Optimus Prime Versus Megatron

The name or term "Optimus Prime vs Megatron" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Optimus Prime vs Megatron (disambiguation).

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One shall stand... one shall fall... again....
"Optimus Prime Versus Megatron"
Publisher	HarperCollins Publishers
Imprint	HarperFestival
First published	May 22, 2007
Adapted by	Sadie Chesterfield
Illustrator	Val Staples
ISBN	978-0060888244 0060888245
Page count	24pp
Price	$3.99

Optimus Prime and Megatron take sibling rivalry to a new level.

Synopsis

A civil war on the planet Cybertron has left the planet in ruins and has divided the brothers Optimus Prime and Megatron on opposite sides of the conflict. Their war eventually ended, and many of the surviving Transformers fled to Earth. Optimus's Autobots sought the Allspark located on the small blue planet to restore life to Cybertron, while Megatron's Decepticons wanted to use it in order to turn Earth's machines into an army capable of conquering the universe. Megatron reached his destination first, but found himself frozen solid and eventually studied by the American government. Meanwhile, Optimus came to Earth and befriended Sam Witwicky, who possessed a code that would lead the Autobots to the Allspark. Finding the code imprinted on the glasses of Sam's great-great-grandfather, the Autobots headed for the Hoover Dam, the Allspark and Megatron. Megatron was thawed from his frozen state when Starscream destroyed the dam's generators, and the battle between the two factions begun once more. Megatron's first move in the re-ignited conflict was to devour Jazz's spark as Optimus looked on in horror. Watching the melee from afar, Sam grabbed the Allspark and attempted to get it to higher ground. Soon caught by Megatron, Optimus attempted to intervene only to be ambushed by Starscream. The incapacitated Autobot leader desperately urged Sam to push the Allspark into Megatron's very spark, causing the evil robot's life force to explode. With the destruction of their leader, the Decepticons then fled the planet. In the aftermath, Megatron's body was lowered into the Ocean, and the Autobots stood victorious... for now.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans
Optimus Prime (1) Ratchet (3) Ironhide (4) Bumblebee (5) Jazz (6)	Megatron (2) Brawl (7) Bonecrusher (8) Starscream (9) Frenzy (10) Barricade (15)	Three American scientists (11-13) Sam Witwicky (14)

Notes

• Both Megatron and Bonecrusher are drawn with older head designs.
• Megatron is rather bizarrely depicted as tunneling through the ground and ambushing targets, similar to Scorponok. The image of his death even shows him buried up to his chest in the ground. Very strange.
• Though mostly a retelling of the Movie's events, many details differ due to being based on an earlier script. Changes have also been made for simplification. Some highlights:
  • Megatron's devouring of fallen Transformer sparks is featured prominently.
  • Optimus Prime and Megatron being brothers is heavily emphasized throughout the book. Ratchet even asks Optimus if he can "destroy his own brother."
  • It's never stated how the AllSpark actually ended up on Earth in the first place.
  • Optimus speaks to Sam outside his house in broad daylight.
  • Megatron's thawing out is attributed to Starscream, rather than Frenzy.
  • There is little to no mention of the United States Army or Sector Seven, or any other human characters besides Sam. Even Mikaela is absent from the final battle.
  • Jazz has his spark torn out instead of being ripped in half, and dies much earlier in the fight against the Decepticons, right outside the dam.
  • The battle takes place outside the Hoover Dam, instead of in the city... except when it doesn't (see Errors below)
  • Bumblebee is still depicted in his 70's Chevrolet Camaro form by the end, seemingly never having upgraded himself.
  • The reason Prime can't continue fighting and must rely on Sam Witwicky in this book is because Starscream's blasts paralyzed him.
  • Optimus urges Sam to kill Megatron with the AllSpark, rather than push the cube into his own chest.
  • Megatron is seemingly the only Decepticon killed and thus the only one to receive the ocean treatment.

Errors

• In the first image of the flashback on Cybertron, Megatron has blue eyes. Every other page colors them red. Whether this is an error, or to show him "corrupted by evil" or something, is unknown.
• In the flashback to Cybertron, everyone besides Megatron are shown in their earth modes.
• Jazz, the smallest Autobot in the 2007 Movie, is consistently drawn nearly as tall as Optimus!
• In a hilarious geographical error, the final battle starts at the Hoover Dam, then suddenly we're shown Megatron and Sam on a roof surrounded by City skyscrapers, as if everyone had teleported to Mission City between pages.

Reprints

• Transformers Ultimate Storybook Collection ISBN 978-0-316-18865-4

External links

• Listing at HarperCollins.com