The Black Lio Convoy

« Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers ep 18 »
And so it begins...
"The Black Lio Convoy" 黒いライオコンボイ () (Kuroi Lio Convoy)
Production code	BWII-18
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS, Ashi Productions
Airdate	29 July 1998
Writer	Junki Takegami
Director	Yūji Hamano
Animation studio	Ashi Productions
Continuity	Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

A camera found in some ruins has the ability to create dark doubles, including, but not limited to, a black Lio Convoy!

Contents 1 Synopsis 1.1 Artemis & Moon II Report 2 Featured characters 3 Notes 3.1 Transformers references 3.2 Real world references 3.3 Trivia 4 Home video releases

Synopsis

After their journey to Gaia's East Continent, the Maximals have travelled back to their normal base in the North Continent. But their temporary moment of peace was about to be interrupted...

In the ruins of a city, the Autorollers are exploring to dig for more sources of Angolmois Energy. The collapse of a building's wall reveals a mysterious device that they take to the other Predacons at the Galvaburg II. Starscream explains its discovery and its similarity to a 3D copy machine. Galvatron demands a demonstration, which BB obliges, activating the device. It scans the large Predacon, creating a monochromatic copy right aside him. The two BBs claim the other to be the copycat, and their argument escalates to a fight. Galvatron has enough and orders the Predacons to blast the copy, causing him to disappear into nothingness. Megastorm isn't willing to risk the danger of the Copy Machine and is about to crush it when his older brother stops him; Galvatron has an idea for the device...

At the Moon, Artemis and Moon note that Galvatron is being unusually active and wonder what he's up to. Artemis detects Angolmois Energy activity in the North Continent, but Moon recognizes it as a fake signal to fool others, and the two see that the copy device has been left in that exact spot...

Tasmania Kid is out for a walk in the city's ruins when he comes across the device and brings it to the others, to Artemis and Moon's consternation, as they realize the Predacons want the Maximals to cause chaos within themselves with the device. By the Arimon Falls near the Yukikaze, Bighorn is moaning over his lack of love life, while Diver tries to cheer him up on their day off. Inside the ship, Lio Convoy and Apache confer on the increasing number of Predacon bases over the North Continent—they have the potential to grow after absorbing Angolmois Energy and Apache urges immediate action, but Lio Convoy is insistent they rest after their adventures on the other continent. Apache wants more reinforcement, but the ongoing cosmic storm prevents them from contacting Maximal HQ.

Outside, Bighorn comes across Scuba reading a book and demands he hand it over, but the squid refuses till he's finished. The commotion is dispelled when Tasmania Kid shows up and shows off the copying ability of the device he discovered on Scuba's book. With two books, both Bighorn and Scuba can read it at the same time! (It turns out to be an old collection of haiku poems from the city ruins and that Bighorn can't read Gaian characters.) Kid explains where he found such a miraculous device and, when Apache mentions its potential in increasing the Maximal troops, aims it at Lio Convoy despite his concerns! A dark copy of the Maximal commander is created, and Kid goes on about how useful it would be to have Maximal copies fight in their stead.

Dubbing the clone "Copy Convoy", Lio Convoy welcomes him to the Maximals, but the doppelgänger is incredulous that he isn't the original. Transforming into robot mode (to Lio Convoy's surprise), Copy Convoy gets right to attacking his lighter counterpart. The Maximals are about to jump in to defend their commander, but he tells them to keep back; this is his copy and his responsibility to defeat. The two lions are too evenly matched, so Lio Convoy accepts the other Maximals' help, but the copy reveals that not only was Lio Convoy's physical form copied, but his knowledge as well! Thus, he has full understanding of every individual Maximal's abilities and how to counteract them. Not wanting to sacrifice any of his soldier, Lio Convoy orders a retreat, and the smarmy Copy Convoy goes off into the forest. Back in the Yukikaze, Lio Convoy orders NAVI to keep track of the copy using a tracking robot.

Elsewhere, Starscream and BB are flying about and wondering if the Maximals are in any mess resulting from the Copy Machine. They spot the black Lio Convoy, and Starscream irritates the duplicate by asking about his origins. Despite some playful petting, Copy Convoy violently rejects Starscream's offer of an alliance, explaining in plain terms that he's still a Maximal. Or at least, that's what it seems to the Maximals through their tracking robot. Starscream and BB fly out, and the former, realizing Copy Convoy's true intentions, hopes for future comradeship after the Maximals are destroyed.

The tracking robot eventually catches up with Copy Convoy, who uses it to relay a message of apology for his earlier behavior and desire to join with the Maximals against the Predacons. The Maximals debate his trustworthiness. Lio Convoy and his soldiers decide to meet with the copy outside, but it turns to be a trap; the Copy Machine is activated nearby and it scans the other Maximals present, creating black copies of all of them! Copy Convoy vows to replace all of the Maximals... permanently. The copies force their originals into a weak position with their backs to the waterfall. Knowing that the copies have all of the abilities and knowledge, the original Maximals bemoan the end, but Lio Convoy notes they still have a power that they don't have... Diver! The frog went off by himself and wasn't among those copied. During the battle, he was busy activating the Maximals' newest weapon, the Niagara Base. Its cannons easily take care of Copy Convoy's subordinates, and the black lion makes a final rush for the Copy Machine. But he's too late, as Tasmania Kid grabs it and tosses it into the sky, allowing Lio Convoy to destroy it with his missiles. With the destruction of his creator, Copy Convoy vanishes into nothing.

Apache chews out Tasmania Kid for being reckless and causing the cloning mess in the first place, but Lio Convoy reassures him, saying that Kid has learned his lesson, and that he should follow Diver's example.

Artemis & Moon II Report

Artemis asks about the ruins, and Moon explains that Gaia used to have advanced civilization; the ruins are the remains of a big city they built. Artemis asks why they would build magnificent cities only to let them fall into disrepair. Moon answers that when people focus on convenience to the detriment of nature, catastrophes happen. Artemis completely misses the point, asking for a hair dryer.

The report is interrupted by the detected arrival of something, and they wait to watch the preview for the next episode for answers.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Notes

Transformers references

Real world references

Trivia

Home video releases

VHS

1998 — Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers — ACT. 6 (Pioneer LDC)