Transformers/Awesome

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.


Transformers (2007)

  • Blackout laying waste to the SOCCENT base in the beginning of the film
      • The commander of the base gets a mild one for managing to cut the information feed off from him.
    • Speaking of the Decepticons, Frenzy gets one of these, consisting of somehow hacking and sneaking off Air Force One by doing the following:

1: Casually walking into an elevator, shifting to boombox mode and fooling an unsuspecting hostess.
2: Avoiding being detected when he's right next to said hostess. In robot mode.
3: Planting a virus into AF1 and the Pentagon, then single-handedly killing the guards that come to investigate.
4: Strutting right past a multitude of cops, then getting into Barricade's car mode and flipping them all off.

  • Prime got this right about the time he killed Bonecrusher by stabbing him in the face with a sword, then decapitating him.
    • During his fight with Bonecrusher, Bonecrusher punched Optimus, who simply shrugged it off. Then, he returned with one of his own, so hard that you see in slow-motion Bonecrusher's eye popping out.
    • And killing Barricade immediately afterwards (made it into the comic and novel adaptations, but ended up getting cut somehow in the actual movie)
    • "Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
  • This exchange between Agent Simmons and Captain Lennox:

Simmons: "I'm going to count to five."
Lennox: *shoves gun against Agent's chest* "I'm going to count to three."

  • Captain Lennox is pretty cool throughout the movie, but his CMoA is definitely during the final battle, where he charges Blackout on a motorcycle at high speed, jumps off the motorcycle and slides under Blackout to deliver a point-blank shot with a grenade launcher.
  • The fact that Shia LaBeouf as Sam improvised most of his rant about how the Autobots were messing up the backyard, and Peter Cullen, recording his lines in some studio miles away, goes 'Calm down, calm down' in perfect comedic timing.
  • Probably the moment when you realize just how insane the fights were going to be was the first robot confrontation between Bumblebee and Barracade. Bumblebee stands protecting Sam and Mikaela and Barricade leaps forward like a predatory animal and kicks Bumblebee in the face, sending him flying into the distance. Bumblebee looks up, shakes it off and rolls back to his feet and returns the favor in one swift motion.
  • Ironhide using his cannons to propel himself in the air and somersaulting in mid-air. And that was before dodging missiles from Brawl, while transforming.
  • Another one goes to Ratchet who uses a buzzsaw to cut off one of Brawl's arms.
    • The whole scene could be seen here
  • How about when the Sector Seven agents are taking the kids away, and suddenly their car is lifted several feet into the air by a 30 foot pissed off robot? While the agents can just stare up at Optimus, Prime delivers a line that would make a sane man shit himself: "Taking the children was a bad move.... Autobots, relieve them of their weapons." Prime scorning these humans who had moments before been total dicks, followed by Jazz using a massive magnet to hijack all of the Agent's weapons and reducing them to being nothing more than fleshy slag, is quite endearing to this Troper.

Sam Witwicky: I'd like to introduce my friend, Optimus Prime.

  • The F-22 attack on Megatron stands as Crowning Moment of Awesome for the US military. He had been in an even fight with Optimus Prime, but a single salvo of American human missiles brought him to his knees.
  • Starscream taking on several F-22s, seamlessly shifting between his jet and robot form, and destroying about half of them before hiding among them and seemingly taking part in the attack on Megatron.
  • Any scene with Megatron in the first movie. Any.
  • Mikaela driving Bumblebee in the big finale.
  • The U.S. military gets one early in the movie with their coordinated ground forces, A-10, and AC-130, forcing Scorponok to actually retreat, leaving a piece of itself behind.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)

  • Optimus rolling up to Demolisher, transforming, then jumping right onto THE GIANT DECEPTICON'S HEAD, and shooting it in the face.

Optimus: "Pull Over!"

  • Just before that, Optimus skydiving into Shanghai.
  • Skids and Mudflap did the exact same thing to Devastator, except in a twin combination, and they didn't actually beat Devastator. Still awesome to watch though.
    • Mudflap did that after being eaten by the thing. He forced his way out of the side of its HEAD.
      • Right out of its EYE... and then he proceed to beat the thing's other eye with the remains of the last eye.

Mudflap: You're never eatin' me! I'm gonna bust, yo', FACE UP!!

    • Devastator was then destroyed by this awesome human-made railgun on a destroyer a couple miles away. Hell, once again the Humans in general putting up a good fight, and even taking down some Decepticons on their own.
  • Devastator itself gets one earlier on, when it inhales one of the annoying-as-Hell Twins. Too bad it wasn't permanent.
  • Sideswipe cutting Sideways in half.
    • For this Troper, it the fluid motion of it, his badass pose, and line afterward:

"Damn, I'm good."

  • Optimus Prime taking on Megatron, Starcream and Grindor at the same time, Dual-Wielding his arm blades, and ripping off Starscream's arm and beating him with it.
    • Don't forget about the asskicking that ensued after that. Topped off with Optimus killing Grindor and commenting on exactly what he thinks he's made of.

Optimus: "Piece of tin."

      • Nor Optimus at the beginning of the forest fight. To elaborate, Optimus was trashtalking Megatron while slapping him with a tree, abandoning it then just resorting to his fists.

Optimus: "Weak!" *Slap* "Puny!" *Punch* "Waste of metal!" *Slashes with arm sword* "Junkyard SCRAP!"

    • Virtually every single move Optimus Prime delivers in that fight is a CMoA. Towards the beginning, Starscream jumps at him from behind, and Optimus simply turns around and catches him by the throat in midair. Without letting go, Optimus then kicks Megatron out of the way almost as an afterthought, then lifts Starscream up to kicking height, upside-down, and gets him right in the face. As a result, every move administered to Starscream is a Crowning Moment of Funny.
    • If you watch closely, you'll notice that Optimus is using them to confuse and confound each other's attack, which is exactly what one is supposed to do against multiple assailants. Mook Chivalry is not. In effect. Optimus Prime is legitimately stomping a mudhole in all three of them at once.
  • Jetfire. Just Jetfire. Let's see now: getting the heroes halfway across the world to where they need to get to; providing the heroes with loads of useful information; swooping in during the big battle to take down two Decepticons single-handedly. And sacrificing his life to give Optimus the power he needs to save the day. It's official: Jetfire is the coolest old man ever.
    • It should also be noted that during his previously stated Big Damn Heroes moment in the big battle, he had killed Mixmaster by slicing him in half with his cane then decapitating him with his cane followed by killing Scorponok by crushing his head with his fist after Scorponok had drilled into his innards.
  • Lennox giving the Obstructive Bureaucrat his just desserts by faking an emergency and getting the latter pulled out of their cargo plane by parachute drag. Also counts as a Crowning Moment of Funny.

Lennox: I need you to pull the blue cord! Pull it really hard!

  • Galloway yanks the cord and his parachute goes out the cargo door*

Lennox: Not now! We're on the plane, you dumbass!
Galloway: Wha- *Galloway is yanked out of the plane by his parachute*

  • Though a painful Epic Fail moment for fans of Devastator, it is a testament to just how brave and honorable a man Ex-Sector-Seven Agent Simmons is when he climbs right next to the 100 foot giant Decepticon so the US military can pinpoint EXACTLY WHERE to fire their prototype railgun into the Steel Beast, preventing it from exhuming the Sun-Destroyer.
  • In the opening chase, the twins and Arcee are in pursuit of Sideways. As they chase him into a side street, Sideways doesn't even bother to turn. He transforms, leaps through the building directly in front of him, somersaults as he lands and transforms back into vehicle mode. Leads to a Crowning Moment of Funny as Sideways goes directly through an old man's living room, leading to nothing more then a slightly confused expression from the old man. This also leads to Arcee's CMOA, as, without skipping a beat, all of her components follow him through the building and continue firing at him.
  • After seeing Optimus come back from the dead (big shocker there), the Fallen goes berserk and throws himself at Optimus, clawing madly and shrieking that Prime will "die like [his] brothers!" Prime's response?

"They were your brothers too!" *Cue epic ass kicking*
"You picked the wrong planet!"

  • Every single moment of the entire 30 minute climax of RotF. Especially Optimus Prime, with jet engines fused to his back, and the line, "GIVE ME YOUR FACE." And he isn't joking.
    • Just so we're perfectly clear, the "face" line comes in the final battle of the movie, between "Jetpower" Optimus Prime and the eponymous Fallen. Optimus grabs The Fallen, shouts something that ended with "...now give me your face!", and tears his face off. Then he grabs The Fallen's spear, stabs him through what's left of his head with it, then stabs him again through the chest, and finally lets the corpse fall to the ground..."I rise...you fall."
      • Not only stabs him through the chest, he PUNCHES THROUGH HIS CHEST, RIPS OUT THE ROBOT EQUIVALENT OF A HEART, AND CRUSHES IT IN HIS FIST. As if it wasn't awesome enough already.
        • Further clarification to the spoiler above after 5 compulsive rewinds in slow motion of the DVD: The full quote began with " You picked the wrong planet! " Optimus then stabs the Fallen with his own spear through the chest, smashes him against a wall with a growl, snarls " Now give me your face! "-- and the rest is as above.
      • The HSQ for me was broken when Jolt connected Jetfire and Optimus and all that crap started slamming into position on Optimus. My jaw dropped farther with each "clang, crunch, whir, and snap". When my friends saw it, they went "Holy crap."
    • This editor and his brother refer to everything after Prime is revived as the "Optimus Prime Has Had Enough Of Your Shit" sequence.
  • When Galloway orders the Autobots to leave on the grounds that it's their fault Earth has attracted so many Decepticons.

Optimus Prime: Very well. Freedom is your right and I will honor it. But ask your President this, "What if we leave, and you're wrong?"

  • At this point, can we just say everything Optimus Prime does?
    • Hell YEAH! The big bot is made of awesome.
  • The little guys - namely the spider-like, sadistic and absolutely insane Doctor, during Megatron's revival. He quickly notes that, to carry out his work, he needs parts to graft. How does he get them? He instantly orders the surrounding Constructicons, bots far taller and more powerful than he, to sacrifice one of their own almost casually, and they follow this instantly, brutally tearing apart one of their smaller comrades. Impressive because of the sheer pull he had over them, even if it was somewhat only implied, and the Doctor's order itself: "Kill the little one!"
  • Following up on this is 'Reedman', the unofficial name given to the near paper-thin Decepticon scout formed by Ravage's merged nanobot swarm. Upon being detected by guards after stealing the Allspark shard, he starts hightailing it out of the complex he's in by slicing a soldier in two after running through him. One hell of an exit.
  • Scorponok's Dynamic Entry, exploding from the ground, burrowing into Jetfire and pulling his mechanical guts out. This is followed immediately by Jetfire's CMoA where he pulls Scorponok off him and smashes it with a fist.
  • Bumblebee's fight with Rampage (the Constructicon with the tread-whips). Bumblebee kicked Barricade's ass handily in the first movie, but that fight was almost entirely off-screen. Here, though, you get to see him beat the crap out of the 'Con, and it's an awesome beating.
    • He gets another in the same scene, wherein he grabs Ravage by the tail and slides one fist down him lengthwise, effectively wiping his body clean.
      • Made all the more spectacular when 'Bee turns and smacks down Rampage with Ravage's spine.
  • Mikaela giving a fracking Decepticon Stockholm Syndrome. Especially when it comes with this line, spoken in the sweetest, nicest voice imaginable:

Mikaela: But I'm not not going to burn your other eye off. I'm not going to burn it off.

  • Soundwave using Galloway's As You Know to plan the theft of their Allspark shard.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011)

  • In a recent TV spot we are treated to this line by Optimus Prime:
    • "Today, we take the battle to them!"
  • Three words: "WHERE IS SHE?!"
  • During the battle with the Dreads, Dino/Mirage uses cables to attach to Hatchet and literally road skis across the road behind the Decepticon.
  • Megatron's total trashing of Sentinel just as Sentinel is about to kill Prime.
  • Wheelie and Brains, the two smallest Autobots in the film, manage to hotwire an entire Decepticon cruiser
  • Optimus' slaying of Megatron consists of him jabbing his energon axe into Megatron's skull and pulling out both Megatron's head and spine from his body with one arm.

Megatron: "Who would you be without me, Prime?"
Optimus: "Time to find out."

    • At first, it seemed a tad strange that Optimus would execute Megatron so brutally even though Megatron was talking about a truce. Then it struck me that Optimus was likely venting three movies worth of rage on Megatron for his murderous ways (including killing Jazz and however many hundreds of thousands of humans killed in ROTF and DOTM). That made it seem more badass, as Optimus likely knew Megatron would never change, and deserved what he was about to get.
      • Also a bit of Fridge Brilliance, Megatron offered Prime a truce (in essence, a deal; work together, kill Sentinel, and then (most likely) go their separate ways for the moment). If Optimus had accepted Megatron's offer and worked with him (doing what Sentinel did- work with Megatron as a means to an end (in this case, killing Sentinel), how could Optimus have been any better than his (former) mentor?
        • In all honesty, the "truce" didn't sound genuine at all. Megatron said he wanted to be in charge again and his "who would you be without me?" line just added to the mockery. After all this warlord has done, there's no truce to be had. The world would only know peace when his spark was extinguished and Optimus saw to it.
        • Or He didn't want to help Optimus at all. Megatorn just view himself as the only allowed to defeat Optimus and couldn't allow Sentinel to take the glory.
  • Sam KILLED STARSCREAM! HOLY CRAP! No seriously, Sam Witwicky Kills. Freaking. Starscream!!!...wow.
  • Carly gets a moment...she calmly approaches Megatron, and basically tricks him into turning on Sentinel Prime! Dang...that was pretty awesome for a Victoria's Secret Model.
    • She didn't trick him. She just flat out talked him into it. She psychologically manipulated Megatron.
    • And let's not forget that she outright insults Megatron to his face while doing so and lives:

"Any moment now, you'll be nothing but Sentinel's bitch."

  • The humans breaking through the Decipticon defenses and managing to sneak into the city.
    • On that note, the Osprey crews are certified BAMFs. Their planes are going down, they know they are going to die. Their response?

Pilot: "Get them out,"
Loadmaster: "Go! Go! Go!"

Ironhide: "Class dismissed."

    • Ironhide's arrival into that fight was a CMOA in itself. He comes tearing in at full-speed in truck mode, rams both Decepticons in a head-on collision which causes him to flip over them, transforms to robot mode in mid-air, and lands on his feet with both guns already drawn and cocked at the Decepticons' heads.
  • The car chase scene, specially when Bumblebee avoids obstacles while transforming in mid air, grabbing Sam in slow mo, transforms back into car mode...Sam's reaction doubled this as a different kind of crowning moment too.
  • To save everyone the trouble...because we'd be hear all day listing this...but pretty much ANYTHING Bumblebee and Optimus did!
  • Colonel Lennox and a strike team of about twenty or so humans, working together without any vehicle or Autobot support, take down Shockwave (though it takes the Autobots and Optimus to actually defeat him), Barricade, and four other Decepticons on foot, using nothing but accurate sniper fire, parachutes, and sheer balls.
    • Not pictured on-screen; several years of refining their tactics by fighting Decepticons. Think of all the bullets fired, blood shed, and lives lost.
  • Sam: I'm just a messenger. *WHAM!*
    • For those who haven't seen it and wished to be spoiled, Sam knocks Dylan Gould into the Space Bridge Pillar (electrocuting and killing him) with an iron pipe he picked up off the ground after saying this! It was, pretty much, Sam's response to Gould, who was basically giving him a Hannibal Lecture, "You think you're some kind of hero?" To which Sam replies with the above quote.
  • Optimus Prime. Buzz Aldrin. Meeting one another and, with the utmost humility and sincerity, saying that it is an honor.
  • Optimus Prime finally defeating Megatron! Without Sam's help!
    • Ummm...he defeated Megatron in the previous movie without Sam's help. Granted he got an upgrade but it still counts.
  • Prime's trailer. We've been waiting for it for two films and it doesn't disappoint. Not only does it turn into a badass flying harness, but, like the original, it opens up into a base... which is fully stocked with dozens of weapons.
  • Starscream's back to being dangerous in DotM. He drops down from low orbit to shoot down the Autobots' spaceship and later leaps off a building and shreds the Ospreys transporting Lennox's team with his buzzsaw hand. Also serves as a Call Back to his F-22 Stepping Stones in the Sky moment in the first film.
  • Bumblebee killing Soundwave. He overpowers Soundwave and his Mooks, then jams his arm cannon into Soundwave's chest and blows his head off through his chest! Made even better due to the fact Bumblebee is shown mourning the death of Wheeljack at Soundwaves hands and now has avenged his fallen friend.
  • The novelization adds a little one for Ironhide. Whereas the film had him & Sideswipe engaging the two remaining Dreads in a gunfight, the novel has five Dreads charging at the NEST base. Ironhide simply transformers, stands in their path, and becomes The Immovable Object, letting the 'Cons literally crash into him. Each of the Dreads is killed on impact, while Ironhide simply withstands the hits with little more than some scratches and being knocked back a bit. He then casually brushes Decepti-parts off of himself and quips "They just don't make them like they used to".
  • When the Autobots return for the final battle after having been thought destroyed with their ship, Optimus delivers what may be the single most badass line in the entire franchise:

Optimus: We will kill them all.

    • It's the way he says it more than anything.
  • The novel also adds a Dying Moment of Awesome for The Twins. Skids dives in front of a shot fired by Sentinel Prime at Bumblebee, saving Bee's life at the cost of his own. This causes Mudflap to fly into an Unstoppable Rage and charge Sentinel, dodging the traitorbot's shots, tackling him to the ground, and pummeling him as hard as possible. It does little harm to Sentinel, but it does give the others time to escape, and as Sentinel blasts him, Mudflap continues to attack him relentlessly even as he is literally disintegrating. Sentinel even mentions that Mudflap died a death worthy of an Autobot.
  • Basically anything the Wreckers do in the final battle. Really, there's no way that a trio of weaponized race cars tearing down the streets blowing up everything in their path can't be insanely cool.
    • Three words: "Wreckers...kill him!". The sheer brutality that the trio proceeds to unleash upon the pilot of the downed Decepticon fighter is practically a whole brand of badass unto itself.
  • Sentinel basically duels Optimus, while being shot at by NEST soldiers, and while smacking away the other 7 Autobots whenever they try to interfere. In short he fights all the good guys at once by himself and hold his own. It ends with a CMOA for some random unnamed NEST soldier, who pegs Sentinel with a rocket just a he finally pulls out the dreaded rust gun he was able to kill Ironhide with, causing Sentinel to lose his gun, and for him to fall back. Optimus pursues however and the Awesome goes back to Sentinel, who, one on one beats Optimus in a duel and would have basically won without Megatron suddenly interfering.
  • Upon rewatching the movie, I found that Optimus has a very efficient way of dispatching foes that works out quite awesomely. He uses said tactic to kill Shockwave and Megatron with deadly effeciency. Both Shockwave and Megatron fire at Optimus as he moves towards them. Optimus dodges both moves and hits his opponent in the chest (with a gunshot in Shockwave's case and his axe in Megatron's) which stuns them momentarily. He then uses that opening to deliver the set-up blows (punching out part of Shockwave's torso then slugging him in the face and choke slamming him or kicking out Megatron's knee from behind) and then delivers the killing blow. It's quite awesome to see the tactic play out.
  • "Today, in the name of freedom, we take the battle to them. Cue an epic Gondor Calls for Aid/Lock and Load montage of almost every Autobot transforming and gearing up for battle, while an epic rendition of 'Arrival To Earth' blares.
  • The wing suits, they prove that Badasses can look like flying squirrels and have nuts of steel


Dreamwave Transformers comics

  • In a Transformers vs. G.I. Joe comic set in World War II, Grimlock and Roadblock are hanging onto a cliff, and Grimlock is starting to slip. He tries to get Roadblock to save himself, that he'd try to hold on long enough for him to get up, but Roadblock refuses:

"Did you say TRY? We don't try around here, soldier -- do you hear me? We don't try, and we don't quit! NOW REACH! GRAB THAT DIRT! You are a lean, mean, climbing machine, and you are going nowhere but up! Sound off! I want to hear you say it -- 'Me, Grimlock, going up!'"

  • In the second Generation 1 mini-series, Ultra Magnus takes down Menasor while still in truck mode. He does this by hurling insults to each of the Stunticons that make the Combiner. This drives Menasor insane and allows Ultra Magnus to catch air and ram Menasor IN THE FACE.


IDW Transformers comics

  • Another one for Hot Rod/Rodimus, this one from the IDW comics. Hot Rod has been tormented for years by the slaughter of his team while obtaining the Magnificence, a font of infinite knowledge. He does not know that his team was betrayed by Dealer, a Decepticon mole. Dealer finally finds a way to convince Hot Rod to lead him to the Magnificence, with himself in tow. As they approach it, Hot Rod wonders aloud how the Decepticons intercepted his team, how their mission was sabotaged, and why Dealer was captured but the others were killed. His first question to the omniscient 8-ball of the stars? "Did Dealer betray us?" "Yes!" Cue Hot Rod shooting Dealer's head off.
  • In Spotlight: Metroplex, Sixshot hunts the Throttlebots through (unbeknownst to him) Metroplex's alleyways. Just as he's about to kill off one of the Throttlebots for good, Metroplex pops his arm out and pounds Sixshot full-force into the ground with his fist. And then Sixshot stands up again. So Metroplex transforms into his ridiculously gigantic robot mode and steps on Sixshot. (In a splash panel spanning two entire pages, no less.) At the end of the issue we see that Sixshot is still alive and moving after all that, albeit quite crushed and mangled. Really it's a case of both the good and bad guy getting a moment of awesome at the same time.