Fusion cannon

A release of lubricant is quite common when seeing this.

The fusion cannon is Megatron's ultimate weapon. It is attached to his right arm and is devastatingly powerful, as demonstrated by its sudden removal of Ironhide's head. (It's at least as powerful as Fortress Maximus's hands in comparison.) It strikes fear into the sparks of both the Autobots and the Decepticons, though this description and its actual destructive capacity seems strangely uneven.

Fiction

Generation 1

Marvel Comics continuity

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

Hey-o!

While on a hunt for Optimus Prime, the Predacons betrayed Megatron. Divebomb stole Megatron's fusion cannon and the Predacons left Megatron to fight Optimus Prime with only his small backup gun. Megatron opened a space bridge which pulled both him and Prime to Cybertron where Megatron got a new fusion cannon. ...The Harder They Die! It is unknown what Divebomb did with the original.

Generation 2

As part of an agreement with Cobra, Megatron's body was rebuilt to resemble an Earth-design tank with his fusion cannon replaced by a rail gun.

The Transformers cartoon

Fusion cannon Megatron's fusion cannon from the Generation 1 cartoon. — 14 KB

Megatron could remove his cannon from his main body. One time, Brawn stole it from him and used it against him. Megatron was not amused. Fire on the Mountain

Fusion cannons are also oddly useful when you just wanna kick your lieutenant for shooting you in the back but don't want to have to walk over to him... yeah, we don't question that. More than Meets the Eye, Part 3 Starscream's Brigade

An attempted coup from Devastator is another matter. The shots continuously bounced off his armor and Megatron had to resort to a 5-way fistfight with Starscream, Astrotrain, and Blitzwing as an alternative. Triple Takeover

G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers

Having defeated Megatron, Optimus Prime ripped the fusion cannon of his arm and used it to destroy the SPS Satellite. It supposedly was the only thing the G.I. Joe, Cobra, Autobot and Decepticon troops gathered at Cobra Island had that could reach something in space. Thereafter, the fusion cannon was brought to Area 52. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6

IDW comics continuity

The fusion cannon was a gift from Starscream. Megatron Origin #4 It's ironic how Megatron decided to pay him back a few hundred thousand years later by blowing a huge hole in his torso. Infiltration #6

Plot details for Rules of Disengagement follow. Spoilers have expired, you may remove this tag

As leader of the Decepticon Justice Division, Tarn sported two fusion cannons. Rules of Disengagement

Beast Wars cartoon

Megatron loved his fusion cannon so much, he had another fusion cannon installed on the Nemesis. The blast radius from this weapon is massive. Most kickass, though this one requires a power up time to fire again which is less kickass. Nemesis Part 2

Although not Megatron's, according to Beast Wars, the Ark's cannon was also a generic fusion cannon. The Agenda (Part III)

Beast Machines

Megatron's personal chariot, Mechatron, comes equipped with a fusion cannon to nullify any accursed Maximal that comes across.

Live-action continuity

Back in the day when he needed both hands to hold/use it.

Megatron's fusion cannon is one of the most powerful weapons known to Transformers. Drawing energy from an unknown interdimensional source, the fusion cannon fires gamma-irradiated plasma at a target.

Megatron's cannon is presumably telescopic, as he keeps it stored retracted in his left arm when not in use. Its powerful blast is enough to knock Optimus Prime back three city blocks and requires both arms to steady the aim. This is most likely because Megatron is always concerned about collateral damage, or making sure he hits. Transformers (film)

Hey, I can see Starscream's house from here. *fires*

After his resurrection, Megatron still possessed his fusion cannon but in a more compact form from which he could now access with his Death-lock pincer that also featured an attached sword. A point blank shot can still send Optimus Prime flying back several yards. Later, after impaling Optimus with the sword, Megatron finished off the job by firing the fusion cannon right through Optimus.

Following his resurrection, Optimus later turned the fusion cannon against Megatron during the final battle in Egypt...by blowing off half of his face and then severing it and part of Megatron's arm off with his own Energon sword. Revenge of the Fallen

Megatron was later able to obtain another fusion cannon, albeit a handheld one which resembled a human shotgun. He used it on a number of occasions. Optimus later used it to execute Sentinel Prime. Dark of the Moon

It is also mentioned on Ironhide's toy packaging that he also carries a fusion cannon; presumably it is the blue glowing laser weapon on his left arm, though it is obviously much smaller than Megatron's.

Animated cartoon

Given time, Starscream may simply develop an immunity to the cannon. Then again, maybe not.

Megatron's iconic cannon served admirably as a cutting torch when Megatron sought to gain access to the Autobots' ship. Transform and Roll Out After Megatron's revival, his newly rebuilt fusion cannon proved even more effective against the Autobot ship by knocking it clean out of the sky in under a minute with some help from Lugnut and Blitzwing. It also has an optical targeting lens... sometimes. Megatron Rising - Part 2 It was instrumental in repeatedly killing the newly-immortal Starscream, Mission Accomplished and was effectively used in the capture of Bulkhead. A Bridge Too Close, Part I

Eventually, it and his other miscellaneous weapons were removed when he was captured by Omega Supreme's internal defenses. Optimus Prime discovered painfully that Megatron was not as weak without it as he had hoped. TransWarped Megatron later restored it to its rightful place on his arm, and used it as his primary weapon when he fought Optimus in the air. It survived the explosion of a Lugnut Supreme, despite being damaged. Megatron shot Optimus Prime with it again, but this time it was ineffective, and Optimus destroyed it with the Magnus Hammer

Notably Megatron, despite always precisely hitting Starscream, rarely manages to aim correctly when facing the Autobots. The writers were likely reluctant to have half the cast atomized in the space of five seconds, but to be fair, Starscream was unsurprisingly at point blank range for nearly every shot.

Megatron's fusion cannon is eventually destroyed at the hands of Optimus Prime with Ultra Magnus's Magnus Hammer. Endgame, Part II

Aligned continuity family

The Fusion Cannon could tap into interdimensional power sources to blast through almost any armor. Megatron had one, Megatron's Battle Bio and so did The Fallen when he was Megatronus.

War for Cybertron

Megatron's precious cannon fires explosive charges into the faces of his enemies. Oddly enough, Optimus can also use one.

Carried by: Leaders, Megatron

• Damage: 10
• Range: 9
• Accuracy: 7
• Rate of Fire: 4

Prime cartoon

Megatron has a purple cannon. Which may or may not be a fusion cannon.

Toys

Generation 1

• Megatron (Decepticon Leader, 1984/1985)
  • Japanese ID number: 16
  • Accessories (Hasbro release): Silencer, stock, telescopic sight/fusion cannon, "high-density infrared laser cannon"

The telescopic sight/fusion cannon was included in Hasbro's version of Megatron.

Generation 2

• Megatron (Decepticon, 1992)
  • Accessories: Rifle, 6 missiles, sight

Megatron's weapon is referred to as a fusion cannon in his Generation 2 toy bios, even though in the comics, it was replaced by a rail gun when Megatron was rebuilt into a tank by Cobra.

File:G2 CombatHero Megatron toy.jpg

• Megatron (Hero, 1995)
  • Japanese ID number: TRF-2
  • Accessories: Rifle, 2 air-launch missiles

Beast Machines

• Mechatron (Beast Rider, 2000)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

Mechatron features a central fusion cannon.

• Mechatron (Beast Rider, 2001)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

Later on, Mechatron was given a running change redeco into a shocking purple, yellow and copper coloration, though the packaging was not changed in any way to reflect this.

Animated

• Optimus Prime vs. Megatron: The Battle Begins (Entertainment Pack, 2008)
  • Accessories: Missile

Megatron's signature fusion cannon forms the central chassis and cockpit section of his Fusion Fighter alternate mode.

• CYBERTRON Mode Megatron (Voyager, 2008)
  • Japanese ID number: TA-06
  • Accessories: Missile

This fusion cannon fires a missile. It easily pops off.

☢CAUTION!!☢
Nuclear Fusion!
☢CAUTION!!☢

• Megatron (Leader, 2008)
  • Japanese ID number: TA-26
  • Accessories Missile, 2 rotor-swords

This fusion cannon also fires a missile.

File:Megatronanimatedactivator.jpg

• Megatron (Activators, 2008)

The fusion cannon is only available in vehicle mode.

• Shadow Blade Megatron (Leader, 2008)

Megatron repainted his fusion cannon (along with his armor) in preparation of returning to space.

Universe (2008)

• Megatron (Legends of Cybertron, 2008)

Based on Generation 2 Megatron, this toy also presumably features the fusion cannon.

Dark of the Moon

• Sentinel Prime (MechTech Voyager, 2011)
  • Japanese ID number: DA20
  • Accessories: MechTech Boom Lift/Fusion Cannon

The toy marks the first character who is not Megatron but possesses a fusion cannon.

• Megatron (MechTech Voyager, 2011)
  • Japanese ID number: DD01
  • Accessories: MechTech Blaster/ Fusion Cannon

Once again, the half-faced Decepticon holds his precious cannon.

Notes

...or you could do that instead, sure.

• Generation 1 Megatron's on-package bio says that his weapon is a particle beam cannon.
• His Generation 1 on-package bio also mentioned he can "link up interdimensionally to a black hole and use anti-matter from it for use as a weapon," without elaborating further. This, however, is a truncated version of the full bio provided to Transformers writers and later published in The Transformers Universe, which explains that his cannon draws on the antimatter as a power source. Apparently working from the shortened version, Simon Furman wrote two stories in the Marvel UK comics where Megatron channeled the antimatter through his body, unleashing it through his hands the first time and through his eyes the second time. It manifested as a black, starry cloud that caused explosions. A similar situation occurred in the cartoon. Megatron was never shown to possess antimatter-channeling abilities, but he was shown to possess an anti-matter blaster in "Enter the Nightbird". Like every Decepticon weapon in the cartoon, it produced a purple laserbeam, though one that "absorbed" energy. The fusion cannon-power-source interpretation has never featured in a story.
• The deep percussive note at the beginning of the iconic fusion cannon sound effect (used throughout Generation 1 and Animated) is an old "stock" sound used frequently in American animation, most notably within Hanna-Barbera's Scooby Doo where it was used to signify cast members or objects falling on the ground, running into walls, etc.
• According to the Transformers: Mystery of Convoy strategy guide, Megatron's fusion cannon functions as a flame thrower. No wonder he got defeated easily, at least in the comic featuring in the strategy guide.

See also

• Fusion weaponry
• Rumbler