A wormhole accident sends Joes and Cobras to Cybertron at the same time it zaps several Transformers on Cybertron and sends them to different points in Earth's history. This time stream dispersal will destroy the Earth, if the Transformers are not returned to Cybertron. A group of Joes and Cobras are sent into the future to retrieve a Transformer.
Barbecue, Spirit, Tomax, Xamot and Dr. Mindbender are in a future Earth where Ratchet is the one remaining Autobot warrior and he is the Transformer that has to be brought back to Cybertron.