of his Transwarp cruiser (as per ‘The Agenda’), smiling in good double-dealing style.

MAGMATRON: … PREPARE TO TRANSMIT TACTICAL PLANETARY SCANS!

Page 11:

1. Cut to: Razorbeast (now), within the Predacon encampment. He stares up at us, tense, lost in thought…


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PNL: OUTSIDE:DIALOGUE PNL: “YOU REALISE, RAZORBEAST, ONCE YOU’RE

IN… YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN!”

2. Flashback: Cybertron, a former Maximal frontier fort. Razorbeast (retro-design, Cybertronian robot mode… with clear Maximal insignia) walks the battlement-style walls with LIO CONVOY (also robot mode). The fort is disused… or so it seems from above ground.

LIO CONVOY: OFFICIALLY, THIS UNIT DOESN’T EXIST, THIS DISCUSSION NEVER TOOK PLACE, YOUR MISSION IS IN NO WAY OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED BY THE MAXIMAL IMPERIUM. IF YOU’RE DISCOVERED, YOU’LL BE CUT LOOSE, DISAVOWED.

2 (LINK): UNDERSTOOD?RAZORBEAST: UNDERSTOOD. I THINK IT’S SAFE TO SAY, LIO

CONVOY…

3. On Lio Convoy. He stops, deadly serious.

RAZORBEAST: … YOU’LL MAKE A GREAT POLITICIAN! LIO CONVOY: THIS ISN’T A LAUGHING MATTER. OFFICIALLY,

HOSTILITIES ARE OVER, FINISHED. MAXIMAL-PREDACON, WE’RE ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY. BUT WE KNOW DIFFERENT. FORGET MEGATRON, HE’S A LOOSE CANNON, THE REAL ENEMY…

4. Down angle on the eerily deserted open courtyard of the fort. Most stuff’s been stripped and shipped out. Lio and Razorbeast descend a metal framework staircase to ground level, a concealed hatch opening just beyond the bottom step (light spilling out).

LIO CONVOY: … IS SAT ON THE BI-PARTATE COMMITTEE FOR STATE AFFAIRS.

RAZORBEAST: MAGMATRON. LIO CONVOY: RIGHT. ‘BOTS LIKE HIM DON’T JUST HANG UP

THEIR STRATO-LAUNCHERS AND SIT ON A JUDICIAL BODY.

2 (LINK): HE’S RECRUITING… WE KNOW THAT. HE’S PLANNING… BUT WE DON’T KNOW WHAT. SOMETHING BIG, SOMETHING BAD.


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RAZORBEAST: AND IF IT’S SOMETHING IMMINENT? IF I CAN’T REPORT BACK IN TIME?

5. Razorbeast watches as Lio Convoy descends into the underground section of the fort, disappearing from view. Razorbeast doesn’t follow.

LIO CONVOY: THEN DO WHAT YOU CAN. 2 (LINK): AND START RUNNING!

Page 12:

1. Int. Maximal shuttle. As Rattrap dives clear, a ripped out and thrown bit of systems hardware impacting against a bulkhead (explosively), just missing him.

PNL: THE TRANSWARP FUNNEL:RHINOX (OFF): HOLD… STILL!FX: KRSHK!RATTRAP: LET ME GET BACK T’YA ON THAT… 2 (LINK): NAH!

2. Wide, as Rattrap transforms to TM vehicle mode. Powering between Rhinox’s legs, his hands sweeping empty air, trying to catch him.

RATTRAP: I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOT INTO ALL’A YOU, BUT I AIN’T STICKIN’ AROUND TO ANALYSE YOUR DEEP-ROOTED PSYCHOSES.

2 (LINK): IT’S PROBABLY T’DO WITH YOUR PROTO-HATCHER. USUALLY IS.

3. As Rattrap speeds out (through a hatchway) of the main forward cockpit/compartment, Blacharachnia opens up… firing her leg/venom blasters. Multiple (explosive) impacts pepper the surrounding bulkhead and a couple clip Cheetor (beast mode, pursuing).

BLACKARACHNIA: VERMIN! MY VEMON BOLTS WILL…CHEETOR: HEY! WATCH--2 (LINK): FHN! GHT!SFX: VRAP! VRAP! VRAP!4. Rather than continue the pursuit (of Rattrap), Cheetor (hurt)

turns, ready to fight…


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CHEETOR: THAT… HURT!2 (LINK): I SHOULD’VE KNOWN. WE HAUL YOUR TOXIC

TUSH OUTTA THE FIRE AND SOON AS YOU’RE SAFE… YOU TURN ON US!

CHEETOR: WELL…

Page 13:

1. Cheetor springs/pounces, slamming into Blackarachnia, Silverbolt immediately moving to intercept.

CHEETOR: … NOW IT’S MY TURN! SILVERBOLT: NO! HARM ONE SCABROUS HAIR ON HER

CEPHALOTHORAX AND I’LL… KNOCK THE SPOTS OFF YOU!

2. On Rattrap, as he emerges into the rear cargo hold (moving towards us). There’s no one behind him. We can see the main Transwarp initiators, added in by Rhinox pre-launch.

RATTRAP: MAN, THIS IS SO FREAKED-UP, BUT AT LEAST THEY SEEM TO HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ME FOR THE MO--

3. Reverse angle/dramatic: ahead of Rattrap (blocking, it seems, his way forward) are Optimus Minor, Bonecrusher and Wolfang (all now robot mode). Minor holds up a hand, ‘stop.’

RATTRAP: WHU-?OPTIMUS MINOR: STOP!2 (LINK): GO BACK!WOLFANG: NOW!RATTRAP: CAN’T—

4. Rattrap (unable to stop in time) rolls right through them, but of course the figures are intangible, phantoms. Rattrap screeches to a halt beyond them.

RATTRAP: OH.OPTIMUS MINOR: IT’S STARTED AGAIN. HERE. 2 (LINK): GO BACK!

Page 14:


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1. Angle on Rattrap (alone), as the whole shuttle bucks violently, bulkheads stretching/warping. The ship lists, Rattrap skidding sideways.

DIALOGUE PNL: “BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE!”FX: EEURRNK!RATTRAP: HH! WHAT NOW?

2. Ext. view of the shuttle, an angle that favors the captive TM2 MEGATRON. The Transwarp funnel is destabilising rapidly, conditions worsening. The shuttle itself seems slightly out of synch, warped.

3. Tighter in on Megatron (in pain, but his rage the more dominant feature of his expression). We can clearly see the magno-clamp devices holding him pinned. He strains against them.

4. Tight in on Megatron’s (non-Dragon head) hand/arm. One of magno-clamp nodes flies off into space…

5. … and (same angle) the hand/arm comes free!

Page 15:

1. BW Earth, Predacon encampment. Tight on Magmatron (outside again), commanding.

PNL: PREDACON FIELD BIVOUAC:MAGMATRON: TIME’S UP.

2. Widen: Razorbeast ready at the control podium, the dishes pointing in various directions.

MAGMATRON: I WANT THE SHELL SIGNAL SENT NOW. RAZORBEAST: WE’RE SET. 2 (LINK): THE PAN-GLOBAL ACTIVATION PULSE HAS

BEEN CODED. I’M READY TO TRANSMIT.MAGMATRON: THEN DO IT. IF IT’S ALL THE SAME TO YOU,

RAZORBEAST, I’D RATHER NOT SPEND ANY MORE TIME ON THIS MISBEGOTTEN WORLD THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

3. Tight on Razorbeast, as he pushes up a main level/handle, energy readings spiking on an attached display.


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RAZORBEAST: RIGHT, YEAH. HERE WE GO…FX: SHRMMMMM!4. Widen again. Magmatron looks towards a distant horizon (though

there’s nothing of note to be seen).

MAGMATRON: REPORT!2 (LINK): IGUANUS…

Page 16:

1. Cut to: Iguanus (still beast mode), clinging (head downwards) to a sheer rock face, above a (crash-)landed Stasis Pod, observing. The Pod has been activated, its dish/scanning array extended.

IGUANUS: IT’S STARTED. THE STASIS POD IS GO-ONE, SCANNING FOR A COMPATIBLE LIFEFORM TEMPLATE…

2. Cut to: Manterror (beast mode), on a wind-lashed beach, watching from within a cave mouth. Another Pod rests in the shallows, battered by the waves. It’s opaque surface has gone semi-transparent, a shape (vague, part-formed) visible within.

JAG (no tail): MANTERROR?MANTERROR: GOT ME A LIVE ONE HERE. THE

PROTOMATTER IS COALESCING.

3. Cut to: Spittor. We’re high on an icy glacier. The Pod there begins to open, energy and steam released in a cloud.

JAG (no tail): SPITTOR?SPITTOR: YEAH, UH-HUH. HEH-HEH. HERE IT COMES…

4. Back to Iguanus: from within his now open Pod RETRAX (robot mode) unfurls/stands (confused/disorientated). He bears a clear Predacon insignia.

IGUANUS: NANO-REGENERATION COMPLETE. IT’S A PREDACON!

5. Back to Manterror: out of the Pod steps (unsteady) SNAPPER, also clearly a Predacon.

MANTERROR: PREDACON…


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Page 17:

1. Cut to: Magmatron, pleased. Background, Razorbeast can be seen moving slowly back, away from the control podium. Drill Bit sees this.

MAGMATRON: IT’S WORKING! THE SHELL CODE IN THE ACTIVATION SIGNAL IS MASS-CONVERTING THE MAXIMAL PROTOFORMS…

2 (LINK): … MY ARMY AWAKENS!JAG (no tail): WHAT? NO! IT’S…

2. Magmatron reacts.

MAGMATRON: SPITTOR? JAG: RROWRGH!JAG: FNNH--MAGMATRON: SPITTOR! REPORT…

3. Cut to: Spittor, prone/dazed (on his back in the snow). Over him, raging, is POLAR CLAW (robot mode). His Maximal symbol is evident.

MAGMATRON/JAG: … WHAT’S HAPPENING?SPITTOR: Muh-MAXIMAL…2 (LINK): … IT’S A MAXIMAL!MAGMATRON/JAG: WHAT?

4. Back to the encampment. As (background) Magmatron rages, Drill Bit steps up, blocking Razorbeast’s gradual retreat.

MAGMATRON: THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE!2 (LINK): UNLESS…DRILL BIT: HEY! WHERE’D YOU THINK YOU’RE—

Page 18:

1. Dramatic, as (with no hesitation) Razorbeast transforms to beast/wild boar mode, driving forward at the startled Drill Bit, goring him with his tusks.

DRILL BIT: —GNNUFF!RAZORBEAST: COUNT YOURSELF LUCKY…


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2. As Drill Bit staggers/drops, Razorbeast leaps over him, hitting the ground running. Background, Magmatron turns, alerted.

RAZORBEAST: … I DON’T HAVE TIME TO HANG AROUND AND FINISH THE JOB!

2 (LINK): BUT I’LL BE BACK!MAGMATRON: RAZORBEAST?

3. Magmatron (making no attempt to pursue), expression smoldering, watches as Razorbeast charges off, in no time at all opening up a great distance.

MAGMATRON: RAZORBEAST…DIALOGUE PNL: “AND IF IT’S SOMETHING IMMINENT? IF I

CAN’T REPORT BACK IN TIME?”DIALOGUE PNL: “THEN DO WHAT YOU CAN.”

4. On Razorbeast, thundering across the dry, dusty landscape towards us, alone.

DIALOGUE PNL: “AND START RUNNING!”

Page 19:

1. Ext. view of the shuttle. Bits of plating and external hardware are flying off it. The distortion in the Transwarp funnel is intense.

PNL: TRANSWARP FUNNEL:BLN (from within): GREAT, JUST GREAT…

2. Int. shuttle/cargo area. Rattrap (robot mode) kneels in front of an exposed section of the Transwarp drive (clearly not part of the original shuttle technology), steadying himself against the shuddering/bucking ride.

RATTRAP: … ALL THEM HOURS I SPENT FETCHIN’ AND CARRYIN’ FOR RHINOX WHILE HE FITTED THE TRANSWARP DRIVE…

2 (LINK): … AND I NEVER ONCE THOUGHT TO ASK HOW IT WORKS!

3. Rattrap glances towards the hatchway (closed, bolted) to the forward section of the craft. Stood in front of it, now semi-transparent, are Optimus Minor, Wolfang and Boncrusher (robot mode).


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RATTRAP: AN’ YOU GUYS — JUST WHEN I NEED SOME CONSTRUCTIVE CHATTER, YOU GO ALL STRONG AND SILENT ON ME.

2 (LINK): ‘GO BACK,’ HUH? EASY FER YOU TO SAY. I’M NOT EVEN SURE THIS THING HAS A REVERSE GEA--

4. Same: as the solid metal door/hatch is torn loose from its framework, ripped out. Metal moorings shear off, buckle. The ghostly Maximals are gone.

RATTRAP: --AARH!SFX: SKAARCH!5. Stood in the hatchway is Optimus Primal (robot mode). He looks

crazed, maddened, ready to tear something/anything apart with his bare hands.

Page 20:

1. On Rattrap, galvanised into action. With a kind of weary acknowledgement that he really doesn’t have time to get technical, he grabs ahold of an important-looking cable within the main Transwarp mechanism…

RATTRAP: AHH WELL, IF IN DOUBT…

2. … and (tight in) pulls it loose. Energy flares slightly…

SFX: SHA-!3. … and (wide) he’s hurled backwards violently across the cargo

hold.

SFX: VAMMM!4. Ext. shuttle, as the stars (of normal space) return to sharp

focus…

5. … and then the shuttle is snapped backwards, a blur of hyper-motion.

Page 21:


18

1. Int. shuttle: on Rattrap. He’s dazed, scrunched up against a bulkhead, sprawled. The vibration and turbulence have stopped.

PRIMAL (off): RATTRAP?

2. Up angle (Rattrap’s slightly blurred pov) on Optimuus Primal. He leans in, concerned, the madness abated.

PRIMAL: RATTRAP?2 (LINK): WHAT DID YOU DO? WHERE ARE WE?RATTRAP: OHH… I… DON’ REALLY KNOW…

3. On Primal (sharp focus). He reacts.

RATTRAP (off): MAYBE… BACK WHERE WE STARTED.2 (LINK): ON EARTH.PRIMAL: WELL…

4. Wide angle, as Primal helps Rattrap to his feet. Behind them, the bulkhead glows hot…

PRIMAL: … THAT’S JUST PRIME!2 (LINK): WE SPEND NEARLY THREE CYCLES TRYING TO

GET OFF THIS PLANET AND WITHIN A FEW CHRONOKLIKS OF CYBERTRON YOU DECIDE TO PULL THE PLUG. I ASK YOU… CAN THIS SITUATION GET ANY WORSE?

5. … and then melts, revealing daylight beyond. Both Primal and Rattrap react.

RATTRAP: UH. THE SHORT, ALMOST INEVITABLE ANSWER…

Page 22 (SPLASH):

1. Dramatic angle (past Primal and Rattrap and through the slagged, now open, bulkhead) on Dragon-mode Megatron, airborne, wings spread (outside the shuttle). Steam and flame dance around his gaping, fanged maw.

RATTRAP: … IS YE-ESS!PRIMAL: MEGATRON!OUTRO PNL: TO BE CONTINUED…


transformers: the war within #6 file · web viewpnl: planet earth: pnl: 180,000 years bc

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