What's your favourite or preferred Megatron alt-mode

[FatalityPitt]

This was originally, going to be a random thought but the original idea gave birth to more ideas and one for a poll.

It seems unlikely that Hasbro will be producing many more Megatrons with gun alt-modes. It seems their preferred status quo is that he transforms into an army tank, and that’s sort of understandable.

Guns are generally associated with violence and murder, especially the realistic-looking ones. In the west, there’s a lot of news reports about tragedies involving guns (school shootings in the US, domestic disputes, etc), and most parents would be apprehensive about exposing their kids to anything related to violence – understandably so. I had a colleague at work who mentioned that she lets her kids watch Astroboy and Pokemon, but won’t let them watch Star Wars or Batman cartoons because the characters in those shows use firearms (even if the hero doesn’t use guns, the villains still do). If most parents are like this, then I imagine most toy guns wouldn’t sell as well as they did in previous decades.

It’s looking like “gun Megatron” is becoming a thing of the past; unless they plan to make more Masterpiece G1 Megatrons in the long-term future. Even then, those types of toys are prohibited in some countries.

Also, socio-political reasoning aside – let’s be honest, a handgun is quite a useless alt-mode. One, Megatron would need to rely on a second person to hold and shoot the gun. Two, turning into a gun involves mass-shifting into a small object that can get crushed and broken.

On the flipside, is an army tank any less politically incorrect than a gun? A tank has a turret, and turrets are basically guns. Also, normally when we think of a tank, it’s usually associated with war, and war can be associated with death and violence (that’s government sanctioned, but not less unacceptable). So if Hasbro wanted to protect kids from exposure to violence, I don’t think making Megatron into a tank instead of a gun is much of an improvement. Then again, the Transformers story is a war story, so having a character turn into a tank is not inappropriate. I don’t think a tank is that much more politically correct than a handgun, but political correctness aside, a handgun is still relatively useless compared to a tank.

Which alt-mode would I prefer in a Megatron toy? The Transformers fan in me would like to see Megatron turn into a gun, but my “logical and more grown-up” self favors the tank. I’m split 50/50.

In other fiction, Megatron has turned into other things like cars, trucks, spaceships, and crocodiles, etc. But to me those Megatrons are quite novel… except the spaceship – for some reason the spaceship mode seems to make sense.

So yeah, those are my thoughts about Megatron’s alt-mode evolution. I’ll leave the rest of the conversation with you. Also, while you’re at it, let us know which alt-mode you like seeing in a Megatron toy – see poll!

[Paulbot]

The gun mode doesn't really work outside the nostaglia appeal.

I think the standard Megatron should be the tank, and it is what Hasbro's been going for. The tank mode makes a lot of sense for the leader of the bad guys, works in the G1 colour scheme, ties into the G2 line as well, and lets him retain the big cannon.

I like the idea of Megatron as a truck, like the DOTM version, the BotCon toy and of all things the Kreo figure. I'd like to see something like the Kreo toy realised in CHUG.



I also like the idea of Megatron turning into an Attack Helicopter as in Animated (although a real one rather than a scifi one) and let him keep the "Decepticons, transform and rise up" call to action.

Anything but a "fold up the robot in a weird way and call it a spaceship" mode!

[Deonasis]

I chose the gun due to its unique design and transformation challenges (Classics Megatrons asymmetry is cool). If there were a squad of gunformers I wouldnt care for Megatron to be one but as it stands we get a lot of land and air based alt modes. The symbolism is perfect as well. I enjoy most other Megatron alt modes (barring the Cybertron batmobile) as they usually carry that same deathdealer vibe.

[Jetfire in the sky]

The G1 guy in me is screaming gun, but for playability I went tank, I do really like his jet mode from TF Prime which makes sense if he is in control of other cons who are mostly jets, which goes back to the G1-ness that a lot of cons were jets rather than land based vehicles.

I think the argument of a violent toy (ie a handgun) is valid and certainly is a personal weapon of violence often used illegally, but a tank is generally war related which is what the Transformers are in so it makes sense, it may not sit well with modern parents but sadly war is on the news everyday a lot of it legal, some of it not. Going by the toys on the shelf in toy shops there are a lot of war related vehicles and aircraft so it would seem kids wanting to play army still exists, so a tank that transforms just doubles the fun of a war toy.

[BigTransformerTrev]

I picked 'other' because I love him as both a gun AND a tank

That's why the Megatron from the Machinima Combiner Wars Cartoon worked so well for me. He was a triple changer that turns into both.

They REALLY need to make a toy like that - make everyone happy!

[Trent]

I went with “Other”.

Excluding Beast Wars Megs (because he’s a different character), I think that Megatron is one of a very few top tier Transformers that can get away with his alt mode changing. So the only requirement I have is that it is some form of weapon capable of causing obscene amounts of destruction.

[Megatron]

Also, socio-political reasoning aside – let’s be honest, a handgun is quite a useless alt-mode. One, Megatron would need to rely on a second person to hold and shoot the gun.

Granted I don't remember ever seeing Megatron shoot independently in the G1 cartoon, but I don't see this as having to be necessarily true especially when reinventing the character, as Hasbro loves to do a lot (and with all the other characters as well). As an example, Shockwave could shoot his own weapon without needing a second person, and even though he was a different type of handgun it shows a certain amount of flexibility with the functionality of the handgun alt mode.

Two, turning into a gun involves mass-shifting into a small object that can get crushed and broken.

Soundwave and cassettes are, or could, mass-shift into small objects as well, which can be advantageous in certain situations.

On the flipside, is an army tank any less politically incorrect than a gun? A tank has a turret, and turrets are basically guns. Also, normally when we think of a tank, it’s usually associated with war, and war can be associated with death and violence (that’s government sanctioned, but not less unacceptable). So if Hasbro wanted to protect kids from exposure to violence, I don’t think making Megatron into a tank instead of a gun is much of an improvement. Then again, the Transformers story is a war story, so having a character turn into a tank is not inappropriate. I don’t think a tank is that much more politically correct than a handgun, but political correctness aside, a handgun is still relatively useless compared to a tank.

Which alt-mode would I prefer in a Megatron toy? The Transformers fan in me would like to see Megatron turn into a gun, but my “logical and more grown-up” self favors the tank. I’m split 50/50.

In other fiction, Megatron has turned into other things like cars, trucks, spaceships, and crocodiles, etc. But to me those Megatrons are quite novel… except the spaceship – for some reason the spaceship mode seems to make sense.

So yeah, those are my thoughts about Megatron’s alt-mode evolution. I’ll leave the rest of the conversation with you. Also, while you’re at it, let us know which alt-mode you like seeing in a Megatron toy – see poll!

I would say that the difference between a handgun and other weapons such as missiles, turrets or fighter aircraft, from a socio-political point of view, is that handguns are much more personal, and hence tend to have more of an emotional impact, especially with kids.

I agree with this:

I chose the gun due to its unique design and transformation challenges (Classics Megatrons asymmetry is cool). If there were a squad of gunformers I wouldnt care for Megatron to be one but as it stands we get a lot of land and air based alt modes. The symbolism is perfect as well. I enjoy most other Megatron alt modes (barring the Cybertron batmobile) as they usually carry that same deathdealer vibe.

For toys, I prefer the gun, but also don't mind an aircraft alt mode of some sort (such as spacecraft or fighter jet). For character alt mode in general, I see no reason why Megatron shouldn't have more than one alt mode; I prefer (either) the gun and/or a type of aircraft (over tank or other ground vehicle), depending on the situation. Definitely not beast mode as that is a different character.

But for this poll I'm going to go with "Gun".

[SharkyMcShark]

I quite like the idea of a Cubertronian alt mode, but in execution it so often turns into an exercise in laziness. The only really good recent one I can think of is the TLK Voyager.

Otherwise, Earthen military alwys works.

[Lint]

I've always felt Megatron to be a hulkish powerful character and as such never really dug the fast agile alt modes like Jet, fighter spaceship or sports car.

I'd really like to see a spaceship Megatron but something like a cruiser or dreadnought capable of heavy planetary bombardment. Doesn't really translate well to narrative though because he'd then be too big to really be part of a story. Maybe a heavy bomber?

[Ralph Wiggum]

I agree with the sentiment that Megatron’s alt mode should represent raw firepower and bulky tankiness. A tank in itself seems ideal, but to me makes him less unique given there are other characters with tank alt-modes, eg. Warpath and Brawl.

Hence why I liked his transition from Megatron to Galvatron. It allowed him to keep his big-ass gun, and his alt-mode as an artillery-like piece is all about firepower. So for nostalgic purposes I’ll always love gun mode Megatron but alternatively I see him as something like an artillery gun/howitzer.