Scourge was the REAL leader there!!

 

For the most part, I've always interpreted it that Megatron is a total warrior, built from the ground up for combat. Optimus, like most of the Autobots, is a civilian who took up arms to fight off the 'Cons. That innate unbalance in ability is what gives Megatron a physical edge over Prime (offset in later shows by Optimus' super modes).

 

I wouldn't have it any other way. The Decepticons are hobbled enough by their lineup of cowards, traitors, and incompetents. Let them have SOMETHING over the good guys!

 

Simple answer: Prime doesn't want to kill.

 

Prime follows Asimov's Laws:

1-Megs doesn't give a shit about humans, Prime does
2-Megs has a sort of god complex, Prime will comply if it's for the better
3-Again, Megs doesn't care for anyone else, but Prime is just a giant robotic Care Bear

 

Actually, in TF movie 1986, both Megs and Prime were fatally wounded... the difference: Megs was converted by Unicron into Galvatron before he had a chance for his spark to etinguish (or "lasercore" in the G1 cartoon).

But the reason Megs always has the upperhand in 1-on-1 is simple, as was said earlier, Megs was born a fighter, plus he has a lack of compassion. Prime fights only coz he has to, and he always hesitates til there is no other option before killing a fellow bot (with the exception of Bonecrusher in the movie.... but then again, bonecrusher just looked too stupid to live)

 

G1 Megatron was probably the most evenly matched with Prime. I never really took BW Megatron that seriously since he had a freaking rubber duckie around him. Very clever version but never a great fighter. BM Megatron seemed of a more behind the scenes type leader. I honestly can't comment too much on the other Megatrons since I can't stand those shows. I hope Megatron IS more powerful than Optimus so that Optimus will have to rely on intelligence and courage to win rather than the Armada "SUPER LASER ATTACK MODE" type victory.

 

In G1, they made it pretty clear Prime was tougher them Megs, which Prime even says I think in Heavy Metal War. Anyways, like previously stated, the fact is the enemy has to have the upper hand to build suspense, and Prime has weakness Megs doesn't, like being protective. I am sure that at almost any point Megatron could have beaten the autobots had they taken advantage of Primes compassion by threatening/kidnapping humans. Prime actually committed suicide in the Marvel G1 comics for allowing VIRTUAL people to die during his fight against Megatron in a video game. Prime, at least G1 Prime, had a terrible sense of priorities.

 

2007 Movie Op Is Crap

in the 2007 movie why is optimus prime so bad at fighting megatron. megatron thrashes him! he chucks, kicks and blasts him and optimus does apsolutley nothing. not once does prime attack megatron. the only time he does is with his gun. WHY IS PRIME SO CRAP IN THE MOVIE?????????

 

My best guess it that Prime actually is holding back to minimize damage and casualties a lot. So he tries to make Megatron focus on him.

 

There are actually a few times, too, in the G1 cartoon where Megatron pays Prime some grudging respect, which he wouldn't have done if he didn't think Prime was capable of ever beating him.

--Moony

 

Stuff like that was what made me hate the comics Prime. With him as the autobot leader, how they survived 5 minutes is a friggin miracle. Im surprised he didnt have them all dismantled because their Earth vehicle forms contributed to pollution.

Prime isnt as strong as Megatron, and thats okay. What point is there having villains if they can be defeated easily?
That was one of the reasons I never liked Superman, he was invincible (except to Krytonite, I know), so whats the point. Its not like he's ever actually in any danger. Invincibile/unbeatable heroes = yawn.

Personally, my major gripe is, no matter how powerful Megatron is, he will always lose. Whenever the Decepticons show up, big deal, they're gonna lose, its just a matter of how.
Thats why I liked BW, sometimes Evil won, and that was awesome, I mean, by the end of season 2, Megatron had the maximals defeated, he'd destroyed the orginal Optimus, and destroyed the future as they knew it.

I'd like to see more TF shows do that. God forbid shows reflect real life where sometimes, the bad guys win.
Lets have our good old predictable plots. Yay.

End rant.

 

They also chose to mostly show Prime's shots to Megs in the freaking corner of the background as the movie focused on the humans vs. grunt Decepticon (Blackout) rather than the two most important Transformers. Gonk.

 

My guess is one of two things:

I copy what you say, and beleive Prime was so brutal to BC because once out of traffic, there was little risk of human casualties so it was easier to finish him quick.


Or two:

Prime's little display with BC was to demonstrate just how Powerful Megs was later. Y'know make Optimus badass, then if the badass guy gets his ass kicked by another badass guy, just how powerful is badass guy #2?

I beleive it was the latter. It makes more sense.

 

I know prime doesnt really do as much as we would like in the moive but if you actaully watch the background you can see prime laying it down to megs a couple of times, you have to watch carefully but prime is able to hold off megatron and hold his own. Also i kinda look at it that while megs is on earth frozen prime is still fighting in the war.

 

To have Prime be lesser than Megs is dumb. sure it means that you're rooting for the underdog but if they were evenly matched (like they should be) then it's more intriguing as it could genuinely go either way.

 

In G1, I think Prime was Megatron's equal in strength and thinking, perhaps even his superior at times in battle prowess, but his Achilles' heel was always his compassion for others, and Megatron knew this and would use it against him. Whereas Megatron had little inhibitions and was willing to be under-handed, take cheap shots and be ruthless to get the upper-hand in battles, Prime always fought on fair and honourable grounds. This i think is what really maintained their 'stalemate' where neither could ever completely win over the other. Had Prime been willing to be more ruthless like Megatron, he would most likely have got significantly further in defeating the Decepticons once and for all! But then, his compassion was also what earned the respect of his troops and friends, all of whom would gladly follow him into danger and risk their lives to protect him, so it was his strength too.

So maybe, now that i think about it, perhaps G1 Prime was stronger than Megatron afterall. Because he, who limited himself with his reluctance to harm others, could still match an uninhibited Megatron in war.

 

"You fight for the weak - that is why YOU LOSE!"

-Megatron, Transformers 2007

But Prime really doesn't lose - it just takes him a bit longer to beat Megs because he is not like Megatron.

IMO, of course.

Not only that, but Prime is fighting to PROTECT the human race - he has to pull his punches because of his surroundings, Megatron has no such qualms about that. I'm fairly sure Prime would have been laying into him harder had it not been for that.

 

In order for a fight to be interesting, it has to be unpredictable. In order for it to be unpredictable, both opponents need to be capable of winning. For me, a significantly weaker or less skilled Prime does not make for a more interesting fight, because I know that if Prime wins, it will be through a deus ex machina, or plot device, which is a total cop out. I don't want Prime to win because Megs slipped on a banana peel or because Sam had some unexplainable impulse to shove the all-Spark into Megs' chest. There's only one satisfying ending to a fight: the winner overcomes his opponent through his own faculties.

Prime doesn't need to be stronger, but he has to have something over his opponent that makes him capable of winning a one-on-one fight, be it skill, intelligence, or tenacity.

 

evil will always win, because good is dumb.