Someone once described Megatron as 'the ideal power bottom, an incredibly dominant personality whose signature move is to turn into a gun for others to fire'
The fact that THE original Megatron was an awkward nobody who became one of the most iconic villains in anything ever kinda mirrors his whole “nameless worker to galactic conqueror” schtick from a lot of modern transformers stuff. Poetic, in a way.
I find that "Megatron's head was misrepresented" thing way funnier when you realize that Floro Dery likely realized the same thing about Megatron's head and properly represented it by adding it to Galvatron's final design.
Thing is, Megatron had a design with a black helmet that actually looked way closer to the toy that was changed to the final version shortly before the cartoon started animation. There are commercials and promo images with that old unused head. Basically the same story as with the 2007 movie.
@@Robofrog100 Because the original Japanese opening theme featured the axe and mace, since it was made up mostly of clips from the pilot. And because of that, the axe and mace ended up becoming weirdly iconic in Japan, and hence they got included in rereleases and Masterpieces and such, and after that point it kind of fed into itself.
Daily fun fact: Megatron's G1 character model is based on an old prototype. The biggest differences are that the helmet was different (which probably inspired the above oddness with the helmet), the pelvis flap could fold up into a kind of abs/crotchplate section, and the gun barrel folded onto the back instead of poking out of the waist. It got revised and re-revised to look more like the toy, but those details stuck around. Secondary fun fact: the Walther P38 doesn't normally attach most of that stuff. Megatron is based on a prop gun from The Man from UNCLE that was modified to add a silencer, barrel extension, and stock, and to use blanks. And for even more fun, the intent of Micro Change (Megatron's home toyline) is that the characters turned into the toys you might find in a kid's room, like tape decks or penny-racer cars. So Megatron is meant to turn into a kid's toy gun based on a prop gun from a TV show. You know, if the gun mode wasn't embarrassing enough. I suspect Megatron got priority over Browning for the secondary reason that he's a fair bit larger, which made him more credible to fill the "main villain" slot. But then again, they could have probably given that role to Soundwave, or to the revolver Micro Change mold that never made it over here.
Funny. My Walther p38 fires real bullets through its "prop" extension quite nicely. Here's a video. I'm not in the video. (I'm not allowed to appear with my gun.) m.th-cam.com/video/4QhVGLbmtTU/w-d-xo.html 🎥 Test Firing the UNCLE Carbine - TH-cam
@@peejay4606 Well... yeah. You could modify a Walther to have those parts and not fire blanks. But the UNCLE Specials that inspired Megatron's design were all prop guns, and were also custom jobs; not something you could buy at a store. In fact, they actually couldn't use standard ammo. Like, yes, not every P38 with mods is a prop gun. But Megatron turns into a very specific P38 with mods, which is a prop gun. Or a replica of a prop gun.
I'm REALLY glad modern versions of Megatron seem to stick with the tank. War for Cybertron (the game one), Siege, etc, I hope it sticks with it. The heavy trench helmet suits the militarism a tank fits as well, and it's suitably brutal for the brute tyrant. I also do like the helm-head. It seems to match his "Screw you, I'm the boss and I'll kill either your hopes or YOU if you disagree!" personality. XD Let Galvatron have a crown of madness, Megs has a helmet of hate.
I like the idea of Megatron's helmet looking like a stahlhelm (Nazi Helmet), because like you said it fits the militarism of the Decepticons and they're pretty much alien robot nazis. I always did prefer Megatron as a tank. There's advantages tanks have over handguns: One is mobility and the other is more firepower.
I don’t get the arguments people get into when they call a tank a dumb alt form for Megatron and say “He WouLdN’T Ch00sE an EArTH VeHiCLe”. But sure an earth gun is perfectly suited for the guy, instead of a big gun on treads.
Nope .. what you're calling Megatron's actual head is merely his forehead. Megatron has always had the grey helmet. In gun mode the helmet is called a beaver tail..
I remember IDW had an origin comic where Megatron actually took the helmet off, and it was revealed that the eyebrow crest thing was more like a hairline. He had this weird panel-based mane folded away under the helmet that sprung forth once he took it off and stared up into the lights of the crowd after his first gladiatorial victory.
@@skintgirafde320 You can actually see it right here: www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/remember-that-scene-in-megatron-origins-when-he-took-off-his-helmet.1116418/ Also no need to be rude.
i think his toy helmet design is trying to evoke the Japanese super robot samurai thing with his forehead crest which oddly enough his Unicron trilogy incarnations tried to invoke.
Except for Ironhide/Ratchet, I don't think any G1 toy asked us to suspend disbelief harder. To be a fly on the wall the day Hasbro sorted out the roles for their franchise.
In universe, Megatron's gun mode can levitate and shoot by itself so I always wondered why he let other Decepticons (especially Starscream) wield him. I guess he just likes the feel of their cold, metallic hands around his... well... and the trigger placement on the original toy... Actually, now I wish I didn't start thinking about this.
Your G1 feelings ARE valid; yet those figures (besides Soundwave) had "imagined" articulation, and were sold mostly through the wonder of the box art. (Also, I cut a circle out of the red tech specs plastic to put inside the scope of my 1980's G1. Instant sniper sight!)
See, this is why we always wait patiently for your content, Thew, don't worry about not uploading more often, your videos can take however long they need to when they are SO BLOODY GOOD! This is one of your best ones, mate, thanks for never failing light up my day :)
If your reviews were an episodic series, I would take this as the final episode of the lineage of Megatron reviews. It just felt so conclusive to the overall idea and grand scheme of all that IS Megatron. Every Megatron you review after this is just taking a backseat to this review because it's an overview of THE Megatron that started it all. You did a damn good job! I hope to see more G1 reviews like this because you killed it and nailed every point on the head. Suffice to say *you killed it with a nail in the head.* Also, I'd like to take this moment--as someone who has been watching TF TH-cam reviews since '07--to say that you are THE best TF toy reviewer. Hands-fuckin'-down. Every word out of your mouth just speaks knowledge and passion and you make people give a shit about otherwise bland topics. Like, G1 Megatron? I didn't give a damn about him until your review where now he's more than just a red, silver, and black robot. You ACTUALLY shed light on the figure and its history. Nobody else has done that in an entertaining way. Tip. of. my. hat. sir.
Also RID!2001 Megatron/Galvatron/Gigatron/Whatever gets a GOAT vote from me for having the balls to have the most amount of modes for a single Transformer figure period, at currently 11 total modes.
Someone give Thew a Browning just for a comparison and to drive him more nuts how much better that gunformer is then Megatron. :D But also, yeah, the UNCLE thingy I think is the main reason they picked that mold for Megatron.
"Why did they chose this over the browning??" You solved that mystery the moment you said "the gun the NAZIs used". Everything about Megs' cartoon character design was meant to evoke nazi warlord- doubt you could have pulled that off with the proportions of the browning robo...
Yes, he came later in the first wave, in 1985, along with Trailbreaker, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Prowl and Sunstreaker. He didn't even feature in the first UK leaflets.
All this talk about Megatron's "helmet" reminds me of how Emir Xaaron was first designed as just Megatron with all his kibble lopped off, so his head just stopped at the "crown." And reading those Kid Stuff storybooks of Transformers with audio and toy-accurate art has ruined how I see the original Megatron toy in that I still expect to hear Mumm-Ra's voice spewing insults and insane plans from him. XD
Of the whole line Shockwave (and Soundwave ) are (were) the best designed 'transformer(s)' wel proportionate, very awesome threatingen presence and altmode. In many ways I never even as a kid understand why Shockwave isn't been chosen to be the leader. Still he has the same gun issue as Megatron. What is also good to mention that all the modern Masterpieces and 3rd Party: Still use the same transformation - like there is simply no other way to transform a Shockwave.. Now that is a good design if it hasn't changed much over the 30 years.
Thew, I just want to thank you for giving voice to this whole "Megatron helmet" thing. It's bugged me for a long time. Also, the obvious Sunstreaker / Sideswipe mix-up still pains me on some primal, recessed level. I just can't stop imagining the alternate universe where everything is the same as it is today, except Sunstreaker and Sideswipe have their proper molds.
hmm, now I kind of want to see Megatron becoming champion of the Cybertron gladiator arena as nothing but a handgun. *transforms, clanks on the ground* *a few random shots go off killing the enemy*
His gun mode could start spinning around, shooting off in every direction, beams emitting like energized porcupine quills, ala The Last Starfighter's "Cherry Blossom", until no one is left standing. 😎 I mean, liberal gun-haters seem to think that's how guns work, anyway. They're inherently dangerous, like they could go off on their own, all by their lonesome. 🙄
This is my favorite Thew review ever, thanks for the laughs. I remember loving my G1 toys, but also hating how horribly most of them represented my favorite characters.
Soundwave is the same height, mind you. I suspect Thew's theory that selling Megatron with all his accessories made him a better big-ticket item is on the money.
I got into Transformers from my brother's old Ladybird books (he was born in 77 - me in 84). Almost all of my transformer toys came from car boot sales very cheaply, back when they were just someone's old toys and not the priceless antiques everyone knows them to be today. I didn't even see a Megatron until I was in my 20s, in a glass cabinet in a comic book shop, for £100 - I'm still yet to even hold one in my hands.
Outstanding review, as always! On top of all the usual fun and hilarious Thew material, I like how you don't have excessive nostalgia preventing you from seeing the faults as well as the good points on this figure.
Holy crap.. Dude, you're reviews are hilarious!!! I've watched a ton of your videos, but never seen a review. I'm going back to watch them all! Cheers!!!
I'm grinning with every thew review but I never get through a review without you making me laugh so hard I blew my stew and messed up my view. I can't do the word play as well as you but seriously I love these reviews and there's always a moment I'm not expecting that really gets me, at least one per episode. Thank you!
If you feel like a weirdo due to growing up with 'late G1' imagine what it was like getting into Transformers when your first exposure was Beast Wars. Ignoring the 'trukk not munkky' and being (at the time) part of the 'babies of the franchise' was weird. Especially since up until discovering the internet I had never really seen any G1 figure outside of the few KO I had as a kid. Beast Wars had built up the 'original Transformers' to be this great legendary thing and that hype was very much real when you're a kid (and later a slightly older kid watching reruns). Then you see one of those....things..all gangly, partformer-ey and with no articulation. Or you see the cartoon, with its ugly 2d animation and goofy errors that make even BW blush at its quality and you go "That's it? THAT is what Beast Wars and the fanbase was hyping up?!"
@@KairuHakubi Yes but when you compare a season 2 or 3-era toy next to a G1 toy you'd end up disappointed. The toy engineering from that era hold up next to modern Transformers if it doesn't flat out beat them.
@@KairuHakubi Current Generations, on the other hand, has remained top notch. The only issues it has are hollowed bit and lack of paint apps/shitty stickers (that's less an issue with Siege however). Articulation, transformation and looks are absolutely solid and spot on.
think you got it tough? I grew up with the bayformers, and while I admit that many of the criticism on the toys and movies are valid, it still does not devoid the movies and it's toy line (bumblebee reboot included) of quality
I remember seeing him in catalogues and thinking how stumpy the arms were. My first Megatron was the Actionmaster which was great if it wasn't half the size of the first Optimus Prime. Technically my first Megatron was G1 Galvatron. I remember seeing the reissue in Forbidden Planet in Dublin in March 2003 a few months after I got back into collecting. I actually rang my brother because I felt so guilty about buying a toy for €110. Thankfully he put my mind at ease with "You don't even drink!" and told me to buy it. Two days later I picked up the 86 movie soundtrack. That was a great weekend. Great review as always Thew. Hopefully see you at TFNation in a few weeks.
Hey, that was an amazing review as always! Never even realized the whole thing with the head, makes sense why his face is so small. S'pose that inspired his Marvel comic design too.
Everyone always transforms Megatron's legs wrong...They're not supposed to be splayed out as wide as possible. They fold in against the trigger and look like normal legs.
Heresy! I had G1 Megatron as a kid (in the UK too) and I flippin' loved it. He's a robot and also a gun. That's all kids needed, you can't shoot people with a cassette deck :)
Never cared for Megatron turning into a gun, just seems so underwhelming for a character like him, he really does fit turning into a tank a lot better. And it's little wonder that Starscream hates him so much: "Starscream, squeeze my trigger!" "I don't feel comfortable doing that" "SQUEEZE IT! Oh yes, harder, HARDER!" "I hate you" "I know, NOW SQUEEZE IT HARDER!"
I personally prefer him to be a triple changer, with a tank mode and either a jet or a helicopter as a tertiary mode. It just makes sense to me that the supreme bad guy would be able to fly as well, especially since how it was somewhat of a big deal that Decepticons were masters of the sky while the Autobots were mostly land based.
1) Yes, and also the tank just far better encapsulates the entire personality of the character. 2) That explains so much of why Starscream wanted to kill him.
My personal head canon on why Megatron transforms into a gun is so he could boost his k/d, and the reason why he always let's Starscream use him is so every time he gets dropped by Screamer, he would just transform into robot mode and abuse Starscream.
3:07 ah so that’s where Apollyon’s engineering came from. Glad to know megatrons transformation has always been a hellscape. Actually watching the transformation Apollyon transforms the exact same way just with more inner steps
Your video was absolutely hysterical, I was in stitches...thanks very much for that. Just to answer a point in the vid. I'm from Liverpool, UK and I got Megatron for Christmas in 1986. My folks...I mean Santa got me him from Macro. Tragically he broke on Boxing day (no lie) when the gun barrel snapped off. We ended up taking him back but they had no replacements left. I ended up getting the money which I used to buy other toys. Unfortunately he was discontinued in 1991, a year before I decided I wanted to get him again. I didn't end up getting a replacement until 1995/96 from a toy dealer in the US. So he was available in the UK, just not in great quantities.
This honest review of G1 Megatron is basically a microcosm of my entire view of Transformers. I came to Transformers SUUUUUPER late, despite growing up with it around me since the 80s, so I'm not really tainted by nostalgia, but I do strongly appreciate the core....spirit and interpretation of G1. If I'm SUPER real, the first truly good version of Transfromers to hit a screen (so, I'm excluding comics, because I'm not familiar) was actually probably the War For Cyberton and Fall Of Cybertron games. That's where they first seemed to really take the G1 stuff and start to hammer out the details and make adjustments and reinventions that made it all make way WAAAAY more sense. Even today, the toylines doing throwbacks to old figures from random toylines and representing random shows and continuities means Transformers STILL doesn't really make much sense. Headmasters, for instance, were always dumb as hell, but that's because they came from the severely different Japanese interpretation of Transformers, where they made slightly more sense. They've always been gibberish to the core American stuff, but that doesn't stop the toys from getting made regardless. The current War For Cybertron:Siege toyline FEELS like it's the first clean, fresh, comprehensive, core attempt to clean up the entirety of Transformers continuity from the ground up. Basically what the WFC/FOC games did, except those were just games, not the core toyline itself. The toys are the heart and core of TF, and this feels like the first comprehensive G1-centric, yet all-inclusive clean-up of the franchise. Siege is where they go "G1 Megatron is a fucking badass and a classic character. But Megatron turning into a little pistol is fucking dumb, so he's a tank." Siege is where they go "We have all these different versions of Ultra Magnus, the G1 toy with a white Optimus Prime inside, the classic movie design, the RID version that is Optimus Prime's brother... Let's make a very classic movie looking Magnus, who has the white Optimus Prime inside, and he'll turn into the more Cybertronian-style high tech looking RID version who was Optimus Prime's brother. So maybe now Prime and Magnus are brothers, and THAT'S why they look the same." Siege is taking all the assumptions and adjustments made over the years and it's....connecting the dots. It's welding them together into what seems like a more unified and cohesive version of the classic Transformers than we've ever really seen before. It seems to be trying to answer a bunch of ambient questions, and solving all the lingering problems. That SEEMS to be what the toys are trying to convey. Obviously we don't know what the Netflix show will do to reflect that, but we can certainly hope. It seems to be a remake of G1....but sanding off the rough edges, and patching strange holes (gun Megatron) using previously invented non-G1 solutions (tank Megatron) that we've all decided are better. It's like Transformers has gone through DECADES of rough drafts, and now they're finally trying to put together a final draft using decades of brainstorming.
@@manjackson2772 It's an insane avalanche of the best Transformers figures ever made. A few weak ones here and there, and a handful of weird decisions where they came SO CLOSE to perfection and dropped the ball, but still easily the best Transformers has ever been. And that includes WFC's extension lines - Studio Series 86 and Legacy, which are obviously just MORE WFC, and filling in the missing stuff that didn't show up in the WFC shows.
You pretty much summed up my history with G1 too. That "history lesson" has been drilled into my head more then anything schools taught me. Though minus learning to stand I was not even around but G2 yeah I was there but no memories of. Beast Wars that I recall when it was new. I have never laughed so hard at anyone informing me that a toy has a sword.
Fair portrayal of a weirdo toy...that is so legendary that all the weirdness is just compelling and fascinating. I remember noticing the oddball stuff on G1 toys that didn’t make sense or match the show (like Diaclone driver seats, etc) and it only added to the mystique and fascination of these toys. I didn’t know anyone with G1 Megatron back in the 80s...this toy was all the more magical and weird because of that.
I remember going to BotCon in 2015 and finding a loose Megatron that despite lacking the accessories, still cost 100 dollars. Meanwhile, Takara Collection Starscream cost me 25 dollars.
In the g1 cartoon I just accept his design because its obviously what I grew up with but in the Japanese videogame "transformers takara when you're playing as him in gun mode hes just a big floating gun which not only looks unrealistic but stupid, its also the same principle for shockwave and galvatron
I was actually there for the launch of Transformers back in 84. I was seven and I can tell you that a LOT of G1 Transformers weren't all that great, lol. My Jazz's windscreen and roof broke off at the back of his head my Prowl broke at his waist my Optimus broke at the shoulder and if any of the transformation joints wore out on many of them they became floppy messes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Hasbro and Takara re-engineering reissues to fix a lot of these problems as that is the only way I have any of the G1 stuff these days. It's nice to have Tracks and not have the front of the car slide right off his legs during transformation, lol.
"Our Megatron's upper body is gold because the box art wanted to show sunlight reflecting off his chrome! Even after we adopted the US comics' black helmet from the prototype!"
Fun Fact: The Nazis actually used both the Walther P38 and the Browning 1910 during the war. While designed by an American, the factories that made the Browning pistols were based out of Belgium. So when the Nazis invaded the rest of Europe they just kinda said "these are ours now", and stamped Swastikas on em and all that crap. You know what? That wasn't a very fun fact at all in hindsight, sorry.
Amazing that you knew that. I'm impressed. My father was a WW2 vet . American, of German decent ( meaning my grand dad was born in, and lived in Germany.) Left to after WW1. My dad gave me my first Walther p38 from the war. Told me the history of the weapon. I own a small collection of them now.
@@peejay4606 What a small world! My grandfather passed his WWII M1911 sidearm to me a long while ago and that kicked off my small collection of combat pistols.
10:09 I swear almost killed me. you looked actually pissed and I couldn't stop looking at it. I want more pissed/displeased Thew. Like id used the clip of you as an inspirational video to show someone who wants to sell an idea.
"It feels good and has also slightly ruined my life."
That's this whole Transformers hobby for me, mate.
Wirspringen All of seige for me :(
@Azure Disk
Oooh, yeah.
This is exactly why I moved onto Gunpla.
Facts
Yep
Someone once described Megatron as 'the ideal power bottom, an incredibly dominant personality whose signature move is to turn into a gun for others to fire'
it sorta explains relationship with Starscream and why he kept him around, being all powerfull warlord but still needing someone to fire you up
...but he generates an amazing amount of power, FROM the bottom...
@@benvoliothefirst That means Starscream is...
im stealing this
😂🤣
Thew Adams presents: *The Megatron’s helmet conspiracy*
Illuminati confirmed
Gatgate
Fnar, fnar. 😉😂
The moment you realize that Megatron was basically Starscream's target master...
You're aren't wrong. Maybe that's where the initial idea for Targetmasters came from.
OOOOOOOOOH
Brain blast
Does it really matter? Megatron barely even transformed in the entire first 2 seasons of g1
@@puzzlefischer1205 nobody said it mattered its just a thing they noticed no need to be rude
The image of Starscream immediately chucking Megatron into space the moment he transforms into his hand had me laughing for a good whole minute.
*yeeting XD
"Hey dirge"
I can see an alternative way the movie can go and as soon as unicron pass by him, he crush megatron and Megatron was never seen again lol
"How many times have you heard this story?" Why, yes, I do watch Chris McFeely's channel, how did you know?
R.I.P. Jetfire
Ah yes, the man who made "Transformers: The basics"
Love that dude! Such entertainment and informative videos!
The fact that THE original Megatron was an awkward nobody who became one of the most iconic villains in anything ever kinda mirrors his whole “nameless worker to galactic conqueror” schtick from a lot of modern transformers stuff. Poetic, in a way.
I find that "Megatron's head was misrepresented" thing way funnier when you realize that Floro Dery likely realized the same thing about Megatron's head and properly represented it by adding it to Galvatron's final design.
Thing is, Megatron had a design with a black helmet that actually looked way closer to the toy that was changed to the final version shortly before the cartoon started animation. There are commercials and promo images with that old unused head. Basically the same story as with the 2007 movie.
"Do you have a license for that target-master?"
OI OI M8
*"I AM THE TARGETMASTER."*
No. *drives off
The real irony is Megatron never used either of his accessory modes.
Instead they gave him an energon mace and shield gimmick in the show...
why does every megatron need the mace he used once in the pilot, but never the far cooler energy shield that can block null rays?
Kinda like Prime's trailer. Never once used it for anything except a small one-off Roller appearance. Seriously, why even have it at that point?
@@Robofrog100 he used the shield again in Devastation at least. That game used a whole bunch of obscure abilities
@@Robofrog100 Because the original Japanese opening theme featured the axe and mace, since it was made up mostly of clips from the pilot. And because of that, the axe and mace ended up becoming weirdly iconic in Japan, and hence they got included in rereleases and Masterpieces and such, and after that point it kind of fed into itself.
"Hows it going Dirge?"
laughed way harder than I shouldve
Daily fun fact: Megatron's G1 character model is based on an old prototype. The biggest differences are that the helmet was different (which probably inspired the above oddness with the helmet), the pelvis flap could fold up into a kind of abs/crotchplate section, and the gun barrel folded onto the back instead of poking out of the waist. It got revised and re-revised to look more like the toy, but those details stuck around.
Secondary fun fact: the Walther P38 doesn't normally attach most of that stuff. Megatron is based on a prop gun from The Man from UNCLE that was modified to add a silencer, barrel extension, and stock, and to use blanks. And for even more fun, the intent of Micro Change (Megatron's home toyline) is that the characters turned into the toys you might find in a kid's room, like tape decks or penny-racer cars. So Megatron is meant to turn into a kid's toy gun based on a prop gun from a TV show. You know, if the gun mode wasn't embarrassing enough.
I suspect Megatron got priority over Browning for the secondary reason that he's a fair bit larger, which made him more credible to fill the "main villain" slot. But then again, they could have probably given that role to Soundwave, or to the revolver Micro Change mold that never made it over here.
I always wanted that prototype 👍
Funny. My Walther p38 fires real bullets through its "prop" extension quite nicely.
Here's a video. I'm not in the video. (I'm not allowed to appear with my gun.) m.th-cam.com/video/4QhVGLbmtTU/w-d-xo.html
🎥 Test Firing the UNCLE Carbine - TH-cam
@@peejay4606 Well... yeah. You could modify a Walther to have those parts and not fire blanks. But the UNCLE Specials that inspired Megatron's design were all prop guns, and were also custom jobs; not something you could buy at a store. In fact, they actually couldn't use standard ammo.
Like, yes, not every P38 with mods is a prop gun. But Megatron turns into a very specific P38 with mods, which is a prop gun. Or a replica of a prop gun.
I had never heard of that prototype! Are there images of it?
@@NightmareZerogbs Microman Megatron
you can find it on Google
it was also used in the very first TF commercials
It blew my mind when you brought up the whole helmet kibble bit.
WE'VE BEEN LIED TO OUR WHOLE LIFE!
Still better then solar panel hair Megs from the comics. :P
I've been suspecting about that for some years, but I couldn't find a source to confirm it until now.
Also the lie of the G1 vans having heads in the show when the toys didn't
It was hard to see but actually he did have a bucket head on the toy it was just black mostly not silver, though I can tell where he’s coming from
Thew, why is a beard growing on your head?
good question
I'm REALLY glad modern versions of Megatron seem to stick with the tank. War for Cybertron (the game one), Siege, etc, I hope it sticks with it. The heavy trench helmet suits the militarism a tank fits as well, and it's suitably brutal for the brute tyrant.
I also do like the helm-head. It seems to match his "Screw you, I'm the boss and I'll kill either your hopes or YOU if you disagree!" personality. XD Let Galvatron have a crown of madness, Megs has a helmet of hate.
cool band names
Helmet of Hate
Crown of Madness
Yeah I can't really get behind Megs as anything other than either a jet or tank (or both, if we're talking Titans Return)
the only thing i dislike about tank megatron is that there’s already a couple other decepticons that become tanks
I like the idea that the core class megs toy went with, where he has a side arm resembling his G1 alt mode
I like the idea of Megatron's helmet looking like a stahlhelm (Nazi Helmet), because like you said it fits the militarism of the Decepticons and they're pretty much alien robot nazis. I always did prefer Megatron as a tank. There's advantages tanks have over handguns: One is mobility and the other is more firepower.
I don’t get the arguments people get into when they call a tank a dumb alt form for Megatron and say “He WouLdN’T Ch00sE an EArTH VeHiCLe”. But sure an earth gun is perfectly suited for the guy, instead of a big gun on treads.
If I remember correctly they used the mold they did for Megatron instead of Browning because he is *bigger*. I'm not joking.
megatron's actual head looks a lot like galvatron's. with the 3 spiked crown and the cheek huggers
That's never occurred to me in 35 years and even Titans Return Galvatron minus the flip up mask is close to the actual head of this toy.
Nope .. what you're calling Megatron's actual head is merely his forehead.
Megatron has always had the grey helmet.
In gun mode the helmet is called a beaver tail..
It honestly makes me wonder if they did that to bring his intended head design back in some form.
@@peejay4606 Seems you haven't heard of the prototype that Megatron's early character models are based on. They lack the bucket hat entirely.
@@misterbadguy7325 link?
I remember IDW had an origin comic where Megatron actually took the helmet off, and it was revealed that the eyebrow crest thing was more like a hairline.
He had this weird panel-based mane folded away under the helmet that sprung forth once he took it off and stared up into the lights of the crowd after his first gladiatorial victory.
Prove it
@@skintgirafde320 You can actually see it right here: www.tfw2005.com/boards/threads/remember-that-scene-in-megatron-origins-when-he-took-off-his-helmet.1116418/
Also no need to be rude.
I kinda want to imagine megatron with long, flowing hair
Everyone hates it and I unashamedly love it. WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE
I saw some fan art once where on the Lost Light, Rodimus knocks it off his head and the panels pop out. Roddy then ends up on the floor laughing.
i think his toy helmet design is trying to evoke the Japanese super robot samurai thing with his forehead crest which oddly enough his Unicron trilogy incarnations tried to invoke.
This was the glorious start of every single Megatron figure ever being a complete afterthought
That helmet observation has blown my mind, wish I had a helmet to hold it all together
Except for Ironhide/Ratchet, I don't think any G1 toy asked us to suspend disbelief harder. To be a fly on the wall the day Hasbro sorted out the roles for their franchise.
Warpath, Runamuk, Wheelie, Starscream,
There's a book detailing just that meeting (car trip). Can't remember off-hand what it was titled though.
I always just figured that the toys that became Megs and Prime were chosen for being almost the same size as each other.
@@originaluddite Basically, yes. Megatron with his accessories was the only figure they could sell at the same price point as Optimus.
@@ToaArcan Which in itself is only because of Optimus's trailer. Kind of amazing to think about when you consider how useless that trailer is.
Here's my thing.
Megatron's like the iron giant but he's decided to be a gun and runs with it.
Yeah XD I love Iron giant! Still my all time favorite movie!
So like shattered glass
This is less a review than an honest to god video essay about the cultural significance of Megatron as a whole. Keep up the good work!
In universe, Megatron's gun mode can levitate and shoot by itself so I always wondered why he let other Decepticons (especially Starscream) wield him. I guess he just likes the feel of their cold, metallic hands around his... well... and the trigger placement on the original toy... Actually, now I wish I didn't start thinking about this.
Which universe? I don't remember that from the Marvel comics or the G1 cartoon.
What. Since when?
@@silverfoil8854hi silverfoil
Your G1 feelings ARE valid; yet those figures (besides Soundwave) had "imagined" articulation, and were sold mostly through the wonder of the box art.
(Also, I cut a circle out of the red tech specs plastic to put inside the scope of my 1980's G1. Instant sniper sight!)
After that head-kibble reveal I feel like my whole life is a lie. I don't know what to do with myself now.
I mean it's not Ratchet and Ironhide level
Same:)
It is the future, year two-zero-one-nine. The earth is a wasteland. The reason: Megatron helmet discourse.
90% Megatron
8% Starscream
2% Everyone else
Can we call Megatron's silencer a bullet pipe from now on?
"It's the wrong shape! So naturally, I love it." rotflmao.
Everybody: "Wait, did the thumbnail change?"
Thew: "See, I pulled a little sneaky on ya."
See, this is why we always wait patiently for your content, Thew, don't worry about not uploading more often, your videos can take however long they need to when they are SO BLOODY GOOD! This is one of your best ones, mate, thanks for never failing light up my day :)
No joke thew's content is the best
to be fair, the Megatron character was designed from the toy concept prototype, which honestly looks absolutely amazing
If your reviews were an episodic series, I would take this as the final episode of the lineage of Megatron reviews. It just felt so conclusive to the overall idea and grand scheme of all that IS Megatron. Every Megatron you review after this is just taking a backseat to this review because it's an overview of THE Megatron that started it all. You did a damn good job! I hope to see more G1 reviews like this because you killed it and nailed every point on the head. Suffice to say *you killed it with a nail in the head.*
Also, I'd like to take this moment--as someone who has been watching TF TH-cam reviews since '07--to say that you are THE best TF toy reviewer. Hands-fuckin'-down. Every word out of your mouth just speaks knowledge and passion and you make people give a shit about otherwise bland topics. Like, G1 Megatron? I didn't give a damn about him until your review where now he's more than just a red, silver, and black robot. You ACTUALLY shed light on the figure and its history. Nobody else has done that in an entertaining way.
Tip. of. my. hat. sir.
Ahh mate, thank you so much! But no way is this the last Megatron vid, we haven't even touched RID or the Unicron trilogy ;)
There's also Classics Megatron (the gun one), but we don't talk about that one
Also RID!2001 Megatron/Galvatron/Gigatron/Whatever gets a GOAT vote from me for having the balls to have the most amount of modes for a single Transformer figure period, at currently 11 total modes.
Your shrug in the middle is the best one ever. Like, no shrug will ever again rise to that level.
Gotta respect Thew's trigger discipline, putting his finger behind it so it doesn't accidentally go off.
to be fair his head Thing happened to Motormaster and the seekers as well. Pretty sure it's not the only ones
Someone give Thew a Browning just for a comparison and to drive him more nuts how much better that gunformer is then Megatron. :D But also, yeah, the UNCLE thingy I think is the main reason they picked that mold for Megatron.
"Why did they chose this over the browning??"
You solved that mystery the moment you said "the gun the NAZIs used". Everything about Megs' cartoon character design was meant to evoke nazi warlord- doubt you could have pulled that off with the proportions of the browning robo...
We did get Megs in the UK.....I remember being at a birthday party when he was the birthday boy’s star prezzie. I was and still am well jell.
Yes, he came later in the first wave, in 1985, along with Trailbreaker, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Prowl and Sunstreaker. He didn't even feature in the first UK leaflets.
Yes I remember seeing him in a few toyshops in Ireland for £30.
Ah, G1 Megatron, the second favorite Walther P38 in my home. I can see Lupin III robbing some ritzy joint with him in tow a'la Joey Slick.
I never noticed how much MP5 was such a tribute to the original toy design, until now... That explains a lot, also kills me a bit
This megatron is the only megatron worthy to lead my decepticon army. Too bad I probably won't be able to afford it ever 😅
Its always nice to come home after a bad day to see some Thew amazing reviews and.... HAIR!
All this talk about Megatron's "helmet" reminds me of how Emir Xaaron was first designed as just Megatron with all his kibble lopped off, so his head just stopped at the "crown."
And reading those Kid Stuff storybooks of Transformers with audio and toy-accurate art has ruined how I see the original Megatron toy in that I still expect to hear Mumm-Ra's voice spewing insults and insane plans from him. XD
For even greater Irony, Shockwave did it better in robot mode.
I'm surprised Shockwave wasn't mentioned at all. Logic would demand the superior gun/robot mode Decepticon get a mention.
No, I have several versions of both. & have a few in gun mode on my wall. ppl always pick up Megatron. Shockwave barely gets noticed.
& I'm a shockwave fan tbh. There's just levels to this.
@@ProfessorHurt He did mention the superior gun/robot mode Decepticon; Browning.
Of the whole line Shockwave (and Soundwave ) are (were) the best designed 'transformer(s)' wel proportionate, very awesome threatingen presence and altmode. In many ways I never even as a kid understand why Shockwave isn't been chosen to be the leader. Still he has the same gun issue as Megatron. What is also good to mention that all the modern Masterpieces and 3rd Party: Still use the same transformation - like there is simply no other way to transform a Shockwave.. Now that is a good design if it hasn't changed much over the 30 years.
"What's Going On Dirge?..."
Trust me I was confused at first but I finally got the nostalgia, also nice hair
Hasbro's never gonna reissue this figure.
9:05 Best description of the leader of the decepticons : Starscream's targetmaster. XD
Thew, I just want to thank you for giving voice to this whole "Megatron helmet" thing. It's bugged me for a long time.
Also, the obvious Sunstreaker / Sideswipe mix-up still pains me on some primal, recessed level. I just can't stop imagining the alternate universe where everything is the same as it is today, except Sunstreaker and Sideswipe have their proper molds.
I got G1 Megatron and Optimus prime for Christmas in 1984 they were very hard to get hold of as they were the must have toy that year
hmm, now I kind of want to see Megatron becoming champion of the Cybertron gladiator arena as nothing but a handgun.
*transforms, clanks on the ground*
*a few random shots go off killing the enemy*
His gun mode could start spinning around, shooting off in every direction, beams emitting like energized porcupine quills, ala The Last Starfighter's "Cherry Blossom", until no one is left standing. 😎
I mean, liberal gun-haters seem to think that's how guns work, anyway. They're inherently dangerous, like they could go off on their own, all by their lonesome. 🙄
This is my favorite Thew review ever, thanks for the laughs. I remember loving my G1 toys, but also hating how horribly most of them represented my favorite characters.
“Yet him out into space when ever he felt like it “
Me as a Starscream fanboy
*Pauses video to laugh my ass off*
I think they made him the leader because he scaled the best in robot mode with the Convoy toy.
Soundwave is the same height, mind you. I suspect Thew's theory that selling Megatron with all his accessories made him a better big-ticket item is on the money.
@@misterbadguy7325 Well, that and the battle station mode also matched with Convoy's
9:41
Seriously, Browning's robot mode looks almost the same as G1 Megatron's cartoon/comic design!
Megatron gun not tank!! Keep my G1 displayed in gun mode. Its glorious and imposing on the shelf. Perfectly villainous.
Agreed 💯
I got into Transformers from my brother's old Ladybird books (he was born in 77 - me in 84). Almost all of my transformer toys came from car boot sales very cheaply, back when they were just someone's old toys and not the priceless antiques everyone knows them to be today. I didn't even see a Megatron until I was in my 20s, in a glass cabinet in a comic book shop, for £100 - I'm still yet to even hold one in my hands.
5:29 That revelation about his head kibble completely shattered my perception of reality
Outstanding review, as always! On top of all the usual fun and hilarious Thew material, I like how you don't have excessive nostalgia preventing you from seeing the faults as well as the good points on this figure.
Holy crap.. Dude, you're reviews are hilarious!!! I've watched a ton of your videos, but never seen a review. I'm going back to watch them all! Cheers!!!
Starscream's targetmaster... Priceless!!!
Thew you are the most entertaining dude out there doing these reviews. You and Emgo always spice these things up.
I'm grinning with every thew review but I never get through a review without you making me laugh so hard I blew my stew and messed up my view.
I can't do the word play as well as you but seriously I love these reviews and there's always a moment I'm not expecting that really gets me, at least one per episode. Thank you!
If you feel like a weirdo due to growing up with 'late G1' imagine what it was like getting into Transformers when your first exposure was Beast Wars. Ignoring the 'trukk not munkky' and being (at the time) part of the 'babies of the franchise' was weird. Especially since up until discovering the internet I had never really seen any G1 figure outside of the few KO I had as a kid. Beast Wars had built up the 'original Transformers' to be this great legendary thing and that hype was very much real when you're a kid (and later a slightly older kid watching reruns).
Then you see one of those....things..all gangly, partformer-ey and with no articulation. Or you see the cartoon, with its ugly 2d animation and goofy errors that make even BW blush at its quality and you go "That's it? THAT is what Beast Wars and the fanbase was hyping up?!"
@@KairuHakubi Yes but when you compare a season 2 or 3-era toy next to a G1 toy you'd end up disappointed. The toy engineering from that era hold up next to modern Transformers if it doesn't flat out beat them.
@@KairuHakubi Current Generations, on the other hand, has remained top notch. The only issues it has are hollowed bit and lack of paint apps/shitty stickers (that's less an issue with Siege however). Articulation, transformation and looks are absolutely solid and spot on.
think you got it tough? I grew up with the bayformers, and while I admit that many of the criticism on the toys and movies are valid, it still does not devoid the movies and it's toy line (bumblebee reboot included) of quality
The Megatron I grew up with was a dragon, a jet and a hand... it happens .
I remember seeing him in catalogues and thinking how stumpy the arms were.
My first Megatron was the Actionmaster which was great if it wasn't half the size of the first Optimus Prime. Technically my first Megatron was G1 Galvatron.
I remember seeing the reissue in Forbidden Planet in Dublin in March 2003 a few months after I got back into collecting.
I actually rang my brother because I felt so guilty about buying a toy for €110. Thankfully he put my mind at ease with "You don't even drink!" and told me to buy it.
Two days later I picked up the 86 movie soundtrack. That was a great weekend.
Great review as always Thew. Hopefully see you at TFNation in a few weeks.
Hey, that was an amazing review as always! Never even realized the whole thing with the head, makes sense why his face is so small. S'pose that inspired his Marvel comic design too.
9:39 that is such a cool design I want that toy I never knew it existed
Everyone always transforms Megatron's legs wrong...They're not supposed to be splayed out as wide as possible. They fold in against the trigger and look like normal legs.
Thank you. I thought I was alone in that fact. Everytime I see any reviews on G1 Megatron I cringe when I see them splay out his legs.
Heresy! I had G1 Megatron as a kid (in the UK too) and I flippin' loved it. He's a robot and also a gun. That's all kids needed, you can't shoot people with a cassette deck :)
Well I mean you *can,* it just takes a bit of fadangling.
Funniest content from Thew in a long time, thank you!!
Well Thew great job, I shall now forever call G1 Megatron the first Targetmaster
Oh man! I've been a fan of your reviews for more than 10 years now. You're really eloquent. Fist bump all the way from Nicaragua. P.s: love G1 megs.
Thew, you are the only TH-camr that I watch your videos as soon as I see the notification, even if I'm listening to Ozzy when I see it.
Never cared for Megatron turning into a gun, just seems so underwhelming for a character like him, he really does fit turning into a tank a lot better.
And it's little wonder that Starscream hates him so much: "Starscream, squeeze my trigger!" "I don't feel comfortable doing that" "SQUEEZE IT! Oh yes, harder, HARDER!" "I hate you" "I know, NOW SQUEEZE IT HARDER!"
Forgive me, but....
*THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID!!!*
Reina Watt PLEASE STOP! I can’t stop laughing!😂
I personally prefer him to be a triple changer, with a tank mode and either a jet or a helicopter as a tertiary mode. It just makes sense to me that the supreme bad guy would be able to fly as well, especially since how it was somewhat of a big deal that Decepticons were masters of the sky while the Autobots were mostly land based.
1) Yes, and also the tank just far better encapsulates the entire personality of the character.
2) That explains so much of why Starscream wanted to kill him.
Galvotron had the right idea being an artillery piece with treads.
My personal head canon on why Megatron transforms into a gun is so he could boost his k/d, and the reason why he always let's Starscream use him is so every time he gets dropped by Screamer, he would just transform into robot mode and abuse Starscream.
3:07 ah so that’s where Apollyon’s engineering came from. Glad to know megatrons transformation has always been a hellscape.
Actually watching the transformation Apollyon transforms the exact same way just with more inner steps
Your video was absolutely hysterical, I was in stitches...thanks very much for that.
Just to answer a point in the vid. I'm from Liverpool, UK and I got Megatron for Christmas in 1986. My folks...I mean Santa got me him from Macro. Tragically he broke on Boxing day (no lie) when the gun barrel snapped off. We ended up taking him back but they had no replacements left. I ended up getting the money which I used to buy other toys. Unfortunately he was discontinued in 1991, a year before I decided I wanted to get him again. I didn't end up getting a replacement until 1995/96 from a toy dealer in the US. So he was available in the UK, just not in great quantities.
I have come to realize I look forward to a thew video more than pay day. Worth the wait.
"Poor deactivated Gunny"
I understood that reference.
Wait....THEW HAS HAIR?!
This honest review of G1 Megatron is basically a microcosm of my entire view of Transformers.
I came to Transformers SUUUUUPER late, despite growing up with it around me since the 80s, so I'm not really tainted by nostalgia, but I do strongly appreciate the core....spirit and interpretation of G1.
If I'm SUPER real, the first truly good version of Transfromers to hit a screen (so, I'm excluding comics, because I'm not familiar) was actually probably the War For Cyberton and Fall Of Cybertron games.
That's where they first seemed to really take the G1 stuff and start to hammer out the details and make adjustments and reinventions that made it all make way WAAAAY more sense.
Even today, the toylines doing throwbacks to old figures from random toylines and representing random shows and continuities means Transformers STILL doesn't really make much sense.
Headmasters, for instance, were always dumb as hell, but that's because they came from the severely different Japanese interpretation of Transformers, where they made slightly more sense. They've always been gibberish to the core American stuff, but that doesn't stop the toys from getting made regardless.
The current War For Cybertron:Siege toyline FEELS like it's the first clean, fresh, comprehensive, core attempt to clean up the entirety of Transformers continuity from the ground up. Basically what the WFC/FOC games did, except those were just games, not the core toyline itself.
The toys are the heart and core of TF, and this feels like the first comprehensive G1-centric, yet all-inclusive clean-up of the franchise.
Siege is where they go "G1 Megatron is a fucking badass and a classic character. But Megatron turning into a little pistol is fucking dumb, so he's a tank."
Siege is where they go "We have all these different versions of Ultra Magnus, the G1 toy with a white Optimus Prime inside, the classic movie design, the RID version that is Optimus Prime's brother... Let's make a very classic movie looking Magnus, who has the white Optimus Prime inside, and he'll turn into the more Cybertronian-style high tech looking RID version who was Optimus Prime's brother. So maybe now Prime and Magnus are brothers, and THAT'S why they look the same."
Siege is taking all the assumptions and adjustments made over the years and it's....connecting the dots. It's welding them together into what seems like a more unified and cohesive version of the classic Transformers than we've ever really seen before.
It seems to be trying to answer a bunch of ambient questions, and solving all the lingering problems.
That SEEMS to be what the toys are trying to convey.
Obviously we don't know what the Netflix show will do to reflect that, but we can certainly hope.
It seems to be a remake of G1....but sanding off the rough edges, and patching strange holes (gun Megatron) using previously invented non-G1 solutions (tank Megatron) that we've all decided are better.
It's like Transformers has gone through DECADES of rough drafts, and now they're finally trying to put together a final draft using decades of brainstorming.
So how do you feel about WfCT after the fact?
@@manjackson2772 It's an insane avalanche of the best Transformers figures ever made.
A few weak ones here and there, and a handful of weird decisions where they came SO CLOSE to perfection and dropped the ball, but still easily the best Transformers has ever been.
And that includes WFC's extension lines - Studio Series 86 and Legacy, which are obviously just MORE WFC, and filling in the missing stuff that didn't show up in the WFC shows.
I subbed because of this video - please bring your unique reviewing style to more G1 - pleeease.
Wait you have hair again when did this happen? DID MY TIME MACHINE WORK?!
It's a nod to Marvel Comics G1 Megatron and his time traveling hijinks!
You pretty much summed up my history with G1 too. That "history lesson" has been drilled into my head more then anything schools taught me. Though minus learning to stand I was not even around but G2 yeah I was there but no memories of. Beast Wars that I recall when it was new. I have never laughed so hard at anyone informing me that a toy has a sword.
Fair portrayal of a weirdo toy...that is so legendary that all the weirdness is just compelling and fascinating. I remember noticing the oddball stuff on G1 toys that didn’t make sense or match the show (like Diaclone driver seats, etc) and it only added to the mystique and fascination of these toys. I didn’t know anyone with G1 Megatron back in the 80s...this toy was all the more magical and weird because of that.
I remember going to BotCon in 2015 and finding a loose Megatron that despite lacking the accessories, still cost 100 dollars. Meanwhile, Takara Collection Starscream cost me 25 dollars.
In the g1 cartoon I just accept his design because its obviously what I grew up with but in the Japanese videogame "transformers takara when you're playing as him in gun mode hes just a big floating gun which not only looks unrealistic but stupid, its also the same principle for shockwave and galvatron
No matter what your review it's always a pleasure to see.
I was actually there for the launch of Transformers back in 84. I was seven and I can tell you that a LOT of G1 Transformers weren't all that great, lol. My Jazz's windscreen and roof broke off at the back of his head my Prowl broke at his waist my Optimus broke at the shoulder and if any of the transformation joints wore out on many of them they became floppy messes. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Hasbro and Takara re-engineering reissues to fix a lot of these problems as that is the only way I have any of the G1 stuff these days. It's nice to have Tracks and not have the front of the car slide right off his legs during transformation, lol.
I remember when the UK comic would have it's own stories and they would draw the Robots to look like the action figures.......those were dark days.
Marvel UK toy-based Brawn was the worst!
With his little spanner arms.
"Our Megatron's upper body is gold because the box art wanted to show sunlight reflecting off his chrome! Even after we adopted the US comics' black helmet from the prototype!"
Fun Fact: The Nazis actually used both the Walther P38 and the Browning 1910 during the war. While designed by an American, the factories that made the Browning pistols were based out of Belgium.
So when the Nazis invaded the rest of Europe they just kinda said "these are ours now", and stamped Swastikas on em and all that crap.
You know what? That wasn't a very fun fact at all in hindsight, sorry.
Amazing that you knew that. I'm impressed. My father was a WW2 vet . American, of German decent ( meaning my grand dad was born in, and lived in Germany.) Left to after WW1. My dad gave me my first Walther p38 from the war. Told me the history of the weapon. I own a small collection of them now.
@@peejay4606 What a small world! My grandfather passed his WWII M1911 sidearm to me a long while ago and that kicked off my small collection of combat pistols.
@@ElGordoBandito SaWeet 🤘 😀
10:09 I swear almost killed me. you looked actually pissed and I couldn't stop looking at it. I want more pissed/displeased Thew. Like id used the clip of you as an inspirational video to show someone who wants to sell an idea.
Fantastic vid, always worth the wait.
In the Microchange tie-in manga ,the Megatron toy is the main hero ,the ideia of making am ok toy be so crucial comes directly from Japan
Fun part about his cannon modes it they can seat a Microman figure inside. Perceptor does that too. Weird leftovers from the Microchange molding.
I get the idea behind it, he turns into a thing that can only kill and maim or threaten such, even a tank can be used to defend or transport.
And its association with the Third Reich during World War II helps give it menace too.
Megatrons kibble was so strong, it lasted 35 years and still goes on