Poll - Megatron - tank or gun?

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Megatron - tank or gun?

Gun! He was a gun in the 80ies, and I accept no new idea past 1985!
19
30%
Tank. More effective, looks cooler, not to mention that he even might get a toy.
26
41%
I can't decide, honestly. Both are okay.
15
23%
What is a "Megatron"?!? (i.e. "I don't care")
4
6%
 
Total votes: 64

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Nevermore
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Poll - Megatron - tank or gun?

Post by Nevermore »

Imagine you could travel back in time and have Takara design a Diaclone tank that looks a lot like Megatron in robot mode so Hasbro can chose it as Megatron instead of the Walther P-38. Would you do it?
Or, if you could design a possible Alternators/Masterpiece Megatron, considering toy safety standards wouldn't exist, what would he turn into?

This poll isn't about toy safety standards or gun laws. It's only about the character.

Personally, I'd rather have a tank Megatron that resembles G1 Megs in robot mode as much as possible. Dreamwave's "The War Within" showed it's possible.

True, a US reissue (see the latest debate on thios in the toy forum) would be great from a nostalgic point of view, but other than mindless nostalgia, there is no friggin' reason to insist on Megs still becoming a freakin' gun in 2004.

I've seen so many fanboys who would prefer a crappy reissue a hundred times over an Alternator Megs who would turn into a realistic tank and still look a lot like G1 Megs in robot mode.

ONLY because Hasbro chose to use that stupid Microman mold for the leader of the "bad guys" back in the eighties. I bet if they had had the choice, they would have used a "tank bot" and used the "gun bot" as a minor character instead.

Personally, It gives me the creeps to the the "mighty" Megatron turn into a tiny gun that has to be fired by one of his men. A tank would be soooo much cooler.

Now it's your turn. How would you decide?
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Post by Cyberman »

Gun.
Not because I accept no new ideas, but because I like the idea of it. Of course, that stupid "needs someone to pull the trigger" has to be changed.
But this way, he could observe a mission without really being noticed. A tank would have problems there.
Like in the comic, where they attack that dam. A tank wouldn´t go unnoticed I think...
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Post by Stone Coldimus »

Gun.
Tanks are big, slow, and because of that ti can sometimes give the impression that the bot is dumb. I'd like to see a new gun design without the whole "somebody else pulling the trigger" thing. That's probably what they were trying to do with Galvatron, but I never liked Galvatrons transformation. It really just looked like he got down on all fours and stuck his cannon in the top of his head.
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Post by Ozz »

Originally posted by Nevermore
I'd rather have a tank Megatron that resembles G1 Megs in robot mode as much as possible. Dreamwave's "The War Within" showed it's possible.

It gives me the creeps to the the "mighty" Megatron turn into a tiny gun that has to be fired by one of his men. A tank would be soooo much cooler.
That about sums up my opinion on the matter.

I somehow like more his G1 robot mode than G2 one, I guess because of the colour scheme. But a gun mode?

Megatron should be able to trash some 'Bots on his own when using his alternate mode, not having to rely on Skywarp or Starscream to hit the target.
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Post by Transfannabeel »

I really can't decide I like both modes. It doesn't really make that much of a difference to me.
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Post by Cyberstrike nTo »

Originally posted by Transfannabeel
I really can't decide I like both modes. It doesn't really make that much of a difference to me.


The same here.
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Post by Dead Man Wade »

If given the choice, I'd go with an Alternators/Binaltech tank Megatron.

I like the toy of Gen. 1 Megatron, but I really think a tank would work better for all concerned. Plus, the whole "having to be held by someone else" thing does apply too.

As for the Alternators/Binaltech thing, it's simply because the articulation just wasn't there in the eighties. I love the Gen. 1 toys, but even I have to admit that they are incredibly blocky. So, for that reason alone, I'm going to have to say A/BT.
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Post by Warcry »

Who is this 'Megatron' you speak of? :confused:

Seriously, I'd rather see a Movie-accurate Galvatron than an Alternator Megatron. Sure, Galvy wasn't much more successful than Megs, but at least he was amusing.
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Post by RID Scourge »

Tank. Armada Megs is my second favorite Megs mold. My favorite is TM Megs. I like flying t-rexes.
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Post by Sir Auros »

Like I said ages ago, just go with a tank that turns into a robot that looks as much like G1 Megatron as possible. It's certainly more feasible than having him turn into a realistic gun, and really, would you want a bright pink Megatron?
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Post by Denyer »

Tank. Army green and gun metal. Would be really swish.
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Post by Sixswitch »

I don't see what all the jizzing about the original Megatron is all about anyway. The toy is ****. Pure unadulterated rubbish. Sure it's a clever transformation for an 80s (70s?) toy, but it looks rubbish. G2 Megs is a million times better, and I wouldn't even class that as any better than a Good Toy.

However I like the look of Megs's robot mode in the cartoon, so I'm agreeing with Auros here. Give us a G1 robot mode Megatron, with a realistic tank mode.

And anyone who wants to make mockery of my liberal use of the term 'G1' - take a hike. ;)
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Post by Sir Auros »

Originally posted by Sixswitch
G2 Megs is a million times better, and I wouldn't even class that as any better than a Good Toy.


Liar! You know it's the greatest EVER!

IT IS! I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE IT!

I'm really not being sarcastic, when I finally got the toy last year I made an awful mess in my undies.
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Sixswitch
Give us a G1 robot mode Megatron, with a realistic tank mode.

And anyone who wants to make mockery of my liberal use of the term 'G1' - take a hike. ;)
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Megs is in G1... he could even come with DW art and a little bicycle pump...
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Post by Dragon Warrior Steve »

Originally posted by Transfannabeel
I really can't decide I like both modes. It doesn't really make that much of a difference to me.
Same here, there's no denying both modes kick ass.
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Post by Jetfire426 »

Gun mode all the way... come on now you know that gun mode looks cool and stuff.. besides him being a tank to me thats not Megatron.. come on would you guys like to have the new Optimus Prime be a School Bus, cause they have outlawed the toy design of trucks.. no.. Megatron is a gun and will always be a gun... but thats just my opinion:eyebrow:
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Post by RID Scourge »

Well, the difference between an Optimus Prime as a bus and a Megatron as a tank is that a school bus is just lame, but a tank kicks ass.
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Post by Denyer »

Originally posted by Jetfire426
Megatron is a gun and will always be a gun... but thats just my opinion:eyebrow:
Except in every continuity and series since 1986, yeah...

(BTW, dates after 'G1' are approximate.)

1984-1986 gun
1986-1989 space cannon (as Galvatron)
1990-1992 actionmaster (with tank)
1993-1993 tank (G2) jet (MW)
1994 tank
1995 car

BW: alligator, t-rex, TM t-rex, dragon

RiD: multi-changer

Armada: tank

Energon: jet

Now, strictly speaking, everything after 1995 isn't the same Megatron character. But the fact that he was only a gun (and a cräp one, at that) for less than two years, and for almost TEN YEARS afterwards was something other than a gun...

And now, almost another ten years later, we still have people clinging to alt-modes which were originally intended (in every continuity) as temporary disguises to blend in on an alien planet, produced because of a crash-induced malfunction.

Megs deserves an alt-mode he can usefully move around in.
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Post by Cyberman »

Originally posted by Denyer
...But the fact that he was only a gun (and a cräp one, at that) for less than two years, and for almost TEN YEARS afterwards was something other than a gun...

True - but it is questionable if that was made only because of aestethic reasons.


Originally posted by Denyer
......Megs deserves an alt-mode he can usefully move around in.


Well, in his gun mode he couldn´t move by himself, that´s true - but tell me - which is easier to hide - a normal sized gun(even with silencer) or a normal sized tank?

A man walking around with a gun could easily go unnoticed, someone walking around with a tank...

Of course, a tank has more raw power - but does he really need that? His gun(or gun mode) is powerful already.
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Post by Sir Auros »

Originally posted by Cyberman
Well, in his gun mode he couldn´t move by himself, that´s true - but tell me - which is easier to hide - a normal sized gun(even with silencer) or a normal sized tank?

A man walking around with a gun could easily go unnoticed, someone walking around with a tank...

Of course, a tank has more raw power - but does he really need that? His gun(or gun mode) is powerful already.


Megatron was all about brute strength, not stealth...so basically, even the tank would fit his character better in the G1 continuity...
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