Thread of Thoughts, Questions (and Maybe Even Answers) That Don't Deserve Their Own Thread

Platypus Prime

Well-known member
Citizen
Ok, so the cigarettes clearly aren't adequately illegal and socially upsetting enough....how about Megatron as a roll of asbestos insulation, in neon colors? And he'll transform only in poorly inspected elementary schools. Soundwave gets updated as a lead water pipe, for the Clue crossover line.

-They made BotBots toilet paper. There's precedent.
 

LordGigaIce

Another babka?
Citizen
The obvious solution is to only ever release them in two-packs with ambiguous labeling.
This is what I've been saying they should be doing with Rumble and Frenzy for years!

But anyway, my arbitrary thoughts on alternate Megatron alt modes...

Tank- probably the most logical and arguably the "closest" to his origins since it's basically a big gun on treads, and was his immediate post-gun alt mode so it's got lineage behind it. Doesn't fly though, which hurts the "rise up!" rallying cry.

Helicopter gunship- my personal preference. It's still a play on his G1 form, because it's got a giant gun, and the flight based mode allows for the double meaning of "rise up!" as a counterpart to Optimus' "roll out!" It's also not a jet, so you get the positives of a flight based alt mode without stepping on the Seekers' turf. The blades also give you an opportunity to work in the G1 Megatron sword in a more seamless way.

Stealth bomber- like the helicopter, it's a flight based alt mode that doesn't infringe on the Seekers, so it's got a lot of pluses. Problem is... I kind of like a stealth bomber as a vehicle form for Soundwave.

Jet- I'm a shameless MW fan so this does have some appeal. The problem is that MW Megatron in his teal colour scheme is just such a unique look that I'm not sure it's got legs as a Megatron design going forward unless it's a specific remake or adaptation of Machine Wars. Still, I adore it and think it's done nothing wrong.
Outside of that, a fighter jet Megatron in broadly G1 colours doesn't really work for me because it seems like it could infringe too much on the Seekers. Starscream especially, given Megatron and Starscream's similar colour schemes.

Truck- look, I loved Phantom of the Opera sadsack
Megatron from DotM, but I don't want to see "truck Megatron" become a regular thing. We already have Motormaster, Scourge, Nemesis Prime, and Toxitron. Not to mention Nova Prime who's sometimes Nemesis Prime. We don't need Megatron to be a truck to get "a dark reflection of Optimus."

Satellite- that ABC pitch is fascinating because while I don't think it would work in totality, it had some ideas about Megatron that I like and would like to see played with. Even back in the 80s, there was some discomfort with the idea of Megs as a gun and the satellite was pitched as an alternative. There is a cool look you could go with if he turned into an orbital weapons platform, but the problem is satellites don't move under their own power. I know the space shuttle was never as maneuverable as Astrotrain and Blastoff were depicted as being, but a satellite just relies on gravity to slowly move through space. It's a cool idea but I think it's something that would limit how often Megs could actually transform and do something useful.

Alien whatever- there is a degree of logic there, that Megatron is so arrogant that he may not think he needs an Earth disguise or view an Earth alt mode as beneath him. Still... this never totally worked for me? G1 Megatron turned himself into a pistol, the idea that he'd see himself as "above" an Earth mode isn't rooted in anything from the canon. It also bumps up against one of the appeals of Transformers, that you can turn these characters you like into vehicles or devices could recognize. Sure, Cybertronian modes can be fun, and may even work as the primary look for some characters, but it feels lazy to default to that for the franchise's major villain.

So yeah, helicopter gunship would be my preference. I'd love to see Animated Megs get a Generations update, but I'd also love to see the alt mode adapted across more versions of the character. Give me an updated G1 Megatron with that alt mode. I'll happily buy it, even with the new stupid tariff pricing.
 
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Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
G1 Megatron turned himself into a pistol, the idea that he'd see himself as "above" an Earth mode isn't rooted in anything from the canon.
Eh, the Ark's computer did that to him, not he himself. He kinda had no say in the matter, being offline at the time (speaking of both the cartoon and Marvel G1).
 

LordGigaIce

Another babka?
Citizen
Eh, the Ark's computer did that to him, not he himself. He kinda had no say in the matter, being offline at the time (speaking of both the cartoon and Marvel G1).
He coulda changed back into a Cybertronian mode.

I just find the "Megatron is above Earth modes" explanation to explain why he sometimes doesn't bae them to be rather... weak. There's nothing to really hint at that. It's just a justification used to explain why he has some Cybertronian form when HasTak/whoever is producing the show that year couldn't settle on an Earth mode for him.
 

Ookalf

Member
Citizen
There's bit in "Microbots" where he gets drunk and laments having to "sneak around in these ugly Earth disguises," though I guess that's also pretty minor in the grand scheme of things...
 

LordGigaIce

Another babka?
Citizen
That... really wasn't a thing back then. Changing altmodes on a whim, I mean. They had to be physically reconstructed, or be fully morphed by phenomenal cosmic power, in order to do that.
Eh... I mean I guess so? But given how they pulled crap outta their butts on a weekly basis... I feel like they could have gone there if they wanted to.

My point remains- "Megatron feels an Earth mode is beneath him" isn't an attitude he ever really showed until people decided they needed to justify why he had an alien alt mod in different iterations of the franchise down the line.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Eh... I mean I guess so? But given how they pulled crap outta their butts on a weekly basis... I feel like they could have gone there if they wanted to.
It wasn't until the Beast Era when scanning became a common thing for altmode changes, but which was treated as new technology developed in the age of the Maximals and Predacons. Armada was the first time scanning was treated as standard Autobot/Decepticon technology.

My point remains- "Megatron feels an Earth mode is beneath him" isn't an attitude he ever really showed until people decided they needed to justify why he had an alien alt mod in different iterations of the franchise down the line.
I don't disagree, but in the end, it's all about advertising the toys, and they never had G1 Megs change his gun mode until he became Galvatron because they needed to advertise his toy that had a gun mode.
 

Platypus Prime

Well-known member
Citizen
You know what I actually WOULD like to see, but I don't know if they can pull of the engineering to actually do? A Megatron that turns into Galvatron. Seriously. My nephew got Galaxy Shuttle for Christmas, and the white shuttle becoming a black train was just bizarre. I'd be interested if they could take a mostly silver humanoid and have it become a mostly purple one. The cannon I image would be the hardest and may wind up being an 'extra' part. Due to that, any 'other' mode would probably wind up being a weird 'because we say so' space cannon with a giant orange central barrel with a big telescope sight illogically perched on it, but it would be neat and nicely circumvent any realism.
 

LordGigaIce

Another babka?
Citizen
I don't disagree, but in the end, it's all about advertising the toys, and they never had G1 Megs change his gun mode until he became Galvatron because they needed to advertise his toy that had a gun mode.
Yeah, that's fair, but whatever reason he never displays that "Earth modes are beneath me" attitude some people began insisting on over a decade later to justify whatever weird sci fi alien alt mode they gave him. It's something pulled from nothing, is my point.

You know what I actually WOULD like to see, but I don't know if they can pull of the engineering to actually do? A Megatron that turns into Galvatron. Seriously. My nephew got Galaxy Shuttle for Christmas, and the white shuttle becoming a black train was just bizarre. I'd be interested if they could take a mostly silver humanoid and have it become a mostly purple one. The cannon I image would be the hardest and may wind up being an 'extra' part. Due to that, any 'other' mode would probably wind up being a weird 'because we say so' space cannon with a giant orange central barrel with a big telescope sight illogically perched on it, but it would be neat and nicely circumvent any realism.

Megalvatron.jpg
 

Haywire

Collecter of Gobots and Godzilla
Citizen
You know what I actually WOULD like to see, but I don't know if they can pull of the engineering to actually do? A Megatron that turns into Galvatron. Seriously. My nephew got Galaxy Shuttle for Christmas, and the white shuttle becoming a black train was just bizarre. I'd be interested if they could take a mostly silver humanoid and have it become a mostly purple one. The cannon I image would be the hardest and may wind up being an 'extra' part. Due to that, any 'other' mode would probably wind up being a weird 'because we say so' space cannon with a giant orange central barrel with a big telescope sight illogically perched on it, but it would be neat and nicely circumvent any realism.


Y'know, this but with Galvatron's cannon altmode might be a viable possibility... maybe a future Missing Link?
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
So I was beaten to it by Takara/Hasbro THEMSELVES?! Bizarre...

And I had no idea the original Astrotrain did that. Neat!
Yeah, all other deco versions besides that version had more mixed colors between the two altmodes.

Original Hasbro 1985 release:
G1Astrotrain_toy.jpg


e-HOBBY 2004 Collectors Edtion "Proto Color Version":
Takara-collectors-edition-astrotrain-proto-colors.jpg


Hasbro 2015 Platinum Edition:
Platinum-edition-g1-astrotrain.jpg
 

lastmaximal

Administrator
Staff member
Council of Elders
Citizen
I'd love some insight into how that pair happened, and I'd also love to see more of them. Maybe also tweak Blitzwing'a deco so it's a bit more distinct from Flywheels/Skytread. Or just commit to it and give us a T30 or TR or Legacy Blitzwing as Skytread to go with the Botcon Battletrap. That was a surprising but refreshing bit of new in a line designed to be rehashes.
 

Sabrblade

Continuity Nutcase
Citizen
Hasbro still owes us an explanation for that Platinum one.
Yeah, very weird and random choice for them to give him Machtackle's colors.

Although, since it was a Platinum Edition, the decision might have been Hasbro Asia's doing rather than Hasbro proper since most of the Platinum Editions were initiated by Hasbro Asia.
 


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