Megatron (Prime)

For other uses, see Megatron.

Transformers character
Name	Megatronus/Megatron
Decepticon
Series	Transformers: Prime Transformers: Generations
English voice actor	Fred Tatasciore (War for Cybertron video game) Frank Welker (Prime TV series)
Information
Alternate modes	Cybertronian Tank, Cybertronian Jet
Rank	10
Sub-group	Deluxe Vehicles

Transformers: Prime

The being known as Megatron started out as a nameless worker 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.

Megatron is leader of the main group of Decepticons in the 2010 computer animated series Transformers: Prime. 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.

Books

Megatron appears in the short story Bumblebee at Tyger Pax By Alex Irvine.

Megatron appears in the novel Transformers: Exodus. It shows that he got his name originally from the original name of the Fallen, Megatronus Prime. Later appears in Transformers: Exiles.

Video games

Megatron appears in the 2010 video game Transformers: War for Cybertron. 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 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. He can now spread dark energon anywhere he wants.

With this new power Megatron plans to infect the core of Cybertron with dark energon as a means of destroying all who resist his rule. For this plan to succeed, Megatron launches a full-scale attack on Iacon, the autobot capital looking for an item called the "Omega Key" which unlocks the gates to the core. They learn that autobot leader Zeta Prime has placed the key under his personal guard. Megatron's forces enter his chambers and defeat him in battle, taking him prisoner. Zeta Prime tells Megatron that the Omega Key is not actually the key, but the means to activate the true key: a giant autobot known as Omega Supreme. Upon activation, Omega Supreme chases and attacks Megatron and his minions relentlessly. Megatron, realizing his impending peril, hatches a plan to lure Omega Supreme to a rooftop defended with heavy turrets, where Omega Supreme is ambushed. Omega Supreme sustains heavy damage and plummets into Cybertron's lower levels.

The Decepticons follow Omega Supreme and engage him in a lengthy final battle, in which Omega Supreme is finally defeated and captured by the Decepticons. Megatron forces Omega Supreme to open the door to Cybertron's core and travels there with his minions. Upon arrival, Megatron infects the core of Cybertron with dark energon, corrupting all of Cybertron.

In the Nintendo DS game War for Cybertron: Decepticons Megatron and Brawl are the initial two characters playable in the game.

Megatron will appear in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Reception

The Generations Megatron toy was picked at the 6th best toy of 2010 by Topless Robot.

Animated series

As portrayed in the Exodus novel, Megatron was once the gladiator-turned-political revolutionary Megatronus, who was a mentor to the young archivist Orion Pax. However, when the High Council favored Orion's peaceful ways over Megatron's violent intentions, Megatron severed ties with Orion and officially started the Great War with his Decepticons, Soundwave being a chief follower. Megatron's actions eventually corrupted Cybertron, rendering the planet uninhabitable for life. After many failed attempts to kill Orion - who eventually was bestowed with the Matrix of Leadership - including a failed assassination attempt from Skyquake, Megatron vowed that only he would be the one who would slay Optimus Prime. After a skirmish on Earth with Optimus, Megatron leaves the planet for a deep-space mission, and is not heard from for three years, leaving Starscream in command.

As the series opens, Megatron returns to Earth thanks to Soundwave and Starscream, bringing with him a crystal made of the fabled Dark Energon and using it on the lifeless body of Cliffjumper to test its ability to revive the dead. Later, bent on obtaining a means of controlling the Dark Energon's power, Megatron risks his own life by stabbing himself with a shard of it. Now imbued with his new-found power, Megatron tests the Dark Energon at a burial site of Cybertronians in preparation of his master plan: using the rest of the Dark Energon on Cybertron via a Space Bridge, turning the planets' Cybertronian dead into an army of Terrorcons to help him defeat the Autobots and take over the Earth. Occasionally, his eyes change colors from red to purple. Though he succeeds in seeding Cybertron with Dark Energon, the Autobots manage to destroy the Space Bridge.

However, Megatron barely survived thanks to the Dark Energon before his life signal was detected by Soundwave and Starscream was forced to investigate. Finding Megatron, Starscream removes the shard to allow Megatron to die of his injuries, only to be forced to have him medically evacuated when Ratbat appears. Though he gets Knock-Out as a medic to keep Megatron stable, Starscream bribes him into convincing Soundwave to euthanize their leader. By then, to find a cure for Cybertronic Plague to save Optimus' life, Bumblebee enters Megatron's subconscious mind to find the cure. However, Bumblebee unknowingly made Megatron aware of his condition while he was living his fantasy of killing Optimus Prime. Though he agrees to give the Autobot the cure so he can kill Optimus in the real world in return for being restored, Ratchet scanned the cure as the plug is pulled off by Arcee. Though Starscream was forced to plug Megatron back in at Soundwave's demand, the Deception's body was rendered brain-dead as his consciousness escaped into Bumblebee. Soon, Megatron was able to use Bumblebee to find a shard of Dark Energon (the same one used to create the Terrorcons) and use it to revive his original body, and used the cortical psychic patch used by Bumblebee to enter his mind to transfer it back. The process, though briefly interrupted by Ratchet and Raf, was a success, and the Decepticon leader returned to service, but not before beating Starscream, confining him to the same operating table that he once lie on.

Megatron later reveals that he left Starscream alive because he found the traitor's antics (via watching from Soundwave's video recordings) amusing, but by Rock Bottom decides to end the charade, as he no longer finds it amusing. However, an encounter with the Autobots causes a cave-in, trapping Megatron under rubble. Megatron at one point encourages Jack Darby to kill him and seize the glory of the act, but the boy refuses. Megatron eventually frees himself, and coldly watches the similarly trapped Starscream beg for his life once more. With Starscream having been taught his place the hard way, Megatron frees him and allows him to live, but eventually Starscream is abandoned by Airachind. It is here that another reason Megatron allowed Starscream to live becomes apparent: Megatron is furious that his second-in-command is missing, because for all his flaws and treason, Starscream is still a vital part of the Decepticons' war effort. Though initially believing Starscream to be a captive of the Autobots, Megatron eventually promotes Airachnid to Starscream's position and tells his troops to take Starscream into custody if he should ever return.

In the season finale, as his space bridge nears completion, Megatron is plagued by visions of Unicron and Dark Energon. Believing these to be signs of his destiny as the "rising darkness" of a prophecy from the Covenant of Primus, Megatron finds a volcano that he saw in his visions. Megatron then is challenged to a final deathmatch by Optimus, but just as Optimus is to deal the killing blow, Dark Energon erupts from within the volcano, giving Megatron the energy needed to promptly defeat Optimus in turn. Optimus is rescued by the Autobots, but Megatron has the Decepticons harvest the Dark Energon erupting from the volcano. As it becomes apparent that Unicron himself is awakening within the volcano and the Earth, Megatron places Airachind in command, and speaks to Unicron within the volcano, believing he will be employed by the Chaos Bringer since he apparently revived the deity. Unicron reveals that Megatron had no part in his return, and rejects the Decepticon leader's offer. Enraged, Megatron allies himself with Optimus to journey to the Earth's core, where Unicron's Spark lies. Thanks to the Dark Energon within him, Megatron is able to lead them to their destination, and though he is possessed by the Chaos Bringer, Optimus uses the Matrix of Leadership to defeat Unicron for good. However, Optimus has lost his memories and reverted to his Orion Pax persona, and Megatron takes him aboard the Nemesis as a fellow Decepticon.

Megatron reassumes his role as the kind mentor to Orion Pax he was before the start of the Great War, and puts Orion to work on Project: Iacon, to find various ancient Cybertronian relics and artifacts on Earth. Megatron lies to Orion, stating that the leader of the tyrannical Autobots, Ratchet, destroyed Cybertron and that the Decepticons are the benevolent faction. However, Orion begins to see through Megatron's facade after Starscream - who Megatron informed him was dead - plants seeds of doubt into the archivist's mind. Megatron resorts to threatening violence against Orion if he does not complete Project: Iacon, and goes to retake control of his Space Bridge, where the Autobots are working to retrieve the lost wisdom of the Prime's from Vector Sigma. Megatron easily crushes the collective Autobot team in battle, as well as Orion who comes to challenge him, and assumes that Arcee has the restored Matrix with her. However, it is this assumption that costs him Orion Pax when he is too late to stop Jack from restoring Orion Pax to Optimus Prime, much to the Decepticon leader's horror and rage.

Other appearances

Megatron appears as one of the Hub Carolers in a Christmas themed commercial for The Hub.

Toys

• Generations Deluxe Class Cybertronian Megatron (2010)

A new mold, based on his appearance in the War for Cybertron video game. Transforms into a Cybertronian tank with launching missile. Has two vehicle modes: one as a hovercraft, the other as a tank with treads. This toy was picked at the 6th best toy of 2010 by Topless Robot.

• Prime Deluxe Optimus Prime vs. Megatron Entertainment Pack (2011)

A gift set that includes the Deluxe Optimus Prime and Megatron figures, plus figurines of Jack Darby, Miko Nakadai and Raf Esquivel and a DVD of the first episode of Prime.

• Prime Voyager Class Powerizer Megatron (2012)

A new Voyager Class mold of Prime Megatron. The figure's main gimmick is a fusion cannon that changes into a sword that lights up.

• Prime Cyberverse Commander Megatron (2012)