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Constructicon (G1)

2008-03-16T17:05:47Z

131.151.55.159: /* Dreamwave Generation 1 Comics */

{{disambig3|Constructicon}}
{{cleanup|May 2007}}
:''The Constructicons are [[Decepticons]] in the [[Generation 1]] continuity family.''

[[Image:Lineup.jpg|thumb|600px|center|From left to right: Scavenger, Mixmaster, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Hook and myself... uh I mean Scrapper]]

The '''Constructicons''' are the Decepticons' foremost designers, engineers and builders. They are also particularly notable for their status as the very first combining sub-group of Transformers. They are able to merge their bodies and minds together to form the gigantic [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]. The individual members of the team are:

*[[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]], the leader of the Constructicons (by some accounts, although this is not universal), is a master designer who conceives the myriad structures the Construticons assemble. Although he's genuinely modest about his work, he's prone to bragging amongst his fellow Constructicons. He transforms into a wheeled front-load shovel and forms the right leg of Devastator.

* [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] is brawler by nature and specialises in demolitions work. He would enjoy the extra potential for destruction as Devastator if it didn't mean sharing the same mindspace as his fellow Constructicons. He transforms into a bulldozer, and forms Devastator's left arm.

*[[Scavenger (G1)|Scavenger]] is an unashamedly pathetic Decepticon. Desperate to prove his worth to his team-mates, he uses his one true gift - his shovel's ability to detect various magnetic, ionic, electrical or gas readings - to locate items of value, although invariably, all he can usually find is junk. He transforms into an excavator, and the right arm of Devastator. Originally to be named '''[[Scrounge]]''', Scavenger was erroneously referred to by this name once in the Constructicons' debut animated series episode.

*[[Mixmaster (G1)|Mixmaster]] might have a few chips loose in his logic centre, judging by the cackling with which he undertakes his role of materials fabrication. Although manic and erratic by nature, he is a genius of a chemist, able to mix chemicals in the drum of his concrete mixer alternate mode. He forms Devastator's left leg.

*[[Hook]] ''(''Glen'' in Japan)'' is the team's perfectionist second-in-command, who considers himself far too elite to deal with most of the 'ruffians' that call themselves Decepticons. He is excellent at performing tasks which require extreme precision, but the time he takes to perfect his work and his arrogance are his weaknesses. Hook is one of the Decepticons' few surgeons. He transforms into a crane, and forms the head and shoulders of Devastator.

*[[Long Haul (G1)|Long Haul]] is not fond of his role as transport, ferrying construction materials to and fro on a Constructicon building site, and although he accepts its importance, he would much rather be a full-time warrior. He transforms into a dump truck and forms Devastator's lower torso.

The team's combined form of [[Devastator]] is brutality in its purest form - his sole purpose is to destroy anything and everything that gets in his way. It is ironic that the suitably intelligent Constructicons should sacrifice their thinking ability in their combined form, but simple-mindedness is a common limitation of the assorted other first-generation combining Transformers, due to the fact that Devastator's thoughts and actions are limited to what his six components can agree upon at any given time. Consequently, Devastator seems like a being of instinct, lashing out at everything around him before contemplating the consequences, but he is also slow and lumbering and very easy to trip up.

*''Italian name:'' '''Excavators'''
*''Japanese name:'' '''Buildron'''
*''Hungarian Marvel name'': '''Szerkesztettek'''
*''Hungarian Movie name, second dub'': '''Konsztruktorok'''

== Extra Members ==

A number of "extra" Constructicons appear at times in the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|Generation 1 cartoon]]. Most likely these were animation errors or attempts at generic crowd-filling, BUT you never know. Subsequent G1 material HAS added some more official Constructicons to the roster:

*[[Gravedigger]] was a rejected early name for Scrapper, but he appears in one of the [[Find Your Fate Junior|Find Your Fate]] books as a robot based on Long Haul. This was likely some sort of error, but he stands as a named character.

*[[Load Hauler]] is like that member of the Beatles that left before they got famous. He was added retroactively by a Japanese [[E-Hobby]] release as a seventh Constructicon who didn't happen to be there when they were turned evil by Megatron. He's a stylish free spirit who went to Earth with the Autobots aboard the Ark but then went on a walkabout.

*[[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]] was added to the [[Classics (2006)]] version of the team where he replaces both Mixmaster and Hook in the lineup. Likely not coincidental, his personality appears to be a merger of those two: a poison-loving chemistry set on wheels who feels extreme disdain for his teammates. Whether the upcoming Classics comics will clarify or explicate his addition or personality has yet to be seen.

In addition, it is ''possible'' that ''[[Universe (toyline)|Universe]]'' [[Micromaster]] [[Constructicon Devastator (Micromaster)|Constructicon Devastator]] is the same character as Generation 1 [[Devastator]], which would make [[Quickmix (Universe)|Quickmix]] and [[Buckethead]] G1 Constructicons as well. Of course, it is equally possible that there is no relation whatsoever, in which case Quickmix and Buckethead are almost definitely ''not'' G1 Constructicons. ''Universe'' is funny like that.

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics===
:''(Note: Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.)''
[[Image:Constructiconsbornmarvel.jpg|left|thumb|250px|"I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green." "I'm green!" "I'm green!" "I'm green?"]]
Seeking to bolster the size of his forces on Earth in 1985, Decepticon Commander [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] arranged for the construction of six new Decepticon bodies, which were then infused with life by the power of the [[Creation Matrix]], tapped from the head of the imprisoned [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]]. Thus, the Constructicons were born, and were immediately put to work building a massive radio transmission dish that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] used to beam a message to Cybertron. When the Autobots attempted to interfere, the Constructicons revealed their hidden power and merged into Devastator to fight them off, allowing the message to successfully go through. {{Storylink|The Next Best Thing to Being There!}}

The Autobots, intrigued by Devastator's unique combining power, attempted to replicate it with the construction of Omega Supreme. However, Omega was composed of only three components, unlike the six Constructicons that made up Devastator. The Autobots, needing additional data on combiner technology, conducted a raid on the Decepticon base, luring out Devastator so that they could study him further. {{Storylink|Command Performances!}} This led to the construction of the new combiner team, the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbots]], capable of forming [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], who Devastator battled during the Transformers' adventure alongside [[G.I. Joe]]. {{Storylink|...All Fall Down!}}

''The Constructicons were later charged with hunting down [[Buster Witwicky]], and again when the time-travelling [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] co-opted their services to build a gigantic laser cannon. {{Storylink|Target 2006}}''

The team's special talents were not required again until they and the [[Predacon (G1)|Predacons]] stole large amounts of rocket fuel and raw materials, with which the Constructicons rebuilt the Decepticons' mobile island headquarters as a spaceship. {{Storylink|Toy Soldiers!}} With the entire Earth-based Decepticon army aboard the ship, under the command of [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]], they attacked an Autobot congregation on the moon. While the battle raged, the Constructicons penetrated the Ark and recovered the deactivated bodies of several Decepticons defeated in an earlier clash with Omega Supreme. {{Storylink|Totaled!}}

''In an alternate 2008, Mixmaster was briefly indicated to have ascended to leadership of the Constructicons. {{Storylink|Space Pirates!}}''

====Earthforce Continuity====

''At one point the team had lost the ability to combine, and attempted to rebuild Devastator as a singular, separate entity. The Autobots [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] arrived on the island to investigate, and Ironhide was able to bypass the security grid and plant explosives to destroy the site, and Devastator with it. {{Storylink|Desert Island Risks!}}''

===Animated Continuity===
[[Image:Constructicons_mode2.jpg|thumb|right|Can we fix it? YES WE CAN.]]According to [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], millions of years ago, the Constructicons were the creators of the beautiful [[Crystal City]] on [[Cybertron]], which he was assigned the task of guarding. As a friend of the Constructicons, he was hurt the most when they were attacked by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], who, seeking to bolster the forces of his Decepticons, subjected the Constructicons to the [[Robo-Smasher]], a device which reprogrammed their minds and turned them into Decepticons. In their first act as Megatron's troops, the Constructicons lured Omega away from Crystal City and demolished it, enraging Omega, who pursued the Constructions across the planet. Eventually, he succeeded in capturing them and apparently restored their programming to its original state, but as the group returned to rebuild Crystal City, Omega learned that Megatron's reprogramming could never be undone - the Constructicons were still Decepticons, and more than that, Megatron had given them a new power: the ability to combine their bodies and minds into the giant known as Devastator. In the ensuing struggle with Devastator, the Robo-Smasher attacked Omega's mind. He was able to stop it before the reprogramming was complete, only to wind up losing his emotions. Filled with only hate for the Constructicons, Omega relentlessly pursued them, until they finally fled Cybertron in a spacecraft, which Omega chased across the galaxy. {{Storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

In 1984, the Constructicons joined with Megatron's forces on Earth, and their first mission was an impressive one - Scrapper designed a machine to transfer the other Decepticons' powers to Megatron, and while he battled [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]], holding the attention of the Autobots, the Constructicons invaded the [[Ark (G1)|The Ark]] to destroy [[Teletraan I]]. Unfortunately for them, the Ark was protected by the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]], but by merging into Devastator, they became more than a match for their prehistoric foes. The return of the other Autobots and the discovery of Megatron's deception spelled the end of the battle, however, as [[Hound (G1)|Hound]] distracted Devastator with a gigantic hologram, and Optimus Prime blasted the giant at just the right spot to force the Constructicons to disengage. They and the other Decepticons were then forced into a river of lava. {{Storylink|Heavy Metal War}}

The Constructicons all managed to survive their magma bath mostly unscathed, except for Mixmaster, whose mind was apparently damaged by the experience, as he developed his manic personality and a fondness for repeating his words, which he had not displayed before. Regardless, the team was soon back at work again, performing such varied tasks as assisting in Megatron's reconstruction of [[New York City]] - which also involved turning Optimus Prime's scrapped remains into a [[Alligatorcon|robotic alligator]] {{Storylink|City of Steel}} - and building a device to [[Transfixatron|paralyse Transformers in their vehicular modes]], as well as another that could crush them. {{Storylink|The Autobot Run}} When the Autobots would interfere in their plans, Devastator would invariably be formed - something that the Autobots chose to use to their ''advantage'' when they discovered that the Constructicons were drilling to the Earth's core. Sneaking "[[dominator disc]]s" onto the separate Constructicons, when they merged into Devastator, the Autobots took control of his mind and used him for their own ends until he escaped, and, surprisingly, helped stop the drill to prevent the destruction of the Earth. {{Storylink|The Core}}

Upon learning of the Autobot [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]]'s solar power tower design, Scrapper and the Constructicons pretended to have defected from the Decepticons in order to help him and [[Hoist (G1)|Hoist]] construct it, exposing their treachery upon its completion. {{Storylink|The Master Builders}} Later, when the other Decepticons began to suffer from [[Cybertonium]] degeneration, the Constructions - apparently working fine, presumably as a result of their newly-built, Cybertonium-free Earth bodies - took delivery of a shipment of the mineral via the [[Space Bridge]], and as Devastator, failed to stop [[Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly]] from getting by them and traveling to Cybertron. {{Storylink|Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1}}

In 1985, when Omega Supreme learned that the Constructicons were active on Earth, he arrived on the planet and joined Optimus Prime's forces, biding his time until he could face his former friends again. That chance arose when the Constructions were discovered mining an asteroid, and Omega was dispatched to investigate. Ignoring Optimus Prime's orders, Omega Supreme engaged the Constructicons, and in the battle, split the asteroid in two, revealing that it was an egg of sorts, incubating a monstrous alien creature, which promptly attacked [[San Francisco]] while Omega, ignoring the plight of the city, continued to battle the Constructicons. Optimus Prime then entered the fray, convincing Omega that saving the city was more important than revenge, and forcing the Constructicons to retreat. {{Storylink|The Secret of Omega Supreme}}

The building skills of the Constructicons remained in demand - other creations around this time included an army of drone Transformers created from common Earth cars {{Storylink|Make Tracks}}; various constructs for [[Blitzwing (G1)|Blitzwing]], including a throne constructed from deactivated Autobots and a massive maze {{Storylink|Triple Takeover}}; and a giant ruby-powered laser cannon {{Storylink|Masquerade}}; but their combing powers soon became a lot less unique with the creation of several new similarly-powered Autobot and Decepticon sub-groups. Devastator was even defeated in battle by the [[Combaticon]] combiner [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], who [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] specially designed with the ability to combine into [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]] for that eventuality. {{Storylink|Starscream's Brigade}}

In the Earth year 2005, Devastator was the Decepticons' primary weapon in the [[Battle of Autobot City]], tearing through the defenses and walls of the city and battling the Dinobots once more. On the return trip to Cybertron, it was Bonecrusher who advocated the "survival of the fittest" policy that saw many wounded Decepticons ejected from the shuttle, among them Megatron, prompting Scrapper to vote for the Constructions as the new leaders of the Decepticons, arguing that Devastator was the most powerful robot. Hook took great offense to the notion that [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] would make a better leader than them. In the end, Starscream became the new leader of the Decepticons, and the Constructicons, as a sign of no hard feelings, provided the music by playing horns at his coronation. Starscream, desparate to get on with the ceremony, eventually shot their horns, showing that he still had hard feelings. How they were able to play the horns, as a number of them don't have mouths, is unknown. {{storylink|The Transformers: The Movie}}

In the remainder of this year and throughout 2006, the Constructions maintained a smaller, but still present, role in the Decepticon army, lending their talents to the Decepticon/[[Quintesson]] alliance by constructing [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]] out of a populated human city in only one night. {{Storylink|Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4|FFOD, Part 4}} Later, they built a planetary engine on an asteroid and battled on the planet [[Eurhythma]], aided in the overthrow of [[Paradron (planet)|Paradron]] and took part in an attack on [[Japan]]. Although brief, the Constructicons even played a part in the battle for the [[Plasma Energy Chamber]] in [[2007]].

====Origin inconsistency====

The original ''Transformers'' animated series is infamous for its slip-ups regarding the Constructicons, presenting at least three apparently-contradictory stories that give different origins for the group. In their debut episode, the first season finale, "[[Heavy Metal War]]", Megatron professes that the Constructicons were built on Earth. Yet, in the second season episode, "[[The Secret of Omega Supreme]]", the secret history of the eponymous character and the Constructicons comes out, which reveals their past on Cybertron together, where the Constructicons were formerly ''not'' Decepticons and were turned to evil by Megatron. Scrapper also makes a comment in "[[The Master Builders]]" that he admired the buildings of the Autobot Grapple on Cybertron, indicating a past there.

Interestingly, the official [http://transformers.winterchill.com/bible/biblepage57.html bible to the series] originally describes the Constructicons as having "no explained origin." Presumably, this encouraged [[David Wise]], the writer of "The Secret of Omega Supreme", to give the characters an explained origin, unaware that it conflicted with the one-line reference to their being built on Earth from "Heavy Metal War". Nevertheless, it is not impossible to reconcile these two stories, if one simply assumes that when Megatron said the Constructicons were "built", he was referring to their new ''Earth'' bodies after their arrival from Cybertron (ironically, "The Secret of Omega Supreme" neglected to give the Constructicons redesigned Cybertronian modes, making it appear as if they always turned into Earthly construction vehicles). That said, one would have to assume that the Constructicons did not have their existing bodies modified, but had entirely new structures created, due to their ability to function and even form Devastator when the other Transformers on Earth were suffering from Cybertronium degeneration in "[[Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1]]".

The third contradiction emerges in the third season, with the episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4]]", in which [[Rodimus Prime (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] witnesses Megatron's creation in a flashback, and the animation shows the Constructicons surrounding him, implying that they were responsible for building him, which contradicts "The Secret of Omega Supreme"'s claim that they were not originally Decepticons. There are two ways of rationalizing this:

#The Constructicons were not evil when they constructed Megatron. Megatron was either created work-for-hire by the Constructicons, who may have had no idea about how evil Megatron's personality was, Megatron was accidentally created evil or later became evil. He then later corrupted the Constructicons, as depicted in "The Secret of Omega Supreme". And then later, he rebuilt them on earth.
#The scene is a mistake. "Five Faces of Darkness" is notorious for its flawed animation, and it is entirely probable that these characters were not intended to be the ''actual'' Constructicons, but rather either characters who resembled them, or generic robots that the animators simply used the Constructicons' model sheets to fill the roles of. In strong indication of this is the fact that there are ''eight'' Constructicons displayed, rather than six.

The presence of a larger than usual number of Constructicons in the "Five Faces of Darkness" scene was referenced somewhat by the release of '''Load Hauler''', a Constructicon-colored repaint of Grapple, released exclusively by online retailer [[E-Hobby]] in 2003. His biography presents him to have once been a member of the Constructicons, before they were Decepticons, who joined up with the Autobots after Megatron co-opted his team-mates with the Robo-Smasher, and accompanied Optimus Prime's crew aboard the Ark. This in itself is a reference to the anomalous character of '''Hauler''', an Autobot clearly based on the Grapple toy who features in the first animated series episode, but never appears again. Orange in his animated appearance, Load Hauler's bio explains this color discrepancy by presenting Load Hauler as a "highly capricious self-expressionist," who frequently changes his coloration.

===Headmasters Cartoon===
The Constructicons are not shown doing much individually in the Headmasters animated series other than acting as infantry for Galvatron. Their combined form of Devastator, however, is shown with much more frequency. In the first episode, Devastator is defeated by Optimus Prime with a single jump-kick to the back.

===Zone Cartoon===
Devastator was among the nine Decepticon Generals assembled by the villainous [[Violen Jygar]]. Devastator met his end via underground magma, having apparently lost his resistance to it sometime after [[Heavy Metal War]].

===Dreamwave Generation 1 Comics===
[[Image:DW_devastator.jpg|frame|right|Waitaminute, this isn't the Kraken]]

Eight million years before the modern era, the Constructicons were tasked by Megatron to activate Cybertron's planetary engines. When Megatron disappeared into the depths of the planet fighting Optimus Prime, Starscream temporarily took command and had Scrapper prepare a process for the resurfacing of Cybertron, which would transform it into a mobile war-world. Scrapper cautioned against such an action, but Starscream ignored him, and prevented him from stopping it when the process was underway. {{Storylink|The War Within}}. After this, the Constructicons worked on the theory of [[mass intellect]], and succeeded in stabilizing the neural-meshing, creating Devastator. However, the process was not as efficient as the Constructicons believed, as the technical geniuses of the Constructicons did not translate into Devastator, causing him to suffer from a serious "dumbing down" problem. Despite the drawbacks, Megatron was impressed with Devastator's destructive potential. Besides, being intelligent ''and'' powerful was overrated in Megatron's opinion. When Megatron and Optimus Prime were thought to have died in an early test of the [[space bridge]] transport system, and the Autobots and Decepticons splintered into several smaller factions, the Contructicons broke the treaty that had downgraded the combining teams to non-combat status by siding with Ratbat's [[Ultracons]] and battling [[Defensor (G1)|Defensor]]. {{Storylink|The War Within: The Dark Ages}}

It is apparent that the Constructicons were not aboard the Ark when it crashed on Earth four millions years before the modern era, but they did eventually find their way to Earth and joined Megatron's forces there after they awoke in 1984. All the Transformers were rendered inactive in the explosion of the [[Ark II]] in 1999, but when they reactivated in 2001, Devastator was the main weapon in Megatron's attack on [[San Francisco]]. {{Storylink|Prime Directive issue 4}} Rampaging through the city, he battled and defeated [[Superion (G1)|Superion]], but was defeated by Optimus Prime who blasted the titan point-blank in the face, sending him plunging into the ocean. His remains were recovered by the [[Earth Defense Command]], and dissected and studied in their underground base.

===IDW continuity===
The Constructicons started out as the builders of the [[Forge]], the arean for the illegal [[gladiatorial combat]]s that [[Clench (G2)|Clench]] ran, and continued in that role when Megatron took over. They did not move the parts for the arena between venues, but rather built them on site, using any materials available{{m-}}and that included [[empties]]. After Megatron began his preparations for the [[Decepticon]] insurrection, the Constructicons turned their talents to modifying the gladiators into warriors. {{storylink|Megatron Origin}}

==Toys==
===Generation 1===
The Constructicons were first released in 1985 both individually and as a giftset. Oddly, the group was released in yellow instead of green in parts of Europe.

Their second release, in 1990, was Devastator's Action Master form.

In 1992, the team was released in Europe with some changes. This version had yellow instead of green, had the soft plastic parts changed to grey, and lacked the combiner [[kibble]] as well as the metal pegs on Scavenger and Hook used for combination. Also, these toys had no offical name, as the blister card that all six members used identified them only as "Constructicons".

===Generation 2===

The ''Generation 2'' release came in either yellow or orange; the latter was only avalible at Kay-Bee Toys. One item of note is that G2 release of Mixmaster doesn't include the single-tabbed missile.

===Classics===
[[Image:Devastatorclassics.jpg|left|thumb|150px|And then there were five.]]
A redeco of [[Constructicon Maximus]] known as Constructicon Devastator is composed of Scrapper, Bonecrusher, Long Haul, Scavenger, and [[Hightower (Classics)|Hightower]]. Wal-Mart exclusive, 2007.
{{-}}

[[Category:Classics]]
[[Category:Combiner teams]]
[[Category:Constructicons| ]]
[[Category: Decepticon subgroups]]
[[Category:Engineers]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]
[[Category:Generation 2]]
[[Category:Ultracons]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Second-in-command

2008-03-14T15:25:14Z

131.151.55.159: /* Predacon seconds-in-command */

{{stub}}

The '''second-in-command''' refers to a [[Transformer]] whose status is...well, second to the commander's. A Transformer who is second-in-command is not necessarily ranked '''Sub-Commander''', while a Transformer ranked Sub-Commander is usually the second-in-command. The rank generally varies between factions. For the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Maximal]]s, the rank is usually overlooked, but it still receives [[Sub-Commander's Day|its own holiday]]. For the [[Decepticon]]s, choosing a Second-in-Command is a very tough decision. Pick one too loyal, and everyone will ignore him. Pick one too bold, and the leader may find himself [[scrap]].

== Autobot seconds-in-command ==
[[Image:Pmoptimusprimedeath.jpg|right|thumb|150px|"I...want [[Grimlock (G1)|him]] to take command......"<BR>Prowl:"What?! NOOO!!!"]]
'''Sub-commander'''
*[[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] <ref>[[Binaltech]] [[bio]]</ref><ref>{{storylink|Still Life!}}, {{storylink|Generation 2 (Marvel Comics)}}</ref>
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] <ref name=TUG>[[Transformers: The Ultimate Guide]]</ref>
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] <ref name=TUG/>
*[[Jetfire (Armada)|Jetfire (Unicron Trilogy)]]
*[[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] <ref>{{storylink|Sub-Commander's Day}}</ref>

'''Lieutenant'''
*[[Blacker]]
*[[Lightfoot]]
*[[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] <ref>Japanese bio</ref>
*[[Jazz (Movie)]]
*[[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] - Lieutenant of [[Sentinel Prime]] <ref>{{storylink|Megatron Origin}}</ref>
*[[Red Alert (Armada)]]
*[[Slingshot]] <ref>Japanese bio</ref>

'''Miscellaneous'''
*[[Grandus]]
*[[Ironhide]]
*[[Sky Garry]]
*[[Waver]] - Second-in-command of [[Multiforce]]

== Decepticon seconds-in-command ==
*[[Cyclonus]]
*[[Leozack]]
*[[Scourge (RID)]]
*[[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]]
*[[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]] <ref name=TUG/>
*[[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]]
*[[Starscream (Movie)]]

== Maximal seconds-in-command ==
'''Sub-commander'''
*[[Apache]]
*[[Rhinox (BW)|Rhinox]] <ref>On-package bio of [http://www.tfu.info/2006/Maximal/Rhinox/rhinox.htm Tenth Anniversary toy]</ref>
*[[Triceradon]] - [[Dinobot (BM)|Dinobot]] sub-commander

'''Lieutenant'''
*[[Longrack (BWN)|Longrack]]
*[[Mach Kick]] - Former lieutenant of the Thoroughbred Corps

'''Miscellaneous'''
*[[Cheetor (BW)|Cheetor]] <ref>{{storylink|Forbidden Fruit}}</ref>
*[[Rattrap]] <ref>Rattrap has the ability, but he doesn't want to be a real one. {{storylink|Chain of Command}}</ref>

== Predacon seconds-in-command ==
*[[Dinobot (BW)]] - Original second-in-Command to [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron ]] before he joined the Maximals.
*[[Guiledart]]
*[[Gelshark]]
*[[Inferno (BW)]] - Sub-commander (after the death of Scorponok)
*[[Megastorm]]
*[[Scorponok (BW)]]
*[[Sky-Byte]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}


[[Category:Ranks]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Wolfang (Maximal)

2008-03-11T15:14:37Z

131.151.55.159: /* Triva/Notes */

{{picsneeded|toys, maybe some fiction}}

{{disambig2|the Maximal wolf|the Predacon wolf from the Japanese Beast Wars reissue series|Wolfang (BWTS)}}

:''Wolfang is a [[Maximal]] from the [[Beast Wars]] portion of the [[Generation 1]] [[continuity family]].''

[[Image:Wolfang-packageart.jpg|thumb|250px|right|It's the wolfman's brother, coming down on me.]]

'''Wolfang''' is a quick and agile loner who likes to hunt Predacons in beast mode. Upon transforming into robot mode, he likes to use the "secret attack launcher" that was his beast mode's tail.

:''Japanese name'': '''Howlinger'''
:''Italian name'': '''Wolf'''

==Fiction==
===Dreamwave Summer Special===

On their way back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], [[Rattrap]] recalls meeting three unknown Maximals named Wolfang, [[Bonecrusher (BW)|Bonecrusher]], and [[Optimus Minor]], when they save him from [[Dinobot 2]] in the wilderness. He asked them to join the [[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'s crew, but they declined because of some other mysterious purpose that they couldn't elaborate on. Wolfang and the others asked Rattrap to keep their existence a secret, and he acquiesced. {{Storylink|Ain't No Rat}}

===IDW ''Beast Wars'' comics===
[[Image:IDW Wolfang.jpg|thumb|200px|left|In touch with the ground, I'm on the hunt, I'm after you.]]

Wolfang was one of the [[protoforms]] left behind by the crew of the ''Axalon'' on prehistoric [[Earth]]. He was activated and put in chronal phase by [[Razorbeast]] at [[Magmatron]]'s request, but was protected from Magmatron's [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] shell-program by Razorbeast's viral code. He was one of the first Maximals Razorbeast hooked up with, and participated in the Maximals' failed attempt to send a distress signal back to present-era Cybertron. {{storylink|The Gathering}} However, upon return to Cybertron, he was slaughtered in the battle against [[Shokaract]]. {{storylink|The Ascending issue 4}}

:''('''Note''': The [[Transformers Summer Special]] story was originally going to be a prologue for [[Dreamwave]]'s Beast Wars series. After Dreamwave collapsed, IDW picked up the project and Simon Furman reworked the original plan into [[The Gathering]]; as a result, the three new Maximals from Dreamwave's story figured prominently into IDW's first limited series.)''

{{-}}

==Toys==
===Beast Wars===
* '''Wolfang''' (Deluxe, 1996)
: ''Japanese ID number:'' '''C-9'''

: Wolfang transforms into a wolf. In robot mode, his [[mutant head]] flips down to cover his normal head. His wolf mode's back becomes a shield while the tail becomes a spring-loaded missile launcher in robot mode; two anchor-shaped missiles are stored in Wolfang's midsection.

: This mold was [[redeco]]ed to make the Predacon also named [[Wolfang (BWTS)|Wolfang]], and [[retool]]ed to make [[K-9]] and [[BB|Max-B]].

* '''Howlinger vs Buzz Saw''' (Multi-pack, 1997)
: ''Japanese ID number'': '''VS-9'''

:In Japan, Wolfang was available both as an individual release, and in a "Vs." pack with the [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]] [[Buzz Saw (BW)|Buzz Saw]].

{{-}}
==Triva/Notes==
* Wolfang was originally to be the first new character to join the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' cartoon]], but that role was instead filled by [[Tigatron]], due to the fact that Tigatron's animation model is a tweak of the already-in-cartoon [[Cheetor]].

* There is a ghostly character in the Mega Bloks Pyrates line called Howlinger. This is probably [[Andrew Frankel|Swiper's]] fault.

*Wolfang seems to be something of a Grimlock fan, noting that while the preds had Ravage, they had Grimlock in The Ascending Part 1, and considering the rampaging dinosaur a godsend in Part 2.
{{-}}

==External links==
[http://www.tfu.info/1996/Maximal/Wolfang/wolfang.htm Wolfang at TFU.info]

[[Category: Beast Wars characters]]
[[Category: Maximals]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

To sell toys

2008-03-11T15:11:03Z

131.151.55.159: /* Generation One cartoon */

[[Image:MarvelUS-19.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Hasbro]] wasn't quite sure whether to advertise [[Omega Supreme (G1)#Toys|this expensive toy]] until the fans forced their hand.]]To understand Transformers fiction, it is important to understand that it exists '''to sell toys.''' [[Hasbro]] and [[TakaraTomy]] are toy companies, and they are primarily interested in continuing to sell [[toy]]s to children and adults. The cartoons, comic books, etc., mostly exist to make this happen. To be sure, they normally make a profit in their own right, but this is regarded as mere gravy.

The "to sell toys" effect often distorts the fiction in interesting ways. Primarily, since you can't usually sell someone the same toy twice<ref>Except for repaints of [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]].</ref>, [[HasTak]] constantly introduces new toys, and often requires the creators of the fiction to introduce the new characters into ongoing storylines. Older characters (whose toys are no longer being sold) are shoved aside to make room.

Another effect of "to sell toys" is when the toys have gimmicks which must be explained in the fiction. Sometimes ([[Mini-Cons]]) this is relatively easy, while other times it requires a lot of imagination on the part of the writers (the in-comic explanations for the [[Headmasters]] and [[Targetmasters]] are kinda wonky).

Blatant examples of "to sell toys" in the fiction include:

==Generation One cartoon==
[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Brawn|Guess who's]] no longer in the [[Mini Vehicles]] case assortment?]]
* In ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'', numerous main characters were killed or changed, including [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]. They were replaced by a slew of new protagonists and antagonists, such as [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]] and [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]]. Indeed, the poster for the movie shows ''only'' new characters.

* Season 3 of the cartoon almost completely ignored the characters of the previous two seasons that were no longer on toy shelves. The 1985 Autobot cars, for example, are not seen at all. Bumblebee, by contrast, shows up now and again, as his toy was still shipping. [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] was also seen occasionally, but never had a speaking role, but that was also because his voice actor [[Scatman Crothers]] died.

* [[The Rebirth, Part 1|The Rebirth]] abruptly introduced about 60 new characters, including all the first waves of Headmasters and Targetmasters, all their Nebulan partners, the Clones, Sixshot, and Punch/Counterpunch.

{{-}}

==Generation One comic==
[[Image:Newyorkunderbase.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Marvel|Publisher]]'s clearing house.]]
* The [[Underbase Saga]]: A super-powerful [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]] killed literally ''dozens'' of characters; some place the count over fifty. The survivors were mostly from the [[Pretender]], Headmaster, and Targetmaster ranks, those being the then-current toy lines. Those characters would eventually get their own turn to die two years later, during the climactic [[On the Edge of Extinction!|battle with Unicron]], which also showcased many of Starscream's victims returning to action. Their return could largely be attributed to the UK [[Classics (Euro)|Classics]] line re-releasing older toys, and the American [[Actionmaster]]s line, which featured new figures of old characters.

* A similar phenomenon can be witnessed in the Marvel UK comics saga [[Time Wars]], where the body count at the hands of [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] is similarly high. Albeit a little subtler than the Underbase Saga in characters shuffling off their mortal coils (and from the toy shelves), older, more obscure characters such as [[Roadbuster]], [[Topspin (G1)|Topspin]], [[Twin Twist]], and even [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] nonetheless met their ends—sometimes, in decidedly more grisly ways than their US counterparts. And once again, the Grim Reaper seemed to spare either popular characters (to wit: Galvatron and Megatron) or newer characters ([[Carnivac]], [[Catilla]], [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], and all of the [[Terrorcons]], for example.)

* Many issues of the [[Generation 1 (Marvel Comics)|Marvel comic]] had cover blurbs in the form "Introducing the _______!", where the blank was whatever the latest line of toys was. (The following issues specifically introduce new toys on the cover: 8, 10, 11, 19, 21, 29, 30, 40, 46, 47, and 60. Throw in a few covers where new characters were pictured but not named, and that's 1/5th of the series.) Sometimes the storyline had to jump through hoops to explain these new characters. (In particular, for both the simultaneous introduction of the [[Aerialbot (G1)|Aerialbot]]s and [[Stunticon]]s, and the introduction of the Pretenders, there was a lot of rigamarole involved in explaining why both the Autobots and the Decepticons had new members with identical gimmicks at the same time.) Other times, the characters were simply ''there,'' with no explanation for why we'd never seen them before. In both cases, the comic often used blatant exposition to introduce characters and their special powers; see article ''[[introdump]]'' for more.

* An even more extreme example of the above point came in 1987, when Hasbro released too many new toys at one time to be sensibly fit in the existing storyline. The result was the ''[[Headmasters (comic)|Headmasters]]'' miniseries, which existed to introduce the Headmasters, Targetmasters, [[Technobots]], [[Terrorcons]], and [[Monsterbots]] (''sixty-two'' characters total), and provide a semi-rational explanation for "little guys who turn into heads and guns", without having to shoehorn all that into the regular comic. (Amusingly, after the miniseries concluded and all the above characters journeyed to Earth, it only took ''two'' issues before another dozen characters (the Pretenders) had to be introduced . . . )

* At one point, Marvel UK had to promote the [[Special Teams]] toys ''before'' they knew how they'd be appearing in the US reprints. To get around this, Simon Furman wrote a short story arc leading up to ''[[Second Generation!]]'', where [[Buster Witwicky]], Optimus and Shockwave <strike>watched an advert</strike> saw a Matrix-induced vision of the Special Teams.

* In some cases, old and "beloved" characters were killed off only to be resurrected in new incarnations -- in line with their corresponding toy's re-release using a new "gimmick". The Autobots' leader was, if you'll pardon the pun, a "prime" example of this: killed by explosive detonation in his original form, Optimus Prime's personality was preserved on disk until he was returned to life as a [[Powermaster]], only to be killed again in battle with Unicron, and brought back to life once more by the [[Last Autobot]] ... this time in his [[Actionmaster]] form. Similarly, [[Bumblebee]] was killed off in the US and UK comics, resurrected as [[Goldbug]], killed again by Starscream during the Underbase Saga, and then returned to life once more as a [[Classic Pretender]] in his Bumblebee identity. Needless to say, these bargings back and forth through death's door required [[retcon|increasingly implausible explanations]] and reliance on the idea that Transformer life [[Life cycle|does not operate in the same way as human life]].

* To add insult to injury, some dead characters got no rest ''before'' coming back to life, thanks to the marketing imperative. Optimus Prime, dead for some years in the Marvel US comic, had his first major "return" appearance when used primarily as <strike>a selling point</strike> an integral part of the introduction of the [[Pretenders]]. Not inhabiting a body during the course of that story, Prime instead operated as something of a "presence in spirit" to the Autobot forces in that issue and never conceived of himself as being alive. A similar device was used in the prelude to the Underbase Saga. Optimus Prime and Megatron were the lead characters in a story set before the Transformers came to Earth, but that story introduced (surprise surprise) the newest "gimmick" characters, the [[Triggercon|Triggercons]] and the [[Triggerbot|Triggerbots]].

{{-}}

==Beast Wars==
[[Image:BW_Scorponok_Terrorsaur_deaths.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]], [[Terrorsaur]], we're condemning you to a fiery death 'cause [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] has a bigger fan club.]]

* Hasbro would repeatedly interject its own marketing priorities into the development of series scripts, resulting in some characters having a very odd and confusing history. [[Tigerhawk]] was introduced and then killed off within three episodes, due to corporate uncertainty about whether the toy would actually be produced. [[Inferno (BW)|Inferno]] was pretty clearly shown being killed--being ''disintegrated''--but in the next season appeared to have just been bruised and cracked, because Hasbro was not ready to have a Mega-scaled toy removed from the series. Mainframe planned to use [[Wolfang]] but [[Tigatron]] appeared instead because he had an upcoming toy (and to save money as his cgi model was only a slight tweak of Cheetor's).

* The expense of creating and animating a CGI body model meant that the character roster had to remain fairly constant: pre-existing characters could gain new bodies that replaced their old ones (itself a conspicuous marketing device that was used many times throughout seasons 2 and 3), but the introduction of all-new characters usually required the removal of an equal number of pre-existing characters. And so, [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] and [[Terrorsaur (BW)|Terrorsaur]] die just in time for the arrival of [[Quickstrike]] and [[Silverbolt (BW)|Silverbolt]]; [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] was killed off one episode after the debut of [[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]].

{{-}}

==Robots in Disguise==

* In the first ''four'' episodes, ''eighteen'' <strike>toys</strike> characters are introduced in quick succession.

{{-}}

==Unicron Trilogy==
* The [[Unicron Trilogy]] was noted for its gimmicks in all three toylines: Power-enhancing [[Mini-Cons]] in ''[[Armada (toyline)|Armada]],'' [[powerlinx]]ing and hyper-modes in ''[[Energon (toyline)|Energon]],'' and cyber keys in ''[[Cybertron (toyline)|Cybertron]].'' The gimmicks shaped the cartoons as well, with powerlinx training in ''Energon'' and quests for keys in ''Cybertron.'' The Mini-Cons of ''Armada'' practically ''defined'' the plot of the cartoon, with both factions out to recruit or capture all the Mini-Cons, thus encouraging viewers to emulate their heroes, and buy 'em all. All three series were also marked by lengthy transformation sequences which highlighted the gimmicks in very toy-accurate animation (and also made production cheaper, thanks to [[stock footage|recycled footage]]).

* Megatron is turned into Galvatron three times - at the end of each series, he's turned back into Megatron but with a different body. This is due to Hasbro wanting to keep the trademarks "Megatron" and "Galvatron" as well as to sell more toys.

* The first thirteen issues of the ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'' comic were focused around the Mini-Cons, with plots often revolving around their desire to be seen as equals and not be enslaved. Then without ''any'' prior set-up, the last five issues turn into a dimension-spanning battle against [[Unicron]] - who had just had a new and expensive toy. (In the same story, Jetfire and Optimus abruptly change into their Powerlinx toy colours.)

{{-}}

==Titan Magazines (Movie)==

* The UK [[Transformers (Titan Magazine)|movie-based Transformers comic]] takes this to more blatant heights. Not only do the movie toys like [[Clocker (Movie)|Clocker]] and [[Skyblast (Movie)|Skyblast]] appear in strips, not only has the editor told readers in Mech Mail that all the toys are great and should be bought...

* ...But there is a specific 4-page feature every week called ''Top Gear'', which exists solely to promote the newest Transformers merchandise. This has led to readers being told how great [[Optimash Prime]] was.

{{-}}

==Post-Marvel comics==
[[Image:Infiltration_1c.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"Hey, [[Runamuck]], it's our first appearance on a comic book cover in twenty years!"<br>"Heh heh, now if only we could appear on toy store shelves . . ."]]

There's also an interesting exception: The [[Dreamwave]] and [[IDW]] comics. The two recent holders of the license to publish Transformers comic books sometimes produce comics using whichever toy line is current (e.g., Dreamwave's ''[[Armada (Dreamwave comic)|Armada]]'' comic or IDW's [[Transformers (2007)|2007 movie]] tie-ins), and sometimes publish comics using whatever characters they please (e.g., ''[[The War Within]]'' and ''[[Escalation]]''). The characters in their "discretionary" comics are often not currently available in toy form ([[Hardhead (G1)|Hardhead]], a current character in IDW's G1 continuity, has not had a toy in 20 years), sometimes are drawn with bodies that have ''never'' been toys (most of the ''War Within'' characters), and sometimes are toys that were never available outside of specific countries ([[Lio Convoy]] in IDW's ''Beast Wars''). While the details of the licenses these companies received from Hasbro are not available to us, they apparently require the licensee to produce some comics "to sell toys", while also allowing them to do other comics with ''carte blanche.''

==Footnotes==
<references/>

[[Category: Toys]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Battle of Autobot City

2008-03-11T14:58:46Z

131.151.55.159: /* Aftermath */

[[Image:BattleAutobotCity2.jpg|right|thumb|300px|In ur base, killin ur doods.]]
The '''Battle of Autobot City''' refers to the protracted battle between the [[Autobot]]s and [[Decepticon]]s at [[Autobot City]], the base of the Autobots on [[Earth]], taking place in the year 2005 in one reality. By its end, the leaders of both the Autobot and Decepticon forces were dead or dying, numerous combatants on both sides had been killed, and events were set in motion that would lead to the creation of [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] and, eventually, the passing of the [[Matrix of Leadership]].

{{quote|Let the slaughter begin!|[[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]|''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''}}

==Prelude==
The Decepticons had succeeded in driving the Autobot army off [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. However, the Autobots retained staging grounds on Cyberton's two moons and were in the final phase of preparations for their counterassault. All that remained was the transport of a final shipment of [[Energon cube]]s from Autobot City's production facilities. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] dispatched a shuttle to Earth for this purpose, interestingly crewed by most of his command staff.

[[Image:Tftm1986a.jpg|left|thumb|The future of pratfall technology: the Exploding Banana Peel.]]

Unfortunately for the Autobots, the Decepticon spy [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] got wind of the Autobots' plans and warned [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], ruler of the Decepticons. In a move reminiscent of the Decepticons' boarding of the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] on their initial arrival on Earth, Megatron led a sizeable contingent of Decepticons against the small Autobot crew on the shuttle. Heavily outnumbered and outmatched, the Autobots were overwhelmed. [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]], [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]], [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Brawn]] all perished (or at least were deactivated) in this attack at the hands of Megatron and [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]].

Having taken control of the shuttle, Megatron's plan became clear: the shuttle was to be used as a "Trojan Horse", conveying the Decepticons for a surprise attack on Autobot City itself, which Megatron seemed to think would vanquish the Autobots forever. On the other hand, Megatron was never really known for his tactical genius.

:''('''Note:''' There ''is'' a reason Megatron thought this - the original script makes it clear that Autobot City is, in fact, a massive energy-gathering facility, so if the Decepticons destroy this, the Autobots will be without an energy supply, pretty much crippling their war effort.)''

==The Battle==
===First Phase===
Megatron had calculated correctly in that the Autobot shuttle would not set off Autobot City's automated defences even if carrying a Decepticon crew. It was sheer chance that [[Daniel Witwicky|a small human child]] noted there was a hole in the shuttle and alerted the young Autobot [[Hot Rod]], who divined the truth of the situation. Hot Rod opened fire on the shuttle, damaging it to the point that it exploded and went into an uncontrolled crash. His actions also allowed other nearby Autobots, including [[Kup]], to realize something was wrong.

With the shuttle's destruction imminent and the Decepticons' cover blown, Megatron ordered his troops to debark and attack immediately. A number of Decepticons transformed to alternate mode, commenced attacks on Autobot City and attempted to pick off those Autobots caught outside.

[[Image:AutobotCitytransforms.jpg|right|thumb|Launch Black Lion squadron, and prepare the Wave Motion Gun for firing ... oh, sorry, wrong anime.]]
The Autobots, though surprised and outnumbered, quickly rallied to the defense. [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]], commanding the City, ordered [[Blaster]] to contact Optimus Prime on [[Moonbase One]] to obtain reinforcements, [[Springer]] to [[Transformation|transform]] Autobot City into its battle mode, and [[Blurr (G1)|the only Autobot with an amphetamine problem]] to assist in alerting Autobots as to the attack (if they weren't already clued in by hordes of Decepticons [[Bring the rain|bringing the rain]] right down on their heads.)

Springer and [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] delayed transforming the city for as long as possible to try and allow Hot Rod and [[Kup]] to get back inside. Eventually running out of time, they began the transformation, offering the city (and its Autobot defenders) greater capacity to meet the Decepticon assault. It also had the added bonus of taking off Starscream's right foot.

Meanwhile, Blaster did manage to make brief contact with the Cybertronian Autobots, but the signal was cut off by the intervention of [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] and the four henchmen he had with him: [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], [[Ravage]], [[Frenzy (G1)|Frenzy]] and [[Ratbat]]. However, Blaster evened the odds by putting his own quartet of counterparts into the fight: [[Ramhorn]], [[Steeljaw]], [[Rewind (G1)|Rewind]], and [[Eject (G1)|Eject]].

Unable to penetrate Autobot City's defences by conventional means, Megatron then ordered the [[Constructicons]] to merge into the [[gestalt]] [[Devastator]]. The giant robot quickly made his presence felt, penetrating the first line of defences by literally tearing them open, and shattering one attempt by Springer, Kup, Hot Rod and Arcee to put him out of action. But even so, the two sides were so evenly matched that the battle continued over the course of the remainder of that day and throughout the night.

===Second Phase===
{{quote|One shall stand, one shall fall.|Optimus Prime on seeing Megatron|[[The Transformers: The Movie|TFTM]]}}
[[Image:Tftm1986b.jpg|left|thumb|"Will you stop being such a baby about this? Just hold on a second. I can ''see'' the splinter. It's ''right ... there ... ''"]]

However, the City could not hold out forever; by the next morning Autobot defences had been broken by relentless Decepticon assaults, and the likelihood of a mass slaughter was high. It was at this crucial point that Autobot reinforcements commanded by Optimus Prime arrived. The [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] were deployed to attack Devastator, with mild success, and did not stop the Decepticon advance into Autobot City.

That task fell to Optimus Prime, who decided it'd be a good idea to abandon a few million years' worth of military experience, tactical wisdom, and basic common sense by making a solo frontal assault against the massed firepower of the most elite members of the Decepticon army. Somehow, it worked out for him. In vehicular mode, he mowed down most of the [[Seeker]]s, and in robot mode, used his [[ion blaster]] to singlehandedly scatter the Decepticon attack, fighting his way to finally engage Megatron in hand-to-hand combat.

[[Image:battleofautobotcity.jpg|right|thumb|"Rumble is ''[[FIBRIR|blue!]]'' I just talked to him!"]]

The battle between the two leaders was brief and intense, but resulted in a seeming-victory for Prime. But Megatron had spotted a gun a matter of yards away from him. Stalling for time with false pleas of mercy, Megatron crawled towards the gun. Hot Rod intervened as Megatron grabbed the gun, trying to overpower the Decepticon leader. But his efforts backfired, as Megatron overpowered the young Autobot, used him as a shield and shot Optimus repeatedly. Tossing aside Hot Rod, Megatron prepared to finish his longtime nemesis off. Prime, however, managed to gather his remaining strength to deal a haymaker powerful enough to knock Megatron off a ledge and into a fall that would prove almost-lethal.

The Decepticons seeing their leader conclusively defeated in this way broke their spirit. Starscream, taking interim command, ordered [[Astrotrain]] to transform and ferry the Decepticons away in a general retreat. Unsurprisingly, Starscream appeared ready to leave Megatron to die, but Soundwave carried him to Astrotrain. Gathering up their wounded, the Decepticons fled, leaving the Autobots to similarly gather up their own casualties.

==Aftermath==
Large numbers of Autobots and Decepticons had either been terminated or wounded as a result of the battle. [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]], [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], and maybe [[Huffer]] were among the casualties, and even the mighty Optimus Prime soon succumbed to his wounds and perished, but not before passing the Matrix of Leadership to Ultra Magnus as his successor, unaware that the Matrix had chosen Hot Rod to become the new [[Prime (rank)|Autobot leader]].

[[Image:Tftm1986c.jpg|left|thumb|[[Galvatron]], or just plain old TRON?]]

The wounded Decepticons - including Megatron, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]], and the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] - were thrown out of Astrotrain to lighten the load, where they would later be found by the Chaos-bringer [[Unicron]] and reshaped into Galvatron, [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]], and the [[Sweeps]], respectively.

{{-}}

==Notes==
*The battle is "act 1" of ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]].''
* Prior to the Battle, it's unkown how Megatron managed to beat the Autobot shuttle to the Solar System. [[Space Bridge]]s
*The events of "[[Five Faces of Darkness]]" imply that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was present at the battle, but unable to transform to robot mode because his [[transformation cog]] was damaged. Some fiction suggests that Metroplex is part of (or the same thing as) Autobot City.
*Okay, we're going to be honest here. The whole point of this battle is [[To sell toys|to off your favorite characters through violent ways, then replace them with newbies who we've never seen before]].

[[Category:Battles]]
[[Category:Generation 1]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Megatron (Movie)

2008-03-10T16:18:29Z

131.151.55.159: /* Transformers (2007 movie) */

{{disambig3|Megatron}}

:''Megatron is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Movie (franchise)|Movie]] [[continuity family]]. He is often refered to as Lord Megatron. Known to humans as both "The Ice Man" and "The Mega-Man" and more formally as [[N.B.E.]] - 01''

[[Image:Megatronmovie.jpg |thumb|right|300px|Super Fighting Robot...MEGA-MAN!]]

The brother of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]] as well as former [[Lord High Protector]] and co-ruler of [[Cybertron]], '''Megatron''' is vicious and extremely powerful, single-minded in his goals, straight forward and brutally direct in his attempts to seize those goals. He is all "blunt force" in contrast to [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream's]] penchant for deceit and trickery. On the downside, Megatron tends to become so obsessed with the object of his desires that he can ignore "secondary" matters, glaring flaws in his plans (otherwise, he likely wouldn't have melted into ice-cold arctic water after being white hot from falling through Earth's atmosphere, and spent ten-thousand years as a [[wikipedia:popsicle|popsicle]]) and even crippling injuries in pursuit of the coveted item. Trying to talk Megatron out of blindly going for his goals is useless. He will risk his world, his troops, and even his own [[spark]] to achieve his goals. These things do not matter to Megatron. Even the destruction of the [[Autobot]]s is a secondary concern. All that matters is the [[All Spark (Movie)|All Spark]].

While [[Megatron (disambiguation)|some]] merely dislike or disregard organics (since they have a tendency to get in their way), Megatron feels a violent hatred towards them and seems to view them as only slightly above a virus, with him as the cure. This may be due to having spent decades as their prisoner, but his hatred is still very extreme. If there was no All Spark, it is not that big a stretch to think he'd have come here anyway, just to cleanse one more planet of its infection.

{{quote|You still fight for the weak! That is why ''you lose!''|Megatron to Optimus, ''[[Transformers (2007)|Transformers]]''}}

==Fiction==
===''Prime Directives'' prequel comic===
{{charstub}}

[[Image:MovieMegatron_Bumblebee_torture_comic.jpg|left|thumb|200px|Better get some ice on that.]]

Megatron once ruled Cybertron side-by-side with [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]. For generations, the two ruled in peace. Megatron was firm, but Prime was fair, creating a nice, even balance. Sadly, he got a jonesing for the All Spark and the war started. Megatron formed an army of separatists, the Decepticons, while Prime formed his own army, the Autobots. Megatron's forces, while less noble, were more ferocious warriors. Prime eventually made the decision to launch the All Spark into deep space. When [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]] stalled him long enough for it to be launched into space, he tore off Bumblebee's arm and crushed his voice box, then took off into space after the All Spark. {{Storylink|Prime Directives, Part 1}}

{{-}}

===''Transformers'' Movie Prequel (Target)===

[[Image:Movie_Megatron_Targetcomic_sure.jpg|thumb|right|120px|Sit boy, or I'll beat you to death]]

During an assault on the Autobots personally led by Megatron and his hound, [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]], Megatron crushed an opponent's spark before casually tossing his corpse over his shoulder. Megatron declared that the All Spark would be his, to which Blackout assured his leader that he will make sure of it. Megatron was pleased by his minion's loyalty, but dispatched him to assist Starscream's unit in preventing Optimus Prime's reinforcements from entering Tyger Pax. He then left to meet his destiny, but it slipped from his grasp. {{Storylink|Transformers Movie Prequel (Target) Volume 2}}

'''Note:''' ''Megatron's response to Blackout's pledge is mistakenly given to the latter Decepticon.''

===''Transformers: Beginnings''===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]]

===UK ''Transformers Comic''===

The All Spark had not been blindly launched into space, however - its trajectory was leading it directly towards the [[Alkaris Anomaly]], a wormhole that could potentially transport the cube to any one of an infinite number of locations in the universe. Megatron was fully capable of catching up to the cube before it would enter the wormhole, but as he passed Cybertron's moon, he found himself ensnared by an Autobot tractor beam of remarkable strength that pulled him down to the moon's surface. Enraged by the ignominity of it all, Megatron turned his weapons on the Autobots responsible, but quickly calmed down enough to realize that this was only playing into their hands, and instead ordered [[Brawl (Movie)|Devastator]] to take his place in the battle. Megatron swooped back into space, hot on the All Spark's heels, but was unable to stop the cube from falling through the anomaly. Determined to have the All Spark's power, Megatron chose to enter the wormhole himself, only to be spat out in some far-off star system, with no trace of the All Spark. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 2|Prelude: Megatron}}

In another reality, he defeated Optimus at [[Mission City]], killed Sam Witwicky and took control of the All Spark. He's now using it to [[cyberforming|cyberform]] Earth, and has conquered an unknown chunk of Earth which includes the entire [[United States of America]] with [[Dropkick]] as his second-in-command - NATO is threatening to nuke them, which Megatron doesn't seem bothered about. What does bother him are those rebels breaking into the facility holding Prime's body... {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 9}}

===''Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday''===

When Megatron came online, it was obvious that some time had passed. Not only was he encased in a primitive transport, but there were lifeforms fighting over him. Before Megatron could properly exterminate them, another crude transport crashed into his, causing a massive (but not spark-threatening) explosion. Megatron would have been pleased to know that the fire only added to his terrifying visage in the eyes of the maggots. Regaining his composure, Megatron noticed [[Phillip Nolan|an insect]] standing near him. As Megatron reached out to grab it, [[Thomas Kinnear|another insect]], this one terminally damaged, began firing crude projectiles which his body armor easily deflected. Waiting until after the creature had expended its ammunition, Megatron grabbed it in his hand, only to discover that it had packed itself with explosives, which threw Megatron to the ground when they detonated. Then, the aforementioned first insect began spraying liquid nitrogen on Megatron, causing him to go back into stasis. Unable to escape, Megatron screamed a dark vengeance upon his captors. {{Storylink|Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday}}

===''Transformers'' (2007 movie)===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Hugo Weaving]] (English), [[Koutarou Nakamura]] (Japan), [[José Santacruz]] (Brazil), [[Hans-Jürgen Wolf]] (German)

[[Image:Megstheiceman.JPG‎|thumb|left|200px|When I get out you are SO DEAD!]]

Megatron eventually succeeded in tracking the All Spark to [[Earth]], where he rather embarrassingly crash-landed in the Arctic Circle and was frozen solid for thousands of years. In 1897, some 100 Earth-years before the arrival of the other Transformers, he was discovered by an explorer named [[Archibald Amundsen Witwicky]]. Captain Witwicky accidentally activated Megatron's navigation system and caused the coordinates of the All Spark to be etched onto the explorer's glasses. Megatron remained imprisoned in the Arctic, until the 1930s, when he was dug out by the United States government and moved to a secret [[Sector Seven]] stronghold inside [[Hoover Dam]]. In the years that followed, many modern devices (by Earth standards) were reverse-engineered from his frozen body.

In the present day, having searched the galaxy for the All Spark and being drawn to Earth, the remaining Decepticons learn of Witwicky's glasses. Through the Internet, they determined the location of both Megatron and the All Spark inside Hoover Dam. [[Frenzy (Movie)|Frenzy]] infiltrated the dam and shut down the power systems, while Starscream attacked the external powerlines, resulting in Megatron's thawing out. Once again online, the leader of the Decepticons informed the worthless insects that of his true name, shouting "I am Megatron!" (to clear up all that N.B.E.-01/Ice Man nonsense), randomly killed a few of them while destroying his former prison, then transformed and flew off after the All Spark again. He met up with Starscream on the outside, and, never one for pleasantries, demanded to know where the Cube was. Upon learning that the humans had moved the All Spark, Megatron berated Starscream for yet another failure.

[[Image:Movie_Megatron_breakout.jpg‎|thumb|right|200px|Mace isn't for spraying, it's for hitting.]]

After Starscream and Devastator's opening attacks in [[Mission City]], Megatron arrived, and again declared his name (He really wants people to know who he is). The Autobots were so panicked by the sight of their long lost nemesis that [[Ratchet (Movie)|Ratchet]] called for a temporary retreat. Megatron blasted [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]] away when the diminutive Autobot attempted to attack, then threw him into the air before crushing him on top of a tower with his clawed talons. Jazz vainly fought on, asking if Megatron wanted a "piece", but doing little damage to Megatron. The Decepticon leader killed the Autobot by tearing him in half, callously declaring that he wanted "two".

[[Image:Movie_Megatron_jetmode_cityfight.jpg‎|thumb|left|250px|''Really'' bad case of gas.]]

As [[Samuel James Witwicky|the human boy]] ran off with the All Spark, Megatron ordered the Decepticons to attack. Devastator attacked the armed insects, while Starscream and [[Blackout (Movie)|Blackout]] fought [[Ironhide (Movie)|Ironhide]] and Ratchet for the All Spark. At that moment, Optimus Prime appeared and challenged Megatron. Millennia in the ice had done nothing to lessen the animosity Megatron felt for his brother, however. Barely managing to growl out Prime's name, he transformed and flew at Prime at full speed. The Autobot leader leapt and grabbed a hold of Megatron, who slammed him into a building before flying right through a skyscraper. Both leaders landed in the middle of an intersection, but Megatron was the first to recover and leaped upon his brother, snarling that the humans were undeserving of life. Optimus Prime replied that they had the right to choose for themselves before he threw his brother off. Megatron declared that if Prime wished to defend them, he should "join them in extinction", forming his [[fusion cannon]]. Before he could fire, the Autobot leader drew his [[ion blaster]] and fired, hitting Megatron. The Decepticon leader shrugged off this attack, spun around from the momentum and fired his cannon, throwing Optimus Prime into the side of a building.

Megatron pursued the young human who had removed the All Spark from Hoover Dam, destroying everything that stood in his way. The boy ran to a dilapidated building that was the designated coordinates for a human military evacuation team, and Megatron smashed his way through, yelling that he could smell the human maggot. Starscream destroyed the helicopter intended to take the All Spark, and Megatron burst through the floor, inquiring if it was courage or fear that compelled him. Finally cornering him on a ledge, Megatron offered that if the human gave him the All Spark, the boy may live as [[Ravage|his]] [[Laserbeak (G1)|pet]]. The Decepticon leader relished the human's defiant refusal and destroyed the ledge the human was standing upon, sending the boy tumbling to the ground.

[[Image:Movie_Megatron_maceattack.jpg‎|thumb|right|200px|This would have been ''so'' much cooler if it had been a chain mine.]]

Unfortunately, the human was caught by Optimus Prime, who then tried to escape down the side of the building before Megatron tackled him and sent all three slamming into the pavement. As a nearby [[Michael Bay|human bystander]] attempted to run, the Decepticon expressed his disgust at the insect's proximity and flicked it away. Protecting the young boy, Prime declared that their war would end here and it was now just between the two brothers. Though lusting for the All Spark, Megatron decided to indulge his brother's obvious death wish, declaring that only he was in this fight. Despite Optimus Prime's best efforts, Megatron was the stronger warrior, pounding the Autobot leader with devastating blow after devastating blow until he collapsed. Adding insult to injury, Megatron informed Prime that his defense of the "weak" was the real reason he lost.

[[Image:Megatron allspark merge.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Oh, he's dead. There's no way this will make him [[Galvatron (disambiguation)|any more powerful]].]]

The Decepticon leader turned his attention back to the human boy, but was suddenly attacked by the human fighter jets and [[William Lennox|Captain Lennox]]'s ground soldiers firing sabot rounds. His armor a damaged, shattered mess, Megatron ignored the punishment and focused on the human boy. As Optimus Prime ordered the boy to place the All Spark into his chest, the human instead pushed it into the now-exposed [[spark]] in Megatron's chest, overloading him with energy and extinguishing the Decepticon's life force. As Optimus Prime stood over Megatron's lifeless shell, watching the light flicker out of his brother's [[optics]], he remarked somberly, yet remorsefully, that Megatron had left him no choice, and removed a shard of the All Spark from his brother's spark cavity.

Megatron's body was dumped into the Laurentian Abyss at its deepest point, along with the remains of the other Decepticons, where the near-freezing temperatures will -- hopefully -- keep them dormant indefinitely. {{Storylink|Transformers (2007)}}

As the movie is greenlit for two sequel, this looks like this will be a very minor case of death for him.
{{-}}

===''Transformers'' The Game===
:''Voice actor:'' [[Frank Welker]]

====Autobot campaign====
After arriving at Hoover Dam, Bumblebee saw Megatron and the AllSpark being held in the same room, which was guarded by lasers. After bringing down the lasers, Bumblebee managed to shrink the AllSpark, while under fire by Megatron. Following the Autobots to Mission City, Megatron ignomiously "flicked" Bumblebee away, then tried to grab the AllSpark from Sam. Optimus Prime arrived and the two fought in the Mission City park. After Prime believed that he had destroyed Megatron, Sam handed the AllSpark to Prime, but Megatron jumped into the air with his flail, making one last attempt at nailing Prime. Prime caught the flail in its path and yanked Megatron towards him, shoving the AllSpark into his chest. Pretty ruthless there, Prime.

====Decepticon campaign====
After learning Megatron's location, Blackout and Starscream sabotaged the dam's power, allowing Megatron to thaw out and awaken. After Megatron emerged, Starscream and Blackout bowed before their Lord, who declared that they had much to do. After the Decepticons dispatched the Autobots, Megatron, hoping to draw Prime out, went on a rampage in Mission City, declaring that the city would burn beneath his feet (this means toastie toes, but he's willing to make that sacrifice). Megatron and Prime played a game of cat and mouse, with Megatron tracking Prime and Sam, until Megatron finally destroyed Prime, then merged the AllSpark with his spark, becoming even more powerful in the process (...wait, what?). After decimating Earth, Megatron took the [[Abraham Lincoln|Lincoln Memorial]] as his throne, then ordered Starscream, Brawl, and Barricade to finish the planet, before going on to conquer the galaxy.

===''Transformers: Autobots''===

Having landed on Earth some thousands of years ago, Megatron is thought to be frozen somewhere in the Arctic. As the Autobots look for clues as to his location, they eventually arrive in the frozen desert long enough to realize the humans have found him, as well as the [[AllSpark]] (sic). Once they hack into the communications array at the base, they find documentation leading to the Hoover Dam, where the Autobots and Decepticons race. Some wishing to free him, most hoping to destroy him, the Transformers fight over the base until the Decepticon leader is finally freed. Once out of cryo-storage, Megatron proceeds to steal the AllSpark from the Autobots and begin a destructive rampage through Tranquility, until he is finally defeated by Optimus Prime and [[Create-A-Bot (Autobot)|Create-A-Bot]].

===''Transformers: Decepticons''===

With Megatron frozen in the Hoover Dam, the Decepticons fight to free their leader. However, as is quickly made apparent, Starscream and his young protege, a [[Create-A-Bot (Decepticon)|Create-A-Bot]], seek to eliminate their leader. This quickly changes, as Create-A-Bot is convinced by Barricade to free their commander, as Starscream is a back-stabbing bureaucrat while Megatron is a truly zealous leader. Even though both would kill you in an instant, Megatron would at least do it to your face so you could see it coming.

Once free, Megatron quickly takes the time to wipe out Jazz, who has been left at the bridge to help get rid of Megatron. After a fairly short battle, Megatron smashes Jazz into the dirt, leaving him to die. Back in Tranquility, he chases after Starscream, only to be blocked by [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]]. Once the sibling rivalry is finished, Prime is left in pieces in the streets of Tranquility.

Arriving in the Casino Strip, Megatron finds Create-A-Bot damaged and Starscream flying away. Giving chase, he attacks his traitorous second-in-command, nearly destroying him despite his awesome AllSpark driven powers. Starscream uses his last breath to insult Megatron before being killed by the tyrant. Returning to Create-A-Bot's side, Megatron takes a moment to call him a weakling and a failure, completely forgetting about the fact that Create-A-Bot saved him, led him to Starscream, destroyed the Autobots, and served him more loyally than most of his other followers. Taking a moment to let this sink in, Megatron went on to tell him that the weak are made to serve the strong, then ripped the young Decepticon apart and ate his Spark. Megatron then took off into the sky with intentions unknown.

==Toys==
===Transformers (2007)===
====Legends Class toys====

*'''Megatron''' (Legends Class, 2007)
:''Japanese name:'' '''EZ Collection Megatron'''

[[Image:Movie_Legends_Megatron_toy.jpg|thumb|right|Just what the hell do I turn into?]]

:Legends class Megatron is the smallest mainline ''Movie'' Megatron toy, and boy, does it show. Even with Megatron's relatively simple transformation sequence, the sheer simplicity of the Legends class toy means that his vehicle mode is basically his robot mode splayed out, and again, boy is it ''obvious''. His robot mode is passably accurate, if by accurate one means he is now a hunchback with wings for legs, Dustbusters for hands, and an unchanged Alien Queen-esque head design.

{{-}}

*'''Generations Legends''' (Target exclusive multi-pack, 2007)

: A Target exclusive, this four-pack of Legends Class figures contains two versions of both Optimus Prime and Megatron, namely [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Legends of Cybertron Optimus Prime]], [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Movie Legends Optimus Prime]], [[Megatron (Armada)|Legends of Cybertron Megatron]] and Movie Legends Megatron.

{{-}}

*'''Battle for the Allspark''' (Toys'R'Us exclusive multi-pack, 2007)

[[Image:Movie_Allspark_Legends_pack.jpg|thumb|left|120px|"Quick, Bumblebee! I hold up Megatron, you just fight with the others!" - "...I hate you."]]

: A Toys'R'Us exclusive, this six-pack of Legends Class figures contains unmodified toys of [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|Optimus Prime]], [[Jazz (Movie)|Jazz]], [[Bumblebee (Movie)|Bumblebee]], Megatron, [[Starscream (Movie)|Starscream]] and [[Barricade (Movie)|Barricade]].

{{-}}

*'''Battle Jazz vs. Ice Megatron''' (Legends multi-pack, 2008)

[[Image:Movie_Legends_JazzIceMegatron_toys.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Wow, those guys sure do grow up fast......No, wait. They're still puny.]]

: Ice Megatron is a, well, ice-themed redeco of Legends class Megatron, which means his black paint applications have been replaced by blue. He comes packed with yet another redeco of Legends class Jazz, this time "battle damaged".

{{-}}

====Voyager Class toys====

*'''Megatron''' (Voyager Class, 2007)
:''Japanese ID number:'' '''MD-14'''

[[Image:Movie_Voyager_Megatron_toy.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Hey, I think I'm as weird as the ''War Within'' figures!... Nah, not there yet.]]

:Voyager Class Megatron transforms into an ice-covered version of his Cybertronic jet, with transparent blue plastic forming large portions of his vehicle mode, such as parts of his wings. This ice design is carried onto his robot mode, with his legs, shoulders and chest having some kind of 'ice' plastic covering them. With a significantly different (and simple compared to other figures of the same pricepoint) transformation sequence compared to his earlier Leader class toy, his chest frost lowers and his shoulders raise to robot mode position when you bring his lower body forward thanks to [[Automorph]] technology. He also has his fusion cannon in its entirety on his left arm. His wings feature flip-out "ice blades", and pulling on a piece in the back of his jet mode brings them forward like pincer claws. This design is remarkably similar to his Predacon- incarnation toys.

:Something interesting to note is that his feet are entirely spring-loaded, which means his foot and the two "rear toes" on each feet automatically close up when he's not standing up. Surprisingly, this helps a lot with the posing, as the feet's parts automatically position themselves for the perfect balance.

*'''Megatron''' ("Premium Series" Voyager Class, 2007)

[[Image:Movie_Voyager_Premium_Megatron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Answer me, what in hell do I turn into?!]]

:One of the first figures available in the ''Premium Series'' (although not explicitly identfied on the packaging as such), Voyager Class Megatron was released exclusively at Best Buy on October 16th, 2007 alongside the North American launch of the ''Transformers'' movie DVD. Megatron has been completely redecoed, covering most of his previously grey parts with metallic silver paint and a black paint wash over the top of that. Black and gold highlights are used to offset all of the silver, while the transparent 'ice' parts are clear. These changes essentially make Megatron far more accurate to his movie appearance.

:Megatron is presented in robot mode inside a special display box similar in shape to the packaging for the Hasbro release of ''Generation 1'' ''Masterpiece'' [[Starscream (G1)|Starscream]].

{{-}}

====Leader Class toys====

*'''Megatron''' (Leader Class, 2007)
:''Japanese ID number:'' '''MD-07'''

[[Image:Movie_Leader_Megatron_toy.jpg|left|thumb|300px|I will ask this one more time...what do I turn into?!]]

: Leader Class ''Movie'' Megatron transforms into a silver Cybertronic assault jet. He is quite accurate to the CGI design... except for the giant mass of legs attempting (but failing) to hide under the wings.

: In robot mode, Megatron's sculpt is quite accurate, or as accurate as a toy based on his CG design can be. However, his paint decoration is quite inaccurate, with blue highlights on various parts of his body, possibly to allude to his pre-frozen state and to give a relatively monochromatic figure more color. More confusing is his jet black face, which obscures the sculpt's details and is inaccurate to the movie appearance's gunmetal.

: Megatron's right fist disconnects at the wrist to become the spiked end of the extendable "chain whip" weapon concealed within his forearm (perhaps in homage to [[Megatron (G1)|G1 Megatron]]'s own flail weapon); pressing the black switch on the arm pulls the chain taut for a whipping attack. His arms also link together at the wrists to form a "fusion cannon," with the pod on his left forearm concealing the weapon's [[Automorph]]ing twin barrels, exposed by pulling a switch. His other automorph features include his wings folding up as his vehicle nosecone is moved into place, and his feet unfolding as his knees are straightened. Finally, pressing the button on his waist activates a small friction motor, which moves various torso plates and blades on his back into place, accompanied by a metallic shrieking sound and flashing yellow lights.

:Megatron's instructions summarily fail to actually tell the reader about how his gimmicks work. The whipping-action black switch for his flail is not mentioned; they do not detail how to connect the arms for fusion cannon mode; and the fact that the cannon is on a slider, allowing it to be centre-aligned, rather than sitting off to one side, is also omitted.

: There is an error in Megatron's legs, in that his left and right hip joints have been swapped for reasons unknown. Switching them allows for a slightly smoother transformation. In addition to ''that'', both of Megatron's hands have a finger misassembly. Two pieces are molded to have two fingers, while one is obviously supposed to be a thumb–however, this thumb is on the 'outside' of his hands instead of the inside. The prototype on the packaging's stock photos show the correct assembly.

: ''Geez'', Hasbro.

: Possibly a dropped feature [[for safety reasons]], the right fist (partly a projectile tethered to the arm) is designed to launch out of his wrist via a spring-loaded firing mechanism. However, the spring for the launching mechanism was removed, though the firing trigger remains. One can either find a compatible spring or steal the spring in his left arm fusion cannon, then place it in his right forearm, though this disables his fusion cannon-retracting Automorph.

*'''Megatron''' ("Premium Series" Leader Class, 2008)

: Premium Megatron is a redeco of the previously released Leader class Megatron. The figure is now given movie-accurate paint applications of black, gold, & silver.

Unlike some of the early "Premium Series" toys, Megatron is slated for a mass release.

====Fast Action Battlers====

*'''Fusion Blast Megatron''' (Fast Action Battler, 2007)

[[Image:Movie FAB Megatron.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Just back from filming Predator 3]]

: Fusion Blast Megatron is a simple version of Megatron with dorky-looking proportions in robot mode, and it turns into an even dorkier-looking vehicle mode. The transformation sequence manages to be even more simple and non-involved than the other ''Movie'' Megatron toys by means of an Automorph feature very similar to the early Beast Wars flipchangers. Moving his back section down causes the torso to flip up, hiding the head and positioning the arms skywards. Though the figure requires a little more repositioning and folding, most of the transformation is done with a single step.

{{-}}

*'''Night Attack Megatron''' (Fast Action Battler, 2008)

: A redeco of Fast Action Battler Megatron, this time cast primarily in black plastic, with opaque grey missiles.

{{comingsoontoy}}

====Robot Replicas====

*'''Megatron''' (Robot Replica, 2007)

:As part of the [[Robot Replicas]] sub-line, this version of Megatron is a non-transforming action figure that hews very close to the movie's CGI model. It features joints similar to the [[Revoltech]] toys, though the elbows only articulate from side-to-side, giving him EXTREMELY gimped arm articulation. His forearms can be replaced with a fusion cannon accessory (or any other arm attachments from other Robot Replicas, which could lead to some fun Frankensteins).

{{-}}

{{Template:Comingsoontoy}}

===Titanium series===
*'''Megatron''' (3" Robot Masters, 2007)

[[Image:Movie_TitaniumRM_Megatron.jpg|left|thumb|130px|I am Megatron! And I am your destr—rrr...gah, I can't move my legs! Decepticons, retreat!]]

:''Titanum'' Megatron is a die-cast metal and plastic figurine, with an accurate sculpt based on the CG model owing to the fact he doesn't need to transform. Being a figurine, he only has articulation in his shoulders, neck and waist. Megatron comes with a Movie-style Decepticon symbol display stand.

{{-}}

===Attacktix===
*'''Battle Masters Megatron and Scorponok''' (Battle Master set, 2007)

[[Image:Attacktix-MovMegsScorp.jpg|right|thumb|150px|HADOOOUKEN!]]

{{-}}

==Merchandise==
===Robot Heroes===
*'''Autobot Ratchet vs Megatron''' (2007)

*'''Megatron''' Burger King free toy (2007)

:A non-transformable version of Megatron, cast primarily in gray plastic. The toy's entire "gimmick" is that both arms rotate at the shoulder. Due to the strict [[For safety reasons|protocols]] of making a fast food premium, Megatron's sharp and deadly design was forced to be smoothed out. This had the unfortunate effect of making his sculpted details meld together and looking less like a killer robot and more like a melted clay man. The toy ''appears'' to use the earlier head render of Megatron's, but due to the vague detail and paint job, may also not be.

:The toy also comes with a purple plastic Decepticon base and and a lenticular motion card with a surprising amount of frames of animation. These two pieces may in fact be the better part of the package.

===Battling Robots Bubble Bath===
*'''Megatron''' (2007)

[[Image:megatron_bubblebath.jpg|thumb|left|120px|"I ''hate'' merchandising."]]

:Megatron's torso attaches to the bottle of bubble bath. His elbows bend, and his arms have a punching gimmick, to allow him to battle the forces of good. Pushing a lever on either side makes the respective fist punch forward. He's removable, though not as easily held without the bottle below his waist. Like many pieces of Megatron merchandise, this "figure" uses the older head design with blue eyes. The blue eyes are also the only spot of paint on him, unlike the elaborately decoed Prime.
{{-}}
==Trivia==

* The prototype photographs on the back of Leader and Voyager class Megatrons' packaging show him with a completely different head (shown in the profile picture) based upon an earlier version of CGI design that was dropped after much negative fan reaction.

* According to The Movie Guide, Megatron is one of few Transformers capable of space travel without reverting to a Protoform. This explains how he was capable of chasing the All Spark ''immediately'' after its launch.

* According to The Quest For the ALLSPARK paperback's opening paragraph, "...Most revered were Optimus and Megatron. They were twin brothers of the Prime dynasty." This implies that Megatron may have also had the surname "Prime" at one time.

* Early script drafts featured Megatron consuming the [[spark]]s of his fallen foes, but this didn't make it into the final film due to time constraints. The novelisation of the movie, on the other hand, sees him chow down on Jazz in the final battle; similarly, although not outright stated in dialogue, his animalistic pouncing on the fallen bodies of various characters (including Optimus Prime, Starscream, Jazz and the [[Create-A-Bot (Decepticon)|Decepticon Create-A-Bot]]) in the Movie Nintendo DS games, following by what appears to be rooting around in their innards, seems to suggest he's doing the same there.

* Similarly, in the ''Autobots'' version of the same DS game, it is noted that Megatron "took the spark" of his and Optimus' father. Presumably, this is a reference to both his cannibalistic practises as well as the fact that both he and Prime are in fact brothers... at least in the Cybertronian sense.

* Despite his undeniable hatred of humans, Megatron is the only Decepticon in the movie who doesn't speak [[Cybertronian languages|Cybertronian]] for the majority of his dialogue. In fact, he speaks ''fluent'' English upon reviving, despite the fact that [[Wikipedia:Modern English|Modern English]] came into existence around the Sixteenth century, when he was presumably still frozen in the ice. This could suggest that he still was somehow conscious when he was studied by Sector Seven (which he also overtly states upon awakening in the IDW comic adaptation). This would explain why his first action after thawing was declaring his name - imagine being frozen for generations being referred to as "N.B.E. 1", or even worse: "Mega-man" ''and'' "Ice-man".

* In almost every scene where Megatron's alt mode is in use, he spins while in flight; I guess thousands of years as a juice pop can do a number on your stabilizers.

* The Megatron computer generated model consisted of 2411 individual pieces, 433,949 polygons, 8924 rig nodes, and 1437 texture maps. The pieces combined gave a volume of 10,325 cubic feet.<ref>Robertson, Barbara (2007). Heavy Metal. ''Computer Graphics, 30''(7), 12-17.</ref>

* [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] from ''[[Transformers Animated]]'' has apparently stolen this Megatron's head... at least for the time being.

{{-}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category: Attacktix]]
[[Category: Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category: Decepticons]]
[[Category: Legends of Cybertron]]
[[Category: Movie characters]]
[[Category: Robot Heroes]]
[[Category: Rulers of Cybertron]]
[[Category: Titanium Series]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>

Survival of the Fittest

2008-03-09T05:21:56Z

131.151.55.159: /* Miscellaneous trivia */

{{episodenav|animated|12|season=1|prev=Lost and Found (Animated episode)|next=Headmaster (episode)}}
'''Sari is kidnapped and the evidence points to the Dinobots. So Prowl and Bulkhead head to a mysterious island to investigate—with a highly suspicious Captain Fanzone on their tail.'''

{{picsneeded}}
==Synopsis==
[[Image:SwoopSari.JPG|right|thumb|200px|I will make you one of my children of the night.]]
Concerned for [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]]'s safety as possessor of the [[Sari Sumdac's key|All Spark Key]], and knowing they can't be around every minute to protect her, the Autobots decide to give her self-defense lessons. She doesn't do so well, but undaunted, she continues to practice alone in her room that night. She then goes to bed, but a shadow passing by her window makes her curious enough to get up again. She opens the window and is confronted by the Dinobot [[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]], perched on her balcony like a [[Furmanism|giant predatory bird]]. Shortly afterward, her father stops by to deliver a bedtime snack and is shocked to find her missing. He then gasps like a girl. Hi-lar-ious. End Sarcasm.

He immediately contacts the police and the Autobots, and [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] orders everyone to [[Roll out|roll out]] immediately. Come morning, the police search Sari's room and question [[Isaac Sumdac|Doctor Sumdac]]. [[Captain Fanzone]] coordinates operations from the lobby of [[Sumdac Tower]], checking security video footage and struggling with the operation of his mobile phone. The Autobots arrive, and he asks if anything unusual happened yesterday. [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] mentions her self-defense lessons, to which Fanzone raises some objection, noting that hanging around Autobots might just be, oh, dangerous for a little girl. Just then, Prime spots Swoop on the security footage replay. [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] doesn't think it's possible, but Prime notes they never did find out what happened to the escaped Dinobots. Behind him, Bulkhead and [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] hold a quiet conversation about whether to tell Prime about their role in the Dinobots' escape, but decide to investigate the Dinobots' island themselves first. Fanzone overhears and decides to follow this new lead on his own.

That night, Prowl and Bulkhead take a cargo ship out to the Dinobots' island, with Fanzone pursuing them in one of the police department mini-subs that had been (somewhat morbidly) searching Detroit's waterways for Sari. Unfortunately, Fanzone is unable to differentiate between 'down periscope' and 'open hatch', leading to the sub sinking with a gurgled 'This is why I hate machines'. By daylight the Autobots arrive on the island and start exploring. Suddenly, Prowl spots tracks, indicating someone besides the Dinobots is on the island. As they arrive at the edge of the central crater, Bulkhead expresses second thoughts about setting the Dinobots free. What if someone were to find them there? Prowl deactivates his holographic generator and notes that currently won't be an issue, as the Dinobots appear to be gone.

From within his new headquarters, [[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]] observes the two visitors and sends the Dinobots, who are waiting behind him, to deal with the pair.

Back outside in the valley, an outraged Bulkhead growls that they should have melted down the Dinobots as Dr. Sumdac wanted, but Prowl insists the Dinobots are more than just machines, that they are truly alive and so had to be saved. Bulkhead counters by asking who's going to save Sari. The two then leave to explore the island further, with Fanzone (having washed up on the shore) pursuing close behind—well, as close behind as possible after dealing with various mishaps.

In Meltdown's control room, [[Colossus Rhodes]] offers to pound the Autobots to scrap, but Meltdown stays him. Sari figures they're both as good as arrested and taunts them until Rhodes bulks up and scares her into silence.

Outside, Bulkhead and Prowl discover Captain Fanzone sinking in quicksand and haul him out. Prowl asks why he's following them, but Fanzone counters by asking what they're doing on an abandoned island research facility in the middle of Lake Erie, and they fall silent.

Still watching the proceedings, Meltdown decides it's time to greet his guests personally and leaves Rhodes to guard Sari. Rhodes taunts Sari for a change, but Sari just asks to go to the toilet - 'I'm a little girl, it's what I do'.

On the surface, Fanzone continues to question Bulkhead about the situation, wondering if there's something he's not being told. Bulkhead abruptly points out the Dinobots behind Fanzone as the possible missing piece of info. Prowl offers to deal with the Dinobots, as they trust him, but they attack. Prowl is confused, but Bulkhead figures it's pretty straightforward: The Dinobots kidnapped Sari and now want to destroy them. He also lets slip that he and Prowl helped the Dinobots escape. During the skirmish, Prowl notes acid burns on Swoop's leg plating and deduces that someone with the ability to burn the Dinobots is forcing them to act this way. The Autobots and Fanzone manage to make a run for it, only to find themselves in a dead-end canyon. When Meltdown confronts them, Prowl finally puts it all together, realizing that the villain is behind the Dinobots capturing Sari and attacking them. Meltdown gleefully monologues about finding an island with its own security system just when he needed a place for private experiments, and how Sari will now be his latest subject. An enraged Bulkhead charges, but Meltdown's acid blasts a painful hole in the Autobot's chest.

Prowl and Fanzone run to help him, but Meltdown touches a remote-control button and sends the pair plummeting through a trap door down into a steel-lined holding pen. There, he pits them against two of his less successful experiments in creating transforming humans, people capable of taking on any shape at will. Both test subjects however (including Meltdown's lawyer) mutated into [[Pretenders|ungodly abominations]]. He notes that the failures were a result of using adult test subjects, whereas a still-growing human should prove much more promising. And what better choice than the daughter of his arch-rival, Isaac Sumdac? He then leaves to administer his formula to Sari while his two mutants take care of Prowl and Fanzone.

Elsewhere in the base, Sari tricks Cyrus Rhodes into checking out the rest room toilet, then uses her key to flood water on him, shorting out the electrode/pistons that let him bulk up. When he turns to attack her, she trips him, then locks him in the bathroom and takes off. Somehow, she finds the controls to turn off the laser barrier keeping Prowl and Fanzone trapped in the holding pit. Freed just in time, they take off and quickly locate Sari. Informed of Bulkhead's predicament, she guides them out the way she was brought in. As they start down the hall, Fanzone spots a rack of spare protective suits for Meltdown and grabs one.

[[image:Dinobotsrobotmode.JPG|right|thumb|200px|"Your death will be swift."]]
Prowl gets the two humans past a closing steel door and outside, where Sari quickly uses her key to heal Bulkhead. Before they can celebrate, Meltdown shows up with the Dinobots. Sari launches into a flying kick which totally misses Meltdown, but serves as the distraction needed for Prowl to score a hit. Before a stunned Meltdown can recover, Fanzone tackles him and wraps him up in a spare acid-resistant-pimp-suit he grabbed from Meltdown's stores. Meltdown orders the Dinobots to attack, but Prowl points that that Meltdown has no power over them any more. [[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]] declares that it's time to hurt Meltdown, and the Dinobots [[transformation|transform]] into robot mode...which naturally surprises the others. Prowl offers the panicking Meltdown a choice: going to prison or being left to the Dinobots' (lack of) mercies. Just then, Colossus Rhodes (whose electronics apparently dried out) and the two mutants burst out of the entrance into the underground facility, only to draw the Dinobots' attention to themselves. The mighty mechanical trio ignite their weapons and quickly trounce the three mutants - from a distance the audience witnesses a large explosion bloom on the island's flank, like a beautiful flower...

That evening, Fanzone and the Autobots take Sari and the captive Meltdown and Rhodes back to Detroit. Fanzone calls Dr. Sumdac to give him the good news, and Bulkhead and Prowl wonder if they should admit about the Dinobots to Prime. Fanzone assures Prowl that as long as the Dinobots stay on the island and out of Detroit, he doesn't have a problem with them. Prowl thanks him for all his help, and the two acknowledge they make a decent team, despite their different physical compositions. Watching Sari try out another kick on Bulkhead, Fanzone expresses continuing doubts about teaching ninja moves to eight-year-olds. Prowl agrees, noting Sari can apparently take care of herself in her own unique fashion.

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Steven Granat]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Irineo Maramba]] & [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
*'''Original airdate:''' March 8, 2008

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s

! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]
*[[Grimlock (Animated)|Grimlock]]
*[[Swoop (Animated)|Swoop]]
*[[Snarl (Animated)|Snarl]]
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]]
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]]
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]]

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Captain Fanzone]]
*[[Prometheus Black|Meltdown]]
*[[Colossus Rhodes]]
*[[Isaac Sumdac]]
*[[Sari Sumdac]]
|}

==Quotes==

"This is why I hate machines!"<br>
"No need to be such a technophobe, Captain."<br>
"A technophobe is someone who ''fears'' technology. ''(Smashes cell phone)'' Does '''''this''' look like'' '''FEAR TO YOU?!'''"<br>
"Um...my mistake."
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' straightens out '''Prowl'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s perceptions of him.

'''Fanzone:''' You're teaching an eight-year-old ''nerve blows''?<br>
'''Ratchet:''' You want her to pick it up in the street?<br>
'''Prowl:''' This is part of every protoform's elemental programming.<br>
'''Fanzone:''' Say what?<br>
'''Bulkhead:''' Yeah, it's not like we're having her fight Decepticons.<br>
'''Prowl:''' Yet.
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' and the Autobots debate the finer points of child education.

"Wait a minute—roll that back."<br>
"Sure thing, dollface."
:—The '''Reception Bot''' gets sassy with '''Optimus'''.

"Help!"<br>
"That sounded like Captain Fanzone."<br>
"Y-Yeah, hey, I—I do a really good impression of myself '''screaming for help!'''"
:—Even in mortal danger, '''Captain Fanzone''' zings '''Prowl'''.

"Who better than the daughter of my arch-rival, the bane of my existence, the simpering fool who is unworthy to lick the mud off the heels of my platform-shoes, booga-looga-looga-loose! Professor Isaac Sumdac!"
:—'''Meltdown''' gets down with his bad self while monologuing.

"Dibs on Lefty—I hate lawyers."<br>
:{{m-}}'''Captain Fanzone''' actually hates something besides machines.

"Meltdown not hurt Dinobots...Dinobots hurt Meltdown."
:{{m-}}'''Grimlock'''. Run far, run fast, Melty.

'''Fanzone''': "What the...?!"<br>
'''Sari''': "Whoa...!"<br>
'''Bulkhead''': "Uh, they couldn't do that before. Right?"<br>
:{{m-}}The gang learns that the Dinobots are [[Transformer|more than meets the eye]].

==Other notes==

===Continuity errors===
* How the heck do Prowl and Bulkhead speak quietly enough to avoid Ratchet and Prime overhearing, yet loudly enough for Fanzone to hear them? (Of course, he may have just been suspicious about the two of them having a private conversation.)
* Apparently, there's nothing wrong with cutting a cargo ship free of its moorings and sailing it out into the middle of Lake Erie without permission. (Prowl and Bulkhead must have convinced either the ship's captain or its computerized pilot system to make an unscheduled trip.)
* Why does Meltdown bother to send the Dinobots, then go to handle his guests himself several minutes later? Sure, it works out, but was it planned that way?

===Transformers references===
[[Image:Meltdownexperiments.jpg|right|thumb|200px|They've got the power to surprise.]]
* Meltdown's genetically engineered minions (previous failed attempts at producing "human transformers") bear a striking resemblance to the ''[[Generation 1]]'' [[Pretender]]s [[Bomb-Burst]]/[[Blood]] and [[Submarauder]]/[[Gilmer]].

===Real-world references===
* A lawyer being turned into a shark creature? Surely there was no deeper meaning here...

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* This is the first episode in which Snarl and Swoop transform. They still haven't spoken, however.
* This is also the first episode in which Fanzone refers to any of the Autobots by name, suggesting he's getting used to them being more than machines.
* Bumblebee appears in this episode, but doesn't speak.
* Part of Grimlock's transformation is recycled animation from "[[Blast from the Past]]".
* Captain Fanzone's phone seems remarkably outdated compared to the mobile phone his subordinate is shown using; it's the size of a brick, has a permanently extended antenna and amazingly features a rotary-dial to ring in the numbers...and even then Fanzone can't figure out how to use it. The man was clearly born a century after his time and presumably would be more comfortable around gramophones and steam locomotives.
* Fanzone's dialog suggests that a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Erie is not as preposterous as it might seem, as the island was formerly a research facility of some shape or form. Odds are that Isaac owns it and simply doesn't know it.
*Bulkhead seems to be more then a match for all three Dinobots here, yet they make incredibly short work of the mutants and Colossus Rhodes(Colossus had previously proved to be a decent enough challenge for Bulkhead, Prime, Prowl and Ratchet). Maybe their sparks just weren't in it?
* Do we really want to know what that key slot was doing on the controls for a toilet?
* The two mutants are conspicuously absent in the final scene (Fanzone notes "got 'em both," indicating only two prisoners), so it appears they were either destroyed or left imprisoned on the island, subject to the Dinobots' whims, which seems harsh given the two were (presumably) innocent victims of Meltdown's experiments. If they're somehow held on ship, not mentioning or showing them seems to be quite an oversight. Maybe it's just that no one cares about the lawyer or the other guy and they wont be missed.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"><br /><br /><small>From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</small></div>