The Energon Pub

Has it occurred to anyone that Megatron is actually a pretty forgiving guy? I'm rewatching Seasons 1 and 2, and there were so many times when he could have finished Starscream off but showed him mercy. He's been criticised, mocked, punched, kicked, fired at by Starscream, any of which outrage would have brought about lethal response from a madman like Galvatron. At times the relationship seems almost father-son, with bantering and sharing of triumphs. Lots of chiding as well. He just keeps forgiving Starscream all his sins.


In fact I find Megatron a much more interesting character than Galvatron. Galvatron was just a psychotic madman that proved to be as much a danger to the Decepticons as to the Autobots. I just never developed a liking for the character like I did for Megatron. He also had of course in keeping with the climate of the time, a lot more humour.

Incidentally, the second season was a lot better in terms of artwork and dialogue. Lots of hilarity too!

"I wanted you to believe the battle was real. You're such a rotten actor you couldn't fool a Sartonian (sp?) simpleton!"

Maybe Starcscream became so popular that kling him would devastated little kids back in the day.
Although, the movie helped it along....

Well, even than they didn't kill him, he came back as a ghost.

sigh Starscream will never stop runnig a muck alive or dead

you just can't help but laugh at the snappy diolouge in the G1 series

Starscream here's the church and here is the steaple look inside and where are the people? lol can never go wrong with such a snappy diolouge

There really wasn't much of a choice. Being major characters they always had to recycle the relationship between the two. They couldn't have Megatron kill Starscream because they needed him for the next episode. They couldn't have Megatron discipline Starscream (severely) because it wasn't suitable to show to children.

Noone in the series is ever killed, or punished severely (barring the movie) because episodes need to be somewhat independent. Aside from the multi part episodes, none of the others really relate to each other. And if I remember correctly, different writers worked on different episodes. If they didn't collaborate they all had to work from a basic template of characters and their stock personalities and interactions.

Meaning unless it was a multi part episode, a character couldn't be imprisoned, and could never be killed, because they would be needed in another episode.

It all comes down to the fact it is a kids show, made without an ultimate end for it's plot. It cannot show the violence required to fully do justice to Megatron's character.

*Stupid double-post*

From a more in-character point of view, I think there's two main reasons Megatron keeps Starscream around. First off, despite all his numerous character flaws, he's damn good at his job. He's a excellent combatant and field commander, and he's the best flier the Decepticons have. Second, Megatron may feel a certain connection to Screamer - after all, they're not that different when it comes to it, and Megatron recognises this.

And weren't the Decepticons out-numbered for most of Seasons 1 and 2? Hardly the best time to be killing your own troops.

Besides, cartoon Megs is nothing compared to comic Megs who had Starscream resurrected at least twice. WTF was that all about? Other than really bad writing, of course.

Yeah, eventually, if Megatron kept executing soldiers for mutiny and incompetence, he'd be down to Reflector and some cassette tapes. I suppose he could save rent by moving out of the sunken Nemesis and into a desk drawer.

Before leaving Cybertron a secret ceremony took place. Megatron and Starscream are a married couple and they are just bickering but deep down they love each other. Besides Megatron doesn't want to go to jail for beating or killing his wife.

Well... maybe that's not true but it's a theory.

Swerve wrote:Before leaving Cybertron a secret ceremony took place. Megatron and Starscream are a married couple and they are just bickering but deep down they love each other.

Mate you just nailed it! I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Earlier I had said that the relationship seems to be almost father-son. But the married-couple one is more accurate.

Lots of cartoons from this era had a dynamic like this. Skeletor had Beastman, Cobra Commander had Destro (although Destro was the smart one in that pair), Shredder had Bebop and Rocksteady... and Krang (I almost feel sorry for Shredder now), Gargamel from Smurfs had his cat Azrael. That's just to name a few.

We used to use that joke all the time back in the days of G1....Called the Starscream/Magatron relationship a marriage....used to be a great laugh while sitting around, getting blasted and watching old episodes!

Bonecrusher27 wrote:Has it occurred to anyone that Megatron is actually a pretty forgiving guy? I'm rewatching Seasons 1 and 2, and there were so many times when he could have finished Starscream off but showed him mercy. He's been criticised, mocked, punched, kicked, fired at by Starscream, any of which outrage would have brought about lethal response from a madman like Galvatron. At times the relationship seems almost father-son, with bantering and sharing of triumphs. Lots of chiding as well. He just keeps forgiving Starscream all his sins.


In fact I find Megatron a much more interesting character than Galvatron. Galvatron was just a psychotic madman that proved to be as much a danger to the Decepticons as to the Autobots. I just never developed a liking for the character like I did for Megatron. He also had of course in keeping with the climate of the time, a lot more humour.

Incidentally, the second season was a lot better in terms of artwork and dialogue. Lots of hilarity too!

"I wanted you to believe the battle was real. You're such a rotten actor you couldn't fool a Sartonian (sp?) simpleton!"

I was never a big fan of Galvatron myself...hell, we virtually wrote him out of the arcana after his first appearance in the animated series...I was not too keen on such a fruit-cake as the leader of our beloved Decepticons!

Speaking of Decepticons acting like a married couple and Galvatron being a fruitcake, anyone remember this picture from the Ultimate Caption Contest?



Just a couple of evil robots holding hands in the bushes, nothing out of the ordinary here.

Of cource I remember that.
It was near the pic I am using for my avatar.
(Seriously, thou, look it up.)

Swerve wrote:Speaking of Decepticons acting like a married couple and Galvatron being a fruitcake, anyone remember this picture from the Ultimate Caption Contest?



Just a couple of evil robots holding hands in the bushes, nothing out of the ordinary here.

OMG! That is almost offensive! Transformers-porn! *washes optics out with lye*

You think THAT'S bad?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SniqngdvpQE

Yes.Megatron was in love with Starscream.

0_o WTF? OK, I'm done trying to figure what weird dream world Babylon Queen lives in.

Damolisher wrote:You think THAT'S bad?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SniqngdvpQE

I thought that happened in every episode of "Challenge of the Gobots".

No, just the people who tuned in.

And people wonder why Transformers slash exists.

Because of sad, sexless losers with a morbid sexual attraction to the thought of impossible sexual intercourse between fictional robots based off children's toys?

Damolisher wrote:You think THAT'S bad?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SniqngdvpQE

I have seen that before...and, yes...it is very VEEERY bad! *gags*