Summary

  Inside a hangar at the U.S. government's Area 24, General Hallo explains to Spike that his men have been trying for weeks to resurrect Optimus Prime, without any success. Spike tells Hallo to have Optimus Prime's chest opened; as they do so, he reaches into his shirt and produces a small metal sphere. It contains a piece of the Matrix, given from Optimus to Spike before the launch of the Ark II. Though Spike briefly considers leaving Optimus Prime inert as punishment for the death of "Sparkplug" Witwicky, he quickly relents, and drops the sphere inside the now-exposed Matrix casing resting in Optimus' chest.

  At the Smitco oil refinery somewhere in the arctic, a routine day of drilling and digging is interrupted when four helicopters drop off a massive metal crate. As the workers watch in surprise, it suddenly springs open, revealing a half-dozen Transformers. Working with silent efficiency, they destroy the refinery and slaughter the humans...

  ...as the devastation is shown on a wide-screen display inside a conference hall. Lazarus is holding court over a small crowd of political and military leaders, where he explains that his "soldiers" are available for immediate purchase -- and that his only concern is how much they're willing to pay. To start the auction, Lazarus unveils Megatron sitting onstage behind him, then begins to solicit bids. Before the first bid is taken, Megatron suddenly rumbles to life, muttering about the hubris of humans. As he breaks free of his bonds, the crowd panics, and Megatron captures Lazarus for some amusement.

  Spike Witwicky and General Hallo take Optimus Prime to a snow-covered cliff along the Arctic ocean, near where Optimus was found. As the humans watch in awe, Optimus Prime activates the power of the Matrix -- and a number of Autobots are instantly reactivated, breaking free from nearby mounds of ice and snow, rising out of the frigid waters, to return to his side.

  While Optimus greets the returning Autobots, the four helicopters involved in the Smitco slaughter are returning to Lazarus' headquarters nearby. The lead pilot is suspicious at the base's radio silence, and begins to worry about the smoke and flashes rising on the horizon. His fears are confirmed when Megatron steps out of the chaos and opens fire...