Galvatron (G1)

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

Galvatron is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Bwaaaaah! Kneepad of Dooooom!

Born from the fires of Unicron himself, Galvatron is a focal point of power and madness given form. He is blind to all but his lust for power; his whims and desires can be sacrificed in a moment's rage. Not even his own subordinates are safe. Though he is not beyond the capacity for long-term goals, it is his unpredictability and his casual disregard for any and all life that strike such horror in friend and foe alike. Truly, the Decepticon leader is without any sense of empathy.

Galvatron was once Megatron, but was reborn from his death throes in a Faustian pact with Unicron. He retains the memories and spark of Megatron, but his personality was significantly altered after the near-death experience, massive physical upgrade, and reprogramming; just ask Starscream about the difference. And all that was before he went insane. The cause and extent of Galvatron's madness varies between different continuities, as does his physical power. Sometimes he's depicted as almost invincible.

“	Please, meet your end with dignity. I despise whiners.	”
—Galvatron, allowing one of his own troops to die, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3"

“	Before a society can move forward, everyone must agree on the rules. Now kneel!	”
—Galvatron, "Fight or Flee"

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

Generation 1 cartoon

Voice actors: Leonard Nimoy (English, The Movie), Frank Welker (English, television series), Seizō Katō (Japanese), Carl Béchard (French Canadian), Gerd Wiedenhofen (German, television series), Manfred Erdmann (German, The Movie), Thomas Rauscher (German, Generation 2 dubbing)

He's more machine now than ma—oh wait, he was a machine to begin with. Never mind.

In 2005, after being mortally wounded by Optimus Prime during the Battle of Autobot City, Megatron was left to float aimlessly through space after being punted out of the overloaded Astrotrain by Starscream, who finally decided to take advantage of his near-death state to take command. He was summoned by Unicron, who offered him a new body, a warship and new troops to command, so long as he destroyed the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Megatron reluctantly accepted and was upgraded into Galvatron, a more fearsome and powerful warrior, while his former troops were similarly reformatted.

Galvatron quickly retook command of the Decepticons after killing the traitorous Starscream in the middle of his coronation as the Decepticons' new leader. He then went to Earth and attacked Autobot City full-force. Ultra Magnus led him away from Earth, and Galvatron chased him to the Planet of Junk, where he defeated Magnus and took the Matrix, intending to use it against Unicron.

Galvatron could not open the Matrix, however, and as punishment for his treachery, Unicron swallowed him whole. Inside Unicron's belly, he met up with Hot Rod. Though he initially suggested an alliance with the young Autobot against the mutual threat of his master, the Chaos Bringer mentally tortured Galvatron for his attempted treachery and then forced him to attack Hot Rod. Hot Rod eventually managed to wrest the Matrix away from Galvatron and open it, leading to his transformation into Rodimus Prime. Flush with new power, Rodimus hurled Galvatron from inside Unicron and into deep space. The Transformers: The Movie

File:GalvatronTVMag1.jpg

He has a weird tendency to aim at his own troops.

But this would not be the end of Galvatron.

The weakened Decepticons were subsequently routed by the Autobots and forced off of Cybertron, relocating to the burned-out world of Chaar. After eking out a living there in energy-deprived squalor for some time, they were visited by Cyclonus and Scourge, who'd finally decided to return the Decepticons to glory by seeking out the lost Galvatron. They found him sunk in a lava pit on the distant planet Thrull and managed to free him. However, the effects of the "plasma bath" irrevocably altered Galvatron's sanity chips, rendering him omnicidally insane. Upon regaining his freedom, he thrashed Cyclonus and Scourge and sundered Thrull. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2 Told that the humans and Autobots had collaborated to build a space station as Earth's first line of defense, he was highly amused, and headed for the nearest Warp Gate. On reaching Outpost One, he and his men attacked the station, quickly destroying it and coincidentally damaging the shuttle piloted by Blurr and Wheelie. Galvatron spotted the shuttle making a break for Jupiter, and demanded the heads of the Autobots as souvineers. With one blast, he destroyed the ship, but the two occupants had escaped and began plumitting into the planet's atmosphere. One Sweep, blasted by Wheelie, cried out to Galvatron to save him, but was only told to meet his end with dignity. Galvatron then blasted a nearby storm cell, causing an implosion.

It's music! The symphony of destruction and the anthem of agony!

Believing the Autobots to be destroyed, Galvatron ordered Cyclonus to take him to Chaar. He was shocked at the conditions that the Decepticon army were forced to live under, and was even more surprised to be told by Blitzwing that the bulk of the Decepticon forces had left under new leadership. Incensed, he announced that he was the leader of the Decepticons, and the usurpers would pay. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3 He and his loyal men swiftly found the rest of the Decepticons fighting the Autobots on Goo, and Galvatron swiftly ordered an attack. When Cyclonus inquired who they were attacking, Galvatron simply replied "everyone". After making Motormaster beg for his life, Galvatron succeeded in regaining the loyalty of his troops, and turned his attention on those who had usurped him in the first place — the Quintessons. The Quintessons attempted to negotiate, successfully bluffing Galvatron with stories of a Decepticon Matrix of Leadership which they would give him if he destroyed the Autobots down on Goo. Although he tried, the Autobots were snatched from danger by the Junkions. Still, he got to destroy Goo, and the Quintessons were subsequently able to persuade him to join forces with them to destroy both the Autobots and the humans.

Oooooh, what does this bu-tton dooo?

Plans were swiftly drawn to attack simultaneously on Earth and Cybertron. On Earth, the Constructicons constructed Trypticon from a human city, while a decoy human shuttle was crashed into the central power facility on Cybertron, knocking out the planet's defences. Galvatron himself lead the attack on Cybertron, unaware that the Quintessons plotted against him. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4 The battle going well, Galvatron sent Blitzwing to give a status report to their allies, but was angered when the triple-changer returned a short time later to say that not only had he not given the status report, but there was no Decepticon Matrix. Blitzwing was soon sent hurtling towards the Autobots. Galvatron soon followed the Autobots and the now-traitorous Blitzwing to a chamber deep inside Cybertron, where a Sharkticon had been about to pull a lever. Convinced that the switch had something to do with the Decepticon Matrix, Galvatron pulled it himself — and ever Transformer in the galaxy shut down. Fortunately the human Spike Witwicky destroyed the switch, returning the Transformers to life. Though Galvatron chased the Quintessons, they swiftly escaped in a pod. He was then prevented from blasting Rodimus by Blitzwing, and angrily told the triple-changer that he was no longer welcome in the ranks of the Decepticons before ordering a retreat. Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5

The Decepticon palette was out of everything but purple.

Informed by Blast Off of a new type of ammunition, Death crystals, Galvatron went to planet Dread, where the crystals originated, intending to carry out a new plan — build a cannon which would fire Death crystals at Cybertron. He found a ready-made work force in the slaves left behind by the Orbs, and soon had a giant cannon constructed. Just as all was ready, a group of Autobots, lead to the planet by Kup, attacked the installation. Predaking was able to keep them busy while he lined up for a shot at Cybertron, however Kup was also keeping busy, freeing the slaves and waking the monster Chaos. During the confusion of the slave revolt, Kup used the Death crystal cannon to destroy Chaos and causing the volcano to erupt. Galvatron was last seen fleeing the swiftly moving lava. Chaos

While hunting an Autobot shuttle through space, Galvatron and his lieutenants managed to utterly destroy the ship. Not one to fall for the same trick twice, Galvatron continued searching the area until the Decepticons detected the shuttle's lifepod flying towards an enormous structure. This "funeral barge" carried in it the deactivated bodies of the Autobots who died during the Great War. Galvatron and his lieutenants pursued Rodimus Prime's crew into the barge, but were driven off by the sudden arrival of Optimus Prime, seemingly back from the dead. Dark Awakening

Galvatron strangles the Invisble Swordsman.

When Scourge and Cyclonus alerted him to the location of a pacificistic and energon-rich world known as Paradron, Galvatron saw a perfect opportunity for conquest. The Decepticon invasion of Paradron was brief but brutal, and the populace was converted into slave labor. One Paradronian Transformer named Sandstorm escaped, however, and brought the Autobots back to free his people. Eventually the Autobots detonated the planet's primary energon core, destroying the planet itself and driving off Galvatron's troops. Fight or Flee

Following his defeat by Metroplex, Trypticon had been sent to Dinobot Island for recuperation. When the Decepticon fueler Octane removed him, Galvatron went looking for the missing duo and found them consorting with humans in Carbombya. He was ready to annihilate the "traitor" Octane for defying his orders, but Octane quickly explained that the purefied Carbombyan oil made for a super-energon mixture, powerful enough to recharge Trypticon (and, hopefully, make him larger than a small Combiner again). The Autobots soon arrived, however, and drove the Decepticons out of Carbombya. Thief in the Night Galvatron apparently reverted to his original assessment of Octane after this debacle, and drove him out of the Decepticons. When Octane began running cargo for the Autobots, he even sent the Combaticons and a freelance thug out to assassinate the traitor. Eventually, Cyclonus and the Sweeps seemingly plucked Octane from the Autobots' grasp on Cybertron itself, and brought him to Chaar for Galvatron to interrogate. Using the information he "coerced" from Octane, Galvatron caught Rodimus Prime alone and engaged him in single combat. Unfortunately, the whole thing was a ruse set up by Octane and Starscream's ghost, who was possessing Cyclonus at the time. Galvatron was abandoned in the presence of Rodimus, Ultra Magnus and a full Autobot battle group. It what was surely an epic battle (that we sadly didn't see a minute of), Galvatron ultimately escaped and made his way back to Chaar, deposing the usurpers and seemingly driving off the ghost of Starscream. Starscream's Ghost

Upon learning that the Autobots intended to host a 1st annual peace conference on Cybertron, Galvatron was dead set against letting their plans succeed. Despite several sabotage attempts by the Combaticons, Cyclonus and the Sweeps, though, the conference went through as planned. Surprise Party

File:StarscreamsGhost Galvatron smoking.jpg

Spontaneous combustion? What the hell is th-

Despite Galvatron's earlier attempts to be rid of him, Starscream's ghost returned to plague the Decepticons again. He partnered with Scourge against the Decepticons, kidnapped Astrotrain, and even stole one of Trypticon's eyes, leaving Galvatron even more infuriated than usual at this constant undermining of his operations. When Starscream returned once more and possessed Trypticon himself, it was the last straw, and Galvatron led a full Decepticon battle group after "Trypticon" to Cybertron. The fighting was fruitless, however, and eventually the Decepticons limped away, having exhausted all their weaponry. Not long thereafter, Galvatron's particle cannon had apparently recharged, because he took several parting shots at Starscream while his "ghost" tumbled uncontrollably through space. Ghost in the Machine

Well, that's all wrapped up...

Although Galvatron led the Decepticons on many wacky adventures against the Autobots throughout 2006, his insanity would usually lead to each mission ending in failure. (He loved shooting his own troops, for instance.) At one point, his derangement became so severe, the Decepticon "union officials" Swindle, Motormaster and Laserbeak threatened to strike. The perpetually loyal Cyclonus was left little choice but to dupe Galvatron into taking therapy sessions (albeit by force) on Torkulon, the therapy planet. After nearly murdering an attendant during a word-association session and somehow building a gun in an arts and crafts class, Galvatron was deemed incurable by conventional methods. The doctors attempted to use living extensions of the planet to give him a lobotomy (much to Cyclonus's disapproval), but Galvatron broke free and murdered the sentient organic core of Torkulon. After that, he razed the entire planet's civilization, leaving them so broken it would take centuries to rebuild. Webworld

A new plan saw the Constructicons building engines into the side of a comet, with the intention to crash it into Metroplex on Earth. Unsurprisingly the engines were destroyed by the Autobots before they could even be fired up, however the comet was set on course to a nearby world. The comet was shortly obliterated by sound waves emanating from the planet, also causing the Transformers present to plummet to its surface. Galvatron took Soundwave, intending to find the source of the sonic weapon and use it against the Autobots. Although the Autobots reached the city first, meeting with the leader of Eurythma, the two Decepticons eavesdropped and were able to establish that they needed to talk to Allegra. After dropping a bridge on the Autobots, Galvatron and Soundwave were able to talk Allegra into giving them her part of the harmony, and then obtained the other two parts of the harmony in quick succession. The Decepticons headed for Earth to attack Metroplex. Unfortunately Soundwave's attempt to use the destructive harmony were thwarted by the Eurythmans' use of anti-sound. The Decepticons retreated, though Galvatron raged that he hadn't ordered it. Carnage in C-Minor

I'm sure this can only be a good thing.

Galvatron was in one of his more obstinate moods when Astrotrain came to Chaar reporting on how the Junkions had apparently turned against the Autobots. Even when Cyclonus began advocating for intervention on the matter, Galvatron still couldn't bring himself to care. Eventually, however, the hypnotic television signals being beamed to the Junkions to alter their behavior made their way to Galvatron, along with the rest of the galaxy. He was subliminally drawn into a massive conflict in the skies over the planet of Junk, all part of a Quintesson ploy to create a massive diversion and recover one of their lost journals from Junk. Only after Blaster jammed the signal did the television stop "bewitching" Galvatron. The Big Broadcast of 2006 When Predaking later happened across that same Quintesson journal, Galvatron joined Cyclonus and the Sweeps in an effort to steal the journal away from both the Autobots and the Quintessons. It played like a game of hot potato for a while, but ultimately the Autobots got the journal and the Decepticons just gave up. The Quintesson Journal

One day, Galvatron was in the middle of a moral speech for his troops (re: right about to blast the closest Sweeps into stray particles for sheer pique), when he was interrupted by Quintesson visitors. After his last few dealings with the creatures, Galvatron was ready to blast these Quintessons all the same, but they gave him a gentle lecture about the unfairness of stereotyping which somehow convinced Galvatron to listen to the tentacled freaks. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and the five Sweeps with him to Cybertron, following the Quintessons' directions to the Autobots' new power core beneath the planet's surface. Searching for the power core, the Decepticons inadvertently let loose the monstrous Trans-Organics and the massive energy-draining Dweller. The Dweller began leeching the life from Galvatron's troops one by one as they tried to flee from the creature. Galvatron showed his heart-felt respect for Cyclonus by throwing all the Sweeps into the creatures path first. He even paused for a moment to look back when the Dweller finally caught Cyclonus as well. Galvatron didn't actually try to help or anything, but I'm sure Cyclonus would have appreciated the thought alone. The Dweller in the Depths

Decepticons, I have found the remote control!

Thanks to his plasma damage, Galvatron's sanity really had its ups and down. He was arguably on an upswing during a series of assaults on human and Autobot positions in Europe. Using the attacks as a diversion, Galvatron sent Swindle to infiltrate Metroplex and steal his transforming cog, leaving the city-bot helpless for a rematch with Trypticon. In addition, he began taunting the insecure leader Rodimus Prime with his so-called "Ultimate Weapon", a doomsday device just waiting to be unleashed. As well thought-out and cunning as this scheme may have been, it ultimately fell apart. The Autobots stole Galvatron's idea by taking Trypticon's transforming cog just as Swindle had stolen Metroplex's. Rodimus Prime eventually wised up about the "Ultimate weapon" as well: he called Galvatron's bluff and forced the Decepticon leader to admit he was holding nothing more than a 7-2 off-suit. The Ultimate Weapon

Deep in space, Galvatron was attempting to surpass a Quintesson quadrant lock when the Quintessons and several Autobots interrupted his efforts. In one of his more manic phases at the time, Galvatron chose to stake his claim by hurling Cyclonus face-first through the lock once the Quintessons began to open it. The Face of the Nijika

Galvatron once attempted to destroy the Autobots by feeding anti-electrons into their new power generator. The initial attempt failed, so the Decepticons tried to raid Unicron's head for a new source of anti-electrons inside the planet-eater's brain. The Autobots arrived shortly after Galvatron's team, so he sent his new Terrorcon beasts to occupy the heroes. Galvatron was undone by his own scheming, however, as the anti-electrons had temporarily turned the Dinobot Grimlock into a super-intelligent genius. Grimlock built a new team of Autobot warriors called Technobots from scratch, right inside Unicron's head. The Technobots were skilled enough to destroy Galvatron's new source of anti-electrons, and drive off the Terrorcons' combined form of Abominus. Grimlock's New Brain

"Ok, how the hell did I fit in you?!"
"I don't know mighty Galvatron, but I wish you'd try more often".

In a major fight with the Autobots, a large number of Galvatron's troops began staring off into space in the middle of the battle. He lost some of his best soldiers to this effect, like Trypticon, the Predacons, the Terrorcons, Soundwave's Mini-Cassettes...okay, maybe not the Cassettes, but the rest were important. Galvatron ended the fight to go chasing after the deserters, only to be caught by the power of Tornedron and drained of all his energy. It was only thanks to the fleeing Primitives that Tornedron's effect was eventually reversed. Call of the Primitives

Who are YOU gonna call?

Galvatron was very pleased when Dead End and Wildrider returned from a scouting mission on Earth, having beaten Rodimus Prime and claimed the Matrix of Leadership itself. Galvatron tried to load the Matrix into his particle cannon as a power source, but instead of energy blasts, it summoned the ghosts of departed Autobot leaders. They spooked Galvatron into getting rid of the Matrix, but his underling Scourge claimed the Matrix for himself and managed to magnify his powers a thousandfold. Scourge used his newfound might to overthrow Galvatron and the loyal Cyclonus, temporarily claiming control of the Decepticons. Galvatron and Cyclonus eventually recovered and came to Earth just after Scourge lost the Matrix back to Rodimus Prime. After a few quick particle blasts for emphasis, though, Galvatron soon accepted Scourge back into the Decepticons. The Burden Hardest to Bear

"Just like the good old times, isn't it Prime?"
"There were no good times, ya creep."

Galvatron and the Decepticons had arrived early to reserve their seats at a football stadium, when Ratbat flew in with news that Optimus Prime's body had been preserved at a nearby laboratory. Unfortunately, the Decepticons arrived just in time to be infected by the outbreak of the Hate Plague. Galvatron fled when his warriors turned crazed. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1 Half-mad to begin with at the best of times, Galvatron soon learned that even the one-eyed man cannot always rule the kingdom of the blind, and found himself on the run from half the galaxy. However, despite his insanity, he teamed up with the resurrected Optimus Prime to stop the Hate Plague. Galvatron wound up becoming infected by the plague and attempted to kill an unconscious Optimus Prime with an axe. Optimus woke up in the nick of time and opened the Matrix directly in Galvatron's face. The wisdom of the Matrix not only cured the universe of the Hate Plague, it cured Galvatron's madness as well. Well, kinda. Grateful, Galvatron sanely declared, "There will be no war today, Optimus. You have earned Galvatron's respect," and called a brief truce. The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2

In 2007, Galvatron called off the truce and led an assault on Autobot City, searching for the Key to the Plasma Energy Chamber. Although seemingly lucid during this period, he formulated what was perhaps his most genocidal and unbalanced scheme ever: Having converted Cybertron into a galactic dreadnought, Galvatron manoeuvred it into Earth's orbit, planning to release the Plasma Energy Chamber's payload into Earth's sun, Sol. The resulting supernova would wipe both Earth and Cybertron off the face of the galaxy, presumably leaving Galvatron to gain mastery over everything left. Grudgingly teamed with the Transformer-Nebulan hybrid Lord Zarak, Galvatron was eventually defeated and sent tumbling through space, ushering Cybertron into a new Golden Age. After regaining control, Galvatron vowed to collect energy from disparate corners of the galaxy and return to Cybertron: "We will attack other planets, we will suck them dry! We will build a planet a hundred times more powerful than Cybertron, and I will rule the galaxy!" Scorponok made it clear he intended it to be a "we" leadership. The Rebirth, Part 3

Japanese cartoon continuity

The events of the Generation 1 cartoon occur in this timeline as above, except that the events following The Transformers: The Movie are pushed back to 2010 (creating a five-year gap between Galvatron's creation and his return), and the events of "The Rebirth" do not occur. The Japanese animated continuity subsequently adds several new adventures into the timeline, both during the Generation 1 cartoon and after it, as detailed below.

Kiss Players

After being hurled out of Unicron and into space by Rodimus Prime, Galvatron's flight path was disrupted by the Sparkbots, a trio of Unicron's servants who were already working to resurrect their master. The Decepticon leader crash-landed on the planet Earth, obliterating the city of Tokyo. This catastrophic loss of life destroyed Human-Transformer relations and led to the formation of the Earth Defense Command, a governmental organization which drove Transformers from the face of the planet. Appropriating Galvatron's remains, the EDC reverse-engineered a fleet of human-operated "Autrooper" Transformers to perform this task.

As 2006 settled in, Galvatron's impact was revealed to have had an even greater effect than anyone had expected: The blast caused by his impact had scattered his Unicron-empowered cells throughout the planet's atmosphere. When his cells came into contact with other objects and animals, they fused with them, creating an army of monstrous creatures referred to as "Legion". This disastrous event also created the means to defend the world against Legion, however: When Galvatron's cells came into contact with human beings, these humans gained the ability to fuse with other entities containing his cells. With their Autroopers being the perfect candidates for this "ParasiTech" fusion process, the EDC began recruiting and training these "Kiss Players" as combat squads to battle the Legion.

Seeking to uncover the ulterior motives of EDC Commander Hitoshizuku Amaō, Kiss Players Marissa Faireborn, Shaoshao Li and Atari Hitotonari discovered the remains of Galvatron beneath the EDC headquarters. Amaō's plan to use the Legions to resurrect her daughter, who had died in Galvatron's impact, was foiled when all the Legions and Autroopers fused with Galvatron's corpse, restoring his cells and reconstituting his body. Galvatron's body was shot back into space, where it went on to crash on Thrull. Kiss Players

The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers manga

Galvatron had plenty of devious schemes up his sleeve throughout 2010, opening with the nutty idea of a spaceship that ate other spaceships, which Rodimus Prime promptly blew up. The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 1 Galvatron went back to his roots for his next scheme, creating a clone army of Megatrons that he dubbed the "Megatron Military". Galvatron disguised himself as one of the Megatrons and controlled them remotely, making them an effective fighting force that the Autobots had trouble dealing with, until his disguise was penetrated and his control over the robots broken. The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 2

Other plans included an attack on Autobot City with Trypticon The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 3 and an attempt to steal the Prime Energy of the planet Feminia The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 5. On one notable occasion, Galvatron challenged Rodimus Prime to a one-on-one duel in order to lure him into a trap set up in partnership with the Quintessons. In the middle of the fight, the Quintessons' newest creation, an Optimus Prime/Megatron hybrid robot known as Guiltaur, arrived to attack Rodimus, but Galvatron was shocked when Guiltaur turned on him as well. Rodimus and Galvatron called a truce long enough for them to team up and destroy Guiltaur, who, it was revealed, had been possessed by Starscream's ghost. The Story of Super Robot Lifeforms: The Transformers issue 4

The Great Transformer War manga

Later in 2010, Galvatron kidnapped Doctor Dalton, a brilliant scientist from the planet Eran, but Dalton refused to work with the Decepticons and lent his aid to the Autobots instead, upgrading the Technobots so they could defeat the Terrorcons. The Great Transformer War issue 1

One of the Terrorcons' upgrades included a sticky goo that forced the Technobots into working for the Decepticons. Through the intervention of Spike Witwicky, however, the Technobots were freed and the Terrorcons defeated. Galvatron cursed the human for interfering, but dclared that his next evil scheme would be one the Autobots would never forget. The Great Transformer War issue 2

After the resurrection of Optimus Prime and the curing of the Hate Plague, Galvatron hastily broke his vow that there would be no war, and he, Cyclonus and Scourge battled Prime, Hot Rod and Kup in space, only to be defeated. Galvatron immediately returned to Chaar and dispatched Sixshot to retrieve the Decepticon Headmasters, as he had need of them for his assault on Cybertron. The Great Transformer War issue 3

The Headmasters cartoon

In 2011, a side effect of releasing the Matrix's energy to cure the Hate Plague was revealed when the mega-computer Vector Sigma began to destabilize. Seeking to exploit this imbalance, Galvatron attacked Cybertron, his forces now bolstered by the addition of new Headmaster warriors from the planet Master. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky The arrival of a team of Autobot Headmasters repelled the invasion, but it was then revealed that the Matrix was hidden somewhere on Earth, recharging, and the race began to acquire it and use it to gain control over Vector Sigma. The Mystery of Planet Master Hot Rod ultimately succeeded in obtaining the Matrix and becoming Rodimus Prime again, and he and Optimus Prime joined forces to defeat Galvatron. Though beaten in battle, Galvatron did at least take solace in the fact that Optimus Prime once again met his end Birth of the Fantastic Double Prime

After several further schemes involving an electro-magnetic weapon and a metal-warping meteorite, Galvatron set his sights on Cybertonuron, a powerful new alloy being developed by Vector Sigma. The Decepticon Headmaster leader, Scorponok, advocated the destruction of the alloy to prevent the Autobots from obtaining it, but when Galvatron refused to consider the notion, Scorponok took matters into his own hands and had powerful bombs planted in Vector Sigma's chamber. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2 Scorponok told Galvatron what he had done, and the enraged Decepticon leader ran into the chamber to try and stop the explosion, only to be caught in the blast. Cybertron was reduced to a burnt-out husk, and Galvatron was left missing in action. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1

Galvatron's been getting into the energon goodies jar.

Galvatron was thought dead for some time, and during his absence, Scorponok proclaimed himself new Decepticon leader, only for Galvatron to turn up alive and well during his coronation. Return of the Immortal Emperor Galvatron retook command of the Decepticons and began a devious plot, taking the Decepticons on an series of interplanetary raids that saw them steal energy from numerous different worlds. Returning to Earth with a massive stockpile of energon, Galvatron confided to his most trusted warrior, Sixshot, that he intended to use the energon as part of a process that would transform Earth into a new, all-powerful, Unicron-like body for him, dubbed "Grand Galvatron". Additionally, he explained that this process would require only the best components from his most powerful warriors, making it quite clear that he intended to sacrifice Sixshot and the other Decepticons for this insane ambition. Aghast, Sixshot betrayed Galvatron to Scorponok as quickly as possible, leaving the Decepticon leader alone to battle the Autobot Headmasters in Alaska. Thankfully for the Autobots, their double-agent Punch had eavesdropped on Galvatron and Sixshot's conversation, during which Galvatron had revealed that his head was his weakest point. With this information to aid them, the Headmasters entered Head Formation and laid Galvatron low, collapsing an iceberg on top of him and entombing him in ice. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg

Galvatron would remain buried in the ice for over fifteen years, until he was resurrected by Dark Nova as the new and improved Super Megatron. The Battlestars Part 6

15 Go! Go! manga

Crazy AND toy-accurate.

At some point after 2025, when Optimus Prime had been restored to life once more as Star Convoy, the mobile computer Teletraan 15 traveled forward in time from 2005 to this era as part of a mission gather data to rebuild Teletraan I's damaged databanks. During her visit, as Star Convoy and Hot Rod prepared to battle Ultra Megatron, a transwarp wormhole suddenly opened above the combatants, and a massive blast shot emerged from it and struck Hot Rod. Badly damaged, Hot Rod could barely warn his commander as Galvatron, appearing from some unknown spot in space and time, descended through the portal. Tearing Teletraan 15's arm off, Galvatron gripped the limb in his teeth as he maniacally throttled Hot Rod. Teletraan 15 passed out and woke up some time later with the outcome of the battle unknown, though she remained haunted by images of the crazed Decepticon clutching her limp and helpless friend. 15 Go! Go!

Scramble City (toy version)

This fifteen-minute, stop-motion, extended toy advert retells the story of the original Scramble City OVA with the addition of Galvatron. Created before the Japanese production staff were aware that Galvatron was a recreated Megatron, this OVA features the infamous gaffe that presents Galvatron and Megatron as separate characters. It ain't in continuity with jack, yo.

During a massive brawl between the Autobot and Decepticon combiners, Megatron took the upper hand. To counter this, Optimus Prime ordered Metroplex to enter the fray. Metroplex rolled onto the scene and towered over his enemies, with City Commander Ultra Magnus in tow. Not to be outdone, Megatron ordered his own City Commander to enter battle. Beaming down from the sky on a ball of light, the silent and menacing Galvatron stormed the battle. Transforming into cannon mode, Galvatron fired a blast of energy at Ultra Magnus, who quickly transformed to robot mode and engaged his foe in hand-to-hand combat. As the fight seemed evenly matched, City Commander Galvatron's city finally arrived to tip the odds: Trypticon! Scramble City

Marvel Comics continuity

Events from the UK-only comic stories are in italics.

There were multiple Galvatrons from various alternate futures who often time-jumped to give the Autobots trouble. There are between 2 and 5 different Galvatrons; the exact number remaining inconclusive.

Galvatron I

After being scolded by Unicron in 2006, Galvatron was ordered to attack Earth and destroy the Creation Matrix. He ordered "Decepticons, to Earth!" but what he REALLY meant was Earth...1986!

Time-jumping from the year 2006 and freeing himself from Unicron's control, Galvatron intended to create a device that would be powerful enough to destroy Unicron in 2006. Galvatron brought Cyclonus and Scourge with himself, and as an effect of time-travel, replaced three Autobots (Prowl, Ratchet, and Optimus Prime) in the timeline. Galvatron deposed his own past self as leader of the Decepticons and began construction of a massive laser cannon which he would then hide on Earth and unleash on an unsuspecting Unicron when the time was right.

The Autobots and Megatron weren't having any of that and briefly formed an alliance to stop the three Decepticons of the future. The plan wasn't going very well until Hot Rod, Blurr and Kup came from the future to help. Present-day Ultra Magnus also arrived to help and heroically kept Galvatron occupied as the future Autobots set-up a trap.

Galvatron mopped the floor with Ultra Magnus and returned to his laser cannon only to find Cyclonus and Scourge unconscious and Starscream missing. The weapon was then destroyed in a huge explosion. Galvatron emerged from the wreckage to see what he thought was Starscream (but, in fact, was an unconscious Skywarp in disguise), and in a fit of anger, blew him up. After a second he realized that if he destroyed Starscream in the past, how could he have destroyed him in the future? Figuring that he was in an alternate past, and thus, no action taken then would affect his future, Galvatron and his troops returned to their proper time. Target: 2006

File:MarvelUKTimeRift.jpg

Furman liked Galvatron, he just liked killing characters more.

Sometime later, Galvatron returned from the future (again following the destruction of Unicron). This time, he planned to stay in the past. In an initial confrontation with the Autobots and Decepticons of the present-era, Galvatron mopped the floor with both sides, establishing himself as a severe threat to all Transformers on Earth. Fallen Angel In the coming weeks, Galvatron constructed a massive magma tap as a means of gaining power for himself. He intended to siphon the energy of an erupting volcano to become as powerful as a god. His plans were interrupted by Ultra Magnus, Goldbug, and several Autobots who had travelled back from Galvatron's own era to capture him. Rodimus Prime attempted to manipulate Galvatron's time-jump device to send them all back to the future, but when he and the other Autobots slingshoted back to 2008, Galvatron inexplicably remained behind. It ultimately fell on Ultra Magnus to stop Galvatron alone. In a desperate move, the Autobot flung them into the volcano, and the two of them became trapped under molten lava. Vicious Circle!

Galvatron eventually escaped and planned to take control of the Decepticons away from Shockwave. He opened his plan by menacingly approaching the Decepticon base, compeling Shockwave to attack and try to drive off the futuristic Decepticon. Instead, after easily wading through Shockwave's defenses, Galvatron cunningly announced that he had been coming in peace, but Shockwave's unprovoked assault had made an enemy out of him. He did this to sow discord among the Decepticon ranks, who now blamed Shockwave for gaining them a powerful new enemy. Enemy Action! This prompted Shockwave to concoct a plan to use Megatron as a weapon against Galvatron. Salvage!

Galvatron’s time-travelling (along with that of the other Autobots and Decepticons) eventually caused a rift in time and space that threatened both the present and the future, opening a timestorm at both ends of the timeline that consumed the planet Quintessa in 2008. Space Pirates!

Shockwave unleashed his brainwashed Megatron on Galvatron, in the hopes of eliminating one or both of his rivals. Unfortunately, Galvatron managed to appeal to the suppressed personality within Megatron, and the two joined forces. Altered Image! Megatron and Galvatron forged an alliance and launched an assault against the combined forces of the present-day Autobot and Decepticons, the future Autobots and Decepticons, and the Wreckers and Mayhem Attack Squad. By this stage, Galvatron was consumed by madness and was able to overcome all resistance. Even severe injury and single combat with Powermaster Optimus Prime failed to stop him completely. His threat was only truly ended when the time rift itself lashed out at Galvatron, ripping him apart. Time Wars

Other versions of Galvatron

• In the year 2356 of an alternate future, a geriatric Rodimus Prime recounted tales of his exploits to a curious youth from his deathbed. In that timeline, the Time Wars had reset history: now the newly-created Galvatron hadn't time-traveled to 1987 Earth, and instead had remained in the 21st-century and conquered Cybertron. This "reset" Galvatron tried to enrage Rodimus--even going so far as throwing Blurr's severed head at him--so that the Autobot leader's vengeful thoughts would corrupt the Matrix itself. This Galvatron was last seen in a flashback to Unicron's third coming in the year 2010 (of that timeline): as Galvatron was left buried under rubble and Transformer corpses, Rodimus noted that on this occasion Unicron had no need for minions. Aspects of Evil!

• In the Earthforce timeline, a Galvatron claiming to be a different Galvatron from the original one snuck into the Autobot crypt and implanted devices that would read the memories of various dead Autobots. He accidentally revived them from the dead, and Wheeljack was able to imprison him in a "sleep mode". Within this sleep mode, Galvatron was forced to forever relive his worst nightmare (being dismembered by Rodimus Prime) over and over and over again... Perchance to Dream It is unknown if this is meant to be Galvatron II, the Aspects of Evil Galvatron, or a whole new version.

Dreamwave Armada comic

An alternate version of Galvatron appeared briefly as one of Unicron's heralds, along with Thunderwing, Bludgeon, Dirge, and Scourge. He rather impassively stated that he had killed "many" Megatrons in other alternate realities. However, he was ultimately destroyed by this timeline's native Megatron with the power of the Dark Saber. Worlds Collide

IDW comics continuity

This section covers fiction that is ongoing. It will be added to as the story progresses. If it isn't current, you can help by updating it.

Galvatron in the IDW continuity is an ancient Cybertronian who has no links to Megatron.

My cannon knows where to go because IT FEARS ME!!!

Galvatron was a crew member on the first Ark, launched during Cybertron's Golden Age as part of Nova Prime's dream of expanding Cybertronian domination throughout the cosmos. However, Galvatron and the crew were lost when he plunged the ship into the mysterious anomaly in the Benzuli Expanse, a selfish act that killed the rest of the crew. Undead, Galvatron became the herald for Nova, now known as Nemesis Prime, ruler of the Dead Universe. Millions of years later, Galvatron was sent on two missions in the living Universe: to destroy an alien starship conducting research on the anomaly in the Expanse, and to return to Cybertron to secure the inactive Thunderwing. After killing Leadfoot by touch alone, Galvatron shrugged off attacks by the Autobot squad under Hound's command and then shocked them when he got up after having half of his head blown off by Sideswipe. In a small act of defiance to his master, he merely incapacitated the Autobots and returned with Thunderwing's body to Gorlam Prime. Spotlight: Galvatron

Bouncers are taking it pretty far these days.

After Sixshot's deployment to Earth, Nemesis Prime sent Galvatron there as well to make sure nothing would forestall their second coming. Devastation issue 3 From a hidden vantage point, Galvatron observed the Decepticons' desperate fight against the powerful alien army known as the Reapers. As Nemesis Prime's plans required Earth to survive, at least for a while, Galvatron took steps to prevent the Reapers from taking over and laying waste to the planet. After blasting an attacking bird-like Ravenous Reaper, Galvatron approached the Reapers' leader, Deathbringer, and unleashed the power of death that was his to command, turning the Reaper into living decay who spread death and disintegration to his fellow Reapers on contact. This turned the tide of battle considerably, and the Decepticons won the day. Galvatron then returned to the Dead Universe to await new orders. However, Nemesis Prime remarked to Jhiaxus that he suspects that Galvatron had his own plans... Devastation issue 6

After Cyclonus secured the Nega-Core and activated its guardian, Galvatron initiated the Expansion with Nemesis Prime and the rest of the Dead Universe crew. Spotlight: Cyclonus Galvatron was paired with Cyclonus to patrol the Benzuli Expanse, charged with destroying anything that might interrupt the Expansion. He let his partner have dibs on destroying Cloudburst and his crew on the Mirror-Manifold. Spotlight: Doubledealer

No arguments! It is time for your bath, young man!

Heading to Garrus-9, Galvatron watched the battle of the Primes, waiting for Nemesis to become completely focused on Optimus, before taking his chance and shooting the Prime in the back. When Nemesis fell, the Darkness jumped to Optimus. As the Autobot leader tried to resist, Galvatron gave him a choice: kill himself in the nearby solar pool or allow the Darkness to pass on to its rightful owner. Prime reached out for Galvatron, but as the Darkness crossed between them, Optimus grabbed Galvatron's hand, and hurled him into the solar pool, destroying both the Darkness and its would-be host.

Or not. Some time later, as the Autobots were recuperating from a series of upheavals, Galvatron's hand burst from the solar pool. Spotlight: Sideswipe

Generation 1 toy bio

Galvatron is an arrogant, compassionless, cold-hearted robotic villain. He is a City Commander, but sets his determination toward nothing less than the leadership of Decepticons. He plots against his own allies, which weakens his position in the Decepticon cause.

Galvatron's toy bio establishes him as a new character who coexisted with Megatron; he has a rank of 9 and the function "City Commander", with no mention of him having once been Megatron. Given the omission of similar details from Rodimus Prime's bio, it is likely that this was done to avoid spoiling the surprise of Galvatron's origin in the movie.

Universe Classic Series toy bio

At a time when the Decepticons were a scattered confederation of assassins and warlords, Galvatron arrived from parts unknown and quickly asserted his dominance. Crushing all who opposed him, he united the Decepticons into a powerful army "capable of threatening the entire universe". Rumors about his past were plentiful, but facts were hard to come by. Mostly the Decepticons simply cowered before his might, their fear preventing them from even thinking about following anyone else. Those few who dared to conceive otherwise, simply hoped that one day a rival would emerge who could best the tyrant.

It is unclear where this story fits in continuity, or even which Galvatron is being referred to. If one assumes the "Classic Series" bios to be an extension of the Classics comic book, then he is likely "Galvatron II", as that is the only Galvatron established in that continuity. However, if one assumes that the "Classic Series" bios are not tied to any particular continuity, then the identity of this Galvatron becomes likewise open-ended.

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic

Upon being cornered with his supply of energon cubes by the Autobots, Megatron took a bite out of one cube, transforming into Galvatron, who easily pulverized the Autobots. Ironhide tried to come to the rescue, but his attempt to attack Galvatron with his blade only ended in it being caught between Galvatron's teeth. But as Galvatron was about to fire upon Ironhide, an explosion occurred, revealing a weakened Megatron, who was then subsequently attacked by Ironhide. Henkei! Henkei! #7

Controversy over identity

Yeah, this'll really help with the whole insanity thing.

“	Well, they were the same guy.	”
—Astrotrain's thoughts on the subject, "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1"

Some fans believe Galvatron is a psychologically distinct and discontinuous entity from Megatron, almost, or equally, as much as Scourge and Cyclonus, who demonstrate no continuity of memory or personality with their former Decepticon selves. This remains a topic of heated debate in some circles, in spite of a fairly unambiguous canon.

Generation 1 cartoon

In the Generation 1 cartoon continuity, Galvatron evidently still self-identifies as being the same person as Megatron, albeit with greater power and a new name. Although not making a point of revealing this former identity to his troops at large (perhaps to cast off the potential stigma of being a "defeated"/successfully deposed leader), Galvatron makes his sense of self clear when Starscream asks "Megatron? Is that you?" to which he replies, "Here's a hint", before obliterating him. Later in The Transformers: The Movie when Galvatron is poised to crush Hot Rod's neck, he boasts: "First Prime, then Ultra Magnus, and now you. It's a pity you Autobots die so easily, or I might have a sense of satisfaction now." Again, Galvatron is obviously speaking with no sense of discontinuity of identity or personality as he refers to past and current acts as both Megatron and Galvatron without qualification or distinction.

While some might contrast this statement, however, with his earlier line, "I, Galvatron, shall crush you, just as Megatron crushed Prime", interpreting that such a statement implies a disconnect from his former life, this too can easily be explained by Galvatron's apparent reluctance to allow his troops know that he used to be Megatron. While Galvatron would have fully expected the knowledge imparted in the later statement to Hot Rod to die with the callow youth, the declaration to Ultra Magnus was made in public, with his troops (and, potentially, other Autobots in earshot) present.

During season three, however, Galvatron makes little or no further references to his past life as Megatron, though this could be a side effect of lying in a pool of lava for several months and his increasing insanity. Upon meeting the resurrected Optimus Prime in The Return of Optimus Prime, Galvatron behaves as though simply picking up where he left off with his old nemesis from his Megatron days, as does Prime, saying that he knows Galvatron "all too well". This indicates that the Autobot leader is capable of recognising his former adversary despite the change in name and appearance. Furthermore, in "Five Faces of Darkness", Astrotrain states that Megatron and Galvatron are "the same guy", implying that during Galvatron's absence, the other Decepticons (or, at the very least, Astrotrain) figured out what was going on.

Despite all that, a memorial of Megatron can be seen prominently in the Decepticon Crypt, implying that the Decepticons who built it considered Megatron to be dead. This could possibly be explained by presuming the Decepticons built the marker before Galvatron returned and seized command, though their window of opportunity to do so was rather slim. Starscream's Ghost

Japanese fiction

I hope you enjoyed that shining wizard, Magnus, because it's a very long way down.

Early advertisements for the Galvatron toy presented the character as an altogether separate being from Megatron, and in some cases, even being Megatron's underling. The second "Scramble City" OVA was a remake of the original animated version, albeit including the Galvatron toy for promotion. Galvatron appears to fight his nemesis, Ultra Magnus, as Megatron barks orders from the background. This is likely due to Takara wishing to advertise the toy as quickly as possible, without full knowledge of the character's history. To maintain Galvatron's mystique, he was given the function of "City Commander", with no indication that he was an upgraded Megatron. Continuing this trend of unintentional disassociation, very early promotional artwork featured in TV Magazine and Comic Bom Bom also presented Galvatron as a separate character.

However, this era was very short-lived. In all official Japanese fiction, including the manga and the Japanese-exclusive cartoons, Galvatron is locked in as an upgrade of Megatron. A retcon was created by writer Hirofumi Ichikawa for E-Hobby in order to explain away the bizarreness of some of these early story pages, detailing that the Galvatron seen there was actually a dimension-travelling Galvatron II.

Marvel Comics

In the US and UK Marvel comics, the various time-hopping Galvatrons all demonstrate an awareness of having previously been Megatron with no strong indicators of a break in psychological identification. Indeed, at one point, a Galvatron says outright, "Like Megatron? No—I AM Megatron!" The closest that these Galvatrons come to identity crisis are incidents in which a time-displaced Galvatron is confronted by Megatrons (or copies thereof) and does battle with his former self. Although in these instances Galvatron experiences trains of thought that suggest he sees Megatron as a separate being and/or the source of his madness that needs to be destroyed, these are not the musings of a calm, rational mind. In these instances, Galvatron is in the grips of a psychotic episode, which he generally snaps out of by realising that he and his opponent are indeed the same person.

A possible explanation for why (any version of) Galvatron retains psychological continuity with Megatron while his fellow Unicron-creations do not may be that Thundercracker, et al. were apparently already dead or in total stasis lock at the time of their reformatting, and thus it is widely speculated that only their bodies were used to create Cyclonus and company. Whether this indicates that they retained their life-essences - or sparks, if you adopt the popular retcon - and merely suffered total mind-wipes (either as the result of recent death or by Unicron's doing), or if Unicron actually infused their reformatted bodies with new life-forces is unknown. (On the other hand, none of the other Unicron-created Decepticons have faced their past selves or deeds the way Galvatron has.) Megatron, by comparison, was clearly alive and awake at the time of his reformatting and struck a bargain with Unicron for "a new body", a deal which implied that his mind would remain his own.

Toys

Generation 1

Nobody minds his neon orange barrel.

• Galvatron (Decepticon, 1986/1987)
  • Japanese ID number: D-62
  • Accessories: Laser Rifle, Particle Cannon, Particle Cannon connector

Galvatron transforms into a Cybertronic treaded field artillery unit with an alternate hand-held gun mode. Using a 9-volt battery, he has a light-up barrel in cannon or gun mode, light-up eyes in robot mode, and variable electronic warbly noises in any mode. Galvatron is notable as one of the most well-articulated toys in the Generation 1 line, with ratcheting shoulders and hips, as well as swivel waist, elbows, mid-biceps, knees, and ankle joints. He was also armed with a small, black laser rifle

This toy was later released as the e-Hobby-exclusive Galvatron II.

• More information on Galvatron at TFU.info

WHO CHANGED MY COLORS?! NGAAAAA!!!!

• Galvatron (Decepticon, 2005)
  • Japanese ID number: D-62-S
  • Accessories: Laser Rifle, Particle Cannon, Particle Cannon connector

The original Galvatron toy was much later redecoed and re-released by Takara into a sort-of more show-like appearance, being primarily purple instead of gray. His face mold was also slightly retooled, and he was given new sound effects, including speech clips (in Japanese, naturally). He also came with a Matrix on a chain to be worn around his neck, as in the movie. It also used two AA batteries, rather than the previous 9-volt.

• More information on Reissue Galvatron at TFU.info

Titanium Series

"This pose is too crazy, even for ME!!!"

• Galvatron (3-inch Robot Masters, 2006)

Titanium Galvatron is a 3-inch-tall, non-transforming, die-cast metal figurine. He is based heavily on his cartoon model and has articulation in his neck, waist, shoulders, and wrists. His orange cannon and right arm from the elbow down are also removable.

• More information on Titanium Galvatron at TFU.info

Universe (2008)

Classic Series

And there... on the shoulder... was a HOOK!

• Galvatron (Deluxe, 2008)
  • Accessories: Missile

Galvatron transforms into a tank reminiscent of the Israel Weapons Industries Merkava main battle tank. The tank shows very little purple on its hull, presumably to keep it a reasonably realistic representation of a real-life tank. The tank likewise has a giant translucent orange laser cannon that can fire a translucent orange missile, also keeping in the spirit of realistic alt-modes. Upon transforming to robot mode, it looks much more like the violently insane Decepticon leader we all know and love, and shows larger areas of metallic purple. Oddly enough, the vehicle mode's wheels are molded in the same translucent orange as the cannon, and then painted over with a different shade of orange. On the tank turret is the slogan "GALV-25", in reference to the franchise's 25th anniversary.

This toy has many undocumented features in the form of small moving parts that play no role in transformation or either mode; most conspicuous are two articulated feet for the tank mode. In one of the Hasbro Q&A sessions, it was confirmed that these are remnants of an early design version of Galvatron, which would have been at a larger size class and featured a third mode as a "walking tank." It is still possible to manipulate his parts into a mode greatly resembling the original concept design.

Galvatron's transformation is almost insanely complex for a deluxe figure... Which, really, actually makes a lot of sense.

• More information on Universe Galvatron at TFU.info

Henkei! Henkei!

About ten years too late to be the No Limit Records logo.

• Galvatron (Deluxe, 2008)
  • Japanese ID number: D-06
  • Accessories: Missile

Henkei! Henkei! Galvatron is a redeco of Universe Galvatron. As with all Henkei releases, TakaraTomy have attempted to make the toy better resemble his cartoon counterpart, so most of the bright orange plastic from the Universe toy is now black. The shade of purple used on Henkei Galvatron is the lighter, lavender shade commonly seen on Takara's Galvatron toys, rather than the deeper purple seen on Hasbro's Galvatron toys. The gray is also lighter and a cooler shade of gray than the warm shade used on the Hasbro version.

Galvatron features vacuum-metallized plastic, though in Galvatron's case it is the most random and illogical usage of the gimmick yet in the Henkei toyline. Galvatron's entire tank turret and the equipment on the vehicle side skirts are vacuum-metallized silver, making him one hell of a blingin' tank.

Merchandise

• A Galvatron watch was released in the 1980s in Japan. It was subsequently re-released in 1990s by Takara as merchandise for the Generation 2 line in the USA. The watch featured Galvatron's torso with a clock in his chest. It included a mechanism whereby when a lever was pushed, the tiny Galvatron torso "transformed" into a full tiny Galvatron figure complete with legs, standing up on the watch band. The figure cannot be removed from the watch, but the arms do rotate.

Super Hybrid Model

• Galvatron (1987, 1997)

I can't transform? This is YOUR fault, Cyclonus!

File:SHBMGalv2.jpg

Clearly crazy.

Super Hybrid Model Galvatron was the exclusive toy for BotCon Japan 1997. It is a vinyl figure about 8" tall, styled after his Studio Ox-modified animation model; of the original intended SHBM roster, this is the only one to have ever been officially released. This figure was initially available in two versions: "standard" purple and a translucent orange "lava bath" version limited to 100 pieces. In subsequent years, at least two more versions of this figure would be released for online sale: one that replaced the orange paint on the cannon barrel with an orange molded plastic piece, and another that replaced the entire purple body coloration with royal blue.

Super Collection Figure

File:PVCGalvyMetalChase.jpg

PVC in this case means Probably Very Crazy.

• Galvatron (2001, 2002)

Galvatron was part of the second "Act" of Takara's Super Collection Figures, a soft-plastic PVC of his cartoon model in both full-color and all-clear plastics, one each per case of twelve. A metallic-painted version of this figure was one of the chase items in act 6.

Heroes of Cybertron

• Galvatron (2003)

Super Collection Figure Galvatron was later released as part of Hasbro's Heroes of Cybertron series, cast entirely in clear-red plastic then painted over (giving it a lightpipe-like glowing eye effect). He was only available in the third wave of the line.

MyClone

• Galvatron (2003)

He will kill you with adorability.

MyClone Galvatron is a super-deformed figurine whose parts were interchangable with other MyClone figures. He came in standard cartoon colours and lava "chase" versions (referencing his lava bath in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2").

Transformers Generation 1 Bottlecap Collection

How dare Pepsi Convoy?!

• Galvatron (2003)

Kabaya released a set of 12 non-articulated Generation 1 figures affixed at their feet to screw-on bottlecaps. Galvatron was painted entirely in greys, like all the figures except Optimus Prime and Megatron.

Robot Heroes

• Sunstreaker vs. Galvatron (2-pack, 2008)

Destron Babies, will make your dreams come true...

Robot Heroes Galvatron is an adorably insane super-deformed figurine with articulation at the neck and shoulders.

• He has a red Decepticon insignia, but he's not Shattered Glass Galvatron.
• His insignia is also movie-style.

Transformers - Mini Bust

Be gentle with me, please. Hoo, hoo, hoo, hooo!.

• Galvatron (Diamond Select, 2009)

Released by Diamond Select Toys in 2009, Galvatron was sculpted by Mark Wong of Art Asylum and limited to 1000 pieces. He has his particle cannon posed forward either at an Autobot or perhaps one of his own underlings. His base is the planet devouring Unicron who originally created him from the dying Megatron.

Trivia

Why can't I see the sailboat???

• According to the 1986 Diamond Transformers: The Movie stickerbook, Galvatron transforms into "a Galvagun". The sentence describing this is phrased somewhat oddly, however, and seems to insinuate that a "Galvagun" is a kind of common object. Of course, it is just a stickerbook...

• According to Teletraan II's secret files, Galvatron was reformed from Megatron by Unicron in an attempt to bolster the Decepticon's strength and to lead the Decepticons into a new era. The fact that this information conflicts with the events as depicted in the movie may say something about the quality of the Autobots' intelligence regarding the Decepticon cause.

• A Galvatron Action Master was planned at one point, but apparently went no further than a concept sketch. It is only vaguely similar to Galvatron's normal appearance and may possibly have been a "powered up" Galvatron of some sort.

This toy IS a time paradox.

• A triple changer was proposed which would switch between a very awkward Galvatron, Megatron, and a Walther P-38 handgun with added futuristic silencer and laser sight. It is notable that the strange "Reverse Megatron" design has a mild resemblance to the also unproduced Galvatron Action Master, especially in the chest design.

• Curiously, Galvatron's toy tech specs list his firepower at 9, as compared to Megatron's ranking of 10. This seems odd given that Megatron never showed any ability to perform single-shot disintegrations of his foes and obliteration of entire planets. Some Marvel Comic bio material suggested Galvatron had nearly limitless power through Unicron. Galvatron noted during "Altered Image!" that Megatron was powerful enough to do him some "serious damage", but also indicated that a blast from his own cannon form would destroy Megatron easily.

• The Galvatron toy's gun mode's only fictional appearances were in the UK comics, which featured it as a shrunken, human-scaled weapon, and a form that he assumed merely so that he could easily be conveyed by other parties, but never wielded as a weapon. It was also referenced in Dreamwave's More Than Meets the Eye profile of Galvatron, which Cyclonus describes as a weapon "none are worthy to wield".

• Galvatron's toy bio states that his cannon is a "laser which emits chemically produced direct-current electricity". While this is a rather strange thing for a laser to do, it is a neat pun on his name. A galvanic cell, named after Luigi Galvani, is a certain type of chemical voltage source. Though Galvatron's toy's batteries are not galvanic cells, they do produce DC electricity chemically, making his toy one of the more fiction-accurate in the Generation 1 line.

• The UK comics generally referred to Galvatron's big orange weapon as a particle (or particle-accelerator) cannon, in comparison to Megatron's fusion cannon. That seems to jibe with the DC-electricity laser description above, but maybe the toy bio was referring to the black gun that comes with the figure. The 2008 Universe Galvatron toy has a "firing particle cannon" callout on the packaging, adding weight to that being the correct name of the weapon.

• In the Generation 1 manga, Makoto has a transforming Galvatron wristwatch that was first available in Japan during the 1980s. However, at the time of the story, Galvatron did not yet exist in-continuity. The circumstances behind this are best not thought about.

• When asked about Galvatron's design in an interview, Floro Dery's reply was, "But about Galvatron, my inspiration for him are those 'stupid people'." ...Ooookay.

• Galvatron's design went through at least seven versions, with the final version being a simplified version of one depicting Galvatron as having mostly exposed mechanical components.

• Just as Megatron's fusion cannon was sometimes shown in commercials to have a handle, Galvatron's particle cannon had a trigger on at least one occasion (during "The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2"). Galvatron apparently doesn't need to use the trigger; however, several times in season three, he behaved as if he was, holding his cannon with his fist vertically, rather than horizontally, while having one finger in front of the others... go figure.

External links

• Galvatron at TFU.info
• Galvatron's Universe profile at NTFA.net
• Who Was Galvatron? at Transformers Omniverse