Artist Ken Christiansen has posted up a new piece of preliminary design work that he did for Hasbro during the development of Transformers Prime and the Aligned Continuity. The latest post on The Bad Flip blog shows off an unused tank alternate mode for Megatron – a sleek combination of realistic and futuristic design sensibilities which pays homage to tank form Megatrons from across the Transformers series.
Do you prefer this to the alien spacecraft that Hasbro ran with in the final version, or do you feel that a sleek tank form would have lent some nice variation to the Decepticons of the Aligned Continuity? Hit the discuss button below to share your views.
Concept
So they would have needed to have agent fowler driving a tank…
Prime_816
I'm assuming that's the case. If we're limiting Megatron to one alt mode, then I agree with others that an Osprey or VTOL type vehicle is best. I really think a triple changer is most suitable, with a tank and some sort of flight mode, but all triple changers require sacrifices in toy form.
TylerMirage
Count me in on the "I'd rather have a tank than a Cybertronian jet-plane-crumple-thing"-boat.
Though I'd be way more interested in seeing the 'bot mode.
My bro. Agreed on all accounts.
Also, is this "Osprey Megatron" that everyone keeps referring to the Animated alt mode? I know he's a twin-rotored VTOL vehicle thing that does resemble an Osprey (sort of), but I can honestly say that I've never heard anyone call TFA Megatron an Osprey.
CodeXCDM
Want a damn good Tank Megatron design?
Check out this custom by xaviercal:
Scaleface
I'd love it if somehow they worked Megatron into a triple changer with realistic tank and cybertronian helicopter modes.
SMOG
I'd actually rather Megatron went Tank, and Shockwave stuck to Cybertronian fantasy vehicles. After all, even in G1, Shockwave was a 30-foot long flying space-gun.
Somehow, G1 Megatron as a fast-moving flying vehicle always felt wrong to me…
zmog
EnergonWaffles
I prefer the jet. I get enough tank from Shockwave.
Quirriff
For plot reasons the alternate mode he's got now is best.
But I like the tank better….Perhaps if he was a triple changer…..
However TF:animated nailed it…..a Gunship was perfect.
PcPrime23
I prefer Megatron's jet mode. Aerial vehicles, in my opinion, fit him well. Plus Shockwave has the tank alt mode already covered.
Quantum_Penguin
As far as tank alternate modes go that's actually pretty snazzy. It reminds me a lot of the light tanks from TRON especially the hatches and the over-sized, boxy flash suppressor. It's certainly better than aping the silly Cybertronian-whatever mode from the first film and better than another H-tank. If I had to choose, I would still go for the dual rotor chopper from Animated, but this is a close second. Down the pike I hope we'll either get a "Generationized" Animated Megatron in the style of Lugnut and Blitzwing or a Voyager tank that looks something like this.
Mechafire
Osprey was the best vehicle mode Megs has ever had, followed closely by the stealth bomber.
HunterRose
I agree with this a whole bunch.
haloangel21
Seems too complicated and boring.
User_136440
While I'd prefer an Earth based mode for Megs, a tank just doesn't feel right; it's too slow and lacks majesty or grace as well as being smaller than most jets, which is fine for a character like Brawl, for example, but not a leader. The Cybertronian jet mode is equally weak though so perhaps a stealth bomber or, as others have said, an Osprey type vehicle would've been better.
moreprimeland
I'm wondering if this is a finished work?…doesn't stand out as flashy as the usual Megatron alt modes….maybe there's more to come.
Tank modes are okay, but I think I prefer Megs jet modes.
Rakored6978
I agree that Megatron should have a new alt-mode other than the jet. I was kinda hoping that after his resurrection from the space bridge incident would have forced him to adopt an Earth-style alt-mode to repair his damages, shorta like what Skyquake and Dreadwing did even though they had no evidence of losing whatever they were before coming to Earth and scanning Agent Fowler's jet.
Ziero
…wait, you meant I could've had an actual Voyager Class tank Megatron from Prime? Awww dang it, the cybertron jet thing is just lame, I would have LOVED to get a nice big Tank Megatron. Hell, *any* earth mode Megatron would've been nice, I always prefered a nice, big boxy looking Megatron and there just hasn't been one since…G2? (garish colors aside). A big, beefy, silver, black and red monster tank is exactly what I always felt best suited Megatron, why is it so hard to make him into one.
CapnScumbone
THANK YOU for saying it. The current altmode is exactly that, a lazily-designed, gappy mess that resembles nothing, and fish parts certainly won't fix the issue. 'Cybertronian vehicles' have a distinct design ethic, and giant hollow spaces are not part of that.
Alteron_Sheng
I usually love Cybertronian alt modes, it's so nice to see 'almost Earthen but so unique and alien'… but Megatron's 'Cybertronian' alts have disappointed me since the movies, often feeling like it's just a pile of parts or lazy engineering that doesn't even fully hide the head…
I would have LOVED to have seen a decent tank alt mode for Megatron again, especially if we could have gotten him in the Ultra class or Leader class size.
I've bought most of the Prime toys, I've had no interest in getting Megatron at all. I bought several movie toys, and only bought one megatron toy out of a junker bin for kitbash fodder.
Also, given that almost all the other characters have earth based alt modes (the jet vehicons and insecticons being the exception) and the theme of 'disguise' I was REALLY hoping that Megatron would eventually get an earth-based alt during the show.
Algernon
Neat. I wonder how bot mode would look. That's really what would make or break the whole design.