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Megatron is a fictional
character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...
and the main
antagonist An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the chief foe of the protagonist. Etymology The English word antagonist comes from the Greek ἀνταγωνιστής – ''antagonistēs'', "opponent, competitor, villain, enemy, riv ...
of the ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
'' media franchise produced by American toy company
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational conglomerate holding company incorporated and headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Hasbro owns the trademarks and products of ...
and Japanese toy company
Takara Tomy is a Japanese entertainment company that makes children's toys and merchandise. It was created from a merger on March 1st 2006 of two companies: Tomy (founded in 1924 as Tomiyama, changing the name to Tomy in 1963) and long-time rival Tak ...
. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
s, a faction of sentient, war-mongering robotic lifeforms that seeks to conquer their home planet of Cybertron and the rest of the known universe. He serves as the
archenemy In literature, an archenemy (sometimes spelled as arch-enemy) is the main enemy of someone. In fiction, it is a character who is the protagonist's, commonly a hero's, most prominent and most-known enemy. Etymology The word ''archenemy'' sometim ...
of
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
, the leader of the rival
Autobot The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...
faction. As with all Cybertronians, Megatron has the ability to transform between his robot form and various vehicles or weapons. His alternate modes have ranged from a
Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, ...
handgun A handgun is a short- barrelled gun, typically a firearm, that is designed to be usable with only one hand. It is distinguished from a long gun (i.e. rifle, shotgun or machine gun, etc.), which needs to be held by both hands and also braced ...
, a
particle-beam weapon A particle-beam weapon uses a high-energy beam of atomic or subatomic particles to damage the target by disrupting its atomic and/or molecular structure. A particle-beam weapon is a type of directed-energy weapon, which directs energy in a pa ...
, a
telescopic A telescope is an instrument designed for the observation of remote objects. Telescope(s) also may refer to: Music * The Telescopes, a British psychedelic band * ''Telescope'' (album), by Circle, 2007 * ''The Telescope'' (album), by Her Space H ...
laser cannon A laser weapon is a directed-energy weapon based on lasers. After decades of R&D, directed-energy weapons including lasers are still at the experimental stage and it remains to be seen if or when they will be deployed as practical, high-perfo ...
, and a Cybertronian jet, depending on which continuity he is depicted in. Megatron's most consistent origin portrays him as having risen up from being an oppressed worker to a
gladiator A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
ial champion who took the legendary name of one of the original Thirteen Primes— Megatronus—as his own. He shortened his name when he became a political revolutionary who attempted to reform Cybertron's corrupt governing body and called for an end to its decrepit
caste Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
system. As the mentor of the young
Orion Pax Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
, Megatron preached that freedom of self-determination was the right of all sentient beings. When Megatron grew corrupted by his power, Orion would utilize his teachings against him as Optimus Prime. In most incarnations, Megatron would eventually meet his demise at Optimus' hands, only to later be resurrected as Galvatron. Megatron has become one of the franchise's most iconic characters and a widely recognized
villain A villain (also known as a "black hat" or "bad guy"; the feminine form is villainess) is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. ''Random House Unabridged Dictionary'' defines such a character a ...
in
popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
. The character's popularity has seen him appear on a variety of merchandise, such as toys, clothing and collectible items, theme park attractions, and be referenced in a number of media. He has been adapted in live-action, animated, and video game incarnations, having been voiced by actors including
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
,
Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
, and
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six AACTA Awards, Australian Academy of Cinema and Tel ...
.


Thirteen Original Primes

The original Megatronus, better known as the
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ( ...
, was one of the original Thirteen Primes created by Primus. Megatronus betrayed his creator by siding with Primus' dark twin, the malevolent planet-eater
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
. In the final battle between Primus and Unicron, Megatronus fell victim to the same fate as his master, sucked through a black hole into another dimension. However, while Unicron emerged in another universe, the Fallen was not so fortunate, finding himself trapped in the "underspace" between dimensions. Another being addressed simply as Megatron is an apocalyptic figure said to bring about death and destruction through alteration of the time stream. Possible interpretations in the book of him are "
Alpha and Omega Alpha (Α or α) and omega (Ω or ω) are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, and a title of Christ and God in the Book of Revelation. This pair of letters is used as a Christian symbol, and is often combined with the Cross, Chi-rh ...
" and "The Great
Dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
". The Fallen made his first appearance in the second volume of '' Transformers: The War Within''. The character appears as the main antagonist in the second live action film, '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'', the 2009 sequel to the 2007 ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
'' movie, voiced by
Tony Todd Tony Todd (born December 4, 1954) is an American actor who made his debut as Sgt. Warren in the film ''Platoon'' (1986), and portrayed Kurn in the television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1990–1991) and '' Star Trek: Deep Space Ni ...
. Director
Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...
described him as "apocalyptic". He has the ability to teleport and generate a shockwave upon reappearance. He wields a spear as his weapon and has the ability of telekinesis. Megatronus is also mentioned as one of Thirteen in '' Transformers: Exodus'' and later appeared as the main antagonist in the first-season finale of '' Transformers: Robots in Disguise'', voiced by
Gil Gerard Gil Gerard (born January 23, 1943) is an American actor, whose roles include Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–81 television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. Early life Gerard was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkan ...
. Megatronus's history would be retconned in '' Transformers: The Covenant of Primus'', which depicts him in more tragic light and omits his involvement with Unicron. Megatronus was one of the original thirteen Primes. Megatronus commissioned Solus Prime to create the Requiem Blaster. It's revealed that Megatronus and Solus Prime were in love, but that Megatronus was prone to bursts of temper and aggression due to his pride and secret shame at being a necessary counter-force to balance out light and darkness within the Thirteen. Following the War of the Primes, he exiled himself from Cybertron after unintentionally murdering Solus Prime.


Generation 1

Megatron is the founder of the
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
uprising and their most feared leader.
Bob Budiansky Bob Budiansky (; born March 15, 1954) is an American comic book writer, editor, and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel's ''Transformers'' comic. He also created the Marvel character Sleepwalker and wrote all 33 issues of that comic. E ...
, the writer for the Marvel Comics series, stated that originally Hasbro took issue with the name, saying it sounded too frightening. Budiansky responded that as the lead villain, that was the point. Hasbro later agreed with his reasoning, and approved the name "Megatron". Budiansky has said in interviews that it is a
portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of wordsmegaton Megaton may refer to: * A million tons * Megaton TNT equivalent, explosive energy equal to 4.184 petajoules * megatonne, a million tonnes, SI unit of mass Other uses * Olivier Megaton (born 1965), French film director, writer and editor * ''Me ...
''. Megatron is able to transform into a
Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, ...
, delivering more focused energy blasts than he could in his robotic form. He can adjust his size and mass as he transforms, to comfortably allow another Transformer or even a human being to wield him. His robot form has an arm-mounted
fusion Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole. Fusion may also refer to: Science and technology Physics *Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
cannon. He can retract and replace his right hand with energy
flail A flail is an agricultural tool used for threshing, the process of separating grains from their husks. It is usually made from two or more large sticks attached by a short chain; one stick is held and swung, causing the other (the swipple) to st ...
. He can fire electrical blasts from his hands, laser blasts from his eyes, and can reprogram computers with a port in his head. Megatron is a Decepticon, one of the lineal descendants of the military hardware robots created by the
Quintesson ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
s on their factory world of Cybertron. Following a war between the Decepticons and the other robot race, the
Autobot The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...
s, the Decepticons were defeated by the Autobots' invention of transformation, which allowed them the advantage of stealth. The Autobot victory in the war began the Golden Age of Cybertron, but a viper lurked within this paradise, as the Decepticons too eventually developed transformation, leading to the creation of Megatron. Gathering a small number of troops together, Megatron made a small strike on an outer city, killing the current Autobot leader. However, this event was not made public knowledge, and young robots like the naive
Orion Pax Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
still looked up to Megatron and his followers because of their new robot-mode flight powers. Orion soon learned the error of his ways when Megatron duped him into allowing him access to Energon warehouses, and Megatron near-fatally wounded him in a scuffle. However, the ancient Autobot,
Alpha Trion ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, reconstructed Pax into a battle hardy configuration at the behest of the Aerialbots, who had been flung back in time by Megatron. Orion, rechristened as
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
, became leader of the Autobots and Megatron's sworn opponent as the civil war erupted again. The Decepticons had conquered Cybertron by 2005 in the feature film, '' The Transformers: The Movie''. After hearing of an Autobot supply run to Earth in order to procure a larger amount of Energon in the hopes of mounting a full scale assault to reclaim the planet, Megatron led Decepticon forces to commandeer the Autobots' shuttle and kill the crew, and proceeded with an attack on
Autobot City ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
on Earth. Optimus Prime confronted Megatron in an epic and internecine fight, in which they both sustained mortal injuries. As he was about to kill Prime, Megatron was defeated and would have died if he had not been saved by Soundwave. On the Decepticons' return journey to Cybertron, Megatron, who was still functional, was jettisoned into space along with the fallen
Skywarp ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
,
Thundercracker ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, and the
Insecticons This is a list of characters from ''The Transformers'' television series. Autobots The Autobots (also known as Cybertrons in Japan) are the heroes in the '' Transformers toyline'' and related spin-off comics and cartoons. Their main leader is O ...
, in order to reduce
Astrotrain ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
's mass to reach Cybertron. The end seemed to be near for Megatron—but it was not to be, as he was summoned by
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
, who made him an offer—in return for Megatron's service, he would give him a new body and new troops to command. Facing destruction as an alternative, Megatron agreed to Unicron's offer, and was rebuilt with a new body and rechristened to
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
. Commanded by
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
to destroy the Autobot
Matrix of Leadership The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
, Galvatron first returned to Cybertron to settle a score with
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
, who had set him adrift in space and was now being crowned as the new Decepticon leader in a pompous ceremony. Demonstrating his new power, Galvatron annihilated Starscream with a single blast from his new cannon mode. The other Decepticons quickly accepted Galvatron as their leader. Unicron's subsequent consumption of Cybertron's moons enraged Galvatron, but when Unicron mentally tortured him to put him in his place, Galvatron submitted. Leading another attack on Autobot City, he pursued
Ultra Magnus Ultra Magnus is a fictional character from the various ''Transformers'' storylines in the Transformers franchise, generally appearing as a chief lieutenant of Optimus Prime. Transformers: Generation 1 Despite his incredible fighting skills, ...
and the Autobots to the Planet of Junk, where he seized the Matrix from Ultra Magnus, and attempted to use its power against Unicron. Unable to open the Matrix, Galvatron was powerless as Unicron transformed and attacked Cybertron with his bare hands, swallowing Galvatron as well. Shortly thereafter, a group of Autobots entered Unicron's body, where young Autobot
Hot Rod Hot rods are typically American cars that might be old, classic, or modern and that have been rebuilt or modified with large engines optimised for speed and acceleration. One definition is: "a car that's been stripped down, souped up and made ...
encountered the Decepticon leader. Although Galvatron initially proposed an alliance with the Autobot against Unicron, he was once again tortured mentally by Unicron, who ordered him to destroy Hot Rod or face his own obliteration. To end the torture, Galvatron agreed and engaged Hot Rod in battle. Galvatron quickly gained the upper hand over the smaller Autobot. However, when Hot Rod seized the Matrix from Galvatron, he was reformatted into the much larger and more powerful Rodimus Prime. Rodimus defeated Galvatron and hurled him through Unicron's armor and into the void of space, before unleashing the power of the Matrix and destroying Unicron. Later, Galvatron's Unicron-created minions,
Cyclonus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
,
Scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgi ...
and the Sweeps, set out to find their leader in order for him to lead the Decepticons back to victory. Using the information stored in Unicron's memory banks, they traced Galvatron to the planet Thrull. They found him immersed in a pool of lava-like plasma, and rescued him only to discover that the plasma had seeped into Galvatron's head casing and damaged his "metaprocessor", resulting in insanity. Nevertheless, the Decepticon empire was reestablished with Galvatron as the new leader. Still, Decepticons at times questioned his ability to lead; on one occasion, Cyclonus tricked Galvatron into receiving therapy on a planet where the mentally ill are treated. When the Hate Plague began to sweep the universe, Galvatron was the only Decepticon who was able to avoid infection initially, teaming up with the resurrected Optimus Prime in order to recover a protective alloy that would shield the user from the plague's effects. He later became infected in the process of recovering the alloy, but was eventually cured along with all the other victims of the plague when Prime unleashed the power of the Matrix. The same process also cured Galvatron's insanity; he declared a cease-fire and shook Prime's hand, saying that he had earned his respect. A year later, the short truce ended as Galvatron formulated a new plan. Although appearing coherent throughout the scheme, it was shown to be his most insane - rejecting notions of conquest, Galvatron now sought the destruction of both Cybertron and Earth. To this end, he dispatched his troops to Cybertron, in order to recover the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber. Failing to do so, a plasma energy explosion sent the Autobots — possessing the key — and his Decepticons to the planet Nebulos. While Decepticons led by Cyclonus sought to reclaim the key and return to Cybertron, he led the main attack force on Cybertron. Victorious on Cybertron, Galvatron had a colossal rocket engine constructed on the planet's surface, which propelled Cybertron into Earth's orbit (for the second time during the Transformers television series). His troops soon returned from Nebulos with the key, but in their absence, they had become binary-bonded to the planet's organic inhabitants as Headmasters and Targetmasters - a union which Galvatron thoroughly objected to, threatening to destroy the Nebulons immediately. Nebulon leader Lord Zarak, however, was able to stay Galvatron's hand, as he now possessed the Plasma Energy Chamber key. Galvatron then used the key to open the chamber, releasing the energy with the intent of driving the Earth's sun supernova, destroying both planets. Galvatron and the other Decepticons then attempted to flee inside
Scorponok Scorponok is a major antagonist whose name is shared by several fictional characters throughout the various Transformers, Transformers universes. Characters with this name are usually Decepticons or Predacons that turn into robotic scorpions or h ...
, but a tendril of plasma energy struck the giant craft, sending the Decepticons hurtling off into deep space. Spike Witwicky and the Autobot-allied Nebulons were subsequently able to foil Galvatron's scheme and use the excess solar energy to re-energize Cybertron, restoring its Golden Age. Despite that, Galvatron was not finished yet, proclaiming that the Decepticons would build a more powerful planet and use it to rule the galaxy. However, as this was the end of the American cartoon series, Galvatron's future plans never came to light. While the American series ended with the three-part miniseries, "The Rebirth", featuring Galvatron's scheme with the Plasma Energy Chamber, it was decided in Japan to continue the series in a different direction. Disregarding the events of "The Rebirth", they began to produce a collection of animated series exclusive to Japan, the first of which was '' Transformers: The Headmasters'', taking place a year after the Hate Plague incident. Of all the previously seen Transformers to appear in ''Headmasters'', Galvatron received the most attention, effectively remaining as the Decepticons' leader for 26 out the series 35 episodes, until he was entombed in ice by the Autobot Headmasters.


Other appearances

Megatron appeared in the short-lived online ''Universe'' cartoon, where he plots to steal gasoline in order to produce Energon. Notably, his alternate mode of a jet is exactly the same as that of
Cyclonus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, and he incorporates several elements from his live-action movie design, such as both arms fusing together to form his fusion cannon. Megatron made a cameo in the pilot of the '' Transformers: Animated'' series on a historical video being viewed by Optimus Prime. This historical video was stock footage from the original animated series.


Books

Megatron appeared in the following books: * '' The Revenge of the Decepticons'' written by
Suzanne Weyn Suzanne Weyn (born July 7, 1955) is an American author. She primarily writes children's and young adult science fiction and fantasy novels and has written over fifty novels and short stories. She is best known for ''The Bar Code Tattoo'', ''T ...
and published by
Marvel Books Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comic ...
in 1984. * The 1985 audio story ''
Sun Raid There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the Transformers (toy line), toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''T ...
'' and '' Satellite of Doom''. * The Ladybird Transformers audio books '' Autobots' Lightning Strike'', ''
Laserbeak's Fury There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''The Transformers Trilogy'' ...
'', ''
Megatron's Fight for Power There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the Transformers (toy line), toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''T ...
'' and ''
Autobots Fight Back There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''The Transformers Trilogy' ...
''. * The 1985
Find Your Fate Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains p ...
Junior book called ''
Dinobots Strike Back There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''The Transformers Trilogy'' ...
'' by
Casey Todd Casey may refer to: Places Antarctica *Casey Station *Casey Range Australia * Casey, Australian Capital Territory * City of Casey, Melbourne * Division of Casey, electoral district for the House of Representatives Canada * Casey, Ontario * Ca ...
. * The 1985
Find Your Fate Ballantine Books is a major book publisher located in the United States, founded in 1952 by Ian Ballantine with his wife, Betty Ballantine. It was acquired by Random House in 1973, which in turn was acquired by Bertelsmann in 1998 and remains p ...
Junior book called ''
Battle Drive There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''The Transformers Trilogy'' ...
'' by
Barbara Siegel Scott Warren Siegel (born 1951) is a US writer of mostly young adult shared universe science-fiction and fantasy, generally with his wife Barbara Siegel. Many of their novels were published in the 1980s and 1990s. In later years, he and his wife t ...
and
Scott Siegel Scott Warren Siegel (born 1951) is a US writer of mostly young adult shared universe science-fiction and fantasy, generally with his wife Barbara Siegel. Many of their novels were published in the 1980s and 1990s. In later years, he and his wife t ...
. Megatron was featured in the 1993 ''Transformers: Generation 2'' coloring book "
Decepticon Madness There have been many publishers of a book (some with accompanying audio cassettes) bearing the name ''Transformers'' based on the toy lines of the same name. Most common are Ballantine Books and Ladybird Books. Novels ''The Transformers Trilogy'' ...
" by Bud Simpson.


Comics


Japanese manga

In the Japanese manga "Big War" #2, the Autobots
Rodimus Prime ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
,
Grimlock Grimlock is the name of several fictional robot characters in the Transformers robot franchise. He is usually portrayed as the leader of the Dinobots, a subfaction of Autobots who can transform into metal dinosaurs. Grimlock was known for his d ...
, Kup and
Wheelie In vehicle acrobatics, a wheelie, or wheelstand, is a vehicle maneuver in which the front wheel or wheels come off the ground due to sufficient torque being applied to the rear wheel or wheels, or rider motion relative to the vehicle. Whe ...
, along with their human allies Spike Witwicky and
Daniel Witwicky ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in Broadcast syndication, syndication based upon Hasbro's Transformers (toy line), ''Transformers'' toy line. T ...
send Computron into battle against Galvatron's new warrior combiner
Abominus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
. The Terrorcons spit "corrosive control liquid" against Computron, taking control of him and turning him into a Decepticon. Spike luckily uses his new Exosuit to free Computron with "defense spray." Defeated, Galvatron retreats. In the Transformers Manga #5, Galvatron and his Decepticons attacked the Prime Energy Tower. Galvatron ordered the Decepticons to form
Menasor ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in Broadcast syndication, syndication based upon Hasbro's Transformers (toy line), ''Transformers'' toy line. T ...
, Devastator and
Bruticus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
and attack. Rodimus Prime counted this move by ordering in
Superion ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
,
Omega Supreme ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
and
Defensor Defensor (Latin, 'one who defends') may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Defensor (comics), a character in ''Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions'' * Defensor (''Transformers''), a character in the media franchise People *Defensor, a ...
. Galvatron then ordered in
Predaking ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, knowing that Sky Lynx was elsewhere and couldn't counter them. Rodimus ordered the Omnibots to attack Predaking's legs. Tripping up the giant he fell into the other Decepticon giants, winning the day for the Autobots. Galvatron also appeared in a series of Japanese Manga comic strips set in continuity with the ''Headmasters'' series, where he attempted to destroy the Autobots with such schemes as creating his own army of
Megatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, ...
clones, attempting to destroy
Fortress Maximus is a Japanese anime television series that is a part of the ''Transformers'' robot superhero franchise. It aired from July 3, 1987 to March 25, 1988, and its 17:00–17:30 timeslot was used to broadcast ''Mashin Hero Wataru'' at the end o ...
and creating a hybrid of the original Megatron and Optimus Prime named Guiltor to destroy Rodimus Prime, although he ended up teaming up with his enemy to destroy it after it went rogue. After Galvatron's seeming destruction in ''Headmasters'' this was all that was heard from Galvatron in the animated continuity for several years until the ''Battlestars: The Return of Convoy'' storyline (although not animated in itself, consisting of one chapter of manga and a selection of
magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
spreads, it continues the storyline of the animated series). Buried and deactivated beneath the
ice Ice is water frozen into a solid state, typically forming at or below temperatures of 0 degrees Celsius or Depending on the presence of impurities such as particles of soil or bubbles of air, it can appear transparent or a more or less opaq ...
, Galvatron was recovered by the evil entity,
Dark Nova The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
, and reformatted into Super Megatron and later on as Ultra Megatron, going on to battle Star Convoy (a similarly reborn
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
).


Marvel Comics

In the world of
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
, Megatron begins by rising from his beginnings as a gladiator for the
city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world since the dawn of history, including cities such as ...
of Tarn. Megatron and the Decepticons were the ones who developed transformation first, using it to begin the war against the Autobots, who fought back by mimicking the technology. Eventually, Cybertron was shaken from its orbit and fell into the path of an asteroid cluster. This would result in the Ark venturing out and then crashing into prehistoric Earth. Four million years later, in 1984, the Transformers were reawakened, and Megatron was defeated twice by
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
. Megatron also featured prominently in ''Alignment'', Simon Furman's take on what happened after the ''Generation 2'' comic. In this story, Megatron was defeated for command of the Decepticons by Galvatron II (the U.S. comics version) and left for dead. Soundwave had revived his master. Megatron took a fleet of scavenged Warworlds to face the Liege Maximo. He was destroyed by Maximo's arm cannon; he unleashed an Energon-fueled blast that destroyed the Maximo. This sets up the Pax Cybertronia and the evolution of the Autobots and Decepticons into
Maximals This is a sortable list of characters and toys in the ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or video games. This does not include cha ...
and
Predacons This is a list of characters from The Transformers (TV series), ''The Transformers'' television series. Autobots The Autobots (also known as Cybertrons in Japan) are the heroes in the ''Transformers (toy line), Transformers toyline'' and related ...
. Whether this story is reconcilable with "Reaching the Omega Point", or whether it is even part of the Transformers
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...
is debatable.


TFcon comics

Megatron appeared in the 2006
TransformersCon TFcon is a Transformers fan convention held annually since 2002. The convention was created to give fans the opportunity to celebrate their love for the Transformers franchise. Now the largest fan-run Transformers convention in the world, TFcon w ...
voice actor play. Voices in the play were performed by a variety of volunteers and the actual voice actors attending the convention. The play itself should be considered unofficial but was notable because it featured several Transformers' original voice actors reprising their Transformers roles. In this voice actor play various Transformers from different timelines and realities were swept up in a repeating wave and transported along with
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
to Earth. The Transformers included ''Generation 1'' Tracks, Ariel,
Cosmos The cosmos (, ) is another name for the Universe. Using the word ''cosmos'' implies viewing the universe as a complex and orderly system or entity. The cosmos, and understandings of the reasons for its existence and significance, are studied in ...
and Megatron, ''Beast Wars''
Tarantulas Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
, ''Robots in Disguise'' Sky-Byte and ''Beast Machines''
Tankor This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
.


Dreamwave Productions

In the 21st Century reimagining of the Generation One Universe by
Dreamwave Productions Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996. Best known for its comic book adaptations of Transformers, the company shut down on January 4, 2005. History Brothers Pat Lee and Roger Lee founde ...
, Megatron was envisioned as an ancient gladiatorial combatant in the depths of Cybertron's underworld. As victory upon victory mounted, he began to realize that the games were nothing more than an elaborate attempt by the Cybertronian elders to hide the truth of Cybertron's history from the masses. When Megatron attempted to gain access to that knowledge through exploration and research, the Cybertronian elders attempted to have him assassinated—a plan that only resulted in stirring up even more discontent among Cybertronians which allowed Megatron to begin recruiting for the Decepticon movement. It is known that at one point Megatron attempted to recruit
Grimlock Grimlock is the name of several fictional robot characters in the Transformers robot franchise. He is usually portrayed as the leader of the Dinobots, a subfaction of Autobots who can transform into metal dinosaurs. Grimlock was known for his d ...
as one of his inner circle, but the fellow gladiator refused the position, eventually joining the Autobots. Megatron would also appear in Dreamwave's ''Transformers/
G.I. Joe ''G.I. Joe'' is an American media franchise and a line of action figures owned and produced by the toy company Hasbro. The initial product offering represented four of the branches of the U.S. armed forces with the Action Soldier ( U.S. Army), Ac ...
''
limited series Limited series may refer to: *Limited series, individual storylines within an anthology series *Limited series, a particular run of collectables, usually individually numbered *Limited series (comics), a comics series with a predetermined number of ...
. Unlike many of the other Transformers (who were given
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
vehicle alternate modes) Megatron would keep his basic
Walther P38 The Walther P38 (originally written Walther P.38) is a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol that was developed by Carl Walther GmbH as the service pistol of the Wehrmacht at the beginning of World War II. It was intended to replace the costly Luger P08, ...
handgun transformation, which was indeed a WWII German handgun. Forming an alliance with
Cobra Commander Cobra Commander is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' franchise. He is the supreme leader of the terrorist organization Cobra and the archenemy of the G.I. Joe Team. He was portrayed by Josep ...
due to their similar natures, Megatron nonetheless had a bitter personal rivalry with the tyrannical leader of the terrorist group Cobra, resulting in Megatron killing several of his troops and Cobra Commander having to use the
Matrix Matrix most commonly refers to: * ''The Matrix'' (franchise), an American media franchise ** ''The Matrix'', a 1999 science-fiction action film ** "The Matrix", a fictional setting, a virtual reality environment, within ''The Matrix'' (franchis ...
to keep him in line. Later, Megatron refused to help the Commander as
Bruticus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
tried to crush him, and allowed the
Baroness Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher th ...
to use him in gun mode to shoot the helpless Cobra Leader. After battling Optimus Prime, he was deactivated along with all the Transformers when Snake Eyes opened the Matrix.


Devil's Due Publishing

In the ''G.I. Joe vs. The Transformers'' comics printed by
Devil's Due Publishing Devil's Due Publishing (often abbreviated as DDP) is an independent comic book publisher in the United States. Based in Chicago, Illinois, DDP is best known for its wide selection of genres, including licensed and original creator-owned proper ...
, Megatron was again among the Decepticons who crashed on in the Ark on Earth, but this time the Ark was discovered by Cobra, who reformatted the Autobots and Decepticons into weapons and vehicles for themselves called Battle Android Troopers controlled by the
Tele-Vipers The Cobra Troopers serve as the basic foot soldiers of the Cobra Organization, as part of the G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero toyline, comic books and animated series. They are generally depicted as legions of uniformed soldiers, nearly all of them ...
. Megatron was locked in gun mode and kept by Cobra Commander. When Optimus Prime broke free of the controls, Megatron convinced his keeper to free him to fight Optimus. Wounded by the Autobots and a malfunctioning orbiting weapons system, Megatron was eventually defeated and believed destroyed. In reality much of his body remained and the U.S. government studied his workings to advance their own projects in military supercomputers. In the third volume of the series, it was revealed that the U.S. Government had created the android
Serpentor Serpentor is a fictional character and a recurring antagonist from the '' G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero'' toyline, comic books, and animated series. Introduced in 1986, the character rules as Emperor over Cobra. Serpentor serves as the primary a ...
(or, as he is called here, Serpent O.R., standing for Organic Robot) using DNA from great historical war leaders and parts from Megatron. Serpentor succeeded where Megatron had failed and captured Optimus Prime. But Serpentor's exposure to the Matrix, possession by Cobra Commander and subsequent destruction left Megatron's legacy unfulfilled.


Fun Publications

The ''Transformers Classics'' comics published in the Official Transformers Collectors Club magazine is set in the Marvel Comics continuity, but in a timeline where the events of ''Generation 2'' did not occur. The story occurs fifteen years after Megatron was presumed dead in the crash of the Ark. Megatron survived, and eventually upgraded his body (based on his Classics toy) and gathered many other Decepticons to him. Soundwave helped him in recovering the body of Astrotrain, who was then used to help locate the placement of other fallen Decepticons around the globe. Those who joined Megatron included
Laserbeak ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
,
Ramjet A ramjet, or athodyd (aero thermodynamic duct), is a form of airbreathing jet engine that uses the forward motion of the engine to produce thrust. Since it produces no thrust when stationary (no ram air) ramjet-powered vehicles require an ass ...
, Ravage,
Skywarp ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, Soundwave,
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
and the
Constructicons This is a list of characters from The Transformers (TV series), ''The Transformers'' television series. Autobots The Autobots (also known as Cybertrons in Japan) are the heroes in the ''Transformers (toy line), Transformers toyline'' and related ...
. Megatron also reactivated
Thrust Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that syst ...
,
Dirge A dirge ( la, dirige, naenia) is a somber song or lament expressing mourning or grief, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral. Often taking the form of a brief hymn, dirges are typically shorter and less meditative than elegies ...
and
Thundercracker ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, but the three left him to join up with Bludgeon's troops — mostly because they couldn't work with Starscream, who had killed them once. Megatron's based his command from the wreck of the Ark in the Yukon, where he keeps the fallen body of Ratchet as a trophy and the severed, but living, head of
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
as an advisor. In ''Crossing Over'', when
Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villai ...
and Landquake were presumed killed in the midst of a bloody
Mini-Con ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
civil war and attack by Unicron (set concurrently with the events of '' Transformers: Cybertron''), they were, in actuality, transported across universes, from the world of the ''Unicron Trilogy'' into the ''Marvel Comics'' timeline. Unclear what had happened, they then found themselves staring down the barrel of Megatron's cannon. The two were saved when a group of Robot Hunters in battle suits attacked Megatron. Megatron slaughtered them, only to be confronted by a team of Autobots led by Optimus Prime. Skyfall went with the Autobots, while Landquake was taken by Megatron. Back at the Ark Landquake was interrogated and swore loyalty to Megatron. Scrapper detected an unusual Energon reading similar to that of Landquake and the Decepticons went to investigate, only to be confronted by the Autobots again. In ''Games of Decepticon'', Megatron detects the arrival of Bugbite's ship on Earth and sends Starscream, Skywarp and Ramjet to investigate. The Decepticons capture the Autobot spy Mirage. Returning to the Ark the Decepticons fall under the sway of Bugbite, who is using cerebro shells he stole from the Insecticon Bombshell. Megatron overcomes the shell and destroys Bugbite, as the Autobots under the command of Grimlock raid the Ark, destroying the computer and saving Mirage. Megatron appears in ''At Fight's End'' talking to Ratchet. Megatron defeated Deathsaurus in combat for leadership of the Decepticons. He orders the combiner technology that he captures from Deathsaurus to be used on the Constructicons. Megatron then attacks Iacon with his new weapon, Devastator.


IDW Publishing

After Dreamwave's closure, the rights to the Transformers comics were taken over by
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
. IDW would take the opportunity to reboot the Transformers universe, including a revised origin for Megatron detailing how he came to power. Here, Megatron was originally a lowly Energon miner. He also formed an uneasy truce with Starscream. In the IDW continuity, Megatron retains his role as supreme commander of the Decepticon army, although, in this continuity, they are no longer based on Cybertron (which was rendered uninhabitable by Thunderwing) and are fighting to conquer multiple worlds simultaneously. In fact, he barely seems to care about Cybertron and was willing to order its total destruction to stop the reanimated Thunderwing. Having now ingested Ore-13, Megatron is able to easily manage mass-displacement and thus turn into an Earth handgun (in ''Escalation #2''), and the newfound power appears to have affected his actions—he personally went on the Brasnya mission and is confident enough to transform & battle Optimus in front of human witnesses, actions that Optimus finds out of character. His instability is also what leads the other Decepticons to awaken Starscream to stand up to him in ''Devastation''. Eventually, after witnessing
Bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
's willingness to sacrifice himself in order to stop the machinations of Shockwave, Megatron does the unthinkable and joins the Autobot cause. Megatron joins the crew of the ''Lost Light'' as its captain, though the bulk of the crew refuses to accept his change of heart and mutinies against him and his new Autobot friends. Megatron subsequently leads the outcasts into battle against the fanatical Decepticon Justice Division, but later is trapped in the alternate Functionist universe with his old mentor Terminus. Megatron features prominently in ''Transformers: Regeneration One'', Simon Furman's continuation of the original Marvel series in which the events of ''Generation 2'' did not occur. Here, Megatron's lifeforce is still linked to Ratchet's, and after waking up on Earth in 1994, he has built what's left of Ratchet into a battle sled. Megatron also creates a
zombie A zombie (Haitian French: , ht, zonbi) is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. Zombies are most commonly found in horror and fantasy genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore, in whic ...
army from the mostly-Decepticon victims of the Underbase-empowered
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
, while lobotomizing the still-living Starscream himself. Megatron proceeds to devastate the Earth, turning its nuclear arsenal against the population and destroys Fortress Maximus. The Wreckers discover what Megatron's done in the year 2012, prompting Optimus Prime to bring an assault team from Cybertron. Megatron is defeated when Kup destroys Ratchet, stopping Megatron in his tracks and permitting Optimus to destroy him once and for all. In an interview, writer
Simon Furman Simon Christopher Francis Furman (born 22 March 1961) is a British people, British Script (comics), comic book writer who is best known for his work on Hasbro's ''Transformers'' franchise, starting with writing Marvel Comics, Marvel's The Tran ...
indicated that Galvatron made his first
IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
appearance in '' The Transformers: Spotlight'' issue featuring Nightbeat. Unlike other incarnations, this Galvatron was not a recreated Megatron, but instead a separate Transformer from the Golden Age of Cybertron who is driven by a belief in having a great destiny. He was one of the crew of the lost '' Ark-1'', which had secretly been seeking out (under orders from
Nova Prime The Nova Corps is a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Marv Wolfman, the Corps first appeared in ''Fantastic Four'' #205 (April 1979). They have since appea ...
) an anomaly that was "a door to somewhere else... a dark mirror of the Matrix itself". Galvatron deliberately flew the ''Ark'' into the anomaly to find out the answers, thus marooning the crew in the Dead Universe. In the present day, he heads for Cybertron to obtain Thunderwing's body, destroying an alien observation station on the way. On Cybertron, Galvatron killed Leadfoot and easily overpowered Hound's unit, though he left them alive as a small act of defiance against his master. He made his first appearance in the main storyline in issue 3 of '' The Transformers: Devastation'', being sent to Earth by Nemesis Prime to stop the Reapers from destroying it too soon. He turned the Reaper leader into a dead being able to kill by touch (like himself) and left it to decimate his fellow Reapers. Caught between this and the Ore-13 charged Decepticons, the Reapers were soon annihilated, and Galvatron left with the body of
Sixshot ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
. He then reported back to Prime, who made it clear in conversation with
Jhiaxus ''Transformers Generation 2'' (Issue #1, November 1, 1993 - Issue #12, October 1, 1994) is a comic book series based on the Transformers: Generation 2 toy line, written by Simon Furman. It was published by Marvel Comics. No longer restricted by ...
that he was not unaware of Galvatron's rebellious ambitions. As with the Marvel version of Galvatron, he is seemingly invincible and shrugs off powerful weapons. Unlike other incarnations of the character, he appears to be able to kill and decay others by touch and can even survive being shot through the head at close range by powerful weapons. In ''Devastation'' he is shown to be able to confer his touch of death onto others, turning the Reaper leader into an unwilling "giver of unlife". There are hints that he is not actually alive—after surviving his head shot he responded to a cry of "He's not dead!" by thinking "Wrong", and he has referred to the others in the Dead Universe as actually being dead: "I killed them".


Kiss Players

Although Megatron himself would not make an appearance in the Japanese exclusive Kiss Players line, he would nonetheless have a small role to play. When
Rodimus Prime ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
hurled
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
out of
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
at the climax of '' The Transformers: The Movie'', Galvatron hurtled through space, out of control, until he eventually crash-landed in
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
, devastating much of the city. Although comatose, Galvatron's Unicron-corrupted cells spread throughout Earth and fused with various creatures. The resultant hybrids, known as the Legion, bore a marked resemblance to Megatron and would menace the Earth Defense Command on several occasions.


Binaltech

Megatron is largely "off-screen" for most of the Binaltech saga, reflecting the absence of a Megatron figure in that toyline. Due to the interference of Ravage (the same future Ravage who appears in the
Beast Wars Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...
), most of the events of the original animated feature do not transpire; most importantly the Battle of Autobot City does not occur, and Optimus Prime and Megatron do not have their final showdown, meaning that Optimus Prime does not die, and Megatron is never reformatted into Galvatron.


Unite Warriors

The Unite Warriors storyline—exclusive to Japan—introduced the character of Megaempress, a female Decepticon whose bio states that she was created from parts left over from Megatron's construction. She thus considers herself to be Megatron's wife—or the Transformer equivalent—and Empress of the Decepticons; whether Megatron views her in this fashion is unknown.


Beast Era

The ''
Beast Wars Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...
'' and ''
Beast Machines ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment as part of the Transformers franchise. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars'' ...
'' version of Megatron appears in the aforementioned parts of the
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
animated series, toy lines, and multiverse. This Megatron is a separate character from his original ''Generation 1'' counterpart, but the original pack-in mini-comic and biographies released with the earliest ''Beast Wars'' toys indicate that the character was supposed to be the original Megatron, in a new body. With the advent of the animated series, however, the fiction of ''Beast Wars'' was re-imagined and eventually applied to the toy line, establishing this Megatron as an independent character. In the past, a few fans have referred to him as Megatron II to distinguish him from the original character of the same name; in the Japanese ''Transformers: Robot Masters'' series, he was named Beast Megatron for this purpose. Usually, however, he simply referred to as the ''Beast Wars'' Megatron. His ultimate goal is the conquest of Cybertron, where he was branded a criminal. Few pieces of information exist about Megatron before the ''Beast Wars''. The Japanese Beast Wars II toy catalogue claims that he had battled and lost to
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
(the villain of that series) in the past, while the 2006
BotCon BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Conventi ...
comics claimed he was previously a commander in the Predacon army who had developed many of the Predacons' tactics. According to the 2007 CGI movie ''Theft of the Golden Disk'', Megatron was Cryotek's pupil. It was Cryotek who masterminded the theft of the Golden Disk, but Megatron betrayed his mentor and fled Cybertron with his prize, leaving Cryotek and Dirge to be arrested by Maximals. In a 2010 interview with ''Shogun Gamer'', David Kaye said that Megatron is the role he is more likely to be remembered for. Three centuries after the end of The Great War, when Maximal and
Predacon This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
had risen to replace the
Autobot The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...
s and the
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
s, one Predacon, in particular, was discontented with the Maximals' control of Cybertron following the Autobot victory in the war. Studying the ancient Cybertronian text called the Covenant of Primus, the Predacon took the name ''Megatron'' from a great destroyer of the same name that the book foretold (which may or may not have been also indirect homage to his namesake, the Decepticon Megatron). Searching for Energon to power his takeover bid, he stole the legendary artifact known as the Golden Disk, but discovered amongst its data more than the mere location of an Energon source—encoded onto the disk was a message from the original Megatron, which contained the coordinates of the prehistoric planet Earth. Using transwarp technology this would allow a user to travel back in time and alter history—specifically, to destroy
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
as he lay in stasis within the ''
Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...
'', thereby preventing the Autobots from winning The Great War. In ''Beast Machines'', Megatron's personality underwent a change to become a much darker character. Losing many of his previous personality quirks, he developed a hatred of organics and free will, but oddly saw himself as a savior of Cybertron. His sense of humor vanished, replaced with "Machine Precision" and his plans had evolved to galactic conquest. He even developed some sense of honor, keeping his word to
Rattrap This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
in one case where he would have formerly taken advantage of an opponent. However, he still retained his strategic brilliance and manipulative abilities, outwitting the Maximals and other enemies with his plans on nearly every occasion.


Comics


3H Enterprises

Megatron's sudden development of a transformation-freezing virus, spark-extraction and Vehicon technology and drones went without explanation in the animated series, with the large time gap between his return and the Maximals' left to serve as a grey area in which these innovations occurred. The comics exclusive to the BotCon convention, however, shone some light on this period of time and revealed that upon his return to Cybertron, Megatron met his former mentor,
Cryotek The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
. Cryotek offered to free Megatron of his beast mode by transferring most of it to himself, only to have the transfer send him into a period of stasis lock. Megatron went into seclusion, using Cryotek's plundered inventions to develop the technology that he used to enslave Cybertron. Megatron was intended to appear in an upgraded form during the ''Universe'' storyline, but the line was canceled before this could come to pass. However, an alternate version was mentioned as hailing from a universe where he was overthrown and killed by Obisidian after taking control of Cybertron with his Vehicons. "Ask Vector Prime" later expanded on this storyline, revealing that in this universe Starscream's Spark had possessed Waspinator and destroyed the Maximals, while the Quantum Surge was caused when Megatron tricked Blackarachnia into destroying the Vok weapon in orbit around prehistoric Earth. "Waspscream" then overthrew Megatron and killed him,
Scorponok Scorponok is a major antagonist whose name is shared by several fictional characters throughout the various Transformers, Transformers universes. Characters with this name are usually Decepticons or Predacons that turn into robotic scorpions or h ...
, and Inferno, later doing the same to Silverbolt after he left the Predacons. However, during the crew's journey back to Cybertron, Megatron would escape and beat the others back to the planet, taking it over as he had in ''Beast Machines.'' Waspscream, Tarantulas, Protoform X, and Terrorsaur would escape Megatron's transformation virus and be reformatted into techno-organic forms by the Oracle, becoming a resistance force that opposed Megatron and his generals: the liberated Inferno and the reprogrammed/reformatted Silverbolt and Scorponok, who became Jetstorm and Tankor. Waspscream's forces later saved Silverbolt, and the threat of other resistance groups soon pushed Megatron to recruit Obsidian as a new general; however, without Strika to serve as his counterbalance Obsidian turned against Megatron and overthrew him. This pushed Inferno into the Predacon camp, and after Obsidian and Tankor were drawn into the Universe War by Unicron Waspscream and the other rebel forces reclaimed Cybertron.


Dreamwave Productions

Megatron's earliest fictional depiction in comics was in a two-part short story told in
Dreamwave Dreamwave Productions was a Canadian art design studio and comic book publisher founded in 1996. Best known for its comic book adaptations of Transformers (toy line), Transformers, the company shut down on January 4, 2005. History Brothers Pat ...
's ''Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye'' series of character profiles. The tale started and finished the series, showing a mysterious figure (who would be revealed at the story's close as Megatron) and his accomplice accessing the supercomputer Vector Sigma through a node in an ancient Autobot library and viewing the profiles of the Autobots and Decepticons of the Great War (in reality the character profiles of the series). As the accomplice dispatched a Maximal security agent his leader obtained the
Golden Disk The Voyager Golden Records are two phonograph records that were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for ...
and announced he wished to be addressed as Megatron from now on, implying he took the name after viewing the profile of the original Megatron. In addition to his surprise appearance in Dreamwave's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' series Megatron was also set to appear in Dreamwave's unpublished ''Beast Wars'' comic. Although the company's bankruptcy meant that no issues were released, released art and information have revealed that the second issue would have dealt with Megatron's trial on Cybertron at the hands of
Magmatron is a 1999 Japanese language, Japanese Transformers television animated series, a toy line, and a sequel to ''Beast Wars II''. It was produced by Nihon Ad Systems, NAS, TV Tokyo, and Ashi Productions. Hozumi Gōda reprised his role as Lio Con ...
.


IDW Publishing

IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW), itself formed in 1999, and is regularly recog ...
's 2006 comic book, '' Beast Wars: The Gathering'', saw Megatron's old rival from Cybertron, Magmatron, travel back to the time of the ''Beast Wars'' (shortly after Megatron's failed attempt at killing Optimus Prime) at the behest of the Tripredacus Council. Activating all the remaining stasis pods on the planet, Magmatron quickly assembled a Predacon army of his own, including a reanimated Ravage. Although Magmatron had ambitions to stage a coup like Megatron, he did not want to reveal his intentions to the Tripredacus Council yet and aimed to capture Megatron for them as his mission required, to divert suspicion. Revealing himself to Megatron, the two would-be tyrants battled, but Megatron was captured when Magmatron's lackeys Iguanus and Drill Bit managed to knock Megatron out. Magmatron aimed to send him back to Cybertron, but due to the intervention of
Razorbeast This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
,
Optimus Minor The is a line of mecha toys produced by Japanese company Takara (now known as Takara Tomy) and American toy company Hasbro. Initially a line of transforming mecha toys rebranded from Takara's ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' toy lines, it spawne ...
and
Grimlock Grimlock is the name of several fictional robot characters in the Transformers robot franchise. He is usually portrayed as the leader of the Dinobots, a subfaction of Autobots who can transform into metal dinosaurs. Grimlock was known for his d ...
, Magmatron was sent back to Cybertron instead. Razorbeast left the unconscious Megatron on Earth, fearing an alteration to the time stream if he captured him. Megatron's presence would be felt in IDW's second ''Beast Wars'' series as well, as Ravage (resurrected as a Transmetal by Magmatron) aimed to capture Razorbeast's chronal armband, which would allow him to interfere with the "main" timestream (the ''Beast Wars'' of the TV show). He planned to free Megatron from his imprisonment on the Autobot shuttle and ally with him to kill all the Maximals on the planet. His plan was thwarted by Razorbeast. However, in the very last panel of the series, Megatron is seen overlooking a ravaged Cybertron, presumably having just arrived from his long transwarp journey before his Maximal rivals. Megatron had a biography printed in the ''Beast Wars Sourcebook'' by IDW Publishing. In 2016, he also appeared in the "Dawn of the Predacus" comic released at the
BotCon BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Conventi ...
convention that year, with IDW publishing the comic in place of Fun Publications. In this storyline, set some 300 years before the Beast Wars, Megatron's form—a Retool of ''Robots in Disguise'' Megatron/Galvatron—is the result of having his body reconstructed with Techno-Organic Tri-Malteranium, a technology also known as "TM3." In this story, Megatron is a Decepticon commander who, after learning of Galvatron's death and the Tripredacus Council's resolution to call a cease-fire, orders his forces—including
Predaking ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
—to attack. His force is then engaged by Magnaboss, but after learning of Predaking's defeat he is stunned by Ravage, and later disciplined for failing to follow the orders of the Tripredacus Council.


Fun Publications

Megatron was featured in the 2006
BotCon BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Conventi ...
tale ''Timelines: Dawn of Futures Past'', which picked up where the Dreamwave story left off. Much more of the background surrounding his theft of the Golden Disk artifacts was revealed. A feared general in the Predacon army, he went rogue from the Predacons after the signing of the Pax Cybertronia—a peace treaty between the Maximal and Predacon factions—and took the name of Megatron. He swiftly gathered a crew of like-minded individuals and, while
Waspinator ''Beast Wars: Transformers'' (titled ''Beasties: Transformers'' in Canada) is a computer animated television series that debuted in 1996 and ended on March 7, 1999, serving as the flagship of the '' Transformers: Beast Wars'' franchise. It was o ...
and
Terrorsaur This is a sortable list of characters and toys in the ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or video games. This does not include cha ...
stole a ship, he, Dinobot and Scorponok stole the disk, battling the guards and destroying one, leaving
the other In phenomenology, the terms the Other and the Constitutive Other identify the other human being, in their differences from the Self, as being a cumulative, constituting factor in the self-image of a person; as acknowledgement of being real; he ...
to commandeer a ship to pursue them. Picked up by their ship, they fled and were pursued by two ships—one of which was the ''
Axalon ''Transformers: Beast Wars'' is an entertainment franchise from Hasbro, and is part of the larger ''Transformers'' franchise. The franchise directly follows the '' Transformers: Generation 1'' continuity established by the 1984 series and ani ...
''. Tarantulas was able to decode enough information from the Golden Disk to set a course through transwarp space. With a little help from
Laserbeak ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
and Buzzsaw (secretly sent by
Divebomb A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...
to ensure Megatron's plan to change history succeeded) they destroyed one of their pursuers, and the newly christened '' Darkside'' fled into Transwarp space, with the ''Axalon'' in pursuit—thus beginning the ''Beast Wars''. To marry the visual appearance of Megatron's pre-Beast form seen in the first episode of the ''Beast Wars'' animated series (indeed, Megatron was the ''only'' character whose entire body was depicted, albeit briefly, prior to reformatting into a beast mode) with the toy of the character available exclusively at the convention, the story notes that Megatron adopts a detachable suit of armor that transforms into a missile tank, similar to a Pretender Shell or
Ultra Magnus Ultra Magnus is a fictional character from the various ''Transformers'' storylines in the Transformers franchise, generally appearing as a chief lieutenant of Optimus Prime. Transformers: Generation 1 Despite his incredible fighting skills, ...
's outer armor in Dreamwave's series. The tank is his toy; the profile is given for the character in the widespread release of the comic notes that his original body transforms into a hover tank. Notably, ''Timelines'' presents a slightly different version of the disk's theft to the story presented in Dreamwave comics. In ''Timelines'', Megatron seems to already be known to other characters by that name, whereas in Dreamwave's story, he only takes the name after taking possession of the disk. Whether the two are reconcilable is unknown. Megatron appeared in the 2008 BotCon voice-actor play "Bee in the City", voiced by David Kaye. After losing Optimus Prime and Sari to the Transtech incarnation of Shockwave, Bumblebee and
Flareup A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ar ...
meet Megatron, who goes by the name of "Joe" to avoid any attraction. Learning of the Allspark key on Sari's person, Megatron offers his aid. Once Bumblebee frees his friends, Megatron reveals himself as he uses the key to bring an army to life. However, when his army realizes the consequence of their coming to being within Transtech Cybertron, a mutiny ensures as Megatron is dragged off while vowing revenge. "Ask Vector Prime" would also introduce an alternate version of Megatron created by the events of the Binaltech storyline who later invaded the ''Robots in Disguise'' universe and was transformed into the villainous "Megahead Megatron". Establishing a horde of Vehicons as his original counterpart had, he proceeded to plunge Cybertron into a Spark War, with Mirage as one of his many victims. However, he was eventually defeated due to the actions of the Binaltech Alternity in dispatching a crew of similarly created Maximals—including Air Attack Optimus Primal—to challenge his efforts. However, his legacy would continue to plague that universe, as his associate Cryotek would use the Transwarp technology Megatron contributed to their efforts to launch a campaign across time and space. Megatron's story continued in the pages of the biography printed by Fun Publications for the 25th-anniversary Optimus Primal toy. Even his death at the conclusion of ''Beast Machines'' would not be the end of Megatron's villainy. Due to the inextricable link that had been forged between himself and Optimus Primal when Cybertron was reformatted, Primal's return to life to lead the "Children of Primus" against the machinations of
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
meant that Megatron was also brought back to the land of the living. This time, however, the two old enemies found themselves in an uneasy alliance, traveling from universe to universe to wherever the multiversal conflict had spread. While this storyline would never play out, the design used for Megatron's Universe form—a remold/redeco of ''Robots in Disguise'' Megatron—would later see use in the "Dawn of Predacus" storyline for BotCon 2016.


TFcon comics

Megatron appears among the characters in ''Re-Unification'', the 2010 TFCon voice actor play prelude comic. He was featured in the Beast Wars Transformers Mutating Card Game by
Parker Brothers Parker Brothers (known by Parker outside of North America) was an American toy and game manufacturer which in 1991 became a brand of Hasbro. More than 1,800 games were published under the Parker Brothers name since 1883. Among its products wer ...
.


''Beast Wars Second''

In the interim between the first and second seasons of the ''Beast Wars'' animated series, the ''
Beast Wars II is a 1998 Japanese ''Transformers'' anime series, spawning a movie and a toyline. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 1998 to January 1999, and was the first ''Transformers'' anime to be produced by Nihon Ad Systems and animated by the s ...
'' anime was produced in Japan to fill the gap, and produced a feature film entitled '' Beast Wars II: Lio Convoy's Close Call!'' In this film, the Predacons of the series discover a mysterious transwarp device. The Predacons' leader,
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
, attempted to use the time-and-space-warping gate to summon a "Megatron" to his aid. It is unclear whether he was searching for the original Megatron or the
Predacon This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
who went by the same name, but regardless, Galvatron's brother Gigastorm screwed up the calculations and instead summoned the titanic
Majin Zarak Scorponok is a major antagonist whose name is shared by several fictional characters throughout the various Transformers, Transformers universes. Characters with this name are usually Decepticons or Predacons that turn into robotic scorpions or h ...
, whom Galvatron proudly declared to be far superior to Megatron.


''Transformers: Robot Masters''

The short-lived ''Transformers: Robot Masters'' line released exclusively in Japan saw Megatron transported through the mysterious "Blastizone" to Earth in the early 21st century, where he sided with the Decepticons, currently led by
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
after the disappearance of Megatron. Dubbed "Beast Megatron" to distinguish him from his predecessor, Megatron bested Starscream and took leadership of the Decepticons until the original Megatron returned in the form of Reverse Convoy, and the two Megatrons merged their energies to create the "Double Megatron Tornado". This power, however, was thwarted by the "Triple Convoy Tornado Link Attack" formed from the energy of Optimus Prime, Optimus Primal and
Lio Convoy is a 1998 Japanese ''Transformers'' anime series, spawning a movie and a toyline. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo from April 1998 to January 1999, and was the first ''Transformers'' anime to be produced by Nihon Ad Systems and animated by the s ...
. Oddly, the ''Robot Masters'' series depicted Megatron standing as tall as original Decepticon characters, when Maximals and Predacons were much smaller. Additionally, he is capable of robot-mode flight and breathes fire in dinosaur mode, none of which he could do in the ''Beast Wars'' TV series.


Robots in Disguise

This version of Megatron (known as Gigatron in Japan) is a six-changer, powerful enough to transform into five additional modes besides his robot form—twin-headed
dragon A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...
,
bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...
-
gargoyle In architecture, and specifically Gothic architecture, a gargoyle () is a carved or formed grotesque with a spout designed to convey water from a roof and away from the side of a building, thereby preventing it from running down masonry walls ...
creature,
race car Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organi ...
, spaceship and claw (GigaDragon, GigaBat, GigaFormula, GigaJet and GigaHand in Japanese). Each form has its own different frightening capabilities, making Megatron a very unstable and unpredictable fighter. Unlike his namesake, Megatron would often sit back from a conflict and allow his subordinates to do the dirty work. Like his counterparts, he is arrogant, but unlike them, he also was incompetent, as most of his schemes were badly planned and badly executed. Upon his upgrade into
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
, he gains additional forms, and gains the ability to absorb energy from other lifeforms. A Predacon warlord before coming to Earth, Megatron is believed to have decimated numerous planets in his quest for energy. Optimus stated that Megatron left entire planets as "lifeless barren rocks". Needing ever more energy, Megatron targeted Earth's energy; to that end, he kidnapped the human energy-research expert, Doctor Kenneth Onishi, using his psycho-probe to drain information on Earth's energy sources from his mind. But even his subordinates were unaware that Megatron had a greater scheme in motion. In the original Car Robots series, the character was developed as a new, unique villain character called Gigatron; however, the name "Megatron" was used in the U.S. dub due to recognition, as well as maintaining ownership of the trademark. In Korea, the character has been established as being the same character as ''Beast Wars II'' Galvatron. In this version of the series, each of Gigatron's modes had its own personality.


Comics


Dreamwave Productions

The character of ''RiD'' Megatron made one appearance in Dreamwave comics 'Summer Special' issue before the company went under, sending his bickering lieutenants
Scourge A scourge is a whip or lash, especially a multi-thong type, used to inflict severe corporal punishment or self-mortification. It is usually made of leather. Etymology The word is most commonly considered to be derived from Old French ''escorgi ...
and Sky-Byte to steal a nuclear generator while he led the other Decepticons and Predacons to distract the Autobots. There was a contest in the issue as to whether ''RiD'' or ''
Beast Wars Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...
'' would be the next Dreamwave
comic a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
series, which ''Beast Wars'' won. But Dreamwave went bankrupt before the series began.


IDW Publishing

Gigatron appears in the ''Generation 1'' IDW Publishing series that focuses on the Autobot
Drift Drift or Drifts may refer to: Geography * Drift or ford (crossing) of a river * Drift, Kentucky, unincorporated community in the United States * In Cornwall, England: ** Drift, Cornwall, village ** Drift Reservoir, associated with the village ...
in design completely based on his ''Robots in Disguise'' appearance, but as a character separate from G1 Megatron.


Other Versions

"Ask Vector Prime" would introduce additional versions of this Megatron/Galvatron, both associating with other tyrants. One version would join forces with the Predacon Cryotek, who reformatted him into the Vehicon Megabolt to enable him to control Fortress Maximus. Similarly, in another universe the tyrannical Megazarak would use the remains of the fallen Megatron to create an undead Megabolt to serve as his own controller for Fortress Maximus. However, before he could implement this plan, Megabolt and others of Megazarak's forces would be abducted by Unicron.


Unicron Trilogy

The Megatron of the "Unicron Trilogy" ('' Transformers: Armada'', '' Transformers: Energon'' and '' Transformers: Cybertron'') is the leader of the evil
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
s in that universe of the ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
''
mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...
. In all three animated series, he is modified into Galvatron, reverting to his Megatron name at the beginning of each series. He is voiced by
David Kaye David Kaye may refer to: * David Kaye (voice actor) (born 1966), Canadian-American voice actor * David A. Kaye, actor who played Jesse Waingrow in the film ''3000 Miles to Graceland'' * David Kaye (footballer) (born 1959), English footballer * Dav ...
, who also voiced the ''
Beast Wars Beast most often refers to: * Non-human animal * Monster Beast or Beasts may also refer to: Bible * Beast (Revelation), two beasts described in the Book of Revelation Computing and gaming * Beast (card game), English name of historical Fren ...
'' and ''
Beast Machines ''Beast Machines: Transformers'' is an animated television series produced by Mainframe Entertainment as part of the Transformers franchise. Hasbro has the full distribution rights to the show as of 2011. It was a direct sequel to ''Beast Wars'' ...
'' version of Megatron.


Animated series

Megatron is a refined, focused general of the Decepticons. He is extremely cruel, ruthless and cunning as well as incredibly strong and intelligent. Only Optimus Prime can be compared with him in force. Megatron will stop at nothing in order to achieve his ultimate object, that is to say, to rule over the entire Universe, in the end. In'' Micron Legend ''(the Japanese version of'' Transformers: Armada'') Megatron did not rename himself Galvatron when he received his power boost. Instead, he renames himself when he is reborn in ''Superlink'', using the name "Galvatron" throughout the series. In the American version, on the other hand, he reverts to using the name Megatron again, changing it to Galvatron once more towards the end of the series. Ten years later, Primus's plan to imprison Unicron's spark at the heart of the sun ultimately failed, leading the star to collapse, creating a black hole that threatened the existence of Cybertron, and the rest of the universe. Escaping his confinement within the sun, Megatron (now known as Master Megatron in Japan) enhanced his powers by merging his body with the remnants of Unicron's shattered form, increasing his power with the dark god's own. In this new form, Megatron became a
Triple Changer The is a line of mecha toys produced by Japanese company Takara (now known as Takara Tomy) and American toy company Hasbro. Initially a line of transforming mecha toys rebranded from Takara's ''Diaclone'' and ''Micro Change'' toy lines, it spawne ...
with the ability to change into a monstrous racing vehicle and a Cybertronian jet plane. His primary weapons consist of two rear-mounted missile launchers and the ability to unleash energy streams from his palms in the shape of lightning bolts. In addition, he can call upon a Cyber Key to activate high-speed thrusters in vehicle mode, as well as a battle claw (named as Death Claw in Japan) in robot mode. Megatron (in his ''Cybertron'' form) appears among the characters in ''Re-Unification'', the 2010
TFcon TFcon is a Transformers fan convention held annually since 2002. The convention was created to give fans the opportunity to celebrate their love for the Transformers franchise. Now the largest fan-run Transformers convention in the world, TFcon w ...
voice actor play prelude comic.


Comics


Dreamwave Productions

The story of Megatron in the '' Armada'' comics would be similar to his animated counterpart, but with an expanded backstory. Attacking various
Mini-Con ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
villages to draw the Autobots away, Megatron's forces then declared war and invaded Cyber-City, crushing all resistance and announcing himself as its new leader. The Autobots returned but were no match for the Mini-Con-enhanced Decepticons. However, a handful of Mini-Cons broke into Decepticon headquarters, freed most of their comrades and evacuated the planet. Despite this setback, the few Mini-Cons that Megatron had left were still enough to allow him to conquer Cybertron. Realizing that the threat Unicron posed was too great to be overcome on his own, Megatron agreed to co-operate with Optimus Prime by pooling resources. Megatron's Decepticons and the Autobots came to a truce for their final battle with Unicron. Megatron returned the Mini-Cons and joined the battle against Unicron, but secretly planned to let the Autobots die and then strike a bargain with Unicron. In the final battle with Unicron, Hot Shot, Red Alert and
Scavenger Scavengers are animals that consume dead organisms that have died from causes other than predation or have been killed by other predators. While scavenging generally refers to carnivores feeding on carrion, it is also a herbivorous feeding b ...
attacked Megatron and knocked him into Unicron's mouth, where he was devoured alive.(Transformers: Armada #18 ) The origin of ''Energon'' Megatron was different in the Dreamwave comics. Although Megatron appeared dead, seemingly devoured by Unicron at the end of the ''Armada'' comics, it was later revealed that Megatron's mind was trapped within Unicron's bulk, where he existed undetected by Unicron, slowly building himself a new body. However, he could not move his consciousness into the body without being detected by Unicron. Megatron would also appear in the Energon promotional comic. On Earth, Megatron, with the aid of
Snowcat A snowcat (short for snow and caterpillar) is an enclosed-cab, truck-sized, fully tracked vehicle designed to move on snow. Major manufacturers are Pisten Bully (Germany), Prinoth (Italy) and Tucker (United States). Snow groomers A snow ...
,
Shockwave In physics, a shock wave (also spelled shockwave), or shock, is a type of propagating disturbance that moves faster than the local speed of sound in the medium. Like an ordinary wave, a shock wave carries energy and can propagate through a me ...
,
Mirage A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meanin ...
and Demolishor, has cornered Optimus Prime and a wounded Hot Shot. Optimus refused to give up despite the odds. The other Autobot reinforcements were over ten minutes away when Wing Saber arrived. Megatron was shocked to learn the power of Optimus Prime when he Powerlink with Wing Saber and turned back all the Decepticons, and then Megatron himself. The Autobots then arrive and Optimus thanked Wing Saber for his help.


3H Enterprises

Plucked from his timeline by the power of Unicron immediately after building the Star Saber, Megatron was thrust together with
Grimlock Grimlock is the name of several fictional robot characters in the Transformers robot franchise. He is usually portrayed as the leader of the Dinobots, a subfaction of Autobots who can transform into metal dinosaurs. Grimlock was known for his d ...
and
Optimus Primal Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
to battle Striker and
Reptilion The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
. Though his fate was not revealed in the line before its cancellation, "Ask Vector Prime" revealed the continued history of this incarnation of Armada Megatron. Having witnessed the evil of Unicron firsthand, he was more easily convinced to join forces with the Autobots, and did not have to witness Starscream's willingness to sacrifice himself. As a result, Starscream stepped up to fill his shoes after Megatron fell during the battle with Unicron, and the Autobots and Decepticons were more fully united when he reappeared as leader of the Terrorcons. Later, during the events of the Unicron Singularity, Megatron would be reformatted into Beast Megatron rather than Galvatron, and eventually face the similarly reformatted Beast Optimus in battle before being destroyed by Vector Prime's sword Rhisling. "Ask Vector Prime" would also feature another alternate Armada Megatron, this one has become Galvatron, who attempted to form an alliance with Megazarak when that Decepticon arrived in his universe. However, after briefly working together and defeating the Autobots and Rodimus's Omnicons, Galvatron and his Decepticons were set upon by Megazarak and his Destructicons and destroyed.


Pack-in comics

In the second ''Transformers: Energon'' pack-in comic Prowl, Inferno and
Landmine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
discover some hills on Earth that are rich with Energon and call in to
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
that they should put an Energon tower up. Optimus warns the Autobots that Decepticon activity has been scanned nearby. Megatron attacks with a horde of
Divebomb A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target simplifies the bomb's trajectory and allows the pilot to keep visual contact through ...
Terrorcon The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...
clones. The Autobots attempt by fight back by having Mirage and Inferno Powerlinx while Landmine goes into brute mode, but they are overwhelmed when
Insecticon ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
Terrorcon hordes join in the attack. The Autobots retreat and Megatron takes the Energon for himself.


Transformers Cinematic Universe

In the 2007 live-action ''Transformers'' film, Megatron's alternate mode is a Cybertronian jet. The apparent explanation for the departure from his gun form is that director
Michael Bay Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget, high-concept action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of ...
does not want to include any sort of size changing in the transformations, which the writers described as "cheating". (This significant change in size is known in Transformers fan communities as "mass shifting" and "mass displacement".) In one of the special features on the DVD, G1 Megatron's transformation was likened to
Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
turning into his own
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout the ''Star Wars'' franchise. A typical lightsaber is depicted as a luminescent plasma blade about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the or ...
to be wielded by another person. Additionally, Bay states in the DVD that Megatron's face was originally different from the one shown in the film, but he asked it to be redesigned due to fans reacting with strong opposition to it once Megatron's design was unveiled before the film was completed. In the second film, Megatron gains an alternate mode, that of a Cybertronian flying tank. In the third film, Megatron receives another alternate mode, that being a Mack 10-wheeler tanker truck (a demented version of Optimus Prime's alternate mode) with a tarp which may act as a cowl to partially hide Megatron's face due to extensive damage he received in the second film. After his death in the third film, he returns in the fourth movie, where his consciousness possesses Galvatron, a man-made Transformer created by KSI, and transforms into a 2014
Freightliner Argosy The Freightliner Argosy is a model line of cabover trucks that was produced by the American truck manufacturer Freightliner from the 1999 to 2020 model years. Developed as the replacement for the FLB cabover, the Argosy was a Class 8 truck, co ...
cab over truck. Actor
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six AACTA Awards, Australian Academy of Cinema and Tel ...
provides the voice of Megatron in the first three films. His voice in the series seems to have been modulated to give it a deeper, growling tone as well as the other voice actors. The original voice of Megatron,
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
, provides his voice for the 2007 and 2009
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
s, the exclusive animated prequel and '' The Last Knight''. Like all characters in the film, Megatron was redesigned for purposes of realism and focus on the alien aspect of the Transformer race. However, he still retains some minor aspects of his ''Generation 1'' design. As shown in the first film, he can transform his right hand into his iconic fusion cannon, and can also transform his right arm into a steel flail. In the second film, after Megatron's resurrection, his right arm could transform into a fusion cannon, coupled with a
lobster Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...
claw-like blade/crushing device. In the third film, Instead of using a fusion cannon integrated into either of his arms, he uses a handheld version of it, which resembles a human shotgun, specifically a Lupara. In the fifth film, Megatron once again uses a fusion cannon integrated into his right arm as well as utilizing a handheld sword resembling a Congolese short sword. According to an early interview with Michael Bay, Megatron stands at tall, but according to his profile in the second issue of the ''Transformers UK'' comic Megatron stands " tall" and weighs 8.6 tons. Additionally, the magazine and the ''Movie Guide'' states he is powered by a self-regenerating dark matter power core. Hasbro has now said that Megatron officially stands 35 feet and weighs in at 5.7 metric tons.
BotCon BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Conventi ...
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
2007 featured a parking space which was "Reserved for Megatron". A car parked in the space had been totaled, presumably by the Decepticon leader for taking his spot.


Films

Megatron appears in ''Transformers'', the first film of the series. Several years after being discovered by Captain
Archibald Witwicky The following is a list of cast members and characters from the ''Transformers'' film series. Autobots The Autobots are the main protagonists of the Transformers franchise who come from the planet Cybertron. Optimus Prime Optimus Prime (voic ...
, Megatron's frozen body is transported from the
Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle. The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
to
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on Se ...
to be guarded by Sector 7, a secret government organization that studies Non-Biological Extraterrestrials (N.B.E.), as well as other alien-related activities. Sector 7 Agent Seymour Simmons explains that the Earth's magnetic field may have interfered with Megatron's
telemetry Telemetry is the in situ data collection, collection of measurements or other data at remote points and their automatic data transmission, transmission to receiving equipment (telecommunication) for monitoring. The word is derived from the Gr ...
, causing him to crash during the Ice Age. He also explains that his technology was reverse-engineered, producing the world's modern technology. Megatron's location, as well as the AllSpark's, is located by a group of Decepticons led by Starscream. After sneaking into Hoover Dam
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squar ...
thaws out Megatron, who escapes outside and learns from Starscream that the humans and the Autobots have taken the Allspark. Megatron pursues the Autobots and their allies to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, where he quickly (and rather brutally) disposes of
Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
before battling Optimus Prime. He overpowers Optimus and then pursues
Sam Witwicky Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional c ...
up a condemned building, attempting to taunt and threaten the human into giving him the AllSpark. Sam declines, prompting Megatron to knock the boy off the roof of the building with his flail. Optimus saves Sam and battles Megatron again. Towards the end of the battle as Megatron and Optimus are fighting, Blackout attempts to help Megatron kill Optimus Prime. However, Blackout is killed by Captain Lennox and his team. After being weakened by human combat jets, Megatron attempts to seize the AllSpark once again, only to have it shoved into his exposed spark chamber by Sam, killing him. Megatron's body is later dumped into the
Laurentian Abyss The Laurentian Fan or Laurentian Abyss is an underwater depression off the eastern coast of Canada in the Atlantic Ocean. Not a trench, but more of an "underwater valley", it is estimated to be at most ~19,685 feet (3.7 miles; 6.0 km) in depth. The ...
, along with the other dead Decepticons. Megatron returns in the sequel film, '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen''. In this film, he is revealed to be the Fallen's disciple, and the second commander of the Decepticon armies, as the Fallen is the true commander of the Decepticons. Megatron is revived by
Scalpel A scalpel, lancet, or bistoury is a small and extremely sharp bladed instrument used for surgery, anatomical dissection, podiatry and various arts and crafts (either called a hobby knife or an X-acto knife.). Scalpels may be single-use disposa ...
and the
Constructicons This is a list of characters from The Transformers (TV series), ''The Transformers'' television series. Autobots The Autobots (also known as Cybertrons in Japan) are the heroes in the ''Transformers (toy line), Transformers toyline'' and related ...
with an AllSpark shard and now takes on the form of a Cybertronian winged tank. He then flies to the
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...
, where he is greeted by
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
(whom he briefly pummels and berates for deserting him on Earth). He then reunites with the Fallen, telling of the AllSpark's demise before being told by his master that its knowledge (which has been passed on to Sam) is the key for providing Energon, which is needed by the Decepticons in order to awaken their protoform armies. Sam, his girlfriend
Mikaela Banes Mikaela Banes is a fictional character from the ''Transformers'' universe. She is differentiated from "typical" women in her age group, having inherited mechanical skills from her father, Cal, a grease monkey and paroled car thief. The character ...
and his dorm mate Leo Spitz are abducted by
Grindor The following is a list of cast members and characters from the ''Transformers'' film series. Autobots The Autobots are the main protagonists of the Transformers franchise who come from the planet Cybertron. Optimus Prime Optimus Prime (voic ...
into an abandoned factory where Megatron meets them. Pinning down Sam, threatening to torture him after acquiring what he needed, Megatron orders Scalpel to extract the Energon information from Sam's brain (ordering him to actually remove his brain), but they are quickly stopped by Optimus Prime. Megatron and Prime have a brief fight in the warehouse and then have a major battle in a forest, with Starscream and Grindor joining in. The fight ends with Megatron killing Prime by stabbing and shooting him with his fusion cannon, but then being forced to escape due to the intervention of Autobot reinforcements. Megatron then declares to Starscream that the Decepticons must reveal themselves to the humans in order to flush out Sam, and assists the Fallen in ordering the world's humans to find Sam and bring him to the Decepticons. Megatron and Starscream soon arrive in
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, and he commands his Decepticons (including several Constructicons and Starscream) to prevent Sam from getting the
Matrix of Leadership The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
to Optimus and retrieve it for the Fallen's machine. He then summons Devastator, who destroys the top part of the
Great Pyramid of Giza The Great Pyramid of Giza is the biggest Egyptian pyramid and the tomb of Fourth Dynasty pharaoh Khufu. Built in the early 26th century BC during a period of around 27 years, the pyramid is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, ...
, revealing the Star Harvester. The Fallen soon arrives after Devastator's destruction (see Devastator for more info.), and takes the Matrix of Leadership from a recently revived Optimus. Megatron then greets him but is blown away by an upgraded Optimus Prime (using the parts of
Jetfire Jetfire is the name of several character (arts), fictional characters from the ''Transformers'' franchise. He is almost always depicted as an Autobot with flight capabilities and a jet or space shuttle as an alternate mode. In some continuities he ...
to fly). Megatron and his master then battle Optimus. In one brutal move, Optimus grabs Megatron's arm cannon and forces it to fire on Megatron's face, destroying half of it, and then slices off his right arm and shoots him through a wall with Jetfire's afterburners. After seeing the Fallen killed, Starscream advises that they should retreat. Megatron does so, but vows that the war isn't over. Megatron returns in '' Transformers: Dark of the Moon''. In the three years since the events of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', Megatron has been hiding out in
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
healing his wounds, and taking care of the hatchlings. In the film, it is revealed that Megatron allied himself with Sentinel Prime in an attempt to revitalize Cybertron. Soundwave and
Laserbeak ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
inform him of the Autobot's discovery of the Ark ship on the moon, and orders them to kill their human allies. When Sentinel reveals his true intentions to the Autobots, Megatron arrives in
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
to meet with him. After blasting the statue of Abraham Lincoln and using it as a throne, he witnesses Sentinel activate his Space Bridge to bring his Decepticon forces to Earth. During the invasion of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, Sentinel violently demoralizes Megatron after the latter makes a suggestion of how they will rule Cybertron together after it has arrived through the Space Bridge. When Cybertron appears in the Earth's atmosphere, Megatron shows a rare example of sadness and regret. Towards the end of the battle, Megatron is convinced by
Carly Spencer ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
that Sentinel will take all of the power and credit for revitalizing Cybertron for himself. Angered, Megatron turns on Sentinel and severely damages him, declaring that the Earth is his planet to rule. When Cybertron's trip through the Space Bridge fails, Megatron slyly proposes a truce to Optimus, so long as he remains in charge of the Decepticon forces. But the Autobot leader, knowing that Megatron would not give in so easily, denies the offer and attacks him, overpowering him and ripping Megatron's head off with an axe, finally killing him. Shortly after, Optimus uses Megatron's shotgun to execute Sentinel. In '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'', it is revealed Megatron's mind is actually still alive and in stasis inside his severed head. A few years after the Battle of Chicago, Megatron's remains are acquired by KSI, who are attempting to forge their own Transformers with "transformium". Their CEO Joshua Joyce forces
Brains A brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It is located in the head, usually close to the sensory organs for senses such as vision. It is the most complex organ in a v ...
to download information from Megatron's head, which the Decepticon leader silently allows so Joshua will gain the information needed to succeed, which will grant Megatron access to a new body. Megatron then infects and possesses the unit
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
. He then pretends to obey orders, only to finally defy his creators at the film's climax and accept his new identity and rebirth. Megatron returns in '' Transformers: The Last Knight'', reborn, having discarded his identity as Galvatron and having gained new body that resembles a Dark Knight, and taken a new vehicle mode in the form of a Cybertronian jet, though how remains unspecified in the film (though it is hinted that Quintessa, the creator of Cybertronians, is responsible for his new form). He first appears when Barricade reports to him that Cade Yeager has received the talisman carried by the Cybertronian knight Steelbane. He then decides to use the TRF (Transformers Reaction Force) to lead him to Cade. Megatron also kidnaps two CIA agents to bargain for the release of a new "crew" to help him hunt Yeager. Upon meeting with William Lennox, Megatron successfully bargains for the release of Mohawk, Dreadbot, Nitro Zeus, and Onslaught (only settling for the latter after his first choice, the maniacal Berserker, is refused) to hunt Yeager and the Autobots. Megatron then goes after Cade, and attacks his hideout, but Cade and his companions lure Megatron into a trap, killing all the Decepticons except him, Barricade and Nitro Zeus. Forced to retreat, Megatron later sends Barricade after Cade and Bumblebee, but his plan is thwarted and he instead follows Cade, Bumblebee and Viviane Wembly to the submerged ship of the Knights of Iacon, where Quintessa's Staff of Life, once wielded by Merlin, is hidden. When Optimus Prime steals the staff as Nemesis Prime, Megatron steals it himself and takes it to Stonehenge, where he uses it to open a portal that will allow Quintessa to destroy the Earth (revealed to be Unicron) before killing Sir Edmund Burton and facing off against the Autobots and Optimus in battle. Megatron is eventually defeated by Optimus during the melee over the staff when he has his arm sliced off and is kicked out of Quintessa's chamber into thin air.


Animated series

After the events of the ''Revenge of the Fallen'' film, Megatron goes into hiding, orchestrating the events from Soundwave getting into NEST headquarters to
Lockdown A lockdown is a restriction policy for people, community or a country to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks (such as COVID-19) that could possibly harm the people if they move and interact freely. The term is used for a prison ...
being pursued by Ratchet. Megatron finally reveals himself in ''Cyber Missions 4'', when Optimus and Sideswipe track his spark's signal, which leads them to an abandoned warehouse. The two realize that Megatron is always one step ahead of them, and Megatron slashes at Sideswipe from behind. Megatron starts dueling Optimus, then Sideswipe joins in with him. Realizing that he is outnumbered, Megatron transforms into tank mode and shoots the roof, which collapses on Optimus and Sideswipe. Megatron gets away, but he leaves a trail of tank tread marks that lead out of the warehouse. Megatron returns 8 episodes later in ''Cyber Missions #12'', where he and Starscream scheme in the Arctic. He reveals to Starscream that he is aware of his ambitions and will punish him if he ever shows it again. Optimus Prime, who tracked them, soon arrives and combats them. When the rest of Optimus's team arrives, Megatron orders Starscream to take care of them, which Starscream agrees to, but not without complaint. Megatron and Starscream are simultaneously defeated, and the Decepticon commander flees after Optimus grants him mercy. Most of the Decepticons return for the final mission, ''Decepticons Attack.'' After receiving a signal from Soundwave emitting from a bullet train, Megatron arrived on the other side of the tunnel the train was emerging from and derailed it. Ripping open one of the cars, Megatron berated Soundwave for being captured so easily, until it was revealed it was simply a hologram of his communications officer. Megatron declared it a trap, to which Optimus replied that it was a moment later. The Autobots and Decepticons battled for one last time, with Optimus telling Megatron that his alliances were made out of fear, not friendship. The Decepticons are then cornered by the human troops. Optimus Prime then demands that all Decepticons leave Earth. All of the Decepticons, including Megatron, leave Earth, but not before the commander declares that he ''will'' return.


Books

Megatron appears in the prequel novel '' Transformers: Ghosts of Yesterday'', where it is revealed that reverse-engineering of his body has produced a spacecraft called ''Ghost-1''. The spacecraft is sent into space in 1969, where the humans on board encounter Megatron (here referred to throughout as the "ice man"), who is briefly reanimated in the middle of a battle between the Americans and the
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
s. However, he is placed in cryo-stasis once again. The children's book ''Transformers – Meet The Decepticons'', by
Jennifer Frantz Jennifer or Jenifer may refer to: People *Jennifer (given name) * Jenifer (singer), French pop singer * Jennifer Warnes, American singer who formerly used the stage name Jennifer * Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer * Daniel Jenifer Film and televi ...
, has a slightly different ending than the movie. This book has all six Decepticons leaving Earth together after being defeated by the Autobots, instead of having most of their numbers die. The novelization for ''Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' ends with Megatron laying down his weapons and calling for a truce in earnest. Optimus Prime spares him and the Decepticons leave Earth to rebuild Cybertron. In the novel, comic and
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
adaptations of ''Revenge of the Fallen'', the slightly different ending gives more depth to Megatron's relationship with the Fallen. The Fallen prepares for the final battle with Optimus Prime, it is revealed that the Fallen's promises of power to his apprentice were lies. Out of anger, Megatron betrays the Fallen and allows Optimus to kill him for good. He then flies back aboard the ''Nemesis'' to take command of the remaining Decepticon army. In the novel version of ''Dark of the Moon'', Optimus and Megatron work together and defeat Sentinel Prime. Though a fight was teased, Megatron reveals to Optimus he is tired of fighting, and is suing for peace. He declares he will work to restore Cybertron to its previous glory and will send for the Autobots, so that they may rebuild their planet, as brothers.


Comics


IDW Publishing

The back story of Megatron is told in both ''Transformers: Defiance'' and issue #1 of the '' Transformers: Movie Prequel'' comic. In the comics, Megatron is revealed to have co-ruled Cybertron together with
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
, serving as Lord High Protector. Megatron and Optimus learned of an alien force coming to their planet for the Allspark, just as a mysterious artifact was unearthed. Megatron is gravely injured, but the artifact (containing the
Fallen Fallen may refer to: People * Carl Fredrik Fallén (1764–1830), Swedish botanist and entomologist * Gabriel Toledo (born 1991), known as FalleN, Brazilian ''Counter-Strike'' player Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * Fallen ( ...
) awakens and heals him, swaying him with promises of power. Megatron soon desires power over the Allspark, and under the Fallen's influence, forms the
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
s, sending the bulk of his soldiers in a craft, the ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...
''. The Autobots attempt to hide the Allspark, but Megatron sees through the ruse and launches a full-scale attack, during which the Allspark is launched into space. Megatron almost catches up with the Allspark as it lands on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. In his reckless desire to possess it, Megatron pursues it right into Earth's atmosphere and falls into the icy waters, resulting in his being frozen in stasis lock. In the late 19th century, Captain
Archibald Witwicky The following is a list of cast members and characters from the ''Transformers'' film series. Autobots The Autobots are the main protagonists of the Transformers franchise who come from the planet Cybertron. Optimus Prime Optimus Prime (voic ...
discovers the Decepticon during an Arctic expedition. At the turn of the 20th century, a crew of men later take his body—dubbing him the "ice man"—and keep him in storage up until the present day, eventually relocating him to
Hoover Dam Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on Se ...
in Nevada. In a flashback in the movie sequel comic '' Transformers: The Reign of Starscream'', Megatron's negative relationship with
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
is shown to be a result of Starscream failing on a mission.


Titan Magazines

All events that take place in the alternate reality where Megatron won the battle at Mission City are in italics. In
Titan Magazines Titan Magazines is the magazine-publishing division of Titan Publishing Group. Titan Magazines' publishing directors are Ricky Claydon and John Dziewiatkowski. History Titan Magazines launched in 1995 with '' Star Trek Magazine'' with John ...
' ''Transformers'' magazine, the UK-originated strips (written by Simon Furman) reveal Megatron's actions between issues #1 and 2 of the IDW comic. Pursuing the Allspark into space following the events of ''Movie Prequel'' #1, Megatron is delayed in his pursuit by a tractor beam from Cybertron. Breaking free and attacking the culprits—Jazz, Ratchet and Ironhide—Megatron realizes that if he engages them, he would be delayed further. Summoning Devastator to deal with them, he resumes his pursuit—but the desperate gamble works and he (temporarily) loses the Allspark's trail. The character profile the magazine provided sheds a little more light on Megatron's desire to possess the Allspark. He believes that while Cybertronians could already transform into other forms via a scanning process, the Allspark could allow Transformers to simply imagine the form they want and change accordingly. Interfacing with the Allspark directly, Megatron gains his deadly jet mode and now began his plans to obtain it permanently. In "Twilight's Last Gleaming" part 3,
Bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
attempts to take on Megatron in the Sector 7 base as Mikaela attempts to free Optimus Prime, but she is attacked by Frenzy. In part 4, Mikaela frees Prime and freezes Frenzy just as Autobot reinforcements arrive and assist Bumblebee in fighting Megatron.


Cybertron's Most Wanted

Yet another version of Megatron was featured in BotCon's 2015 "Cybertron's Most Wanted" storyline. This version featured a history virtually identical to that of the Megatron of the films, up until the final battle of ''Dark of the Moon.'' At this point, some force intervened to save Megatron from Optimus's killing blow, allowing Megatron to kill not only Optimus but Sentinel Prime as well. After rebuilding himself and conquering Earth, Megatron set out to reclaim Cybertron, only to be forced to contend with a new Autobot leader who proved to be an even more dangerous foe than Optimus:
Rodimus Prime ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
. Defeated and left hanging from the edge of a spacebridge, Megatron chose to abandon himself to fate rather than allow Rodimus to kill him, and wound up in the interdimensional city of Axiom Nexus, despite restrictions put in place by the Transtech to prevent versions of Megatron from taking up residence there. He soon formed a new gang of criminals including Maximal thief Packrat, Decepticon Triple-Changer
Battletrap is a Japanese anime television series that is a part of the ''Transformers'' robot superhero franchise. It aired from July 3, 1987 to March 25, 1988, and its 17:00–17:30 timeslot was used to broadcast ''Mashin Hero Wataru'' at the end o ...
, Shattered Glass Autobot Stepper, and a trio of Microns.


Transformers Animated

Megatron's Cybertronian design hearkens to the movie version but with more human-like features, while his Earth design bears similarities to the "Super Megatron" form of his G1 incarnation. He wields his trademark fusion cannon (which is much larger than usual in this series) and carries a pair of swords. Early artwork depicted them as katana, but this was later changed. His original alternate mode is an unknown Cybertronian space vehicle but becomes a
tiltrotor A tiltrotor is an aircraft which generates lift and propulsion by way of one or more powered rotors (sometimes called ''proprotors'') mounted on rotating shafts or nacelles usually at the ends of a fixed wing. Almost all tiltrotors use a trans ...
aircraft once he is rebuilt to blend in with Earth.


Animated series

In this series, Megatron has his own catchphrase: "Decepticons, transform and rise up!", contrasting
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
's classic "Autobots, transform and roll out!" line. A marked contrast between this and other series is that Megatron and Optimus Prime's antagonism is not personal: before their first battle, they had never met, and they continue to clash on the basis that they are on opposite sides rather than on any particular personal hatred. Megatron does not even bother to remember Optimus's name until the series finale. Unlike several other series, Megatron does not upgrade into Galvatron (though a character named
Cyclonus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
appears in season 3 mentioning a Galvatron), he remains as Megatron for the full three seasons. The scale chart released for the series indicates Megatron stands about tall. As revealed in "Transform and Roll Out", Megatron had spent 4 million stellar cycles (years) in search of the Allspark. Even though he found it, Megatron was betrayed at the beginning of the series by
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
, who planted an explosive device on his back. Due to the explosion that crippled the Autobots craft, Megatron's lifeless body crashed on Earth, contracting "space barnacles," while his disembodied head was found in rural
Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
by a young Isaac Sumdac. Megatron's head subsequently became a keystone for Sumdac's various robotic creations, which he used to help convert
Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
into a technological metropolis within the next 50 years. This version is less tolerant of Starscream's treachery: after gaining his new body, he uses
Sari Sumdac ''Transformers: Animated'' is an American superhero animated television series based on the ''Transformers'' toy line. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Hasbro Entertainment and animated by The Answer Studio, Mook Animation, and S ...
's key to slay Starscream, and takes great pleasure in killing him several times once he discovers that Starscream has become immortal due to a shard of the Allspark embedded in his head, and he would later destroy Starscream's replacement body, moments after he got it, once the treacherous Decepticon had outgrown his usefulness. Megatron is also the most cool-headed among his other adaptations, despite being just as arrogant as his predecessors. Furthermore, he doesn't consider Optimus of any actual importance until the climactic final battle on Earth, where Megatron finally acknowledged him as a threat by name. In the end, Megatron is captured and brought to Cybertron. After the events of the animated series, Megatron was placed in detention at the
Trypticon ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
stronghold in Kaon city. If
Cyclonus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
is to be believed, in the far future, Megatron will become
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
, under unknown circumstances, and kill Oil Slick.


Transtech

The Megatron of the Transtech world works together with his world's Optimus Prime. Shockwave is one of his chief scientific researchers. Shockwave used to work for the renegade Decepticon Jhiaxus as a scientist, but after Jhiaxus was destroyed Shockwave was brought in by Megatron as a prisoner. Initially put on trial for war crimes he was freed by Megatron, who argued to Sentinel Prime that Shockwave's mind would be an invaluable asset to them.


Fun Publications

In ''Withered Hope'' Megatron and Optimus Prime heard the pleas of six Gobots whose home dimension was being destroyed, but he wasn't interested in helping them. In ''Transcendent'' Shockwave kidnapped Breakaway to examine him under the orders of Megatron. After Shockwave discovered that certain systems in Breakaway were unique and might be useful Megatron requested permission from ''Transtech'' Ratbat to take the Autobot apart, even if it may kill him. When Alpha Trion's forces raided the lab to free Skyfall Megatron opposed them, but they escaped to another dimension. Megatron appeared in ''Invasion Prologue'' by
Fun Publications Fun Publications was a publishing company that ran the Transformers Collectors Club and the G.I. Joe Collectors Club under license from Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications released exclusive toys and ran conventions for their clubs. ...
.


"Shattered Glass"

This Megatron, later called Galvatron, is a heroic mirror image of the usual Megatron character from the BotCon exclusive "Shattered Glass" comic, in which the Decepticons are on the side of good and the Autobots on the side of evil. Megatron transforms into a Cybertronian jet. He has a drone partner named Rumbler, who can act as a cannon for Megatron or form a neutronic blade weapon. After nearly being killed in an assassination attempt Megatron was rebuilt by Nexus Prime into
Galvatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, a ...
. According to his Tech Specs Megatron was once a young mathematician who lectured at one of Cybertron's most prestigious universities.


Fun Publications

In the
Fun Publications Fun Publications was a publishing company that ran the Transformers Collectors Club and the G.I. Joe Collectors Club under license from Hasbro. Besides releasing comics, Fun Publications released exclusive toys and ran conventions for their clubs. ...
story "Shattered Glass" Megatron recruits the Autobot
Cliffjumper Cliffjumper is the name of several fictional characters from the Transformers franchise. His name is usually associated with an Autobot whose toys are often red repaints or remold of Bumblebee (Transformers), Bumblebee toys. Transformers: Gene ...
from an alternate reality to aid him against the Autobots of his world. He later leads an attack on the Autobot's ''Ark'' launch site. Megatron appears in "Dungeons & Dinobots", a text-based story. He defends the Arch-Ayr fuel dump from an Autobot attack. He later sends several of his troops to capture and reprogram the rogue Dinobots built by the mad Autobot scientist Wheeljack. Megatron is captured by the Autobot Targetmasters in "
Do Over ''Do Over'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series created by Kenny Schwartz and Rick Wiener about a man who gets a chance to relive his childhood. The series, which was originally broadcast on The WB from September 19 to December 5, 200 ...
", but was freed thanks to help by the Predacons and Whisper. When confronted by Optimus Prime he attempts to use the Autobot Targetmaster Nightstick to shoot the Autobot leader, but Nightstick takes control of Megatron's arm. Megatron then tricks Optimus into using Megatron's own weapon to cut Megatron's hand off, freeing him from Nightstick. Megatron misses the launch of the Decepticon ship ''Nemesis'', which is taken over by Starscream to counter Autobot ship ''Ark''. In ''Reunification'', Megatron greets a
Quintesson ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
and the dimensional travelers Breakaway, Topspin
Skyfall ''Skyfall'' is a 2012 spy film and the twenty-third in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. The film is the third to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond and features Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva, the villai ...
and Landquake after their escape from the Autobot combiner Computron. Megatron introduces the travelers to Heatwave but then is shot by the traitor
Cyclonus ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
, who is working for
Alpha Trion ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
. The travelers try to combine their powers with Heatwave to return Megatron to life, but instead, have a vision of Skyfall and are combined into Nexus Prime. Nexus Prime resurrects Megatron as Galvatron. Megatron appears in a flashback in "The Coming Storm", depicting his rebirth as Galvatron by Nexus Prime. Another character named "Megatron" would appear in the story "Shattered Destiny", the final chapter of the Beast Wars Shattered Glass comic arc. This version is a heroic counterpart to the Beast Era Megatron. Megatron is a heroic Predacon. Megatron's ship, the ''
Darksyde This is a list of fictional spacecraft, starships and exo-atmospheric vessels that have been identified by name in notable published works of fiction. The term "spacecraft" is mainly used to refer to spacecraft that are real or conceived using pres ...
'', was battling the ''
Axalon ''Transformers: Beast Wars'' is an entertainment franchise from Hasbro, and is part of the larger ''Transformers'' franchise. The franchise directly follows the '' Transformers: Generation 1'' continuity established by the 1984 series and ani ...
'' when it was pulled through an unexpected temporal and dimensional rift and crash-landed on prehistoric Earth. He and his crew disembarked to find
Depth Charge A depth charge is an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) weapon. It is intended to destroy a submarine by being dropped into the water nearby and detonating, subjecting the target to a powerful and destructive Shock factor, hydraulic shock. Most depth ...
outside. Megatron appears to be based on the deluxe-sized Beast Wars 10th-anniversary Megatron toy with
Optimus Primal Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
's color scheme.


Transformers: Prime

Megatron is the leader of the main group of Decepticons in the 2010 computer-animated robot superhero TV series '' Transformers: Prime''. Megatron started out as a nameless worker, numbered D-16, who took the name Megatronus (after a "mythical" character in Cybertronian history) during his days in the Gladiator ring. His name was shortened to simply Megatron by the chanting crowds at one match, and he took it as his own unique name. He believes that Earth-style forms are beneath him, preferring to hold onto his frequently changed Cybertronian forms. After infusing Dark Energon in his system, Megatron's eyes flicker between red and purple. The Generations Megatron toy was picked at the 6th-best toy of 2010 by
Topless Robot Village Voice Media or VVM is a newspaper company. It began in 1970 as a weekly alternative newspaper in Phoenix. The company, founded by Michael Lacey (editor) and Jim Larkin (publisher), was then known as New Times Inc. (NTI) and the publicati ...
.


Animated series

Megatron was a regular character in the '' Transformers: Prime'' animated series, the main antagonist along with
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
, and one of the main characters in '' War for Cybertron'' and '' Fall of Cybertron''. He is the leader of the
Decepticons The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
during the Great War on Cybertron. During the
Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...
on Cybertron, Megatron named himself Megatronus, named after one of the Thirteen, Megatronus Prime. Megatronus was a gladiator in the pits of
Kaon KAON (Karlsruhe ontology) is an ontology infrastructure developed by the University of Karlsruhe and the Research Center for Information Technologies in Karlsruhe. Its first incarnation was developed in 2002 and supported an enhanced version of ...
, who grew ambitious and saw corruption within the caste system and sought to put an end to it, with his own rule. Megatron began talking with his old friend,
Orion Pax Optimus Prime, , is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were modified and the ...
, who became a mentor to him. After leaving the
gladiatorial arena A gladiator ( la, gladiator, "swordsman", from , "sword") was an armed combatant who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic and Roman Empire in violent confrontations with other gladiators, wild animals, and condemned criminals. Some gla ...
for the political one, Megatronus saw fit to shorten his name. When "Megatron" was rejected by the Autobot High Council, he waged war on Cybertron and left the planet wasted. Now he and his long story rival,
Optimus Prime Optimus Prime, , is a fictional Character (arts), character in the ''Transformers'' franchise. The Transformers characters were developed for an American market after Hasbro representatives visited the 1983 Tokyo Toy Show. The characters were ...
, battle on the planet
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
for the control of the
human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...
planet. Megatron's first grand plan was to invade Earth with an army of undead
Terrorcon The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional Continuity (fiction), continuities of the Transformers (fiction), Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and p ...
s but he himself was gravely wounded, leaving
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
in charge of the
Decepticon The Decepticons are the main antagonists in the fictional continuities of the ''Transformers'' multimedia franchise. They are depicted as a faction of sentient robotic lifeforms led by Megatron, identified by a purple face-like insignia. Capab ...
army until he was reawakened by
Bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related gener ...
who he managed to possess for a brief time where he retook command. Megatron then, however, found himself teaming up with Team Prime, at that time, to counter the threat of
Unicron Unicron is a fictional villain from the ''Transformers'' media franchise. Designed by Floro Dery, he was introduced in the 1986 animated film ''The Transformers: The Movie'' and has since reappeared in ''Transformers: Armada'', ''Transformers: ...
. After Unicron's defeat Megatron found himself both in a mission to retrieve the Iacon relic weapons as well as keep his troops in line from various in fighting among the ranks which resulted in a few casualties and several betrayals. Eventually fighting for the restoration of Cybertron and cyberforming of Earth, which was foiled by Optimus, but Megatron had his revenge and used the
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...
to destroy the Autobot base before setting up the new fortress of
Darkmount The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
. Shortly after the destruction of the base Megatron sent massive search parties to find the surviving Autobots and was even given a
Predacon This is a help:sorting, sortable list of characters and toys in the Transformers: Beast Wars, ''Beast Wars'' franchise, part of the larger Transformers franchise, from Hasbro. This includes characters appearing in an animated series, comics or ...
to look for them. However, Darkmount was soon destroyed by an all-out attack by the Autobots. Megatron's next plan was to create an entire army of Predacons to serve him. However, when his lone beast evolved and transformed, Megatron became fearful of what he was capable of and scrapped it. In the destruction Megatron found the means to restore Cybertron once more with Synthetic Energon, as Megatron's plan to rebuild the Omega Lock progressed, the Autobots invaded the Nemesis. As Optimus and Megatron fought, the tyrant was finally killed by Bumblebee. The series' finale movie, '' Transformers Prime Beast Hunters: Predacons Rising'', though "killed", Megatron was awakened by Unicron, who took possession of his body and reformatted him with new improvements upon his chassis. Unicron would then inflict eternal suffering upon the warlord as Unicron attempted to kill his brother, Primus, which would also destroy Cybertron, but was freed from the chaos lord by Optimus Prime. Megatron then regained control of his body, but then abandoned any plans of conquest, having realized the true meaning of oppression by Unicron's treatment of him. He abandons leading the Decepticons and disbands them as a military force, then flies off into space, presumably as banishment and self-imposed exile for his past actions. Optimus even stated that every sentient being, including Megatron, has the capacity to change for the better. While Megatron doesn't appear in the sequel series, '' Transformers: Robots in Disguise'', or the spin-off, '' Transformers: Rescue Bots'', which is aimed at younger audiences, he is sometimes referenced or mentioned, tying those series into the larger continuity.


Books

Megatron appears in the short story ''Bumblebee at Tyger Pax'' By
Alex Irvine Alexander Christian Irvine (born March 22, 1969) is an American fantasy and sci-fi author. Biography Irvine was born on March 22, 1969. Irvine first gained attention with his Locus Award-winning 2002 novel ''A Scattering of Jades'' (which also w ...
. Megatron also appears in the novel ''Transformers: Exodus''. It shows that he got his name originated from the original name of the Fallen, Megatronus Prime. He reappears in the sequels '' Transformers: Exiles'' and '' Transformers: Retribution''. In the novels, he is portrayed as a miner originally known only by the designation D-17 who fought alongside Sentinel Prime and others in resisting the
Quintesson ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
occupation of Cybertron. However, the resulting caste system imposed on Cybertron left Megatron on the lower rungs of society, and he eventually became a gladiator. Desiring to establish a new identity for himself and reshape Cybertron, he took the name of Megatronus, which was eventually shortened to Megatron by his followers. He eventually began using his fame as a gladiator to take a political stance, crying for the lower members of Cybertronian society to rise up and claim what was rightfully theirs. In the process of this, he attracted the attention of a data clerk named Orion Pax, who contacted Megatron and began consulting with him regarding their agenda. Megatron's followers soon began launching terrorist attacks which he denied involvement in, and he arranged through Orion to appear before the High Council of Cybertron. There Megatron argued for the destruction of the old system, while Orion called for reform; it was after their appeals that the Council renamed Orion, dubbing him Optimus Prime and charging him with seeking out the
Matrix of Leadership The Autobots are the main protagonists in the fictional continuities of the Transformers multimedia franchise, and are depicted in a collection of various toys, cartoons, films, graphic novels, and paperback books first introduced in 1984. The ...
. Enraged by this ruling, Megatron and his Decepticons declared war against Optimus and his Autobot adherents. The conflict devastated much of Cybertron, and in his quest for an advantage, Megatron learned of the existence of Dark Energon. Utilizing this new power, the Decepticons began to gain ground, and Megatron sought a means of infecting all of Cybertron with the substance to insure an unending supply. In the process, he was forced to face Sentinel Prime, whom his forces had previously held prisoner, and Starscream, who made a bid to take over the Decepticons. After mortally wounding Sentinel and humbling Starscream into continued subservience, Megatron succeeded in defeating
Omega Supreme ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
as well and infecting Cybertron with Dark Energon. The Autobots managed to remove the taint, but Optimus Prime and many of his forces departed Cybertron in the ''
Ark Ark or ARK may refer to: Biblical narratives and religion Hebrew word ''teva'' * Noah's Ark, a massive vessel said to have been built to save the world's animals from a flood * Ark of bulrushes, the boat of the infant Moses Hebrew ''aron'' * ...
'' to give the planet time to heal, prompting Megatron to give chase in his ''Nemesis'' battleship. Megatron and his forces pursued the ''Ark'' to Velocitron, where he made contact with a local Decepticon faction alerted to his impending arrival by a Decepticon double-agent amongst the Autobots. Continuing on, they arrived on the planet Junkion, where they discovered the Requiem Blaster, Megatronus Prime's long-lost weapon of mass destruction. Recovering the weapon from within the planet, the Decepticons attached it to the ''Nemesis'' and engaged the Autobots in battle. However, the Requiem Blaster proved too powerful to utilize more than once, prompting the Decepticons to jettison it. After dueling Optimus Prime, who wielded the legendary Cyber Caliber, Megatron was confronted by another member of the Thirteen: Nexus Prime. During his battle with Optimus, he briefly saw into his opponent's mind and got a sense of the direction in which to seek the Allspark, a legendary artifact jettisoned from Cybertron by Optimus to keep it out of Megatron's hands. Megatron and his forces set out in search of it but ran afoul of a crew of Star Seeker pirates led by Thundertron, who engaged the Decepticons in a heated battle before withdrawing. The supposed Allspark signal would prove to be a ruse, generated by the Quintessons to lure the Autobots and Decepticons to one of their conquered worlds. Thus, on the planet Aquatron, Megatron and Optimus were commanded to come to a peace agreement. However, this all proved to be another ruse intended to capture both factions of Transformers and use them to provide power for the Quintessons' invasion of Cybertron. Megatron and Optimus were forced into another duel and afterward drawn into the sewer-like depths of the Quintesson city. While there, Megatron discovered prophecies about himself recorded by the
Sharkticon ''The Transformers'' is an American animated television series that originally aired from September 17, 1984, to November 11, 1987, in syndication based upon Hasbro's ''Transformers'' toy line. The first television series in the ''Transformer ...
s who had resisted Quintesson slavery in times past. Eventually, he realized these prophecies by taking into his body a facsimile of the Matrix of Leadership, which caused him to take on Sharkticon qualities. Leading the Sharkticons in battle, he fought against the Quintessons and sought to take over their world, only to be defeated by Quintesson-created Sharkticon General Tyrannicon, who stole the Matrix replica from him. The Autobots and Decepticons subsequently departed Aquatron, with their destinies eventually leading them to Earth.


Voice actors

Megatron is often voiced by
Frank Welker Franklin Wendell Welker (born March 12, 1946) is an American voice actor. He began his career in the 1960s, and holds over 860 film, television, and video game credits as of 2022, making him one of the most prolific voice actors of all time. With ...
, who originally voiced the G1 character, and while
Hugo Weaving Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is an English actor. Born in Colonial Nigeria to English parents, he has resided in Australia for the entirety of his career. He is the recipient of six AACTA Awards, Australian Academy of Cinema and Tel ...
was chosen to voice Megatron in the first three live-action films, Welker voiced Megatron once again in supporting media and eventually inherited the role in 2017's '' Transformers: The Last Knight''. He would later reprise his role as Megatron for the series '' Transformers: Prime''. The second most consistent voice actor may be
David Kaye David Kaye may refer to: * David Kaye (voice actor) (born 1966), Canadian-American voice actor * David A. Kaye, actor who played Jesse Waingrow in the film ''3000 Miles to Graceland'' * David Kaye (footballer) (born 1959), English footballer * Dav ...
, who originally voiced the ''Beast Wars'' Predacon leader and an alternate version of the Decepticon leader in the
Unicron Trilogy Launched in 1984, the Transformers toyline by Takara and Hasbro was promoted through both a comic book by Marvel Comics and an animated series produced by Sunbow Productions and Marvel Productions with Toei Animation. Although the comic outlived t ...
. A number of other voice actors have voiced versions of Megatron such as
Garry Chalk Garry Chalk is a British-born Canadian actor. He has provided the voices for Optimus Primal of '' Beast Wars: Transformers'' and '' Beast Machines'', as well as Optimus Prime in the anime English dubs of '' Transformers: Armada'', '' Transform ...
,
Daniel Riordan Daniel Riordan is an American actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Alduin, the main antagonist of ''The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim''. Filmography Film Television Video games References External links

* * {{DEFAUL ...
,
Corey Burton Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transforme ...
, and
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast (comics), Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy ( ...
, in ''Beast Wars'' as the original Megatron, '' Transformers: Robots in Disguise'', ''
Transformers Animated ''Transformers: Animated'' is an American superhero animated television series based on the ''Transformers'' toy line. It was produced by Cartoon Network Studios and Hasbro Entertainment and animated by The Answer Studio, Mook Animation, and S ...
'', and '' Transformers: War for Cybertron'' and the '' Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' video game, respectively.


Games

''Generation 1'' Megatron has appeared in numerous ''Transformers'' video games. Megatron appeared as a final boss in ''
Transformers Battle Circuit ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'', a simple
Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...
-based video game on the Hasbro web site. Megatron appeared as a playable character in the
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
s ''Transformers Battle Universe'', a
Net Jet Net Jet is a Windows PC-based game system introduced by Hasbro (under the Tiger Electronics brand) in 2007. The game system is a controller that is somewhat similar in design to a PlayStation 2 gamepad. The Net Jet controller is plugged into the ...
game in which four incarnations of the character are playable, and ''
DreamMix TV World Fighters is a crossover fighting video game developed by Bitstep and published by Hudson for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in Japan on December 18, 2003. The game features characters from Hudson and Konami's video game series and Takara's toy lines. G ...
'', a crossover between various franchises including ''Transformers''. The ''Generation 1'' version of Megatron is offered as a downloadable character for the
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
and
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
versions of the '' Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' video game. Despite being a distinct playable character, he is also summoned in gun mode by Generation 1
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
as an attack move. ''Armada'' Megatron is among the characters appearing in the 2004 ''
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, suc ...
'' video game for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
as a boss. ''Beast Era'' Megatron appears in the 1999
Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
video game '' Kettō Transformers Beast Wars: Beast Senshi Saikyō Ketteisen''. He is a playable character in the fighting games ''
Transformers Battle Universe ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the Autobots and the Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms ...
'', a
Net Jet Net Jet is a Windows PC-based game system introduced by Hasbro (under the Tiger Electronics brand) in 2007. The game system is a controller that is somewhat similar in design to a PlayStation 2 gamepad. The Net Jet controller is plugged into the ...
game. He is among the licensed characters in the PC video game ''Beast Wars Transformers''. ''Movie'' Megatron appears in the first film's video game adaptation, '' Transformers: The Game''. In the ''Autobot Campaign'', Megatron appears at the last cut scene on level three being released from Hoover Dam in the Autobot campaign. He later appears as the final boss and is killed when Optimus Prime shoves the Allspark into his chest. In the ''Decepticon Campaign'', Megatron is freed by Starscream and Blackout at the last cut scene when he goes on a rampage through the city looking for Optimus Prime, Sam and the Allspark. He is also playable on the last mission where Optimus Prime is fought as the final boss. At the end, Optimus appears dead, but is then seen sneaking up towards the Allspark. Megatron stops him in his path and kills him with his flail. He then appears in the last cut scene where he rules Earth and orders Barricade, Starscream, Blackout and Brawl to kill off the rest of the human race. In ''
Transformers Autobots ''Transformers Autobots'' is an action-adventure video game based on the 2007 live action film ''Transformers''. It is the Nintendo DS port of '' Transformers: The Game'', but follows a different storyline and focuses exclusively on the Autobots ...
'', Megatron fulfills much of the same role as he had in the 2007 film, awakening from stasis towards the climax and ultimately being killed with the Allspark. '' Transformers Decepticons'' revolves around a power struggle between Megatron and Starscream, who had taken command in his absence. The Decepticons ultimately side with Megatron as the player-created character learns that the true meaning of being a Decepticon is loyalty to Megatron. After all of his men are killed in Starscream's bid for power, Megatron battles and kills Starscream for his treachery. Though he has lost the Allspark and his troops, Megatron is nonetheless satisfied, declaring that the weak all deserve to die and only serve to benefit the strong. ''Movie'' Megatron is among the playable characters in the 2009 '' Revenge of the Fallen'' video game by
Activision Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
. In the game, he has two modes, Megatron (tank mode) and Megatron Flight (jetpack mode), the latter of which is only used in his fight against the Fallen after being betrayed. Megatron appears as a playable character in the
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
s ''Transformers Battle Universe'', a
Net Jet Net Jet is a Windows PC-based game system introduced by Hasbro (under the Tiger Electronics brand) in 2007. The game system is a controller that is somewhat similar in design to a PlayStation 2 gamepad. The Net Jet controller is plugged into the ...
game. Megatron is among the characters who appear in the ''TRANSFORMERS CVBERVERSE Battle Builder Game''. ''Movie'' Megatron is one of the Decepticons featured in Transformers: The Ride at
Universal Studios Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
theme parks. In the ride, Megatron and the Decepticons invade N.E.S.T. headquarters to steal the Allspark shard, but the Autobot Evac acquires it and rushes across the city to keep it away from the Decepticons. Ultimately, in a scene similar to the end of the first film, Evac stabs Megatron in the chest with the Allspark shard, killing the Decepticon leader. A younger version of ''Prime'' Megatron appears in the 2010 video game '' Transformers: War for Cybertron'' voiced by
Fred Tatasciore Fred Tatasciore (; ) is an American voice actor who has provided voices in animated and live-action films, television shows, and video games. He is known for voicing the Hulk and Beast (comics), Beast in various Marvel media and Solomon Grundy ( ...
. In the Decepticon Campaign, Megatron fights to return Cybertron to his version of the "golden age" by any means necessary. He discovers a source of all-powerful Dark Energon guarded by
Starscream Starscream is a fictional character in the ''Transformers'' media franchise. He is one of the most frequently occurring characters in the franchise, appearing in almost all of its different continuities. Starscream in generally depicted as the s ...
in a research station in orbit. Despite warnings from Starscream and his partner Jetfire that Dark Energon destroys all those who come into contact with it, Megatron obtains it and immerses himself in it, and uses it to power the Decepticon war effort. After Megatron corrupts the Core of Cybertron with Dark Energon, Cybertron begins shutting down to recover from the corruption in '' Transformers: Fall of Cybertron''. Megatron blames Optimus Prime for the death of the planet, but is killed by Metroplex. After being revived by Soundwave, Megatron leads his army into space to strip Earth of its resources. Megatron also appears in '' Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark'', set in between ''War for Cybertron'' and ''Fall of Cybertron'', in which he attempts to harness the power of the Dark Spark.


Toys

The Hasbro toys predate the film and animation versions of the Transformers. Through the years, there have been many toys representing the original ''Generation 1'' incarnation of Megatron, some of which have appeared in fiction, others of which have not. Additionally, some toy makers have made unlicensed toys in his image, or accessories for the existing toys. The original 1984 Megatron toy was released in Japan as part of
Takara Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture"). Products Toys In ...
's
Microman was a science fiction toyline created, manufactured and marketed by Takara, Takara Co., Ltd. from 1974 to 1984 as well as from 1998 to 2007. The ''Microman'' line was a series of action figures with accompanying vehicles, robots, playsets and ...
line under the name "MC-12 Gun Robo". The toy's characteristics such as the head design and Fusion Cannon have been incorporated in other variants and incarnations of Megatron toys. Today, this toy is on a list of banned items on planes in the U.S., and a special license is required to own this toy in Australia. Despite this, Takara
Tomy is a Japanese entertainment company that makes children's toys and merchandise. It was created from a merger on March 1st 2006 of two companies: Tomy (founded in 1924 as Tomiyama, changing the name to Tomy in 1963) and long-time rival Tak ...
has reissued this toy numerous times in Japan, mostly to commemorate the anniversary of the Transformers franchise. Due to stricter laws on toys resembling real weapons, toys of Megatron have undergone different forms of alternate modes such as tanks, cars and jets. In 2006, Hasbro released the ''Classics'' Voyager Megatron figure, which transformed into a
Nerf Maverick A Nerf Blaster is a toy gun made by Hasbro that fires foam darts, discs, or foam balls. The term "Nerf gun" or the more common term “nerf blaster” are often used to describe the toy. Nerf blasters are manufactured in multiple forms; the firs ...
REV-6 replica—the first Megatron toy in over two decades to have a gun mode. Megatron, Shockwave and Ravage are the three Decepticon figures available to play in the
Monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...
Transformers Collectors Edition game.


Cultural legacy

* Megatron has been parodied by such shows as ''
Frank TV ''Frank TV'' is an American sketch comedy show starring Frank Caliendo, Mike MacRae, and Freddy Lockhart. Caliendo hosted the show and performed in sketches in full makeup as characters he impersonated. Overview The first episode of ''Frank TV'' ...
'', ''
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'', ''
Robot Chicken ''Robot Chicken'' is an American adult animated stop motion sketch comedy television series, created and executive produced for Adult Swim by Seth Green and Matthew Senreich along with co-head writers Douglas Goldstein and Tom Root. The writers, ...
'', ''
Drawn Together ''Drawn Together'' is an American adult animation, adult animated sitcom created by Dave Jeser and Matt Silverstein and premiered on Comedy Central on October 27, 2004. The series is a parody of ''The Surreal Life'' and follows the misadventures ...
'', ''
Family Guy ''Family Guy'' is an American animated sitcom originally conceived and created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The show centers around the Griffin family, Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter Griff ...
'' and '' Mad''. Frank Welker reprised his role for some of Megatron's parodic appearances. * Former
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player
Calvin Johnson Calvin Johnson Jr., (born September 29, 1985) is an American former football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons with the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Georgia Tech, where he twice ...
is nicknamed "Megatron". * ''Prime'' Megatron appears as one of the Hub Carolers in a
Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
-themed commercial for
The Hub The Hub may refer to: Places * The Hub, Bronx, an area of the South Bronx, New York, known for its convergence of subway and bus lines * The Hub (Edinburgh), former church in Edinburgh that is now home to the Edinburgh International Festival * T ...
. * In 2009, a Canadian man was arrested after a three-hour standoff with police, during which he wielded only an "'80s-style" Megatron toy.3-hour standoff ends peacefully
by Dalton Chen, in the ''
Windsor Star The ''Windsor Star'' is a daily newspaper based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Owned by Postmedia Network, it is published Tuesdays through Saturdays. History The paper began as the weekly ''Windsor Record'' in 1888, changing its name to the ''Bo ...
''; published June 3, 2009; retrieved April 3, 2016 (via archive.org)
* At
BotCon BotCon, briefly known as "The Official Transformers Collectors' Convention" (or OTFCC), is an annual convention for Transformers fans and collectors. BotCon has been held annually since 1994. BotCon is a syllabic abbreviation for "Robot Conventi ...
2010, Hasbro named Megatron as one of the first five robot inductees in the Transformers Hall of Fame. * ''Wizard'' magazine rated Megatron the 68th-greatest villain of all time. * ''Beast Era'' Megatron was named the best upgrade in Beast Wars history
Topless Robot Village Voice Media or VVM is a newspaper company. It began in 1970 as a weekly alternative newspaper in Phoenix. The company, founded by Michael Lacey (editor) and Jim Larkin (publisher), was then known as New Times Inc. (NTI) and the publicati ...
. By contrast, Transmetal Megatron was voted the fourth-strangest Transformers Beast Wars figure by Topless Robot. *In 2019, American rapper
Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...
released a song entitled "
Megatron Megatron is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the ''Transformers'' media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. Megatron is the cruel and tyrannical leader of the Decepticons, ...
" in reference to her "bad guy" persona. * In the song " The Outside" by the American band
Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots (stylized in Letter case, all lowercase or as twenty øne piløts) are an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris ...
, Megatron is referenced.


References


External links


Megatron
on
IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...
* Megatron pages on the Transformers Wiki * G1 Megatron on the Transformers Wiki
The MC-12 Gun Robo, Megatron's pre-Transformers incarnation as a Microman figure

Original Patent for the MC-12 Gun Robo toy
by Takashi Matsuda

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