The Energon Pub

Even as an 8-10 year old kid, I knew there was something stupid about a giant robot, the LEADER of an army, transforming into a small gun that one of his underlings had to carry around and fire. What advantage did his alt mode have over his robot mode?

For a leader it's a superb alt mode. Megatron could lead his forces without distraction while still lending his considerable firepower.

A gun Megatron is just as ridiculous as it is classic.

Also, just to get it out of the way: "Cybertronian" spacecrafts and the like are just lazy ways to make a robot that doesn't have to turn into anything recognizable. For that alone, I will not count them. It doesn't mean there aren't cool ones out there, they're just not my pick for what works.

My money's always gotta be on a tank. The militaristic stylings, the chunky armor, the crushing treads, the immense firepower, these are all things that fit the character of an evil commander. Megatron has always, to me, been the type to ride out on the front line with his troops, showin' 'em how it's done, and a large, imposing tank is just the way to get that point across at a glance.

Jet Megatrons are alright in their own way, but when I think jet, I think sleek, aerodynamic, something alright on it's own, but better served in a squadron of it's fellows... leave that to the seekers and the like. It's just not the type of thing I'd typically associate with the burly, powerful leader of the Decepticons. There have been a few jet Megatrons that pulled it off, but compare the best jet Megs, to most tank Megs, and there's no contest.