Transformers: More than Meets the Eye season two discussion

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Auntie Slag
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Post by Auntie Slag »

Thinking about it again, even though you're right I guess the sad thing is that Megatron is going to have to turn into a fully murderous Decepticon again. He is the big bad guy in all versions of TF.

What'll be interesting is if he does it willingly, or if he's manipulated again somehow. Whatever happens it'll be something pretty important, because Rung said he sensed they would never talk like this again (back in World Shut Your Mouth: Part 1).
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Patapsco
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Post by Patapsco »

The thing with this version of Megatron is Roberts has almost unilaterally portrayed him as having the same vision for the future of Cybertron as Optimus did, except when he, in his own words, "lost the war by declaring it". This Megatron created the Decepticons initially as a movement questioning the established order of the race, but as he discovered, the only way to enable change was to destroy the order. What does Megatron have to destroy now? He's won the war he wanted while losing the war he didn't want.

He's proved since coming aboard that there's a lot more going on with him than it seems - telling Ravage to play dead because not all of the Lost Light's crew trust him yet back in issue 33, the stuff with Brainstorm's briefcase, his deliberate Necrobot detour - but exactly what it is, who knows? Maybe Skullcruncher is right and he's staging his own infiltration protocol with the autobots...
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Auntie Slag
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Post by Auntie Slag »

But there’s still plenty of demons out there for Megatron to slay; the Institute, the Functionists (I like to think they’re not gone), Overlord, this new order run by The Grand Architect, the Black Block Consortia, the DJD, Deathsaurus & Co. even Whirl (perhaps).

I’m surprised he didn’t look for Terminus on the Necrobot’s database (also makes me wonder if Rung is on it at all?)

What if Spinister is able to reverse the memories and data deleted from Megatron's mind by Trepan?
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Red Dave Prime
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Post by Red Dave Prime »

For me, Megatrons arc needs to be finite. I'm not saying I'm right here but for me if he steps back into decepticon leadership it negates the great work that has been done in building this version of the character. And if he did, what would it achieve for the reader? He's had several masterplans. He's had his turn to the light side.

I can only see his arc ending with him achieving redemption, be it defeating Tarn and his army or helping the Lost Light finally find the knights. But I cant see him returning to the dark side.
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Post by inflatable dalek »

Rung assumed he might not get to talk to Megatron again because of the ever present risk of being struck off for being crap.
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Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #47

Post by zigzagger »

A touch earlier than usual, Transformers: More than Meets the Eye #47 three-page preview by way of iTunes.

Full issue is due November 25.
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Post by Rack 'n Ruin »

Sooooo, do we think Tailgate is supposed to effectively be a child (at least emotionally)? If so, super creepy stuff from Groomaway.
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Post by Patapsco »

Getaway? GetTheHellOut more like
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Post by Patapsco »

Red Dave Prime wrote:For me, Megatrons arc needs to be finite. I'm not saying I'm right here but for me if he steps back into decepticon leadership it negates the great work that has been done in building this version of the character. And if he did, what would it achieve for the reader? He's had several masterplans. He's had his turn to the light side.

I can only see his arc ending with him achieving redemption, be it defeating Tarn and his army or helping the Lost Light finally find the knights. But I cant see him returning to the dark side.
I'd totally buy into Megatron sacrificing himself to kill the DJD because then he will truly kill off the Decepticon movement, which is what he wanted to do all the way back when... I'm pretty sure it was mentioned in All Hail Megatron but definitely within IDW's continuity. Deathsaurus probably won't stand against the Autobots with the DJD gone
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Post by Unicron »

I've been thinking about this whole 'Rung is a terrible psychiatrist thing', and I don't think there's enough evidence of that.

With Red Alert, Rung did successfully treat him. Red got over his paranoia for a long time, got all kinds of promotions as a result, etc. He probably had a Magnus-like break after the war ended. Without the Cons and the war to focus on, he drifted back into the paranoid. It also didn't help that his roommate was Swerve. That can't have been good for Red's mental health. Especially since Swerve was playing jokes on and gaslighting Red.

Fort Max, sure he snapped and went on a shooting spree, but you can't really blame that on Eyebrows. Max wasn't there voluntarily, he couldn't have been under Rung's care for very long, and he wouldn't talk about what actually happened on G-9. How could any therapist make any progress under those conditions.
Sure, it was freaking stupid to declare Max clear for work and letting him go off and be Enforcer without spending more time treating him. Can't really defend that.

Meanwhile, Rung's longest patient Bluestreak seems to be a resounding success. He's seems perfectly fine, aside from the Earth culture obsession.
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Post by Flimflammery »

I totally agree with Unicron here; I've been thinking of jumping in, as I think Rung's been unfairly characterised as terrible too. Considering we've only seen a tiny fraction of the work he's done over millions of years, there's really not enough of a sample size to condemn him. And yes, surprise surprise, psychiatrists are fallible and on occasion make stupid decisions
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Post by Red Dave Prime »

And in defence of red alert, there was actually a conspiracy going on and he wasn't hearing voices, he was hearing overlord.

I'm taking a wild stab at this but I think red alerts attempted suicide was more a case that Roberts may not have been able to think of a better reason why red alert would keep overlord under wraps once discovered until issue 16
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Post by inflatable dalek »

The poking fun at Rung is a little tongue in cheek, after all, every fictional psychiatrist is a crap psychiatrist because actual psychiatry in incredibly undramatic and uninteresting because one of the basic rules of dramas is show don't tell and therapy is all about telling.

So the characters sort out (or fail to sort out) their issues by doing rather than sitting around and talking about their problems. And that's fine and dandy (and not something I suspect Roberts would argue against, as noted the script annotations for the Rung/Megatron session repeatedly stresses "This is hugely unprofessional but I needed it to happen"), but does mean Rung's track record is appalling.
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Post by Summerhayes »

In IDW's defence, the adverts were all at the back and the issue was still full-length. No harm done.
Red Dave Prime wrote:I'm taking a wild stab at this but I think red alerts attempted suicide was more a case that Roberts may not have been able to think of a better reason why red alert would keep overlord under wraps once discovered until issue 16
Are we thinking it really was a suicide attempt? I'm assuming either a clever ploy to hide himself safely on Red's part or a failed assassination by someone else.
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Red Dave Prime
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Post by Red Dave Prime »

Summerhayes wrote:In IDW's defence, the adverts were all at the back and the issue was still full-length. No harm done.


Are we thinking it really was a suicide attempt? I'm assuming either a clever ploy to hide himself safely on Red's part or a failed assassination by someone else.
Think its all but confirmed as a suicide attempt - thats First Aids explanation and the reason he gets kept off line for the rest of season 1.

Like I say, just feels like Roberts had to write him out sharpish to allow for the rest of the story. He couldnt join with Rodimus, Drift and Chromedome as he is too unstable and paranoid and there is no way he would keep Overlord a secret through all those issues.
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Post by Auntie Slag »

And he'd lost Rung as well, the only person he trusted on the Lost Light. And Swerve had been winding him up something rotten, too!
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Post by Summerhayes »

Oh my god, I was remembering Red putting the data slug in Rung's hand as Rung putting it in Red's!
I'm obviously due another day spent re-reading old robot comicbooks...
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Post by Auntie Slag »

He's also the only one whose significantly changed his body shape (is there a Red Alert toy that looks like MTMTE Red, yet?). I always wondered if there was something significant in that too.

Whirl is quite different too, but in a weird, skinny psycho way. He's not all bulked up American football player like Red.
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Post by Unicron »

I actually suspect the plan had been that Drift did indeed behead Red to keep things under wraps, but Roberts decided it wouldn't work well with Drift's later self-sacrifice to keep Rodimus' name clean
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Post by Red Dave Prime »

Unicron wrote:I actually suspect the plan had been that Drift did indeed behead Red to keep things under wraps, but Roberts decided it wouldn't work well with Drift's later self-sacrifice to keep Rodimus' name clean
Yeah, I could well believe that. To be fair, there was enough going on anyway without another whodunnit and there is no way that Drift could have the, ahem, "awesome" retribution arc that is empire of stone.

Although, I always find it funny that way back in issue 4, Drift kills the other Prowl guy - hacks him to pieces in fact - and no-one seems too bothered. Although in the story you initially think he is a zombie, by the end of the issue you realise he was just a sick robot. And Drift BUTCHERED him!
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