Not All Megatrons

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DNA, you're in my heart. DNA, in fact you're in every part of my body.
"Not All Megatrons"
Publisher	Transformers Collectors' Club(online exclusive)
First published	November 17,2016
By	Jim SorensonandDavid Bishop
Art	Robby MussoandChristopher ColginwithJesse Wittenrich
Continuity	Beast Wars: Uprising
Chronology	Circa2388
Page count	32pp

Megatrons and Galvatrons of all stripes collide as the Uprising takes a wild new twist.

Synopsis

Things haven't been going well for theMinions of Unicronlately. In the twenty-five stellar cycles since the upstart "Darksyders"have popped up, they've been losing more and more ground, more and more influence, more and more respect. But thanks toCryotek's forethought, one of those Darksyders, a no-name calledDoom-Lock,has been caught and interrogated, giving CryotekMegatron's home address. Gathering his top enforcers, Cryotek goes on the offensive, making his way inside Megatron's domicile. As they make their way in, something bothers Cryotek. Once they arrive on the second floor, Cryotek learns why: Megatron has been expecting them. He gives the Minions the simple offer of joining him, or dying. They chose not joining him, only to realize they've been talking to a hologram. At that point, theDropkick droneslying in wait spring into action, neutralizing Cryotek's underlings, but leaving him alive. With little choice left, Cryotek reluctantly accepts Megatron's renewed offer. But the gang boss has to make certain Cryotek won't get any ideas, and sends in amnemosurgeonnamedPsychobat.

Later,Scorponokcrows about how, with the Minions of Unicron under their thumb, all ofCybertron's underworld is theirs. But this isn't enough for Megatron, needled bya computer simulation inside his head.Outside, the Uprising is still ongoing, and the Darksyders are just wasting their time with petty crime. If theMaximal High Counciland theTripredacus Councilcan take advantage of the chaos, then surely they can do even more, right? He asks Scorponok about why theBuildersmadeMaximalandPredaconsfight as they did. Ultimately, the answer comes down to energy. There just isn't enough, and as long as they can't make their own, they'll always besomeone'sslave. And that's when, as Megatron remembers an ant-farm he used to have, the inspiration hits. What if they didn't need processedenergon?What if they could make their own likemechanimals?They could just get rid of the Builders, and be their own people. With this, Megatron declares the time has come for Maximals and Predacons alike to evolve, to become beasts themselves.

At theHydrax Plateau,newly minted DarksyderPackratis on a mission. That mission is to find and grab astasis pod.No easy task, since the spaceport's under heavy guard. As he watches, he sees one delivery truck making small talk with all the various guards. Having found his way in, Packrat follows the delivery 'bot as he leaves.

The delivery-bot in question, a twitchy sort namedPowerhug,makes his delivery toFort Scyk,then decides to use what little free time the Builders give him to hit the nearest bar. As he's on his third drink, he notices an altercation over a card game, and decides to get involved. The Maximal claims not to be much good atTriad,then asks Powerhug to join in. The sight of the more expensivecyber planet keysin the mix tempts Powerhug in. After all, he reasons, he does need the money. And what harm is there?

In the corner, Packrat's little scam is watched by a seethingNucleon.TheCyberdroidand formerPowermasteris still bitter about what's become of Cybertron, and of the loss of his old partner, none other thantheGalvatronhimself, killed after the failure of theGreat Push,and Nucleon condemned to obscurity and menial labor. As he sulks, a newcomer enters the bar,one who looks like Galvatron himself.The newcomer walks over to Nucleon and, as Nucleon realizes it can be no-one other than Galvatron, tells him to get his stuff and prepare.

Some time later, Powerhug carries Packrat past theHydrax Plateausecurity, having been coerced into helping the vermin by the large debt he now owes him. Once Powerhug's inside and loaded, Packrat slips away onto one of the nearby ships, looking for any stasis pods it might contain. Unfortunately, all the ones onboard have been moved, but Packrat quickly discovers the ship is part of a fleet, and one of that fleet, a ship called theAlchemorjust happens to have some on board. Making his way there, Packrat manages to find a pod, take, and make his way out via the spaceport's sewer systems.

With their new, ill-gotten pod, Megatron prepares to test it on a former Minion namedOverbite,who's hesitant. He likes being a submarine, even if he does like the look ofoxide sharks.But, aware of his utter lack of choices, he reluctantly gets into the pod. Almost immediately after he does, things start going wrong. His body is violently reconfigured, and once done he finds being on land painful. A quick look in his reflection reveals Overbite has become a hideous, misshapen amalgam of beast and vehicle, not at all what Megatron wants. In what's almost an act of mercy, Megatron kills him.

Three abortive attempts later, and Megatron is less than happy, not helped by the voice of the original Megatron in his head taunting him all the while. After the failure of the unwilling subject no. four, number five reveals Megatron isn't the only one who's been tinkering with beast modes. AskingTerrorsauras to where he acquired their latest "volunteer", Megatron realizes that the Darksyders are being shadowed. After a lengthy "Q&A" with the unluckyParalon,Megatron learns the hapless bot was a member of thePredacon Secret Police.On the plus side, Megatron has learnt that the PSP have been hunting a rogue Autobot scientist namedLeatherhide,who Megatron is certain will help unlock beast modes once and for all, once Terrorsaur finds him.

The result is Terrorsaur trudging through Leatherhide's last known location, theToxic Sludge Swamps,with the help of a loud local namedDarksteel.The two quickly come under attack from a group ofSlicers.As they escape, the two find themselves caught in a net, the result of Leatherhide, who's eschewed a robot mode entirely, in favor of two beast modes.

Leatherhide is tempted by the offer of a lab, and the chance to make real hybrids, not just crude work like the Slicers. But the name Megatron gives theAutobotpause, and somehow Terrorsaur's assurance that he's totally different just don't sound convincing. But the scientist is taken in, convinced he can probably just tear Megatron a new one if it comes to it.

After setting up a shiny new lab for the Autobot, Scorponok is told that in order for the experiment to go further, Leatherhide will need a protoform in order to finish off, convinced the scanning will go easier on a form that hasn't taken any sort of mode before. Problem is, the Builders are pretty protective of them. Not helping is that Packrat's busy, and Megatron probably won't want to wait. So, Scorponok decides to recruitBisk.

Bisk's enjoying a bit of downtime when a green and yellow PC approaches him with a new quest. Tempted by the swag the Darksyders hand out, and the promise of it being a solo mission, Bisk accepts. He makes his way toNova Cronum,now home only to theGrand Mal,once a floating fortress belonging toThunderwinghimself, and now the Builders' military headquarters. Bisk is reasonably convinced that the protoform he's after is located in there. Using his infiltration skills, he manages to sneak in without being noticed by theMicromasterguards, and overhears a snippet of conversation that leads him to Sector 77-B. After several dramatic encounters, he makes it to Floor 77, Room B, where he finds a Builder arguing with some purple and black Maximal.

Said Builder,Eject,is chewing outGalva Convoy.Despite having created him to create a new race to replace the Maximals and Predacons, Galva isn't following through, claiming he needs to "learn to transcend" to master the Matrix in him. He does want to create a new race, which he's already named "Terrorcons",and he's pretty certain he's close to a breakthrough, but... he's troubled by what he's seen of Cybertronian history. Of constant wars and factionalism. So, nudged by a mysterious voice, he's got his own plan, to make an army not ofsparks,butanti-sparks,created bya corrupted Matrix.Unaware of his creation's dark designs, Eject storms off, telling him to just get it done soon.

An undetected Bisk watches this, not terribly interested by all the exposition, before waiting to see whether to fight Galva Convoy or sneak past. It soon becomes clear to him he's in a stealth encounter. As he swipes the pod, he notices a nearby camera focusing on Galva Convoy, transmitting information to him. Bisk gets back to work, wondering if he'll ever figure out what he's just seen.

"Say my name."
"...you're Megatron."
"You're goddamn right."

With their protoform, the mood at Darksyder headquarters is jubilant, Megatron promising Leatherhide whatever reward he wants, once they've distributed their upgrade to everyone, Maximal and Predacon alike. After choosing the protoform's alt-mode—the humbleant-droid,Leatherhide prepares to begin, warning Megatron that once the technology is out in the open, there will be no going back. Megatron, naturally, is perfectly okay with that. The protoform boots up, and soon the new Cybertronian, a Predacon namedFormikon,swears undying loyalty to his "queen". Satisfied, Megatron asks how long it'll take to move on to already-existing Maximals and Predacons. Leatherhide tells him they're readynow.

Soon enough, Megatron's lieutenants have all been upgraded, with a highly reluctant Terrorsaur as the last to be subjected. And with Terrorsaur soon boasting a beast mode, it's Megatron's turn.

Time becomes a blur for Megatron, as theTransmetalupgrades take hold. Eventually, a triumphant Megatron emerges, instantly transforming into his new dragon mode, and takes to the skyline ofIacon.Bolstered by his newfound power, Megatron erases his mental copy of his namesake, before returning to the lab to lay down the law. By the next stellar cycle, he wants every Maximal and Predacon everywhere, regardless of affiliation, to be upgraded.

TheBeast Warshave begun.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Are... are we sure it's safe?"
"No."

-TerrorsaurasksLeatherhidea stupid question about the Transmetal upgrade.

Notes

• Characters mentioned but not seen include:Unicron,Ironhide,Twitcher,Queen Rage,theAntares Eight,Soundwave,theMaximal High Council,theTripredacus Alliance,Lio Convoy,theLiege Maximo,Shockwave,Starscream,Prowl,the original Galvatron,Clench,Scourge,Ratchet,theDestron Boys,Brimstone,Thunderwing,Boltax,theWreckers,theMutants,theTerrorcons,Tezuka Takashi,Miyamoto Shigeru,Ratbat,andOverlord.
• Characters mentioned in Labrat's profile include:Sieg,Megatron, and Leatherhide.

Continuity notes

• The events of "Identity Politics",wherein Gnashteeth became Megatron and established the Darksyders, are established to have happened twenty-five stellar cycles before this story. The outbreak of theGrand Uprising,as documented in "Broken Windshields",happened four stellar cycles ago. According to Eject later on in the story, the Resistance has now managed to take almost a quarter of the planet.
• Escargon and Packrat being part of Cryotek's crew (here identified as the Minions of Unicron) was established back inAlone TogetherPart 2.
• It is not identified by name, but Megatron's residence at the beginning of the story is the lateDouble Punch's mansion, Megatron apparently having taken it for himself after murdering the former occupant.
• Terrorsaur mentions the Antares Eight, the group of Renegades Grimlock dealt with back at the beginning of "Micro-Aggressions".He mentions they've got unusual tech, a nod to their being from" out of town ".
• Megatron's petant-droidcolony appeared in "Identity Politics".
• Eject's plan to clone Lio Convoy was set up at the end of "Broken Windshields".His research on theG-Viruswas revealed in "Micro-Aggressions".
• Galvatron got a new lease on life at the end of "Micro-Aggressions", which also established his cause of death in this continuity.
• Nucleon identifies Powerhug as a Class F or Class G, the first mention of Builder-ruled Cybertron's class system since its introduction back in "Broken Windshields".
• TheGrand Malwas offhandedly mentioned, along with its connection to Thunderwing, back in "Trigger Warnings".

Transformers references

• Cryotek leads a gang called the Minions of Unicron, a nod to hisWreckersprofile which bizarrely named him a Minion of Unicron despite that designation having nothing to do with him whatsoever, most likely done as a simple means of marketing consistency with having all of the villain profiles published in comic books sold under theUniverselabel given that designation.
• When Cryotek storms Megatron's mansion, there's an unidentified yellow object left in a CR bath, none other than theRubber Ducky,which later appears in the background of the story's final image.
• Jai-Alai was originally an unused3H ProductionsBotContoy concept—ablack recolorofManterror—while Hammerstrike being female references herTransTech counterpart.
• The original Galvatron, partnered with Nucleon, Doomshot, and Clench, is described as one of only twoTriple-Threat Mastersactive during the Great War; the other isOptimus Prime,obliquely referred to in "Trigger Warnings"and dubbed by" A Brush With Infamy–Prologue "as" Triple-Threat Prime ", who was paired withApex,Hi-Q,andSurge.
  • Nucleon is Galvatron'sTitan Master(Headmastersrenamed fortrademarkreasons) partner from the contemporaryTitans Returntoyline). Jim Sorenson reworked Nucleon from a head-former into an engine-former because he considered the name "Nucleon" to work better for someone who functioned as a power source.
  • Doomshot is the Titan Master partner to Megatron in theTitans Returntoyline.
  • Clench is a G1-continuity import ofArmadaGalvatron's partnerMini-Conwith a weapon mode.
• Krunix was a mistaken giantNightstick/Fracasin the Marvel UK comics. Thus in this story, he repurposes theTitans ReturnFracas toyto beScourge's Headmaster partner.
• This story gives our first mention of the Maximal High Council and the Tripredacus Alliance, the reigning government bodies of both sides in the originalBeast Warscartoon.
• The failed Beast Upgrade test gives Overbite a broken, malformed alternate mode that combines aspects of both a shark and a submarine: in other words, hisUniversetoy,redecoed fromHellscream.The other failed test subjects have also traditionally had "misshapen" beast modes: Crow Convoy is trapped in mid-transformation, Gnash's raptor mode is damaged with exposed metalwork, and Max-B, as aCyborg Beast,has exposed machinery in wolf mode; this presumably gives some insight into how the upgrade failed for each of them.
• The mechafauna in the Toxic Sludge Swamps includes creatures based onDracula,theCreature from the Black Lagoon,theFly;as well as the unreleased Horrorcon decos forWaspinatorandBlackarachnia.
• Bisk, complete with gamer persona and unusual outlook, is a direct import ofhis counterpartinRobots in Disguise.Darksteel and Psychobat are similarly imports of thePrime,andAdventurecharacters, respectively.
• "Wasp" as a pre-beast mode name forWaspinatororiginates withAnimatedWaspinator;it was first applied to theBeast Warsincarnation of the character in hisHall of Fameprofile.
• Cybertron has a moon named "Artemis", named for theBWII characterof the same name, who lived on the moon ofGaia.The moon's skin being described as "gouged-out" is likely a reference to the moon seen in theBeast Machinescartoon that had a huge gash on its surface. "Derailment"would clarify that Artemis is an alternate name for what other continuities callMoonbase Two.
• The backstory for the Grand Mal has Thunderwingfuse his spark with his minionsand cause "much mayhem",a reference to the concurrentOf Masters and Mayhemstoryline; as in that story, they are challenged by theWreckers,though theUprisingWreckers were wiped out in the process.
• Galva Convoy's metaphysical attempts to master the Matrix and "transcend" at the request of a higher power evokes Optimus Primal's spiritual quests inBeast Machines.This time around, the reference is turned on its head, as it's an evil entity who's guiding Galva's thoughts for evil purposes.
• While talking with Galva Convoy, an exasperated Eject unwittingly quotes Primal's last words to Cheetor from that series, to "transform and transcend".
• Galva Convoy's plan to name his new faction "Terrorcons" probably should raise a few eyebrows. Over the years, the name has beenassociatedwitha certain Chaos Bringer several times, although the true identity of the entity would be hinted at inthe next chapter.
• Labrat is arepurposingof theMetals Rattle Special Versiontoy, similarly toShattered GlassRattrap.
• Formikon isInferno's Italian name. Just in case his identity goes over any reader's head, it's followed up by Megatron's comment of "by theInferno,"and"I like him."
• The threeBeast Warsshow characters shown to undergo the Beast Upgrade all take on forms that they didn't in the show: Scorponok has the appearance of his"Transmetal" Happy Meal toy,while Terrorsaur has hisunused-on-screen Transmetal design,and Megatron takes on hisBotCon 2016"TM3" body.All these designs have mechanical beast mode elements, reflecting the forms being taken frommechanimalsinstead of organic Earth creatures.
• Labrat's profile mentions that he originally worked under the MicromasterSiegatOverdrive Edition Industries.Sieg and the company are based on the "Overdrive Edition" toy ofArmadaSpiral(who is known in Japanese as "Sieg" ).^[1]

Video game references

• Bisk uses alotof video game lingo in this story. He considers important characters to be PCs (player characters) and unimportant ones to be NPCs (non-player characters), refers to events prior to theUprisingera as "backstory" and "metalore" (a term for history of a game's setting that doesn't impact on gameplay), considers the rise of Megatron to be a "new storyline" (found inMMO gamesthat receive ongoing updates and new content)... really, if you're unfamiliar with gaming terminology you might want to have Google handy.
• Bisk's "tree" of dialogue options while talking to Megatron is a staple of several games, most notablyBioWare'sMass Effectseries. (As a bonus, Bisk references "romance options", another notable feature of theMass Effectgames.)
• Bisk hiding from guards using a metal crate pulled from subspace is a reference to theMetal Gearseries, whose protagonistSolid Snakehides under cardboard boxes to evade detection during stealth segments.
• As Bisk lifts a protoform from its container, he mentally plays a jingle composed byTakashi TezukaandShigeru Miyamoto—in other words, the iconic "item get"jingle fromThe Legend of Zelda.
• And, as a lone examplenotfrom Bisk's narration, Twitcher earning his fortune in simultronic games is a dual reference to his alternate mode and toTwitch videogame streaming.

Real world references

• The story's title references the hashtag #NotAllMen.

Errors

• On Page 11, after Nucleon notices Galvatron entering the bar, the paragraph repeats.

Other trivia

• Each scene break containscybertronix,that, when translated, reveals a separate story nestled into this one— "A Brush With Infamy–Prologue".
• Continuing anUprisingtrend, Hammerstrike and Max-B are established to befemale Transformersin this continuity.
• Following the story is aSourcebook-style profile for Labrat.

See also

• "Not All Megatrons" Cybertronix translation: "A Brush With Infamy–Prologue"

References

External links

• "Not All Megatrons"at The OfficialTransformers Collectors' Clubwebsite
• "Not All Megatrons" annotationsbyJennifer Alexis Carlo