User:Eh! Steve/Megatron (Movieverse)

Megatron
Transformers character
Voiced by	Hugo Weaving (films, leader class figures) Frank Welker (animated prequel, video games)
In-universe information
Affiliation	Decepticon
Function	Decepticon leader
Motto	"Peace through tyranny."
Alternate modes	Cybertronian Jet/Cybertronian Tank

This incarnation of the Transformers character Megatron is a primary antagonist from the Transformers film series. He is based on the original character of the same name, and has appeared in both the first and second films.

Creation and conception

Unlike his original incarnation, Megatron transforms into different types of Cybertronian vehicles rather than a Walther P38 pistol. The apparent reason for this change is that director Michael Bay 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".) In one of the special features on the DVD, G1 Megatron's transformation was likened to Darth Vader turning into his own lightsaber to be wielded by someone else.

Hugo Weaving provides the voice of Megatron in the film. His voice in the film seems to have been modulated to give it a deeper, growling tone as well as the other voice actors. The voice of the original Megatron Frank Welker, provides his voice for the official video games of the movie, along with the exclusive animated prequel.

Like all characters in the film, Megatron was heavily redesigned for purposes of realism and focus on an alien aspect of the Transformer race . However, he still retains some minor aspects of his Generation 1 design.

Personality

Like most incarnations of the character, Megatron is portrayed as a ruthless, megalomaniacal, powerful killer. Although he is depicted as one of the most powerful Transformers in the film universe, his overconfidence often leads to his downfall.. As with all incarnations, Megatron has a blatant disregard for human life, not hesitating to murder them in order to achieve his goals. Megatron also appears to be a sadist of sorts, taking pleasure in treating humans as playthings and preferring to give them slow, painful deaths.

According to the Titan Magazines U.K. Transformers magazine, Megatron believed that while Cybertronians could already transform into other forms via a scanning process, the Allspark could allow Transformers to simply imagine the form they wanted and change accordingly. Interfacing with the Allspark directly, Megatron gained his deadly jet mode. and now began his plans to obtain it permanently.

Powers and abilities

In Transformers, Megatron transforms into a Cybertronian jet. He has various types of weaponry at his disposal. He can transform his right hand into a gun, combine both of his arms to form his iconic fusion cannon, and transform his right arm into a steel flail.

In Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, after his resurrection, Megatron's alternate mode becomes that of a Cybertronian winged tank. His right arm can transform into the fusion cannon in its entirety, coupled with a lobster claw-like blade/crushing apparatus. Non-film sources depict this version of Megatron as a Triple Changer that can transform between a wingless tank and his jet mode from the first film.

According to an early interview with Michael Bay, Megatron stands at 34 feet(10.3M) tall , but according to his profile in the second issue of the Transformers UK comic Megatron stands "over 35 feet (10.6 m) tall" and weighs 5.7 tons. Additionally, the magazine and the Movie Guide states he is powered by a self-regenerating dark matter power core.

Fictional biography

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, 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 was gravely injured, but the artifact (containing the Fallen) awoke and healed him, swaying him with promises of power. Megatron soon desired power over the Allspark, and under the Fallen's influence, formed the Decepticons, sending the bulk of his soldiers in a craft, the Nemesis.

The Autobots attempted to hide the Allspark, but Megatron saw through the ruse and launched a full scale attack, during which the Allspark was launched into space. Megatron almost caught up with the Allspark as it landed on Earth. In his reckless desire to possess it, Megatron pursued it right into Earth's atmosphere, resulting in his being frozen in stasis lock. At the turn of the 20th century, Captain Archibald Witwicky discovered the Decepticon during an Arctic expedition. A crew of men later took his body, dubbing him the "Ice-man", and kept him in storage up until the present day, eventually relocating him to Nevada.

In a flashback in the movie sequel comic Transformers: The Reign of Starscream, Megatron's negative relationship with Starscream is shown to be a result of Starscream failing on a mission.

In the first film, it is shown that after being discovered by Archibald Witwicky, Megatron's frozen body was transported to Hoover Dam to be guarded by Sector Seven, a secret government organization who studies extraterrestrial activities. Agent Seymour Simmons explains that Megatron's 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. Frenzy thaws out Megatron, who escapes outside and learns from Starscream that the humans have the Allspark. Megatron pursues the Autobots and their allies to Mission City where he quickly disposes of Jazz and then battled Optimus Prime. He defeats Optimus and then pursues Sam Witwicky 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. During the battle, 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 then dumped in the Laurentian Abyss with the other deceased Decepticons.

left|thumb|Megatron tank mode in Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen. Note that the final film design differs slightly. Megatron returns for the sequel film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, where he is depicted more as The Fallen's enforcer rather than commander of the Decepticon armies, as the Fallen is the true commander of the Decepticons. Megatron is revived by Scalpel and the Constructicons with an Allspark shard and now takes on the form of a Cybertronian winged tank. He then flies to the Nemesis and talks to his master, the Fallen, of the Allspark's demise before discovering 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, Mikaela Banes and Leo Spitz then get dropped by Grindor into an abandoned factory where Megatron meets them. Pinning down Sam, threatening to torture him after acquiring what he needed, Megatron orders Scalpel to remove energon information from Sam's brain, but Scalpel is quickly stopped by Optimus Prime. Megatron and Prime fight outside and Starscream and Grindor join in. The fight ends with Megatron killing Prime, but then being forced to escape due to 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 into finding Sam and bringing him to the Decepticons. Megatron then fights in the final battle in Egypt, where Optimus shoots him in the face with his own cannon, destroying half of it, and tearing off his right arm. After seeing the Fallen defeated, he and Starscream retreat, vowing that it wouldn't be over.

In the novel, comic and video game adaptions of Revenge of the Fallen, the slightly different ending gives more depth to Megatron's relationship with The Fallen. As 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, and afterwards flies back aboard the Nemesis to take command of the remaining Decepticon army.

Reception

BotCon Malaysia 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.

Prior to the release of the first Transformers film, the consensus among fans was have Frank Welker, the voice of the original Megatron, reprise his role in the film. The decision to instead cast Hugo Weaving caused some controversy. However, IGN.com described this casting choice as "very cool".