Read more about The Hate Plague at: Wikipedia

Official Site: Hasbro

The Return of Optimus Prime is the two-part season three finale of the American animated TV series The Transformers.

The Return of Optimus Prime was created to bring Optimus Prime back into the Transformers universe due to the negative response from the public concerning his death in The Transformers: The Movie. The staff of the television series was brought back to work, after they had already completed work on the third season of the series, to animate the two part episode, which replaced the original season three finale, The Burden Hardest To Bear, which aired three months earlier.

In advertising for the two part story, Marvel Productions and Sunbow Productions treated this like a television event, with a ten-second announcement that played just before the end credits on the series for two weeks before the episodes aired, and a 30-second commercial to be aired during other programs.

While testing a new heat- and radiation-resistant alloy in deep space, scientist Jessica Morgan and Gregory Swofford stumble upon an Autobot shuttle about to crash into a nearby star. A cursory evaluation of the shuttle reveals a deactivated Optimus Prime within. Jessica, unable to sit by and watch the Autobots' greatest leader die convinces Gregory to help her rescue him, despite Gregory's own reservations. In a previous accident stemmed by a conflict between Optimus and Megatron, which he blames on Optimus, Gregory's face was scarred, rendering him distrustful of any Transformer from then on. Fortunately, they are able to rescue the Autobot leader and move away from the shuttle as it collides with the star and causes it to nova, their alloy proving sufficient enough to withstand the intense heat and radiation the explosion produced. With both missions a success, they head for home, but not before Gregory notices a series of unusual spores attaching themselves to their ship's hull. Back on Earth, in Washington, D.C. , Gregory and Jessica's father begin running tests on the spores, and soon discover them to be a highly infectious contagion able to induce and exacerbate hatred and destructive impulses in any sentient being they contaminate. Despite the obvious danger, the two scientists are eager to continue studying the spores, a prospect Jessica openly objects to. Before a consensus can be formed, however, their lab is attacked by the Terrorcons, who are after their new alloy. The Technobots quickly join in to protect the humans and the metal, and in the resulting battle, Jessica is severely wounded and taken to the local hospital. This prompts an angry backlash from Jessica's father, who is encouraged by Gregory to get revenge on both factions by reviving Optimus and using him as a carrier for the plague. This is exacerbated when they learn Jessica was rendered paraplegic in the accident, and now needs a specialized exosuit to walk. Unfortunately for them, they are unable to revive Optimus, and are content to scrap his body to make more of their alloy. Jessica makes a futile attempt to save Optimus by appealing to her father's and Gregory's sense of morality, and is only successful when they realize that, as the Autobots' leader, they could use Optimus' body as bait to lure the rest of the Autobots into a trap. Because of her friendship with the Autobots, Jessica is forced to lure them into the trap, something she hates and hopes she will not learn to hate her father and colleague for. She arrives on scene with Ultra Magnus, and meets with the new leader, Rodimus Prime. She tells Rodimus it's a trap though he does not care and assembles an assault team to retrieve Optimus' body so he can rest in peace. Ratbat hears this and goes back to an abandoned football stadium where Soundwave plays the recorded conversation for Galvatron, who is planning to destroy Prime's body. Then he took off with Cyclonus, Scourge, the Sweeps, the Stunticons, the Combaticons and the Predacons, leaving Soundwave and Ratbat in the football stadium. When they get there, Rodimus tells Defensor and a few other Autobots to stay behind, while the rest retrieve Optimus, but warns them not to touch any red dust. Rodimus tells Ultra Magnus to take the Aerialbots and Throttlebots and retrieve Optimus' body, while Rodimus and Jessica distract Swofford and Morgan. Defensor and several Autbots stay behind to guard against the Decpticons. Rodimus and Jessica find the body of Optimus in the wrong room, and realize too late the trap that is being laid for the other Autobots. Gregory floods the lab containing Ultra Magnus, the Aerialbots and the Throttlebots with the red spores; infecting all of them. Morgan and Swofford's plan is successful as the spores make Ultra Magnus, the Aerialbots and Throttlebots go crazy and fight each other and quickly the Decepticons (except Galvatron) join the diseased army. Rodimus and Jessica escape from being infected and head back to headquarters to Wreck Gar, not knowing that Ultra Magnus is following. Defensor is seen clearing the bridge while the sickened Superion comes on scene and infects Defensor. Kup, Blurr, Wheelie, Steeljaw, and Bumblebee try to subdue Superion but become severely injured. Rodimus asks Wreck-Gar and the Junkions if they can revive Optimus but they are unsuccessful. Rodimus shuts down Metroplex so he cannot be infected and tells Sky Lynx to retrieve a Quintesson to revive him. The sickened Ultra Magnus appears and chases Rodimus to an alley. It seems like he's doomed only to be saved by Wreck Gar with his lasso, but unfortunately Wreck Gar gets infected, and quickly infects Rodimus. The spores travel throughout the galaxy pitting everyone against each other, human and Transformer alike. In space, Sky Lynx manages to find a Quintesson getting chased by a group of diseased Sharkticons. Sky Lynx says he will save the Quintesson, in exchange of reviving Optimus which he agrees. After a bit trouble, the duo revives Optimus, who awakens as the entire universe is descending into madness.

The Hate Plague has not been a contender in any CBUB matches.