His statue in the deathbots world being alone in a Sea of flowers as Far as the eye can see, each one being a member of his species he murdered is TRAGIC
Spoilers: Sadly, they never go into it. But at the end of Prime, Megatron begins his journey away from tyrany and towards redemption. Sadly, the show begins this trail at the end of the finale.
Megatron is a tried and true redemption arc and it’s done amazingly. He really feels like a person trying to break out of a cycle. Trying to overcorrect out of fear with becoming a absolute pacifist extremist. Literally to afraid of a middle ground because he’s afraid any temptation at all will set him off. This is a very real and human reaction for people trying to curve their behaviour. And I like how he’s still wrong for doing so. So much of media exposits about pacifism ideals but never talks about the downsides of that extremism. Where people use it as a excuses to do nothing and how when Megatron literally sees his best friend ripped in half his inner revolutionary. He can’t help himself when he sees injustice, the core of the Decepticons cause was one of equality. That objectively good things. His issue was never that he was a revolutionary, the problem was he was still just a man and had his own tendencies and downsides. Organics created a prejudice but rather then fight against that prejudice he othered the enemy and found himself becoming a genocidal oppressor with fascist tendencies. When he over corrected he assumed out of fear that the problem was the fact that he ever fought at all. I love how JRo never made excuse for him, we got context, we saw why he started the revolution, we saw how horrible the past is and how nightmarish the future will be without the war. But never do they use it as a excuse. Rewind, literally one of the characters who experienced the biggest blunt of that oppression more so then Megatron, really and willing to hold the biggest L imaginable to save the rest of the universe like the Chad he is. He faces no repercussions in the story because he is right and everyone especially Megatron know this. God, it’s so gooooood 😭 And even in the end Megatron had reformed entirely, had changed it still didn’t mean he could brush off his crimes. And his true moments of proving he had change was him accept accountability regardless of personal growth with acceptance and grace. A mature ending to his story. Or how his fate was hinted at as early as issue 1 of mtmte, When Rodimus tells Cyclonus, “You could save a hundred plants and it wouldn’t make a jot of difference.” And the way it locks and interweaves with every other character is just 👌👌👌👌. It’s not a matter of him being a stand out, it’s a matter the the whole quality rises for all the other characters reacting along side him. Or because IDW Soundwave is one of my favourites, how he learn almost the same thing. Once he learns that humans are sentient creatures like them and what a game changing revaluation it was. And how he has to cope with how he was conned. To infatuated with Megatron to ask questions he’d assumed Megatron already had answers for so didn’t seek to question it. Or how he tried to have a rebound new leader to follow under Galvatron. And when that didn’t turn out he sought to revamp the Decepticon name and make it a movement about equality. Working as a sort of watchdog group if the increasingly put upon prime got too enamoured by his how totalitarian tendencies. And he likes elephant. Any person of quality like elephants 🐘. It’s gentle giant solidarity. And of course Starscream who just… my beautiful bastard boi learning the very hard “Heavy is the head that wears the Crown.” And while proving that he did have it in him to lead. And deal with ptsd. And that’s just the 3 baddies, uhhhhh! Everyone else is SOOO good! Genuinely, IDW Transformers I feel, while it has a large presence I’m the transformers circles. It is absolutely SLEPT on by the larger comic community and nerd sphere. And from my personal experience online, It’s like they see two gay robots and their brain just starts shrieking about “culture war” “sjw” nonsense and they turn their brains off. Thank you for talking about this in 2022. I’m still shook from these comics since I read them in 2017 and I appreciate anyone who appreciates them. I have no larger point. Just gushing. And pet peeve of mine, when people call Zuko’s arc “redemption”. His arc was about realization that he isn’t a villain like the rest of his family. He was a good person trying to force himself to be bad. Capturing the Avatar was never something he wanted to do. He just felt he HAD to. His “redemption arc” were those 3 or so episodes “Zuko field trips” where he apologizes to the gaang. But his character journey was about the realization that he never lost his honour to begin with. Even then, it’s not something someone else can give you. The all seeing audience was never under any illusion that Zuko was evil, just he was listening to the wrong people in his life. Megatron was evil and needed reform. THAT is a redemption arc.
I agree with almost everything you said except Megatron's arc being good. It would have been AMAZING IF he wasn't a genocidal maniac eho literally killed trillions. And the callous disregard of Starscream's abuse and his death while Megatron lived and get to be happy was such a slap in the face to me and some people who were abuse victims in the past.
Thank you for such a passionate write-up! I'm so glad you liked Megatron as much as I did! IDW really handled all of the main Decepticons really well, didn't it? And I agree that Zuko wasn't so much "redeemed" as he was "woken up". I mentioned this in another comment, but I just wanted an easy comparison to make and Zuko's "redemption" is the one everyone uses so I thought I could too. That's definitely something I'll try to avoid in the future. Thanks again for the great comment!
I absolutely love the whole IDW Megatron arc. It’s telling that we never see the final verdict, only Rodimus, down the line, placing Megatron’s Rodimus Star on Ratchet’s memorial - and yes, I cried.
Ok, so Megatron did good, saw the light, and helped save the universe, all of which is awesome, but he still was responsible for so many deaths (counting aliens) that there isn't an existing number high enough to describe it. He shouldn't escape the consequences of his past acts, be it life imprisonment or the death penalty.
@@Greenkitten45 he didn't escape... sorta. The final verdict was a choice between execution and, basically, putting his spark in eternal stasis. He didn't fight.
I wouldn't even have him killed, that would be too quick and wouldn't justify the countless deaths he has brought upon the universe. Megatron should live, live to work and serve life for as long as he breathes. Live to see and support new life on cybertron or any planet that he has wronged. A year for every life he took, all those years to serve everyone who suffered under his corrupted and aimless wrath. Megatron's spark does not deserve rest.
Hearing about this and then that Optimus became much muddier, now I wanna see a video about that period of *Optimus'* character. You've got me interested.
They never went into that too much, and seemed like the concept was abandoned halfways, so there is little to talk about there. The worst he did was kill Galvatron even after the latter was no longer a threat, and "annexing" earth, but that went pretty much nowhere besides an announcement and keeping an autobot outpost on the planet.
The best part was when Whirl opened a Matrix,yet Megatron still could not. WHIRL! Get away was essentially voicing opinions of a lot of fans, but I wonder if Roberts originally planned to have Megs open a matrix, got cold feet, and had Whirl do it as a halfway middle finger to the nay sayers.
Honestly, likely that was because it worked similar to aquitas tech and the force field Tyrest used. Meaning it did not matter if you were actually a good person, those artifacts could not really judge that, but it could check your mind and what you thought about yourself. Whirl had no second thoughts about his actions. Likely even Tarn, as leader of the DJD could have opened one of those newly made Matrixes, as long as he was fully convinced in his cause.
@@_Muzolf Did the original operate off the same principles? Because one other thing that stood out was how the copies didn't "reformat" the user. No power up effect.
@@docsavage4921 Good question, i would assume not, because when Megatron got it, and then Starscream held on to it, it was not doing anything. Then again, it was never clear if they tried to use it for anything, and what its actual purpose was in the first place. Yeah, it could be used a power source, it revived Optimus when he was dying, only one half of it could ignite a field of fresh sparks, and it could be itself used to create new sparks (Which was "bleeding it" according to Tyrest), but it was never clear what the original main purpose of it was. We know Nova prime was acknowledged by it as a prime, so obviously morality was never the problem for carrying it and it acknowledging you as its bearer.
I saw it less as "he's judged unworthy" and more as "he judges himself unworthy". Megatron still doesn't see himself as redeemed, even though others do... Which is why one of those others was the one to open his matrix.
As a person that once had a lot of anger and hate at both myself and the Universe as a whole. I found that incarnation of Megatron truly inspiring. Now that I am also a better person than I was I can see all the difficulty it took to become a said better person, and all that work was not for nothing. Even if it did take a while. Seeing one of my favorite Characters also go through it was both inspiring and a huge morale boost. Thank you so much for this video, and listening/reading my little essay or rant.
Imagine following your desire for so long that you lose touch with WHO YOU ARE. Then one day catching a glimpse of your reflection, or hearing a “friend” describe you, you realize how much you lost, and how SHAMED you are at what you’ve done. No apology, no act of forgiveness could ease your soul. SERVING life is the only redeemable act
This is reasons why I love IDW Transformers comics There were fans of the source material they were doing everything they can to make things new and fresh to make things be more interesting like this story mazing Redemption arc on a villain that no one thought can be a hero IDW does a better job for transformers then hasbro
This was an amazing video; and it definitely makes me want to get the comics that detail this character change. At first the main thing that got my interest in IDW was the DJD; but now I really want to see as much of the More than meets the eye/Lost Light stories as I can get my hands on. Megatron's development from a warmongering, nigh-on genocidal maniac with delusions of grandeur to what he is at the end feels like the right way to do a villain-turned-good story.
Megatron did everything he did because he wanted freedom and choice for those that wanted to be more than what their alt forms allowed them to be. He might have become a monster but then he worked hard for his redemption when he fully realized he wanted to REALLY change. I believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption, both Zuko and Megatron have proven it's possible that even the worst of the worst can change.
I like that Megatron isn't redeemed by the end. Not really. He's caused more death and suffering than any other individual in the known universe and there are too many victims for any one person to have the right to forgive him on everyone's behalf. But all that being said he has changed to become a better person. His arc isn't about being redeemed. It's about learning to become an autobot.
That may be true, but it’s so fascinating to see the endless anger that he had. While Optimus only advances a little toward the dark side. Seeing the opposites are really cool; and that’s why I’m assuming most people won’t go check this story out.
Part of what makes this arc so good is that it’s ambiguous whether he truly was redeemed or not. The Matrix rejecting him could be a judgement saying that nothing can make up for the lives he ended, or it could be a reflection of his own self-hatred. He hates himself for his past so much that he believes he’s unworthy and therefore he is. The book never answers the question, so it’s up to the reader to decide. Personally, I think he was after everything he went through. If nothing else I can’t imagine the Megatron from the beginning of his time on the Lost Light encouraging Minimus Ambus to destroy the Ultra Magnus armor by saying “You’re so much bigger without it”.
Chris McFeely's dub of that Megatron/Ravage scene is perfection, the voice of Megs showing just how tired and weary his is post-war. A shame Chris didn't do more dubs but hey, he's hit it off pretty well with his The Basics series so i can't complain. ^_^
im really glad he got to see the flowers. when youre a warlord, youre not doing all the killing. sure, you kill some, but in reality it was his followers doing all the work. he knew and understood the numbers of lives he took, but he never saw it until that moment. never in one place. taking lives takes time, it spans for many years. its not every day that it all comes back to you in unison. not every day that the dead fights back.
Love that this video exists, but I also wanna shout out Earthspark's Megatron real quick. Its very clear that they took a lot of inspiration from this particular version of Megatron, and so far its been executed very well in my opinion. I adore this concept for Megs when its done well.
I'm really happy that Autobot Megatron is such a well-liked concept! I've only seen the first three or so episodes of Earthspark so haven't seen much of him there. How much focus does he get? I'd love to see more of this take on him!
@@SonicRooncoPrime he doesnt show up super duper often, the focus 9f the show is on the main family and how they adapt to having new cybertronian family, but its eeally wholesome! And with Megatron they show how hes making a genuine effort to really change, and deal with his army not taking that very well! The episode "Warzone" especially is a highlight, but i wont spoil that for you
I know that's technically what happens, but it's implied early on that Megatron is by all accounts in charge and Optimus just slapped a "co-" on the front of his title so Rodimus wouldn't get upset. Either way, I'm so happy you know enough to call me out on this, thank you! :D
@@SonicRooncoPrime yea, but functionally they both act as captain, its a large part of their relationship, early on they are arguing and giving conflicting orders, and slowly as the series goes on they learn to help and trust each other more, both as firends and captains. and while early on megatron really took the lead (he was the new character and the center of the overall story) rodimus shifted back twords the main captain roll as the story goes on, especally during lost light
I would love to see this Megatron again and build up even further of the Redemption story and then later on you could have Optimus Prime give Megatron The Matrix of leadership that would be a very good Redemption story
love IDW Megatron and amazing video was wounding if you could make a video of when Optimus despite good intentions was following the same path of Nova prime that's a request besides that keep up the awesome work on this channel.
Honestly i would like to see this megatron going to the shattered glass universe and what could happen. Maybe he would be able to make the evil optimus turn good and actually end the war and start something megatron has done actually.
Monsters who commit incalculable atrocities should be executed for their crimes, not allowed to get away with them just because they are sorry. Mercy can be an evil of the just and a mockery of justice.
Oh hey. It’s you again. Yeah newsflash, redemption and wanting to become a better person and make amends for what you did are not “earned,” “deserved,” or whatever buzzwords you want to use.
Dude, they dont sweep that under the rug. Megatron does face his crimes, and he accepts the fact that he has caused great harm and understands what he has done. Maybe bother to read the comics.
@@re1010 too bad his 'regrets' won't bring back the sapient species he drove to extinction. People like today would be advocate for hitler's redemption if he showed a sliver of regret.
He’s executed at the end of this comic run, you know that right? And that’s AFTER he’s saved just about as many as he’s killed in an alternate universe.
Very good video, I love the idea megatron arc. Its shows such growth, especially with the schemes (which really emphasizes his growth more and more as they slowly stop). Great job looking forward to a cyclonus vid
Thanks for the nice video. I admit that when I first heard they were doing it, I had mixed emotions. Him doing a 180 and joining the Autobots was an intriguing concept. Also it had the potential for great character growth. But in most IPs the enemy leader is the one least likely to change. So it almost felt like they should have chosen someone else. Sounds like they did a great job with it. maybe I should be looking for digital versions of the comics.
Please do if you get the chance, it's a really well told arc! But I suppose my opinion on it should be obvious after watching the video :P I'm glad you liked it, thank you very much!
I don’t know if anyone will see this comment or respond to it but if they had Megatron walk free from his trial one way could see it happening is that it’s revealed that one of the knights survived and saw Megatron’s trial and learned of all the things he did both good and bad and that as far as he’s concerned the Megatron that started the Decepticons and started the war was dead and Megatron walks free and Prowl and some like minded Autobots leave and start their own faction because they feel betrayed and disgusted that Megatron walks away Scott free and during the battle between the Autobots and Prowl’s faction Optimus Prime sacrifices himself to save Megatron from a shot from Prowl that was meant for him Megatron defeats Prowl and to honor Optimus spares Prowl to also keep Prowl from becoming a martyr and then the matrix of leadership goes to Megatron and Prowl is so distraught from Optimus’s death and disgusted from Megatron getting the matrix that he unalives himself which breaks his faction’s morale and at the end of it Megatron changes his name to Megatronus Prime in memory of Optimus and also bear with me other than what goes on with Megatron my knowledge of the transformers Idw comics is very limited but what do you y’all think?
I prefer idw autobot megatron over earthspark megatron. I respect earthsparks strarscream with its take on ptsd. I know ptsd in transformers was done in prime with arcee. But steve blums delivering of the tryrant line in earthspark
@@SonicRooncoPrime no I am not. This is ridiculous thing to do , spit to the face everyone he killed or worse. We are redeeming space hitler and it is absolutely disgusting. But we screw of Starscream , Soundwave and millions of other infinitely more redeemable characters. Its great that IDW lost the lisence. Its this logic where maniacs like Hitler Mousollini etc. Flourish. If they wanted to take Megs to this route why would you make him kill trillions?
@@berilsevvalbekret772 You are malding this hard over a fictional character? You are comparing ACTUAL GENOCIDE, actual LIVES lost, to a few sentences made in a COMIC BOOK? YOU are disgusting.
This Megatron committed xenocide on at least a dozen species. His intentions were good at the start but. . .well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
IDW1 Megatron is hands-down the best incarnation of the character. His redemption arc is actually earned and makes sense, and his character growth over the series is masterfully done. I'm glad Earthspark is going with the "reformed villain" take on him, I'm at the point where him becoming a boring 1-note villain again is just...dull.
Have you watched/read aligned continuity? It does the same thing but they don't make their Megs kill trillions and then give him a redemption arc while fucking over more redeemable ones 🥰🥰
Sorry but autobot Megatron don't do it for me I have a personal.theory shock wave messed with his programming Even Megatron agreed with getaway about himself You gonna let Megatron be an autobot after all he did that was a disgrace to the dead autobots and cons who fought for his cause Screamer said it was a riot which it was Megatron was amused at all the billions killed Prime had plenty of chances to kill Megatron but he didn't
Yeah. If Megatron had lesser crimes aganist everyone it could have worked out. Let's not forget people like Starscream , Soundwave and Combaticons get punished so harshly despite having much less crimes. IDW fucked up there
@@berilsevvalbekret772 everybody who served under Megatron' committed murder Screamer and soundwave killed the senate and somehow screamer was in cahoots with zeta prime and going back and forth between the autobots senate and Megatron I think prowl and prime and all the top ranking bots and cons was in cahoots because why wasn't starscream locked up he was just giving immunity and all he did was snitch out ratbat Let's not forget the crimes prowl did and when guzzle found out he told prowl and kup.ysll.might as well.roll with the cons
If they come to a truce and oeace as factions with decepticons original ideals as a baseline for their new government I would have LOVED this arc. And Megatron dying after all the atrocities he subjected to everyone. When you kill trillions you don't get a redemption arc. But Starscream , soundwave and Combaticons with infinitely more minor baggage get to fucked over ugh.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 and if they come to a truce then its piontless...transformers is ALL about a WAR between the autobots and devepticons with MEGATRON as the DECEPTICON leader....
@@berilsevvalbekret772 and you yourself have said "if you kill trillions you dont get a redemption arc" so why are you agreeing with this nonsense if you feel he shouldnt get redemption....as i have said idw did to transformers what disney did to starwars.....ruined it...idw should have NEVER been given the licience and im DELIGHTED they lost it.
This is one of my favorite redemption arcs. Especially since megatron’s arc has him adopting some attributes from optimus. Like wanting to talk to his opponent but he is willing to use violence if necessary. I kind of want to see a story with an iteration similar to this megatron leading the autobots while prime is dead.
@@TheACcam There was no Orion Pax in that universe. Megatron looked and couldn't find him. Concluded that was 1 of the reasons everything was so bad there.
@@pikeman777 I suggest you reread the issues in question. At one point Megatron gets a call from Pax on what passes for a phone. Later on when the Lost Light crew go back to that universe it's mentioned in passing that the functionists killed two of Megatron's closest friends in that universe, Impactor and Orion Pax.
I actually loved the idea of Bumblebee making Megatron see his wrong. Idk why, but seeing this kind of relationship between two characters is a cool concept. After reading through berserk, I dub this dynamic (imo) "Puck Syndrome", where a morally good character sets an anti-hero/villain to a better path. Kinda like what Puck did for Guts at the end of Lost Children
That is actually a super apt comparison. I read Lost Light as it was being published. Now as more of an adult I am reading Berserk, I can see this comparison
Normally Bumblebee is beneath Megatron in scope of caring about, often just seen as a little nuisance or just another Autobot to try and kill, but here he cared for Bumblebee, enough to the point that when Bee died, Megatron took his damaged Autobot emblem and declared himself an Autobot, no longer a Decepticon. Normally Megatron stays a Decepticon and either is still an enemy or simply agrees to peace or a temporary alliance, rarely do we see Megatron reject the Decepticon cause and actually join them, if rejecting then usually he'd just go off into exile.
For me, it was never about redeeming him. It was more of an exploration of if that was even possible. His entire arc makes him, by an incredible margin, my favourite character in the run, and there are bunch of fantastic characters. This iteration of him is one of my favourite characters of all time. Also, his original quote on how he would kill for the sake of killing retroactively improved AHM so much. I was critical of how that story didn't really talk about what his end goal was, but after his conversation with Prime, everything made perfect sense.
I freaking loved autobot Megatron, his story is a straight up tragedy, started with good intentions just to see his cause and himself corrupted without him noticing, and when he finally opened his eyes it was too late, the harm he had caused was too great for him to be able to amend completely, yet, he still tried to be the better him he could possibly be, and even tho he was sentenced for his crimes, those who've read the comic to it's bitter end, know that somewhere in the vast universe, the Last light and it's crew are still out there, helping people, having adventures and being a family
What I wouldn't give to see that alternate Lost Light and its crew just goofing around non-stop :3 I'm so glad you loved this story as much as I did, and Megatron's arc in it to boot! That's such a lovely summary of it!
Yeah it took four million years of war, , killing people, and destroying civilizations and abusing for fun for him to realize oh I'm tired of this I'm bored this ain't what I originally wanted I wanted to be a ruler but it somehow turned to this Yeah right half the homicides and massacres Megatron did was justifiable only to him and his cause
When it comes to Megatron becoming a good guy I always envisioned it as a possible sequel to Transformers Prime. That Megatron after experiencing the pure evil of Unicron, abandoned his old life of being Decepticon leader to sort out his true feelings, leaving a dejected and spiteful Starscream (after finally accepting his place as Megatron's second) to lead a now fractured decepticon army. During this time as Cybertron is beginning to be revived, Unicron in Optimis Prime's body returns to settle the score with the Transformers. With Starscream joining him with his fractured Decepticons, and knowing that they no longer have Optimis Prime to lead them and not being strong enough to fight Unicron, the Autobots reluctantly turn to Megatron for help. Megatron unable to resist the call for a chance at revenge accepts and the two sides put aside their differences to bring peace to Cybertron. Along the way Megatron begins to learn the lessons Optimis always imparted to his friends and by the end Megatron rises to his full potential gaining the admiration and respect he had sought before the war and ultimately becoming what he wanted, leader of the Transformers, Megatronous Prime. The first of the new line of Primes.
I remember Megatron dialogue to soundwave . Don't leave me soundwave . Soundwave replied happily. Megatron first inspired decepticons like soundwave shockwave who devoted their life to Megatron ideology and in the end Megatron betray them and turn into Autobot It's most stupid interpretation of Megatron This interpretation destroyed Megatron character as a whole
@@Ghgtet Agreed. He gathered a loyal following of bots for the Decepticons, only to switch sides and betray them. What about those who died for the cause?
@@callmealegend8543”Peace through Tyranny” is not a cause worth dying for. Whatever Megatron’s intentions were at the start, he turned into a monster and the Decepticons willingly followed him down that path. Those who died for him are just more deaths he has to atone for.
@@GhgtetIt didn’t destroy anything. Megatron the despot will always return in some other reboot. This story simply had the guts to ask “Can this character be redeemed?”, and leave it to the readers to decide.
I loved the autobot Megatron because when I think of him I think of what Rodimus said when they were at "Cyberutopia" that he was a good person who forgot how to be good. I wish we saw more of what we did in the funtionists universe, also Megatron opening a Matrix of Leadership would have bee the best thing ever
@@berilsevvalbekret772 there's a hell of a difference between Megatron and Hitler. Megatron grew to despise his actions because he came to see them a wrong and monstrous where as the latter saw nothing fucking wrong with it.
@@berilsevvalbekret772Megatron doesn’t succeed though. His original goal of freeing Cybertron is carried out by the Autobots, not him. And his warped goal of dominating the universe completely fails. By the end he’s either dead or trapped to die alone. Neither the story nor Megatron himself excuse his crimes. The story simply asks the reader “Can he be redeemed?” and lets us draw our own conclusions.
A good redemption arc is one of my favourite cliches, along with a hero/villain teamup. I wasn't even aware that Megatron had a redemption arc, let alone one This well written.
I can only say. I agree. Megatron trying to become an legit autobot, redeem his past and becoming a better person is one of the best transformers storys ive ever seen and want to see more of. Loved the part where he was with ravage for instance. Where he talked about his state.
Why Megatron though? Who killes trillions. Why not Staracream who was abused to such a degree his self image shattered to molecules? Why not the combaticons , Soundwave who has infinitely less package amd truly horrific acts of genocide. Megatron in IDW is space hitler , Genghis Khan , George W.Bush and other manoacs rolled into one. Mercy and redemption are not given to those who killed for the sake of killing. The poet and gladiator was long died by the halfway into the war.
@@berilsevvalbekret772My brother in Christ Megatron did not get pardoned and Starscream is as bad. Soundwave DID sacrifice himself using the Enigma of Combination.
I absolutely love what idw did with transformers and I owe them a thanks as they got me back into collecting them. These comics had it all in buckets and spades. I read them everywhere I go as I have them on my fone, over 10,000 pages. Pure delight to read and I was shocked to my core when megs changed factions. Can't wait for legacy tarn to be released next year
While I like some IDW stories, I also hate many of them and many of the OCs. The later half of MTMTE and Lost Light focus too much on love stories between characters that it doesn't feel like Transformers anymore. The politics parts are boring and I especially hate how well-known characters got killed off in such lame ways like Mirage, Traibreaker, Sideswipe, Ironhide. The Unicron story arc is rushed. The Camiens are annoying. The best comics to me are the Wreckers Saga and All Hail Megatron.
This was one of IDW’S Comics best storylines ever. I don’t even have the comics and I regret that I NEVER really got into the Transformers earlier. So that I could have collected the comics and get the graphic novels
It just doesn't feel right to have him become an autobot. Sure, he can tire of the slaughter or regrett his actions. But becoming an Autobot? The very thing he hated above all things? That just doesn't work for me. It's like Stalin becoming a freespeech and freemarket activist. Megatron isn't A Decepticon. He is THE Decepticon.
Megatron’s redemption is one of the main reasons I want to read the original IDW Transformers comics some day. They are all available on Comixology right?
Megatron murdered a lot of people so I can’t really say that he is as deserving of redemption as IDW made him seem but they did a really compelling job making his story arc sound and making him a likable and deep character
@@berilsevvalbekret772 No. It's not. Redemption is recognizing that what you have done is wrong and trying to make amends for it. That is not something that is "deserved." Trying to become a better person is not something that needs to be "deserved."
@@tylerleach8796 yeah tell that to the TRILLIONS he brutally murdered. Tell that to Starscream , Soundwave , the combaticons and millions of other Cybertronians who once believed in him he ruined. There are thing you can't just redeem yourself from. And killing trillions with a smile on your face in one of them. Regret means nothing in a situation like this. We wouldn't have redeem hitler if he had a change of heart.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 “can’t.” That’s probably the dumbest word you use in that whole nonsense reply. Because that’s not how redemption works. There is no “can’t,” only “won’t.” Not everyone WILL try to become a better person, some just like being evil. But that sure as hell doesn’t mean that anyone CAN’T. IDW Megatron is a prime (heh, unintentional pun) example of this.
Man, I haven't read a single thing about the IDW comics but even this video made me teary-eyed. They handled Megatron's arc so beautifully and so tragically. Like you said, there's no shortcuts, no delusions, no suddenly-turning-the-bad-guy-good-now-everyone-forgets-his-past-crimes and all that. In the end, there's just this immensely painful longing for the "what could have been" if Megatron had realized his wrongdoings much, much, earlier but it was too late. He was four million years too late. "You could save a hundred worlds, and it would't made a jot of difference." Now excuse me while I start reading the entire IDW comics.
Thank you for such a great comment! I'm so glad this video resonated with you so much, and I hope you enjoy the comics too! They're not always good, but when they get it right they REALLY get it right!
Giving Megatron redemption and compation while punishing his main victim (starscream) is really disgusting. The narrative reflects too much how real life abuse victims are treated. The abuser is popular, with more status and power and is let go with a slap on the wrist and has actions are even defended. Meanwhile the victim is treated like trash for daring to talk, not being perfect and not given any empathy for the behaviour resulting of the psycological trauma nor recognicing the positive attributes when he exibits them. Megatron, the one responsible for the vast mayority of the cybertronian and non-cibertronian suffering related to the war, is given preferencial treatment in comparison. Even when he repeats the verbal abuse with rodimus (the own creo never points it or recognice it) and he doesn't regret it. He doesn't regret personality chosing targets and torturing them, even when he regoniced that is exactly what he did. Even if the narrative didn't had that dicotomy, he doesn't still deserve redemption due to not only his crimes but also his behaviour during the timeline of the comics
Counter point Megatron's arc and Starscream's arc got different writers. And in the canon as much as everyone is concerned aside from the lost light crew he's still the most vile being.
That was such a good comic series. Shame I never finished it. I was put off by the push for the Hasbro-multiverse. Too many crossovers with properties I didn't care about. Started to really add up the costs.
Funny you should say that, because the Decepticons in IDW are based off of old Russian doctrines instead. But Megatron did start off as a fascist, so you're right all the same.
I like IDW. But them trying to give redemption to this Megatron while screwing over Starscream was absolutely disgusting. Here is the thing; this is the first Megatron we ever had who actively tried to exterminate entire body of life forms because of their molecular make up. It wasn't like G1 where destroying Earth meant killing the autobots it was just a means to an end. Here it was a deliberate carnage. The amount of lives he took cannot be counted. If I remember correctly some sapient species actually went extinct because of him and some decepticons. Megatron went past moral event horizon a long time ago in IDW and redeeming him is literally spitting on the faces of all that he killed for no reason. The 'organics are the problem' plotline never made sense in IDW. Cybertronians being colonizing bastards every now and again sure but such a wide scale destruction of other creatures among their own civil war? Yeah no never felt very well articulated story telling wise. With that said nice video mate
At least this lessens the blow that the Earthspark trailer gave me, seeing Megatron as an Autobot cracking jokes and being friends with humans was like a fever dream. With characters so iconic to the twin sides of morality like Optimus Prime and Megatron, having either of them go the opposite direction is something I would only accept in a Shattered Glass type of universe. But this video gave me insight into the concept of Autobot Megatron, so I thank you for that. I still can't get over Optimus doing evil stuff though, that's one of the reasons the Bayformers version past the 1st one are just psychopathic, only the Shattered Glass version should be doing that.
obviously, there is a Hole on TH-cam that you have helped plug with this Video. This is WHY Lost Light remained so popular for 4 years with Autobot Megatron and he lasted until that continuity wrapped up. It provided a depth that Decepticon Megatron typically lacks (he is just an evil villain....but that loses a lot of drive after 100 stories....)
> obviously, there is a Hole on TH-cam that you have helped plug with this Video. You're telling me! I can't believe this video did so well and it speaks volumes that a non-entity channel like mine could spark earn so many views by talking about this: because MTMTE/ Lost Light is just *that* good! I'm also really happy that Autobot Megatron stuck around when most comics try to revert to the status quo every few years, and as I said in the conclusion, I'd LOVE to see this idea done again.
I've never been a fan of the recent trope of writing sympathetic backstories for villians, or muddying the waters over their morality, such as we see Disney doing to their classics, but Megatron's change is done realistically and very well. Shows the skill of the writers. I'm a GeeWunner through and through, but now, as a grown up, I'm looking for more nuance and deeper story telling, something a bit beyond the cliched Optimus = Good, Megatron = Bad. Honestly, that's become kind of boring. I'd rather Optimus not become too much of a villian, but at the same time, you can't engage in millions of years of war and not end up a bit of a death monger. I really like AB Megatron, and honestly, there's so much TFers content out there, that if people don't like him, or the adventures of the Lost LIght, there's plenty else for them to bury their heads in. :-)
Not just IDW, but when they did the animate Prime trilogy with the combiner wars and such, they did a great job with him coming to terms with what exactly his role in Transformer society TRULY was, all the way up to the point where he realized that for the greater good and to protect all Transformers in the universe, he had to sacrifice himself. The original Megatron would NEVER have even considered that option.
Nuanced? This arc demonstrates a very juvenile, cartoonish moralistic perspective on both the concept of a “monster” as well as evil, self-interest, reason and morality. However, it is after all… just a comic book.
His statue in the deathbots world being alone in a Sea of flowers as Far as the eye can see, each one being a member of his species he murdered is TRAGIC
It really puts it into perspective just what Megatron did, both for the audience and for Megatron himself.
Now imagine if this was hitler. Becomes ALOT more irredeemable when you think about megatrom like that.
@@jonmckenzie4016 megatron is literaly robot space hitler, you Just forget that when he gets into fights with his wife starscream
@@jonmckenzie4016 well Hitler never got a redemption arc
If i recall correctly, each flower represents TWELVE cybertronian souls, so yeah its even worse
My thoughts exactly . IDW Megatron went through alot of change and i love how it was done
Oh hi Morgan
Kinda makes me excited to see the point where Earthspark Megatron started the path to redemption.
Sure next time we'll redeem hitler! What is wrong with you people...
@@Signerdragon123In the first episode they made out like he flipped *super* easy.
Sad we may never get a Megatron like this in an actual show.
Conceptually, Earthspark is taking a go at it.
@@Signerdragon123 Conceptually being the operative word. The execution is the hard part.
I suspect he will revert to the villain…
Spoilers:
Sadly, they never go into it. But at the end of Prime, Megatron begins his journey away from tyrany and towards redemption.
Sadly, the show begins this trail at the end of the finale.
Bc we don’t need it or want it
Megatron would eventually turn back anyways , he’s pure evil n we should accept that , All Hail Megatron!!
Megatron is a tried and true redemption arc and it’s done amazingly. He really feels like a person trying to break out of a cycle. Trying to overcorrect out of fear with becoming a absolute pacifist extremist. Literally to afraid of a middle ground because he’s afraid any temptation at all will set him off. This is a very real and human reaction for people trying to curve their behaviour.
And I like how he’s still wrong for doing so. So much of media exposits about pacifism ideals but never talks about the downsides of that extremism. Where people use it as a excuses to do nothing and how when Megatron literally sees his best friend ripped in half his inner revolutionary. He can’t help himself when he sees injustice, the core of the Decepticons cause was one of equality. That objectively good things. His issue was never that he was a revolutionary, the problem was he was still just a man and had his own tendencies and downsides. Organics created a prejudice but rather then fight against that prejudice he othered the enemy and found himself becoming a genocidal oppressor with fascist tendencies.
When he over corrected he assumed out of fear that the problem was the fact that he ever fought at all.
I love how JRo never made excuse for him, we got context, we saw why he started the revolution, we saw how horrible the past is and how nightmarish the future will be without the war. But never do they use it as a excuse. Rewind, literally one of the characters who experienced the biggest blunt of that oppression more so then Megatron, really and willing to hold the biggest L imaginable to save the rest of the universe like the Chad he is. He faces no repercussions in the story because he is right and everyone especially Megatron know this.
God, it’s so gooooood 😭
And even in the end Megatron had reformed entirely, had changed it still didn’t mean he could brush off his crimes. And his true moments of proving he had change was him accept accountability regardless of personal growth with acceptance and grace. A mature ending to his story.
Or how his fate was hinted at as early as issue 1 of mtmte, When Rodimus tells Cyclonus, “You could save a hundred plants and it wouldn’t make a jot of difference.”
And the way it locks and interweaves with every other character is just 👌👌👌👌. It’s not a matter of him being a stand out, it’s a matter the the whole quality rises for all the other characters reacting along side him.
Or because IDW Soundwave is one of my favourites, how he learn almost the same thing. Once he learns that humans are sentient creatures like them and what a game changing revaluation it was. And how he has to cope with how he was conned. To infatuated with Megatron to ask questions he’d assumed Megatron already had answers for so didn’t seek to question it. Or how he tried to have a rebound new leader to follow under Galvatron. And when that didn’t turn out he sought to revamp the Decepticon name and make it a movement about equality. Working as a sort of watchdog group if the increasingly put upon prime got too enamoured by his how totalitarian tendencies. And he likes elephant. Any person of quality like elephants 🐘. It’s gentle giant solidarity.
And of course Starscream who just… my beautiful bastard boi learning the very hard “Heavy is the head that wears the Crown.” And while proving that he did have it in him to lead. And deal with ptsd.
And that’s just the 3 baddies, uhhhhh! Everyone else is SOOO good! Genuinely, IDW Transformers I feel, while it has a large presence I’m the transformers circles. It is absolutely SLEPT on by the larger comic community and nerd sphere. And from my personal experience online, It’s like they see two gay robots and their brain just starts shrieking about “culture war” “sjw” nonsense and they turn their brains off.
Thank you for talking about this in 2022. I’m still shook from these comics since I read them in 2017 and I appreciate anyone who appreciates them. I have no larger point. Just gushing.
And pet peeve of mine, when people call Zuko’s arc “redemption”. His arc was about realization that he isn’t a villain like the rest of his family. He was a good person trying to force himself to be bad. Capturing the Avatar was never something he wanted to do. He just felt he HAD to. His “redemption arc” were those 3 or so episodes “Zuko field trips” where he apologizes to the gaang. But his character journey was about the realization that he never lost his honour to begin with. Even then, it’s not something someone else can give you.
The all seeing audience was never under any illusion that Zuko was evil, just he was listening to the wrong people in his life. Megatron was evil and needed reform. THAT is a redemption arc.
I agree with almost everything you said except Megatron's arc being good. It would have been AMAZING IF he wasn't a genocidal maniac eho literally killed trillions. And the callous disregard of Starscream's abuse and his death while Megatron lived and get to be happy was such a slap in the face to me and some people who were abuse victims in the past.
Thank you for such a passionate write-up! I'm so glad you liked Megatron as much as I did! IDW really handled all of the main Decepticons really well, didn't it? And I agree that Zuko wasn't so much "redeemed" as he was "woken up". I mentioned this in another comment, but I just wanted an easy comparison to make and Zuko's "redemption" is the one everyone uses so I thought I could too. That's definitely something I'll try to avoid in the future.
Thanks again for the great comment!
@@berilsevvalbekret772 get that checked out tf...
I absolutely love the whole IDW Megatron arc. It’s telling that we never see the final verdict, only Rodimus, down the line, placing Megatron’s Rodimus Star on Ratchet’s memorial - and yes, I cried.
That means he was executed
Without love there is no meaning 💔 😭🚑
Ok, so Megatron did good, saw the light, and helped save the universe, all of which is awesome, but he still was responsible for so many deaths (counting aliens) that there isn't an existing number high enough to describe it. He shouldn't escape the consequences of his past acts, be it life imprisonment or the death penalty.
@@Greenkitten45 he didn't escape... sorta. The final verdict was a choice between execution and, basically, putting his spark in eternal stasis. He didn't fight.
I wouldn't even have him killed, that would be too quick and wouldn't justify the countless deaths he has brought upon the universe. Megatron should live, live to work and serve life for as long as he breathes. Live to see and support new life on cybertron or any planet that he has wronged. A year for every life he took, all those years to serve everyone who suffered under his corrupted and aimless wrath. Megatron's spark does not deserve rest.
Hearing about this and then that Optimus became much muddier, now I wanna see a video about that period of *Optimus'* character. You've got me interested.
They never went into that too much, and seemed like the concept was abandoned halfways, so there is little to talk about there. The worst he did was kill Galvatron even after the latter was no longer a threat, and "annexing" earth, but that went pretty much nowhere besides an announcement and keeping an autobot outpost on the planet.
The best part was when Whirl opened a Matrix,yet Megatron still could not. WHIRL!
Get away was essentially voicing opinions of a lot of fans, but I wonder if Roberts originally planned to have Megs open a matrix, got cold feet, and had Whirl do it as a halfway middle finger to the nay sayers.
Honestly, likely that was because it worked similar to aquitas tech and the force field Tyrest used. Meaning it did not matter if you were actually a good person, those artifacts could not really judge that, but it could check your mind and what you thought about yourself. Whirl had no second thoughts about his actions. Likely even Tarn, as leader of the DJD could have opened one of those newly made Matrixes, as long as he was fully convinced in his cause.
@@_Muzolf Did the original operate off the same principles? Because one other thing that stood out was how the copies didn't "reformat" the user. No power up effect.
@@docsavage4921 Good question, i would assume not, because when Megatron got it, and then Starscream held on to it, it was not doing anything. Then again, it was never clear if they tried to use it for anything, and what its actual purpose was in the first place.
Yeah, it could be used a power source, it revived Optimus when he was dying, only one half of it could ignite a field of fresh sparks, and it could be itself used to create new sparks (Which was "bleeding it" according to Tyrest), but it was never clear what the original main purpose of it was.
We know Nova prime was acknowledged by it as a prime, so obviously morality was never the problem for carrying it and it acknowledging you as its bearer.
I saw it less as "he's judged unworthy" and more as "he judges himself unworthy". Megatron still doesn't see himself as redeemed, even though others do... Which is why one of those others was the one to open his matrix.
As a person that once had a lot of anger and hate at both myself and the Universe as a whole. I found that incarnation of Megatron truly inspiring. Now that I am also a better person than I was I can see all the difficulty it took to become a said better person, and all that work was not for nothing. Even if it did take a while. Seeing one of my favorite Characters also go through it was both inspiring and a huge morale boost. Thank you so much for this video, and listening/reading my little essay or rant.
Imagine following your desire for so long that you lose touch with WHO YOU ARE. Then one day catching a glimpse of your reflection, or hearing a “friend” describe you, you realize how much you lost, and how SHAMED you are at what you’ve done. No apology, no act of forgiveness could ease your soul. SERVING life is the only redeemable act
Very well put, thank you! It sums his motivations up so well!
Transformers Earthspark also has Megatron as an Autobot.
And it’s a great idea there too. There’s a lot to be mined from the idea of Megatron as a failed revolutionary trying to atone.
This is reasons why I love IDW Transformers comics There were fans of the source material they were doing everything they can to make things new and fresh to make things be more interesting like this story mazing Redemption arc on a villain that no one thought can be a hero IDW does a better job for transformers then hasbro
This was an amazing video; and it definitely makes me want to get the comics that detail this character change. At first the main thing that got my interest in IDW was the DJD; but now I really want to see as much of the More than meets the eye/Lost Light stories as I can get my hands on. Megatron's development from a warmongering, nigh-on genocidal maniac with delusions of grandeur to what he is at the end feels like the right way to do a villain-turned-good story.
Megatron did everything he did because he wanted freedom and choice for those that wanted to be more than what their alt forms allowed them to be. He might have become a monster but then he worked hard for his redemption when he fully realized he wanted to REALLY change. I believe that everyone deserves a chance at redemption, both Zuko and Megatron have proven it's possible that even the worst of the worst can change.
I like that Megatron isn't redeemed by the end. Not really. He's caused more death and suffering than any other individual in the known universe and there are too many victims for any one person to have the right to forgive him on everyone's behalf. But all that being said he has changed to become a better person. His arc isn't about being redeemed. It's about learning to become an autobot.
Wonderfully put, thank you very much!
It seems like if Megatron joined the autobots that the decepticons would be royally fucked.
I still cant imagine that Megatron became a Autobot.
Megatron = Evil and Insane
Galvatron = MORE EVIL and MORE INSANE
“Because I know the true meaning oppression. And thus, I lost my taste in inflicting it”
This sums up megatron’s arc in IDW
Would love an autobot Megatron figure
One does exist. My friend found one at the most recent convention... Like 3 days ago. So I'm sure you could probably seek one out. Good luck!
That may be true, but it’s so fascinating to see the endless anger that he had. While Optimus only advances a little toward the dark side. Seeing the opposites are really cool; and that’s why I’m assuming most people won’t go check this story out.
Love a great anti hero story and this Megatron arc is one of the best, up there with the likes of Magneto
Part of what makes this arc so good is that it’s ambiguous whether he truly was redeemed or not. The Matrix rejecting him could be a judgement saying that nothing can make up for the lives he ended, or it could be a reflection of his own self-hatred. He hates himself for his past so much that he believes he’s unworthy and therefore he is. The book never answers the question, so it’s up to the reader to decide.
Personally, I think he was after everything he went through. If nothing else I can’t imagine the Megatron from the beginning of his time on the Lost Light encouraging Minimus Ambus to destroy the Ultra Magnus armor by saying “You’re so much bigger without it”.
Chris McFeely's dub of that Megatron/Ravage scene is perfection, the voice of Megs showing just how tired and weary his is post-war. A shame Chris didn't do more dubs but hey, he's hit it off pretty well with his The Basics series so i can't complain. ^_^
No offense to anyone but this is like Cobra Commander becoming a member of G.I.Joe.
I personally dont like the idea of Megatron becoming an Autobot but I do like the way they did it in the IDW Comics
I didn't know I needed to see Megatron teach a class until now.
im really glad he got to see the flowers. when youre a warlord, youre not doing all the killing. sure, you kill some, but in reality it was his followers doing all the work. he knew and understood the numbers of lives he took, but he never saw it until that moment. never in one place. taking lives takes time, it spans for many years. its not every day that it all comes back to you in unison. not every day that the dead fights back.
Love that this video exists, but I also wanna shout out Earthspark's Megatron real quick. Its very clear that they took a lot of inspiration from this particular version of Megatron, and so far its been executed very well in my opinion. I adore this concept for Megs when its done well.
I'm really happy that Autobot Megatron is such a well-liked concept! I've only seen the first three or so episodes of Earthspark so haven't seen much of him there. How much focus does he get? I'd love to see more of this take on him!
@@SonicRooncoPrime he doesnt show up super duper often, the focus 9f the show is on the main family and how they adapt to having new cybertronian family, but its eeally wholesome! And with Megatron they show how hes making a genuine effort to really change, and deal with his army not taking that very well! The episode "Warzone" especially is a highlight, but i wont spoil that for you
I think one of the writers must've been a fan of Omni Man or Vegeta to give the leader of the decepticons a redeeming quality to become an autobot.
amazing video, small correction, he didnt replace rodimus as captain, they became co-captains, with equal authority on the ship
I know that's technically what happens, but it's implied early on that Megatron is by all accounts in charge and Optimus just slapped a "co-" on the front of his title so Rodimus wouldn't get upset. Either way, I'm so happy you know enough to call me out on this, thank you! :D
@@SonicRooncoPrime yea, but functionally they both act as captain, its a large part of their relationship, early on they are arguing and giving conflicting orders, and slowly as the series goes on they learn to help and trust each other more, both as firends and captains. and while early on megatron really took the lead (he was the new character and the center of the overall story) rodimus shifted back twords the main captain roll as the story goes on, especally during lost light
I would love to see this Megatron again and build up even further of the Redemption story and then later on you could have Optimus Prime give Megatron The Matrix of leadership that would be a very good Redemption story
Do they sell the physical jumbo packs mentioned with the lost light?
This is something that should’ve happened in RID 2015
love IDW Megatron and amazing video was wounding if you could make a video of when Optimus despite good intentions was following the same path of Nova prime that's a request besides that keep up the awesome work on this channel.
Honestly i would like to see this megatron going to the shattered glass universe and what could happen.
Maybe he would be able to make the evil optimus turn good and actually end the war and start something megatron has done actually.
Earthspark actually did the autobot megatron story. Starscream even forgave him
Billions are dead because of him. He doesn't deserve redemption. Nothing he does moving forward will bring those people back.
What if he can save more in the future? Should we just kill him and let those people in the future die because of your feelings?
Redemption isn't something "deserved" or granted by others. That's just self-righteous to think that. The dead are dead, the living can be better.
This version people seem to either love or hate with a passion, there is no inbetween.
Then again you can say that about idw transformers in general.
Monsters who commit incalculable atrocities should be executed for their crimes, not allowed to get away with them just because they are sorry. Mercy can be an evil of the just and a mockery of justice.
Oh hey. It’s you again. Yeah newsflash, redemption and wanting to become a better person and make amends for what you did are not “earned,” “deserved,” or whatever buzzwords you want to use.
Dude, they dont sweep that under the rug. Megatron does face his crimes, and he accepts the fact that he has caused great harm and understands what he has done.
Maybe bother to read the comics.
@@re1010 too bad his 'regrets' won't bring back the sapient species he drove to extinction. People like today would be advocate for hitler's redemption if he showed a sliver of regret.
He’s executed at the end of this comic run, you know that right? And that’s AFTER he’s saved just about as many as he’s killed in an alternate universe.
Very good video, I love the idea megatron arc. Its shows such growth, especially with the schemes (which really emphasizes his growth more and more as they slowly stop). Great job looking forward to a cyclonus vid
Thanks for the nice video. I admit that when I first heard they were doing it, I had mixed emotions. Him doing a 180 and joining the Autobots was an intriguing concept. Also it had the potential for great character growth. But in most IPs the enemy leader is the one least likely to change. So it almost felt like they should have chosen someone else.
Sounds like they did a great job with it. maybe I should be looking for digital versions of the comics.
Please do if you get the chance, it's a really well told arc! But I suppose my opinion on it should be obvious after watching the video :P I'm glad you liked it, thank you very much!
shattered glass universe anyone?
This is why I'll always prefer the 80's cartoon era/continuity over any other iteration of TransFormers especially this one.
he has no enemies
I don’t know if anyone will see this comment or respond to it but if they had Megatron walk free from his trial one way could see it happening is that it’s revealed that one of the knights survived and saw Megatron’s trial and learned of all the things he did both good and bad and that as far as he’s concerned the Megatron that started the Decepticons and started the war was dead and Megatron walks free and Prowl and some like minded Autobots leave and start their own faction because they feel betrayed and disgusted that Megatron walks away Scott free and during the battle between the Autobots and Prowl’s faction Optimus Prime sacrifices himself to save Megatron from a shot from Prowl that was meant for him Megatron defeats Prowl and to honor Optimus spares Prowl to also keep Prowl from becoming a martyr and then the matrix of leadership goes to Megatron and Prowl is so distraught from Optimus’s death and disgusted from Megatron getting the matrix that he unalives himself which breaks his faction’s morale and at the end of it Megatron changes his name to Megatronus Prime in memory of Optimus and also bear with me other than what goes on with Megatron my knowledge of the transformers Idw comics is very limited but what do you y’all think?
They may add parts of this arc to Earthspark...
Tripticon was worse than Megatron by a million light years.
I prefer idw autobot megatron over earthspark megatron. I respect earthsparks strarscream with its take on ptsd. I know ptsd in transformers was done in prime with arcee. But steve blums delivering of the tryrant line in earthspark
Megatron is responsible for full on genocides in the comics, this is really who we’re going to Redeem😬
You'd be surprised!
@@SonicRooncoPrime no I am not. This is ridiculous thing to do , spit to the face everyone he killed or worse. We are redeeming space hitler and it is absolutely disgusting. But we screw of Starscream , Soundwave and millions of other infinitely more redeemable characters. Its great that IDW lost the lisence. Its this logic where maniacs like Hitler Mousollini etc. Flourish. If they wanted to take Megs to this route why would you make him kill trillions?
He himself knows that he has no redemption and deserves a worse fate then death already
@@berilsevvalbekret772 You are malding this hard over a fictional character? You are comparing ACTUAL GENOCIDE, actual LIVES lost, to a few sentences made in a COMIC BOOK? YOU are disgusting.
Here is a great music video someone did about IDW Megatron using manga-based artwork, with a fitting song:
th-cam.com/video/hRQejSN0wNw/w-d-xo.html
im screaming fans
So basically, this version of Megatron’s a rip-off of Sylar from Heroes.
Video: Talks about how IDW made Megatron redeem himself.
Me: "Yeah, and it was one of the worst decisions they ever made (Decepticons forever)!"
Bukankah Megatron di Transformers earthspark wes jadi baik ta membela Optimus prime di Autobots pas onok team g.h.o.s.t iya kak okeh
Megatron was never a monster.
He was always a hero that chose to dominate rather than submit.
Tell that to optimus,ironhide,ratchet,prowl and brawn.🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This Megatron committed xenocide on at least a dozen species. His intentions were good at the start but. . .well, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
@@tfan2222 exactly.he IS a monster and evil
Good for him. :D
"He was never a monster" he is straight up the embodiment of a wife beater and terrorist.
Idw is something else
Megatron doesn’t look right with an Autobot symbol. Prefer his neutral persona.
Maybe he should’ve put his tattoo on his arm or something
@@springtrap1796Or maybe no symbol at all, while going neutral. 👍🏼
@@izzy3166 just a suggestion:3 neutral is good too!
IDW1 Megatron is hands-down the best incarnation of the character. His redemption arc is actually earned and makes sense, and his character growth over the series is masterfully done. I'm glad Earthspark is going with the "reformed villain" take on him, I'm at the point where him becoming a boring 1-note villain again is just...dull.
I actually didn't know that about EarthSpark and now I'm so excited to see i! Thank you!!
Have you watched/read aligned continuity? It does the same thing but they don't make their Megs kill trillions and then give him a redemption arc while fucking over more redeemable ones 🥰🥰
Sorry but autobot Megatron don't do it for me
I have a personal.theory shock wave messed with his programming
Even Megatron agreed with getaway about himself
You gonna let Megatron be an autobot after all he did that was a disgrace to the dead autobots and cons who fought for his cause
Screamer said it was a riot which it was Megatron was amused at all the billions killed
Prime had plenty of chances to kill Megatron but he didn't
Yeah. If Megatron had lesser crimes aganist everyone it could have worked out. Let's not forget people like Starscream , Soundwave and Combaticons get punished so harshly despite having much less crimes. IDW fucked up there
@@berilsevvalbekret772 everybody who served under Megatron' committed murder
Screamer and soundwave killed the senate and somehow screamer was in cahoots with zeta prime and going back and forth between the autobots senate and Megatron
I think prowl and prime and all the top ranking bots and cons was in cahoots because why wasn't starscream locked up he was just giving immunity and all he did was snitch out ratbat
Let's not forget the crimes prowl did and when guzzle found out he told prowl and kup.ysll.might as well.roll with the cons
Did I forget to mention that hate getaway? Because he is evil and used Megatron's PTSD attack as part of his sick plan.
The beginning of the end. This was the worst thing they could have done to the character. Thank God IDW no longer has the lisence.
Agreed....i jumped for joy when i heard they lost the licience..idw did to transformers what disney did to starwars...ruined it forever.
If they come to a truce and oeace as factions with decepticons original ideals as a baseline for their new government I would have LOVED this arc. And Megatron dying after all the atrocities he subjected to everyone. When you kill trillions you don't get a redemption arc. But Starscream , soundwave and Combaticons with infinitely more minor baggage get to fucked over ugh.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 and if they come to a truce then its piontless...transformers is ALL about a WAR between the autobots and devepticons with MEGATRON as the DECEPTICON leader....
@@berilsevvalbekret772 and you yourself have said "if you kill trillions you dont get a redemption arc" so why are you agreeing with this nonsense if you feel he shouldnt get redemption....as i have said idw did to transformers what disney did to starwars.....ruined it...idw should have NEVER been given the licience and im DELIGHTED they lost it.
@@metal_fusion i never said anything about vader
3:51 that’s Bee?!? Can someone please explain why he looks like if him and Optimus merged bodies?
(Is this like a Hotrod/Rodimus Prime thingy?)
That's Bee in a Goldbug-style body after he was damaged in an earlier arc. He switches back to a more traditional look afterwards though.
This is one of my favorite redemption arcs. Especially since megatron’s arc has him adopting some attributes from optimus. Like wanting to talk to his opponent but he is willing to use violence if necessary. I kind of want to see a story with an iteration similar to this megatron leading the autobots while prime is dead.
Reminds me of how at one point in X-Men, Magneto had a heel-face turn and led the X-Men during Professor X's absence.
@@vision4860 I was literally about to comment, "pull a magneto, huh?"
It was a missed opportunity to not have had a story set in the functionist universe where Megatron teamed up with Orion Pax.
@@TheACcam There was no Orion Pax in that universe. Megatron looked and couldn't find him. Concluded that was 1 of the reasons everything was so bad there.
@@pikeman777 I suggest you reread the issues in question. At one point Megatron gets a call from Pax on what passes for a phone. Later on when the Lost Light crew go back to that universe it's mentioned in passing that the functionists killed two of Megatron's closest friends in that universe, Impactor and Orion Pax.
I actually loved the idea of Bumblebee making Megatron see his wrong. Idk why, but seeing this kind of relationship between two characters is a cool concept. After reading through berserk, I dub this dynamic (imo) "Puck Syndrome", where a morally good character sets an anti-hero/villain to a better path. Kinda like what Puck did for Guts at the end of Lost Children
That is actually a super apt comparison. I read Lost Light as it was being published. Now as more of an adult I am reading Berserk, I can see this comparison
Normally Bumblebee is beneath Megatron in scope of caring about, often just seen as a little nuisance or just another Autobot to try and kill, but here he cared for Bumblebee, enough to the point that when Bee died, Megatron took his damaged Autobot emblem and declared himself an Autobot, no longer a Decepticon. Normally Megatron stays a Decepticon and either is still an enemy or simply agrees to peace or a temporary alliance, rarely do we see Megatron reject the Decepticon cause and actually join them, if rejecting then usually he'd just go off into exile.
I will be adopting the term "Puck syndrome" into my personal dictionary now, thank you! :D
For me, it was never about redeeming him. It was more of an exploration of if that was even possible. His entire arc makes him, by an incredible margin, my favourite character in the run, and there are bunch of fantastic characters. This iteration of him is one of my favourite characters of all time.
Also, his original quote on how he would kill for the sake of killing retroactively improved AHM so much. I was critical of how that story didn't really talk about what his end goal was, but after his conversation with Prime, everything made perfect sense.
I was just about to say something to this effect, but you took the words out of my mouth...
As an 80s kid I had 2 fathers.
Optimus, and Megatron.
And they didn't fight for Cybertron.
They fought for my soul.
@@applejuice3500 I am not the dinosaur you think I am...but yes.
🃏
@@applejuice3500 Freiza was right!
@@applejuice3500 Joasaurus Rex
So, who won?
@@LarsonPetty MEGS
I freaking loved autobot Megatron, his story is a straight up tragedy, started with good intentions just to see his cause and himself corrupted without him noticing, and when he finally opened his eyes it was too late, the harm he had caused was too great for him to be able to amend completely, yet, he still tried to be the better him he could possibly be, and even tho he was sentenced for his crimes, those who've read the comic to it's bitter end, know that somewhere in the vast universe, the Last light and it's crew are still out there, helping people, having adventures and being a family
What I wouldn't give to see that alternate Lost Light and its crew just goofing around non-stop :3
I'm so glad you loved this story as much as I did, and Megatron's arc in it to boot! That's such a lovely summary of it!
Yeah it took four million years of war, , killing people, and destroying civilizations and abusing for fun for him to realize oh I'm tired of this I'm bored this ain't what I originally wanted I wanted to be a ruler but it somehow turned to this
Yeah right half the homicides and massacres Megatron did was justifiable only to him and his cause
Did they return to Cybertron?
It's complicated, and it involves an alternate version of the crew result of a recreated accident
When it comes to Megatron becoming a good guy I always envisioned it as a possible sequel to Transformers Prime. That Megatron after experiencing the pure evil of Unicron, abandoned his old life of being Decepticon leader to sort out his true feelings, leaving a dejected and spiteful Starscream (after finally accepting his place as Megatron's second) to lead a now fractured decepticon army. During this time as Cybertron is beginning to be revived, Unicron in Optimis Prime's body returns to settle the score with the Transformers.
With Starscream joining him with his fractured Decepticons, and knowing that they no longer have Optimis Prime to lead them and not being strong enough to fight Unicron, the Autobots reluctantly turn to Megatron for help. Megatron unable to resist the call for a chance at revenge accepts and the two sides put aside their differences to bring peace to Cybertron. Along the way Megatron begins to learn the lessons Optimis always imparted to his friends and by the end Megatron rises to his full potential gaining the admiration and respect he had sought before the war and ultimately becoming what he wanted, leader of the Transformers, Megatronous Prime. The first of the new line of Primes.
I like it!
LOVED IDW Megatron. Was a great run.
This was one of the best Megatron interpretations ever.
I remember Megatron dialogue to soundwave . Don't leave me soundwave . Soundwave replied happily. Megatron first inspired decepticons like soundwave shockwave who devoted their life to Megatron ideology and in the end Megatron betray them and turn into Autobot It's most stupid interpretation of Megatron This interpretation destroyed Megatron character as a whole
@@Ghgtet Meh, it's just meant to be a different story. A redemption arc, basically.
@@Ghgtet Agreed. He gathered a loyal following of bots for the Decepticons, only to switch sides and betray them. What about those who died for the cause?
@@callmealegend8543”Peace through Tyranny” is not a cause worth dying for. Whatever Megatron’s intentions were at the start, he turned into a monster and the Decepticons willingly followed him down that path. Those who died for him are just more deaths he has to atone for.
@@GhgtetIt didn’t destroy anything. Megatron the despot will always return in some other reboot. This story simply had the guts to ask “Can this character be redeemed?”, and leave it to the readers to decide.
I loved the autobot Megatron because when I think of him I think of what Rodimus said when they were at "Cyberutopia" that he was a good person who forgot how to be good. I wish we saw more of what we did in the funtionists universe, also Megatron opening a Matrix of Leadership would have bee the best thing ever
@@berilsevvalbekret772 there's a hell of a difference between Megatron and Hitler. Megatron grew to despise his actions because he came to see them a wrong and monstrous where as the latter saw nothing fucking wrong with it.
@@berilsevvalbekret772Megatron doesn’t succeed though. His original goal of freeing Cybertron is carried out by the Autobots, not him. And his warped goal of dominating the universe completely fails. By the end he’s either dead or trapped to die alone. Neither the story nor Megatron himself excuse his crimes. The story simply asks the reader “Can he be redeemed?” and lets us draw our own conclusions.
A good redemption arc is one of my favourite cliches, along with a hero/villain teamup. I wasn't even aware that Megatron had a redemption arc, let alone one This well written.
I'm happy I could introduce this to you! Autobot Megatron is so fascinating to read, and I hope you get the chance!
I want to hear you cover Optimus Prime's journey during the time this change in Megatron was taking place.
I can only say. I agree. Megatron trying to become an legit autobot, redeem his past and becoming a better person is one of the best transformers storys ive ever seen and want to see more of.
Loved the part where he was with ravage for instance. Where he talked about his state.
Why Megatron though? Who killes trillions. Why not Staracream who was abused to such a degree his self image shattered to molecules? Why not the combaticons , Soundwave who has infinitely less package amd truly horrific acts of genocide. Megatron in IDW is space hitler , Genghis Khan , George W.Bush and other manoacs rolled into one. Mercy and redemption are not given to those who killed for the sake of killing. The poet and gladiator was long died by the halfway into the war.
@@berilsevvalbekret772My brother in Christ Megatron did not get pardoned and Starscream is as bad. Soundwave DID sacrifice himself using the Enigma of Combination.
Honestly, i wouldn't mind this as a tv show about Megatron's redemption as i think it would be a fun idea to do like that
I absolutely love what idw did with transformers and I owe them a thanks as they got me back into collecting them. These comics had it all in buckets and spades. I read them everywhere I go as I have them on my fone, over 10,000 pages. Pure delight to read and I was shocked to my core when megs changed factions.
Can't wait for legacy tarn to be released next year
While I like some IDW stories, I also hate many of them and many of the OCs. The later half of MTMTE and Lost Light focus too much on love stories between characters that it doesn't feel like Transformers anymore. The politics parts are boring and I especially hate how well-known characters got killed off in such lame ways like Mirage, Traibreaker, Sideswipe, Ironhide. The Unicron story arc is rushed. The Camiens are annoying. The best comics to me are the Wreckers Saga and All Hail Megatron.
This was one of IDW’S Comics best storylines ever. I don’t even have the comics and I regret that I NEVER really got into the Transformers earlier. So that I could have collected the comics and get the graphic novels
the best Megatron arc ever
Amazing video friend, would you be willing to do another on optimus primes journey? I believe the parallel between the 2 is beautiful
It just doesn't feel right to have him become an autobot.
Sure, he can tire of the slaughter or regrett his actions.
But becoming an Autobot?
The very thing he hated above all things?
That just doesn't work for me.
It's like Stalin becoming a freespeech and freemarket activist.
Megatron isn't A Decepticon.
He is THE Decepticon.
Accept in some continuities, where its the Fallen/Megatronus.
Agreed..its the dumbest thing i have ever seen in transformers.
@@Mike_Dubo Yeah, but he is still the one whom embodies the Decepticon ideals.
@@damien5748 dumbest thing? Boy, you are a huge Transformers noob if THIS is the dumbest thing you've seen in the franchise.
@@tfallspark5104 That’s addressed IN these comics, you know?
I hated what they did to Megatron.
I always found it funny how the autobot logo looks more like megatron, and the Decepticon Logo looks like Optimus more.
Megatron’s redemption is one of the main reasons I want to read the original IDW Transformers comics some day. They are all available on Comixology right?
I don't know if IDW losing the license will change that, but for now: yes! Please do when you get the chance, IDW Transformers is amazing!
@@SonicRooncoPrime Sounds like a good reason to get the physical copies ASAP, just in case.
Megatron murdered a lot of people so I can’t really say that he is as deserving of redemption as IDW made him seem but they did a really compelling job making his story arc sound and making him a likable and deep character
Redemption is not something that is “deserved.”
@@tylerleach8796 yes it IS. It is the literal description of redemption.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 No. It's not. Redemption is recognizing that what you have done is wrong and trying to make amends for it. That is not something that is "deserved." Trying to become a better person is not something that needs to be "deserved."
@@tylerleach8796 yeah tell that to the TRILLIONS he brutally murdered. Tell that to Starscream , Soundwave , the combaticons and millions of other Cybertronians who once believed in him he ruined. There are thing you can't just redeem yourself from. And killing trillions with a smile on your face in one of them. Regret means nothing in a situation like this. We wouldn't have redeem hitler if he had a change of heart.
@@berilsevvalbekret772 “can’t.” That’s probably the dumbest word you use in that whole nonsense reply. Because that’s not how redemption works. There is no “can’t,” only “won’t.” Not everyone WILL try to become a better person, some just like being evil. But that sure as hell doesn’t mean that anyone CAN’T. IDW Megatron is a prime (heh, unintentional pun) example of this.
Man, I haven't read a single thing about the IDW comics but even this video made me teary-eyed. They handled Megatron's arc so beautifully and so tragically. Like you said, there's no shortcuts, no delusions, no suddenly-turning-the-bad-guy-good-now-everyone-forgets-his-past-crimes and all that. In the end, there's just this immensely painful longing for the "what could have been" if Megatron had realized his wrongdoings much, much, earlier but it was too late. He was four million years too late.
"You could save a hundred worlds, and it would't made a jot of difference."
Now excuse me while I start reading the entire IDW comics.
Thank you for such a great comment! I'm so glad this video resonated with you so much, and I hope you enjoy the comics too! They're not always good, but when they get it right they REALLY get it right!
I love this video and it deserves so much more love.
Giving Megatron redemption and compation while punishing his main victim (starscream) is really disgusting.
The narrative reflects too much how real life abuse victims are treated. The abuser is popular, with more status and power and is let go with a slap on the wrist and has actions are even defended. Meanwhile the victim is treated like trash for daring to talk, not being perfect and not given any empathy for the behaviour resulting of the psycological trauma nor recognicing the positive attributes when he exibits them.
Megatron, the one responsible for the vast mayority of the cybertronian and non-cibertronian suffering related to the war, is given preferencial treatment in comparison. Even when he repeats the verbal abuse with rodimus (the own creo never points it or recognice it) and he doesn't regret it. He doesn't regret personality chosing targets and torturing them, even when he regoniced that is exactly what he did.
Even if the narrative didn't had that dicotomy, he doesn't still deserve redemption due to not only his crimes but also his behaviour during the timeline of the comics
Counter point Megatron's arc and Starscream's arc got different writers. And in the canon as much as everyone is concerned aside from the lost light crew he's still the most vile being.
That was such a good comic series. Shame I never finished it. I was put off by the push for the Hasbro-multiverse. Too many crossovers with properties I didn't care about. Started to really add up the costs.
IDW always made great comics in my opinion but megatron has to be my favorite character of them all.
The thing that gets me about this particular premises is megatrom is a robot hitler. This is like if hitler was forced to go on a quest of redemption.
Funny you should say that, because the Decepticons in IDW are based off of old Russian doctrines instead.
But Megatron did start off as a fascist, so you're right all the same.
@@SonicRooncoPrime then whoever wrote that never been to USSR.
I like IDW. But them trying to give redemption to this Megatron while screwing over Starscream was absolutely disgusting. Here is the thing; this is the first Megatron we ever had who actively tried to exterminate entire body of life forms because of their molecular make up. It wasn't like G1 where destroying Earth meant killing the autobots it was just a means to an end. Here it was a deliberate carnage.
The amount of lives he took cannot be counted. If I remember correctly some sapient species actually went extinct because of him and some decepticons. Megatron went past moral event horizon a long time ago in IDW and redeeming him is literally spitting on the faces of all that he killed for no reason. The 'organics are the problem' plotline never made sense in IDW. Cybertronians being colonizing bastards every now and again sure but such a wide scale destruction of other creatures among their own civil war? Yeah no never felt very well articulated story telling wise. With that said nice video mate
At least this lessens the blow that the Earthspark trailer gave me, seeing Megatron as an Autobot cracking jokes and being friends with humans was like a fever dream. With characters so iconic to the twin sides of morality like Optimus Prime and Megatron, having either of them go the opposite direction is something I would only accept in a Shattered Glass type of universe. But this video gave me insight into the concept of Autobot Megatron, so I thank you for that. I still can't get over Optimus doing evil stuff though, that's one of the reasons the Bayformers version past the 1st one are just psychopathic, only the Shattered Glass version should be doing that.
No no i dont want him to be a good guy i dont care if it's good character development redemption arc i just want a villain that is a bada**
Still my favorite Megatron. I do love the pure evil ones like G1, Animated, and Prime, but IDW Megatron is amazing.
Bro this is deep
This ark made me cry it was so good one of my favorite villains getting a better ark than began in the comics
obviously, there is a Hole on TH-cam that you have helped plug with this Video.
This is WHY Lost Light remained so popular for 4 years with Autobot Megatron and he lasted until that continuity wrapped up. It provided a depth that Decepticon Megatron typically lacks (he is just an evil villain....but that loses a lot of drive after 100 stories....)
> obviously, there is a Hole on TH-cam that you have helped plug with this Video.
You're telling me! I can't believe this video did so well and it speaks volumes that a non-entity channel like mine could spark earn so many views by talking about this: because MTMTE/ Lost Light is just *that* good! I'm also really happy that Autobot Megatron stuck around when most comics try to revert to the status quo every few years, and as I said in the conclusion, I'd LOVE to see this idea done again.
I've never been a fan of the recent trope of writing sympathetic backstories for villians, or muddying the waters over their morality, such as we see Disney doing to their classics, but Megatron's change is done realistically and very well. Shows the skill of the writers. I'm a GeeWunner through and through, but now, as a grown up, I'm looking for more nuance and deeper story telling, something a bit beyond the cliched Optimus = Good, Megatron = Bad. Honestly, that's become kind of boring. I'd rather Optimus not become too much of a villian, but at the same time, you can't engage in millions of years of war and not end up a bit of a death monger.
I really like AB Megatron, and honestly, there's so much TFers content out there, that if people don't like him, or the adventures of the Lost LIght, there's plenty else for them to bury their heads in. :-)
Not just IDW, but when they did the animate Prime trilogy with the combiner wars and such, they did a great job with him coming to terms with what exactly his role in Transformer society TRULY was, all the way up to the point where he realized that for the greater good and to protect all Transformers in the universe, he had to sacrifice himself.
The original Megatron would NEVER have even considered that option.
Nuanced? This arc demonstrates a very juvenile, cartoonish moralistic perspective on both the concept of a “monster” as well as evil, self-interest, reason and morality. However, it is after all… just a comic book.
Explain how then