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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 honour. | 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 honour. | ||
His Earth [[Alternate mode]] is usually a modified [[wikipedia:Walther P38|Walther P38]]. Contrary to natural assumptions, his [[fusion cannon]] becomes the scope, not the barrel. | His Earth [[Alternate mode]] is usually a modified [[wikipedia:Walther P38|Walther P38]]. Contrary to natural assumptions, his [[fusion cannon]] becomes the scope, not the barrel. Who's the idiot that suggested Megatron turn into a gun? WORST IDEA EVER! Did Hasbro not think of the children at that time? | ||
Sometimes, Megatron is later [[Renaming|reborn as]] [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. | Sometimes, Megatron is later [[Renaming|reborn as]] [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. | ||
Revision as of 15:18, 3 October 2013
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.
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 honour.
His Earth Alternate mode is usually a modified Walther P38. Contrary to natural assumptions, his fusion cannon becomes the scope, not the barrel. Who's the idiot that suggested Megatron turn into a gun? WORST IDEA EVER! Did Hasbro not think of the children at that time?
Sometimes, Megatron is later reborn as Galvatron.
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
Megatron was a gladiator from Tarn, who sought to turn Cybertron into a cosmic dreadnaught. To win his war for conquest, Megatron's Decepticons developed the art of transformation. Reawakening on Earth in 1984, Megatron was ousted from command by Shockwave, and their power struggle continued for sometime until Optimus Prime killed himself in a video game duel. Refusing to believe his nemesis was dead, Megatron committed suicide by blowing himself up on a space bridge. However, the explosion had merely deposited him in the Dead End region of Cybertron, where he wandered as an empty, with no recollection of who he was.
After regaining his memories, Megatron forced Ratchet to turn Starscream into a Pretender, but the ploy failed and the two were grotesquely fused in a trans-time dimensional portal explosion. Fixit separated their bodies but the two remained in stasis aboard the Ark. They reawoke when Galvatron, a future version of Megatron, attacked, and Ratchet crash landed the ship.
In one universe, Cobra rebuilt Megatron into a tank, and he allied with Optimus against Jhiaxus, his Cybertronians, and the Swarm. In another, fifteen years of peace passed before Megatron rose again. In a third, he woke up in 1994, and proceeded to lay waste to the Earth, awaiting the day Optimus Prime would return.
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 was 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 populace, 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.
Marvel coloring books
To rule Earth, Megatron came up with the idea to raid sunken treasure. Once they obtained the treasure, Megatron decided to use a truck to take it into town and buy some factories. Unfortunately for him, the truck was Optimus Prime, who released a bunch of Autobots and defeated Megatron and his men. Search for Treasure Under the Sea Megatron's next plan was to lock up the Autobots in a special Autobot prison. They managed to get most of their enemies captured, but while Megatron was distracted by a cardboard cutout, Bumblebee freed the Autobots and Optimus soon had Megatron wrapped in an iron bar. Bumblebee to the Rescue!
Megatron sent out the Decepticons to find factories to build more troops. They ended up falling into a trap laid by the forewarned Autobots, but Megatron refused to surrender and Optimus Prime threw him into orbit. Floating in space, Megatron promised that next time the Decepticons would win! Decepticon Patrol The Decepticons kidnapped Sparkplug and Buster Witwicky, but had to retreat during the following battle because they were low on power. The Deadly Fuel Shortage
Deciding that the Decepticons should rule Earth, Megatron set about using the molecular transfer device to steal the planet's fuel supplies. The Autobots soon found out about it, and when they assaulted the Decepticon stronghold, Megatron was bamboozled by one of Mirage's holograms. Summertime Coloring Book After Ravage reported on a communication device possessed by the Autobots, Megatron used a fake message to lure Bumblebee away from the Ark so he could take it over. It worked, but when Optimus pulled the same trick a short time later, Megatron fell for it. A Message From Outer Space Megatron decided to build a factory in a forested area. The Autobots also happened to be vacationing there, and after Megatron was knocked down by a boulder, and fooled by one of Hound's holograms, he was forced to flee. Forest Rescue Mission
After the Decepticons developed a jet engine silencer, Megatron led them on an attack on the Autobot base. Thanks to Bumblebee's warnings, the Autobots tricked the Decepticons into using up their firepower on a hologram of the Autobot base. Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission
Kid Stuff Talking Story Books continuity
- Voice actor: Earl Hammond (English)
Tricking thousands of humans into digging a large cavern underneath the Kalahari Desert in Africa, Megatron detonated them with the largest explosion the world had ever seen, transforming the coal and humans into the world's largest diamond. Transporting it to a satellite launch base in Brazil, Megatron gloated the satellite would use the diamond as a lens to melt the Rocky Mountains. Prime countered the attack by constructing a square mile of polished metal, which the Autobots placed below the satellite, deflecting its beam and destroying it. Megatron and Soundwave escaped underground in a turbine mole machine. Satellite of Doom
The duo stole an enormous hovering fuel transport, but Skyfire destroyed it, forcing Megatron to come up with a new scheme: to drill the Prudhoe Bay oil reservoir. Their drill was so powerful, it caused volcanic eruptions and Siberia to approach the US, accelerating tensions between the US and USSR. Optimus had razon gas pumped into the reservoir, returning the oil below the sea floor and rising the Decepticon device. Boarding it, the Autobots once again found Megatron had fled. When Continents Collide He now intended to raise the oil from Brazil, unwittingly destroying the city of Machu Picchu and much of the Andes, as well as wreaking havoc with the weather. The Autobots stopped them again, and once more Megatron and Soundwave fled. Storms of Destruction
With all these failures, Megatron grew jealous of Shockwave's success in getting oil to the Decepticon soldiers. Tracking Slag, Megatron found the Autobot oil supplies in Antarctica. Using the Crusher Megatron sliced icebergs off the Antarctic, causing sea levels to rise. Unwittingly, his actions revived hundreds of dormant Dinobots trapped in the tar beneath the ice, forcing him to flee once more. Jaws of Terror Enslaving oil workers in the Pacific, Megatron tried to drill the oil of Buru, but his transport overloaded and he took flight. Slaves of the Insecticons From his submersible near Madagascar, Megatron sank six oil tankers. Attacking another, Megatron's submersible was completely wrecked when it emerged the oil he drained was tainted by the Autobots with corrosive acid. He escaped during the subsequent Autobot attack. Attack of the Decepticons
Megatron's relationship with Soundwave was very abusive; he dubbed him a "blundering tape-filled idiot". When Continents Collide
Big Looker storybooks continuity
As Decepticon leader, Megatron was part of the forces that attacked the Autobot Ark while it was trying to eliminate asteroids that threated to smash Cybertron to pieces. The Ark crashed on Earth, and four million years later, the Decepticons were first to be woken by the ship's computer. Leaving the ship, they attempted to destroy it, but their energy levels were too low, and Megatron announced they'd have to find new sources of energy. After raiding the nuclear plant at nearby Kimball, they returned to the Ark, only to find it empty. He ordered his men to split up and go in two different directions, and hence they were able to outflank the Autobots. The battle was short-lived, as the Autobots proved too much for them, and the Decepticons retreated. Battle for Cybertron
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
After a particularly damaging battle, Megatron sent the Seekers to distract the Autobots while he took a small squad to capture a broken-down oil truck nearby, claiming it would allow them to defeat the Autobots once and for all. While he and his men were implementing the plan, somehow Sunstreaker sneaked up and got the truck working again. Megatron furiously pursued the truck and managed to seize it from behind. Suddenly Swoop appeared overhead and Megatron proved unable to shoot him down. The Dinobot dropped a bomb on the group of Decepticons, reducing them to a pile of metal scrap. An automated signal summoned a rescue squadron, who arrived a short time later to retrieve the remains of Megatron and his men. Decepticon Hijack
Megatron set his sights on raiding a power plant, and promised his men that whoever came up with a fool-proof plan would be made Decepticon second-in-command. He was pleased when Kickback informed him that Grapple had been captured, and even more so when Bombshell arrived back at base with the cerebro-shelled Autobot. Megatron instructed Grapple to come up with a plan to steal the energy in the power plant. When the rest of the Autobots turned up to rescue their friend, Megatron took the opportunity to gloat before battle commenced. He ordered Grapple to help them fight, however Grapple, who had been de-cerebro-shelled, called him a "big coffee pot" and threw him on Starscream and Skywarp. Insecticon Attack!
Colorforms audiobooks continuity
- Voice actor: ? (English)
Soundwave passed on news of Doctor Heath Blaisedale's solar reactor. Megatron immediately made plans to use the device to drain the Sun's energy, despite Starscream's assertion that doing so would result in doom for Earth. He was furious when Starscream led an impromptu attack on the Autobots at the solar plant and ordered the three jets to retreat before they damaged the reactor. He had Ravage kidnap Blaisedale in an attempt to draw the Autobots away from the plant, before leading an attack himself. Unfortunately his particle cannon was destroyed by Cliffjumper and the Dinobots turned up as well, resulting in the destruction of the solar reactor. Megatron retreated empty-handed. Sun Raid
The Battle for Planet Earth
- Voice actor: Peter Marinker (English)
Thanks to Laserbeak's spying, Megatron and his men followed the Autobots to South America, where they found Optimus Prime taking interest in Mount Sheelah. Being unfamiliar with volcanoes, Megatron decided to investigate, but his men were unable to capture the two humans helping the Autobots. After the Autobots had retreated, the Decepticons got their change to look more closely at the volcano, only for it to erupt, trapping them with lava. Terror of Mount Sheelah Megatron had his men kidnap humans from towns to use as slave labor, but after Bumblebee stole the Decepticons' global crystal, the Decepticons were forced to set the humans free. Bumblebee to the Rescue
After Starscream spotted a hydro-dam at Stanley Lake, Megatron decided to see if it was suitable for their energy needs, and staged an invasion. A short time later, he and his men spotted the Autobots in the valley in front of the dam and attacked them. Though they appeared triumphant after the Autobots retreated, the valley was flooded with water from the dam a short time later, washing them all away. Menace at the Dam Furious at the mounting defeats, Megatron sent Starscream to infiltrate the Autobot ranks. When air commander reported that the Autobots' super weapon was being stored in Mount Levram, Megatron led the Decepticons there to flatten the mountain. Unfortunately it turned out that Starscream hadn't fooled the Autobots at all, and when the Decepticons returned to their base, it had been leveled in their absence. Espionage!!!!!
Find Your Fate Junior
Megatron had been overseeing Operation Black Coral from the Decepticons' secret base in Mount Lomas for over a week before two of the Insecticons went on their mission to Hidden Valley. When Kickback reported that Bombshell had successfully planted cerebro-shells on four of the Dinobots, he was thrilled!
In one possible path on the following day, he rallied his troops with a speech about how the imminent completion of the machinery necessary to convert Dolphin Bay's black coral into superfuel would ensure the final defeat of the Autobots in a matter of hours. This conveniently told the spying Bumblebee all he needed to know about Operation Black Coral so he could relay it to Skids via radio, which conveniently told Soundwave and Frenzy that he was right outside the doorway so Frenzy could paralyze him and leave him in the underwater tunnel.
If Skids just returns to the Ark after this, it leads to two possible outcomes in which Megatron appears long enough to witness a Decepticon defeat. In one, he ordered his warrior jets into action only to see them fall to Powerglide's thermal beam while Jazz torched the base's lab. In another, Sludge showed up at Mount Lomas claiming that he and the other three Dinobots under Bombshell's control had just decimated the Autobot ranks, convincing Megatron to welcome them into their base by holding the Operation Black Coral victory party and bonfire a day early. He began to question his judgement when Grimlock suddenly ordered his team to attack, but didn't react in time to save Soundwave or Frenzy. As Swoop nailed Thrust with a missile, Megatron fired his nuclear fusion cannon at the Pteranodon, only to have his blast redirected at the last second by Snarl's tail-strike. This caused him to blast straight down into the mountainside, creating a hole which allowed the arriving Autobots easy access to Megatron's swiftly-demolished base.
In another alternate path, Megatron greeted the approaching Autobot assault force with "a strange challenge to Optimus Prime": a one-on-one fight to the end! After squaring off for a few minutes, Megatron fired, but Optimus dodged the blast by splitting into his three components, gaining the upper hand. Thanks to Rumble's interference, we'll never know if Megatron could've turned things around. Dinobots Strike Back
Milton Bradley mini-comic
When the Autobots launched an ark to clear a path through the asteroid belt that threatened Cybertron, Megatron set an ambush and boarded the ship with his men. He grappled with the Autobot leader, Jetfire who revealed that the ship had been set on a collision course with a nearby planet. Megatron had his own contingency plan, and ordered Soundwave to jump clear. The crash knocked out Megatron and everyone else aboard the ark, but four million years later, a volcanic eruption jolted the ship's systems back into life. Megatron and the others were repaired by the ship's brain, and were soon ready to renew hostilities on Earth. In the Transformers
Transformers PD Type comic
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!!
The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual
Megatron's The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual profile
Comic Bom Bom G-2 comic
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. The New Battle!!
Beast Wars cartoon
- Voice actor: Garry Chalk (English), Wataru Takagi (Japanese)
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)
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)
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.[1]
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 Generation 1 comics
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
In search of the Autobot Matrix, Megatron personally killed Sentinel Prime, only to find that the Autobot leader was not even carrying the Matrix of Leadership. He then sent an assassination squad to the inauguration of the new Prime, Optimus, only for the whole squad to be killed. The War Within #1 Refusing to give up, Megatron paid a visit to one of the huge planetary engines which the Constructicons were reactivating, using it to orchestrate a disaster in the destruction of the Forum of Enlightenment, all in order to lure Optimus underground. Megatron sent Soundwave and the Insecticons to kill Prime and bring him the Matrix The War Within #2 As Megatron explained to Starscream his plan to transform Cybertron into a massive warworld that would cut a swathe of destruction through the galaxy, Optimus again defeated the Decepticons sent against him.
Megatron finally opted to confront the new Prime personally, but Starscream blasted the bridge they were standing on, plunging them both into an abyss. The War Within #3 Megatron continued to press his attack, explaining to Optimus exactly why he needed the Matrix and urging Prime to join him. When Megatron drove his fist into his opponent's chest, the Matrix enveloped them both in light, and they found themselves on an alien world. The War Within #4 Visions of the future, spawned by the Matrix, played out before the two warriors, even as they continued to fight. Finally they were returned to subterranean Cybertron, but were quickly separated. The War Within #5 Optimus returned with Grimlock's sword and a new resolve, defeating Megatron. Meanwhile, Starscream had activated the planet mechaforming process too soon, resulting in the destruction of the machinery. Some time later, Megatron, his memory of the battle and Matrix visions erased, found Soundwave while stumbling through the Cybertron underground. The War Within #6
Roughly 7.4 million years BCE, Megatron and Optimus Prime disappeared in an early test of the then-unstable space bridge matter-transport system. Fragmentation Spending an undisclosed time on the planet Quintessa, Megatron returned with an overwhelming army of lifeless seeker clones, arriving as the planet was on the verge of peace. The Age of Wrath He quickly subjugated the planet, though he kept secret the fact that he was working with the Quintessons. He took great delight in sealing Starscream in a tank of Piranacons and placing the Autobots in internment camps, while working on a plan to access Cybertron's core. The Age of Wrath Pt.2
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. In 1999, an 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 used to attack and destroy a rebel encampment in South America. Lazarus later demonstrated his voice control of Megatron to a prospective client, however though Megatron obeyed the lesser commands, he would not move when commanded to kneel. Prime Directive #1
Having sufficiently raised interest, Lazarus held an auction, beginning with Megatron. He was unprepared when the Decepticon leader demonstrated his autonomy, blasting his way out of the bunker. Prime Directive #2 Megatron swiftly put into action a plan to use a cyber-virus to reformat Earth into a new Cybertron, with Lazarus as its first casualty. As the Autobots arrived, Megatron outlined his plan to Optimus, suggesting that the Autobot leader simply let it happen. Prime declined, however as the two factions fought, the US Military decided to enact Operation Clean-Up and dropped a bomb on them. Prime Directive #3
The bomb's energy absorbed by the virus, the Decepticons left the area before the Autobots could recover. Megatron unleashed Devastator on San Francisco, resulting in mass slaughter and the devastation of the city. The Autobots arrived and engaged the Decepticons in battle, but Superion's defeat turned the course of the battle towards Autobot defeat. Prime Directive #4 Although Prime took down Devastator, he still fell before Megatron, who took the time to point out how worthless the humans around them were. He again suggested that Optimus join him. Prime Directive #5 The actions of a group of humans, including ramming Megatron with fire engines, inspired the Autobots to fight back. Optimus slammed Megatron to the ground and delivered a beating, but Soundwave's news that the humans had launched a nuke at their battleground in a virtual repeat of the events in Canada, provoked a peal of laughter from Megatron. Though the nuke was stopped by Superion, the Decepticons escaped in the ensuing chaos. Prime Directive #6
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 a shuttle for return to Cybertron, only to have Starscream seize the opportunity to jettison him into space on the return trip. New World Order 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. Revelation 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. Generation 1 #0 Megatron returned the favor by stabbing him in the back with an energy dagger. Runnin' with the Devil
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. Welcome to the Jungle Moving in stealth on Cybertron, Megatron defeated Shockwave, severing his laser arm and forcing him into servitude. Lost and Found He then returned to Earth to collect the remaining Decepticons under Starscream's command. With Soundwave's help, he blasted a good-sized hole through Starscream himself, before the Air Commander revealed the recent activities of Sunstorm, a figure Megatron believed was connected to the Covenant of Primus. The Route of All Evil
Transformers Legends anthology
His spark within the body of Megatron, Megatron was able to talk the Predacon leader into a new plan. Once they had broken into the Ark and implanted a fragment of Megatron's spark into Starscream, he was able to use the air warrior to attempt to return his spark to its rightful place. Unfortunately the beast Megatron resisted and overcame Megatron in a war of wills, subsuming the older Megatron. After the Beast Wars ended, the Maximals returned Megatron's spark to his body. A Meeting of Minds
Following yet another fight between Megatron and Starscream, the latter went missing. The discovery that Starscream appeared to be working with the Autobots drove Megatron into a rage, and he unsuccessfully tried to extract the Seeker from the clutches of his foes, only to be beaten off by the Autobots. Starscream later returned of his own accord, claiming to have been feigning amnesia in order to gain access to the Autobot base. The story appeared to placate the Decepticon leader. Redemption Center
Megatron was furious when Soundwave told him that Swindle was selling Decepticon weapons on the black market. After chewing out Onslaught, he commanded Skywarp to bring Swindle in, and he wasn't fussy about how many pieces the Combaticon was in. Two for the Price of One
Megatron, along with Megatron and two Megatrons, was waiting Maccadam's Old Oil House when Optimus Prime emerged from a meeting with Optimus Prime and two Optimus Primals. Prime Spark
During the gladiatorial matches in the depths of Cybertron, Megatron encountered Geosensus, and mistook him for a potential recruit. When Geosensus revealed he had no offensive capability, Megatron concluded he was a worthless idiot. Megatron prepared to terminate Geosensus, but was interrupted by Shockwave's warning that security forces were incoming. The two Decepticons left to plan their attack on Kaon. Parts
G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers
When Cobra, a ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world, found a crashed spaceship full of Transformers in stasis lock, Megatron proved to them that the machines weren't piloted vehicles when he briefly awoke and groaned that he still functioned. Cobra rebuilt the aliens into new vehicles and reprogrammed them to serve Cobra, with the exception of Megatron, who was rebuilt to transform into a Walther P38 handgun, but was only locked in this mode and not reprogrammed. Holstered by Cobra Commander at all times, the Decepticon mocked Cobra's decisions, such as deciding that Starscream, Megatron's traitorous lieutenant, would serve as the Commander's choice of transport. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1
Regardless of his complaints, Megatron's only chance to be released from his state was to follow Cobra Commander's orders, such as providing instructions on how to create energon. Things weren't all bad, though, as he still got some enjoyment out of seeing his nemesis Optimus Prime being forced to steal and destroy. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2 Megatron was also pleased when Destro showed up and started bossing Cobra Commander around. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3
When the Transformers were cleared of their reprogramming thanks to Wheeljack, Cobra Commander found himself face to face with a very stern Optimus Prime, and tried to use Megatron to shoot the Autobot. However, Megatron still had some control of his body and strictly refused to fire, instead bargaining with Cobra Commander to return him to normal. The human gave in, and Megatron transformed and clashed with his old enemy. With Prime low on energon, Megatron came out on top, but before he could finish Prime off, Starscream attacked him and tried to take leadership of the Decepticons. Megatron got rid of him, but the distraction had allowed several Autobots to come to Optimus Prime's rescue. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4
Ignoring Prime to focus on some more long-term plans, Megatron made Doctor Mindbender use the SPS Satellite to create large amounts of energon. However, his party was soon crashed when Optimus Prime attacked the facility and used the energon to power up. Finding the situation unsalvageable, Megatron tried to escape while Prime was busy with Soundwave and Reflector. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5 He ran right into G.I. Joe, but was unimpressed with their firepower and fought back with his energon mace, possibly killing Mercer. Things quickly turned for the worse for Megatron; his arm was heavily damaged by a stray beam from the malfunctioning SPS Satellite, he was pounded by G.I. Joe's rockets, and Optimus Prime caught up to him and beat him to a pulp. Prime then stole his fusion cannon and used it to destroy the satellite and smack Megatron across the jaw, defeating him and ending the battle. The Decepticon was disassembled, but unbeknownst to the victors, his remains were seized and experimented upon by the United States government. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6
A few years later, the human scientists had used Megatron's technology to create the Serpent Organic Robot, a synthetic creature that combined the personalities of several of Earth's most famous warmongers and Megatron. After being prematurely activated by Cobra Commander, Serpent O.R. flashbacked to a memory of Megatron's imprisonment and attacked the Cobra leader. He then plugged himself into Soundwave's deactivated head and learned the history of the Transformers, subsequently considering himself the son of Megatron. The Art of War #1
Transformers/G.I. Joe
Megatron and his underlings lay buried and deactivated under a temple on the Fera Islands for some three million years, until one day in 1938 when they were somehow reactivated by Major Bludd touching the Matrix of Leadership. After learning that Cobra, like the Decepticons, were ruthless conquerors in search of power, Megatron allied himself with the humans. However, this was merely a ruse so that he could get his hands on the Matrix, which proved hard as Cobra Commander kept on his person at all times. Megatron and his troops spent the following year helping Cobra ransack various European nations, stealing energy for themselves while leaving the useless "yellow metal and painted paper" for Cobra. In the summer of 1939, he took out the aerial defense of the English Channel alongside Starscream and Soundwave, clearing the way for an invasion of the United Kingdom. The Line
Hours later at the Fera Islands, Megatron was in the process of beating up Starscream for leaving his post when he spotted an Autobot repair drone in the process of reactivating Optimus Prime and his troops. This angered him slightly more than Destro eyeing his energon cubes. Transformed Deciding that he needed a safer place to store the energy, Megatron commandeered a submarine and forced Cobra troops to move the cubes into it, which did not please Cobra Commander. However, Megatron had decided their alliance had outlived its usefulness anyway, and prepared to squish the fleshling, only to learn the hard way that Cobra Commander could use the Matrix to cause him great pain. As Megatron collapsed, the Cobra leader warned him against ever rebelling again. Trial by Fire
The Decepticon commander decided to bide his time, and stood calmly by Cobra Commander's side as their enemies closed in on the Terrordrome. When Shockwave refused to follow Cobra Commander's orders, Megatron admonished him in order to further trick the commander that he had learned his lesson. Trenches As Cobra Commander's orders led to Shockwave breaking apart, Megatron suggested that he be given the Matrix so he could repair his underling. Unfortunately for him, Cobra Commander did not fall for it, but Megatron at least got to taunt him for wasting valuable troops like that. Shortly afterwards, Bruticus was unleashed, causing a rockslide that crushed Cobra Commander's legs, despite his orders for Megatron to shield him. Instead, Megatron "humbly" suggested that the commander use his gun mode as a means of ending his life. Cobra Commander could not go through with it, but Megatron was simply picked up by the Baroness, who executed her former leader. Free at last, the Decepticon leader went after the Matrix, only to find it had been stolen by Snake-Eyes. Before he could kill the ninja, Optimus Prime arrived and attacked him, keeping him at bay while Snake-Eyes destroyed the Matrix in an attempt to destroy Bruticus, killing all the Transformers in the process. The Iron Fist
IDW Generation 1 continuity
Realizing that peaceful movements could not change Cybertron, Megatron, a miner from Tarn, decided to wage a war against the corrupt Senate. With help from Orion Pax and his Autobots, he overthrew the corrupt Autobot leader, Zeta Prime, and became new tyrant of the planet. The betrayed Orion Pax, now going by the name of "Optimus Prime", gathered the remaining Autobots and organized a rebellion against Megatron and his Decepticon army. Over time, the war between Decepticons and Autobots spread throughout the entire galaxy.
Four million years later, Megatron learned of the existence of Ore-13, an incredible energy source, and headed toward Earth. Optimus Prime arrived on the planet as well, turning Earth into a new battleground for the war. By springing a trap on the Autobots, Megatron cast them to the despoiled, Insecticon-infested Cybertron and attempted to conquer Earth. However, aided by a human, Optimus Prime defeated Megatron at last, while Starscream took his damaged leader and retreated from the planet.
Megatron eventually returned in a new body built by Soundwave and Shockwave. Seeking for revenge to Optimus Prime and humans, he made a plan to break the already-fragile relationship between Autobots and humans. After a battle with Optimus Prime, however, he surrendered to Autobots for the life of severely wounded Soundwave.
When Rodimus returned to Earth with the news of Galvatron's plan to take control of Cybertron, Autobots left the planet, with Megatron imprisoned inside Omega Supreme. Meanwhile, his plan to shatter the alliance came to frution: several Autobots left on Earth discovered that Spike Witwicky and Skywatch had been deceiving them, which caused Autobots to leave the planet with a sense of betrayal.
In the midst of battle between Galvatron's army and Autobots on Cybertron, Megatron summoned his Decepticon troop to sweep both forces. Before defeating them, however, D-Void summoned every Decepticons and the Sweeps to combine into a giant monster. As the only Decepticon against D-Void's control, he managed to destroy Deceptigod and disappeared.
Hearts of Steel
Megatron was referred to as a leader Starscream wanted to replace. Hearts of Steel #2 When the Elder Gods took the Decepticons under their control, Megatron had yet to awaken. Infestation 2: The Transformers #1
Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comics
In the 21st century, Megatron attacked Tokyo, planning to steal its energy and enslave the population. He retreated once the Autobots arrived and a fight with Optimus ensued. Henkei! Henkei! volume 1 Sending Astrotrain to distract his nemesis, Megatron quietly gathered a large amount of energon cubes before being attacked by Rodimus. Henkei! Henkei! volume 2 Megatron escaped, Henkei! Henkei! volume 3 with enough energon to transform himself into Galvatron. He nearly killed Prime and Ironhide before apparently overloading and exploding, transforming him back into Megatron. Henkei! Henkei! volume 7
Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comics
When the legendary Energon Cube was lost to the reaches of space, Megatron led a small team of Decepticons across the galaxy in pursuit. The cube crashed on Earth, in the Japanese town of Hoshinochō, where it shattered into innumerable fragments that were scattered far and wide. To search for the cube shards, Megatron and his Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and devices, so they could operate in secret. Optimus Prime and his Autobots had also followed the Cube to Earth, and so the Transformers' war continued in secret on this new world. Kingdom of Giants
Ten years later, Megatron discovered that the humans had a "secret weapon" of sorts in their quest: They had allied themselves with the human boy Akira Kihara, who possessed the incredible powers of a "Booster", one of a small number of beings in the universe born with the power to detect and manipulate the energies of the Energon Cube. Seeking the boy's power for his own, Megatron struck, but was repelled when Akira used his powers to their fullest. Alas, Akira overloaded his body and died in the process, and Prime was consumed with guilt. Time of Resurrection
One year after the battle for Akira, Megatron received word from Astrotrain that Starscream and Ramjet were battling Prime's Autobots at the human structure known as the Star Dome. Enter! The Transformers Joining the conflict, he berating Starscream for his failures, using the fallen Air Commander as a shield to protect himself from Optimus Prime's shots. Chastizing Prime for not going all-out in his attack, Megatron turned his Fusion Cannon on Bumblebee and the Autobots' newest human ally Wataru Hoshinoumi. At the last moment, Prime appeared to deflect Megatron's blast with a shot of his, and Megatron elected to retreat, transforming to gun mode and collapsing a large chunk of the Star Dome to cover the Decepticons' withdrawal. The Emperor of Destruction Appears! Starscream claimed Megatron's advanced age was making him weak, but Megatron suggested that he had another reason for calling retreat... Kingdom of Giants
When Starscream struck out on his own, attacking a power plant with the aid of the brainwashed Autobot Skyfire, Megatron observed the battle via a recording made by his spy, Ravage. The events that unfolded during the conflict confirmed Megatron's suspicions: Wataru was also a Booster! Wataru's Power Once again seeking to take the power of a Booster for himself, Megatron tracked Prime and Wataru when they went on a mission to investigate a local relic (in actuality, a cube shard), then struck hard. Taunting Prime with the memory of the last Booster that he had allowed to die, Megatron goaded the Autobot leader into a ferocious battle with their energon-axe and flail. Throughout the duel, Megatron challenged Prime's philosophy and beliefs, eventually striking home with the claim that Prime had hoped to use Wataru's power to defeat him. With Prime's focus broken by this sadly-true accusation, Megatron was able to lay Prime low and seize Wataru, informing the boy that he would not allow him to die like Akira had if he came with him willingly. Naturally, Wataru refused, and activated his powers, forcing Megatron back with a barrier shield; this, Megatron realized, was what had deflected his shot during his first encounter with Wataru, rather than Prime's blast. Wataru used his powers to heal Optimus and power-up his energon axe into a mighty sword, which Prime used to tear a massive gash in Megatron's armor. The explosion that resulted decimated the surrounding countryside, and when Prime and Wataru awoke, Megatron was gone. Optimus Prime's Secret
The injured Megatron had been spirited away by Cyclonus, who took him to a network of caves beneath a volcano and placed him in a "bath" of molten energon cubes to heal him. Time of Resurrection While Megatron was recuperating, however, Starscream led Optimus Prime and Bumblebee to his location, in hopes that they would destroy him so that he could take his throne. As Starscream and Cyclonus battled in the air, Prime approached Megatron, and without hesitation, plunged his energon sword into the Decepticon leader's chest and broke the blade off within his body. Megatron howled in pain and fury, and the energon cubes around him began to react, rising to whirl around him and surround his body with their glow. The maddened Megatron seized one of the cubes and bit into it deeply, causing a huge energon explosion. As the light from the blast faded, Megatron stood restored, renewed and reformatted... now, he was Galvatron! Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!
Alternity
Numerous incarnations of Megatron from throughout the multiverse were gathered together as the "Megatron Aggregate" under the leadership of one particular incarnation who hailed from a universe where the Autobots had evolved into the hyperdimensional race known as the Alternity. Shackling the power of the trans-time god-beast Hytherion, this Megatron conveyed time-and-space-manipulating powers similar to those of the Alternity upon himself as his different iterations, forging them into one cross-dimensional gestalt-consciousness entity. To battle the Alternity across time and space, the Megatrons copied their methods, projecting their consciousnesses into auto-avatars. The Megatron responsible for the scheme took control of a "Premium Le Mans Blue" style auto-avatar, while his first known ally (from an unidentified dimension) possessed a "Silver Blade" body. To Mega Therion
The third identified member of the Megatron Aggregate hailed from universal stream Primax 1286:3 Kappa. In a "Diamond Black" auto-avatar body, he engaged in battle with "Ultimate Silver" Optimus Prime across two universal streams, striking at him from the year 2009. This Megatron was amused when Prime deduced that he had an ulterior motive for operating in that year, and so made him a wager: if he could defeat him in a game of his own choosing, he would answer a question honestly. Megatron proposed manipulating the inhabitants of his home universe in a "game full of death and suffering", and infused a portion of his power through a legion of Decepticons (including his own past self) to be pitted against Prime's lone chosen champion, Ultra Magnus. To Die Game!
Universe cartoon
During the war, Megatron rose up to become leader of the Decepticons. Pursuing Optimus on his quest for more Energon, he shot down his ship. Landing, he, Starscream and Soundwave saw Optimus and his Autobots had survived, and taken disguises. Megatron's eyes turned red as he prepared to scan an alternate mode... Action Blast 1
Megatron and Cyclonus set up a mining operation near an abandoned gas station to extract Earth's natural resources and convert them to energon. They were discovered by Bumblebee and Optimus Prime, who created a diversion and knocked Cyclonus out. Megatron then blew the mining operation up with his double-barreled arm cannon and retreated with Cyclonus. Fight for Energon
Mars Attacks: The Transformers
After being defeated by the Autobots, Megatron and his men were restrained with stasis cuffs. Martians attacked while they were being transported by the humans, allowing the Decepticons to escape. Megatron struck a deal with the invading forces to team up and destroy the Autobots, however he was promptly double-crossed, as the Martians sealed both factions in a force field. Megatron reluctantly accepted Prime's offer of an alliance, using Soundwave and Blaster's combined power to bring down the force field. The Decepticon leader was cut off mid-rant by the Martian leader zapping him with a shrink ray and reducing him to the size of a toy. His fusion cannon still proved effective in terminating the Martian leader, and when Starscream attempted to claim leadership, Megatron attacked him in the face. Soundwave was able to reverse the shrink ray, and after the Martians were repelled, Megatron announced the alliance was over. Mars Attacks: The Transformers
Commercial appearances
Megatron featured in quite a few commercials, mostly advertising other toys:
- He appears 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. He was not properly introduced in the commercial, but simply referred to as "The Decepticon Leader".
- 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 gympower plant. This footage is recycled from the advertisement for the first issue of the comic, and features Megatron's early "black helmet" model.
- The footage from the first issue of the comic was recycled again for the rubsign ad.
- 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.
- Action Master Megatron points at Action Master Starscream.
- 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
The Hub promos
Cobra Commander and Megatron had an argument involving New Year's Eve marathons of their respective television series. Cobra-palooza Megatron-A-Thon
Games
Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' Minicar troops from the Decepticons, Megatron could hinder Optimus Prime's progress by blasting him with fusion cannons. Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game
The Transformers (Commodore 64)
The Transformers (Commodore 64)
Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
As Ultra Magnus searched for the truth behind Optimus Prime's death, he was taunted by Megatron about the truth. Soon, Megatron and Ultra Magnus battled in a game of death and suffering. Transformers: Mystery of Convoy
Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals
After defeating both the Maximals and Predacons on ancient Earth, Ravage entered the Ark and used a prototype transreplication device to create clones of the dormant Decepticons within. The Megatron clone, equipped with all the memories and personality functions of the original, then followed Ravage back to his future in order to conquer it. Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals
DreamMix TV World Fighters
- Voice actor: Seizō Katō (Japanese)
As part of DreamMix TV's attempt to pull in more ratings, Megatron and his eternal rival Optimus Prime were invited to battle bunches of other beings on the television show World Fighters. DreamMix TV World Fighters
The Transformers (PS2)
- Voice actor: Jeff Manning (English)
Revenge of the Fallen - The Game (Xbox 360/Sony PS3/PC)
- Voice actor: Frank Welker (English)
Transformers Battle Universe
At the edge of time, when the Matrix needed a new host, Megatron was among several warriors (and Megatrons) summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. Transformers Battle Universe
Transformers G1: Awakening
When the Autobots left Cybertron in the Ark, Megatron and his troops gave chase, boarding the Autobot ship and causing it to crash on Earth. After a four million year stasis nap, a volcanic eruption woke the Decepticons, and they began conquering the new planet and building a space bridge. When they found Jetfire, Megatron tricked him into joining the Decepticons. Unfortunately the Autobots soon turned Jetfire to their side, much to Megatron's displeasure, and the Autobots found out about the space bridge. Megatron returned to Cybertron and laid a trap with which he successfully captured the Autobots who came through the bridge. When the Autobots escaped back to Earth, Megatron followed them and mounted an all-out assault on the Ark. Unfortunately this was repelled, and despite Megatron's best efforts, the Autobots fought their way back to the space bridge, and attacked the Decepticon's headquarters on Cybertron. Transformers G1: Awakening
Transformers Legends
Megatron's strict rule resulted in the Insecticons going rogue. Harvest of the Insecticons He was pleased when he heard that Optimus Prime had been badly damaged by the Dinobots, but didn't have time to order a strike on the Autobot base, as the Dinobots were attacking his own base. Day of the Dinobots (Part 1) At some point, Megatron went missing in action, and Starscream took command of the Decepticons. Countdown to Extinction As part of a distraction while the Constructicons attacked Teletraan I, Megatron challenged Optimus to a duel. Heavy Metal War (Part 1)
When the ongoing conflict finally came to a head, Megatron led an assault on Autobot City and eventually stood over Optimus Prime's broken body. One Shall Fall... A short time later, Megatron was reborn into Galvatron thanks to Unicron. All Hail Galvatron
Toys
Merchandise
Notes
- 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. Cleverly, the IDW comics used the black helmet to show Megatron's younger self and used his normal gray helmet for his modern self in order to show age.
- 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)[2]. Strictly speaking, though, the name is even older, as it has been used by a manufacturer of ball points since at least 1965.[3] Bob Budiansky stated in an interview that the name "Megatron" is a portmanteau derived from "Megaton" and "Electronic".[4] 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.[5]
- When Megatron transforms into gun mode, he most often shrinks to a size where he can be held by either a human or fellow Transformer and has someone else aim and fire him. The exceptions are in the episodes "S.O.S. Dinobots" and "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", the The Transformers video game, the manga issues Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4 and "The Battle of the Star Gate" (likely "Activation" too, but the angles makes it impossible to say for certain) as well as the G.I. Joe issue "Realignments". In the cases of "S.O.S. Dinobots", Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers #4 and "The Battle of the Star Gate", Megatron does not shrink and has another Transformer somewhat clumsily aim and move him. In "The Ultimate Doom, Part 3", the video game and "Realignments" (and "Activation"), he floats in the air and takes a shot at his target unassisted. Regardless, the reasons Megatron chooses to Transform instead of simply using his fusion cannon are not entirely clear. The G.I. Joe comic issue states that his robot mode is an easier target than his gun mode, but it's unclear if that's the only advantage the gun mode has over the other. One could assume his gun mode's firepower is more concentrated or in some other way more powerful.
- On the 1985 Universal Studios Tour, a giant statue of Megatron was available for children to clamber over and have their picture taken on. It wasn't especially dignified.
- In the Beast Wars cartoon continuity, Megatron has been missing since the beginning of Pax Cybertronia. It is rumored that he has been deceased.[6]
- The guidebook Beast Wars Universe credits Megatron as Original Megatron in order to make distinguish between him and the Beast Wars Megatron.[6]
- Some Québecquers loved his shiny body so much they named a communications company after him.[7]
Foreign names
- Japanese: Megatron (メガトロン Megatoron)
- Cantonese: Megaton (麥加登 Mak Gaa Dang, "Wheat Garden")
- Mandarin: Měi-jīa Wáng (Taiwan, 美加王, "King Mega"), Jǜ-wú-bà (Taiwan, 巨無霸, "Extremely Gigantic"), Wēi Zhèn Tīan (China, 威震天, "Extremely Prestigious", literally "Heaven-shaking Might")
- French: Mégatron
- Hebrew: Megatron (מגהטרון Mghjrwn)
- Portuguese: Megatrão (Portugal comics)
- Russian, Serbian & Ukrainian: Megatron (Мегатрон)
References
- ↑ This scene was cut out of "Nemesis Part 2" for air-time reasons, but its occurrence is still implied by Optimus Primal's note that all was as it should be. The clip was added as a special feature to Kid Rhino's and Madman Entertainment's Beast Wars season 3 DVD box sets.
- ↑ Megatron and the "Drones" from Marvel's Shogun Warriors comic at the Appendix to the Handbook of the Marvel Universe
- ↑ USPTO file on "Megatron" trademark for ballpoint balls
- ↑ ASM - Your Future Nostalgia. Today
- ↑ ASM: A Little Q&A with... Bob Budiansky
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Page 37, Guest Character and G1 Icons, Beast Wars Universe ISBN 978-4766938005
- ↑ Megatron Dot Net Forward Slash Quebec.
External links
- Featured articles
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- Character stubs missing fiction
- Action Masters
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