Okay, I know from the title, everyone'everyone's thoughts probably shifted to either Soundwave or that Tarn fellow, but I'm going beyond that. I've been thinking about the dynamics of your typical Team Evil group and how one of the lessons that inevitably gets a send up is that bad guys aren't effective as a team because they can't trust one another. And we know plenty of Decepticons fall under this, so my question is which one subvert the idea that bad guys can't trust one another. And since he is typically the Cons' supreme leader, that translates into who Megatron can trust to act independently of him without taking it into their heads to try to betray him for their own agenda.

 

Lugnut,dreadwing,bruticus,menasor,tarn

 

Soundwave is basically Megatron's best friend (ironically, this means nobody else but Megatron can trust him as a result)

Tarn, last I checked, is probably a bit more loyal to the Decepticon cause than Megatron himself (it's been a while, but last I can recall Tarn was totally for killing Megatron in MTMTE after learning he had switched sides)

Usually Shockwave (the ones who don't decide to use logic as an excuse to overthrow him at least)

Lugnut actually isn't one of Megatron's most trustworthy. Loyal as a puppy to the point of religious worship? That's about as much as Megatron can trust him. While Lugnut would never betray Megatron, his overeagerness to please may cause him to think of trying to do his assignments better to make his leader happier...so if he knew more sensitive material than the average soldier, he might try to help Megatron out without thinking about the consequences of his immediate actions. In which case he's probably about as effective as Claptrap from Borderlands deciding between fireworks and raw explosives for which one would produce a bigger explosion for a tournament halftime show.

And of course, Armada Demolishor is the quintessential yes man for that series Megatron, at least for most of the show (he starts realizing Megatron's not so great toward the end), then after his personality reset in Energon he's back to yes-man duty as Not-Long Haul.

 

Ravage and Lugnut for sure.

 

Soundwave and Sixshot.

 

also soundwave and shockwave

 

Soundwave is one of Megatron's biggest self-serving backstabbers. He's just intelligent enough to make sure he is seen as trustworthy while doing so and not to get caught.

 

Is this something other than g1 or tfp? Cause that doesn't sound like soundwave to me

 

Yeah Soundwave and Shockwave are the first two that came to mind for me.

 

From G1 cartoon:

Soundwave, plus subordinate tapes
Shockwave
Motormaster
Bruticus, after his reprogramming

 

Shockwave was so much better in the comic. Totally different character. He's the last one to be loyal to megatron. Beat him to slag a few times.

 

G1 Soundwave (Cartoon)
G1 Shockwave (Cartoon)
Beast Wars Inferno
Beast Wars Waspinator till the end
Armada Demolisher
Energon Starscream
Animated Lugnut
Movie Blackout (Says all Hail Megatron)
Prime Soundwave

 

Well out of all the continuities I've watched it seems that Soundwave is pretty much the only Decepticon Megatron can trust... well except for Animated, there it's pretty much Lugnut and I guess Shockwave was pretty trustworthy too in the G1 Cartoon, I mean he did stay true to his promise about keeping Cybertron exactly how he left it, even after 4 million years.

 

nope thats g1 soundwave alright... thats pretty much right out of his G1 bio & tech spec

 

I've been racking my brain and I really can't think of anyone that Megatron could trust in most of the mythos. I know people say Soundwave in the cartoon but I don't know he could trust him either. In the animated movie, Soundwave sure didn't speak up when Starscream threw Megatron out of Astrotrain and not a few minutes later also nominating himself as a leader candidate too.

 

If you ignore the Marvel comic and go with the cartoon:

Shockwave and Rumble, maybe Laserbeak (he was hard to read since he had no "real" personality. Rumble was a toady but he always gave the feel of he respected Megatron's strength and thus made him loyal and wouldn't do anything against him. He was always "Megatron is powerful, he's merciless, you'll never be our leader Starscream" and in the movie he carried his fusion cannon after the big fight. Shockwave was the extremely loyal solider, follows orders, doesn't even consider going against him.

 

The fact that he likes being number two probably helps; he has all the traits of your average treacherous Decepticon but he's smart enough that it's a long fall down from number one, so he never vies to take Megatron's place.

Also I'm surprised no one's brought up Ravage.

 

It pretty much always depends on continuity.

Sometimes Soundwave is genuinely loyal, sometimes he's just a sycophant.

Sometimes Shockwave is loyal, others he's an usurper.

Generally Skywarp is a diehard loyalist. Rumble as well. Ravage usually.

When you really think about it, there are probably less traitors and usurpers than Megatron loyalists. Think about how many Decepticons there are, and then how many actually stab Megatron in the back.

Really the only ones Megatron can't trust are the ones who want leadership. So Starscream, Shockwave sometimes, Scorponok, maybe Ratbat? The Terrorcons in IDW went after him but he put in their place, and the Predacons have fought him unsuccessfully but they were treated like hired guns in Marvel and as wild animals in Dreamwave.

I think it comes down to if you work for Megatron you're loyal to him.

 

Most of these choices really don't surprise me; honestly they'd comprise most of my own list as well. Though I must say I'm suprised to see some people including Menasor and Motormaster. BW Scorponok also seemed pretty ready to be trusted, even if he was a bit dim.

The theory that the Megatron supporters outnumber the treacherous guys though does kind of presuppose that all the Cons have been given an equal opportunity to usurp him though. It's doubtful that your basic Decepti-grunt has much of a shot at ceasing power for himself.

 

Going just by fiction, though, rarely do Decepticons exhibit desire to betray Megatron outside of those established as usurpers. Most Decepticons are content enough to conquer, fight, steal, kill or follow orders. In most cases this actually makes sense as evil or not Megatron is a revolutionary who built the Decepticons from the ground up.