Spotlight: Megatron discussion

[Onslaught Six]

Super Megatron looks like a damn Gundam, too!

And I mean, I don't get hung up on it in certain cases. But the fact that Megatron is a bad guy who Isn't Black is significant to me, especially since most comics render him as light grey, "silver," or even white. Megatron as a big white-coloured robot bad guy is a lot more visually interesting and cool than a big black and purple dude, who doesn't just scream "generic" at me, but actually screams "Unicron Trilogy Galvatron repaint."

[andersonh1]

I need to go back and re-read the ongoing issues set at this timeframe to get some context. I like the issue, and I like that it explains to some extent why the Decepticons sat around for three years and let themselves fall apart. I always thought that was a fairly stupid plot decision in an otherwise generally good series. They had won the war, so why weren't they out there consolidating their gains? The answer seems to be that no one was willing to follow Starscream. Like Bumblebee, he's a weak leader who doesn't inspire the troops, and who can't make them afraid. I guess if they'd had more than one ship, you'd have seen the various Cons striking out on their own instead of tearing each other apart.

I do like the F-15 alt mode on Starscream. There's something to be said for a classic, real-world vehicle mode.

We don't usually get inside Megatron's head. He pretty accurately sizes up his own troops. Considering that he's already blown a hole in Starscream once, it's not surprising that Starscream just expects the same treatment again. It is a bit uncomfortable watching the two of them interact. It's a very abusive relationship, making Starscream very much the victim. This does help smooth the transition from the Starscream of the past to the one that's changed and willing to work within the system in the RID series. It's almost his book more than it is Megatron, since we learn more about him. Megatron just is who he is.

[BWprowl]

I guess I can see where you're coming from with that. I might even feel that way myself, but the design itself just looks so goddamn cool to me! I love so much about it, like the new design for the fusion cannon, or the way his Decepticon Symbol isn't just a printed sigil, it's made up of these interlocking plates and bits folded into his chest. Also the tron-lines.

Plus, the point of this design was to show that Megatron had 'advanced', had grown or evolved to an explicitly more powerful new form. A good way to communicate that in any medium is to change a character's color, and I think going with black really emphasized the 'back and badder than ever' element. Plus, this was the Ongoing, where character models were...not terribly consistent. Pretty much everyone was designed with a new body of some sort, but not meant to actually *be* a new body (Bumblebee halfway through notwithstanding), and we were lucky if the look carried over through later books. Making Megatron come back as black, rather than the familiar silver, confirms for the readers that 'Megatron has clearly been upgraded'.

'Generic' doesn't necessarily mean 'boring', and while Megs' design certainly has a lot of familiar elements to it, I personally think that the end result just looks terrific.

[Onslaught Six]

I guess you're right. I didn't like the Ongoing to begin with, so.

[Shockwave]

I dunno. I like the alt mode but I don't like the new design on his cannon. As for his color, I'm not really slavish to Megs being silver (and it is supposed to be silver not white. White was the only way the comics and cartoon could convey "chrome"). But... I dunno, I kind just don't care for the bot mode. That said, I would be all in favor of a toy of this thing.

Also, hehehe Mega... TRON.

[Dominic]

I do like the F-15 alt mode on Starscream. There's something to be said for a classic, real-world vehicle mode.

F-15s are dated. They are not quite as dated as the SR-71 or Soundwave's original alternate mode. But, they are dated. If nothing else, an F15 would be a terrible disguise because it would stand out too much.

[Shockwave]

Not really. The F-15s are still in service and it was the F-15 that was patrolling our skies on and after 9/11. So it is still a valid alt mode. The F-22 is kind of supposed to be it's modern replacement, but isn't faring as well performance wise. And there aren't as many F-22s in service as there are F-15s.

[Dominic]

I thought that F-16s were used in '01.

[Shockwave]

15s for sure, probably 16s as well.

[Onslaught Six]

The F-22 is touted as being state-of-the-art and the "future" of modern aircraft...and has been for the last ten years or so. Many of the older planes are still in service.

Also, on a personal level: F-22s look stupid as hell. I hate the way their nose juts out from the wings, with that big square flat area. And the wings, with their weird polygonal shape...I just don't like it. The entire silouette looks like a mess. Meanwhile, the F-15 still holds up and looks sleek as hell.