Blitzwing
Bombshell
Cliffjumper
Cyclonus
Elita-One
Galvatron
Gears
Grimlock
Hoist
Hot Rod
Hound
Inferno
Ironhide
Jazz
Megatron
Optimus Prime
Perceptor
Prowl
Ramjet
Ratchet
Rodimus Prime
Rumble
Skyfire
Skywarp
Slag
Snarl
Starscream
Swoop
Thundercracker
Thrust
Tracks
Ultra Magnus
Wheeljack

Function: The Evil SuperVillain™ Voice Actor: Frank Welker First Appearance: "More Than Meets The Eye, Part 1"

Nightwind's Words of Wisdom:

Supreme Leader of the Decepticons and Future Ruler of the Universe...or so he likes to think, anyway. He's the flip side of Optimus Prime's coin. Where Optimus Prime is your standard, upstanding, do-no-wrong, all-American Hero Boy™, Megatron is your standard hang-wringing, Evil Laugh™ing, world-dominating Bad Guy™.

Yet, so far as I can tell, Megatron and his Autobot counterpart can be amusingly and weirdly similar at times. Both are absolutely determined to destroy the other and yet, when one has a clear chance to blow up the other, they end up trading insults instead of laser fire. Both can be very much the "my way or the highway" type of guy. They'll get it into their heads that they want to do something a certain way and that's that. Neither will listen to anything that anyone else has to say on the subject, particularly if someone else has a better idea. As such, both of them can be rather...out of touch...with his respective underlings, although in Megatron's case, that might be a good thing... Perhaps the fact that they can be very much alike at times — though they approach life from opposite directions, of course — is the reason that there's so much friction between them?? OK, maybe not...

In any event, words cannot express how much I despise Megatron, on a totally personal level. I'm serious! He reminds me way too much of a person I'd rather forget. And yes, because of that very personal association, my view of Megatron is probably a little different than most people's. I don't really see Megatron (or write him, for that matter) as simply the Standard Villain™ any more than I see and write Optimus Prime as the Standard Hero™. Frankly, I find "standard" anything quite boring.

So how do I see Megatron, personally? Well, there is a novel (Yes, a novel.) in the works that will detail all of that, actually, and I don't want to give it all away... For now, I'll just say that I tend to see Megatron, at his core, as a predator. No, he doesn't feed on the bodies of his victims, but he most assuredly feeds on their "souls." He's a master manipulator and a control freak and, according to the way I see him, he's a person who delights in twisting people. His "hobby," if you will, is remolding others in his own image, in a sense. He's a person who takes pleasure in finding untwisted people — the more needy and innocent and trusting and eager-to-please the better — and using those characteristics to slowly mold them to his will, ultimately creating a person who is as twisted as he himself is...and who is at the same time completely dependent upon him, as well. Doing so satiates Megatron's need for control and for manipulation, you see. And he'll feed on anyone, too. His own troops, obviously, the Autobots, the humans... His motto is "Everything is fodder," and, as far as I'm concerned his is perhaps the most appropriate of all the silly motto things because to him, as I see him, everything is fodder. Everything is food for his need to manipulate, control, and bend the entire universe to his will.

So, as far as I'm concerned, Megatron's thirst for conquest isn't a standard evil power thing or even a "For The Cause" thing so much as it is an enormous and overwhelming control urge. Megatron conquers because he wants to be in control. He doesn't want anyone to have any sort of control over him at all. In fact, in my little head, his greatest fear is any loss of control, especially loss of control over himself. So, the only way to guarantee that no one can control him is, indeed, to control everything himself. So, as I see him, that's what Megatron does, or at least what he tries to do. That's his goal. It's not really absolute power or total domination that he seeks, but total control. There is a difference.

And over the years Megatron's amassed an army of people who follow him for various reasons, of course. Those reasons range, I think, from those who stay with Megatron because they've been the focus of Megatron's direct, intense manipulation to those who just think he'll win eventually and they want to be on the winning side. In the end, I don't think Megatron himself really cares why they're there; he just cares about whether or not they'll help him achieve his goal.

And that, as they say, is that.

The Official Word:

Profile: Love, compassion, mercy are words that have no meaning for Megatron. He has risen to the leadership of the Decepticons by a combination of brute strength, military cunning, ruthlessness, and terror. On Cybertron he was commanding general in charge of all military operations against the Autobots, who referred to him as "The Slag-Maker." It was a title of fear. A title of respect. A title Megatron relished. His banishment to Earth has only made him more bitter and more evil-minded, if that is possible. He aches to return to Cybertron and complete his mission of eradicating the Autobots. But while on Earth he is dedicated to eliminating those Autobots marooned here with him- and his plans go far beyond that. He realizes the Earth is one huge stockpile of metal and fuel resources and means to possess it all, with the aid of his fellow Decepticons. But his plans go even further, plans so grandiose even his fellow Decepticons are unaware: Megatron intends to enslave the entire human race. He allows no exceptions to his motto.

Abilities: Megatron is incredibly powerful and intelligent, the equal of Autobot Leader Optimus Prime. His fusion cannon can convert any small amount of matter into large quantities of explosive nuclear energy. The cannon can fire a blast up to 12 miles and release enough energy to flatten a small town. Megatron can use his internal circuitry to connect the cannon interdimensionally with a black hole, where it can draw on anti-matter as its power source. The blast from this is far greater, but it creates a tremendous strain on Megatron to do this for even one blast.

Weaknesses: Megatron has no known weaknesses.

Miscellaneous:

Best Place to Megatron-Watch:
I tend to think that Megatron's at his evil best in "The Ultimate Doom." I tend to think that he's at his manipulative best in "Enter the Nightbird." Tell me he didn't expect Starscream to do exactly what he did... ;)

Nightwind's Favorite Megatron Quotes:

"Power flows to the one who knows how."
~Nonsensically demeaning Starscream in "More Than Meets The Eye." I mean, "Power flows to the one who knows how...to what?" Program the VCR? Do the secret Mormon handshake? Eat spaghetti without making a mess? What? What? What? Stupid Megatron... :P

"Decepticons! Retreat! Now! Quick! At once!"
~Terrified of the Dinobots. Heh heh heh... Get 'im, boys. ;)