I think a lot of it is Galvatron follows a Cause, and yet also doesn't want to be a follower.

He views himself as a great warrior and champion for Cybertron, but he isn't the type that is inspired on his own. Nova gave him a cause, so he fell in with Nova, especially when Nova treated him as a partner, but he chaffed when Nova treated him as a mere soldier. After he turned on Nova, the Heart whisper a new cause, and he leapt for it. When he realized it's treachery, Nova, no longer going by Nemesis and *also* free of the D-Void's influence, and thus able to act more diplomatically again (liking citing both their long positive history, and mutual d-void manipulations) won him back with some other great promises for Cybertron- and besides, Shockwave was the only way out, period.


Now, Soundwave has both given him a reason, and more than simply asking Galvatron to join, he's given him the mantle of leadership uncontested, with Soundwave taking the position of top subordinate. Thus, Galvatron is really happy to be in that position and can let his attitudes really hang loose.

 

I think its fair to say that bots can change especially over millions of years. Are any of us the same person we were 10 years ago? Even 5? I dont think we are. We change due to circumstance and experience so while Galvatron is all over the place I think hes reverted back to the way he was in the old cybertron era. Hes been through a lot while he was in the DU and missed the second great war.

I like hows he is being written and I like that Galvatron is a leader now. Having him being someones subordinate never sat well well with me.

 

I think that is a great assessment of Galvatron.

Quite true.

 

Marvel UK Galvatron will always be not only my favorite incarnation of him but was my favorite TF full stop. What I loved about him also in TF the movie that he was willing to go up against Unicron. What I didnt like was his descent into madness in season 3 which was a different madness that we saw in Marvel UK.

Galvatron was heavily influenced by the fact he was Megatron so he inherited if you will Megatrons madness, IDW Galvatron does not have that issue so hes free to be his own bot. Now that hes a leader I want to see him get more focus the way he did in Marvel and really come to the fore as a character and more importantly be written consistently from here on.

 

He became really crazy stupid in Time Wars though. To win the fight, all he had to do was to do exactly what the Galvatron did who he was partnered with back when Marvel UK Galvatron was Megatron.

But no. He intentionally and actively changed the events that lead him to his victory. "No! Thats what we did last time!" when the Straxus-Megatron clone suggested they rest first (going by my memory) and Galvatron jumping in front of the Pathblaster whereas before his past self Megatron was hit by it. So he actually got hit by it twice.

 

Did he though? While I loved Time Wars and still read it from time to time it did end up having a glaring continuity error that was addressed later on in the run. You see the Megatron that fought alongside Galvatron in Time Wars, (he met up with him in the annual story Altered Image) was NOT the Megatron that became Galvatron. There were two Megatrons running around Marvel. One was on Cybertron wandering around the region of Cybertron known as Dead End after suffering amnesia (he blew up the spacebridge after fighting the predacons) and the other (the straxus/clone) was on earth. This major issue was addressed in a black and white story when this clone was killed after fighting the other megatron.

Anyway its one of the reasons I hate time travel and alternate realities. In fairness IDW Galvatron has been a leader of sorts longer then he ever was in marvel. UK or US. Even if hes not in command of everyone

 

Considering i absolutely love EVERY IDW version of Galvatron...with one notable exception...no because he's a great character and not particularly contradictory. It's not hard to go from the sullen number 2 of Nova to the warrior barbarian of today and IDW pasts. As for his portrayal in the annual...it was marveling. I don't take anyones character in that as for reals.

No. I love it. Galvatron is dark, intelligent and just a wikkle bit wacky at times. One great combo bundled into a 40 foot old man. I also always pprefer my Galvatron's sane. It's a laugh and all when he's crazy bit it's not something to base a character on. Time Wars probably played it the best with his being driven mad by temporality and such

 

Time Wars happened twice.

Once in the continuity prior to the 1986 movie in which Galvatron and Megatron succeeded in defeating everyone, although not killing everyone.

And the second which leads into the Generation 2 future (main Marvel U.S. timeline) in which Galvatron is ripped apart by the time rift.

The 'G2 future' continuity has the Megatron-Straxus clone allied with Galvatron who was originally Megatron in the '1986 movie' continuity. However this Galvatron believes he is actually allied with his past self, in the '1986 movie' continuity. He's not.

The real mystery is who is the Galvatron that Megatron is allied with in the '1986 movie' continuity. The one that defeats everyone that '1986 movie' continuity Galvatron remembers being allied with as Megatron twenty years ago, that he believes to be himself. Which he's not. The comics don't go into that detail, but it has to be either the 'revised timeline' Galvatron after his portion of events from Aspects of Evil, or the Galvatron from Rhythms of Darkness prior to the events in that story.

Also, at the time Furman wrote Time Wars Megatron as the one and only actual Megatron. But he then later worked on the U.S. comics which brought Megatron back to life for the U.S. audience. But that causes problems for the U.K. audience hence the retcon that UK Megatron is actually a clone. The tfwiki says that '1986 movie' Galvatron is actually a Straxus-Megatron clone, but thats just not possible. We only see one Straxus-Megatron clone and he kills himself, also he doesn't exist in the '1986 movie' continuity. It also creates a bigger plothole as where is the real Megatron in the '1986 movie' continuity if the Megatron we see in the movie is actually a clone.

Also, regarding the revised timeline, I like to think that the 1986 movie continuity continues on without Rodimus Prime, Galvatron and the others ever returning from their trips to the past. Instead Rodimus Prime travels to an alternate 'revised' timeline in which Galvatron never before time-travelled. BUT... there must also be a Rodimus Prime, Kup, etc... in this revised timeline before the '1986 movie Autobots travelled to it after Time Wars. But that is never brought up by the comics. Ultra Magnus is shown but not confirmed to have died during Time Wars though. He's not seen again in the revised timeline. The revised timeline is also the setting for the elderly Rodimus Prime who tells the stories in Aspects of Evil. All the stories he tells take place in the '1986 movie' continuity, not the "G2 future' continuity.

 

Fair enough man. Even reading that explanation has the proverbial noggin in a spin. lol

In terms of redemption I really dont think IDW Galvatron (and not Marvel or anyone else, its a nice detour to talk about these incarnations but its irrelevant now) needs redemption or redeeming. Hes a different Galvatron. Hes been written at times differently in this continuity but he has, as has been said, through a lot so a bot will change. His inherent gladiatorial instinct is still here nowand has since the end of DC been written consistently. I think its important that the same writer writes him for the future because sometimes when another writer takes a character he can be written differently or at least comes across that way.

So far in season 2 Galvatron has been written consistently and I really dont think he needs redemption. I like how he is portrayed now, I like how he is not Megatron here which frees him up and cant wait to see where IDW Galvatron goes in the future......

All Hail Galvatron lol

 

Yeah, its confusing. Its not really thought out that well. I didn't even cover how during Time Wars. Optimus Prime in his Nebulan created Powermaster body shouldn't have the Matrix or be able to use it.

 

Poor Galvatron. Seemed like Furman had an interesting plan for him before he was shuffled off the TF books. Since then IMO nobody has really gotten him right. It will be interesting to see how this Barbarian take goes. He is one of my fav characters from my childhood but I haven't much cared for him in IDW.

 

I find current take on Galvatron a refreshing one.

With so many deep and conflicted characters with dark secrets and personal crises around...

...he's the one simple guy who will take whatever he wants and gives absolutely no **** to anyone else.

 

I like the path that Galvatron is on. In the way he not an extension of Megatron. I am agreement with Haywaire here.

 

Hail Galvatron!

 

He's always been more plot-device than plot in IDW and to be honest He is again now because the 'Cons need a Big Bad to make threats, growl and generally be an asshole with Megs off doing something else.

He's a holdover from the '86 Movie that probably only Furman had any real vision or affection for (mainly because series 3 was such WTF fodder for characters) and making Him an always existing Cyber-Conan is probably the easiest way of not having to cobble together a coherent explanation for the "is he//isn't he" Megatron time travel nonsense.

Can he be redeemed? Anyone can if you try hard enough. It's just a question of whether or not the current arc counts as trying.

 

He's a better ***hole than Megatron, though. Mostly because he can be only an ***hole, whilst IDW Megatron is kinda bogged down with making him a Decepticon Magneto and fallen anti-hero, but Galvatron can be simply a big ham villain.

 

So when the next writer decides to Anti-Hero Him we better see what the availability of the Hooded-Claw is just in case a stand-in is needed at short notice because Lord knows we can't have Soundwave develop and he would be cheaper. Probably.

 

Who knows, maybe for once the writing team will see that simple characters also are needed and Galvatron can stay with a one consistent characterisation for longer.

There are enough Con warlords in canon to fit a niche for probably every possible villain type, too bad they're left unused or sidelined. Or, *cough*Ratbat*cough*, killed before they could develop into anything.

 

I love current Galvatron, also i think there may be a lot more to him than meets the eye.
In any case he has shown glimpses of great cunning behind the mad old geezer behaviour, i don't think he should be underestimated.