Beast Machine Hunters> The First Story Bible part 4

Two more to go and this one will be a bit short to make sure I have enough room to do all the deep character profiles together. That will end our look at Marv Wolfman’s original story treatment for Beast Hunters, the show that was reworked into Beast Machines.

Last time we had a small problem in that the file I’m using had a page in the wrong spot. I don’t know whose to blame and I wish I had spotted it before I was too far in to the article to find the right page in the wrong spot. I needed up by post time and didn’t want to rewrite a bunch of stuff. So we’ll fix that mistake in this installment and conclude the story side for Beast Hunters, a story clearly way too ambitious, based on watching season 1 from the looks of things, and really hated Rattrap. Like the kind of hatred reserved for Snarf.

First let’s look at the paragraph that got cut off between pages from the last article:

As the battles for Cybertron continue we watch the Maximals learning their transforming lessons and advancing. Humor comes from the unexpected. In the beginning Rattrap, looking for his blaster, discovers nunchucks in his weapon’s holder. Being a novice he of course cant’ (that’s also him) use them properly, entangling not only himself but his friends in the

If the next page were in the right spot it would have continued with…

process, and allowing the Vehicons to escape.

Again I have to ask how long these nunchuck ropes were? The toy did come with a whip made from his tale, like his Transmetal toy.

Cheetor discovers he can’t run the way he used to (he trips, falls, and stumbles into everything when he goes into cheetah mode) and has to reclaim his sense of balance through tai-chi like exercises.

Well, at least he said “tai-chi like” and not actual tai-chi. You would think if they were stuck in beast mode for so long he’s already have a handle on this. Again, I think Wolfman is jumping all over the time period. This whole treatment is four seasons long but there’s no way of figuring out what’s happening which season. I’m guessing the bosses were way confused…because I know I am.

As they learn more they can control their powers better and their weapons become more powerful, but always used best at close range. There will be more of a sense of robotic martial arts being used here rather than long range blasters.

That does seem to be in keeping with the toys. Even the non-show Maximals had melee weapons until, in the bio story but not in the show, Nightscream found the Deployers, little animal robots that transformed into standing weapon platforms. Meanwhile the Vehicons got all the guns. Non-show Vehicon Mirage had a hand gun with doubled as a head-mounted gun due to transformation. I’m still confused by the evolving weapons because all I can see are the Escudo weapons from Magic Knights Rayearth and the toys wouldn’t be doing that. Still on the misplaced page we get to the next paragraph.

Black Arachnia understands what she has caused and volunteers to make up for it by infiltrating the enemy and supplying the Maximals information regarding Megatron’s secret plans. They want to know what Megatron is doing with the Maximal sparks he is stealing, and where he is hiding the Maximal protoforms. She joins Thrust and begins to transmit the information she learns to the Maximal base. In the meantime, Cheetor learns Black Arachnia is now working with Thrust and, in another jealous rage, decides he has to kill the traitor he love.

The hell, Cheetor? I mean…the Pit, Cheetor? First off, did nobody tell the others she was going undercover? Then again, it wouldn’t be a first for Optimus Primal. In the first season of Beast Wars Optimus and Rattrap had a similar plan to learn if the Predacons had used parts from a retrieved stasis pod to decode Maximal broadcast signals and beat them to Energon and other pods. It almost went badly because Optimus was hurt and couldn’t tell the others that Rattrap hadn’t turned traitor…so you’d think he wouldn’t be that stupid a second time. Meanwhile Cheetor goes from “I love you” to “die you traitorous scum” like that? Yes he’s jealous of either Skybolt or Thrust depending on which one Wolfman remembers is not Tankor…though I wouldn’t be surprised if he got in on her as well. It’s the Leader-1 issue from the Transformers Armada dub all over again! Only this came first! Still, he’s falling for this harder than he fell for her!

Black Arachnia is horrified as Megatron’s troops complete the devastation of Cybertron. She also had to ‘fight’ the Maximals as they try to stop Megatron’s incursions. The Maximals have a number of small victories, but they are outnumbered and Megatron is eventually victorious. All of Cybertron is now his, and all the Maximals, except for Optimus’ band have been taken for purposes still unknown. They story focuses on Black Arachnia and the idea of having to do what is right. She knows she should not be involved with Skybolt and has determined to correct the situation no matter how much it hurts her.

WOULD YOU PLEASE PICK A NAME AND STICK WITH IT! Was this the version Mainframe, Hasbro, Fox Kids, and YTV were given? No wonder they altered most of it! Also, I see the typos are not going away, are the, Marv?Folks, I don’t have an editor and don’t always have a chance to proofread by post time.

During the final battles for Cybertron, Cheetor nearly manages to kill Black Arachnia, but Optimus stops him in time forcing Black Arachnia’s cover to be blown. As they flee, an enraged Thrust now demands Black Arachnia’s destruction.

And if this treatment kept Thrust and Skybolt straight I’d know who was the scorned lover and who was the guy who hates traitors. We did see later in season two that even with Megatron believed gone Thrust was still loyal to his job and chastised Obsidian and Strika for making a truce with the Maximals.

Cheetor realizes he has destroyed the Maximal’s chances at discovering Megatron’s plans and decides he has to leave Cybertron forever. Optimus tries to convince him otherwise but fails. It takes Rattrap to show Cheetor that if Cheetor leave, Cybertron will never be reclaimed. They need Cheetor more than ever defeat Megatron. Then, in penance for his stupidity, he will leave. He no longer deserves to be with the others.

So he’s also stealing from the episode where Tigatron left the Maximals after Snow Stalker was killed as a casualty? Frankly, I’m just surprised Wolfman has Rattrap doing something positive considering this whole treatment was him making Rattrap the worst character ever instead of Nightscream.

The beautiful world we saw early in the season has been devastated. Many great ancient temples which highlighted Cybertron’s million-years history are destroyed. Optimus, who, guided by Oricom, feels the pain of his planet’s destruction like no other Maximal. His new sensei-like attitude has turned him into his planet’s suffering and it physically and mentally pains him to see the world destroyed in this fashion.

I had to make sure I didn’t screw up when writing that one. I think you mean “tuned him”, but maybe I’m getting something wrong.

Also during the final battle for Cybertron, the Maximals will rescue another Vehicle – Transformer, an obviously young, eager Transformer who watched his entire tribe to be destroyed. He is brought in the Maximal tribe and vows to help them defeat Megatron. It will later be revealed that Megatron learned from Black Arachnia. The young vehicle Transformers is Megatron’s spy.

This might have been interesting. In a sense Megatron did attempt this while trapped in the Noble body.

Optimus realized they are outnumbered and out-powered. Their only chance to reclaim Cybertron is to find other world Transformers. His crew reminisced him that they spent months looking for their kind and failed, but Optimus points out that the Oracom changed him. As a sensei, he now has more control over the Matrix inside him. He also knows it is his destiny to bring together the Transformers tribes and to reclaim Cybertron from evil.

So Wolfman predicted the plot of Transformers: Cybertron? Just replace Megatron with a super huge black hole left by Unicron’s final destruction.

It’s here that the file returns to the proper order, but now I’m just confused as to what went where? There’s a clip that describes the flow of time in this treatment nicely.

Maybe something bad happened when Megatron tried to rewrite history by killing Optimus Prime? Remember, this is supposed to be four seasons worth of material but I couldn’t tell you what season we’re on, how long it takes the Maximals to learn “I am transformed”, or at what point anything happened. He can’t even keep Blackarachnia’s boyfriend straight!

The crew head into space and using the Matrix they hone in on other Transformers, perhaps even some Autobots and other forgotten character, including perhaps an original Transformer from the dawn of time.

Again, sounds like Transformers: Cybertron/Galaxy Force stole this idea. It was a whole set of story arcs.

Because there is a spy in their midst, Megatron launches his troops to destroy the Maximals before they can find other transformers. There is a great battle between Megatron’s forces and Optimus’ troops. Megatron sees his forces are outnumbered and about to be defeated, but Megatron has a secret plan.

Megatron returns to Cybertron to unleash his weapon before it is completed. He knows that once he defeats Optimus he will have the Matrix he needs to complete his plans.

He literally ‘opens’ Cybertron to reveal great mechanical pods filled with thousands of transformers. This is where the Maximals were hidden. The Maximals have been turned into a power source for Megatron’s weapons powered by their individual sparks. Tens of thousands of sparks now give Megatron almost unlimited power, but even that isn’t enough. Megatron needs the Matrix and he now knows it will soon be his.

Powered by people…so a different “matrix”? Also, he just made Starkiller Base before J.J. Abrams.

Optimus learns Megatron’s plans. Megatron has learned that Optimus’ Matrix can help him tap into the original essence that created the Transformers eons ago. When Megatron controls that essence he will, like a God, have life-creating power, enough to destroy the known universe and to create endless transforming armies under his total control. Everything that has ever been will become his and there will be no one who can stop him.

Considering how that always goes for Starscream, you may want to rethink that plan, Megatron. Still makes more sense that Galvatron wanting to turn Cybertron into his new Unicron-like body I guess.

Optimus believes this is the Great Odyssey, the Oracm foretold. He has to take the Transformers back to the beginnings to rediscover the essence that created them. Optimus believes he now understands his calling.

While on Cybertron, the Oracom says if Optimus achieves what he intends, it will mean the end of everything.

You mean “if Megatron achieves what he intends”, right? Otherwise your Primal has gone more fanatical than the one we actually got with Beast Machines.

The Great Battle begins. Optimus realizes his troops can’t win against Megatron’s might. His weapon is simply too powerful.

Optimus and his crew lose the war. The Transformers are placed in the great stasis pods and become part of Megatron’s machines. At the same time, Megatron takes Optimus’ Matrix, puts it into his great machine, and powers up the engines. Megatron’s evil infuses with the power.

The dimensional veil opens. The original essence is discovered. Megatron aims his weapon at it, to control it, to make it his own. At long last everything he has worked for his his.. Megatron is victorious.

And, on that note, we end season four.

Wait, what? You’re ENDING on…

How many seasons are you expecting Hasbro to go along with this concept? They didn’t start their three season kick just yet, since Beast Machines only went for two (one if you were in Canada) but it’s bad enough when comics, Wolfman’s other writing career, talk about planning a story this far out because anything can happen to screw it up…and often has. Now you’re pushing for a season five when you’re still trying to get season one off the ground.

In our final installment of this phase of Beast Machine Hunters we’ll look at the deeper character profiles before moving on to the more realizable season one we got so we can make fun of deep dive the bible and show we actually got. Then an overview of the entire story treatment and why despite what we got I’m not sure I’d want this in its place.