Episode 11: The Probe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Don't cats ever get tired of being stupid?

These are all actual Rattrap quotes (among others), and yes, sometimes he does seem to have a pretty poor selection of words. "Don't cats ever get tired of being stupid" is first said by Rattrap, and then later by Tarantulas, also in this episode. In "The Spark" Blackarachnia also says this when she has Cheetor at gunpoint.

Answer: A Transwarp Signature

The temporal probes that are sent out home in on a transwarp signature of a missing ship. However, the Axalon's transwarp drives had been offline since the crash landing. Rhinox set about reconstructing the signature in while the other Maximals were out building a signal array tower from which to send it.

The probe is shown a few times wandering our galaxy and seems to get as far as Neptune before turning around and heading back to Earth. Also, the probe uses the same animation model as the Predacon scanner (the one used to find appropriate alternate forms for the Predacons).

Answer: Waspinator

Waspinator was flying along, grumbling to himself about his hardships and grievances with Megatron when Tigatron spotted him. Tigatron stepped into few and disabled Waspinator with a single well-placed shot, and that was the last Waspinator ws seen in the episode. Whether or not he knew he was bait is unknown.

Answer: Lock Lense

The Lock Lens was a small, agile, hovering device that would search out Maximals and hit them with its beam. The target would then be forced into beast mode and would be unable to transform back. Once in this state it was easy for the Predacons to defeat their enemies.

Answer: Tarantulas

Tarantulas was the only real scientific genius (or perhaps the only Predacon with any intelligence at all, with the exception of Megatron's tactical mind). He created many devices during the Beast Wars, some for the Predacons, and some to further his ulterior personal motives.

The only other inventor in the Predacon Ranks was Scorponok, though his inventions rarely worked the way they were meant to.

Answer: Dinobot

Dinobot was an ex-Predacon, and had a hand in the theft of the Golden Disk. He was convinced that should he ever return to Cybertron, he would be tried as a Predacon, despite anything Optimus might say.

Answer: By swinging them

Cheetor and Tigatron were placed in adjacent hanging cages. Cheetor accidentally let slip that the Maximals were attempting to contact the probe, and the Predacons left in order to attack the signal array, leaving the cats unguarded. Tigatron got the idea to swing the cages. Eventually, they collided and the floors fell out. Tigatron managed to land on his feet, but Cheetor started to plummet towards the lava below. Luckily, Tigatron was able to catch the younger cat by the tail.

The two then made for the CR chambers to remove the transformation lock.

Answer: Scorponok

Scorponok was sent as a scout, and nearly took down the Signal Array on his own, except Optimus employed his interceptor cannons and destroyed the missiles. Before he could fire again, Rattrap and Dinobot neutralized him in a rare moment of cooperation.

Answer: Inferno

Waspinator had been taken out by Tigatron at the beginning of the episode, and Scorponok a little more recently. Terrorsaur flew in as a diversion while the remaining predacons, Megatron, Blackarachnia, and Tarantulas, set up for the main attack. Inferno haden't even been introduced to the series at this point.

During the skirmish, nearly all the transformers were disabled. Blackarachnia took down Dinobot first. Rattrap shot Blackarachnia off a cliff. Both Rattrap and Dinobot were hit by the Lock Lens and then removed by Megatron. Optimus shot Tarantulas off into the distance. He was then hit by the Lock Lens, but still managed to stop yet another missile headed for the array (with an iron beam), but was taken down by Megatron.

Answer: True

Rhinox appeared near the end of the battle with the transwarp signature, and gave Megatron a hearty fist to the face. Though MEgatron was down, the Lock Lens was still functioning and hit Rhinox, rending him incapable of programming the array with his Rhinoceros limbs.

A weakened Megatron was finally able to fire a missile and destroy the array in a last ditch effort. He was soon scared away by a recovered Tigatron and Cheetor, but the damage had been done, and the Maximals were destined to stay on prehistoric Earth a while longer (more episodes!).