All Hail Megatron Discussion thread

[Sparky Prime]

The purpose of the attack was to keep the Decepticons from killing each-other by giving them other things to do. He expected, and was hoping to prevent, fratricide.

Where are you getting this stuff? That wasn't the purpose at all. Megatron didn't need to give them something to do immediately. They were still happy after defeating the Autobots and kicking them off the planet. It wasn't until they became bored with Earth and it was clear Megatron wasn't going to send them to do anything else that they started fighting each other. Again, that appeared to be Megatron's true purpose, to get them to fight each other.

[andersonh1]

Here's a thought... is Sunstreaker dead or not? He can't actually have flashbacks if he's dead, so clearly he's alive up until the last page of the story in issue 14. But has he actually expired, or is he just in really bad shape but in stasis lock or something?

And for that matter, why would the other Autobots just leave the body lying in the chasm? Shouldn't they get it and inter it or something?

[Onslaught Six]

It's been suggested that the entire story is actually Sunstreaker's life flashing before his optics.

Also, the Autobots are in their base for the entirety of the time after Issue 8 (where Sunstreaker dies) and Issue 10 (When Omega Supreme rescues everybody.) It's not like they can just pop out for his body.

[Shockwave]

The purpose of the attack was to keep the Decepticons from killing each-other by giving them other things to do. He expected, and was hoping to prevent, fratricide.

Where are you getting this stuff? That wasn't the purpose at all. Megatron didn't need to give them something to do immediately. They were still happy after defeating the Autobots and kicking them off the planet. It wasn't until they became bored with Earth and it was clear Megatron wasn't going to send them to do anything else that they started fighting each other. Again, that appeared to be Megatron's true purpose, to get them to fight each other.

Sorry Dom, but Sparky's right, it wasn't team building at all. In fact, fratricide was the point since Megatron wanted the stronger decepticons to kill off the weaker ones, leaving him with army he originally intended.

[Dominic]

Megatron says he wants unity of purpose. He created a blood-thirsty army. When he talks about killing the beast, (with Starscream in issue 10 I think it was), it is more a question of re-organization than of killing his own troops. He speech in issue 4 (I think), where Skywarp looks bored and Thundercracker melancholy, plays into this.

He *expects* a certain amount of it. But, that is different from wanting fratricide. The biggest problem that the Decepticons have is that there is nothign to do. Being aimless and needing purpose is a big theme in AHM. In fact, at about the same time as the Decepticons start getting bored, (Frenzy shoots the VW and says he wishes it was the "real thing", and Reflector agrees), the Autobots are shown to be fraying as well. Jazz and Prowl explicitly discuss giving their troops busy work because they need to be doing something.

Megatron needs to keep the Decepticons together long enough for Starscream to be ready to take over and/or for Starscream to try and take over, so Megatron can re-establish dominance. Had the humans not attacked, had the Autobots not shown up, Megatron would have had to fight much harder against his own men. (Megatron is actually suprised by the number of guys who joing Starscream. Look at his reaction when Scrapper and co enter the fight.)


Dom
-read through most of AHM in the wee hours of last night/this morning. (Sleep is for the weak.)

[Sparky Prime]

He *expects* a certain amount of it. But, that is different from wanting fratricide. The biggest problem that the Decepticons have is that there is nothign to do. Being aimless and needing purpose is a big theme in AHM.

The Decepticons are kept aimless by Megatron though. Being their leader, he's the one that would tell them where to go, what to do, but he purposefully holds them back here with a specific intent in mind.

In fact, at about the same time as the Decepticons start getting bored, (Frenzy shoots the VW and says he wishes it was the "real thing", and Reflector agrees), the Autobots are shown to be fraying as well. Jazz and Prowl explicitly discuss giving their troops busy work because they need to be doing something.

The Autobots are understandably in a difficult situation. They've been beaten badly and trapped on a dead world with creatures that want to attack them. The environment of Cybertron supposedly causes them constant pain. And they suspect they have a traitor among them. Needless to say, moral is at an all time low. Of coarse Prowl and Jazz are going to talk about giving their troops busy work. They need something to take their minds off the current situation because it doesn't get much worst than that.

Megatron needs to keep the Decepticons together long enough for Starscream to be ready to take over and/or for Starscream to try and take over, so Megatron can re-establish dominance. Had the humans not attacked, had the Autobots not shown up, Megatron would have had to fight much harder against his own men. (Megatron is actually suprised by the number of guys who joing Starscream. Look at his reaction when Scrapper and co enter the fight.)

You're forgetting, Megatron was expecting the humans last ditch effort, and in fact, Megatron had a Decepticon carrying the nuke. Why do you suppose Megatron would have arranged for that? Yeah, if the Autobots hadn't shown up, he probably would have nuked his own troops while making it look like the humans did it. Megatron isn't just keeping the Decepticons together waiting for Starscream to take over, he's still running things.

[Dominic]

The Autobots are understandably in a difficult situation. They've been beaten badly and trapped on a dead world with creatures that want to attack them. The environment of Cybertron supposedly causes them constant pain. And they suspect they have a traitor among them. Needless to say, moral is at an all time low. Of coarse Prowl and Jazz are going to talk about giving their troops busy work. They need something to take their minds off the current situation because it doesn't get much worst than that.

And, there is a thematic parallel between the Autobots and Decepticons. The leaders of both sides, (acting and official), are giving their men busy work.

You're forgetting, Megatron was expecting the humans last ditch effort, and in fact, Megatron had a Decepticon carrying the nuke. Why do you suppose Megatron would have arranged for that? Yeah, if the Autobots hadn't shown up, he probably would have nuked his own troops while making it look like the humans did it. Megatron isn't just keeping the Decepticons together waiting for Starscream to take over, he's still running things.

The human attack was planned, as was the nuke. But, I was figuring Megatron was planning to move his troops out of NYC before Octankor showed up. Even with the unexpected appearance of the Autobots, and Megatron taking a round to the head, the Decepticons still had time to get out of the city *before* the bomb fell.

Megatron would have wanted to nuke the city as a final grand gesture.


Dom
-not every TF story needs the bad guy to be a mustache twiddling lunatic.

[Sparky Prime]

And, there is a thematic parallel between the Autobots and Decepticons. The leaders of both sides, (acting and official), are giving their men busy work.

With a HUGE difference in intents. The Decepticons are purposefully being held back by their own leader. The Autobots have no choice given the situation they're in.

The human attack was planned, as was the nuke. But, I was figuring Megatron was planning to move his troops out of NYC before Octankor showed up. Even with the unexpected appearance of the Autobots, and Megatron taking a round to the head, the Decepticons still had time to get out of the city *before* the bomb fell.

Of course the bomb wouldn't fall until Megatron and those loyal to him left the city. That's the point of having a Decepticon carry it, so they control when it falls. But if the Autobots hadn't shown up, uniting the Decepticons in a common goal once again, would all of the Decepticons in the city still have been loyal to Megatron? Would Megatron have bothered to get them out? Remember, he is trying to weed out the infighting and decent within the Decepticons. What better way than nuke those fighting against him all in one shot?

Megatron would have wanted to nuke the city as a final grand gesture.

How would nuking a practically empty city that the Decepticons basically conquered with their opening attack be a "final grand gesture" of anything?

[Dominic]

Of course the bomb wouldn't fall until Megatron and those loyal to him left the city. That's the point of having a Decepticon carry it, so they control when it falls. But if the Autobots hadn't shown up, uniting the Decepticons in a common goal once again, would all of the Decepticons in the city still have been loyal to Megatron? Would Megatron have bothered to get them out? Remember, he is trying to weed out the infighting and decent within the Decepticons. What better way than nuke those fighting against him all in one shot?

Megatron is clearly suprised by the scale of the revolt. He expects some of the troops to go with Starscream. But, Megatron does not really exactly how bad things are until the Constructicons step out.

A better way to weed out the infighting is to get everybody on the same side.


Nuking the city would be a symbolic gesture. At the end of the day, attacking NYC was symbolic. In the first issue, when Starscream claims to be the biggest bad-arse, Megatron steps in and proves he is a bigger bad ass. Nuking a city would be consistent with that. It is the scale, rather then the utility, of the destruction that counts here.


The Autobots and Decepticons being aimless is a thematic thing. In the case of the Autobots, there is little they can practically do. In the case of the Decepticons, they just do not have much to do.


Dom

[Shockwave]

A better way to weed out the infighting is to get everybody on the same side.

There in lies the flaw in Megatron's plan. I'm wondering if AHM qualifies as one of those situations where the writer tried to write characters to be smarter than he is. And failed.