MovieChat Forums > Beast Wars: Transformers (1996) Discussion > 2 Sparks In 1 Body

2 Sparks In 1 Body

posted 11 years ago by caabrae
17 replies | jump to latest

I just rewatched the first season episode "Possession," when something occurred to me. I remember in the 3rd season when Primal was about to take on Optimus Prime's spark and everyone freaked out about it. They made a big deal about him not being able to hold two sparks in his body. And obviously it DID have it's side affect in turning him Optimal. My question is, why did Starscream's spark not have such a drastic affect on Waspinator? I understand, as Rhinox pointed out, that Prime's spark had the Matrix with it. But then what about Megatron's? His didn't have the Matrix with it. Why would BW Megatron mutate from having a G1 spark and not Waspy?

"Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on!"

[–] Vihktor-24 11 years ago

The out-of-story answer is, of course, that Optimus and Megatron only mutated because they had new toys to promote, and they thought that absorbing the Sparks of their forebears would be a cool way to make this happen.

Whether there is any actual in-story explanation, I don't know. Even in the G1 show, when Starscream possessed others, it didn't cause them to change either. Thus the question we should be asking isn't "Why didn't Waspinator mutate?", but rather "Why did Primal and Megatron mutate?" ... Or, since technically Rhinox did propose an explanation for Primal's case (despite it not making much sense, seeing as Prime's Spark and the Matrix are two separate things, but whatever), the only true mystery is why Megatron got upgraded.

[–] caabrae 11 years ago

Yeah. I realize that the real REAL answer is "they just hadn't thought of it yet." And the new toy thing was really the only reason for that. But this is one of those shows where I just love throwing around speculative ideas to see what people come up with.
I suppose they could explain the Starscream possessions in the G1 show as being okay because G1 bodies were more powerful and could handle 2 sparks.

"Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on!"

[–] Vihktor-24 11 years ago

Maybe it was the work of Waspinator's infamous bad luck. It denied him of a more powerful body.

[–] caabrae 11 years ago

I don't know why I just thought of this, but imagine what would happen if a regular Transformer, G1 or BW, were to merge with the spark of Unicron? That could be a crazy story, ESPECIALLY if it were a Maximal or an Autobot!

"Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on!"

[–] trekkie_knight 11 years ago

The best I can think of is that Starscream's mutant spark and the special way he was capable of possessing transformers was the reason he didn't mutant his host body. Perhaps it's not the effect he wanted so his actions found a way around that.

[–] caabrae 11 years ago

Yeah, I could see that. Starscream was never very fond of sharing power with anyone. They could have done an entire show with him as the main character. It could have just been him floating through space, encountering different beings and races and attempting to conquer them all!

"Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile still stays on!"

[–] cgrill8 11 years ago

Well, apparently Starscream's spark going through "space and time" happened after the 86 movie, and before the episode in Season 3 when Unicron remade his body for him. SO... we ALSO have to factor in (despite Starscream's previous possessions with G1 characters) half of his spark was still floating in orbit inside a pod with a large X on it(though truly 'unwritten' at the point Possession was written). So the power of his spark may be diminished as well by gong back into the past to attempt at altering history. But the way Starscream acts...makes me wonder if he's also a "spawn of Unicron", though in Season 2 G1 he spurned Unicron and laughed in his face! So it may make SOME sense why all through his G1 character's life he's intent on stirring up trouble while not having any real leadership goals despite what he SAYS. I mean he even created Bruticus only to have Bruticus go against him and everyone else until Megatron gets Bruticus under control. So Starscream 'might' be completely a Decepticon descendant, but he has no love nor royalties for Unicron either.

Now explaining Primal's change is somewhat easy, the Matrix did it. Even his voice slightly changed during that time when he had the Matrix. (I bet Cullen would do the voice for G1 Prime NOW if he was asked and BW was still on the air...)....

Now for Megatron... it was obvious G1 Megatron's spark, Megatron(BW) could not control it for it was slinging all over the place while his chamber tendril seemed to barely hold on to it. So, 1 he nearly had to TAME G1's spark, and even then we also have a size difference between BW characters and G1 characters... so despite what G-Megs spark looked like... it needed a larger chamber to contain it...and thus a large chassis. PLUS we also have to remember Megatron and been dropped into the lava by Quickstrike... lava always seems to make Transformers turn insane. Galvatron, Tarantulus, BW Megatron, and a few other from G1 that happened to... so the lava may have had some part in his transformation as well. But has anyone else noticed it seems that Beast Wars & Beast Machines has more roots and connections to the Marvel comic that the G1 cartoon?

[–] 3PocketCharlie 11 years ago

I'll give you my two explanations:

1) Optimus Prime and Megatron were two of the most powerful transformers in history, so their sparks had the power to mutate new hosts. Starscream was cunning, but never that powerful.

2) Starscream's spark had been floating through space so long, it no longer retained the memory of a physical form, outside the ghostly shape we see appear to confirm SS's identity.

All glory to the Hypnotoad

[–] cgrill8 10 years ago

Funny thing is... I thought there was something in Beast Wars to imply it was based on a future continuity from the old Marvel Comic, not the cartoon. But Starscream never really 'dies' in the old comic, and even when he does, they kept rebuilding him on orders from Megatron, if I remember correctly.

I like the movie, I gave my OPINION. Go ahead flame and slander me. It is what you do.

[–] jon_combo 10 years ago

Here's a thought. Waspinator wasn't TransMetal, Optimus and Megatron were at the time of double sparking.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jon_combo 10 years ago

BW Megatron + Transmetal + Vok Equipment Useage + G1 Megatron Spark + Lava = Dragon Megatron
BW Optimus + Being One with the Matrix (Transmetal) + Vok Intergation + G1 Optimus Spark (with the Matrix) = Optimal Optimus
Waspinator Possessed just didn't make the cut.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] cgrill8 10 years ago

I still wished the made the repaint of Rhinox as a predacon. The changes were very slight, but it would have been nice. I mean heck, they made a triple changer of Airrazor with her plane-boat mode after all... but can't use the original Rhinox mold to make a predacon repaint with red eyes and darker rhino skin?

Tired of people telling me how young I am when I feel so old...

[–] liam-geoghegan 9 years ago

My theory is, as both megatron and had already been mutated by the Quantum surge, their bodies changed in many ways, some we might not know about and with their predecessors sparks/powers in their body combined with their vok/quantum surge/transmetal bodies, the powers combined, giving them an accelerated upgrade.

I think the reason waspinator didn't transform was because he hadn't been changed by the quantum surge making it have no affect.

Also theirs a theory going round waspinator is starscream reincarnated. same spark, new body/mind. Mainly because he gets scrapped so many times but never dies. He's indestructible in a sense lol

[–] yarmen12 9 years ago

Still don't explain why Megatron became a dragon. Maybe he's just THAT evil he literally personifies a dragon?

[–] Lunchbox-3 9 years ago

Maybe Waspinator doesn't have a spark so there was only one with Starscream inside of him. Think about it, if anyone else's body got destroyed as much as his their spark would be done for. Maybe he can be rebuilt because he doesn't have a spark, he's just a drone. That's why he has such limited intelligence.