In Masters & Students, Skyquake died after crash-landing. In Out of His Head, however, Breakdown jumped from the Nemesis and landed on the ice, no problem. Shouldn't he have sustained some sort of damage? Of course, Skyquake fell faster and hit harder, but that doesn't explain how Breakdown is totally unharmed.

 

Armor plot. He is a main character.

 

Let's not forget, Bee did pretty much rip Skyquake's liver out.

 

True, but my point is Breakdown.

 

Skyquake was a crashing jet speeding though. Breakdown just... jumped and fell. It's the difference between jumping from a tree and jumping from a tree while shooting a jet engine upwards so you'll hit the ground with all possible power and explode in a weird mass of skeleton and meat. Falling on snow instead of rocky mountain stuff probably helped too.

 

it's the difference between jumping off something and being pushed off, if you jump off you can brace yourself and be prepared for impact, if you're pushed, you're frantically trying to regain some balance and most likely you wont be able to brace as well and thus take extra damage

 

It's still a valid point. Skyquake had suffered damage before he hit the ground, while Breakdown was undamaged. That could have contributed to Skyquakes demise.

 

Density of a mountain > Density of Ice (especially considering it was already heated up from the heat laser thing)

Breakdown's awesomeness > Skyquake's awesomeness

This is pretty basic math.

 

I'll take the Armor Plot, and the brace-for-impact angle. Two quite important factors for lessening or eliminating fall damage (for TFP bots).

Skyquake was gutted by 'bee, possibly preventing possible transformation prior to impact. It can be possible that given Skyquake's toughness in bot mode, he would have survived with less injuries.

We all know how tough Breakdown is. Just ask Bulkhead.

 

Let´s not forget that Skyquacke is a jet, by being an aerial TF he can´t afford to have much armor or a stronger structure in order to be flight worthy, by the virtue of weight. Breakdown is a military armored car, so he´s heavily armored and can afford heavier armor plating and a much solid structure.

 

Skyquake probably also landed quite badly. I mean, we humans can sustain a short drop when we jump without injury. But I don't think we'd get off scott free if we landed from the same height on our heads.

Skyquake probably broke a neck or some important part of his body.

 

because to fall on ice is softer than to fall on rock? breakdown fell from a lower height? he's just that tough?

 

Suspension, mebbe?

 

If you notice the corpse is partially transformed after the crash. I think Skyquake tried to transform and brace himself but crashed in his halfway state. He likely crashed before all his armor plating was done moving around so some vital spots could have been bent or shredded by the impact.

Bee ripping several chunks out of him, crashing on rock instead of snow, and his long period in stasis probably had something to do with it as well.

 

I'd say that compromising his airframe while he's rocketing towards the ground, then his trying to transform and hitting in the middle of that would have done it.

Bee ripped him up pretty good, and planes aren't really designed (in terms of shape) to take heavy impacts. Remember, to destroy an Earth jet, many weapons are designed to just rip the control surfaces off, and the forces the jet is exposed to when it's not aerodynamic anymore do the rest.

- Coeloptera

 

I'm not sure how the anatomy of a TFer's supposed to be. But I'm guessing their spark chambers and synthetic brains are essentially the only things that would affect a TFer's mortality.

Ok there's the energon oil thing too. But I think it's down to the spark chamber to power that.

Anyway, I think Skyquake must have mashed one or both of these vital components after a high impact landing. Plus BB having a goos time gutting him.

What got me though, was OPTIMUS saying,"Bumblebee, you exercised poor judgement taking on Skyquake on your own..."
Translates,"You *as*ar*!! I should have got the dramatic finishing blow, not you!!"


Or we can just say it's on of those mistakes they make like ARCEE's 7' bike turning into a 40' robot.

 

Fixed. No way is Arcee 40 feet

 

I guess you guys have valid points. I'm a bit unconvinced, though, given the distance Breakdown jumped from was almost a cliff. (No pun intended.)

Also, in that same episode, Prime fell of the Nemesis and crashed into the ice when the heat ray thingamajig exploded without sustaining much injury. I guess that means TFs can sustain a fall from a height, with Skyquake's case being an exception...?

 

Besides everything said on this thread, Breakdown and Optimus are exceptionally tougher.

 

I think they have a lot more vital organs than just spark chambers and brains. Arcee really cringed from the injury to her stomach area during 'Partners'. I'm guessing any deep damage to the abdominal area could be life threatening.


Also Ratchet seemed to be in dire straits when the side of his chest got smashed. I'm guessing there's an energon repository some where in their chest area. Either that, or there are parts of their bodies that are succeptable to massive bleeding. Maybe like major veins or arteries. Maybe something like the carotid artery or femoral artery.