Welcome to part three of my rewrite for "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon". As the title implies, this is where I'll break down some of the bigger changes to the narrative that, I feel, makes for a stronger story that pays respect to the near 40 years of history that the franchise has had. If you want to refresh yourself on what the overall rewrite entails thus far, check out part one and part two in the links provided. But to summarise:
- Shockwave is replacing Sentinel Prime as the main villain, thus allowing the Decepticons to take centre stage again instead of an ancient evil that no one is scared by.
- There are no human villains whatsoever (apologies to anyone who wanted to see Dr Arkeville or Circuit Breaker, but they wouldn't fit into the narrative) and the roles of the supporting human cast have been reduced significantly as to allow the Transformers to finally be the main character in their own damn movie.
- The NASA subplot has been completely left out as it made the flow of the narrative disjointed and needlessly convoluted.
And finally:
- Shockwave will more resemble his CG model from "Bumblebee" as opposed to the Insecticon-esque monstrosity we got in the finished product.
Also, the film will have a different subtitle; instead of "Dark Of The Moon", I am naming the film "The New Order". This is in reference to "The Transformers #5" from the American run of the Marvel comics. It's the one with this classic cover;
It is arguably the most iconic image of Shockwave from the comics, and it simply works as a title for Transformers movie. Besides, it also erases any need to make any Pink Floyd jokes and doesn't sound anywhere near as stupid as "Dark Of The Moon".
With that all out of the way, let's finally begin the change of "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" into "Transformers: The New Order".
It is arguably the most iconic image of Shockwave from the comics, and it simply works as a title for Transformers movie. Besides, it also erases any need to make any Pink Floyd jokes and doesn't sound anywhere near as stupid as "Dark Of The Moon".
With that all out of the way, let's finally begin the change of "Transformers: Dark Of The Moon" into "Transformers: The New Order".
1. Cast.
Aside from the general absence of the human characters, the main change I am making has to do with the robot cast; specifically with the Autobots. The newest Autobots added to the film, namely Mirage and the Wreckers, don't really add anything in the grand scheme of things. They're basically props for big action scenes who happen to have weird accents assigned to them in order to set them apart from everyone else. As such, Mirage and the Wreckers are out of the film. They otherwise have sparse screen time and minimal dialogue, so I don't think anybody will miss them if they weren't in the film.
The only new Autobot I would keep, however, would be Que. Except, he wouldn't be called Que. He'll be Wheeljack as was originally intended. He also wouldn't have that freaky robo-Albert Einstein design as he had in the film. I understand that the Transformers are more than machines, but that doesn't mean they have to look like real world historical figures. As such, he'll instead follow the same idea for Shockwave in this rewrite; G1 inspired with real world mechanical detail. Think along the lines of the characters design from his cameo in "Bumblebee".
His role in the film is more or less the same; making new weapons for the Autobots and smaller gadgets for soldiers of N.E.S.T, but he'll also have a bigger role as the Autobots part time scientist along with Ratchet. This will detailed more later on.
Also, he'll be voiced by Steve Blum. Because it's my rewrite and what I say goes. We could all use more Steve Blum in our lives.
2. Resources.
One of the missed opportunities of the films is that we never really see the Decepticons searching for alternative energy sources to convert into Energon. The closest they ever did was in "Revenge Of The Fallen", but that more or less took a backseat to the whole "destroying the sun" part of the plot. I aim to rectify this by introducing an energy source that the Decepticons want to find and steal; not necessarily to just create Energon, but also as a special weapon to give them edge. This resource could just be a random one made up for the film (a la Transformium from "Age of Extinction"), but I've decided that it should be one that has existed in Transformers lore. This could be Nucleon or Ore-13, but I've decided to use one that wouldn't exist in Transformers for another 2 months; Synthetic Energon.
Synthetic Energon, first introduced in the Transformers: Prime episode "T.M.I", was simply an alternative means for Transformers to produce an enhanced version of Energon. Despite giving its user increased strength and mobility, it also affected their psyche to make them more aggressive and ruthless, which was mainly due to Ratchet using an unfinished version of the formula on himself. The finished version would later be used in the series finale as part of the Decepticons plan to revive Cybertron and Cyber-form the Earth.
Let's say that for this film, Synthetic Energon is a combined effort between human scientists and the Autobots, with the development of it being lead by Wheeljack and Ratchet. They are making this form of Energon as a means of fuelling the Autobots and hoping to give them a chance to more easily stand toe to toe with the Decepticons. The problem still remains, however, that their current tests have proven unsuccessful due to how, like in Prime, it burns up quickly and could be potentially dangerous for the user in regards to psyche. It is because of this that Wheeljack refuses to expose the Autobots to the current formula in the off-chance that one of them goes rampant and it costs them their lives.
Naturally, the Decepticons catch wind of this; we can just say that Soundwave has slowly been able to hack into the Autobots communication systems thanks to the aid of Lazerbeak. Soundwave has typically been depicted as the Communications Officer for Megatron, so it would make sense that he could hone in on to the correct wave frequency in order to listen in. Regardless, he sends this information to Megatron, who then orders Soundwave to send in one of his various minions (it could be Lazerbeak, Ratbat, Squawktalk, etc) as a means of stealing the current formula. Wheeljack may be hesitant on testing the formula on his own allies, but Megatron wouldn't have that same moral roadblock. Thus, he would send in a squadron of Decepticon drones who have been injected with the current formula to try and kill the Autobots. Despite them being stronger, the formula burns up the drones natural Energon reserves and leaves them dead before they could deal any major damage to Optimus and his friends.
After this, a now-awakened Shockwave takes an interest in the Synthetic Energon, with Megatron giving him the role as head scientist and telling him to create a completed formula to mass produce to the troops. Shockwave, however, has an alternative solution than simply a power boost for the Decepticons. Here's a little exchange between Megatron and Shockwave I've written to give an idea of what the solution would be.
ShW: "If you recall, my liege; in the message I had sent--"
MT: "I am aware of these 'Pillars' that you have told us of, Shockwave. But what relevance do these trinkets have to what I have commanded of you?"
ShW: "The Pillars are more than simple 'trinkets', Lord Megatron. During my time as Cybertron's guardian, I have researched into how the past generations of Cybertronians were capable of reaching further distances across the universe. Through this research, I had discovered an ancient method they had used; a Space Bridge. It was designed to create a portal from one point of the galaxy to the other. Using modern reverse engineering, I was able to create five Pillars that could perform the same task with lesser resources. During testing, however, I was attacked by the Autobots, leading to the portal collapsing and my crash landing on the moon."
MT: "So this is what you have in store as the final resort; basic transport technology. How is this of critical value to me?"
ShW: "Simple. If we were able to complete the formula for Synthetic Energon, then it would be logical to use this formula for a larger purpose than a mere influx of strength for the drones. And the Pillars would be essential to fulfil that purpose."
MT: "... And what purpose would that be?"
End scene.
This scene is meant to establish three things; firstly, Shockwave's interest in the potential of the formula and how it could be used in conjunction with the Pillars to fulfil his end goal. Secondly, an early tease to Shockwave's scheme. And thirdly, it showcases Megatron as more than a thug with a gun, willing to hear out what his most trusted scientist has in mind. I think the main problem I've had with Megatron in these films is that he is never really shown to be a major threat. The most we ever got was the in first film, but even then he only showed up at in the last 30 minutes and spent most of the time off-screen or just roaring. Otherwise, he spends most of his time in the films either as a pawn in a bigger plan or barely even involved with the actual villains scheme. Thus, this rewrite finally allows Megatron a chance to be one of the central antagonists, second only to Shockwave, as well as show him as more intelligent than the previous films had presented.
On a side note, it'll be established that Shockwave had tried experimenting with Space Bridge tech before; he used it on Jetfire when the Seeker fought for the Decepticons as a means for testing it before going forward with the Pillars, thus explaining how Jetfire somehow has the ability to use miniaturised Space Bridge nodes in his hands.
3. Shockwave's Plan.
This is it. The meat and potatoes of the story. This is where we get into how Shockwave's plan not only changes how the film goes, but also results in a stronger story that actually focuses on the Transformers without the need to drastically alter human history or the loose canon that the films already had.
As established, Shockwave is given the task of completing the Synth-En formula after a sample was stolen during an attack on the Autobot base. He quickly pieces together a second version of the formula to test on the troops; it does go a lot better than the first test, but it still has the issue of burning through their natural Energon reserves. Eventually, by the time that the second Act is coming to an end, Shockwave has finally completed a stable formula for Synth-En and now the plan can be put into action. With this, Megatron orders Shockwave to activate the Space Bridge, opening a massive portal as big as the moon next to the Earth.
The Autobots pick up the energy caused by the portal opening, as well as a massive object starting to come through from the other side. At first, they think it's an invasion force coming to attack the planet and kill every human on its surface. Upon closer inspection, however, Wheeljack realises that the object coming through isn't an army; it's a planet. At that moment, the Autobots quickly understand what's happening. Whoever has opened the portal is bringing Cybertron itself into Earth's orbit.
At the same time, Megatron realises this as well, demanding Shockwave explain himself.
MT: "This is not what you promised me, Shockwave! You said our home will be revived; not transported!"
ShW: "And I have not lied to you, Megatron. Cybertron will see a new Golden Age."
MT: "How is bringing Cybertron to this pathetic insect planet ushering such an age?!"
ShW: "Along with completing the Synth-En formula, I took the time to study the gravitational balance between Earth and the moon upon which we stand. Said pull is emitting an energy field that could be used to supply enough power to fuel an unfathomable amount of Energon. This, combined with the completed Synth-En formula, will be enough to revitalise Cybertron's core. However, in order to maximise results, I've deduced that the most efficient means of creating more Energon from the Earth's gravitational pull is to create an obstruction that will force the planet to attempt to correct it's gravity, leaving it to it's own destruction once the gravitational field has been fully disrupted."
SS: "And so you've decided the best obstacle to use would be Cybertron itself?! Have you lost your mind?"
ShW: "It is the most logical course of action, Starscream. Not that I expect you to understand."
SS: "Are you implying that I am a fool, Shockwave?!"
SW: "Observation: entering Earth's orbit may affect Cybertron's own gravitational field. Suggestion: return Cybertron to original orbital placement to prevent possible planetary destruction."
ShW: "That is no longer a possibility, Soundwave."
MT: "I am ordering you to stop this, Shockwave; I will not allow you to destroy the planet that I intend to rule once Optimus is dead!"
ShW: "You yourself gave me the role as Cybertron's Guardian, Megatron. The mission has not changed, it simply supersedes all other priorities; including factional loyalty."
So, there we have it. Shockwave's plan is pretty much the live action version of "The Ultimate Doom"; bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit and use the energy caused by the gravitational stress to revive his home planet. Yes, I'm aware that the original version of "Dark Of The Moon" tried this, but as I already explained in my previous post (read here, incidentally), the way it was handled resulted in the single dumbest evil plan in the films. Instead of doing what Sentinel did, I (and by proxy, Shockwave) am pretty much doing that story completely straight.
Incidentally, I apologise if what I had described in the reveal of the plan was not scientifically accurate; I am not a scientist nor do I have a degree relating to science or the planet's gravity. If anyone could let me know how I could reword it, please let me know and I'll update it accordingly.
I also decided to incorporate some elements of Shockwave's characterisation from the original Marvel comics, namely his devotion to logic overtaking other factors like factional loyalty. In those comics, logic dictated to Shockwave that he should be the leader instead of Megatron, thus frequently would vie for leadership of the Decepticons due to this thought process. It ultimately lead to his demise in the end, but it nonetheless still painted Shockwave as a cold and ruthless Decepticon, thus making him one of the most fondly remembered villains in the entirety of the Marvel run.
Regardless, this finally leads to Shockwave becoming the central antagonist for the final Act of the film (like he was supposed to be), as Megatron swallows his pride and proposes to Optimus that they join forces to stop Shockwave from destroying the Earth. Optimus would never allow the Earth to be destroyed, even it meant reviving Cybertron in the process, and Megatron's innate vanity would never allow Shockwave to get away with his treachery. As such, Megatron supplies the Autobots with a few ships and allowing them to come to the moon for the final battle. This could also allow Shockwave the chance to face off against Optimus and Megatron at the same time, as he is described as having enough raw strength to rival the pair. He could use turrets, attack drones, all that stuff.
Having the final battle set on the moon also erases the need to have humans take up the majority of the action; people normally go see these films to watch the Transformers fight each other, not a bunch of military personnel that Michael Bay likes to glorify and vilify at the same time. The focus is strictly on the robots, not the guys with guns that the audience doesn't care about.
So, the final fight begins; Shockwave has the Nemesis mostly repaired by this point, so uses it as part of his defence against Optimus, Megatron and the Autobots, along with the heavy artillery installed in the Darkmount. The main Autobots can stand off against the ground forces that Shockwave has taken over through injecting them with a feral version of the Synth-En formula, whilst Optimus and Megatron take the fight to Shockwave himself. This scene could also be uses to have Optimus try to talk Shockwave out of his plan, maybe say that his solution to reviving Cybertron with the Synth-En was genius and asks him to consider a means that wouldn't destroy the Earth, but Shockwave will stand by what he considers to be the most logical choice, thus leading to the final battle.
While this is happening, the Autobots, along with Starscream and Soundwave, begin their attack; Starscream can lead the aerial forces to deal with the ships that Shockwave has control over, while Soundwave and the Autobots launch an assault on the base itself. Soundwave could even use more of his animal minions; Ratbat, Lazerbeak, Wingthing, Slugfest, Overkill, etc. Gives a bit more variety for the final fight. And during the fight, Soundwave and Starscream would end up getting killed; the former getting swarmed by Synth-En enhanced Vehicons and the latter caught in a ship exploding as he detonates it's power core to cause a domino effect that destroys the other ships, including the Nemesis. Not the most fitting deaths for these characters, but at least neither of them get killed by Shia LaBeouf.
Regardless, Shockwave sees the army being torn apart, but is unperturbed; he has everything set up so that only he can close the Space Bridge portal and even if Optimus and Megatron were able to beat him, his death wouldn't stop the process. Earth would still be destroyed and everything is set up so that the Energon would automatically fill the cubes as soon as the planet is drained, thus reviving Cybertron. This, however, gives Megatron an idea;
MT: "When I gave you the duty of watching over Cybertron in my absence, I chose you over anyone else for your intelligence. You could foresee all possible outcomes and choose the best one."
ShW: "Clarity of thought, before rashness of action."
MT: "However, for all of your planning, there is one factor that you could never predict."
ShW: "... What?"
Megatron looks at Optimus, gives him a small nod. Optimus' eyes widen as he suddenly understands what Megatron intends to do. Megatron looks back to Shockwave.
MT: "Me!"
With that, Megatron charges at Shockwave and starts pushing them both to the Control Pillar, the latter trying to escape from the former's grasp. However, Megatron charges up his Fusion Cannon (forgot to mention; Megatron has his Fusion Cannon attached to his arm for most of this rewrite) and fires at the Control Pillar with both of them next to it, killing them. But before his death, we can get the, admittedly, pretty badass line from the original final battle;
MT: "THIS IS MY PLANET!!"
With that, the Control Pillar is destroyed and the portal collapses, taking Cybertron back to where it was and saving the Earth. However, the destruction of the Control Pillar was massive; causing another domino effect that starts to blow up the Darkmount. Optimus manages to get out of there (because he's Optimus) and he joins the Autobots in the remaining Decepticon cruiser in order to get back to Earth as the moon base collapses upon itself. The Autobots watch as Cybertron returns through the collapsing portal, realising that not only is their research on the Synth-En gone due to Soundwave erasing everything after hacking into their systems, but their only hope of returning to a revived home planet just got blown to smithereens. Optimus reminds them, however, that they already have a new home; Earth. And as long as they have each other, they'll always overcome the odds and survive; until that day, til all are one.
Cue credits.
Conclusion:
And there we have it; a Transformers film that actually focuses on the Transformers while giving them more personality than simple one-dimensional killing machines. A Transformers film that doesn't really on dated racial stereotypes or the overly glorified nameless soldiers to take up the majority of the action. A Transformers film without an insultingly annoying disregard for the mythos just to showcase jokes about the size of Shia Labeouf's dick.
And all I had to do was simply swap out Sentinel Prime, the single dumbest villain in the movies, for Shockwave, the greatest missed opportunity the films have had since their inception.
I want to thank everyone for checking out this rewrite. Without you guys, I don't think I would've had the motivation to finish it. I'm sorry if it took a while to complete it, but I just needed time to fully flesh out my ideas and get them written down. I hope that you all enjoyed it and can come back for more.
Nonetheless, if you enjoyed, please leave a comment letting me know; heck, any feedback, positive or negative, is welcomed so long as it's constructive. If you want to see more from me outside of these reviews, than please consider following me on Twitter; I'm @MediaHood23. Normally I'd also post a link to my YouTube page, but the subscription to my editing software has expired and I haven't had the chance to make more videos due to looking after my little brother pretty much full time; so it's on hiatus until everything gets back to normal. Or as normal as possible, at any rate.
But until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
Aside from the general absence of the human characters, the main change I am making has to do with the robot cast; specifically with the Autobots. The newest Autobots added to the film, namely Mirage and the Wreckers, don't really add anything in the grand scheme of things. They're basically props for big action scenes who happen to have weird accents assigned to them in order to set them apart from everyone else. As such, Mirage and the Wreckers are out of the film. They otherwise have sparse screen time and minimal dialogue, so I don't think anybody will miss them if they weren't in the film.
The only new Autobot I would keep, however, would be Que. Except, he wouldn't be called Que. He'll be Wheeljack as was originally intended. He also wouldn't have that freaky robo-Albert Einstein design as he had in the film. I understand that the Transformers are more than machines, but that doesn't mean they have to look like real world historical figures. As such, he'll instead follow the same idea for Shockwave in this rewrite; G1 inspired with real world mechanical detail. Think along the lines of the characters design from his cameo in "Bumblebee".
His role in the film is more or less the same; making new weapons for the Autobots and smaller gadgets for soldiers of N.E.S.T, but he'll also have a bigger role as the Autobots part time scientist along with Ratchet. This will detailed more later on.
Also, he'll be voiced by Steve Blum. Because it's my rewrite and what I say goes. We could all use more Steve Blum in our lives.
2. Resources.
One of the missed opportunities of the films is that we never really see the Decepticons searching for alternative energy sources to convert into Energon. The closest they ever did was in "Revenge Of The Fallen", but that more or less took a backseat to the whole "destroying the sun" part of the plot. I aim to rectify this by introducing an energy source that the Decepticons want to find and steal; not necessarily to just create Energon, but also as a special weapon to give them edge. This resource could just be a random one made up for the film (a la Transformium from "Age of Extinction"), but I've decided that it should be one that has existed in Transformers lore. This could be Nucleon or Ore-13, but I've decided to use one that wouldn't exist in Transformers for another 2 months; Synthetic Energon.
Synthetic Energon, first introduced in the Transformers: Prime episode "T.M.I", was simply an alternative means for Transformers to produce an enhanced version of Energon. Despite giving its user increased strength and mobility, it also affected their psyche to make them more aggressive and ruthless, which was mainly due to Ratchet using an unfinished version of the formula on himself. The finished version would later be used in the series finale as part of the Decepticons plan to revive Cybertron and Cyber-form the Earth.
Let's say that for this film, Synthetic Energon is a combined effort between human scientists and the Autobots, with the development of it being lead by Wheeljack and Ratchet. They are making this form of Energon as a means of fuelling the Autobots and hoping to give them a chance to more easily stand toe to toe with the Decepticons. The problem still remains, however, that their current tests have proven unsuccessful due to how, like in Prime, it burns up quickly and could be potentially dangerous for the user in regards to psyche. It is because of this that Wheeljack refuses to expose the Autobots to the current formula in the off-chance that one of them goes rampant and it costs them their lives.
Naturally, the Decepticons catch wind of this; we can just say that Soundwave has slowly been able to hack into the Autobots communication systems thanks to the aid of Lazerbeak. Soundwave has typically been depicted as the Communications Officer for Megatron, so it would make sense that he could hone in on to the correct wave frequency in order to listen in. Regardless, he sends this information to Megatron, who then orders Soundwave to send in one of his various minions (it could be Lazerbeak, Ratbat, Squawktalk, etc) as a means of stealing the current formula. Wheeljack may be hesitant on testing the formula on his own allies, but Megatron wouldn't have that same moral roadblock. Thus, he would send in a squadron of Decepticon drones who have been injected with the current formula to try and kill the Autobots. Despite them being stronger, the formula burns up the drones natural Energon reserves and leaves them dead before they could deal any major damage to Optimus and his friends.
After this, a now-awakened Shockwave takes an interest in the Synthetic Energon, with Megatron giving him the role as head scientist and telling him to create a completed formula to mass produce to the troops. Shockwave, however, has an alternative solution than simply a power boost for the Decepticons. Here's a little exchange between Megatron and Shockwave I've written to give an idea of what the solution would be.
ShW: "If you recall, my liege; in the message I had sent--"
MT: "I am aware of these 'Pillars' that you have told us of, Shockwave. But what relevance do these trinkets have to what I have commanded of you?"
ShW: "The Pillars are more than simple 'trinkets', Lord Megatron. During my time as Cybertron's guardian, I have researched into how the past generations of Cybertronians were capable of reaching further distances across the universe. Through this research, I had discovered an ancient method they had used; a Space Bridge. It was designed to create a portal from one point of the galaxy to the other. Using modern reverse engineering, I was able to create five Pillars that could perform the same task with lesser resources. During testing, however, I was attacked by the Autobots, leading to the portal collapsing and my crash landing on the moon."
MT: "So this is what you have in store as the final resort; basic transport technology. How is this of critical value to me?"
ShW: "Simple. If we were able to complete the formula for Synthetic Energon, then it would be logical to use this formula for a larger purpose than a mere influx of strength for the drones. And the Pillars would be essential to fulfil that purpose."
MT: "... And what purpose would that be?"
End scene.
This scene is meant to establish three things; firstly, Shockwave's interest in the potential of the formula and how it could be used in conjunction with the Pillars to fulfil his end goal. Secondly, an early tease to Shockwave's scheme. And thirdly, it showcases Megatron as more than a thug with a gun, willing to hear out what his most trusted scientist has in mind. I think the main problem I've had with Megatron in these films is that he is never really shown to be a major threat. The most we ever got was the in first film, but even then he only showed up at in the last 30 minutes and spent most of the time off-screen or just roaring. Otherwise, he spends most of his time in the films either as a pawn in a bigger plan or barely even involved with the actual villains scheme. Thus, this rewrite finally allows Megatron a chance to be one of the central antagonists, second only to Shockwave, as well as show him as more intelligent than the previous films had presented.
On a side note, it'll be established that Shockwave had tried experimenting with Space Bridge tech before; he used it on Jetfire when the Seeker fought for the Decepticons as a means for testing it before going forward with the Pillars, thus explaining how Jetfire somehow has the ability to use miniaturised Space Bridge nodes in his hands.
3. Shockwave's Plan.
This is it. The meat and potatoes of the story. This is where we get into how Shockwave's plan not only changes how the film goes, but also results in a stronger story that actually focuses on the Transformers without the need to drastically alter human history or the loose canon that the films already had.
As established, Shockwave is given the task of completing the Synth-En formula after a sample was stolen during an attack on the Autobot base. He quickly pieces together a second version of the formula to test on the troops; it does go a lot better than the first test, but it still has the issue of burning through their natural Energon reserves. Eventually, by the time that the second Act is coming to an end, Shockwave has finally completed a stable formula for Synth-En and now the plan can be put into action. With this, Megatron orders Shockwave to activate the Space Bridge, opening a massive portal as big as the moon next to the Earth.
The Autobots pick up the energy caused by the portal opening, as well as a massive object starting to come through from the other side. At first, they think it's an invasion force coming to attack the planet and kill every human on its surface. Upon closer inspection, however, Wheeljack realises that the object coming through isn't an army; it's a planet. At that moment, the Autobots quickly understand what's happening. Whoever has opened the portal is bringing Cybertron itself into Earth's orbit.
At the same time, Megatron realises this as well, demanding Shockwave explain himself.
MT: "This is not what you promised me, Shockwave! You said our home will be revived; not transported!"
ShW: "And I have not lied to you, Megatron. Cybertron will see a new Golden Age."
MT: "How is bringing Cybertron to this pathetic insect planet ushering such an age?!"
ShW: "Along with completing the Synth-En formula, I took the time to study the gravitational balance between Earth and the moon upon which we stand. Said pull is emitting an energy field that could be used to supply enough power to fuel an unfathomable amount of Energon. This, combined with the completed Synth-En formula, will be enough to revitalise Cybertron's core. However, in order to maximise results, I've deduced that the most efficient means of creating more Energon from the Earth's gravitational pull is to create an obstruction that will force the planet to attempt to correct it's gravity, leaving it to it's own destruction once the gravitational field has been fully disrupted."
SS: "And so you've decided the best obstacle to use would be Cybertron itself?! Have you lost your mind?"
ShW: "It is the most logical course of action, Starscream. Not that I expect you to understand."
SS: "Are you implying that I am a fool, Shockwave?!"
SW: "Observation: entering Earth's orbit may affect Cybertron's own gravitational field. Suggestion: return Cybertron to original orbital placement to prevent possible planetary destruction."
ShW: "That is no longer a possibility, Soundwave."
MT: "I am ordering you to stop this, Shockwave; I will not allow you to destroy the planet that I intend to rule once Optimus is dead!"
ShW: "You yourself gave me the role as Cybertron's Guardian, Megatron. The mission has not changed, it simply supersedes all other priorities; including factional loyalty."
So, there we have it. Shockwave's plan is pretty much the live action version of "The Ultimate Doom"; bring Cybertron into Earth's orbit and use the energy caused by the gravitational stress to revive his home planet. Yes, I'm aware that the original version of "Dark Of The Moon" tried this, but as I already explained in my previous post (read here, incidentally), the way it was handled resulted in the single dumbest evil plan in the films. Instead of doing what Sentinel did, I (and by proxy, Shockwave) am pretty much doing that story completely straight.
Incidentally, I apologise if what I had described in the reveal of the plan was not scientifically accurate; I am not a scientist nor do I have a degree relating to science or the planet's gravity. If anyone could let me know how I could reword it, please let me know and I'll update it accordingly.
I also decided to incorporate some elements of Shockwave's characterisation from the original Marvel comics, namely his devotion to logic overtaking other factors like factional loyalty. In those comics, logic dictated to Shockwave that he should be the leader instead of Megatron, thus frequently would vie for leadership of the Decepticons due to this thought process. It ultimately lead to his demise in the end, but it nonetheless still painted Shockwave as a cold and ruthless Decepticon, thus making him one of the most fondly remembered villains in the entirety of the Marvel run.
Regardless, this finally leads to Shockwave becoming the central antagonist for the final Act of the film (like he was supposed to be), as Megatron swallows his pride and proposes to Optimus that they join forces to stop Shockwave from destroying the Earth. Optimus would never allow the Earth to be destroyed, even it meant reviving Cybertron in the process, and Megatron's innate vanity would never allow Shockwave to get away with his treachery. As such, Megatron supplies the Autobots with a few ships and allowing them to come to the moon for the final battle. This could also allow Shockwave the chance to face off against Optimus and Megatron at the same time, as he is described as having enough raw strength to rival the pair. He could use turrets, attack drones, all that stuff.
Having the final battle set on the moon also erases the need to have humans take up the majority of the action; people normally go see these films to watch the Transformers fight each other, not a bunch of military personnel that Michael Bay likes to glorify and vilify at the same time. The focus is strictly on the robots, not the guys with guns that the audience doesn't care about.
So, the final fight begins; Shockwave has the Nemesis mostly repaired by this point, so uses it as part of his defence against Optimus, Megatron and the Autobots, along with the heavy artillery installed in the Darkmount. The main Autobots can stand off against the ground forces that Shockwave has taken over through injecting them with a feral version of the Synth-En formula, whilst Optimus and Megatron take the fight to Shockwave himself. This scene could also be uses to have Optimus try to talk Shockwave out of his plan, maybe say that his solution to reviving Cybertron with the Synth-En was genius and asks him to consider a means that wouldn't destroy the Earth, but Shockwave will stand by what he considers to be the most logical choice, thus leading to the final battle.
While this is happening, the Autobots, along with Starscream and Soundwave, begin their attack; Starscream can lead the aerial forces to deal with the ships that Shockwave has control over, while Soundwave and the Autobots launch an assault on the base itself. Soundwave could even use more of his animal minions; Ratbat, Lazerbeak, Wingthing, Slugfest, Overkill, etc. Gives a bit more variety for the final fight. And during the fight, Soundwave and Starscream would end up getting killed; the former getting swarmed by Synth-En enhanced Vehicons and the latter caught in a ship exploding as he detonates it's power core to cause a domino effect that destroys the other ships, including the Nemesis. Not the most fitting deaths for these characters, but at least neither of them get killed by Shia LaBeouf.
Regardless, Shockwave sees the army being torn apart, but is unperturbed; he has everything set up so that only he can close the Space Bridge portal and even if Optimus and Megatron were able to beat him, his death wouldn't stop the process. Earth would still be destroyed and everything is set up so that the Energon would automatically fill the cubes as soon as the planet is drained, thus reviving Cybertron. This, however, gives Megatron an idea;
MT: "When I gave you the duty of watching over Cybertron in my absence, I chose you over anyone else for your intelligence. You could foresee all possible outcomes and choose the best one."
ShW: "Clarity of thought, before rashness of action."
MT: "However, for all of your planning, there is one factor that you could never predict."
ShW: "... What?"
Megatron looks at Optimus, gives him a small nod. Optimus' eyes widen as he suddenly understands what Megatron intends to do. Megatron looks back to Shockwave.
MT: "Me!"
With that, Megatron charges at Shockwave and starts pushing them both to the Control Pillar, the latter trying to escape from the former's grasp. However, Megatron charges up his Fusion Cannon (forgot to mention; Megatron has his Fusion Cannon attached to his arm for most of this rewrite) and fires at the Control Pillar with both of them next to it, killing them. But before his death, we can get the, admittedly, pretty badass line from the original final battle;
MT: "THIS IS MY PLANET!!"
With that, the Control Pillar is destroyed and the portal collapses, taking Cybertron back to where it was and saving the Earth. However, the destruction of the Control Pillar was massive; causing another domino effect that starts to blow up the Darkmount. Optimus manages to get out of there (because he's Optimus) and he joins the Autobots in the remaining Decepticon cruiser in order to get back to Earth as the moon base collapses upon itself. The Autobots watch as Cybertron returns through the collapsing portal, realising that not only is their research on the Synth-En gone due to Soundwave erasing everything after hacking into their systems, but their only hope of returning to a revived home planet just got blown to smithereens. Optimus reminds them, however, that they already have a new home; Earth. And as long as they have each other, they'll always overcome the odds and survive; until that day, til all are one.
Cue credits.
Conclusion:
And there we have it; a Transformers film that actually focuses on the Transformers while giving them more personality than simple one-dimensional killing machines. A Transformers film that doesn't really on dated racial stereotypes or the overly glorified nameless soldiers to take up the majority of the action. A Transformers film without an insultingly annoying disregard for the mythos just to showcase jokes about the size of Shia Labeouf's dick.
And all I had to do was simply swap out Sentinel Prime, the single dumbest villain in the movies, for Shockwave, the greatest missed opportunity the films have had since their inception.
I want to thank everyone for checking out this rewrite. Without you guys, I don't think I would've had the motivation to finish it. I'm sorry if it took a while to complete it, but I just needed time to fully flesh out my ideas and get them written down. I hope that you all enjoyed it and can come back for more.
Nonetheless, if you enjoyed, please leave a comment letting me know; heck, any feedback, positive or negative, is welcomed so long as it's constructive. If you want to see more from me outside of these reviews, than please consider following me on Twitter; I'm @MediaHood23. Normally I'd also post a link to my YouTube page, but the subscription to my editing software has expired and I haven't had the chance to make more videos due to looking after my little brother pretty much full time; so it's on hiatus until everything gets back to normal. Or as normal as possible, at any rate.
But until next time; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
