Braxis Gone Bonkers

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Challenge of the GoBots ep 57
(Broadcast Order)
Challenge of the GoBots ep 56
(Story Order)
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"Braxis Gone Bonkers"
Production code 0142-8551
Production company Hanna-Barbera
Airdate December 3, 1985
Story by Jeff Segal, Kelly Ward, Steve DeKorte and Mark Zaslove
Teleplay by Mark Zaslove
Animation studio Wang Film Productions

Not one, but two, groups of GoBots deliberately ask Doctor Braxis for help. Let's watch.

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

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Sparky and Staks are towing a convoy of surveillance equipment by Command Center to Earth when they're jumped by Fitor, Cop-Tur and Crasher in Thruster, as Roguestar was able to stalk the Guardians in stealth mode. Unable to manoeuvre with the cargo they jettison the load, which the Renegades gladly collect - as the materials will be perfect for the new base they're building on Titan. On Earth, Professor Von Joy is unable to make any headway in neutralising the stealth device, so Matt suggests they ask Doctor Braxis for help. Leader-1 considers him too dangerous but after Sparky calls in with news of the latest raid he relents. Braxis is being kept in a maximum security mental hospital, where he is making all sorts of strange machinery to "prove" himself to UNECOM. General Newcastle is unsure about releasing Braxis but Leader-1 feels it is their only choice. Both Nick and a dismissive Professor Von Joy are also unimpressed. Seeing Matt seems to snap Braxis out of his delusions to some degree, especially when he hears his help is needed. Matt offers to have him reinstated at UNECOM and, while still unstable, he accepts. Meanwhile the recovered components arrive at Roguestar, where Dr. Go wants to finish the new base. Nevertheless Cy-Kill is furious the convoy crew were able to escape and chastises Crasher, Cop-Tur and Fitor - though his mood is soon improved as they arrive above Titan.

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Braxis arrives at UNECOM Headquarters, where his odd behaviour and lack of tact soon starts annoying everyone. In between his less coherent moments he seems to be making progress though, creating an array of satellites that will nullify the Renegades' stealth devices. He says the Renegades will need to be lured into firing their energy weapons to complete the work however, so Turbo, Scooter, A.J. and Nick are put on a convoy as bait. Roguestar picks up their faked transmissions. However, Leader-1 has unwisely left Braxis in Professor Von Joy's care and he predictably immediately loses the human. He reappears having mistaken the Professor's energy transducer for a toy, though Matt is able to catch it before they're all destroyed. However, Braxis skips off again, meaning Matt and the Professor have to find him to activate the satellites while the convoy comes under attack. Thruster's first pass damages the the coupling to the cargo pods, making the hyperspeed impossible.

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Luckily Scooter is able to get the ship moving fast enough for Roguestar to hit the pods, allowing the ship to escape, while Braxis has been found and is able to activate the satellites. However, they malfunction - while Matt, Leader-1 and the Professor believe it hasn't worked and return Braxis to imprisonment it in fact begins disintegrating Roguestar's molecular structure. He takes Crasher to Earth to find out what's behind it, ordering Dr. Go to evacuate everything on the ship to Titan. Cy-Kill soon finds out Braxis was behind the satellites and has him abducted. Back at UNECOM Headquarters news of the kidnapping reaches the Guardians, while Matt has detected strange energy readings near Titan. Leader-1 pieces together what's happened and takes Turbo, Sparky and Scooter to investigate in the Command Center. Meanwhile Cy-Kill arrives back on Roguestar with Braxis, setting him to work with Dr. Go on undoing the molecular breakdown. The Guardians arrive and follow Thruster down to Titan, beginning an attack, and battle is joined. Braxis meanwhile moves Roguestar back among his satellites. Fitor soon shoots down Leader-1 but Turbo is able to ram one of the base's turrets only to be shot by Cy-Kill, while Crasher rams Sparky off the road. However, as Braxis and Dr. Go have stabilised Roguestar Cy-Kill orders a retreat to Thruster. Leader-1 settles for neutralising the base on Titan while Cy-Kill returns to Roguestar - only to learn from Dr. Go that Braxis has vanished, having stolen a shuttle and escaped.

Featured characters[edit | edit source]

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes[edit | edit source]

"Ach, ze impertinence. In ze old days, ve had vays of dealing with his type."

-Professor Von Joy makes some very scary implications about his previous activities.

Notes[edit | edit source]

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  • When Leader-1 makes the decision to remove Braxis from prison, A.J. and even General Newcastle makes remarks as if Leader-1 is the final authority on the matter. It raises the question of what the Guardians' relation with UNECOM truly is. Previously they seemed like partners in most matters, with Leader-1 and General Newcastle conferring as equals, but the tone here is that Leader-1 outranks Newcastle on his own planet.
  • More than any other episode this one dates the show to the mid-1980s, playing various mental illnesses for laughs.
  • As in "Fitor to the Finish" Crasher openly dislikes Fitor, calling him a "wimp". Fitor meanwhile seems to like the idea of leaving Dr. Go on a disintegrating Roguestar.
  • Matt's rank is given as Captain.
  • Braxis' given name is finally revealed as "Zebediah".

Continuity notes[edit | edit source]

  • Gadgets and Powers:
    • Crasher audibly gulps when Cy-Kill threatens her.

Continuity and plotting errors[edit | edit source]

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  • Searching for Braxis, Matt nearly walks into Professor Von Joy, not immediately realising who he is. Just in case there were any other giant insane Porsches striding around. This is just weird enough to perhaps be an intentional joke, though; the episode in general is meant to be high in humour even if it's not always successful.
  • How Cy-Kill knows it's Braxis behind the satellites isn't clear.
  • He also orders a retreat to Roguestar as if it's an either/or situation; there's no reason they couldn't finish the Guardians off, keep the base on Titan and still have Roguestar.

Animation and technical errors[edit | edit source]

  • The gray on Cop-Tur's chest is blue when the Renegades intercept Leader-1 and Turbo's conversation.
  • Dr. Go is briefly drawn on Earth in place of Professor Von Joy, and Von Joy appears in his place on Roguestar moments later.
  • Matt is drawn in place of Nick on the Command Center after the trap is sprung.
  • Sparky's red is completely gray when she exits the Command Center on Titan.
  • When Turbo deploys his robot head in vehicle mode, it's pointed in the wrong direction. His head should be upside-down when flipped out like that.
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Real-world references[edit | edit source]

Home video releases[edit | edit source]

DVD

2015Challenge of the GoBots — The Series, Volume Two (Warner Archive Collection)

Footnotes[edit | edit source]