Transformers: Robots in Disguise Episode Guide
Episode 34: The Human Element
Original U.S. air date: February 23, 2002
Written by: Tom Wyner
Both the Autobots and Decepticons are trying to figure out how Koji stopped Fortress Maximus earlier. Scourge figures out that Cerebros and Maximus are programmed to obey not Optimus Prime, but humans. He then gains control of Cerebros by amplifying a hundredfold the human bio-signature he acquired when he scanned the driver of the truck that became his template. Cerebros tells him that Fortress Maximus has resurfaced in the Sahara Desert, and Movor is able to give the exact position from orbit. Optimus Prime, the car brothers, Koji and Dr. Onishi see their activity and take the global space bridge there as well.
Scourge is waiting for them with the other Decepticons. When the Autobots approach, he commands Cerebros to take control of Maximus' robot mode, then jumps into the command module in his shoulder and directs him to attack the Autobots, and this time Koji's shouted commands are ineffective. Finally Dr. Onishi realizes what must be done, and at his request T-AI sends the build team and team bullet train to their location, carrying a thousand children all shouting at Maximus to "Stop trying to hurt the Autobots!" It works, Omega Prime is able to blast Scourge out of the command module, and once again Maximus sinks into the ground and ejects Cerebros. Galvatron flies in and takes Cerebros away again, and the other Decepticons follow.
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Scourge has now learned that it's not just Autobots which Fortress Maximus obeys, but humans as well. Unfortunately he also seems to prefer real humans to falsified energy signatures, sending Scourge (and Galvatron) back to the drawing board. This game of "activate Maximus, deactivate Maximus" could go on forever, but fortunately it only goes on for one more episode.
Sky-Byte hangs around in this episode, but doesn't do much more than "accidentally" saving Koji from falling after Side Burn drops him from the air (much to Sky-Byte's embarassment). His "friendship" with Koji doesn't go entirely unnoticed by Galvatron, as the later episode "Surprise Attack!" reveals.
A minor perk for die-hard fans occurs when Side Burn supercharges in car mode, briefly turning transparent between modes. In Japan, the supercharged car brothers and God Fire Convoy (Omega Prime) were available in limited clear-plastic versions just like that.