Since energon is one of the most important reason behind the conflict between Autobots and Decepticons, isn't it too early to introduce it to the series? What can they do with Synthetic Energon in the future? Would it represent any chance of peace between Autobots and Decepticons? Will it take a long time for them to perfect or refine the formula? The Decepticons are likely to produce the synthetic energon too since Knock Out found a drop. Would the refined version be blue like natural energon? Both TFP and Beast Wars strongly implied the idea that the Transformers or Cybertronians can do just about anything with enough energon. So what would having unlimited supplies of it for both sides do for the series?
I doubt Knock Out will try to make Synthetic Energon for "fuel" purposes, he'll probably make more only for boosting up their troops. It's just something Decepticons are most likely to do, focus on weaponizing a good thing instead of thinking about a good future and peace. Plus, the formula isn't complete, it could take seasons before they can turn it into actual energon instead of just SynthEn thing.
I don't think it's too early. When you see how slow the show progresses, they will probably refer to it again two seasons later. Look at Dark Energon which was introduced in the pilot and then mostly was not important anymore only in two episodes much later mentioned again but not even really tieing into the plot of the pilot.
But isn't that what synthetic Energon is, fuel, well a fuel supplement. Did it really give Ratchet a boost or did it just put him a power level he wasn't at in eons? Surely the fuel didn't turn him into a fighting machine; Ratchet was a brawler before he took his first sip of the green stuff. I thought his successes and the initial effects of the synthetic Energon went to his head and fueled his own ego—doesn’t the episode's ending support this? How pure is the Energon on Earth? If Ratchet's newest fine is better than the stuff they're finding, why wouldn't Megatron want his own troops to have it instead of the impure/unrefined they've been mining, especially if the synthetic Energon is closer to pure Energon than anything else they've come across?
Ratchet mentions being stronger and faster than what he used to be, and we NEVER saw him do that kind of insanity he pulled off in the first fight... we never saw ANY character pull that off. I'm pretty sure it was more like steroids than simple energon.
He also notes that his power levels are up by XX%, he was running low on power for Primus knows how long. Performance enhancers don't make us godly. Sure, they help, but if you weren't a god before you took them, you won't be one after taking them. Ratchet's scene a lot of action before, he knows how to fight. We even saw him fight in the first 5 episodes of Transformers: Prime. He didn't fight as well as Prime, sure, but that doesn't mean he didn't know how to. All I'm saying is, it was clear from the beginning of the episode that Ratchet was really low on energy, but after sampling synthetic Energon that his power levels climbed waaaaaaaaaaay up, putting him at optimal performance, the first in a long time, judging from his own expression, excitement and the reaction from those around them. Stronger, faster [for the first time in ages]
Megatron even says that it seems to him like Ratchet is "more spirited" than usual. Knock Out also guesses/suggests later on in the episode that Ratchet's undergone "chemical enhancement". So yeah, I think it's more like fuel with a heaping helping of steroids than just fuel...at least at the moment. They don't make humans godly, but who says that they don't effect giant alien robots in a different way? And Ratchet was running low on energon because they were undergoing a shortage. All the Autobots were probably similarly low.
But all he did in that Darkness Rising fight was stab slow zombies. This was the first time he got in a honest to good fight, and agan he did things not even Wheeljack could pull off. But that's not the point anyway, point is, the formula has been lost and Ratchet will have to refine it himself without any help, and lord knows how long it'll take, so I don't think the Autobots are safe from energy shortage just yet.
It kind of reminds me of V from True Blood. It can enhance your strength and speed, but it comes at the cost of impairing your judgement and with addicting qualities that leave you worse off than someone on natural energon. I think we will continue to see the Autobots and Decepticons mess around with synthetic energon since both sides know that it can be made and that different formulas might have side effects that might be exploited. If the Autobots perfect a synthetic they are still going to stick around instead of leaving the Earth to Megatron. And if the Decepticons should perfect the formula I just don't see Megatron packing up and going off to another planet when he hasn't killed Prime yet.
He would have still had to have known how to fight prior to using the stuff on him—he didn't just learn how to fight. To be fair, we don’t know what Wheeljack can pull off, but judging from what we’ve already seen from him, which was pretty bad @$$ in its own right, we shouldn’t right him off just yet. Even in this toon's version of the Danger Room, Ratchet was trying to show Bulkhead some of his moves—it wasn't spontaneous. Ratchet knows how to fight. I agree that everyone was running low on Energon, but Ratchet more so, as it has been decided beforehand that he, being the team’s medic, would remain at base, thus needing less Energon than everyone else seeing that they would be seeing combat. True, but we’re talking about synthetic Energon aka artificial Energon—I didn’t get that it was enhanced Energon. The machines Ratchet was testing the formula on worked normally—extra juices didn’t send the machines into overdrive. Ratchet was just, optimal, at least that’s the way I see it. And as it was the first time he felt like that in ages, hard times and his ego went straight to his head, which he later realized and apologized for at show’s end.
Yeah, I'd say the difference was that Ratchet is sentient and the machine he tested first isn't. Awesome feeling = Big Fat Ego Boost + 1 jD001
So you never put a stronger batter in device requiring a weaker one or an appliance require a certain voltage in a power out let that supplies more or less than what it needs? Ratchet being sentient has nothing to do with it. He was testing it on machines for the same reason we test things on animals—shared similarities.
Plus we had the scene where Ratchet says that Energon is used to treat the injured Autobots. Being the team doctor Ratchet would likely run near his lowest levels to save the Energon if Prime, Bumblebee, Arcee, or Bulkhead came back badly injured. Being at the base Ratchet doesn't need weapons so maybe he gives up his share so that one of the Autobots don't run out of ammo in the middle of a fight with the Cons.
Since, Energon is scarce both sides need it to survive. Therefore, the introduction of Synthetic Energon (SE) was introduced to properly lay a foundation for future episodes. I truly believe that Megatron isn’t going to exit soon or propose a truce unless it benefits him to the fullest. All scientific experiments take time to produce and refine therefore SE would need to be tested which needs participates. This idea remains to be seen. It would be interesting if Knockout would produce SE which needs to be ingested in a form of an energy drink or cube. Bear in mind that as of right now we have not seen any side effects of SE so it would be facinating to see how SE would affect Bots and Cons.
That massive powerup might also cause some strain on Ratchet's body. Who knows if Cybertronians are designed to run at that much level of power. If he is indeed using more force that his body is built for, he could end up burning out such things as his joints or other moving parts in the long run. Also is does synthetic energon(without the side effects) really just as good or better than normal energon? We have a lot of goods right now that are filled with artificial chemicals, but a lot of people still like the natural food. An analogy would be to compare high calorie quick burn foods such as a candy bar to oatmeal. Sure a candy bar can give quick energy boosts, but overall oatmeal is probably better for the body because not only does it have nutrients but energy can be extracted from it at a steady pace. A candy bar can give quick energy but also a sugar crash or it can make one fat. Who knows if there are some kind of Cybertronian nutrients present in natural energon that aren't found in Synth en.
Unicron's blood is Dark Energon, so they'd need synthetic Dark Energon to raise Unicron. Is it possible that Soundwave could become a machine or mobile factory that runs the formula to produce synthetic energon? I recall back in the G1 storyline, there was no natural energon. Transformers produce energon with various kinds of energy. The Decepticons attacked placed to raid energy, and Soundwave is the one to produce energon cubes. Maybe they can use that plot again with TFP Soundwave.
