Autobots into the trap. The influence of the Matrix eventually allows him to overcome the programming. He stops attacking Hot Rod, and returns the Matrix. Afterward, Optimus orders the Autobot fleet to move away from the trap. He pilots the Autobot flagship to the asteroid where the trap is set, triggering an explosion that seemingly kills him once again. The death of Optimus Prime in The Transformers: The Movie received a strongly negative reaction from fans, so screenwriters decided to bring him back into the series. In the subsequent season 3 finale, "The Return of Optimus Prime", it was revealed that a group of humans had actually managed to retrieve his body prior to the destruction of the ship, but he was now contaminated by strange particles released in the explosion. Using Optimus's body to lure the Autobots, an anti-Transformer scientist attempted to attack them with these particles, only to release a 'hate plague' that turned all those infected with it against others. With the plague spreading rapidly, Rodimus Prime ordered the Autobot Sky Lynx to rescue a Quintesson in the hope that it would be able to bring Optimus back to life to lead the remaining uninfected against the plague victims. After this plan was a success, Optimus was eventually able to reclaim the Matrix of Leadership from Rodimus Prime and learn that the plague could be countered with wisdom, prompting him to sacrifice the accumulated knowledge of the Matrix to restore all those victims of the plague to normal. With the Matrix now empty, Optimus mused that all would be a little wiser now from the knowledge it had given them, and it was up to them all to refill it. While the Transformers animated series came to an end in America in 1987 after The Rebirth, production was continued in Japan with three new, exclusive animated series spin-offs to continue the story. The first of these series, Transformers: The Headmasters, supplanted the events of The Rebirth. With the Decepticons defeated, the Autobots entered into an even closer relationship with Earth. The Autobots also began the colonization of other worlds, the first of which was the planet Athenia, where Optimus Prime was stationed. It soon became apparent, however, that the consequences of releasing the energy of the Matrix to cure the Hate Plague were more far-reaching than Optimus had anticipated. Without the energy of the Matrix to act