form connections with Armada and Energon, to pay homage to many classic Generation 1 quotes (several lines from The Transformers: The Movie are re-used, in particular, and there are also a few quotes and references to the Beast Era), or simply to fill many prolonged sequences of silence in the Japanese version, an artefact of the show's excessive use of stock footage transformation, combination and transportation sequences. Transformers: Animated Formerly known by the working title, Transformers: Heroes, Transformers: Animated debuted December 26, 2007, on Cartoon Network, and represents yet another fresh start for the animated Transformers universe, albeit one that draws inspiration from many of its antecedents, including, for the first time, elements drawn from the 2007 live-action film. Opening in a manner similar to Beast Wars, the series takes place centuries after the end of the Autobot-Decepticon war, and centers on a small group of Autobots voyaging through space on missions. The group is a Space Bridge repair crew led by academy washout Optimus Prime, who stumble across the legendary life-giving Allspark on a routine mission, drawing the attention of the long-exiled Decepticons under the command of Megatron. As a result of the ensuing battle, Megatron and the Autobots crash land on Earth, while the other Decepticons are scattered through space. Megatron's remains are discovered by the young scientist Isaac Sumdac, who reverse-engineers his Cybertronian technology to create massive leaps in Earth machinery, transforming the planet into a technological utopia over the course of the following fifty years. The Autobots spend these years in stasis, but when they are awakened as a result of one of Sumdac's experiments in techno-organic fusion going berserk, they publicly save the day, befriend Sumdac's daughter Sari (who later reveals to be a robot herself), and quickly establish themselves as a force for justice on Earth. The core Autobot team is led by Optimus Prime (voiced by David Kaye, famous for voicing the Megatrons of the Beast Era and Unicron Trilogy) and consists of the speedy, wise-cracking Bumblebee; gentle giant Bulkhead; aged, ornery medic Ratchet; and loner ninja Prowl. Early antagonists in the series will be superhuman villains, some of whom will obtain powers through Transformer technology, with the scattered Decepticons (Starscream, Blackarachnia, Lugnut, and Blitzwing) periodically arriving on Earth in their search for Megatron and the Allspark. The series also features many other additional Transformers characters in guest appearances and recurring roles, including