Megatron (character)

Megatron is a character from the Transformers. Megatron is the main villain called the Leader of the Decepticons. He’s named after Electronics and Megatons. Hasbro didn’t want him to be called that since they thought the name was scary but then their writer reminded them he was the villain.

In the Marvel Comics version of the Transformers and in the animated television show from the 1980s, Megatron killed Sentinel Prime so that he could become dictator of the planet Cybertron and started a Civil war which lasted for millions of years. Then Megatron and his followers called The Decepticons went to space and crashed into prehistoric Earth and went to sleep for millions of years but were woken up by a Volcano. Megatron wanted to take over the Earth but his sidekick Starscream wanted to rule the Decepticons instead of him and accidentally woke up their enemies the Autobots who tried to stop Megatron.

In the show Megatron was played by Frank Welker. When they made a movie based on it, it had Megatron turn into a more powerful robot called Galvatron who was played by Leonard Nimoy.

The comics later gave Megatron an origin story where he thought the government on Cybertron was corrupt so they had him enslaved and forced to work as a miner. Then Megatron escaped and became a gladiator, overthrew Sentinel Prime, took over as dictator of Cybertron and started a war. Those who supported Megatron were called Decepticons and those who fought for Optimus Prime against Megatron were called Autobots.

Role in Live-Action Movies

In the movie Transformers, Megatron is played by Hugo Weaving. He starts the war so he can steal a magic Cube that brings technology to life. He crashes into the North Pole in the 1940s and he’s frozen and captured by the government until the Decepticons rescue him in 2007. Then Megatron tries to kill Optimus Prime and take over the world but Sam Witwicky kills Megatron instead.