Magmatron (BW)

Magmatron is a Predacon from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

Part robot, part 3 different prehistoric animals, and he can dance.

As befits a decorated Warrior-General, Magmatron (マグマトロン Magumatoron) is capable of both elegant, reasoned judgment and wild, vicious action. Once he has set his sights on a goal, his drive to achieve it is unwavering and he will accept nothing less than total victory. Despite these attributes, and prodigious physical power, Magmatron's greatest advantage often lies in his charismatic leadership. Revered and admired by his soldiers, Magmatron fits the title "Emperor of Destruction" better than most.

On the surface, Magmatron seems to have much in common with Megatron. Both are schemers and planners, willing to subvert the established Predacon power structure to suit their plans and ultimate ambition for power, and possessing the strength to fight off any who challenge them. Their key difference lies in their relationships to that power structure. Megatron is at heart a rebel, working outside existing society. Magmatron, on the other hand, values his position of power and eminence in the current Predacon hierarchy, and though he schemes to someday stand at the top of that body, he is unwilling to risk his current high standings any more than he must to achieve those future goals. Also, while Megatron is more openly abusive and harsh with his troops, Magmatron operates with more military professionalism when interacting with his own soldiers. This aspect of Magmatron's personality may also be due to his more professional background, as opposed to Megatron's more rogue-ish ways.

Magmatron possesses a mitotic spark which allows him to separate into three dinosaur forms called Landsaur, Seasaur, and Skysaur, or merge them into a single monstrosity called Magmasaur.

Fiction

Beast Wars Neo cartoon

Voice actor: Show Ryuzanji (Japanese), Kim Kwan Cheol (Korean)

No, the toy isn't this cool.

After the defeat of Galvatron, Magmatron (who suffers from a similar chronic grin, even while talking) became the new Predacon Emperor of Destruction. A loyal and effective servant to the cause of Predacon equality on Cybertron, Magmatron was perfectly suited for the job. He had a long-standing rivalry with Big Convoy, albeit there was a mutual respect between the two enemies.

Aboard his ship, the Dinosaur, he tracked Big Convoy and his Maximal recruits to the planet Gaea where he learned of the Angolmois capsules that had been launched from the self-destructing Nemesis. Magmatron immediately set a course to track them down, desiring their incredible power. Competing with Big Convoy, Magmatron secured numerous capsules for the Predacons.

However, he did not keep them long. The Blendtrons, a trio of super-powerful and freakish Transformers, stole the capsules from both factions. As it turned out, the Angolmois energy was actually the lifeforce of Unicron. Offering up Galvatron's corpse as a new body, the Blendtrons released the Angolmois energy and Unicron was reborn.

Magmatron immediately challenged the Chaos Bringer but was quickly vanquished into a wormhole, leaving his crew of Predacons leaderless and rather ineffective. Magmatron escaped the wormhole toward the end of the Unicron battle, after Unicron had possessed Vector Sigma, and willingly fought side-by-side with Big Convoy and the Maximals to stop their mutual enemy.

After a lengthy battle, Unicron was defeated and driven from Vector Sigma by Big Convoy's Matrix Buster. Putting aside their rivalry, Big Convoy and Magmatron formed an alliance. The Maximals and Predacons then worked side-by-side and hand-in-hand to rebuild their ravaged planet.

Beast Wars manga continuity

Beast Wars II manga

Magmatron was a Giganotosaurus who led a gang of dinosaur rowdies on a primitive world in the 7th Cosmos. After exposure to the Angolmois capsule that crashed on the planet, the gang became more ferocious and killed Big's friends. The gang attacked Lio Convoy, who had just arrived on the planet by accident, but failed because of Big's interruption. The gang followed Lio Convoy and Big's trails to the site where the capsule fell. Big pushed the gang into the valley, where the Giganotosaurus and its minions were caught in the explosion of the Angolmois capsule and evolved into Transformers. The Giganotosaurus was fused with a Quetzalcoatlus and an Elasmosaurus, becoming Magmasaur. The Magmasaur transformed into Magmatron, commanding his just-evolved minions to attack Lio Convoy and Big. Lio Convoy managed to defeat the henchmen with ease, but Magmatron took him out with one blast. With the power he now possessed, Magmatron claimed they would travel to various planets to kill every living thing. The Beast Wars "Neo" Begin!!!

Beast Wars Neo manga

Later, Magmatron again met Big, now the Maximal Big Convoy. During a fierce battle, Magmatron indicated they had a history but Big Convoy couldn't remember and was surprised by Magmatron's words. When Magmatron thought he gained the upper hand, he was surprised by multiple blasts from his foe's Big Cannon. Mortal Combat! Twenty Thousand Meters in the Sky

The badly wounded Magmatron now had to separate himself into the three dinosaurs and stay in healing chambers. He ordered his henchmen to go to the planet Jörmungandr to retrieve an Angolmois capsule. The group, however, failed and was sucked into space. The mysterious Black Ball, which had been retrieved by Big Convoy's crew, suddenly appeared in the Dinosaur, offering his troops, the Blendtrons, to Magmatron. A Battle Fought Alone

Magmatron and Big Convoy were tricked to an amphitheatre where the last capsule was located by the Black Ball. Magmatron commanded the Blendtron to attack Big Convoy's crew. During the battle, Magmatron was attacked from behind by a Blendtron. It was revealed that both Magmatron and Big Convoy were the last Angolmois energy capsule, and thus the Black Ball, who was actually Unicron, desired to consume them to regain the energy. Magmatron saved his old rival, who was despairing upon regaining his memory,and convinced him to team up to fight Unicron and the Blendtrons. Magmatron was eventually chewed up and spat out by Unicron. A dying Magmatron, now reduced to only a head, left his Magma Blade to Big Convoy as a "parting gift" and asked Big Convoy to give him an honorable "warrior's death" with his own sword. Big Convoy conceded to the request. Double Cross

Big Convoy later struck the blow that finished Unicron's physical body with Magmatron's sword, avenging his death. Return to Zero

IDW Beast Wars comics

During the early days of the Pax Cybertronia, Magmatron endangered the fragile peace, being an indomitable general who would not accept defeat. When he was finally brought to heel by the Tripredacus Council, he still chafed under the terms of the treaty and the council's apparent willingness to roll over for the Maximals. However, he accepted his change in status and maneuvered into a position on the Bi-Partate Committee for State Affairs alongside his old enemy, Big Convoy. Beast Wars Sourcebook 2

Frustrated by the Council's decision to bide its time, Magmatron recruited a small band of disenchanted warriors and fostered a professional relationship with the Tripredacus agent Ravage to keep abreast of the situation on Earth. With this information, he formed an elegant and tightly-knit plan to travel backwards in time to prehistoric Earth and reprogram all of the remaining protoform Maximals into Predacons. Keeping his plans secret until the last moment, he revealed to his forces that the Council had ordered him to pick up the task where their previous agent failed: capture the rogue Megatron.

Chronically displacing his crew so that they could not be detected by the beast warriors who are already there, they set to work. He ordered Razorbeast to begin activating the stasis pods while Spittor, Manterror, Transquito, and Iguanus reported on their progress. They witnessed the birth of three Predacons, but Spittor was greeted by the Maximal, Polar Claw. More Maximals were spotted, revealing Razorbeast as a spy, but the warthog escaped into the wilderness. The Gathering issue 1

Once his new army was assembled, Magmatron ordered them to hunt down the Maximals. Drill Bit and Spittor, however, accompanied Magmatron on his personal quest to find Razorbeast. He located the spy and quickly gained the upper hand with his three dinosaur modes, but Razorbeast pulled a fast one, and buried the Predacon leader beneath a mountainside. Magmatron soon recouped his losses by recovering the spark of the Tripredacus agent, Ravage. The Gathering issue 2

File:IDW Megatron Magmatron.jpg

Insert "Megatron not pleased a BWN character is stealing his role" joke here.

Iguanus, having located a blank protoform, assisted Magmatron with rebirthing Ravage in a new, Transmetal 2 body. Magmatron ordered Ravage to hunt down and terminate Razorbeast's Maximals. Magmatron proceeded to set forth on his next mission; locating and capturing Megatron to ensure the Tripredacus Council didn't catch on to his real plans. He confronted Megatron, and the two engaged in battle. Megatron insisted that Magmatron was foolish for coming after him alone, as Ravage did, but Magmatron was not alone— Iguanus and Drill Bit ambushed Megatron and disabled him. The Predacons brought Megatron to a transwarp platform they had set up and prepared to send Megatron into the hands of the Council, but they were interrupted by the wandering Grimlock. The Gathering #3

Magmatron engaged Grimlock in a vicious beast mode battle, and despite the Maximal's resilence, Magmatron eventually overwhelmed him. Grimlock was enough of a distraction, however, to let Razorbeast and Optimus Minor enter the camp undetected and steal a chronal phase facilitator. When Razorbeast confronted Magmatron in the open, the Predacon general saw an opportunity to settle an old score. But with Razorbeast using the facilitator to shift out of his chronal phase, Magmatron was unable to land a single hit on his smaller opponent. Optimus Minor removed the facilitator attached to the unconscious Megatron, returning the rogue to his proper chronal state. Magmatron lunged to stop it, and ended up falling onto the transwarp platform just as it activated. Razorbeast blasted the device, causing it to malfunction and send Magmatron to parts unknown. The Gathering issue 4

Razorbeast's meddling in Magmatron's transwarp shunt caused the Predacon commander to be consigned to a temporal limbo, able to traverse the whole of history but unable to affect any of the events he witnessed. Through this, he saw the eventual end of Cybertron as its inhabitants set upon each other with beastly fury while Shokaract summoned Unicron to devour the planet. Knowing that the roots of this catastrophic event were already beginning in his time, Magmatron turned to the enemy who had consigned him to this fate. Exerting what little influence he could, he stabilized the Transwarp carrier signal sent by the Maximals weeks earlier, allowing the time-lost distress call to be received by Lio Convoy and The Pack. The Ascending issue 1

Magmatron's meddling effect on the timestream was noticed by Unicron, who dispatched Rartorata to Earth to deal with the assembling combatants there. His ability to change the future was increased further, however, when during the confusion of the battle on Earth between the Maximal and Predacon forces, a playing 'possum Ravage made contact with the chronal displacement bands. Magmatron was able to use his limited influence to hold Ravage inside chronospace, where he was able to make contact with the former Decepticon. Magmatron briefed him on the apocalypse that could yet come, urging him to call a truce with the Maximals in an effort to stop the end of all things. The Ascending issue 2

From his chronal prison, Magmatron watched his rival Big Convoy die at Shokaract's hands in the future, knowing that it was only a prelude to the destruction to come. The Ascending issue 3 A combined group of Maximals and Predacons returned with Ravage to present-day Cybertron to battle Shokaract, arriving before Big Convoy could be killed. Ravage again briefed with Magmatron, who instructed him to send a Maximal to attach a chronal-displacement device onto Shokaract's body. This was eventually accomplished at the cost of many lives and Shokaract was brought to Magmatron within chronospace. Magmatron showed him Cybertron's future and the realization that he was a pawn of Unicron caused a distraught Shokaract to commit suicide, causing a "time-lash" that freed Magmatron from limbo.

The restored Magmatron informed the assembled Maximals and Predacons that the threat had ended. He also reported that his old foe Razorbeast had died on Earth and respectfully declared the Maximal worthy of a momument. The Ascending issue 4

Beast Machines toy bio

Magmatron is a member of the Dinobot faction, revered and reviled in equal measure. He'd been on an intergalactic quest for energy capsules, but when he returned to Cybertron he found it being overrun by Vehicon drones!

While he has the nickname "Emperor of Destruction", he serves under T-Wrecks.

Universe: The Wreckers comics

Magmatron had become the leader of the new Dinobots, and led them on a mission, given to them by the Oracle, to the planet Arkus. The mission was a trap, however, and Magmatron and his Dinobots were attacked by energy vampires and their master known as the Dweller. Betrayal Magmatron fought off the Dweller long enough for the Dinobots to escape. When they returned to rescue him, they found nothing but his sword. The Wreckers: Finale Part 1

Toys

Beast Wars Neo

My entire body is hinges!

• Magmatron (Ultra, 1999)
  • Japanese ID number: D-35
  • Accessories: Sword-hilt/launcher, sword blade, left & right Skysaur missiles, 2 Seasaur missiles.

Magmatron transforms from a massive robot into three prehistoric reptiles—a Quetzalcoatlus ("Skysaur"), a Giganotosaurus ("Landsaur"), and an Elasmosaurus ("Seasaur"). These three beasts can also combine into some horrible, chimeric dragon-like creature. In robot mode, Magmatron has free-rolling wheels on his feet, for some unknown purpose.

The Landsaur unit features a spring-loaded launcher in its mouth, enabling it to fire any of the five missiles the toy comes with. The launcher/throat assembly disconnects for robot mode, forming a sword-hilt primarily for use with the sword-blade missile. The hilt can also be converted into a pistol by flipping out an extra handle from the side. The Seasaur's lower body forms a shield that mounts on Magmatron's left arm; it also contains two grey missiles, and features a spring-loaded gimmick that causes the front paddles to flap when the rear ones are squeezed together. The Skysaur's wings feature a spring-loaded flapping action, triggered by pulling on its tail, and also hide a pair of smooth red blade/missiles.

• More information on Magmatron at TFU.info

• Duel of the Universe: Big Convoy VS Magmatron (Vs pack, 1999)
  • Japanese ID number: VS-35
  • Accessories: Sword-hilt/launcher, sword blade, left & right Skysaur missiles, 2 Landsaur missiles.

Magmatron was available in Japan both in an individual box, and in a massive 2-pack with Big Convoy. Both toys are identical to their individual releases.

• Gold Magmatron (Ultra, 1999)

This gold vacuum metallized Magmatron was featured as a Lucky Draw giveaway.

• Black Magmatron (Ultra, 1999)

This figure is a black redecoed Magmatron and is a Lucky Draw item.

Beast Machines

He keeps talking in that crazy alien language! Let's break his neck!

• Magmatron (Ultra, 2000)
  • Accessories: Sword-hilt/launcher, sword blade, left & right Skysaur missiles, 2 Seasaur missiles.

For Beast Machines, Magmatron was brought over in a box that reflected his Japanese origin, with Japanese text and other elements from the Beast Wars Neo packaging added. He was slightly changed from his original release, with his missiles and sword "rounded off" to better conform with United States safety laws and has a less "glossy" sheen. He was available as an exclusive to Target stores. His bio card describes him as a Maximal, and also places him on Vehicon-dominated Cybertron. However, his separate beast modes still retain their Predacon spark crystals. Another oddity is that the dinosaur on the boxart actually belongs to T-Wrecks, a Dinobot released earlier in the toyline.

Notes

• Magmatron's Maximal status on his Beast Machines toy bio (and the rest of his bio, for that matter) is difficult to reconcile with his appearances elsewhere, but one could simply consider it a micro-continuity and be done with it.
• Magmatron's Maximal on-package bio gives his quotation as "Til all is won", an obvious reference to a similar phrase that pops up in numerous other places in Transformers lore.

Foreign names

• Korean: Magmatron (메그마트론 Megeumateuron)