Beast Wars: Megatron (dragon)

[Autocon]

Series - Beast Wars
Sub-line - Transmetal 2
Size/class - Ultra
New/remould/redeco - New
Released here - Yes
Approximate Retail Price - $80
Approximate Size -
Allegiance - Predacon
Alt-mode - Dragon
Main Features/Gimmicks - twists his tail and head
Main Colours - Red
Main Accessories - two missiles

The counter for Optimal Optimus. Is a dragon, therefore dragons did exist in the prehistoric past. :P Where he got the dragon to scan I do not know. It is a great figure. The alt head is a let down as it hampers articulation for a gimmick. Like stinbomb has his alt tail for a ponytail in bot mode :P Has a lame third mode with wheels. Can fire a missile from his dragon mouth and his dragon rump. Love the look on his face, a "im doing something incredibly aswome and badass all at the same time"

9/10

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

Yes. Just yeesss.

Great dragon alt-mode, and powerful-looking robot mode with demonic wings and a ponytail with an electrified claw on the end. I'm a sucker for dragons and BW Megs is my all-time favourite character, so I'm giving this one 11. Ignore the stupid dragster mode.

[LordCyrusOmega]

I agree; ignore the dragster mode, massive fail.

The rest is awesome. Great dragon mode, great bot mode though he does suffer the same flaw that a lot of BW characters did, missing hands. His dragon hand becomes his left hand.

He is a must though, No other toy captures the grandness and evil of Megaton then a huge dragon.

[i_amtrunks]

Transformation can be annoying, but totally worth it, sure he has a dragon head for an arm, but that arm shoots "fireballs".

His alt mode is one of the best in all of transformerdom, you can make one of the most evil (and arguably successful) characters of all Transformers fiction sing along to any song you so choose thanks to his awesome hinged mouth.

The vacuumed red plastic looks great (although I have read that it does tend to chip off after years of display) and the wings look great with light behind them.

Goodluck finding people selling them complete and in good knick!

[Sky Shadow]

I love this mould (but prefer it in Cryotek's colours). A great big toy, and with wings extended he's like some vast predatory bird. The way the instructions suggest we transform the tail for beast mode definitely isn't what was intended, and the vehicle mode is unnecessary, but otherwise it's one of only Transmetals 2 that's actually a great toy.

[GoktimusPrime]

It may be worth mentioning that the tab/lever thing behind the neck is assembled back to front. It's easy to fix just by unscrewing it, turning it around, then screwing it back in.

Both TM2 Megatron and Tigerhawk remind me of RtS Grappel atm -- they were released in Australia and there were confirmed sightings... but in limited numbers and places. These toys were (are for Grappel) really hard to find. I never found the Ultra TM2s in store just as I've never found Grappel in store either. So from an Australian POV I have an extra level of appreciation for them just because they so incredibly rare here.

[liegeprime]

So awesome is this figure, I had to find and complete mine piecemeal - still missing the missle but I can live without that. The Alt Mode is grand and Majestic especially like the coloring and wing patterns. Just wish they made the neck of the dragon ( which is the hand in Alt mode) more poseably acticulated instead of just a loose ribbed rubber that way he can hold his head poses. but all in all a very fine figure to have. I prefer him in Alt mode. Dragons are awesome like dinosaurs only more majestic.

[GoktimusPrime]

yeah, the airbrushed paint apps are quite exquisite. Colours scheme reminds me of Smaug. And yeah, Hasbro was going through a phase of using loose rubber ribbed for our toy playing pleasure - like on TM2 Dinobot. A more properly articulated neck like the joints on BW Galvatron's dragon neck or Transmetal Megatron's tail-weapon might've been cooler.

The Transmetal 2s were the first Transformers based on design concepts by Aaron Archer. Thus toys like Transmetal Megatron (and obviously Galvatron which Hasbro wasn't involved in designing) were pre-Archer, whereas Transmetal 2s and Beast Machines are post-Archer. Make of that what you will.

[Jetfire in the sky]

I love TM2 Megs, my friends who see my collection are always amazed by him, wow! a dragon. To hold his head up in alt mode I have used a rubber band on the tab at the back that moves the neck it has helped stiffen it and the head is in a more upright fire breathing pose

[GoktimusPrime]

My review, originally written in 2000. Words in italics are additional comments I've made that weren't in my original review.

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Name: MEGATRON
Allegiance: Predacon
Function: Predacon Commander
Beast Mode: Mechanical Dragon
Average Price: 25 AUD (damn that's cheap!) Although it was obscenely rare here... I personally NEVER saw one locally
Note: This toy is not a repaint of Galvatron. (Beast Wars II)


BEAST MODE
This is a very unconventional toy! Although classed as a Transmetal 2, it exhibits features that would make one question its classification. The most unusual feature of this mode is that it's a combination of two breeds of dragon. The sculpting of the head and neck, as well as the long, slender body and tail, resembles an Asian dragon. however, the presence of wings and hind legs resembles a European dragon. So you've really got a sort of Fuzor Transmetal 2 thing happening, much like the other Ultra Transmetal 2, Tigerhawk. The toy is almost entirely metallic red. There are chrome-red parts on the face, neck and wings. The underbelly is accented with metallic yellow and chrome-orange. There are some deep purple accents on the underside of the wings and the actual wings themselves are translucent brown to amber. There are black accents throughout the limbs and lots of metallic yellow and orange on the tail. The eyes are green. Going in concordance with the Transmetal 2 ethos, this toy is asymmetrical, however, the asymmetry is reasonably well balanced. The organic and robotic parts mix with each other quite well, giving the illusion that this is a dragon in a suit of armour. The neck and tail are made of rubber, making it very flexible. A purple switch on the back allows the player to manipulate the neck. Pulling a red switch on the back opens the wings up. Lock this switch to keep the wings extended. This gives a wingspan of 34.5 centimetres The wings itself look rather odd and the hinges have two VTOL-like structures. Standing on its own, the toy looks pretty impressive. With its neck arched over, the toy is already 27 centimetres high, making it two centimetres taller than Optimal Optimus (head height) and Super Fire Convoy. With head and tail fully extended, this toy measures a full forty-four centimetres! There are two missile launchers, one at the base of the tail and one in the mouth. I like the idea of having a missile shoot from his mouth. The major drawback of this toy is that the robot head is painfully visible on the base of the tail. There seems to be no attempt to hide it at all.

TRANSPORT MODE
Bring the legs forward, Flip up feet and pull out wheels. Although not mentioned in the instructions, two panels on the leg flip open to expose the larger wheels. Yay, a half-bummed intermediate mode. Why do they bother??

TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Eek gads! I could sneeze better drawings than the scribble they have in this instruction booklet! Release shoulder panels. The left panel on my toy requres excessive force. Grrr. Fold wing section back. Shift the dragon head to the right (that'd be your left, if you're looking onto it face on). Open chest and raise up robot arm. Place arm to the side and close chest. Lower and lock hip halves. Rotate feet 180 degrees. Rotate robot legs and hip section up 180 degrees. Insert pins on wing section onto body. Fold down and lock robot head. Drape tail over back. Lock shoulders onto body.

ROBOT MODE
Height: 18 cm up to head (22 cm up to wing)
There's no major change in colour scheme here. The head is more noticeable (although it's still too noticeable in beast mode). The head is a very, very dark brown (almost black) with orange accents. The eyes are green and the mouth and teeth are white. The mouth looks utterly silly as it's sculpted to make Megatron appear as if he's yelling. Not only that, but the robot teeth are pointed!! On top of the head is a transparent orange visor/helmet. It has some "dragon-esque" decos sculpted in, but best of all is that there's a Predacon insignia moulded on top of it! The chest features an oversized ball. Inside the transparent amber ball is a cockpit with a black seat. Apparently Hasbro initially thought about giving this toy a humanoid "Spark", but decided to abandon it at the last moment in fear that it might confuse some fans. Hey look! It's Bomberman Megatron!! ;-)

Having a dragon head for an arm is just absolutely dorky, but at least the other arm has a hand, unlike the original Ultra Megatron who just had a head and a tail for arms.

SPARK CRYSTAL LOCATION
Under robot chin.

OVERALL
A fairly impressive dragon mode and an okay robot mode (it would look better if it had two arms instead of one). Arguably the best Megatron figure they've released so far.
Actually he's my least favourite of the Leader BW Megatrons now... but still a beautiful beast mode (which I'm totally gonna bring w/ me when I watch the next Hobbit movie later this year )

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