Only the partially organic alien version. When he's purely mechanical it's just Brainiac.

I'm pretty sure Megatron started in comics as well since Marvel wrote the first character descriptions for G1. Of course Transformers were toys first but before Marvel wrote him as Megatron the original Microman toy was just called "Gun Robo - P38" so Marvel essentially created the first incarnation of Megatron.

Even those wouldn't really fit. The problem being that... as far as I know, I'm not as familiar with those other toy line, those were actually original molds created specifically for those toy lines as apposed to importing figures from different toy lines in Japan and lumping them all together to make something new. Which is essentially what happened with Transformers.

Also those other toy lines don't have as many different continuities as Transformers does. He-Man was just that cartoon and it's spin offs back in the 80's, that one failed live action movie, and the She-Ra reboot that just recently came out... but there was nothing for like almost 30 years between the 80's and now. Mean while Transformers had a short break but was revived in the 90's by Beast Wars not 30 years later by a netflix reboot of a spin off series.

And I don't even know what the heck Mumm-Ra is...

I looked it up... Thundercats villain... So there's like 3 continuities of that as well compared to the 10ish+ different continuities of Transformers.

 

I like the modern incarnations of Megatron in IDW, Siege and especially Combiner Wars where he's not a one dimensional villain.

He had hints of his CW self in the G2 comic.

He was kind of one dimensional in the G1 comic and cartoon but I liked how he wasn't afraid to challenge Predaking and Unicron. Both times he was injured.

Compared to other villains, he's the only 80s cartoon villain to actually kill the hero.

His original toy is banned in the US and UK for looking like a replica handgun. How many fictional villains have been banned?

 

And I hate to be grim, but 3 different people have been shot and killed over "G1 Megatron Misunderstandings"

That puts his real life human kill count at 3! How many do Vader or Skeketor have? THATS evil.

 

I suspect Megs would be fairly highly ranked as recognizable villains. Possibly top 10?

1) Devil
2) Dracula
3) Darth Vader
4) Godzilla
5) Joker
6) Frankenstein Monster
7) King Kong
8) Terminator
9) Megatron (Considering all Variants)
10) Jason?

-Alien & Predator are recognizable as species rather than individual villains.

Id love to hear feedback to this list. Of course I may be way off, but who else deserves top 10?

 

I am a big MEGATRON fan and I must clear the doubts and confusion in Megatron compared to other villians.
First, take those villians who have connection with Megatron. (The most common is that they are the arch nemesis of heroes )
NOTE:VILLIANS LIKE THANOS,DARKSEID CAN'T BE USED HERE BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING A ROLE SAME AS UNICRON FROM TRANSFORMERS (TO DESTROY ALL LIFEFORM)
I think the best comparison would be frieza, Darth vader,vilgax, green goblin,ultron.
A character with many different incarnations in every show,movie or game/comic must have option to choose the right incarnation for battle
Bayverse megatron: better in Tf1,worse later again better in Tf5. If megatron is to be compare with any movie villian Tf1 megatron would fight because other movie versions are in a weakened state and tf1 megatron is very powerfull ,nearly unstoppable(only the cube could kill him)and no one except transformers can use the cube .if tf5 megatron then megatron wins very easily because he was actually overpowered.

G1 megatron: this megatron is from G1 cartoon and he is only a match for 80s villians and he easily ranks at top being the only one to complete his goal and actually killed the hero and conquered Cybertron. This version of megatron can only be counted in 80s villians list and ranks at 1st.

Unicron trilogy megatron: this megatron is very powerfull and he is kinda dragon ball transformers. He is perfect match for frieza and those villians who have powers.

Prime megatron and animated megatron both are really powerfull and smart.

IDW megatron: best version of megatron and arguably most powerfull and successfull also. I will take him as a match for Darth vader and ultron. This would be a good fight.

Cyberverse:here also we see megatron achieving his goal in 3rd season,he got matrix of leadership,a new upgrade armour and took half of cybertron.
Megatron X: this is alternate reality megatron but he MUST be included because he conquered universe and won the great war and killed all autobots including optimus prime, he also got an upgrade and a new black red colour scheme. He even killed quintessons with one shot and used allspark to create the PERFECT DECEPTICONS .
I haven't took BW megatron and Alternity megatron( because most people dont know about alternity) and I took only the best version of megatron .
Palatine,thanos,darkseid are matchups for unicron.

And to clarify the character of megatron is improving time by time. He was a cartoon villian but, the only villian of 80s to kill the hero and achieve his goal of gathering energy resources and rule cybertron.megatron later became an anti hero , not to forgot that in war for cybertron trilogy netflix in ending of seige autobots were believed dead and in earthrise megatron defeated optimus and took the matrix of leadership with him
In kingdom he finally restored cybertron and helped others to defeat galvatron and nemesis prime so in this show megatron has restored cybertron and won
In unicron trilogy his schemes were very long and he ends most episodes with evil speeches . Yeah RID 2001 was garbage but it was predacon megatron not decepticon leader. Megatron in Comics and manga was great for example super megatron.
So I think megatron is actually respected
The problem is Michael bay in movies who gave megatron secondary role although tf1 was good others were bad and in tf5 megatron was powerfull but again quintessa was real threat.
I hope Travis Knight will do justice for megatron in upcoming movies
Anyways dont forget the MIGHTY GALVATRON who is megatron's future self and Galvatron can beat thanos,palpatine,darkseid as he is very powerfull to even beat primus with two electric shocks in transformers cybertron show
Fun fact:if any version of megatron gains access to his powerfull weapons like dark spark,dark star saber,dark claw mode ,death gun, antimatter powers and the powers which he used in transformers devestation final boss fight.


So I think I have done what I have yo solve the problem once and for all

 

Darth Vader is the necessity of context, otherwise his deconstruction doesn't work (the proof being deleted scenes from Return of the Jedi), whereas Megatron's behind the scenes is a fun factor. It isn't a fun factor, with Vader (unless one is a sadistic audience member).

 

Darth Vader, is the unnecessary context of a villain and his construction does does work (the proof being in movie scenes from Empire Strikes Back), whereas Megatron's in the film is a dark factor...

I can spout nonsense too  

In all seriousness though, comparing Megs to other famous villains, really depends ultimately on which version of Megatron we're talking about (or some other notable villains with a few versions). If we're talking key aspects of these characters, I feel Megatron probably is on moderately equal footing with villains the likes of Vader, Ultron, Lex Luthor, even Thanos and Darkseid. It's when we get to specifying what version and what parts of said version and other nitty gritty does it start getting really interesting.

 

To me I've always thought Ganondorf and Megatron were the same character sometimes.

Which reminds me: I think David Kaye should voice a version of Ganondorf actually

 

Megatron is a great character and he stands nearly top if you search BEST ROBOTIC VILLIANS, you will see Megatron in Third. That's good isn't it ???.
Further more he is also in top 10 in cartoon and comic villians but the movies treated him very bad. His roles and voice is good but he does eveytine and returns,he was better in tf1 and rotf.TLK did gave him justice by showing that the strongest autobots cant stop megatron and even with one arm cut off he pinned optimus prime.

I bet if we get a new movie verse which give megatron the justice and make him just like comics and cartoons(he was the only villian in 1980s to kill the hero and conquered cybertron).he is badass in cartoons and comics as IDW made Megatron a Universal+ character
So only movies treated megatron bad otherwise he is totally badass

 

By the way I notice that those who say megatron is not good have accounts named anything type while those who say megatron is good are from accounts named with transformers.

 

No one is going to say that Megatron is the greatest villain in all of fiction. Far from it. But there's definitely an x-factor there because he has achieved an iconic status in a way that few others, even objectively better villains do.

 

Megatron was the first villain you could hold in your hand as an accurate representation of what you saw on a cartoon. You can't do that with Skeletor or The Joker.

He was also the first villain to actually WIN, defeating Optimus Prime. Optimus may have got the last hit but Megatron was still functioning after Optimus passes on the Matrix and goes grey.

While he is probably a mid-tier villain in most respects, it's this X-Factor that gave him a leg up back in the day and why he continues to be iconic. Despite his demeanor, he's the villain who WINS...and Optimus is the hero who dies.