Transformers 30th Anniversary!! Megatron’s Mayhem!!

Sorry about the long hiatus, Transformers fans. The celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Transformers continues right now. From his early days on Cybertron, Megatron rose to power as Leader of the Deceptions and started the Great War against the Autobots. He has nearly conquered the planet and pushed Optimus Prime and the Autobots into a corner. Megatron is cold and ruthless. He is also a strategist. His plans have a lot of merit and his strong ambitions help see them through. However, there is always a hiccup that prevents him from truly succeeding in defeating his enemies. No matter what arc in the Transformers Universe he’s in, Megatron has always had that one plan that nearly brings him victory. Let’s take a look at the Top 5 of Megatron’s Mayhem.

Now how does one narrow down a list that expansive you ask? Easy, just pick the ones in which Megatron could’ve put an end to his enemies once and for all. As he has stated many times before.

We begin the countdown with an achievement from the latest Transformers series “Transformers Prime”. For most of the series’ first season, Megatron was in a comatose state following the falling out at the Space Bridge in the climax of the five-part series premiere. He returned halfway through the season and took control of the Decepticons from Starscream. For much of the second season, Megatron had the upper hand during the hunt for Cybertronian Relics. In the finale, he succeeded in collecting all four Omega Keys. Starting at number five, it’s “Two Worlds, One Lock.” Megatron reactivates the Omega Lock on Cybertron in order to rebuild the planet. Rather than just rebuild their home world, he targets Earth and begins to Cyberform the planet into a second Cybertron. Though, Optimus and the Autobots manage to escape, this doesn’t deter Megatron, for he had already deduced the location of the Autobot Base and completely destroys it, forcing the Autobots to scatter themselves across the country. This was the crowning moment for Megatron. He had the Autobots beaten down and could’ve furthered his endeavors had he simply kept the Omega Lock running and completely Cyberformed Jasper, Nevada. Or better yet, Cyberformed a large city like Manhattan. Had he done that, the Autobots would have been backed into a position that they couldn’t get out of. Megatron came close to conquering two worlds and ending the Prime series on a high note (for him at least.)

Holding the fourth spot is another Transformers arc. Transformers: Armada is the first part of what is known as the Unicron Trilogy and introduces the Mini-Cons, mini Transformers that grant the larger Transformers new powers and abilities when they link up with them. Towards the end of the third season, Megatron forms the Hydra Cannon, made up of the Star Saber, Skyboom Shield and the Requiem Blaster. He plans to use it to destroy the Autobot HQ on Earth. Instead, he goes the extra mile and decides to destroy the Earth. Putting another planet on the chopping block for the purpose of furthering his endeavors is nothing new to Megatron (see the previous paragraph). He will do whatever it takes to gain the upper hand on his enemies. Again, he has three extremely powerful weapons at his disposal and the Autobots backed into a corner. But the ‘shoulda’ moment comes after Optimus puts himself in the path of the Hydra cannon. Megatron watches as Optimus Prime is reduced to dust by the cannon. Then he cries out for his fallen foe. See, G1 Megatron would’ve taken full advantage and kicked the Autobots while they were down and charged that cannon again and fired it. But no, he milks it and waits for the Mini-Cons to bring Prime back to life. And then he attacks.

In the number three spot is a moment that changed Transformers fans of the 80s. Hitting theatres in the summer of 1986, Transformers: The Movie gave the Regan Era kids the movie the wanted with shocking moments that still resonate with them to this day. Freed from the confines of television, the original animated film was able to depict the one thing a hero could not do on TV back then—die. In the film’s opening fifteen minutes, the Decepticons stormed the space shuttle carrying several key Autobots—Brawn, Bluestreak, Prowl, Ratchet and Ironhide. Megatron declares the Autobots’ deaths, transforms and makes it so. Though the other Decepticons joined in the fire fight, it was Megatron in gun form held by Starscream who delivered the final shot. The true display of Megatron’s mercilessness is following the battle when a critically injured Ironhide makes a final attempt to stop the Decepticons after overhearing Megatron’s plan to destroy Autobot City. Without blinking an optic, Megatron callously blasts Ironhide in the head at point blank range. While this is technically not an achievement, it is a defining moment in a 1980’s series.

Keeping up with the good old days, the number two spot goes to a plan so elaborate that it had the highest chance of success. In the season one three-part episode “The Ultimate Doom” of the original Transformers, Megatron and the Decepticons succeed in building a larger version of their Space Bridge. Its intent is to bring Cybertron into Earth’s orbit (this feat is repeated in the live action film Transformers: Dark of the Moon). Everything was going great for Megs. He had a mind slave army of humans courtesy of Dr. Archeville. He had the perfect plan. And he put Optimus Prime in a difficult position that played of his greatest weakness—his preservation of all life. With two of the Space Bridge pylons activated, Megatron forced Optimus to activate the last one by giving him an ultimatum—save the Earth or save their home world. Optimus chooses the latter and Cybertron is brought to Earth. This is the closest Megatron has come to achieving total victory in the series. To secure his hold on the Earth, he could’ve had his forces on Cybertron storm the planet and overwhelm the Autobots. But that would’ve ended the series and we probably wouldn’t have gotten Transformers: The Movie. Then again, the fact that he has successfully driven the Autobots off of Cybertron proves that something worked along the lines.

G1 Megatron may’ve gotten close to victory in the original series but another Megatron nearly changed the course of history. Taking the number one spot is Beast Wars Megatron, leader of the Predacons. Unlike his predecessor, this Megatron had the upper hand for much of the series. He has succeeded in taking several Maximal protoforms and converting them to Predacons. He has even taken the Maximals computer in order the place the same protective shield around his base. But his greatest moment comes in the second season finale “The Agenda.” Megatron finds the Autobot ship, the Ark, and the Autobots and Decepticons locked in stasis inside. Searching the ship, he comes across the body of Optimus Prime. Megatron then concentrates all his power into his weapon and fires a powerful blast at Optimus’ head at point blank range. This result in a massive time rift that threatened to change the course of history and make the Decepticons the absolute rulers of Cybertron thus furthering the Predacon Empire. Throughout the series, Megatron has turned the tide a few times to his benefit but rewriting history, nothing trumps this. True, there have been time altering incidents in the Transformers Universe but a lot of these result in one Megatron/Galvatron killing his counterpart of that world. This achievement would’ve effected his enemies directly had it succeeded. So when it comes to over-the-top plans, Beast Wars Megatron has the right kind of charisma and cunning. And he has Tyrannosaurus head for a cannon. Awesome.