Megatron (SG)

Megatron is the nice leader of the heroic Decepticons from the Shattered Glass continuity family.

In the mirrorverse, math isn't evil.

Borne from humble beginnings, the young idealist known as Megatron quickly found greatness thrust upon him, as the suffering of his beloved Cybertron under the maniacal Optimus Prime and his evil army of Autobots forced him to take up arms and lead his heroic Decepticon forces against them. Though the burden of leadership hangs heavy upon his shoulders, he continues to fight in the hopes of achieving peace and freedom for all beings, both on Cybertron and across the universe. Megatron is a deeply compassionate leader and unafraid to lay down his own life for the Decepticon cause, but this well-meaning tendency towards self-sacrifice often forces his faithful second-in-command Starscream to carry on leading the Decepticons without him.

In some universes, Megatron is reborn into an even more powerful form known as Galvatron. In both forms, he can wield the mighty Rumbler tank, his weapon of choice.

Fiction

Fun Publications Shattered Glass continuity

See? So friendly.

Megatron was a young mathematician who lectured at a university in Polyhex. Because of this, he noticed a disturbing trend in the numbers: civil war was certain! His colleagues just called him crazy and laughed it off, but when the maniacal Optimus Prime and his evil army of Autobots took over Cybertron, Megatron had been waiting in the underground, forming a resistance movement to take back Cybertron and keep the Autobots from conquering the universe and plundering it, as they had done to Cybertron.^[1] After retaking some of Cybertron, Megatron pushed the odds in his favor by inventing the art of transformation and renaming his forces "Decepticons." However, Optimus Prime was able to duplicate this technology, and intended to use it to conquer other worlds.

As Optimus Prime built his Ark for this purpose, Megatron and his inner circle planned to derail Prime's attempts at expansion. During a critical moment, the body of what appeared to be one of Optimus Prime's former lieutenants, Cliffjumper, was discovered by them and brought into their Polyhex stronghold. It was discovered that Cliffjumper had traveled from another universe which mirrored their own. After some misgivings, Cliffjumper agreed to aid them in their assault on the Ark and lent the technology from his glass gas towards the cause. On the battlefield, Prime was enraged that Cliffjumper had double-crossed him, and Megatron took the shot that was meant for the strange traveler. Cliffjumper was finally convinced of where he stood and backed Megatron whole-heartedly, and after destroying the Ark and its launching platform, Megatron critically wounded Prime and called his forces into retreat. Shattered Glass

Sometime later, Megatron led the defense of the Arch-Ayr fuel dump that the Decepticons had recently rediscovered. He ended up being injured enough to be taken out of the fight, and Starscream fussed over and helped repair him. As the situation started looking dire, Megatron considered destroying the fuel dump to keep it out of Autobot hands. Fortunately, Soundwave called in the Mayhem Suppression Squad right at that moment. Megatron was impressed at the squad's skill in beating back the Autobots, but a bit put off by their... enthusiasm.

When the Dinobots' appearance further disrupted the fight and sent the Autobots packing back to Iacon, the Decepticons discussed the now running-loose Dinobots. Megatron agreed with Dirge's suggestion that they attempt to capture some of them to bolster their own forces. He ordered Starscream to gather a small force of their best mechs and have them commence the "Dinobot Hunt". Dungeons & Dinobots

A short time before the launch of the Autobots' Ark, Megatron flew out to the Temple of Knowledge, believing he had been summoned by Boltax. Instead, it was Ricochet who had lured Megatron into a trap. Ricochet and Nightstick subdued the Decepticon leader. The Autobot Targetmasters hung Megatron over a pit lined with deathtraps and broadcast a ransom to the Decepticons. Ricochet believed that the Decepticons would not follow the Ark into space without Megatron. However, the Decepticons chose to send a small force to rescue him while continuing the preparations for departure. Optimus Prime also arrived, angry with Ricochet's plan. The Decepticon Micromasters distracted the Autobots, allowing Megatron to escape his prison. Megatron snatched up Ricochet's weapon, Nightstick, but Nightstick took control of Megatron's arm. Optimus took advantage of the situation, grabbing Megatron's own weapon Rumbler and charging at Megatron. Megatron turned, though, and Rumbler's sword severed Megatron's wrist, allowing him to regain control of his arm. Rumbler returned to Megatron's side and the Autobots retreated. Do Over

Using specifications from the Decepticons on Earth, a stellar spanner was constructed to link to Earth. Once it was operational, Megatron contacted Starscream to coordinate the first transfer. He sent Shockwave to Earth as an ambassador, and authorized a troop exchange so half of the Decepticons on Earth could return home. Unfortunately after Shockwave arrived on Earth, the Earth-end spanner had technical difficulties. Transhuman

Cyclonus is a traitor? Yeah, whatever, maybe in OPPOSITE LAND.

When Aquarius, Breakaway, Landquake, and Topspin arrived at the Decepticons' base to ask after Heatwave, Megatron welcomed them in, with the proviso that they explain why they were looking for Heatwave and being chased by Computron. After Landquake finished said explanation, Megatron sent Cyclonus to fetch Heatwave. As they waited, he told Aquarius that he looked forward to an alliance between the Decepticons and Quintessons. Once Heatwave arrived, Megatron told their visitors that he hoped his "skilled soldier" could answer their questions.

Unfortunately, further discussion was cut short when Megatron was shocked and caught off-guard by Cyclonus opening fire on him, in an assassination plot masterminded by Alpha Trion. Reunification: Part 4 The Coming Storm: Part 1 The traitor Cyclonus was escorted away, but it was too late: Megatron was dead. However, Breakaway believed they could return Megatron to life if the four travelers and Heatwave put their hands on Megatron's body. Reunification: Part 5

I'm not sure! I'm afraid we'll have to use... MATH.

They were successful, as the gestalt members' ministrations resulted in both them being reborn as Nexus Prime, and Megatron being resurrected as Galvatron. The two went out to face down Omega Doom, who had arrived outside of the Decepticon base.

When Nexus Prime went into space to deal with a deadly missile Omega Doom launched towards the sun during the fight, Galvatron stayed behind and led his Decepticons in a defense against the behemoth. Omega Doom was able to defeat all of his attackers and damage Galvatron, but by that time Nexus Prime had finished dealing with the missile, and laid the smackdown on Omega Doom.

As he later received repairs from Mixmaster and Scavenger, Galvatron told Nexus Prime he respected the gestalt's choice to leave, and gave him use of the stellar spanner they had retrieved from Alpha Trion's laboratory. Reunification: Part 6 The Coming Storm: Part 1

Galvatron's style of leadership was noticeably different than Megatron's. Even Starscream had difficulty accepting the two as the same being. Galvatron's decision to pardon Cyclonus for the assassination of Megatron was a particular sore point among the rank and file Decepticons. Coalescence

When he learned of Ultra Magnus's plan to invade Cliffjumper's home universe, Galvatron dispatched a strike team to warn the heroic Autobots. Unfortunately, Magnus succeeded in destroying that universe using the Terminus Blade, relic of the Thirteen. Only that universe's Earth survived, transporting into orbit near Galvatron's Cybertron. Invasion Galvatron coordinated with Metalhawk in bringing their two forces together, and fast-tracked repairs on the stellar spanner to ensure easy travel between their two worlds. Solar Requiem

When more refugees from Cliffjumper's world arrived after a detour into the past, Galvatron welcomed Ultra Mammoth and his crew as well. Falling into Place Upon learning of an Autobot attack on Decepticon City, Galvatron rallied his forces aboard the Annex to assist Starscream on negative-Earth. Distant Fissures

Isn't a helicopter a bit of a step down from a space jet?

Arriving at Decepticon City, Galvatron leapt into the fray and hunted down Optimus Prime for a one-on-one duel. During their conflict, the treacherous Rodimus jumped in between the combatants, ostensibly to claim the credit for taking down the weakened Galvatron. In fact, he dropped a blaster in easy reach of the Decepticon leader, so that when Optimus ordered him out of the way, Galvatron was armed to destroy Prime. Memory's Splinter Galvatron's last round of blaster fire finished Prime, and the Autobots beat a hasty retreat aboard Sky Lynx. Starscream was ready to celebrate, but Galvatron's lingering connection to the Thirteen warned him the danger wasn't over yet. Restoration

Flying back to Cybertron, Galvatron discovered he was correct when the planet came to life, becoming the Dark God Primus who wanted to attack Earth. Galvatron's ship was driven off by Primus's immense power, but the positive-Earth surprised everyone by transforming into a mechanical Light God named Gaea, and decapitating her foe. With Primus destroyed, Gaea offered her planet body as a new Cybertron for the displaced populace. Optimus Prime had been restored by Primus's opposite, Unicron, as the more enlightened Nova Prime. Galvatron accepted his old foe and Nova's Knights of Unicron as guardians of the new order, and the heroic Decepticons and Autobots formed a governance council to oversee their combined people. The Future Buried...

Galvatron was later given a briefing on the doings of his villainous counterpart and Rodimus, noting it was very in character for the latter to hide in the Skuxxoid Cluster. Divination

Recordicons

Megatron was annoyed when Ravage's inability to be an effective guard led the Decepticons to be captured and subjected to a smelting pool. Recordicons #29

Timelines

Megatron was the leader of the heroic Decepticons on Earth. When the Decepticons captured the infiltration robot Nightbird, their Cobra ally Xamot assured Megatron that Cobra fully supported the Decepticons against the evil Autobots. Epilogue Two

IDW Shattered Glass comic

If Optimus sounds like Venger, does that mean Megatron sounds like Fred Jones?

Megatron was originally a humble miner, but the injustices perpetuated by the corrupt Senate pushed him into becoming a prominent, if controversial, civil rights advocate, and, eventually, the founder of the Decepticon movement. Megatron's political struggles bemused his nominal friend, the power-hungry Orion Pax, who used his connections to spring Megatron from prison whenever the Decepticon leader got himself in trouble with the establishment, but over time disagreements drove a wedge between the two former friends. One day, while Megatron lead an anti-empurata rally outside the Senate building, Senate officer Prowl wound up brutalizing the Decepticon Ratbat; when Megatron intervened, he came to blows with Prowl and landed himself in jail. Shattered Glass #2 The sight of a humble ex-miner taking on the Senate inspired Starscream, who later joined the Decepticons. Shattered Glass #3

Some time later, Orion Pax again pulled some strings to facilitate Megatron's release, but his acidic comment that Megatron deserved to spend some time in jail spiralled into a disagreement, which soon became an all-out brawl. Although Megatron walked free, he'd permanently severed his friendship with the ambitious Orion, who was already finalizing his own plans to overthrow the Senate. Shattered Glass #2

When Starscream joined the Decepticons, Megatron appointed him as his second-in-command. Shattered Glass #5 In his new role, Starscream helped write some of Megatron's more notable speeches, and at one point the two experimented with using his unusually powerful spark as some kind of data receptacle. In time, the Decepticon-Autobot conflict spiralled into a full-fledged Great War between the two factions. Shattered Glass #2 After Cannonball perished in defending the Titan Net against the Autobots, Megatron attempted to properly recruit the crew of Rising Sea into the Decepticons only to be rebuked. Shattered Glass II #4 Later in the conflict, Megatron crash-landed on Earth, and was stranded there until more Decepticons arrived to help repair him. The battle to defend the planet's supplies of Rarified Energon soon snowballed out of control into a destructive, world-changing conflict; although Megatron fought valiantly, it soon became clear that the Autobots would overrun his forces if he did not take drastic action. During a battle in Hollywood, Megatron deliberately stayed behind to bait Optimus Prime into attacking him, willingly sacrificing his life so that Starscream and the other Decepticons could safely evacuate. Despite his best efforts to take down Optimus with him, however, the Autobot leader proved too powerful and beat him to the brink of death. Somehow, Megatron survived; when he awoke, the Decepticons had fled while the triumphant Autobots had already razed the planet and returned to Cybertron. Eventually, the Decepticon leader scrounged up a ship and limped back to Cybertron; upon arriving, however, he discovered that the Autobots had conquered the planet and vanquished whatever remained of the defeated Decepticons.

Intent on never being found, Megatron took up a solitary existence in the most uninhabitable part of the Rust Sea and instructed his lieutenants to never contact him again. Shattered Glass #2 While most of the Autobots and many Decepticons believed that Megatron had died, Shattered Glass #1, Megatron maintained a solitary existence for many years until the day when a wounded Starscream tracked him down. After bringing Starscream inside his bunker to repair him, and reminiscing on both the buildup to and ultimate end of the war, Starscream revealed that he'd found a way to use his spark to reactivate the dormant Metroplex, and asked the reluctant Megatron to step up and rebuild the Decepticons. Shattered Glass #2

Despite Megatron's misgivings, the pair infiltrated Gold City to meet with Soundwave—who'd kept tabs on the remaining Decepticons who'd gone into hiding—in a bid to kickstart a proper Decepticon resistance. When the pair ducked into a nearby watering hole to discuss their next move, however, the Autobot Blaster and his minions caught wind of their operation and attacked. To keep the vital information encoded in Starscream's spark safe, Megatron ordered Starscream to flee while he held off the Autobots. Shattered Glass #3

Although Starscream wound up captured by the villainous Goldbug, Megatron assembled a number of Decepticon veterans—including Skywarp and the Insecticons—and sent them to recapture Starscream, though Goldbug killed them all before they could interfere. Shattered Glass #4 Finally, Megatron gathered enough Decepticons to launch a full-scale attack on Gold City, but arrived too late to stop Goldbug from killing Starscream and stealing his spark. As the victorious Decepticons overran the city's defenses, Megatron chased down and comforted Starscream's former friend Jetfire, who'd grown to regret his role in the war that had driven them apart. Saddened by the loss of his comrade, Megatron informed Jetfire that once they'd taken Gold City, they'd build a monument in Starscream's honor. Although Megatron suggested an alliance to find Goldbug and retrieve Starscream's stolen spark, the ex-Autobot announced that he'd consider the proposal and left. Shattered Glass #5

As the Decepticons began rebuilding Gold City into "New Kaon", Megatron argued with Jetfire about the lack of progress made on finding Starscream's spark, unaware that their argument was being inflamed by Blaster's subsonic irritation. Though the two nearly came to blows, they regained their senses when Blaster ceased the attack, though the city was now on alert for an intruder. Shattered Glass II #2

When Metroplex was reactivated and sent on the warpath towards New Kaon led the defence, Shattered Glass II #4 only to be damaged. Unable to continue but needing to stop Magnus, Megatron telepathically imparted Flamewar's information onto Soundwave, sending the communications chief to take down Ultra Magnus. Megatron was subsequently escorted off the battlefield by Soundwave's Mini-Cassettes. Shattered Glass II #5

Games

Transformers Legends

When the Autobots were intending to launch from Cybertron in a battleship, Megatron led an attack on their base of operations, and he and his men were able to destroy the Autobot ship. Shattered Glass

Transformers: Forged to Fight

Shattered Bridges

Toys

Timelines

Apparently, he carries around a mini Megazarak on his arm.

• Convention Souvenir 3-pack (Convention souvenir 3-Pack, 2008)

• Accessories: "Rumbler" Tank-cannon, missile, sword-blade

Timelines Megatron is a redeco and retool of Takara-exclusive Ultra Class evil Super Link Galvatron, with a more heroic color scheme and a new head mold based on an early character model for Generation 1 Megatron (see below). He transforms into a silver and black Cybertronic jet with red accents and blue translucents. Included is the "Rumbler" tank (which is originally a representation of Armada Megatron's tank form, and a sort-of homage of Megazarak), which can plug onto the top of the vehicle mode and can also fire missiles out of its spring-loaded main gun (presumably meant to be a fusion cannon). Hyper Mode can be activated by tugging his transparent wing tips outward, which extends the blue sections, raises the upper gray parts of his wings in an "X-wing" configuration, and deploys the red weapons underneath. In robot mode, Rumbler can be attached to either of his arms as a cannon, or it can be flipped around and have a sword attached to the rear of its turret. Like most convention exclusives, the electronics from this accessory have been stripped out to keep costs down.

He was only available in a BotCon 2008 exclusive bagged "souvenir" set, packed with Rodimus and Divebomb as a bagged set, limited to 1100 pieces. Fun Publications photography incorrectly shows this set as having come with Rampage instead of Divebomb.

• More information on Megatron at TFU.info

Bwah! Free candy and ponies for all Earth children! Bwah!

• Galvatron & Thundercracker (Convention souvenir 2-pack, 2011)

• Accessories: 2 missiles, rotor blades, Cyber Key
• Known designers: Jesse Wittenrich (Fun Publications)

Timelines Galvatron is a redeco of Cybertron Voyager Class Evac, and transforms into a gray and purple Eurocopter Dauphin rescue helicopter. His rotor blades spin using a geared push-button, and become a spinning-blade weapon mounted on his robot mode's left arm. He has an adjustable tow-hook on a string, which retracts with the push of a button: this gimmick ends up on his right robot-mode arm. Inserting a Cyber Key into his back end (backpack in robot mode) swings around a pair of spring-loaded missile launchers which double as the helicopter's engine exhausts when not deployed (or loaded with missiles, for that matter).

Galvatron came with Shattered Glass Thundercracker and both were limited to 1800 pieces. The mold was also used for Universe Autobot Blades, and Springer.

Because of the glorious nature of 5mm posts, Galvatron is capable of attaching the tank included with his previous toy to his arm for additional firepower.

• More information on Galvatron at TFU.info

Shattered Glass Collection

You know, guys, there was a whole other headsculpt you could have used that was less '80s cartoon villain.

• Megatron (Voyager Class, 2021)

• Accessories: Fusion cannon, sword/tank cannon, left & right "Energon wings", cockpit/shield
• Known designers: Lenny Panzica and Mark Maher (Hasbro)^[2], AJ Piejko-Brown (packaging)

Released as part of the Shattered Glass Collection subline, Megatron is a redeco of Siege Megatron with additional accessories, transforming from a robot into "Cybertronian spaceship".^[3] Megatron can don multiple weapons or Fire Blast effects using his various 5 mm ports and 3 mm posts as part of the C.O.M.B.A.T. System. Megatron comes with the fusion cannon and a sword that can store on his back.

Aside from Siege Megatron's original accessories, this iteration of the mold comes with a pair of wing pieces and a cockpit piece to complete the spaceship mode. The wings are molded and colored after the original Shattered Glass Megatron, in turn being based on Energon Megatron's wings, which is likely why they are referred to as "Energon wings" by the Hasbro Pulse product description.^[4] The wings can attach to Megatron's back to evoke the original toy, and the cockpit forms a bladed shield similar to the style and function of Earthrise Megatron's blade.

Megatron's tank mode from the original Siege release is not featured in his instructions, though one can still convert him into it if so inclined, and it retains all the features of the original. However, as the figure's deco was not created with this mode in mind, this results in a tank with white rear treads. There is no official way to store all of the figure's accessories on either vehicle mode: the instructions and stock photography do not integrate the sword into the spaceship mode, and being a pre-existing transformation for the Siege Megatron mold, the tank mode does not utilize any of the parts newly included with this release. One can, however, peg the unused accessories into various ports on either vehicle mode as a form of storage.

This release of Megatron not only features tighter ankle joints, but also strengthened snaps to lock them into place as well.

Megatron also includes the second issue of IDW Publishing's Shattered Glass comic, with an exclusive cover featuring spot UV.

Much like the rest of the subline, Megatron is a Hasbro Pulse exclusive in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. There, he was first open to Premium Members, and briefly the public, at $29.99 USD. It was later changed to the correct price of $36.99 USD.

Merchandise

Magic: The Gathering

• Megatron, Tyrant / Megatron, Destructive Force (2022)
  • ID number: 026
  • Set code: BOT
  • Color identity: Red/White/Black
  • Casting cost: {3}{R}{W}{B} (front), {1}{R}{W}{B} (back)
  • Artist: Andrew Griffith

"Megatron, Tyrant" is part of the 2022 Magic: The Gathering Universes Beyond Transformers card set, found in Collector Booster packs of Magic's The Brothers' War set. It can be reversed to become "Megatron, Destructive Force", representing Megatron in vehicle mode.

A variant of this card was available in both Set Booster and Collector Booster packs, depicting "Generation 1" Megatron.

Flame Toys

• Shattered Glass Megatron (2023)

This is a redeco of the Flame Toys figure of Kuro Kara Kuri IDW bomber Megatron.

Notes

• Dan Khanna designed Megatron's black helmet and silver face, basing them on "Generation 1" Megatron's prototype character model seen in the first Transformers commercial, early issues of the Marvel Comics, and Megatron's Marvel Transformers Universe profile. Megatron's brief appearance in "Epilogue Two" and 2021's Shattered Glass comic use a recolored version of an earlier character model (at right) for the original Megatron as a basis.
• Megatron using math to predict future trends is based on psychohistory from Isaac Asimov's Foundation series of novels,^[5] but if we wanted to be cynical about it, we'd probably point out that it's more likely inspired by its then-recent importance in Marvel's Civil War crossover, wherein Mister Fantastic's usage of psychohistory defined his character arc in the event.
• Fun Publications' Jesse Wittenrich developed Megatron's Galvatron form by painting a War Within Springer he didn't want. The development of Galvatron's deco started out with the colors of Dai Atlas, but the final results shifted to become more purple.^[6]
• Galvatron's creation is tied to Primus, mirroring Generation 1 Galvatron's Unicronian origin.
• Megatron's appearance in Forged to Fight is a mild modification of his Generation 1 counterpart's game model, itself based on the Combiner Wars Leader Class Megatron toy.
• The Magic The Gathering card bizarrely depicts Megatron’s “jet mode” (inspired by the Shattered Glass Collection toy above) as an unchanged version of the tank mode, albeit with the wings and cockpit haphazardly slapped on in a way unachievable by the actual toy.

Gallery

• 

  BotCon 2008 Megatron profile art

• 

  BotCon 2011 Galvatron profile art

See also

You look familiar...

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Versions of Shattered Glass Megatron have appeared in other continuity families, including:

• Megatron, the heroic counterpart to Animated Megatron.
• Megatron, the heroic counterpart to Movie series Megatron.

For more information, see Megatron (disambiguation).

References