Megatron

Megatron is a prominent and popular character in the Transformers franchise. He leads the villainous Decepticons in the majority Transformers continuities.
Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, is seen as his arch-enemy and moral opposite.
==Canon Background==
Megatron's origins changes depending on the Transformers continuity he's written in, but each one typically has him found the Decepticons (Predacons in Beast Wars,) which operates like an army and whose primary goal is to take over entire worlds, such as Cybertron, home of the Transformers, and Earth. Some series specify that although the Decepticons originally aimed to only overthrow the government of Cybertron, it eventually got out of hand and morphed into what's considered the villainous faction compared to the Autobots.
His personality varies drastically across the different series, ranging from the controlled, cultured Megatron of Animated to the vicious, bloodlust-filled Megatron of the movies by Micheal Bay. His alternate mode, which is what he can transform into, has also changed over time, going from a Transformer-sized gun in the original series to some form of Cybertronian flying vehicle in Prime or Animated, with Beast Wars contributing a Tyrannosaurus rex and Robots in Disguise (2001) providing everything from a hand to a two-headed dragon. This is primarily because his original toy, from 1984, when the Transformers were created, was a replica of an actual pistol from The Man from U.N.C.L.E. TV show and future pistol replica toys couldn't be sold in America after 1988.
===Major Appearances===
*The Transformers TV series
* The Transformers Generation One Marvel Comics
*The Transformers Generation One IDW Comics 
*Transformers Beast Wars
*Transformers Robots in Disguise (2001)
*The Transformers Unicron Trilogy
*The Transformers Live-Action Movies
*Transformers Animated 
*The Transformers Aligned (Prime) Continuity
*Transformers Cyberverse
*Transformers Earthspark
*Transformers One 
See on TFWiki.net for more of his appearances.
==Popular Tropes & Fanon==
TBA
==Subjects of Fannish Interest & Meta==
Megatron usually comes from a disadvantaged background within Transformers canon -- common ones being that he was originally a miner, gladiator, or both. He had a strong belief that the Cybertronian government was corrupt when founding the Decepticons and started a revolution to overthrow them. He usually has a strong sense of justice for the disadvantaged. Some fans relate strongly to the revolutionary side of Megatron, and some have read the Decepticons as misunderstood on both a Watsonian and Doyalist level. 
An example of this was the "Megatron for President" perennial US election season joke campaign in 2012.A Facebook page supporting Megatron for president: "why vote for the lesser evil?" https://www.facebook.com/pages/Megatron-for-President/264156760315177
Megatron's redemption arc in the second-half of the Transformers Generation One IDW Comics was also controversial. After ending the war, he became an Autobot and joined the Lost Light ship. Many thought the execution was bungled and/or he shouldn't have had one. In one poll asking "If you don't like Megatron's redemption arc in IDW1, why?", only around 1/3 of respondents said they liked it. (24 August 2024)
==Relationships==
Popular pairings with Megatron are Megatron/Starscream, which pairs him with traitorous Decepticon second-in-command Starscream, and Megatron/Optimus Prime, which pairs him with Optimus Prime. These are the two most popular pairings in the entire fandom, only Jazz/Prowl coming close in terms of fanworks. Megatron/Starscream became popular first and was Megatron's most popular pairing for many years, but as of 2024, Megatron/Optimus Prime is more popular due to recent TF media generally focusing on their relationship over Megatron and Starscream's -- especially in the 2024 Transformers One movie.
This is purposefully an incomplete list, as Megatron is shipped with many of the other Transformers. He's also popular for self-insert shipping. 
Please add any notable relationships in fanworks if they are missing.
Primary Canon 	With... 	Who is a(n)... 	Full Label 	Type	Ship Name(s) 	Information
various 	Optimus Prime 	Autobot 	Megatron/Optimus Prime 	M/M 	MOP | メガコン | コンメガ | メガオプ | オプメガ 	Enemies and moral opposites; may start as rekindled friends
various 	Optimus Prime 	Autobot 	Megatron & Optimus Prime 	Gen 	(n/a) 	Often former friends both in canon and in fanworks
various 	Starscream 	Decepticon 	Megatron/Starscream 	M/M 	Megascream | スタメガ | メガスタ 	Often an adversarial, but mutually beneficial, relationship
various 	Starscream 	Decepticon 	Megatron & Starscream 	Gen 	(n/a) 	Pre-slash or background, often, if focused on in fanworks
various 	Soundwave 	Decepticon 	Megatron/Soundwave 	M/M 	音メガ | 音メガ 	Loyalty Kink is common; Soundwave and Starscream may be romantic rivals
IDW Comics 	Rodimus Prime 	Autobot 	Megatron/Rodimus 	M/M 	Rodimags | ロディメガ | メガロディ 	Both co-lead the Lost Light ship in that canon; Opposites attract
IDW Comics 	Ultra Magnus 	Autobot 	Megatron/Ultra Magnus 	M/M 	MagMeg | Magatron 	The Lost Light comic series has them be friendly; often seen together
Prime 	Ratchet 	Autobot 	Megatron/Ratchet 	M/M 	Megaratch 	Enemies in the Transformers Generation One Marvel Comics
Prime 	Bumblebee 	Autobot 	Bumblebee/Megatron 	M/M 	Megabee 	Opposites Attract enemies to lovers; crack-ish
IDW Comics 	Drift 	Autobot 	Drift/Megatron 	M/M 	Megadrift 	Both are former Decepticons
IDW Comics 	Rung 	Autobot 	Megatron/Rung 	M/M 	Megarung 	Rarepair; somewhat common due to the Banners from the Turrets AU series
various 	Optimus Prime, Starscream	Autobot, Decepticon	Megatron/Optimus Prime/Starscream	Poly	Megopstar 	All three non-poly versions of this ship are popular
various 	Shockwave 	Decepticon 	Megatron/Shockwave 	M/M 	レザメガ | メガレザ 	Loyalty Kink is common; may be one-sided on Shockwave's end
IDW Comics 	Tarn 	Decepticon 	Megatron/Tarn 	M/M 	Megatarn 	Loyalty Kink is common; often one-sided on Tarn's end
Earthspark 	Dorothy "Dot" Malto 	Autobot ally 	Dorothy "Dot" Malto & Megatron 	Gen 	(n/a) 	Close friends; fanworks may be pre-relationship
One 	Sentinel Prime 	Unaligned 	Megatron/Sentinel Prime 	M/M 	Sentimegs 	Enemies; fanworks may be hatesex
Transformers One	Elita One, Optimus Prime 	Autobot x2 	Elita One/Megatron/Optimus Prime 	Poly	Megoplita 	Combines the popular Megatron/OP and Elita One/OP
IDW Comics 	Impactor 	Autobot 	Impactor/Megatron 	M/M 	Megaimpactor 	May start as rekindled friends or happen pre-war
Earthspark 	Prowl 	Autobot 	Megatron/Prowl 	M/M 	Megaprowl 	Enemies, but share touchy-feely scenes
Generation 1 	Nightbird 	Decepticon ally 	Megatron/Nightbird 	F/M 	Megbird 	Enter the Nightbird introduced Nightbird and fueled the ship.
Prime 	Knock Out 	Decepticon/Autobot 	Knock Out/Megatron 	M/M 	Megaknock 	Rarepair; allies before Knock Out becomes an Autobot
Animated 	Lugnut 	Decepticon 	Lugnut/Megatron 	M/M 	(n/a) 	Loyalty Kink is almost always involved in fanworks
Animated 	Slipstream 	Decepticon 	Megatron/Slipstream 	F/M 	Megaslip 	(n/a)
==Notable Megatron-Centered Fanworks and Communities== 
===Fan Communities/Fan Events===
* , a club on Deviantart.
* , a club on Deviantart for the Unicron Trilogy.
* , a on Deviantart for the Live-Action Movies.
* , a on Deviantart for the Transformers Animated.
* , a club on Deviantart.
* , a club on Deviantart.
* , a club on Deviantart.
* , a club on Deviantart for Bumblebee/Megatron.
* , a club on Deviantart for Lugnut/Megatron.
* , a club on Deviantart for Slipstream/Megatron.
* , a club on Deviantart for Soundwave/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2021 for Drift/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2020 for Rodimus/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2018 for Rodimus/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2023 for Rung/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2021 for Soundwave/Megatron.
* , a fanweek held in 2020 for Ultra Magnus/Megatron.
===Wikis===
* on PixivEncyclopedia
* on PixivEncyclopedia
* on the TFWiki
* on the Shipping Wiki for Knock Out/Megatron.
===Fan Fic===
===Fan Art ===
* (2008), fannish graffiti in Denver, Colorado, United States.
* (2021), featuring the sensory panels/rabbit ears from the IDW canon.
===General Fanworks ===
==== Fan Mixes ====
* (2015)
* (2016)
* (2016)
* (2017)
* (2024-25) ()
* (2021)
==== Fic Collections ====
* , a fic collection on FanFiction.Net for Bumblebee/Megatron.
==== Fan Comics ====
* (2025), on Megatron's gun transformation
===Meta===
* (2017), a long 18k word essay on Megatron and how he negatively handles relationships.
==== IDW ====
* (2024)
* (~2020)
* (2015)
* (2021), on how Megatron's not as old as he seems in the IDW canon.
* (2023), half meta, half meme.
* (2023)
* (2019)
==== Earthspark ====
* (2024)
==== Animated ====
* (2024)
==References==
Category:Transformers Characters