Tanker Hijack Operation

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But like Heaven above me The spy who loved me Is keeping all my secrets safe tonight
"Tanker Hijack Operation" タンカー強奪作戦 () (Tanker Gōtatsu Sakusen)
Production company	Takara, Toei
Airdate	13 June 1989
Writer	Toyohiro Andō
Director	Takao Yoshizawa
Animation studio	Toei
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

As part of a plan to steal a tanker of gasoline, the Decepticons stay the Autobots' hands by threatening to blow up Marine City with a neutron bomb.

Synopsis

Somewhere in the depths of the ocean, Deathsaurus "reminds" his troops aboard the Thunder Arrow of the large amount of energy they need to gather in other to free his fortress from the Dark Nebula... by blasting them with a burst of flame. Only Drillhorn stands unmoving as the other Decepticons scatter, petitioning his emperor for calmness so that he can outline his plan to steal a tanker. Deathsaurus approves the plan, but Leozack is not happy that his subordinate has superseded his authority.

"Well, hello ladies!"

Some time later, on the west coast of America, Marine City suddenly finds its gasoline supplies inexplicably drying up. The strange occurrence naturally attracts the attention of the Autobots, and Star Saber, suspecting Decepticon involvement, dispatches the Brainmasters to investigate. Examining gasoline tanks across the city, they find that they have been punctured and drained from beneath. A dog's barking leads Blacker to catch Drillhorn and Jallguar in the act, but after a brief pursuit, the Decepticons flee.

Meanwhile, to try and resolve the fuel crisis, Marine City's Mayor Burns requests a shipment of gasoline from a neighboring state, which is delivered in the tanker Big Baron... just as the Decepticons have planned. Drillhorn contacts the mayor's office, warning him that if the Big Baron is not left to their tender mercies once it has docked, Marine City will be blown up. The mayor wastes no time in alerting the Autobots to this new development, and as he talks with Star Saber, Blacker radios in a report—he and the Brainmasters have had a scuffle with the Dinoforce, and have learned that the villains have planted a neutron bomb somewhere in Marine City. Aware of the potential for disaster, Star Saber directs the mayor to evacuate the city, and heads out to the scene himself.

Star Saber meets up with the Brainmasters at Marine City, and they begin their search for the neutron bomb, but despite combing the city all night, they turn up nothing. As dawn breaks and the Big Baron arrives, the Autobots can do nothing but watch as the Breastforce arrive to take control of the tanker, and the Thunder Arrow emerges from beneath the ocean to draw the tanker inside itself. Blacker quietly swims over to the tanker to investigate, where he finds Leozack gloating and showing off the remote detonator for the neutron bomb to the human crew, telling them that it's been hidden at the top of the city's Marine Tower. Blacker radios his discovery to his fellow Autobots, but the Decepticons have planned for this eventuality and the Dinoforce are waiting to attack them as they head for Marine Tower.

While Braver flies the V-Star to the top of the tower to deal with the bomb, Blacker, Laster and Saber battle with Dinoking, even as the tanker is steadily swallowed by the Thunder Arrow. With time running out, Saber summons the V-Star and breaks off to save the tanker, but Leozack forces him to hold back by threatening to detonate the neutron bomb. Saber almost manages to steal away the detonator, but the Breastforce's Breast Animals reclaim it, and Saber continues to draw out the battle while the V-Star attacks from below, successfully knocking out the tractor beams the Thunder Arrow is using to draw in the tanker.

"The funeral was at sea."

Deathsaurus pulls the Thunder Arrow out, but Leozack has a parting gift for Star Saber, and activates the detonator... only for nothing to happen. Furiously, Leozack hits the button over and over again, and the remote blows up in his face—Braver has successfully disassembled the bomb and saved Marine City. The singed Leozack makes good his escape, hot on the heels of Dinoking, who has been blinded and bested by the other Brainmasters.

After the battle, sunset, Autobots regroup, burning rage in their hearts, etc. You know how it goes by now.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"I think I've seen this car somewhere before..."

—Kakuryu, sniffing Blacker's car mode.

"Don't ask so many questions! Just do as I say or Maryland will go up in flames!"

—Drillhorn means business.

"You idiot, you got caught again!"

—Goryu does not tolerate Kakuryu's stupidity.

"Oh, darn!"

—Leozack has a quite understated reaction to Star Saber's transformation.

Notes

Animation and technical errors

Cellphone use commonly leads to mutations?!

• After Drillhorn hangs up on him, the mayor has six fingers on the hand holding the phone.
• When Star Saber imagines the potential destruction the neutron bomb may cause, some footage of an exploding city is recycled from the opening credits.
• When Drillhorn talks to Mayor Burns on the phone, he talks without moving his lips. Later, when Burns calls Star Saber, both are shown performing the same feat of ventriloquism.
• Numerous times throughout the episode, closed shops and gas stations are adorned with signs that say "close." The latter is also advertised as "oil" rather than "gas."

Continuity notes

• Drillhorn is apparently a veteran soldier among the Breastforce.
• Kakuryu once again sings the show's closing theme to himself while doing stuff.
• Gadgets and powers:
  • Deathsaurus can hurl fireballs around.
  • The Thunder Arrow's nosecone can split open to store captive ships, and has tractor beams which can (veeeery slowly) pull them in.

Real-life references

• As in "Explosion!! The Energy Base", an image of the Horsehead Nebula is used to represent the Dark Nebula.

Trivia

• Despite the fact that the previous episode featured a subplot about some of the Autobots escorting an oil tanker, this episode's tanker-centric plot has nothing to do with it.
• A number of the characters, including Star Saber and Kakuryu, have different voice actors for this episode in the English dub. Of course, none of the English voice actors are credited...
• Lucky for the Breastforce that the Dinoforce are so stupid they don't realise that guarding Marine Tower entails being at ground zero for a neutron bomb detonation.

Foreign localization

English

• Title: "Battle over the Super-tanker" (Omni Productions dub)
• Original airdate: July 28, 1991

• Marine City becomes Maryland, which is consistently pronounced "Mary Land". Accordingly, the mayor is referred to as a governor. The Marine Tower is renamed as the "Congress Building".
• Kakuryu's singing is, as usual, missing.

Spanish

• Title: "Batalla Peligrosa" ("Dangerous Battle")

Home video releases

DVD

2003 — Transformers: Victory — DVD Box 01 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — The Takara Collection Vol 3 — Transformers: Victory (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2008 — The Transformers: Victory (Madman Entertainment) — Optional Omni dub.
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment) — Optional Omni dub.
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory)
2012 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Victory (Shout! Factory)