Tag: megop

kyraneko:

decepticonsensual:

madmud2730:

decepticonsensual:

I think there’s a lot of interesting potential here, particularly on Optimus’s side.  After all, he grew up after the Great War.  Decepticons – and Megatron in particular – are the boogeymen he heard stories about as a child, and even though Optimus is a loyal Autobot, I can see him feeling simultaneously scared of and drawn to this dark, mysterious warlord he was always ordered to hate (in the way that he often seems wary of, but attracted to, adventure).  He’s pleased when Megatron finally remembers his name by the end of the series.  And there’s a strange kind of intimacy to being the leaders of two opposing ragtag bands of misfits, stuck on an alien planet, with Optimus’s superiors mostly distant and unhelpful, sometimes so actively hostile that it could lead Optimus to feel a bit like he and Megatron are in something together that others don’t understand.  I can easily imagine Optimus starting to cast himself and Megatron as rivals/best enemies – whether or not Megatron agrees.

From Megatron’s side, I think it would take a bit longer to start to appreciate the young Prime.  Megatron’s sliced his way through a lot of Autobots in his time.  But he’s also capable of recognising and encouraging sparks of intelligence and talent, whether in unlikely Decepticons, humans, or even his enemies.  I think that something about Optimus – his determination, probably – would eventually catch Megatron’s attention, and get him curious about what it would take to get this innocent young Autobot to at least consider things from a Decepticon perspective.

There’d definitely be a huge power difference underlying their relationship (arguably two:  Megatron is a battle-hardened emperor, while Optimus is still a callow, low-ranking officer, but Optimus’s side controls Cybertron, while Megatron is an exile barely keeping his faction alive, and the fact that those two differences run in opposite directions might make things more interesting :)).  I think Megatron would end up in something of a mentor role, but that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing:  Optimus would get an exceptional, if sometimes painful, education in politics and war, and Megatron would get a pretty, intriguing, and challenging diversion – who could potentially end up a valuable ally.

If I may, I’d like to (sort of) propose another idea for the ship.

In depth discussions of politics, the ruling government of Cybertron, and possible conversion to the other side (on Optimus’ part).

You’ve already mentioned this idea in your response, but really – imagine Optimus questioning Megatron why he fights against the Autobot government (really why, not just because it’s what Decepticons are suppose to do) and Megatron giving him the answers he seeks.

If you look hard and long enough at TFA, you’ll start to see a very ugly society and government. I mean, for starters, the people are brainwashed into despising/distrusting mecha who can fly. (See Optimus and Ratchet’s initial reaction to Jetfire and Jetstorm, which was to attack because fliers = Decepticons.) So there’s something shady definitely going on there. You’ll notice too that most, if not all, Autobots have tools, which they use to fight, but no actual weapons. The weapons are with the Decepticons, and I am almost certain this was intentionally done. I could be wrong though, I could be remembering a former friend’s head canon as canon. Whatever it was though, I remember them pointing out that the Autobots were more like civilians and the Decepticons were like soldiers, hence why the Autobots use tools (hammers, axes, wrecking balls) while the Decepticons have weapons (blasters, swords, bombs).

So there’s evidence to support the idea that the Autobot government has some really shady things going, things that they hide from their people by getting them to not think about it and focus on other things, like their jobs. Remember how Optimus gives a speech about being a cog in the great Autobot machine? Likely something the government likes to say to keep everyone docile and in their place.

If Megatron were to point these things out and say that he fights to end this shady business, if Megatron could get Optimus thinking about that shady business, you could get a MegOP ship going. You might even get Optimus to become a Decepticon too so that he could put an end to the corrupt government himself.

Also I’d like to point out that Optimus Prime isn’t a low-ranking mech. He’s a Prime, which is the second highest rank in the TFA system. The only rank higher than Prime is Magnus and the only mecha who can take the title of Magnus are Primes, hence why Optimus tells Sentinel to go forth and take said title when news of Ultra Magnus’ attack reach them. By all means, Optimus could take the title of Magnus for himself, but I think he chooses not to because 1.) He still had business on Earth to take care of, and 2.) He still wasn’t confident enough in himself to seize the role, thanks to years of putting himself down after what happened to Elita-1.

I actually absolutely agree with you about the Autobot government, and about Optimus’s potential to go ‘Con if Megatron helped him realise all the shady stuff going on among his superiors.

With the title of Prime – I could actually never figure out how high up it was in TFA.  Sentinel’s a Prime, and second only to Magnus and the High Command, apparently, but Optimus is a Prime and runs a space bridge repair crew consisting of four guys.  I guess I figured it was somewhere between lieutenant and captain – the rank of a unit commander, but also potentially of an aide to a much higher-ranking officer (like Sentinel could be to Magnus).

I’m thinking maybe Prime is a rank that, once given, can’t be taken away, or isn’t taken away for anything but the absolute worst offenses. The nature of the Autobot government’s corruption seems to be one where the privileges of rank are a significant and much-utilized perk in the higher levels, and as such I’d readily believe they would be more centered around sweeping Primes’ misconduct under the rug rather than removing them from office, because removing them from office for minor to median offenses fails to treat them as above the law to the manner to which many are accustomed.

Which doesn’t, of course, mean they can get away with anything, especially if they’re not politically in favor or in power. Punishments would be along the lines of bad or degrading assignments, getting them out of the way, putting them at the bottom of the pecking order OF Primes, many of whom would enjoy wielding power over a fellow Prime because it makes them seem more powerful.

So Optimus (in theory) gets another Prime killed. They don’t kick him out, because that would mean any Prime could get kicked out for a similar accident or miscalculation, and nobody involved wants Primes in general to be subject to removal for misconduct, and most everyone involved would rather the Primes be above that. Instead they send him on a pointless assignment to the ass end of nowhere with a small crew of nobody important, and talk down to him like he’s a failure every chance they get.

This focuses disdain on the individual, without imperiling the general perks of office, especially to outsiders, the way kicking a Prime out of office would do.