All Hail Megatron Discussion thread

[Onslaught Six]

Optimus Prime appears to be developing into the Prime we've known all these years at the end of AHM, after being more of a "big picture" type so far through IDW's run.

Yes! That's something I love in this book, that final confrontation with Prime and Megs, and Prime is all "Freedom is the right of--" and Megs is all, "Shutup, you're a hypocrite and I hate you."

[Sparky Prime]

Are we seeing mischaracterization, or are we seeing some actual change and growth in these usually static Transformer characters? Grimlock got some character development in Maximum Dinobots. Perceptor got a massive change in AHM. Optimus Prime appears to be developing into the Prime we've known all these years at the end of AHM, after being more of a "big picture" type so far through IDW's run. As long as characters are recognizable to me in at least some of their traditional characteristics, I'm glad to see growth at last.

Depends on how each character is being handled. Perceptor I really see as the best example of mis-characterization in AHM. I can understand after he was nearly killed why he'd want to make himself more useful on the battle field by turning himself into a scary sniper. But why does he completely shun his primary function as a scientists? Not even to help save Optimus' life? It's not like he can't. We know he still has those skills, so why doesn't he do both? It doesn't make any sense why he wouldn't try to help Optimus when we know he still is capable of it.

[Onslaught Six]

The best indication we've been given? He doesn't want to. I'd hate to retread this conversation again, but it was explained, and honestly that's all the more we're likely to get, unless the ongoing touches on it. Which it probably won't. But Wreckers might!

[Sparky Prime]

The best indication we've been given? He doesn't want to. I'd hate to retread this conversation again, but it was explained, and honestly that's all the more we're likely to get, unless the ongoing touches on it. Which it probably won't. But Wreckers might!

No it wasn't. There is absolutely nothing that explains why Perceptor would completely refuse to do any science related work if it meant saving lives. Hell, he did his own upgrades on himself to make himself a sniper for that very reason. If anything, he doesn't want to do the type of work that would restrict him to a lab, but that doesn't explain why he wouldn't make this one exception to help Ratchet save Optimus.

[Shockwave]

Y'know the miraculous resurrection that Ratchet pulled off with Optimus was so deus ex machina anyway that I think at that point one could make an argument that Ratchet was so close to saving him at that point anyway that Perceptor thought he'd be more useful as a sniper.

[BWprowl]

The best indication we've been given? He doesn't want to. I'd hate to retread this conversation again, but it was explained, and honestly that's all the more we're likely to get, unless the ongoing touches on it. Which it probably won't. But Wreckers might!

No it wasn't. There is absolutely nothing that explains why Perceptor would completely refuse to do any science related work if it meant saving lives. Hell, he did his own upgrades on himself to make himself a sniper for that very reason. If anything, he doesn't want to do the type of work that would restrict him to a lab, but that doesn't explain why he wouldn't make this one exception to help Ratchet save Optimus.

Maybe Perceptor is just a dick now, you know? Honestly, that's a what a lot of the indications the characters give seems to say. "Remember Perceptor, the friendly, hard-to-understand lab tech? Well he got hurt in battle, and now he's a total dick! Won't talk to anybody or even help our leader! Man, what a jerk!"

Maybe Perceptor's suffering from a lack of confidence. He's thinking "Oh man, what if I try to help Prime, but I fail, or make it worse? Tension's already high, *my* ass could be the next one Ironhide kicks. Best just to not do anything." Or he's worried that if he does do repairs on Prime, then Prowl's gonna make him install some bogus algorithms, like he made him do with Kup.

There're a lot of possible explanations here. Practice your critical thinking skills, mate! Coming up with your own ideas to patch all the holes is half the fun of Transformers fiction!

[Shockwave]

Or he's worried that if he does do repairs on Prime, then Prowl's gonna make him install some bogus algorithms, like he made him do with Kup.

Or maybe Prowl already did...

[Sparky Prime]

Y'know the miraculous resurrection that Ratchet pulled off with Optimus was so deus ex machina anyway that I think at that point one could make an argument that Ratchet was so close to saving him at that point anyway that Perceptor thought he'd be more useful as a sniper.

No, Ratchet points out in that issue how difficult it is to save Optimus due to how badly he was damaged and that he might not survive the procedure to save his life. They weren't close to saving Optimus at all when they asked Perceptor to help out, and it's clear they wanted all the help they could get. Not to mention Sunstreaker's sacrifice in the previous issue gave the Autobots enough time that they didn't need a sniper for quite a while. More than enough time for Perceptor to have lent a hand at least. As for the miraculous recovery Optimus has, I see that as just another weak storytelling moment from McCarthy.

Maybe Perceptor is just a dick now, you know? Honestly, that's a what a lot of the indications the characters give seems to say.

Not helping to save their leader when he possesses those skills is beyond 'just being a dick'. And that doesn't offer any real explanation for him not to help here.

Maybe Perceptor's suffering from a lack of confidence.

Except there is nothing to indicate he is suffering from a lack of confidence here. Rather, the exact opposite seems to be true. He's extremely confident in his sniper persona, and from what we saw of his career as a scientist in IDWverse, he was exceptional at that as well.

Or he's worried that if he does do repairs on Prime, then Prowl's gonna make him install some bogus algorithms, like he made him do with Kup.

Unlikely with Ratchet and Wheeljack also working so closely on the procedure with how critical Optimus was, they all undoubtedly would be keeping a close eye on every step they took. I doubt Perceptor would be able to do anything like that with them so close by. Plus, it's one thing to influence Kup into giving the advice Prowl approves of, it's another to actually do something to Prime to influence Prime himself.

There're a lot of possible explanations here. Practice your critical thinking skills, mate! Coming up with your own ideas to patch all the holes is half the fun of Transformers fiction!

Doesn't seem like there are a lot of plausible possible explanations to me. And again I feel like I should say: "heaven forbid they actually try to do a better job of storytelling." Seriously, if you're going to change a character this drastically, you have to actually explain it and their motivations. We got how Perceptor became a sniper with the Coda series, but there is no hint as to why he completely turned his back on science, or when/why he grew so distant. Normally I don't mind using critical thinking skills to "patch holes" but this is no mere hole to patch, it's more like rebuilding an entire house that was caved in. This Perceptor is nothing like he was and there is an inadequate amount of development to explain who he is now, let alone to build possible explanations for him not helping Optimus in AHM.

[Shockwave]

when they asked Perceptor to help out,

God damn it, I just re read AHM and I'm already forgetting stuff. I suck.

[Dominic]

The more I think about it, the more I am thinking Perceptor simply cannot help Ratchet. Ratchet's dialogue about wanting the old Perceptor back indicates that Perceptor has been changed in a way that, we can safely assume, prevents him from helping.

Maybe it is a question of his sniper mods costing him other systems. Mayber Ratchet simply does not trust Kup's designated shooter. The "why" is less important than the "what" in this case.


Dom
-has not even finished this week's comics yet......