Megatron (Michael Bay Pentalogy) (2024)

Megatron (also known as Galvatron in Age of Extinction) is the central antagonist of the original Transformers film series/Bayverse. He is the leader of the Decepticons as well as the brother of Optimus Prime. He serves as the main antagonist in Transformers (2007), the secondary antagonist in Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon, a supporting antagonist in Age of Extinction, and the secondary antagonist in The Last Knight.

Why Even in Death, There is No Command but His

1. Megatron in the Bayverse is one of the only characters who appeared in all 5 movies and he is pretty much the central antagonist of the original film series.
2. While the Michael Bay Transformers movies were mostly met with negative reviews (with the exception of the first film actually being pretty solid), Megatron is a character who remained consistently great in all 5 movies, even when his role was reduced in the sequels.
   • Unlike Optimus Prime (as well as Bumblebee and Starscream to a lesser extent), Megatron wasn't flanderized in any of the sequels and out of every Transformers characters in the films, he was the least ruined.
3. Ironically, Megatron is the one character who received character development in all 5 movies, something you would expect to see more in the heroes than the villains. There are a fair amount of Autobots (and a few Decepticons) who have personality, but Megatron is the only one who actually had character development in the movies, and in all 5 of them as well. Even with all the continuity inconsistencies after the first film, it still made Megatron's arc flow pretty smoothly for the most part.
   • Megatron's personality in the first movie was almost the same as his G1 personality, being a power-hungry conqueror who is fearsome, arrogant, charismatic, and entertaining (while also adding some additional traits such as being xenophobic and savage), but as the films progressed, Megatron's goals and motives develop after going through realistic experiences during war.
   • In Revenge of the Fallen, Megatron grew more concerned about the future of his race after his plan with Sentinel Prime failed (which was revealed in the next movie) and that the All Spark was almost completely destroyed, with his corrupting traits also partially subsiding as well after everything he has gone through.
   • In Dark of the Moon, Megatron was weakened after his injuries in the previous film, but was still determined to save his race and bring back his home, even having a potential redemption arc in the end of the movie, where he wanted to make peace with the Autobots; Megatron's truce wasn't false, as he realized that many years of meaningless left no good impact on his life. The comics and novelization ended with the Autobots and Decepticons making peace, but the movie sadly killed Megatron off only because the original ending got leaked.
   • In Age of Extinction (despite kind of retconning his potential redemption arc), Galvatron continues his goal of restoring his home planet to its former glory because he cannot make peace with the Autobots.
   • In The Last Knight, Megatron was at his most serious and his motivation on wanting Earth's destruction is because it's revealed that the planet is in fact Unicron. He also just wants to go home and still cares about the future of Cybertron and his race.
4. His designs (while divisive for old-school fans) were very interesting in their own ways and despite being drastic, and they were understandable as the designers tried doing things that would make sense for Megatron being in the real world, since G1 Megatron's very cartoonish, logic-defying design may not translate too well in the big screen. Plus, Michael Bay wanted designs that are for both kids and more mature viewers.
   • Bayverse Megatron also did capture the thing about G1 Megatron being a nostalgic design. Whereas G1 Megatron was known for having a simple, but classic, streamlined, and timeless robot design that we often see in media, Bayverse Megatron resembled that of artworks of alien mechs that are very detailed and nostalgic in themselves too.
     • In the first movie, Megatron transforms into an alien-like jet (called a Cybertronian Jet) and his robot mode essentially looks like a robotic alien, with some areas being slightly anatomical or armored. He also stands out the most among the original 8 Decepticons in the first movie, and he should considering he's the leader.
       • His weapons include a flail, a blaster that can cause explosions, and a literal fusion cannon where he combines his arms and forms an alien-like ranged weapon out of them, and it's projectiles can knock opponents back while temporarily rendering them unable to get back up. His jet wings can also be used in robot mode, so he can still fly.
     • His redesign in Revenge of the Fallen was blockier, more tactical, more compact, and more faithful to G1 Megatron, even being more balanced with the alien and robotic elements, with his alt mode being a Cybertronian tank that can even fly.
       • His weapons are also more streamlined than in the first movie; he has thrusters on the back that help him hover (which is also shown in the games) and his main weapon is that his right arm can transform into a heavy but powerful fusion cannon with blades that resemble that of a lobster claw (and the long blade is retractable as well). The cannon can also rapid fire as well.
     • Even his design in Dark of the Moon was fairly interesting, despite being Megatron's weakest form; it managed to be more old-fashioned and rustier with a more basic robot body design while also looking more menacing than previous forms. Every part of the design is trying to show this is Megatron's least powerful form, but without going forceful with it in a way where it makes the overall robot mode look weaker and less interesting compared to previous designs. His aged Mack truck mode also looks like a mirror image of Optimus Prime's truck mode.
       • Similarly, his fusion shotgun is a more retro idea for a weapon, but it's also pretty cool and befitting in terms of how it was designed, and it also works well as a weapon for Megatron.
     • In Age of Extinction, Megatron's new body by KSI took elements from his first design as well as Optimus Prime, and he was renamed Galvatron as well. His robot mode has more normal proportions compared to before and the alien-like details were more stylized. He also has blue accents (some of which glow as well) and he transforms into a fancy truck this time (which is a nice truck if unexpected in comparison to any other Galvatron alt mode).
       • His most notable ability is that he has transformium technology, where he can disintegrate into particles while transforming or when just performing moves. The idea of transformium was divisive, but as an ability, it works well and it helps Megatron during fights.
       • His weapons include hidden missile launchers (in truck mode), small blades under his arms, a grenade launcher that his right hand can transform into, and a hole in his chest that can disintegrate anything that passes through.
     • In The Last Knight, Megatron was given a dark and very ornate knight look that has a domed helmet (just like G1 Megatron) with a retractable faceplate and his vehicle mode is a Cybertronian Jet once more, albeit a completely different design that has a more standard jet look.
       • He is equipped with a battle axe that can be stored on his back, as well as a G1-style fusion cannon that is retractable and has a flamethrower mode.
5. Both Hugo Weaving and Frank Welker voiced him exceptionally well.
   • Frank Welker voiced Megatron in the G1 cartoon (even Galvatron in Seasons 3-4), Transformers: Prime, and some of the tie-in material for the Bayverse. He finally got to play Megatron/Galvatron in the last 2 films, and even with his age, he still pulled off the Megatron voice incredibly well.
     • His Galvatron voice in Age of Extinction is also way cooler and more menacing than in Seasons 3-4 of the G1 cartoon.
   • While Hugo Weaving didn't enjoy playing Megatron in the first 3 films (mainly because no one gave him an idea of who he's playing or what was going on, which made him eventually quit), his Megatron voice was definitely the most menacing and it worked really well for the designs in the first 3 movies. Many fans (including a lot of G1 fans) say he was a good choice for the character and that he really gave Megatron an appropriately terrifying voice.
6. Much like what Megatron should have, he says a lot cool things, such as:
   • Transformers (2007)
     • "I am Megatron!"
     • "You failed me yet again, Starscream. Get them!"
     • "No! I want two!"
     • "Join them in Extinction!"
     • "Is it fear or courage that compels you, fleshling..... Give me the All Spark and you may live to be my pet... Oh, so unwise."
     • "You still fight for the weak! That is why you lose!"
   • Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
     • "Even in death, there is no command but mine."
     • "My master, I have failed you on Earth. The All Spark is destroyed and without it, our race will perish."
     • "Come here, boy. Mmm... closer. You remember me, don't you? Shut up!... It feels good to grab your flesh! I'm going to kill you, slowly, painfully, but first, we have some delicate work to do."
     • "Is the future of our race not worth a single human life?"
     • "You're so weak."
     • "The boy must have the Matrix. We cannot let him reach Optimus! Decepticons, begin our assault!!"
   • Transformers: Dark of the Moon
     • "Spare me, you gaseous sycophant! You know what you are told, which is nothing!"
     • "You did me great honor tracking that ship to the moon. Your human collaborators have served their purpose, Soundwave. It's time to eliminate loose ends."
     • "He was meant to rendezvous with me here on Earth, before fate waylaid us both. The only way to revive him, we needed Prime and his Matrix."
     • "This is the victory I promised you so many years ago, where we rebuild Cybertron together."
     • "Cybertron, you are saved... at last."
     • "Now... We need a truce, all I want is to back in charge. Besides, who would you be without me, Prime?"
   • Transformers: Age of Extinction
     • "That is why I have no fear! You die!"
     • "I am Galvatron!"
     • "My brothers, today, I grant you your freedom, and from now on, you are commanded by me. Rise up! Go find my seed, detonate the seed in the largest city!"
     • "We shall meet again, Prime, for I am reborn."
   • Transformers: The Last Knight
     • "I want my crew."
     • "The end is near, my old treacherous friend. What a shame you'll be unable to see it."
     • "What anyone wants, human: To go home."
     • "I knew you couldn't do it. Your time is over, Prime. You failed. You turned your back on Cybertron. Now you will watch Earth die!"
     • "I've lived for this. I've lived to kill a planet. For our world, I activate this portal."
     • "We were brothers once!"
7. Throughout all 5 movies, Megatron has a lot of awesome and epic moments, even in the sequels.
   • The first movie was the only one that truly gave Megatron the treatment he deserves; this is where Megatron was at his prime and he is shown to be an almost unstoppable powerhouse, killing Jazz and constantly gaining the upper hand on Optimus Prime.
     • During the part where he awakens after being unfrozen by Frenzy, Megatron attacks all the humans around him, truly feeling like a threat.
     • The scene where he chases Sam and nearly kills him makes Megatron feel like a horror movie monster, which really works well for the character.
   • In the second movie, Megatron's resurrection was effortlessly epic and watching him easily destroy a submarine with his own brute strength is sick. While Megatron did seem weaker in the fights compared to in the first movie, you could argue that he is just inexperienced with his new body that was just new to him and has none of his original weapons, and it's not like he can get this problem fixed, because he had to face off against his brother after being revived. Even then, it's still awesome watching Megatron withstand a ton of damage his body (even still moving smoothly after receiving a lot of stab wounds to his joints). His attacks also deal a lot of damage and he still does a fair amount of awesome things with his fusion cannon, especially where he causes a chain of explosions while blasting the ground, and he even manages to kill Sam before the final battle.
   • Even when he was weakened in the third movie, the reveal that Megatron made Sentinel Prime betray the Autobots so that they can team up in the rebuilding of Cybertron is interesting, and the part where Megatron realizes that he was only being used by Sentinel Prime (after Carly tells him about that) right before the Decepticon leader brutally weakens Sentinel is awesome.
   • In the fourth movie, while the idea of humans creating Galvatron's body may not be as cool as the original idea of Unicron reformatting Megatron, it is still awesome and rather scary that Megatron was never in control by the humans the whole time and only pretended to be before finding the right time to reveal that he was never under KSI's control the entire time. This prevents the idea from being horrible and it made for Megatron doing something compelling as a villain, which he should.
     • His short fight with Optimus Prime is also visually amazing and it's awesome watching the two brothers evenly matched this time.
   • The fifth film shows Megatron trying to get his crew back from humans and is once again shown to be pretty durable. He is also shown to be more powerful than in ROTF and DOTM, and he even still fights after losing his arm, which could be a callback to the 2nd movie where he didn't know what to do after Optimus severs his weapon.
8. The firing sound of his fusion cannon is purely awesome and satisfying.
9. This is also the first version of Megatron who is actually Optimus Prime's brother, which is interesting and some of the future versions would use this idea as well.
10. Not counting any of the ones in the comics, manga, and stuff, this is the first on-screen version of Megatron who isn't pure evil and actually had humanity in his personality.
    • This is ironic, considering that he is the most visually menacing and inhuman out of every version of Megatron, but he's definitively considered one of the least evil versions of the character (not even counting the heroic versions of Megatron like in Shattered Glass and Earthspark).
11. He was also portrayed well in the tie-in material for the movies (such as the games, novelization, and IDW movie comics) and was given an even better treatment there as well.
    • He also had an awesome appearance in the popular Transformers: The Ride - 3D, being just as awesome and having a fair fight with Optimus Prime.
    • On the topic of the IDW movie comics, we get to see Megatron's shocking past and how he became leader of the Decepticons. He was Lord High Protector of Cybertron who eventually got corrupted by The Fallen/Megatronus Prime, causing Megatron to turn against his allies (including his brother Optimus) and start the Cybertronian war, which ultimately led to the planet's death.
12. He spawned a lot of cool toys that are fun and nostalgic as well.
    • His Leader Class figure in 2007 initially received a lot of bad reviews, but many years later after seeing how current Leader Class figures are lacking some of the things that made the old ones special (such as action features and electronics), people began to respect Megatron's first Leader Class figure more.
      • The Automorph technology where you move one part and some of the other parts automatically transform has always been cool and we don't see this as much on Transformers toys anymore.
      • The Premium variant of the toy changed the color scheme from light gray with metallic blue accents to the entire figure being metallic brownish-gray with dry brushing. The transparent pieces were also changed from strawberry red to blood red, and the Automorph sound for robot mode was changed from being a metallic reptile shriek to the classic G1 transformation sound.
    • His ROTF Leader Class figure, despite being more based on the concept art, captured the spirit of Megatron's final design and his gimmicks are effortlessly fun, with great posability and a Mech Alive feature where his armor pieces and head move while he says "I am Megatron!" with a lot of red lights🔴.
    • His TLK Voyager Class figure is outstanding, with it looking amazing in both modes and having a fun transformation as well.
    • The Studio Series figures also gave us more screen-accurate Megatron toys.
    • The Movie Masterpiece Megatron (MPM-08) is easily the best figure of Megatron's design in the first movie, having die-cast pieces, tons of detail, and amazing engineering.
13. Much like how G1 Megatron was well-remembered by old-school fans, this incarnation of Megatron was loved by kids who grew up in the 2000s and he reignited the legacy of Megatron in general, making him mainstream as well.
    • Even critics and average viewers consider him a solid villain as well, especially given that he was never terrible at his villain role, even when the sequels didn't handle him too well.
    • Much like G1 Megatron, Bayverse Megatron is effortlessly badass.
14. This version of Megatron became the inspiration for some of the future incarnations of Megatron and made an impact on the fictional character.
    • In Transformers: Animated, Megatron's original Cybertron form took inspiration from Megatron's first form in the Bayverse, and made it more stylized while adding elements from G1 Megatron as well, even having a weaponized Cybertronian Jet.
    • The Megatrons from Kre-O and Bot Shots also got their designs from this version of the character, and it made the toys even cooler.
    • Even the Megatron in Transformers: One was heavily based on this take on Megatron (despite having a G1 design) and he was portrayed as a tragic figure.
    • This incarnation especially inspired the Aligned Continuity Megatron (one of the best versions of the character) and his designs in the WFC and FOC games, as well as the Transformers: Prime animated series took a lot of inspiration from his designs in the films (combining his G1 design with the Bayverse's monstrous aesthetic), and Megatron's personality in the Aligned Continuity was almost a footnote to his personality in the Bayverse.

Weak, Puny, Wasted Qualities

1. Perhaps his biggest downside is that Megatron wasn't given enough of a good treatment in the sequels, where he even gets overshadowed by other villains, though this isn't really the character's fault but just the writing not giving him much to do (as from what was shown on-screen, Megatron is trying).
   • Some also may not like Megatron having a master (such as The Fallen and Quintessa), even if the execution wasn't bad and that Megatron still had the presence of a leader.
   • His death in Dark of the Moon wasn't only unnecessarily violent, but anti-climactic and not as good as the original ending.
   • His subplot in Age of Extinction (while interesting in itself) is just treated as filler.
2. His fate was ultimately left unknown and there's no aftermath since The Last Knight ended the film series on a poor note, which killed the original Transformers film series until it was rebooted with Bumblebee, and had not appeared in any theatrical media until Transformers One.
3. As mentioned above, his designs drew a very divisive response from old-school fans, even though this version of Megatron wasn't only based on G1.
   • His Galvatron design in Age of Extinction was considered by most as his weakest look.

Trivia

• This incarnation of Megatron was originally in LCW, but was removed for having petty, poorly-explained reasons from old-school fans who seemingly only created the page to express overboard hate towards director Michael Bay. Additionally, one user spammed paranoid, distorted information that was already out-of-topic and even posed death threats towards Michael Bay.

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