All Hail Megatron Discussion thread

[BWprowl]

How do you figure? We haven't seen Perceptor do one BIT of scientist-ing in all of AHM.

Being a sharpshooter isn't exactly something you learn overnight either.

I hardly think they went straight back to Cybertron after the events of Spotlight Drift. It's Been A While. Long enough, I'd wager, for Perceptor to get rebuilt, lose any capability he had for science in the process, and take up GUNS instead. And you know how I know it's been long enough for that to happen? Because it has CLEARLY HAPPENED by the time AHM rolls around.

[Dominic]

I am assuming Perceptor used his "second chance" to become a sharp-shooter rather than a scientist. (Maybe he is being scientific about it, and assumes that the ability to kill enemies efficiently reduces his odds of getting shot again.)

Dom

[Sparky Prime]

They've got three months or so left in the main book and four issues of the other book. Give it time.

They've had more than enough time already with the 9 issues they've already got.

I hardly think they went straight back to Cybertron after the events of Spotlight Drift. It's Been A While. Long enough, I'd wager, for Perceptor to get rebuilt, lose any capability he had for science in the process, and take up GUNS instead. And you know how I know it's been long enough for that to happen? Because it has CLEARLY HAPPENED by the time AHM rolls around.

I don't think it's been a while. Maybe they didn't go straight back to Cybertron but still I'd wager this takes place shortly before AHM. And we really don't know that Perceptor lost his capability. He's just described as being "different" now.

[BWprowl]

I don't think it's been a while. Maybe they didn't go straight back to Cybertron but still I'd wager this takes place shortly before AHM. And we really don't know that Perceptor lost his capability. He's just described as being "different" now.

And that 'difference' is that he can't help Prime. Because he got shot and rebuilt. And lost the aforementioned scientific ability somewhere along the way. I honestly don't mean to sound like a douche, but is this really that difficult to accept?

[Sparky Prime]

I honestly don't mean to sound like a douche, but is this really that difficult to accept?

Yes, it is. Much of your explanation is just speculation on events. They haven't actually confirmed what exactly happened to Perceptor. Was he damaged and they couldn't restore him back to normal? Possible, but then we've seen Transformers in worst condition brought back and even made to be better than new. Or maybe he just decided he had to be more of a soldier after what happened to him? Again, possible, but then why wouldn't he help Optimus when he really needed it? Or maybe some other possible explanation? We don't actually know.

[BWprowl]

Well of course it's speculation; at least half of Transformers continuity is speculation. They give you some base facts and you can kinda extrapolate from there what might've happened. Sure, they aren't going to give us a boring, panel-by-panel showcase of Perceptor being rebuilt and the rehab that ensued, but they give you enough information that you can *figure out* what probably happened. I read Spotlight Drift and I go "Oh, Perceptor got owned hard prior to AHM. There must've been an extensive rebuild so that's why he's Different now." Ta-Da!

[Onslaught Six]

Yes! Thank you.

These are complex alien mechanical beings with thousands, if not millions, of moving parts and circuitry and stuff inside them.

We do not fully understand how they function.

Accepting this is 'phase one' of Transformers fiction.

[Dominic]

Well, if you go buy some of the old comics, they are actually pretty simple.

No, seriously now....

It is safe to assume that something happened to Perceptor to make him different, and that said difference means he is not able to help Prime in any meaningful way. Let assume that TFs are built based on a points system, similar to an RPG. (There is in-context precedent for this, if one looks at some of the older profiles like Brawn's."

A character like Perceptor would be allocated say....1,000 points. This would cover his base cost, as well as skills purchased. Perceptor mkI would have had everything after his base points allocated for scientific skills and feats, including his microscope (vision, see where this is going), After getting shot before AHM, Perceptor is rebuilt, and for whatever reason, his points are allocated towards combat. He keeps the base-cost, (as he would have to), and the points for vision are more or less the same. But, the other engineering feat/skill points are spent on marksmanship.

In-context, this means that systems devoted to executing mechanical functions and the programming for using those parts are removed and replaced with systems and programs to increase the range and accuracy of Perceptor's weaopons.

Like BWP, we do not a panel by panel explanation of what happened between the Drift "Spotlight" and AHM. It would have been secondary to both the leadership theme of "All Haul Megatron" and the (admittedly rote) "second chance" theme of the Drift "Spotlight".

Dom
-might review these comics.

[Sparky Prime]

Well of course it's speculation; at least half of Transformers continuity is speculation. They give you some base facts and you can kinda extrapolate from there what might've happened. Sure, they aren't going to give us a boring, panel-by-panel showcase of Perceptor being rebuilt and the rehab that ensued, but they give you enough information that you can *figure out* what probably happened. I read Spotlight Drift and I go "Oh, Perceptor got owned hard prior to AHM. There must've been an extensive rebuild so that's why he's Different now." Ta-Da!

Something like this, a MAJOR change in characterization, is something that needs to be explained. They can't just say 'oh, he got hurt, now you speculate how that made him different'. Such as when they made it a point to explain Grimlock's damaged voice as the reason he talks the way he does, and that isn't even that major of a characterization change. And like I said before, we've seen Tranformers in MUCH worst condition and repaired to be good as new than Perceptor is. So they need to explain why Perceptor wasn't so lucky, if that be the case.

[Onslaught Six]

Has Perceptor even *talked* since he's been rebuilt? For all we know, his mind was damaged in the process and now all he 'can' concentrate on is marksmanship.

He is different BECAUSE he got hurt. Period. That is all that needs to be said.