Megatron (G1)

This article is a featured article, and considered to be one of the most informative on this wiki.

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

Megatron is a Decepticon from the Generation 1 continuity family. He is also known as Lord Megatron and sometimes nicknamed the Slag Maker.

Baby, why you make me gotta hurt you?

Megatron is the founder of the Decepticon uprising, and their most well-known and feared leader. As a young, charismatic leader forged in battle and the heritage of war, he began to believe in a grand purpose for his race—it is the Transformers' glorious destiny to rule an empire which will span the universe. The opposite of his mortal enemy Optimus Prime, he feels great contempt for other Transformers who, he feels, betray their proud heritage by demanding peace and cooperation with weaker life forms. It is the destiny of the Decepticons to bring order to the universe through conquest, though in the millions of years since coining this purpose it remains to be seen how much of his mission statement is altruistic... and how much of it is mere words built to fuel warriors to further his desire for personal power.

Megatron will attempt almost anything to achieve his goals, but his schemes are rarely in any way subtle. This is perhaps due to his arrogance, but his pride is not so strong as to dissuade him from abandoning a battle he is losing. Some would question his sanity, though these few are mostly now dead by his hands... or his fusion cannon, depending on his mood. Sometimes he uses his energon mace to strike them down. It does not matter how they die. Death by the hands of Megatron is an honor.

His Earth Alternate mode is usually a modified Walther P38. His fusion cannon becomes the scope.

Sometimes, Megatron is later reborn as Galvatron.

You destroy everything you touch, Megatron!Optimus Prime, "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"

That's because everything I touch is food for my hunger. My hunger for power!Megatron, "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2"

Portugese name (Portugal comics): Megatrão

Chinese name (Taiwan): Měi-jīa Wáng (美加王, "King Mega" or "Mega Throne") / Jǜ Wú Bà (巨無霸, "Extremely huge" or "Extremely Gigantic")

Chinese name (China): Wei Zhen Tian (威震天, "Extremely prestigious", literally "Heaven-shaking Might")

Cantonese name: Megaton (麥加登 Mak Gaa Dang, literally "Wheat Garden" or "Wheat Adding Climbing")

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

Generation 1

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

File:Megatrong1marvelarmy.jpg

No, not fascist at all.

Four million years ago, rising from his beginnings as a gladiator for the city-state of Tarn, Megatron and the Decepticons developed the ability of transformation, using it to begin the war against the Autobots, who fought back by mimicking the technology. Megatron declared his intent to transform Cybertron into a "cosmic dreadnought" to conquer the universe. The Transformers However, he would only get as far as building massive engines deep beneath the planet's surface. Legion of the Lost!

Megatron also vowed to possess the planet's superdatabase, the Underbase, for himself, so he followed a young Optimus Prime on his quest into the Temple of Knowledge, where he destroyed the temple's curator, Boltax. In order to keep the Underbase out of Megatron's hands, Optimus Prime destroyed the temple and launched the Underbase into space. The Flames of Boltax!

Check out my awesome preproduction model!

After the death of Sentinel Prime, Megatron's troops poised themselves around the Autobot capital city of Iacon, slowly disintegrating its defenses. Emirate Xaaron chose Optimus Prime, a warrior, to take the Council of Autobot Elders' place as leader of the Autobot forces. Optimus Prime and Megatron's armies then met in battle, and Megatron's forces were defeated—with help from an exploding bridge. And There Shall Come...a Leader!

In time, the war grew so fierce that Cybertron itself was shaken from its orbit, and set adrift in the cosmos. Eventually, over a thousand years after Megatron's war had begun, the planet fell into the path of an asteroid cluster in the Sol system that threatened to destroy it, and so Optimus Prime led a contingent of his troops in the Ark to reduce the asteroids to rubble, saving Cybertron. The plan was a success, but immediately afterwards, Megatron and his troops attacked, forcing Optimus Prime to crash the Ark into prehistoric Earth.

Four million years later, in 1984, the Transformers were reawakened, and Megatron immediately set about trying to locate a source of fuel for the Decepticons. Unable to ingest common Earth gasoline, the Decepticons kidnapped Sparkplug Witwicky and forced him to develop a conversion process. Megatron soon found his Decepticons and his base of operations under siege by the Autobot Gears and a strange super-powered human named Spider-Man. The pair escaped with Sparkplug, but not before he had managed to convert Earth fuel into usable energy. Prisoner of War!

In early Marvel UK stories, Megatron's colors were blinged up to match his box art.

After an argument with Megatron, Starscream left their headquarters and set about on a plan to position himself above Megatron in the eyes of his comrades. Ravage, sent by Megatron to spy on Starscream, was discovered overhearing Starscream's treachery, and so Starscream tried to eliminate the elusive jaguar. This enraged Megatron, who punished Starscream by having him duel the Autobot Brawn. The Enemy Within! Soon, Megatron and the full fury of the Decepticons under his command laid siege to the Ark itself, but his attack was stopped short by a malfunctioning Auntie, the Ark's computer system. Captured with Optimus Prime in a stasis field, Auntie's fatal intentions towards them prompted Megatron to activate his rarely-used ability to tap into the power of a black hole. This proved unnecessary after Ravage and Windcharger saved them, so Megatron moved to use his cosmic power on Prime—until Windcharger magnetically launched him out of the Ark and into the stratosphere. Raiders of the Last Ark

While Sparkplug was kidnapped, this had only afforded him the chance to poison their fuel, and the Decepticons were forcibly deactivated at the end of a climactic fight between the two factions. The Autobots were not saved, however, as Shockwave suddenly arrived and defeated the Autobots with a single blast. He brought the Decepticons back online to serve him—including Megatron. The New Order Chafing under his command, Megatron battled Shockwave, but was soundly defeated. The Worse of Two Evils!

Get used to this, Megatron.

Repeat Performance! This forced Megatron into an alliance with Ratchet, who located and reactivated the Dinobots, who had defeated Shockwave in the past. However, Ratchet loosed them on Megatron, and was willing to sacrifice himself to knock Megatron off a cliff. While Ratchet survived, Megatron disappeared for some time. Repeat Performance!

Soon, however, Megatron re-emerged, trapped in pistol mode, his higher brain functions disconnected. Used as a weapon by wannabe gangster, Joey Slick, Megatron eventually restored himself, and was impressed enough with Slick for standing up to him that he allowed him to live. Shooting Star! At this point, Megatron was desperately low on fuel and attacked a coal mine, attempting to locate some, when he eventually completely ran out and froze in place. He was soon located by Soundwave, who brought him back online, and they subsequently entered into an alliance with the human Donny Finkleberg, who used the alias of "Robot-Master" to con humankind into thinking the Transformers worked for him. I, Robot-Master!

Shockwave and Megatron entered into a period of shared leadership, but when a two-pronged attack by the Autobots saw Megatron defeated by Omega Supreme, and Shockwave allowing the Autobots to capture the secrets of Devastator, Megatron was able to spin the situation and reclaim his leadership. Command Performances!

SPOILERS!

A mysterious Decepticon called Galvatron, along with his henchmen Cyclonus and Scourge, entered the Decepticon camp and claimed he was the future Decepticon leader from the year 2006. Megatron found this preposterous, but though he tried to destroy the alleged impostor, he and Soundwave were buried under rubble by the powerful newcomers. Megatron was retrieved from the rubble by Ironhide, and he and the Autobots forged an uneasy alliance against Galvatron. This was still not enough, as Galvatron (who was revealed to be Megatron himself from the future) easily disposed of all of them, and was only deterred when he was tricked into believing he had traveled back in time to a past that would not become his own future. Target: 2006

Megatron summoned the Predacons to Earth with the intention of having them hunt down Optimus Prime, but Shockwave used the opportunity to try and remove Megatron from the picture. After trailing Prime through a forest and bringing him to his knees, the Predacons turned on Megatron, blindsiding him, stealing his fusion cannon, and absconding. Prey! When Megatron came to, he continued hunting Prime, but when the Autobot leader attacked him, he summoned the space bridge in hopes of escaping to Cybertron, only for Prime to be transported with him. On Cybertron, Megatron established contact with local Decepticon commander Lord Straxus, whose body had been destroyed by Blaster, leaving him a head floating in a jar. The Harder They Die!

Straxus soon came to consider the irrational Megatron a liability and sought to dispose of him by transplanting his mind into Megatron's body, giving him mobility again while trapping Megatron in his remains. Megatron resisted the transfer, however, and the process went awry, leaving both Straxus and Megatron's minds trapped in Megatron's body together. Outwardly, Megatron seemed to become more and more unstable as the two personalities inside him battled for control; when attacked by Prime and Ultra Magnus, he even proved desperate enough to use his antimatter manipulation powers, nearly destroying the entire Decepticon complex, until Ratbat activated the space bridge and sent him back to Earth. Straxus's consciousness fled Megatron's body, and Megatron himself was left with no memory of the whole affair. Resurrection!

Yes, you're very smart. Shut up.

In order to attain possession of a new energy-generating device, the hydrothermocline, Megatron battled Optimus Prime in a video game duel, using a cheat code to continue the fight after he had lost. Prime defeated him again, but at the expense of some of the game's characters, and ruled himself the loser because he would not have committed such an act in real life. Afterdeath! Prime was destroyed, and Megatron's elation soon turned into paranoia, as he had not killed Prime with his own hands, and believed he could still be alive. Bringing the Predacons back to Earth, Shockwave had them pose as Autobots and attack Megatron in another attempt to remove his threat, but the plan failed when the deranged Megatron defeated even Predaking. Believing (correctly, as it would turn out) that Prime's mind could have been preserved on computer disk, Megatron descended into outright insanity, and boarded the space bridge, vowing to go where Prime could not follow - right before he blew it up with his fusion cannon, apparently killing himself. Gone but Not Forgotten!

buggabuggaWHA?

Megatron's absence allowed a contingency plan arranged by Lord Straxus to be put into motion. In the event that his attempt to seize Megatron's body failed, Straxus had had a clone of Megatron created, complete with a copy of his brain patterns, into which his consciousness retreated following the previous debacle. Straxus lay dormant within the clone, which was activated following Megatron's seeming demise, and sent to Earth, to the sewers beneath London. There, the clone - believing itself to be the genuine article - battled the Autobots, Action Force, and the mechanoid Centurion, and wound up submerged in the Thames river. Ancient Relics!

Some time later, it was salvaged by Shockwave, who brainwashed it and unleashed it on Galvatron, a recreated future version of Megatron who had traveled back in time from the year 2006 and posed a threat to Shockwave's leadership. The clone Megatron, however, saw a possible partner in Galvatron, and the two teamed up to battle Autobots and Decepticons from both present and future in the apocalyptic Time Wars. Subsequently, the clone returned to Cybertron, where it defeated the ruling Decepticon Triumvirate, but was then confronted with the real Megatron - the Spacebridge explosion had deposited him in the Dead End region of Cybertron, where he had wandered, with no recollection of who he was, until he had saved a Decepticon from Autobots and regained his memories. The clone Megatron subsequently destroyed itself to prevent Straxus, buried inside its mind, from taking over. Two Megatrons!

As you can tell, the Marvel Comics weren't very good to Megatron. Or Ratchet for that matter...

While Megatron's Micromaster Air Strike Patrol created a diversion which pitted Optimus Prime's forces against Scorponok's, Megatron sent his Micromaster Sports Car Patrol to capture Ratchet from the Ark, bringing him to Cybertron. Back from the Dead Threatening Ratchet with the destruction of the Ark and all of his patients aboard, Megatron forced him to recreate Starscream as a Pretender. Ratchet did so, but also restored Grimlock, Jazz and Bumblebee in the same manner, thwarting Megatron's scheme, and also bringing the explosives on board the Ark through a trans-time dimensional portal into Megatron's base. When Megatron then attempted to flee through the portal, Ratchet tackled him as the Decepticon's base exploded around them, apparently killing them both. Skin Deep

Soon after, however, Autobot detective Nightbeat discovered that the explosion had actually blown them through the portal, and he dispatched a probe to pull them back from the gaps between reality. However, when they rematerialized, it was revealed that the explosion had fused the two enemies together, into a hideous, twisted mockery of a being, which ran rampant through the Ark. The half that was Ratchet begged Optimus Prime to kill them, but Prime could not, and had the Micromaster Fixit separate their bodies. Unfortunately, Fixit could not separate their minds, as they were bonded at a molecular level; one could not survive without the other. The Price of Life!

Their separated bodies lay in the Ark's medbay until Grimlock pumped them full of Nucleon, though the revitalizing effect took some time to help Ratchet and Megatron come to. Megatron awoke to find Galvatron II, another version of him from the future, wandering the halls of the Ark as it returned to Earth. Galvatron II, driven to insanity, initially tried to kill Megatron to purge the memory of him that haunted his mind. Megatron was in no state to comprehend what was going on around him, and began interpreting Galvatron II's blows as coming from Ratchet.

Though Galvatron II and Megatron eventually came to terms with each other while beating up Shockwave (he and Starscream had stolen the ship), vowing to join forces and take over the galaxy, Ratchet doomed them all by igniting the Ark's engines and spiraling the Autobot spacecraft into the Earth below. Megatron was presumed dead among the remains that constituted the crash site in northern Canada. A Savage Circle

Marvel UK future timelines

In an alternate 1990, Megatron was in control of Decepticon forces on Cybertron, including Bludgeon, Stranglehold, Octopunch, and Warmonger. After they captured a trio of Autobots, the heroes somehow managed to escape custody. They were recaptured, but Megatron realized there must be a traitor in his midst. Accusing Bludgeon of the crime, he attempted to beat the Pretender into confessing. Instead, Bludgeon demanded a trial by combat, as was his right as a Decepticon. Megatron agreed, and sent him out into the wreckage surrounding the base, with his three fellow Decepticons chasing after him, eager for the kill. Octopunch and Stranglehold both tried and failed to destroy Bludgeon, but Warmonger managed to get the drop on him. When Warmonger hesitated to kill a helpless foe, however, Megatron executed him as the REAL traitor. He then revealed this was his plan all along, to draw out the traitor by trusting in the sickeningly honorable Autobot code to make the spy reveal himself. Megatron also made it clear he would have had no regrets if Bludgeon had died in the "testing" process. Aspects of Evil!

The above story is the earliest known account from the Marvel UK alternate "Movie" timeline. The split between the main comic and the future stories almost certainly took place in 1989, either due to the Time Wars, the events of Primal Scream where Primus alerted Unicron to his location 15 years early, or both.

Earthforce

These stories do not fit into the normal Marvel continuity. See Earthforce for details.

The real culprit behind global warming.

In an offshoot of the Marvel timeline following the restoration of the Autobots aboard the Ark with Nucleon, but before... uh ... (okay, see Earthforce for continuity notes, it's pretty complicated...)

Somewhere in the Arizona desert, Megatron and the Constructicons built a rocket that would launch into Earth's atmosphere and detonate, converting the atmosphere into energon. The Decepticons were interrupted by Prowl and Wheeljack, and though Megatron insisted they were too late to stop the rocket, Starting Over! Prowl rode the rocket into the atmosphere, and was able to destroy the satellite the rocket carried before it released its gas canisters. Desert Island Risks!

Now that Grimlock's Earthforce had installed itself to counter Megatron and Shockwave's Decepticons on Earth, the two leaders decided to hold an Enclave to foster unity. This event was sabotaged by the Earthforce by staging an assassination attempt on Megatron, and once again, Megatron and Shockwave's respective groups were at each other's throats. The Bad Guy's Ball!

After being ambushed at a secret energon drop by Shockwave and the Triple Changers, an enraged Megatron demanded that Soundwave use his mind-reading powers to find the traitor who betrayed his location to the enemy. Of course, Soundwave WAS the traitor, so this proved difficult. He managed to satisfy Megatron, though, by framing the Stunticon named Wildrider for leaking the information, knowing Megatron would destroy Wildrider before he could explain himself. Secrets When Megatron gained information as to Shockwave's whereabouts, Megatron ambushed him, unaware the information had been deliberately leaked by Starscream. Starscream and Soundwave subsequently deposed their respective leaders and when they came under attack from the Autobots (who had been alerted to their position by Starscream) Megatron and Shockwave were forced to join forces to escape. Internal Affairs!

Megatron and Shockwave soon hired a group of inept assassins to attack Starscream, knowing he would believe Soundwave had sent them and thus initiate a confrontation between the pair. They then hired the surviving members of the Mayhem Attack Squad - Bludgeon, Octopunch and Stranglehold - to kill whichever one of the two survived. The plan failed thanks to the intervention of the Autobots, who needed Starscream's help to save Snarl, and Megatron and Shockwave were forced to retreat again. Assassins External Forces! The Lesser Evil

Another Time And Place

Prime and Grimlock disapprove of Megatron's Bludgeon cosplay.

"Another Time and Place" was retconned out of continuity a few years later by the Generation 2 comic books.

Trapped in non-transforming Action Master bodies, Grimlock and the Dinobots snuck a shuttle to Hydrus Four, where rumor had it a new, less destructive brand of Nucleon had been developed. However, the allegedly defeated Decepticons were waiting for just such a trip, and followed the Dinobots to the planet's surface, where they were ambushed and captured. Grimlock woke up to hear endless chants of "Megatron! Megatron! Megatron!" as technicians had strung up the late Decepticon leader's body, culled from his supposed doom on Earth, for repairs. Bludgeon would revive him and revive their fallen, and then the war would begin anew.

But Bludgeon wouldn't get the chance. The cavalry arrived, and Optimus Prime's Autobots quickly quelled the Decepticons' would-be resurgence. As Bludgeon was taken to pieces by a vicious repair spider, a partially-restored Megatron, a visual monstrosity, lunged half-alive at Grimlock and Optimus Prime. With a double-teamed punch, Megatron's undead corpse was easily defeated. The war was truly over. Another Time and Place

Generation 2

Green with evil!

Although thought dead for a year or two, Megatron had actually survived the Ark crash (though his mental link with Ratchet was forgotten), and had quietly worked to repair it, concealing it beneath the ground. From there, Megatron tracked a signal, mistakenly believing it was another Transformer, but instead he found the shape-shifting castle of the terrorist organization, Cobra. He entered into a bargain with its leader, Cobra Commander, offering him the technology of the Ark in exchange for the new weapons his organization was developing. Realignments Reconstructed into a new tank body with a powerful rail gun, Megatron defeated a squad of Autobots sent to stop him, and then turned on Cobra, capturing the scientist who had developed his gun, Dr. Sidney Biggles-Jones and escaping in the Ark. Final Transformations

Both Skydive and Spike Witwicky had snuck on board, and following a clearly one-sided battle with Spike's Headmaster partner, Fortress Maximus, Megatron was seemingly killed again when Fortress Maximus threw himself into the Ark's power core, destroying it once and for all. All or Nothing! But Megatron (and a repaired Starscream) rejoined the Decepticons on Earth to challenge the current Decepticon leader, Bludgeon. The Power and the Glory Bludgeon was deposed, fatally, though Megatron continued many of the Pretender's ongoing projects, such as calling the attentions of Optimus Prime to Earth by indiscriminately rampaging across it. When Prime finally showed up, Megatron's old foe at first attempted to talk and join forces against the new threat of Jhiaxus and his Advanced-Decepticons, but Megatron ignored him, ripped the Creation Matrix from his chest, and left to infuse a new generation of warriors with life. The Gathering Darkness His warriors proved to be highly successful, and helped Megatron secure the galvanizing additive known as Rheanimum. Immediately thereafter, however, Megatron's Decepticons came into conflict with Jhiaxus's forces. Many of Megatron's troops were killed in the resulting battle, and Megatron himself was humbled brutally in battle against Jhiaxus, getting knocked out of space and crashing with immense force into the planet below. New Dawn

Megatron's getting a little too self-aware.

In order to gain revenge, Megatron entered into an alliance with the Autobots to "put their house in order". He was forced to deal with Prime's more altruistic streak, but toughed it out for the sake of the alliance. Escalation! But, of course, they were betrayed by Starscream, who joined forces with Jhiaxus' troops, alerted Jhiaxus to the location of the Autobot/Decepticon camp on Earth, and then again betrayed both sides by using the opportunity to steal the Creation Matrix and Megatron's Warworld. Total War! Starscream, using the powers of the Matrix, fused himself with the Warworld, which gave Megatron and Optimus Prime great difficulty as they fought their way through its shifting insides. Dark Shadows! Ultimately, Starscream relinquished the Creation Matrix to Optimus Prime when it was discovered that the artifact was making him nice, allowing Megatron to load a ship with canisters of Rheanimum gas and head back to Earth, where the Swarm was beginning its attack. Megatron arrived just in time to coat the remaining Transformers with the gas, which protected them from the Swarm long enough for Optimus Prime to defeat the Swarm with the Matrix. The Swarm departed, changed into a force for good, leaving both Autobot and Decepticon seemingly united for good. A Rage in Heaven!mv hgvgjhcfhukjcjhhiugfuhfguhdfhgdfhghdrsygdfhygdfhughdfhghdfhsghfdsughhfdghdfhgudfhghfjdghudrhgudfhghdfyughdufhgufdhguhdfguhdfugdhfgudhfughdeguhfdghdfhgu. glatue von voovoomakalaka blnnnob. Poopoo winnie da poo meets tortoise crown juice of da house.

Fun Publications Classics comics

The Classics comic takes place after the end of the original Marvel Comic, but in a splinter timeline that does not include the events of the Marvel UK-exclusive stories or Generation 2.

I got your child safety right here pal!

Fifteen years had passed since Megatron supposedly died along with Shockwave, Starscream, and Ratchet when the Ark crashed violently into the Yukon. The defeated Decepticon army scattered, and the Autobots were able to return to a peaceful Cybertron.

Inexplicably, Megatron returned (in a new body) and once again stalked the Earth, rallying the remaining Decepticons to him. Megatron rebuilt many of these Decepticons using altered specifications created by Shockwave, shortly before Megatron presumably had Shockwave decommissioned in an unspecified way. Eventually, Megatron, roaming free, stumbled across Skyfall and Landquake, who had travelled from their universe in a fantastic energon/forcefield explosion, but his evil intentions for them were interrupted by human-piloted Armored Robot Hunters (or RUNTs) and subsequently a small team of Autobots led by Optimus Prime. Crossing Over, Part 1

Megatron managed to escape with Landquake and return with him to the Decepticons' base of operations, where he had Landquake restrained, interrogated, and inspected. Megatron was intrigued by Landquake's claims of being from another dimension. He was further intrigued by a radiation wavelength signature detected in South America that exactly matched Landquake's readouts, and so Megatron led his Decepticons to the source of the signature. Crossing Over, Part 2 There, he encountered not only a fleet of jet-piloting RUNTs, but also the Autobots again. This time, with the might of his Decepticons behind him, he eagerly engaged in battle. Crossing Over: Part 3

Generation 1 cartoon continuity

Megatron was responsible for bringing Cybertron out of its Golden Age when he re-started the Autobot/Decepticon civil war nine million years ago. Among his first actions was the fatal wounding of a young dock worker named Orion Pax, who was rebuilt to become Megatron's mortal enemy, Optimus Prime.

Megatron's forces boarded the Autobots' spacecraft when it was on a mission to search for new sources of energy on other planets, and he knocked offline like all the other Transformers when the craft crashed on prehistoric Earth. When both factions reawakened in 1984, Megatron made it his mission to pillage all of Earth's natural resources and enslave its populous, with the goal of revitalizing Cybertron and dominating the entire universe. His plans were by turns cunning, wicked, outrageous, and often, utterly, utterly ludicrous.

In 2005, Megatron faced off with Optimus Prime in a battle at Autobot City, during which he fatally wounded the Autobot leader, but not without taking severe damage himself. Cast adrift into space, Megatron was found by the planet-eater, Unicron, and recreated as Galvatron.

In other timelines which branch out of this one, Megatron became a Transmetal, ordered the murder of a puppy, and years after his transformation into Galvatron, became Megatron once again, in various powered-up forms.

Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity

Voice actor: Earl Hammond (?)

Megatron calls Soundwave a "blundering tape-filled idiot." When Continents Collide

This is notable because it is hilarious. Also, Megatron totally sounds like "Mumm-Ra" from Thundercats. Megatron had an odd obsession with drills, mole machines, and other burrowing devices, as he used them frequently in his plans for energy gathering and conquest.

Big Looker Storybook continuity

MTV pimps Megatron's ride.

A bunch of humans set up a race for charity, and the victor would receive a year's supply of oil and gasoline. Well, the Decepticons desperately wanted that bounty, so rather than just steal it, they decided to sneak into the race. Cliffjumper was one of the Autobots driving in the rally and was unaware that the scary black Cadillac was actually being driven by Megatron! Megatron dogged Cliffjumper for quite a while but ended up losing to the Minibot. Cliffjumper won the race and everybody smiled, even Optimus Prime. The Great Car Rally

Frighteningly.

Transformer PD Type comic

This is how the movie should've gone.

With the discovery of a new super energy source known as the Blackballs, Megatron found himself joined by numerous Decepticons from all across the timestream, all hoping to obtain the ebony spheres. Naturally, oposing him were a team of Autobots, also gathered from all across the timestream.

In one confrontation with his eternal foe, Optimus Prime, Megatron got to relive their battle at Autobot City. Except this time around, Megatron was defeated when Prime launched his "Matrix Attack" (literally launching the Matrix from his chest, bonking Megatron on the noggin). You're Great! Optimus Prime!

Later, Starscream managed to find what he thought was a Blackball. He presented it to Megatron and received much praise...until the Blackball turned out to be a cartoon bomb which exloded in their faces. As the Autobots stood astonished that their crude strategy succeeded, a badly singed Megatron was left in a smoking crater, strangling Starscream. Don't Cry! Megatron!!

During battle with Victory Leo, Megatron found himself horribly outmatched. Thinking quickly, he launched a special weapon from his fusion cannon: a ball of yarn. The giant robot kitty immediately began playing with the yarn, giving Megatron the distraction he needed to escape. Tough as Nails! Victory Leo!

After that, he had to snap a pensive Overlord out of a trance and order him to return to a battle he had walked away from in order to look at clouds. Oh Overlord.

Some time later, Starscream located yet another Blackball. This time, though, he decided to keep it's power for himself and use it to overthrow Megatron. Then it exploded in his hands because it was another cartoon bomb. Megatron watched the explosion from a distance, unaware of what was going on. Good Luck! Starscream!!

Comic Bom Bom G-2 manga

In the year 199X, the Decepticons had learned of a powerful new energy source known as forestonite which just happened to be located (surprise surprise) on Earth. Megatron sent his trio of Cyberjets to Earth first to draw out the enemy Autobots. The Cyberjets made quick work of Electro but were soon halted by the appearance of Optimus Prime.

Megatron then entered the fray and fired his Black Hole Burn attack from his fusion cannon, narrowly missing Optimus Prime but vaporizing Hooligan in the process. Prime fought fiercely but Megatron began to take the upper hand in battle.

However, Prime was encouraged to keep fighting by the cheers of a human boy named Junpei. Megatron, surprised at Prime's resilience, attempted to finish his foe off with his Tornado Axe attack. Prime countered with his Double Wheel-Torque Mega-Ton, which trumped Megatron's attack and injured the Decepticon badly. Megatron teleported back to his ship and left Earth's atmosphere, vowing to return. Generation 2: The New Battle!!

Beast Wars

Voice actor: Garry Chalk (English)

Sure, we all need our beauty sleep, but 4 million years, now that's taking the pee.

After the Autobot/Decepticon war moved to Earth, Megatron hunted down the Voyager probe as it traveled through the Solar System and encoded a message on its disc. Should his efforts fail, he left detailed instructions to any Decepticon descendants who recovered the disc, instructions which apparently condoned use of transwarp technology to alter history in his favor by locating the Ark before it was reactivated, with access codes to the Ark stored in the disk, and killing Optimus Prime before the Autobots and Decepticons reawaken. The Agenda (Part 2)

Now that's what we call a smile.

The disk (dubbed the Golden Disk) eventually fell into Cybertronian hands and was stolen by a Predacon who shared Megatron's name. Beast Wars (Part 1) This new Megatron, later stranded in Earth's past, was able to use a recording of the original Megatron to sway one of the original Megatron's most loyal troops, Ravage, to his cause. The Agenda (Part 2)

I was cut out?! This is Starscream's doing!

The original Megatron himself was stranded in Earth's past on board the Ark, offline. Before long, Predacon Megatron was able to approach the comatose body of his namesake and steal his spark, integrating it into his own system. Almost immediately, however, during Predacon Megatron's painful reaction to this integration, he was thrown into a pool of lava by his treacherous underlings. In spite of—or perhaps because of—this, Predacon Megatron emerged from the lava, with a new body that could now transform into a fire-breathing dragon. It is unknown how much influence the original Megatron's Spark had in this metamorphosis. Master Blaster At the end of the Beast Wars, after Predacon Megatron was overcome, the original Megatron's Spark was returned to his body, restoring the flow of history.

A Megatron is mentioned in the Covenant of Primus, an ancient sacred text which claims to prophesize future events, including the Beast Wars. It is implied that both Megatrons took their name from here. Nemesis Part 2

Dreamwave comics continuity

Gladiators can afford extra paint applications.

Young Megatron was a rising star in gladiatorial combat in the depths of Cybertron. As victory upon victory mounted, he began to realize that the games were nothing more than an elaborate conspiracy by the Council of Ancients to divert the attentions of the masses from the dangerous truth of Cybertron’s history. When Megatron began to show interest in Cybertron's buried past through exploration and research, the Council of Ancients attempted to have him assassinated - a plan that only resulted in stirring up even more discontent among Cybertronians, allowing Megatron to begin recruiting for the Decepticon movement.

First his "inner circle," then many of the gladiators, and then finally disgruntled civilians answered his call to action. The Decepticons were born. The Route of All Evil

Megatron is so grass-roots.

Megatron's forces began a civil war of Autobot against Decepticon in order to mask his reactivation of the ancient planetary engines buried beneath Cybertron’s surface. As a result, Cybertron would be transformed into a massive warworld that would cut a swathe of destruction through the galaxy. What he required, however, was a power source for the engines, which he believed could be found in the Matrix. He personally killed Sentinel Prime, but found the Matrix was not with him. He sent two assassination squads after Optimus Prime, the new Autobot leader, before going for him personally. During the fight, Megatron's lieutenant, Starscream, shot both leaders into a deep hole. During their subsequent battle, Megatron explained his goals, and urged Prime to join him. His attack on Prime also cracked the Matrix's casing, causing both Transformers to see visions of the future. Unfortunately for Megatron, Starscream activated the planet mechaforming process too soon, resulting in the destruction of the machinery, and Prime erased Megatron's memories of the future, and of the engines. The War Within

Roughly 7.4 million years BCE, Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an early test of the then-unstable Space Bridge matter-transport system. Spending an undisclosed time on the planet Quintessa, Megatron returned with an overwhelming army of lifeless seeker clones, quickly subjugating Cybertron. (This story was never finished due to the closure of Dreamwave, though the seekers and presumably Megatron as well were eventually defeated.)

Four million years BCE, Cybertron was threatened by a massive approaching asteroid, so Optimus Prime led a contingent of Autobots aboard the Ark to blow the rock to fragments, which were transported away by an orbital Space Bridge network. When this task was completed, Megatron chose this moment to strike, attacking the Ark with his troops. Crippled, the craft flew through one of the Space Bridge portals, and was transported to prehistoric Earth, where it crashed, entombing the occupants in stasis for four million years.

The Autobots and Decepticons were reactivated in 1984, but specific details of their battles in the 1980s and 1990s are unrecorded. (Presumably, they broadly resembled the G1 cartoon and comic books.) In 1999, a Autobot/Human military alliance succeeded in capturing and deactivating the Decepticons. However, the Ark II spaceship carrying them back to Cybertron exploded shortly after liftoff, and the Transformers were believed destroyed. In actuality, they had been scattered back to Earth, where they lay in stasis lock across the globe for three years. This slumber was brought to an end when Adam Rook (aka Lazarus), a rogue military scientist who had devised a method of controlling Transformers, salvaged many of the fallen Cybertronians and reprogrammed them as mass killing machines, which he then attempted to sell on the black market. Megatron was first to break free of the human's control, overriding the new programming and capturing Lazarus during an auction. Megatron forced Lazarus to watch as he unleashed a technorganic virus designed to transform all of Earth into a new Cybertron. It also served to lure Optimus Prime and the Autobots, also now reactivated, to his location. Megatron, tired of the war, continuously asked Prime to join him. After his first failed attempt, Megatron unleashed Devastator on San Francisco, ensuing in mass slaughter, in an attempt to show Prime the humans were not worth fighting for. However, the selfless sacrifice of several firemen restored Prime's faith in humanity and allowed him and the Autobots to beat back Megatron.

Megatron's a bottom.

Several months later. Megatron was subliminally summoned to a remote area in Alaska along with the other Earthbound Transformers. There they battled until Megatron's former second-in-command, Shockwave, arrived and revealed that in their absence the war on Cybertron had ended. He arrested Megatron, Prime, and their troops as war criminals. Megatron, weakened by battle, was quickly defeated by Shockwave and loaded aboard his shuttle for return to Cybertron, only to have Starscream seize the opportunity by jettisoning him into space on the return trip. Megatron used the time floating in space to contemplate his existence and the Decepticon goal. Realizing that he had wasted millennia in his feud with Prime, Megatron resolved to once again conquer Cybertron as a means of enhancing the Transformer race and strengthening it from outside threats. It seemed as through he would not live to accomplish this goal, however, as death closed in on him... only for him to be retrieved by the Junkion Wreck-Gar. Wreck-Gar took Megatron to the planet Junkion and repaired and re-armed him, as well as digging up and reactivating a number of seeker clones that had wound up there after being dumped through space bridge portals. Megatron returned the favor by stabbing him in the back with an energy dagger.

Traveling to the Planet Beest, Megatron defeated the exiled Decepticon warlords, the Predacons, and rebuilt them into the mightiest of all combiners, Predaking, to serve as his ace in the hole in his quest to reclaim leadership of the Decepticons. Moving in stealth on Cybertron, Megatron defeated Shockwave, severing his laser arm and forcing him into servitude. He then returned to Earth to collect the remaining Decepticons under Starscream's command, and to teach Starscream a lesson long in coming.

While it was alluded that Megatron had a grand goal in mind that also included the subjugation of the Quintessons, the remainder of the story has yet to be told due to the closure of Dreamwave. However it has been stated by representatives of IDW Publishing, the current holders of the Transformer comic license, that once Dreamwave has exited bankruptcy court, they intend to finish the story.

Devil's Due G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers continuity

Joey Slick > Cobra Commander

After Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world, found a crashed spaceship full of Transformers in stasis lock, these beings were rebuilt into Cobra vehicles and reprogrammed to serve Cobra. One exception to the latter detail was Megatron, who was rebuilt to transform into a Walther P38 handgun, but was only locked in this mode and not reprogrammed. He mocked Cobra Commander's decisions, especially deciding Starscream, Megatron's traitorous lieutenant, would serve as the Commander's choice of transport.

Megatron was able to bargain for his freedom when the Transformers were cleared of their reprogramming, including a very stern Optimus Prime. The two leaders clashed, but ultimately Megatron was defeated. Unbeknownst to the victors, Megatron's remains were seized by the United States government. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Megatron's remains were eventually used to create Serpent O.R., a synthetic creature that combined the personalities of several of Earth's most famous warmongers and Megatron. During a Cobra raid, Serpent O.R. was prematurely activated. After discerning his origins, Serpent O.R. considered himself the son of Megatron. The Art of War

Dreamwave Transformers/G.I. Joe continuity

Megatron and the other Decepticons were unintentionally revived by Major Bludd. Bludd's leader, Cobra Commander, used Megatron as a weapon of global conquest. Megatron took the opportunity to harvest energy from the conquered human establishments. To enforce Megatron's loyalty, the Commander was willing to use his possession of the Matrix as a weapon capable of causing Megatron great pain. Megatron eagerly awaited the Commander's death.

When Cobra Commander's legs were crushed during Bruticus's rampage, Megatron suggested the Commander use Megatron's gun mode as a means of killing himself to relieve the pain, but it was Baroness who was bold enough to fire the killing shot.

Then Snake-Eyes broke the Matrix and Megatron died. He remained dead. Transformers/G.I. Joe

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.

I don't care why you fight to protect these people, this place, the old way. It must change. I will make it change.Megatron to Sentinel Prime, "Megatron Origin issue 4"

You should have gone to IKEA.

Long ago, before the war, Megatron was an energon miner, a member of the lower class, in Mine C-12. One day Senator Decimus arrived at the mine to announce that the mine was being closed immediately and the workers would be relocated. However, one of the Senator's guards killed a worker for insubordination and claims of Senate corruption, which spurred Megatron into action. He attacked Senator Decimus and killed the guard in self-defense, and was shocked to find he had done so. He and the other miners were en route to imprisonment when Rumble and Frenzy broke free and started a riot aboard their ship. They escaped and made their way to Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 1

After evading law enforcement, Megatron joined a team of underworld gladiators under the tutelage of Clench. Initially repulsed by killing his opponents, the games eventually turned him more brutal and excessive, and he took control of the entire operation from Clench. The opportunistic Senator Ratbat, after seeing how much money there was in the underworld matches, sent his agent Soundwave to offer Megatron weaponry and technology to upgrade himself and his comrades. Megatron Origin issue 2 Sentinel Prime's Autobots were sent to investigate the gladiatorial games, but when two Autobots were personally killed by Megatron, Prime's forces stepped up their pursuit. Megatron used the gladiatorial games to drum up an army of violent malcontents and spread chaos throughout Cybertron. He then deliberately allowed Sentinel Prime's forces to capture his burgeoning army, Megatron Origin issue 3 so that Starscream (pretending to defect) and Soundwave and his hidden cassette army could exterminate the Kaon Senate and then free every last prisoner. Megatron led the army of prisoners against the Autobots, beat Sentinel Prime nearly to death, and took control of Kaon. Megatron Origin issue 4

450 years ago, his helmet was black, but now it's gray. The difference time makes, huh?

Over time, the war between Megatron's Decepticon army and Optimus Prime's Autobots covered the entire planet and soon beyond to the rest of the galaxy. Optimus grew to respect and fear Megatron as a calm, calculating and measured opponent, while Megatron himself respected Prime's sheer power and his skill as a tactician and as a leader. Escalation issue 5 Megatron also constructed Sixshot, a living weapon with frightening amounts of power that only he had the "off-switch" for. Devastation issue 5 The conflict became so great that it created an impending energy crisis and threatened the stability of Cybertron itself. When Shockwave left Cybertron, secretly pursuing alternate energy sources, Megatron ordered Bludgeon to investigate his files, secretly assigning Soundwave to investigate Bludgeon. Spotlight: Shockwave

Later, a Decepticon scientist, Thunderwing, came to Megatron with a revolutionary, controversial plan to stave off this energy death by polydermal grafting, a process where they encased themselves in "symbiotic carapaces," or shells created from living tissue. When Megatron dismissed him angrily and cut him down, Thunderwing did not abandon his research, but instead experimented on himself. Stormbringer issue 3 As a result, Thunderwing became so powerful that Megatron had to join forces with Optimus Prime to stop him. This battle at Thunderhead Pass accelerated the apocalypse destined to befall Cybertron, leaving it an uninhabitable, radioactive husk and forcing both armies to continue their war on other worlds. Megatron advocated that they simply destroy Cybertron to ensure that Thunderwing was destroyed, but Prime refused, and threatened to stop Megatron if he tried. Megatron agreed not to destroy the planet, but warned Prime that whatever happened was on his head. Shortly after the last big push by the Decepticons, Cybertron was abandoned by both factions.

Those librarians are getting really strict on late returns.

Seven hundred stellar cycles later, in current times, it was discovered that as a result of digging through Shockwave's files, Bludgeon had resurrected Thunderwing's dangerous project, as well as Thunderwing himself. After being informed of Thunderwing's attack on Nebulos, Megatron dispatched the Predacons in the Thanatos to Cybertron, authorizing Razorclaw to do whatever was necessary to destroy Thunderwing, including the destruction of Cybertron. Stormbringer issue 3 However, Optimus Prime and the Wreckers were able to thwart both Bludgeon and Thunderwing, and so destruction of the planet was averted. Stormbringer issue 4

You will stand down. If you fight, you die. There is no room anymore for mercy. In the end, you are all expendable. Choose.Megatron's ultimatum to Starscream's troops, "Infiltration issue 6"

Megatron, meanwhile, was on Earth, investigating Starscream's infiltration team. He discovered that Starscream had stumbled across Ore-13, an incredible energy source which had been mysteriously seeded there, and that the Air Commander was planning to use it to usurp Megatron's command — this annoyed him, as he had thought they were beyond such power games. Infiltration issue 4 After seriously damaging the hesitantly rebellious Skywarp and Blitzwing, Infiltration issue 5 Megatron ordered the AWOL team to stand down and then took on a super-powered Starscream. Though the Ore-13 made Starscream a formidable adversary, Megatron was still more deadly than he, and Starscream was destroyed. All throughout, he acted eerily calm & measured and made both Autobot and Decepticon wet themselves in fear. Infiltration issue 6

I also wonder.

Megatron took stock of Starscream's progress on Earth in light of the discovery of Ore-13, repaired Skywarp and Blitzwing, and made Starscream's former troops aware, in no uncertain terms, that any further insurrections would be met with deadly force. Escalation issue 1 But instead of leaving Earth in the hands of a new commander, Megatron stayed to guide the second stage of the Decepticons' plans, wishing to try out his new mass-displacing handgun altmode and the Ore-13 power. Escalation issue 2 He personally took charge of the Decepticon subterfuge in Brasnya, guiding the facsimile of Georgi Koska in an attempt to escalate an international incident into a full polarizing war, and acting as Koska's personal weapon. (His alt-mode only works when a human is holding and firing him, which left him at a disadvantage against the Autobots, who could simply pin him down in that form. Maybe Megs just wants to be held.) Escalation issue 3

When Optimus Prime arrived, Megatron transformed and started a full-blown to-the-death melee with his longtime foe for all the nuts and bolts - this surprised Optimus, who accused Megatron of letting the Ore-13 power go to his head and causing him to be "some raging braggart". Even with his fusion cannon disabled almost right away, Megatron gained the upper hand due to his Ore-13 high. Beating his foe down, he squeezed Prime's spark casing and seemingly killed him; Escalation issue 5 aghast, the Autobots moved into a full but ineffective counterattack, their only edge being that Megatron had no long-range guns left. However, Prime's death was a desperate ruse, and the Autobot leader countered with a surprise attack on Megatron, able to exploit Ore-13's weakness — the more it's used, the faster it burns itself out. Megatron almost collapsed from power loss and was forced to have Skywarp take him to safety before the Autobots could kill him.

Upon returning to base and being refueled and repaired, Megatron was hopping mad. Mad enough to prematurely call in his ultimate living weapon—Sixshot—despite Astrotrain's panic attack on hearing that. Escalation issue 6

During this time, he discovered a plot by Ramjet to overthrow him. Without saying a word, he beat the living slag out of the attempted traitor. Spotlight: Ramjet

Upon Sixshot's arrival, Megatron ordered him to utterly destroy the Autobots, throwing out the methodical "Phase" strategy. The other Decepticons were worried that Megatron was losing his grip - and since they were too scared to tell him that, they decided to revive Starscream to do it for them. Devastation issue 1 Before Sixshot could obliterate the Autobots, Megatron recalled him to deal with a new threat—the Reapers. Devastation issue 4 Megatron deduced that the other Decepticons betrayed him by awakening Starscream, but decided not to punish them yet, due to the present task of destroying the Reapers. Devastation issue 5 After these foes were dead, Megatron was forced to accept Starscream and the others when it became clear the humans were aware of them now. Devastation issue 6

File:Bringingthehousedown.jpg

Megatron's urban renewal program was off to a flying start.

At some point between Devastation and AHM, the Autobots were led into a trap; false information was planted by an Autobot traitor, and they were badly smashed up by the 'Cons and Devastator. Megatron planned to drop the Autobots into the midst of three thousand horrendous things he had created on Cybertron. When all but Prime had gone throught the space bridge, Prime grabbed Blitzwing's gun and somehow saved the other Autobots from ceratin death, closing the portal. Optimus was critically injured by the space bridge, which fried his circuits. All Hail Megatron issue 7 This caused Starscream's status among the Decepticons and their concern about Megatron to go way down, with former dissenters like Skywarp becoming Megatron fanboys. All Hail Megatron issue 1 By use of Sunstreaker's input with Starscream and Bombshell's experimentation on Hunter O'Nion, Megatron was able to defeat almost all the Autobots in the galaxy...

A year after the defeat of Optimus, Megatron decided to take Earth and make it the new Decepticon homeworld. All Hail Megatron issue 6 Using Sunstreaker, he led the Autobots into an ambush, defeating Optimus' squad and banishing them to Cybertron to be food for the Swarm All Hail Megatron issue 8, three thousand failed experiments, born during an attempt to create the InsecticonsAll Hail Megatron issue 7. He arrived on the front lines as the Decepticons attacked New York, humiliating Starscream by outdoing him in destroying things with just one shot from his fusion cannon. When the US Air Force responded with an F-22 squad, as a show of force Megatron had Soundwave disable the human's missile targeting, followed by the Decepticons just standing there shrugging off bullets before making their attack. After one jet was damaged by Skywarp, its pilot attempted to take out Megatron with a suicide run, but the Decepticon leader calmly swatted the incoming plane, causing it to explode. As flames rose from the wreckage, Megatron emerged, completely undamaged, laughing maniacally. All Hail Megatron issue 1 Megatron continued to direct the Decepticon assault on New York, dispatching Frenzy to mop up the U.S. Army's ground forces and ordering the Constructicons to combine into Devastator and destroy the underwater tunnels leading out of the city. All Hail Megatron issue 2

His plan executed flawlessly, the Decepticons continued their assault on the major cities of the United States, disabling or nullifying any attempt by the army or navy to counterattack. As he surveyed his handiwork in New York, he ordered Hook and the Constructicons to begin building something in the once-great human city and appreciated their "sacrifice" in using "substandard" building materials. Soon thereafter he was joined by Starscream, with whom he had a heart to heart and revealed he believed Starscream to be the embodiment of the Decepticon cause, but that Starscream was blind to realizing this. All Hail Megatron issue 3

When the humans had fallen, Megatron made a propaganda speech to his men in the ruins of New York. He heaped great praise on their efforts, both on Earth and across the galaxy, announcing they had finally crushed the Autobots for good. All Hail Megatron issue 4 After making this speech (and dispatching Ratbat to attack a small group of mercenaries led by Commander Witwicky), Megatron entered one of the "buildings" to gaze at his newly prized possession... the Autobot Matrix of Leadership that he stole from Optimus. All Hail Megatron issue 5

That praise turned out to be empty, as Starscream started noticing that Megatron didn't have a plan now victory had been achieved, and the smashy-smash fun on Earth was him trying to distract the troops - because now he had an army of evil sociopathic murderers with nothing to murder and a doctrine of taking power. Not even smashing up Israel made him feel better. All Hail Megatron issue 6

The events of Spotlight: Mirage possibly take place in an alternate/unknown continuity.

With most of the Autobots in the galaxy defeated, Megatron chafed to end the war quickly. He demanded Mirage track the last pocket of Autobot resistance down for the Decepticons. The mercenary demanded a majority share in all energon mining operations, a deal which outraged Megatron, until Mirage pointed out it was a small price to pay to end the war. After Optimus Prime surrendered, Megatron demanded the prisoners be executed despite Mirage's promise to spare Autobot lives. Seeing Mirage's hesitation, Megatron appealed to his greed. Spotlight: Mirage

IDW Hearts of Steel continuity

He is referred to (as a leader Starscream wants to replace, big surprise), but does not appear. Hearts of Steel issue 2

IDW Hearts of Steel Concept Art micro-continuity

Megatron is depicted with three different altmodes: a giant cannon (with big studded wheels that become shoulder-shields), a 19th-century Colt revolver, possibly a Colt 1851 Navy, and another very similar revolver, with an anachronistic scope and a bulkier muzzle. Since these altmodes have no place in the story, these sketches constitute a micro-continuity in which Optimus and Megatron are active in the late 19th century.

Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics

#1 #2 #3 #7

Comic Bun Bun Henkei! Henkei! comic

Enter the Emperor of Destruction! Kingdom of Giants Optimus Prime's Secret Time of Resurrection Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!

Commercial appearances

Megatron featured in quite a few commercials, mostly advertising other toys:

• He appear in the very first Transformers animation, a commercial announcing the upcoming 1984 comic book. He lands amid a battle on Earth and fires his cannon at incoming Autobots. This appearance uses his pre-cartoon design, with the black helmet and triggered cannon.

• Footage from that commercial, as well as the show's opening credits, was recycled into an early ad for the toyline.

• In the ad for Coleco's Power Cycle, Megatron and the Decepticons are raiding a jungle gym power plant. This footage is recycled from the advertisement for the first issue of the comic, and features Megatron's early "black helmet" model.

• Megatron attempts to hijack a load of shoes in a South American ad for Bata's licensed Transformers footwear. He is stopped when a pair of said shoes deflect his fusion cannon blast right back at him. No, really.

• In the middle of a desert battle, Megatron summons Thrust and Dirge, in response to Optimus Prime bringing in like half a dozen new guys.

• Megatron, in his Action Master body, is seen in a base futilely trying to grab a pair of Micromaster Combiners.

Megatron's voice, provided by Frank Welker, has narrated numerous commercials, including:

• The Constructicons
• Rubsigns
• Sharkticons (strange!)
• Wreck-Gar (stranger!)
• Galvatron (stranger still!)
• Stunticons
• Combaticons
• Trypticon
• Predacons
• Battlechargers

Trivia

• Early in the Transformers series preproduction, Megatron's look was based not on the toy, but on concept art for an unproduced prototype version. This early version, sporting a different, black head, a very different scope/fusion cannon, and the gun's barrel on his back, managed to make its way into not only early commercial animation and licensed material, but into the art of the early Marvel Comics. Though the model was altered before the animated series was produced, elements from the first model were perpetuated such as the back-mounted barrel in both the comic and the cartoon. The Marvel Comics continued to color Megatron's helmet black (well, blue) until the end of its run.

• 
  The fusion cannon's got that handle because... well, we're not sure.
• 
  Microman Megatron's concept model. Back then, he was a little less happy to see you.

Megatron sincerely hopes that you do not remember this.

• The name "Megatron" was originally used by Marvel Comics for another robot that appeared long before the Transformers toyline came about, in issue 18 of the Shogun Warriors series (written by Doug Moench, art by Herb Trimpe, released in July 1980). Bob Budiansky stated in an interview that the name "Megatron" is a portmanteau derived from "Megaton" and "Electronic". He suggested the name "Megatron" for the Transformers line (it's unclear if he was aware of the existing Marvel character, though as an editor it seems likely that he at least had a subconscious memory of it) but Hasbro initially rejected it, claiming that "mega" conjured images of nuclear bombs. Budiansky reminded them that the name was supposed to sound evil, because he's the leader of the bad guys. Hasbro responded, "Oh, right," and then approved the name.

• In the UK comics, Dreadwind explains that Megatron is the equivalent of a 'blueblood,' possessing some royal lineage.

• After his fight with Optimus Prime in the 1986 animated movie, Megatron appears to have energon leaking from his eyes and mouth. Either that or he's been crying, which seems unlikely.

• In Megatron Origin issue 2, we see that Megatron's helmet is, in fact, a helmet and not part of his head (at least in this continuity). Upon removing his helmet, Megatron then briefly unfurls a crest. The significance of this moment is not explained, nor is it ever revisited. Thankfully.

• Megatron once crushed Brawl's head with his bare hands!

• Some Québecquers loved his shiny body so much they named their postal service after him.

• When Megatron transforms into gun mode, he shrinks to a size where he can be held by either a human or fellow Transformer. He generally requires someone to aim and fire for him. This is in contrast to Shockwave who does not size change and can fly about, aim, and fire for himself. The reasons Megatron chooses to Transform instead of simply using his fusion cannon are not entirely clear, but one could probably assume his gun-mode firepower is more concentrated or in some other way more powerful.

• There are some exceptions to the statement above. In the episode "S.O.S. Dinobots", Megatron does not shrink and instead attaches himself to Starscream's jet-mode undercarriage. In the episode "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", he floats in the air and takes a shot at Skyfire unassisted.

External links

• Megatron at TFU.info
• Megatron's Universe profile at NTFA.net
• Page 1, 2 and 3 of Megatron's MTMTE profile at Transformers-universe.com
• Megatron Black Version Manga and Profile Translation at the Allspark / TF Pulp