Sure I would - but it doesn't mean I'd be justified in doing so. And if I did, I'd still be guilty of murder. Killing out of revenge doesn't exude me from my crime.

People on this forum seem to forget about a little thing called "the rule of law" - it prevents people from taking justice into their own hands and turning into a bunch of vigilantes. Same rules apply to soldiers in war, even if some here think that a warzone is a big free-for-all where anyone can kill anyone else free of consequence.

The only way out is the self-defense claim, which Optimus clearly couldn't use because he had Sentinel down for the count. Prime didn't seem the type to me to kick a man when he's down - but then again, he didn't kick him, he just flat out executed him.

 

You are assigning OUR system of justice onto Optimus. You should know that no two countries on Earth have the same concepts of justice, why should Cybertronians have Earthly justice?

The only thing close to a universal system of justice is the Geneva Convention, and not every nation is a signatory to it (and I doubt the Autobots are either, much less the Decepticons).

Face it: Sentinel was pure evil. He tried to destroy all human lives for his personal gain. He slew his fellow Autobots. He betrayed the Autobot cause. He tried to undo everything that Prime and his crew had fought for, sacrificed for, and died over for millions of years. The guy would not stay down, he would not stand down, he would not surrender, he would not give up.

Prime did what he had to do. No more, no less. He didn't revel in the kill. He didn't enjoy it. He did it and moved on, because he had to do it.

You're talking stuff that happens in an IDEAL world only. We don't live in that world. Prime certainly didn't either. He's not a bad guy in any fashion, stop trying to make him out to be.

 

People also forget, that according to the Cybertronian laws, Optimus Prime is the political and military leader of the Cybertronian society, he has the authority to act as a judge and decide the proper punishment for the enemies.

The difference between Optimus and our laws-system is that our laws-system takes much more time to act, we have a whole intricated system of witnesses, judges, fautors, advocates, Cybertron DOES NOT [at least, nor anymore], and every single person on the Autobot team [the ones that would supposedly participate on the judgement of the war-prisioners] think Megatron and Sentinel deserve death, thus execution is completely warranted.

It's exactly like getting a guy a death sentence, but Autobots don't have the trial-system anymore [hell, there's only five guys left on the Autobot side of the war and none of them is a judge] nor the ways to arrest their criminals until the supposed judgement, Optimus has the authority, right and is FORCED to speed the process by simply executing his enemy.

 

This. Optimus didn't happily gun down Sentinel because he thought it was fun or badass, he did it because it was what he believed was the best thing to do to protect the innocents. Sentinel was obviously someone Optimus greatly respected as a leader, so pulling the trigger must have been a painful decision to make. Watch the ending scene after he kills Sentinel and Megatron...he just stands there, looking around with a blank expression, like he's shell-shocked.

 

This.

And this.

 

It's called war... It happens time and time again... Recently here in the case of bin laden ... I'm pretty sure that seal team where given medals and not subject to any punishment...

Same case... Optimus was stopping an invasion.. Had the leader either sentinel or Megs been left alive would not be in the best intrests of the safety of humanity... Prime as most other soldiers was justified in his actions and was subject to no punishment.

 

This.

 

REMEMBER, Bayformers are like that.. Random and Weird Story of Transformers..

That's what Michael Bay runs the story of the film ..

 

I don't think you have a very firm grasp on the concept of rules of engagement. They're set by the dude running the show. For example: Osama bin Laden grabbed a woman and hid behind her - and was shot THROUGH her. I don't see that SEAL being put on trial....lol.

If the mission is KILL, then that is what is done. Since Prime is...well...a Prime, that decision would fall on him. Obviously his mind was made up. It just happens that in Transformers, the military and political leader happens to be the strongest fighter.

If FDR had hopped out of his wheelchair, strapped on a jetpack, busted into Hitler's bunker and shot him in the face while he was disingenuously apologizing for the Jews, I don't think anybody would have felt too bad.

Also: Somebody make me an animated GIF of that. Like, RIGHT NOW.

 

It's a very tough question with no right or wrong.

Optimus could have shown mercy to Sentinel Prime as he was defeated and helpless.

Megatron is a different matter.

I know that Sentinel killed Ironhide but that's not the issue here. Optimus in ROTF confirmed that Autobot weaponry would not be shared as he understand humanity wreckless attitude in war.

So with that in mind, surely Optimus should be an example to follow and show mercy to a defeated enemy or is it a case of do as I do not as I say?

 

Erm....ur two examples don't really have anything to do with one another?

 

Transfotaku & Black Oracle - again, I appreciate the replies. I guess we won't know the extent of the AllSpark's power because if I recall correctly, Megatron was also brought back to life? Or maybe he was in stasis lock also?

 

While you may have a point. Nixon with water gate and Regan with Iran/Contra found out that the President is not above the law.

 

  Yes Somebody needs to do this.

 

Oh absolutely, there are some things you're not allowed to do...actively hide what you've done, for example, when you know it's something illegal.

 

But the point is: Everything Optimus did is under the Cybertronian law, he is the military and political leader of the Autobot society, he has the authority [and the obligation, as the Judiciary system of Cybertron has been destroyed] to deal with the war-prisioners.

 

^ This but I think it should have been handled better

 

Killing those genocide traitors after all they did is the greatest act of Mercy Movie Prime could ever show them.

 

No prob bro.

Megatron is definitely severely damaged at the end of the first movie. To the point that he seemed dead. He may have been dead. Or he may have been in severe stasis lock. Dialogue wise, they just called him dead, so if you want to take it on face value, he's dead...

...but his return in RotF wasn't just from the AllSpark. He had to have pretty much all of his body rebuilt from a living Decepticon, and an AllSpark shard was planted into his body. Like Dark Energon in Prime, or shards in TFA, it would be logical to assume that so long as he has that shard to fuel his return to life, he's active again.

So, I guess it depends on how much you view the shard returns him to life, or if it's a combination of that and a then living (and presumably slowly dying) body, and his state of life and death, and such factors.

 

Good points (totally forgot that he was rebuilt from another Decepticon) and once again thanks! I guess for Megs is how "dead" he was then.