The Energon Pub

I've heard lots of stories from transfans who either left the theater crying, or more commonly remember younger children doing so. The only reactions I remember from other children in the theater I saw it in were cries of "Laserbeak!" when he flew onscreen after the credits; finally, something we recognize! I don't remember anyone actually screaming when everything they knew was destroyed a half hour later.

At the age of 7, I was already cynical enough about my favorite cartoons to understand that few had continuity enough for anything to actually change long-term. When commercials for the movie queried, "Does Prime die?", my response was, "Of course not!" And not because I was so attached to Op; having a perfectly stable dad in my life, I found Soundwave to be the more interesting father figure, as he was the dad I wanted to be when I grew up, not the one I wished I had. And even at that age I'd usually get so excited by movie trailers that the actual movie was inevitably a letdown. So when the bodies started piling up, I was shocked all right, but mostly at the fact that this was the one movie I'd ever seen that wasn't what I was expecting in that it was several times better, and remains so to this day. Sure it was sad to see so many characters go, but this ancient space war that had mostly just been alluded to amidst general puttering about in the grand canyon for 2 years was suddenly back in full swing, and the violence carried with its horrible consequences the promise of hope that things could actually change! He-Man never truly defeated Skeletor, the Joes never wiped out Cobra, and Inspector Gadget never got to see what the heck Dr. Claw looked like, but the Autobots actually got Cybertron back!!! Besides some imported anime, I can't think of any '80s cartoon where something of that magnitude actually happened except the Thundercats reclaiming Thundera, and I wouldn't know about that until the Toonami reruns a decade later. Some fans claim they never adjusted to the changes, but I doubt the franchise would have its eternal staying power without that trauma, controversy, and triumph.

I think my family was the last to leave the theater; I insisted on just sitting there staring at Unicron's head until the music stopped. (the amount of country western and folk music played in my house played a part in that decision as well) I was in a state of euphoria that I never wanted to end. I ended up liking the post-movie cartoon way better as well, and every time I hear Rodimus Prime bashed, it just makes me feel even more loyal to him as the true successor to Optimus. His mediating of galactic peace talks in "The Quintesson Journal" just seems like a more admirable legacy than Optimus lecturing his subordinates while burying other robots alive that he couldn't ethically shoot.

Maybe I shouldn't bring up something that polarizing, but it's just what sprang to mind. And Optimus seemed even greater as a legend to inspire the Autobots who survived, right?