Megatron: Origin # 2
Written by Eric Holmes
Penciled by Alex Milne (pages 1-11, 20-22) and Marcelo Matere (pages 12-19)
Colors by Josh Perez

Summary:

In an illegal underground fight club in Kaon, Megatron puts the finishing touches on an opponent in the ring.  Impaling him on an energo-sword and then transforming and dragging his vehicle-mode treads across the hapless Transformer’s chassis, Megatron pauses before delivering the final blow.  The memory of killing the Senator’s bodyguard (last issue) is still fresh in his mind, and the crowd watching the event wonders what he is waiting for.  Clench, the organizer and overseer of these matches orders Megatron to finish it, tossing him an energo-hammer.  The crowd begins to chant in a fervor as Megatron slowly raises the hammer over his head, then brings it crashing down, killing his downed opponent.  The crowd of dozens of Transformers cheer as Megatron removes his helmet and takes it all in.  Finally, satisfied with this touch of adulation, he re-dons the helmet as the crowd continues to cheer.  Meanwhile elsewhere on Cybertron, Senator Ratbat is bothered by an aide who brings word of some bureaucratic duties he must fulfill.  Ratbat coldly tells the nervous aide that he has more important matters to handle and enters a chamber where Ratbat orders one of his personal aides to cycle through some current news events on Cybertron.  A story comes up about the underground gladiatorial matches in Kaon, with security forces having discovered an arena with the dead body of the Transformer that Megatron had slain previously.  Ratbat takes a particular interest in this story as bootlegged video footage from the match is shown on the news, displaying Megatron‘s match from earlier.  Meanwhile time passes quickly for Megatron, as he rises through the ranks of fighters in these underground games of strength and violence.  Soon he is an accomplished pit fighter with more than fifty wins to his name, although his glances in Clench‘s direction belie his ambition for greater things.  In one match, Clench and his personal entourage team up with Megatron, Rumble, and Frenzy to fend off waves of opponents.  Surrounded and outmatched, Clench freezes up, fear gripping him as one of his followers is killed.  Megatron shoves him into the attackers, using his body as a shield to block a spear thrust, then tears into Clench himself with his energo-sword, deciding to take leadership for himself.  The others quickly fall into line when they see Megatron’s innate combat skill, and with his defeat of Clench, Megatron becomes leader and organizer of the games from this point on.  At the Cybertronian military/security complex in Kaon, Prowl is giving a presentation to the officers about these illegal gladiatorial pit matches going on, noting how Megatron is now the head organizer of them and someone is making profit off selling recordings of each match on the streets of Cybertron.  Blades angrily interrupts the presentation, telling Prowl that the tactical teams simply need to know where to find Megatron.  But before he can be answered, Sentinel Prime enters the room and everyone snaps to attention.  Prime gets straight to the point and tells them what is going to happen; surveillance teams will be split up and stationed at probable areas where one of these arenas might spring up.  Once they locate them, the security forces will move in with intent to shut these games down and capture Megatron.  Some cycles later, a surveillance team consisting of Bumper and Fastback have set up shop in an abandoned building.  They’ve been staked out for awhile, waiting for anything that might seem suspicious, but all they’ve seen are derelict Transformers.  Suddenly, Bumper spots some suspicious activity as the six Constructicons drive up in vehicle mode and begin construction on something.  Bumper realizes that the arena games are so hard to find because the actual arenas are built from the ground-up whenever they relocate.  As Mixmaster churns materials in his drum, Hook and Scavenger casually toss a derelict “Empty” Transformer into the barrel as well, against his will.  Using whatever raw materials they can find, the Constructicons build a new arena in a short amount of time.  Megatron, Rumble, and Frenzy arrive to inspect the new arena when suddenly someone calls out to Megatron.  A voice from an indeterminate area offers a proposal to Megatron, projecting holographic images of different kinds of weapon systems.  The voice offers both the technology and the means to integrate it directly into a Transformer’s exo-structure.  Megatron demands to see who is offering him this, and Soundwave reveals himself from the shadows and transforms to robot mode.  Soundwave introduces himself and states that it was easy to find the location of the next arena through bribery.  Megatron wants to know what is asked for in return for the weapons technology Soundwave displayed.  Soundwave simply replies that Megatron just should use it as he sees fit.  Up in a nearby perch, Bumper scans Soundwave and gets some strange readings off him.  Suddenly, Bumper realizes that those below know he is there because his communications are being jammed and he tries to call in a tactical response unit for aid.  But it’s too no avail, as Bumper turns around and sees Fastback already being attacked by Buzzsaw and Laserbeak.  Bumper tries to go to his partner‘s aid, but Ravage pops up behind him and the world goes black for the short yellow Transformer.  Bumper comes back online a short time later to see Megatron hovering menacingly over him, holding the weakened Fastback by the head.  Megatron tells Bumper to “watch” and tosses Fastback to the ground.  As Rumble and Frenzy hold Bumper steady, Megatron violently stomps on Fastback’s head, killing him instantly.  Bumper is stunned at the act of brutality and Soundwave inquires why it was necessary.  Megatron replies bluntly that it is what will happen to Bumper if he doesn’t tell them everything he knows.  Bumper outright refuses, dubbing Megatron a “psychopath”.  Megatron angrily backhands the smaller Transformer away, sending him flying.  But before Megatron can finish Bumper off, Soundwave steps in and notifies Megatron that they are not in any danger at the moment, as the spy’s communications were jammed upon his detection.  Soundwave has Laserbeak come over to aid in interrogation and clasps Bumper’s head in-between his hands.  Reading Bumper’s thoughts, Soundwave sees Sentinel Prime’s security forces’ intent to put a stop to Megatron’s illegal activities.  Megatron tells Scrapper that this site is compromised and they are to pull out immediately, then he tells Soundwave that he’d like to meet the blue Transformer’s “master”.  Finally, he turns his attention back to Bumper as Laserbeak and Soundwave back away.  Raising his fist, he repeats what Bumper called him- “psychopath”, and then brings his arm suddenly down.  The other Transformers in the room are deeply unnerved as a horrible ripping sound splits the air and Megatron does something unspeakably violent to Bumper.  As the smaller Transformer’s internal fluids begin pooling out from under his now-deceased body, Megatron catches his own reflection in the liquid- his expression is calm and unreadable.  TO BE CONTINUED!

Slagged!:

-Megatron kills a lot of opponents in the ring; one of his first he impales with an energo-sword and runs over with his vehicle mode.  He finishes that guy off with a blow from an energo-hammer.  Some matches are even fought against giant organic-looking alien creatures, which Megatron apparently also kills violently with the help of others.

-Megatron gets rid of Clench by turning on him during a match, using him as a personal shield, then slashing Clench’s arm and half his torso off with an energo-sword swipe.

-A derelict “Empty” Transformer gets tossed into Mixmaster’s mixing drum and melted to death.  Nice way to go.

-Megatron cold-bloodedly (oily?) murders Fastback and Bumper.  He stomps Fastback’s head into pieces and mush, and does SOMETHING to Bumper that apparently is rather unsettling to the others.  But we don’t see it.


Sightings:

-The first bot Megatron fights at the beginning of the issue is quite obviously a homage to the Gobots character Cy-Kill.  Cy-Kill, being the Megatron-equivalent in the Gobots series as leader of the bad-guy “Renegades”, being killed BY Megatron in this issue is obviously supposed to be ironic.  And it is, if a little old-hat by this time, as a similar scene was depicted in Dreamwave’s Gen 1 ongoing.  Also of note, the sword Megatron uses to run him through (And uses in subsequent matches) is a loose homage to the sword that came with the Japanese version of Gen 1 Megatron.

-The initial organizer of the “fight club” is released-in-the-UK-only Decepticon Clench (also released with the name “Colossus” in the UK Gen 2 line).  His entourage includes fellow UK-only Decepticons Stalker and Skyquake (their molds might look familiar to US fans as Machine Wars Soundwave and Starscream), and someone who is clearly a homage to Gobots character Crasher.

-The crowd cheering Megatron on to finish “Cy-Kill” off includes future Decepticons Seawing, Spinister, Slugslinger, and Overlord (Japanese-only release), and future Autobot Sunstreaker.  When Megatron reveals his “headdress” we can also see who MAY be Decepticon Full-Tilt (It could or could not be, really), Trypticon’s little transforming car partner.  And you can see Starscream in the background of that page as well.

-Ratbat appears, looking quite distinctly differently than his classic look and his appearance in War Within: Dark Ages.  He has a full, proper humanoid mode now, with the only hints of his future beastly appearance being the winged cape and the helmet, which seems to take cues from his robot mode head in Dark Ages.  Also, quite tellingly by the view of the chest, Ratbat’s aide is Soundwave.

-In the first screen that Soundwave shows Ratbat, we can see future Autobot Huffer.  In the fourth screen we can see Prowl and Red Alert examining the “crime scene” as it were, of Clench’s arena games.

-In the page showing some of Megatron’s battles, he appears to have fought a robot that bears no small resemblance to toy-accurate Beast Machines Tankor.  And he also fought a giant organic-looking beast alongside future Decepticons Tantrum and Hun-grrr.  In another panel showing a battle, we can see future Autobots Sunstreaker and Sideswipe in the audience, enjoying the carnage, along with Drill Dasher, one of the mail-in “Powerdasher” toys from Gen 1.

-The Cybertronian military/security force in Kaon under Sentinel Prime includes future Autobots Prowl, Jazz, Hound, Red Alert, Warpath, Blades, Whirl, Roadbuster, Bumper, and Fastback.  Bumper is also known as “Bumblejumper” among fans because of his status of being a toy “error” packaged on Gen 1 Bumblebee and Cliffjumper cards, and was “officially” made a character in the canon in Dreamwave’s Gen 1 ongoing comic.  Fastback appears to be your generic red-shirt, although he seems to be a not-so-slight homage to the Brawn/Outback character model/toy design.  Since both of them die in this issue, I’m not gonna lose much sleep over it.  Blaster can also be seen in the surveillance hub that Sentinel Prime refers to when describing his plan.

-While Bumper and Fastback are staked-out watching a potential arena location, we can see a cameo by Autobot Scrounge, who appears to be, uh, scrounging around in a filthy alley.  Scrounge was an original character from the Marvel comics, never having received a toy incarnation.  He appeared as Blaster’s partner in US Marvel # 17 and died in that same issue.  We also see a cameo on the same page by the Empty (derelict Transformer) named Wheezel from the very same comic story as Scrounge.

-The six Constructicons appear in their Don Figueroa War Within designs- Scrapper, Mixmaster, Hook, Bonecrusher, Long Haul, and Scavenger.  Hook and Scavenger toss the unwilling Wheezel into Mixmaster’s drum for use as raw materials, a move probably ordered by Scrapper.  Scrapper’s various tech spec profiles mention him having a tendency to incorporate living beings into his constructions.

-The holograms that Soundwave displays for Megatron of weapons systems show some familiar things, like a Seeker’s arm rifle, Shockwave’s gun-hand, and Megatron’s future “energo-mace” that slides out of his hand.

-Soundwave appears with a new, communications tank alt-mode.  Although Rumble and Frenzy appear to not have any affiliation with him yet, Soundwave still has Ravage, Laserbeak, and Buzzsaw at his disposal.  Laserbeak and Buzzsaw are given new Cybertronized designs, and Ravage appears very similar to his War Within design.

-Laserbeak being versed in interrogation is something mentioned in his tech spec profiles.  The same with Soundwave’s ability to “read” others’ minds through the scanning of brainwave transmissions.


Hearings:

-The crowd chants “’Til all are one” as Megatron prepares to finish his opponent off at the end of the first match.  A phrase originated in the 1986 animated movie, it usually signifies the passing of a Transformer’s life.  It is generally thought to mean “Until all are one with the Matrix/Allspark“.

-One of the news stories that Soundwave shows Ratbat deals with a breakthrough in repulsor-based levitation technology.  This may be a slight hint at the eventual ability of most all Decepticons to fly in robot mode, a fact brought up in the original cartoon several times (although very inconsistently).  Obviously Ratbat is aiming to possess this technology, and along with the weapons systems he had Soundwave offer Megatron, become a tech supplier to the future Decepticons.


Wreck and RULE!:

-The story gets moving a lot faster this time around, and several bits of intrigue are brought to our attention.  Ratbat debuts as a somewhat morally-dubious Senator, and has Soundwave approach Megatron’s group presumably on his behalf.  While it may seem odd to some to have Ratbat being “over” Soundwave to a degree, let’s not forget the future bat-cassette was the Earthbound Decepticon LEADER for a substantial stint in the original Marvel comics.  We see the foundations being lain for the future Decepticon army as Megatron quickly gains status in the world, and catches attention from beyond his little “bubble” with Sentinel Prime’s group gunning after him.

-Several nice character moments, from Megatron’s first taste of the adulation of the masses, his first “take-over” to reach a seat of authority, and his growing comfort and ease with violence.  Prowl’s presentation boring the others in the room until Blades jumps up and tells him to get to the point is another nice moment.  And Soundwave proves himself very useful to Megatron, a first step to being the Big M’s right-hand man.

-The art is an improvement over last issue, although there are still some issues with Milne’s crowded panels.  Marcelo Matere fills in, presumably to get the book out faster, and he does a good job keeping consistency, as his style is similar to Milne’s.


Wreck and ROT!:

-The pacing goes all wonky this issue.  Last issue I’d say too little happened.  THIS issue I’d say too MUCH happened.  Eric Holmes effectively fast-forwards through a vital chunk of Megatron’s character development (his willingness to kill) to get where he wants the story to be at the end.  I’m assuming the main action at the conclusion of this series will be Sentinel Prime’s group against Megatron’s group, and this issue does make a giant leap in that direction.  However, much of the focus on the title character is lost in transition.  This seems more like it is an origin tale for the Decepticons, not Megatron.  The title character is already about eighty to ninety percent on the way to becoming the Megatron who appears in the “present day” titles like Escalation.  I was expecting far more character growth being showcased in this series, not just “he was this way aaaaand flash-forward fifty pit-fights later and now he’s THIS way!”.

-While Milne’s art improves from last issue, he still overcrowds panels and makes action hard to decipher.  Josh Perez’s coloring doesn’t help in this department, and makes even Matere’s usually easy-to-follow art dark and confusing.  I’m not even sure what happened to Bumper; I know we weren’t supposed to see it, but there’s barely an implication Megatron touched him at all!


Final Judgment:

While a more satisfying read than last issue, there are still problems inherent with the plot’s pacing and the art.  Milne just needs to frame some of his shots differently sometimes, and the coloring is way too dark, painfully reminiscent of Dreamwave murk.  While Holmes shows a great grasp of the mythology and characters, it seems he must work on plotting a comic series a bit better- this issue and last could have easily been combined for greater effect, with some of the “fat” trimmed out.  I will give him credit for many interesting concepts though, but he just needs to organize them better.  Let’s hope this series finds a still point and focuses more on the title character.  Peace.


A “Betabear??  What the $#!^???” Thunderwing review