It’s that time of year again – arguably the best season of all! A time of longer nights and shorter days. A season fraught with nightmarish landscapes! Skeletons hang silently from banisters like cadavers strung over a hangman’s gallows, neighboring lawns – the same ones we pass day in and out – become overnight graveyards, masked ghouls take to the streets seeking treats, and inhuman voices howl at autumn moons. The season of horror and the hour of monsters is again upon us.
Horror fans don’t have to wait a whole year to indulge in the inner beasts that drive us, but this time of year makes it much more fun to embrace all things macabre. With Halloween approaching, I’ve decided to continue my tradition of focusing on a specific legendary monster. This year, my fangs are bare and I’m going for the jugular with Universal Monster’s Wolf Man.
The film stands as an early example of body horror, showcasing our protagonist’s human form abandoning its natural grace and becoming grotesquely animalistic. Bones break and rearrange, skin tears and fur grows, nails curl blackly into sharpened talons and teeth sprout from a beastly maul hungry for human blood. Human anatomy is mutilated until a man becomes an accursed beast trapped under the gossamer shine of a haunting moon. Such is the horrid fate of the werewolf as we know it today. And nearly all of our knowledge concerning werewolf lore draws from the imaginative concepts introduced in this classic horror spectacle.
The movie takes its viewers on a dangerous journey across haunted moors and a gypsy camp where old magic still rules the night and locks all under a gloom of superstition and existential dread. This distant land of mysticism is shared by resplendent mansions and modern conveniences, which, intentional or not, leaves us a message – the modern day of science and progression is not protected from the old curses of a much more powerful world still lingering on the outskirts of society. The moors hold their secrets and the practitioners of the old ways know more than modern mankind when it comes to safeguarding against primordial haunts and horrors. This lesson our protagonist, Larry Talbot (played by horror royalty Lon Chaney Jr.) all too soon falls prey to.
We’re entering the violent world of the Wolf Man and only a silver bullet can protect you from that haunter of night. Lock yourself behind an iron gate and say your prayers he’s not picked up your scent.
“Even a man who’s pure at heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolf bane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” – The Wolf Man
artwork by Bernie Wrightson
The plot is one of pathos. Much like the other demons of Universal Studios’ House of Horrors, this monster is another lamentation of lost innocence. Larry Talbot has reluctantly returned home to his father’s house (here played by acclaimed actor Claude Raines who starred in The Invisible Man and later Phantom of the Opera) and it’s not long before Larry’s struck by otherworldly powers.
In many cases, victims in horror movies often get exactly what they’re looking for. A puzzle box that opens the labyrinths of Hell, an Ouija board, calling out the Candyman’s name five times, or simply exploring a house said to be haunted are all examples of how curiosity can lead to dire consequences and make for some really good scares. However, this is not the case with the Wolf Man. He neither went seeking to become a wolf nor was he even the intended victim of the werewolf’s bloodlust.
Larry brings Hell down upon himself by simply being a good Samaritan. Hearing the distressed cries of a woman being attacked in the woods Larry rushes out to help only to find she’s being attacked by a wolf. With no thought to caution, Larry throws himself between the beast and its prey and quickly becomes the new object of its rage.
Unbeknownst to Larry this isn’t a mere wolf which would’ve been bad enough. No, this was a werewolf. Larry wins the fight and kills the beast but doesn’t walk away as a victor. He’s been bitten and we all know good and well what that means for poor Larry.
His selfless act of valor ends up cursing him to the beast’s possession. A murderous rage soon takes over his mind, eating away at his senses and sending him out into the night to hunt down and kill all whom he holds dear. It’s a story of sublime pathos if ever there was one and that’s the silent genius of the movie’s timeless strength.
This ingenious concept – that still holds up in every werewolf movie to come out after Universal’s feral classic I might add – is all due to the insight of one man – the movie’s screenwriter, Curt Siodmak. Of course, werewolf lore existed before the movie’s release and this wasn’t even the first werewolf movie out at the time. Werewolf of London had already come and gone but ultimately didn’t enjoy the success Wolf Man managed. This is due to the personal touch of sadness Siodmak put into his screenplay.
Siodmak’s youth was ravaged by sudden tragedy as his home was overtaken by men and women who turned hostile and monstrous against him and his own kind as if overnight. Being Jewish Siodmak saw his neighbors and acquaintances transform and give in to bestial instincts. Jewish people were forced to identify with a star, a symbol that later on would mark them for death. It’s no wonder then that in his screenplay the Wolf Man can see a pentagram star appear on the palm of his victim’s hand, a sure mark of death for the innocent and unsuspecting victim.
This harrowing environment stayed with Siodmak well after his family fled Germany and elements of it settled into his imagination and went on to create one of the most enduring movie monsters of all time. So powerful was Siodmak’s vision that Wolf Man DNA can be seen in every werewolf movie to follow. Before Wolf Man people turned into a werewolf by eating a poisonous plant or by magic herbs. But now all of a sudden a man bitten by a werewolf (and lived) would join the demons of the night in a rampage of grotesquely.
Wolf Man also introduced the idea that silver is lethal to werewolves, as well as the concept of transformation during a full moon. These elements contributed to the foundation of many iconic and cult werewolf films, including Silver Bullet, The Howling, An American Werewolf in London, and Ginger Snaps. All of these “wolfy” favorites draw on the concepts established in this classic Universal horror film.
In short, what Bram Stoker did for vampires and George Romero did for zombies Siodmak did for werewolves. Ask anyone: how do you kill a werewolf and they’ll tell you a silver bullet. Same goes for how we all know a werewolf transforms on full moons. These monster facts are rooted securely in our cultural zeitgeist and that’s something very, very hard to pull off. And so we salute Siodmak, a man not very well known among horror fans, but, maybe that can change, because had it not been for his imagination and insight we would’ve been robbed of one of the most enduring movie monsters to ever go tearing across the screen.
Is Universal’s Wolf Man a perfect film? Hell no, of course not and I’m not gonna pretend it is otherwise. But it serves perfectly on my annual Halloween watchlist. It doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective. Its moody atmosphere and eerie imagery are all perfectly Halloweeny and if you’ve never seen it you’re missing out on one of horror’s essential foundations that set the criteria for the genre.
Remakes of the Wolf
Wolf Man (2010)
I honestly don’t hate the 2010 remake. I saw it at the theater back when it came out. I also just ordered the Scream Factory special edition release. I think it’s a good retelling of the familiar classic with some decent (honestly gotta say shocking) gore. I also like how the Wolf Man looks proving once again that Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London) is the monster maker. It’s an updated vision of what Jack Pierce came up with all those years ago and I love it.
The one glaring fault with the movie is its unnecessary use of CGI. Because the studio had the genius of Rick Baker behind the project there’s no excuse for not letting him be in charge of the werewolf transformation scenes. Compare those scenes to what Baker did with AAWIL and you’ll see what I mean.
Overall does the remake deserve the hate it got? No. I mean comparing the look of its werewolf to that stupid shit Blumhouse is trying to push and yeah. Superior!
The story closely follows the original film with a few new twists and surprise elements to keep it fresh. Honestly, I say give it a chance.
Wolf (1994)
This is a weird one and shocking that it even exists. It’s not a bad movie but it’s just a bit odd. It’s a modern retelling of the Wolf Man and was inspired by the striking success of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The ‘90s wanted to restore the audience’s love for classic horror icons with new erotic romance, updated effects, and blood. Woo hoo!
Well, Wolf might strike some (probably most) viewers as a boring journey seeing as how there is no wild transformation scene. Not on the lever of AAIL or The Howling. You also won’t get a full-body werewolf costume like you do in Silver Bullet. Our lead protagonist slowly does turn more wolf-like and will fully become a beast by the end of the movie but it’s nothing at all like what people expect to see.
This time our lead is played by Jack Nicholson (The Shining, Batman), and is no stranger to horror roles or larger-than-life parts. He’s a perfect casting choice to play the role of Larry Talbot but the filmmaker chose to hold back. There’s no amazing monster makeup and Nicholson’s roles in The Shining and The Joker are way more memorable. That’s not to say there’s no monster effects. There are they’re just, well, have a look. They look fine.
Wolf came out during that weird time in the ‘90s when Hollywood didn’t want to make ‘horror’ films and preferred the term thrillers. Because of this attitude, the movie really feels like a monster movie that’s scared of being associated with being a monster movie. So it misses the point. All that said I do weirdly like it. I mean honestly, I’ve not seen it since I was a teen and I liked it back then. If I rewatched it now all these years later that all could possibly change.
Personally, I’d recommend just watching any other werewolf flick. That or the 2010 remake. If you’ve never seen the original movie I say go give it a watch because I’m a whore for Universal Monsters and have to watch them every year around this time.
Further Recommendations: Sequels
I’d also strongly recommend the Wolf Man’s sequel, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. One of the first times horror icons met up in a fatal fight to the death as the man made of cadavers and the man cursed by the moon are locked in battle. It’s also the earliest example of a shared universe way before Marvel ever acted like they started that shit.
And, if you’re like me and have seen all these movies a dozen times over and still need a lycan fix, I just discovered a novel officially released by Universal Monsters that’s a sequel to the Wolf Man. It’s called Return of the Wolf Man and the book opens up right away with our hairy beast promptly fighting Dracula! Not only that but the Frankenstein Monster shows up and already this is proving to be a wild monster mash well worth the price I paid for it.
Yeah, so about that, it’s sad to say this thing can be pricy as all fuck. I paid $40 at Half Price Books for my (used paperback) copy but a copy on Amazon (last I looked) is going for over a hundred big ones. So yeah… If you happen to chance across this book at a used store or the library I say pick it up.
So that’s it, my nasties. Hope you all enjoyed our little journey into the night to discuss werewolves. You all have a Happy Halloween and watch out when you go out after sunset. If you hear something howling in the dark run as fast as you can. You might get away with your life.
Religious horror hits a primal cord within us all. Even to unbelievers, there’s an unmistakable lure of curiosity that cannot be squelched by any amount of modern logic. Modernism, sincere as it may be, attempts to protect us from the arcane such as concepts locked away in frightful prophecies securely kept in musty and old esoteric libraries. Prophecies many today would prefer to leave hidden beneath a century of dust.
But can these mystifying forewarnings be sealed away forever and what dreadful truths may they reveal? The theological study of the End Times is known as eschatology and is a branch of research dedicated to deciphering the recorded warnings of cataclysmic events to come that’ll shatter reality and bring a final end to all we now know.
Denial, negligence, and good old tried-and-true blissful ignorance do precious little to expunge these dire foretellings that caused the ancients to quake upon their reading. Many people reduce them to nothing more than superstition and leave it at that. Thankfully for us all though religious horror takes such concepts and creates modern-day masterpieces to shock and sicken generations.
And so came a little movie called The Omen that rekindled the fires of Hell across the globe and audiences basked in its satanic glow. The film is subtle but brimming with evil intent as it focuses on the early beginnings of the scariest person found in New Testament literature – the Antichrist.
Christ’s satanic counterpart seemingly snuck into our world like a serpent beneath our noses and upset the establishment people were so comfortable with. Sure, Satan was no new concept in Hollywood. B-level films littered the Drive-In nearly every weekend and there’s nothing wrong with that. But people didn’t take such movies seriously. They were cheap popcorn thrillers. People watched them, screamed or jeered, and then went back home probably forgetting all about them. Satan slithered back into the shadows once the credits rolled and that was that.
The Omen on the other hand was a very different type of beast altogether. For one thing, as a project portraying the demonic, it was taken very seriously by the studio and placed into the hands of a competent filmmaker, Dick Donner, who decided to remove any overt satanic imagery. Donner’s approach was for the movie to look like a series of terrible tragedies. Imagine having the worst day of your life sort of deal.
As I stated earlier, it’s a subtle film but Darkness swells in every scene. From the moment the film opens and we follow Ambassador Thorn (brilliantly played by Gregory Peck) as he rushes to the hospital for the birth of his son to the final shot of the movie at a solemn graveside at the movie’s conclusion audiences were unexpectedly changed by something primal they had just watched.
One thing that made the movie work was the casting choices. Actors will either make or break a project and casting is vital. Originally, Charlton Heston, renowned for his portrayal of Moses in Ten Commandments and the titular role of Ben-Hur, Heston was a name that brought regality to a project. Donner wanted a serious actor for the lead role because he believed if audiences saw someone like Heston or Gregory Peck being scared on the screen it would unnerve them somehow. He was right.
Unlike many hundreds of movies featuring the Devil, The Omen struck a chord and audiences were fundamentally changed thanks to it. Suddenly people were exiting movie theaters with thoughts of the End of Days possessing their thoughts like black magic. A single movie managed to do what the clergy spend a lifetime hoping to achieve – get people’s asses back in church!
What if the Antichrist was alive today but was just a little kid?
That question ignited a nightmare that became one of the most influential horror movies of the century. To the terror of many, The Omen was more than fiction but acted more as an accurate account of prophecies they saw as being fulfilled daily.
The film was the apex rising out of a perfect storm of bizarre circumstances.
For starters, Satanism became a nationally recognized religion and was accepted for its darker practices of the occult to the shock and horror of many Bible-believing Christians. For many, it was a sign of darker things to come because, for the most part, many didn’t understand the actual belief system installed by its founder Anton Lavey. Following more paranoia than facts, many religious people saw the Church of Satan as a headquarters for an invasion of Satanic entities. A portal to things that could not be sealed once opened by willing mortal hands.
Not only had Satan been given his own institution but the ‘God is dead’ movement had swelled to alarming numbers and wasn’t hard for people to accept considering how few people still attended church on a weekly basis.
Strange cults like the Manson Family were also on the rise. Cults whose members broke into homes and cut the unborn baby from its mother’s womb disgusted the nation, leaving many to wonder how such a thing could happen in a God-fearing country. Murderous cultists were just another piece in the End of Days puzzle and everyday people found it easy to believe that maybe, just maybe, some left hand of Darkness was pulling the strings.
Added to this were political scandals which led people to lose faith in their governments, adding one more fallen establishment to the fro. Not to mention the Vietnam War nearly drove the whole country entirely insane.
The church had failed and the occult was rapidly rising. The government had failed and in need of some new power to take the reigns.
The Omen was released at the perfect time during a period of unsettling turmoil and managed to terrify audiences. The film’s creators expertly merged biblical prophecies with current events, resulting in an unsettlingly perfect connection.
This created a new kind of biblical cinema that shook society to its core.
The golden era of biblical epics such as Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments or Ben-Hur was long gone. The King of Kings was now the whisper of a bygone age and motion pictures like The Exorcist and Rosemary’s Baby started a new wave of supernatural excitement proving Satan’s day was at hand.
The Omen was part of this new wave of spiritual horror. Its infernal genius lies in its boldness to crack open the Holy Scriptures and bring to life the darkest aspects therein revealed. The book of Revelation was a genuine inspiration behind the material.
The result is a remarkable achievement that speaks for itself.
Adding to the dark nature of the movie’s tone is the (sin)sational score composed by Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith admits the inspiration came to him while at Mass. The song Ave Maria was being sung and as the words flowed across him a black idea blanketed his thoughts. “What would it sound like if they were worshipping Satan instead?” he wondered. Thus one of the most haunting film scores of all time was brought to life.
Goldsmith took the established concept of Mass, the sacraments, the holiest act of Mass, and offered it to Satan. Sanguis bibimus – ‘The blood we drink,’ Corpus edimus – ‘The body we eat.’ Any good Catholic will associate this with the Holy Act of Communion. But this is where the ritual goes dark, Tolle corpus Satani. Ave! ‘Raise the body of Satan. Hail!’ Brilliant and covert. The song becomes a litany of Satan worship and serves as the movie’s main theme securing Goldsmith the oscar that year.
It’s one of those things where you may not have known what was going on – or why you felt uncomfortable hearing it played – but your brain surely did.
Not to mention the infamous priest’s death (impaled upon a church spike) was based on an actual event that happened nearby where the screenwriter lived. That and many strange accidents happening to the cast and crew both on and off set while the movie was being filmed led many to speculate the production was in fact cursed by the powers of Hell that did not want their wiles and ways to be made public knowledge.
Overall The Omen is a mystery even to this day. I grew up in a very religious home where it was forbidden to watch which only intensified its awe and wonder in my mind. What could be so horrible about this movie that preachers so profusely condemned it from behind sweaty pulpits? The fundamentalists I grew up under acted as if a world of the Satanic would be torn open upon a single viewing.
Naturally, it was on my must-see list of movies along with The Last Temptation of Christ. The movie is respectful to the biblical source material it borrows from though and, well frankly, is just a very damn good movie to watch. It has a regal class seldom spoken of. People love to talk about elevated horror as if it’s a brand new thing but I’d argue it’s a sophisticated branch of the genre that’s been with us for years. Movies like this prove it.
The Omen proved to be a box office success and became one of the most influential horror movies of all time. Its financial success allowed Fox Studios to funnel in a little more money into a little-known science fiction project being made at the time called Star Wars. I love that by the way. Damien might’ve helped save Star Wars!
It also inspired one of the most groundbreaking heavy metal records of all time, Iron Maiden’s Number of the Beast! Bruce Dickenson (lead singer) says he saw the movie and then had one of the most vivid nightmares of his life later that night. That’s pretty fucking metal.
Final Thoughts – The New Prequel
I’ll admit I mocked the idea of a prequel to The Omen. I felt it would be just another nostalgic cash grab that would suck like most others do. Then the rumors started settling in and people were praising this movie, The First Omen. Naturally curious I had to check it out for myself despite saying I’d never give it my attention. I think I said something like I’d rather tickle my dick with a cactus than go see it.
Well, I went to watch it.
You need to understand I’m not a big fan of any of The Omen sequels. So why the fuck would I care to see a prequel? Let alone sing its demonic praise unless it genuinely deserved it? So what did I think?
I unexpectedly enjoyed this movie, despite my initial skepticism.
The First Omen is a welcomed addition to the lore and adds a few new insights into the darker conspiracies behind the original movie. As far as prequels go I have to admit it’s one of the best I’ve seen. I mean I had to come home and immediately watch the original classic right away. The two line up masterfully.
So to all my friends who endured weeks of me bitching about this movie here I am humbly eating a big fat mouthful of crow. I was wrong, y’all.
So is this the start of a new franchise? Like with this movie’s success will they skip ahead and do a new retelling of Damien’s adult life as the Antichrist? I would say ‘Please God just stop!’ but I was proven wrong by a prequel so who knows? If done right and done well I’ll be in line to see it.
So if you like sophisticated horror and religious thrillers The Omen is a great watch. If you’ve not seen it yet there’s no better time than now. Make an event of it and go watch The First Omen before you do.
“I would have waited an eternity for this, Prime.”
In this new series dedicated entirely to villains, we’ll be discussing the devious merits of villainy and the loneliness of Evil. Their victories, their defeats, and, most importantly, their origins and the roots of wickedness. Where did they come from and what is the end game for some of our favorite bad guys? That and more await!
In this edition, we will delve into the cold, metallic core of Megatron – the leader of the deadly Decepticons.
For those who are new to the Transformers franchise, the vast number of heroes and villains could be overwhelming. Unlike other franchises, such as MOTU, where the characters are easily distinguishable from one another, Transformers revolves around giant robots fighting other giant robots. To an untrained eye, it might be challenging to differentiate between the characters. For instance, the Decepticons alone have two characters with ‘wave’ in their names and who are unrelated – Soundwave and Shockwave.
Regardless of that, once you dive into the series it’s apparent how distinct each of the characters all are from one another so don’t let that be an early deterrent or else you’d be cheating yourself to some of the best sci-fi lore ever constructed.
Despite there being so many different ‘bots to love or hate the entirety of Transformers is firmly rooted in two of the most pivotal characters to ever walk across Cybertron. Those being Optimus Prime, the heroic leader of the valiant Autobots, and Megatron, the ruthless lord of the mighty Decepticons who will stop at nothing to rid the universe of all Autobots.
Today we’re delving deep into the earliest days of this monumental tyrant and the army he raised out of the shadows of Cybertron.
Megatron
Fundamentally, Megatron is not your typical villain who cackles and twirls a mustache while plotting new dastardly schemes. He is a unique kind of evil that arises out of desperation and the demands of those who need a leader. Despite his ruthless reputation, Megatron is a necessary evil that filled a void and provided leadership in times of uncertainty.
According to the official IDW comic line, Megatron initially had strong reservations about fighting against other ‘bots. However, due to unfortunate circumstances (and perhaps, most frightening of all, fate itself), Megatron eventually rose to a position of power, which led to the formation of the Decepticon army and a new order.
A dark messiah for darkened days.
Across the galaxies, Megatron has relentlessly chased the Autobots, feeding his hatred of them with every spark he stomps out of existence. Over time, many, including Optimus himself, have fallen victim to Megatron’s cold retribution for sins he deems to be unforgivable.
Where does this intense hatred stem from? What drives his relentless desire to defeat his hated enemies? His is a story of personal loss and betrayal, a tragedy that led to an alliance with violent intentions at a time when his home planet was on the brink of destruction.
It’s a legacy forged from the fires of civil war influenced by corrupt senators, corrupted Primes, and a desperate struggle for survival.
Background – The War On Cybertron
Autobots wage their battle to destroy the evil forces of the Decepticons. The Decepticons fight back with fanatical zeal showing no mercy. Their war erupts across the endless night as the two titanic forces clash in an endless array of heavy metal and roaring cannon fire. Their war flashed across the TV screens and held us all captive as kids. We chose our sides and stood faithfully beside our heroes. We also made those little plastic toy replicas beat the crap out of each other as we repeated all the glowing spectacles we’d seen on TV. The war was on!
But it all began on their homeworld, Cybertron.
Most of us – if not all of us – know Transformers from the successful cartoon and connected toylines back in the early ’80s. Our younger audience will probably know the franchise thanks to the Bay movies. But the cartoon is where these guys got their start.
In the very first episode of the series, we’re introduced to a complex backstory. The story opens during the final days of Cybertron and the Autobots are declared outlaws on their own planet. Seeking refuge on Earth, the Autobots are facing a decimated planet with a depleted source of power, Energon, which is vital to every ‘bot’s survival. Seeking salvation and safety, the Autobots make final preparations for the Ark to carry them across the vast ocean of stars. Their goal is to regroup and reinforce their strengths, eventually to return to Cybertron and renew it to its former glory.
Megatron is well aware of Optimus Prime’s plans and is unwilling to let any trailer escape his grasp. He and his Decepticons are determined to track down Prime and his rebel army, no matter how far they may flee. This is how their war ends up on Earth. I didn’t realize this as a kid – because I was a shitheaded little thing – but it’s obvious the Decepticons have won!
We don’t have much information about the history of how things became so difficult for the Autobots. All we know is they had to abandon their world and take refuge among us. However, the creative storytellers of comic books and video games have largely helped fill in many missing pieces about the Cybertonian civil war. The IDW comics offer a detailed explanation of how Megatron became who we know him as, while the (butt-slapping AWESOME) two Cybertron games provide a wicked account of the Autobots’ last days on their home planet.
Honestly that’s the stuff I find most interesting – the Cybertron events.
The Origins of Megatron As Told By IDW Comics – The Miner, The Gladiator, the Tyrant
Mining Energon deep from within the planet’s core fortified Megatron with its own set of trials. He is strong and determined. This is our first official introduction to Megatron in the canon. At Mining Outpost C-12 to be exact.
The comic opens with a senate flagship en route to deliver some devastating news to the mining crew. The Senate has decided it’s high time a more cost-effective method of mining the essential Energon they’ve all come to rely on is in order. Unbeknownst to the hard-working ‘bots below they’re about to be replaced by cheaper labor. They all stand to lose their livelihood and their homes as a result.
Senator Decimus is given the task of delivering the devastating news to the mining colony, and the guy has little to no concern for the many lives he’s about to ruin. He sees them as nothing more than cogs in a greater machine and easily replaceable. He’s warned the colony won’t like the news but he just shrugs it off, trusting in his private security detail to handle any potential inconvenience.
Once Decimus greets the assembled workers he turns all politician and informs them this will be their last cycle and how “the senate thanks each of you for your contribution.”
He spins some bullshit story about how they’ll all be relocated to new destinations but not a one of these guys is buying the shit Decimus is selling. One miner dares speak up shouting about the senate being corrupt. The guy’s had all he can stand from this political bullcrap and refuses to shut up.
A security guard walks up to the outspoken ‘bot and kills him on the spot. Right next to Megatron. The officer then flashes the Autobot badge at the crowd and dares anyone else to make a scene.
Well, how could Megatron resist an offer like that? With such an open invitation, he hurls a glowing pickaxe right at the pompous senator, nailing him in the shoulder, and taking him down! Megatron’s eyes burn red and the legacy begins!
A riot breaks out! Having put up with all they can stand the miners reach a boiling point and go nuclear quick. “Murderers!” someone shouts at the security guards. Then Megatron’s voice rises above all others as he commands”Take them apart!” and the ‘bots smash against the guards like a battering ram. Megatron has a singular goal in mind and locates the officer who flashed his badge (the murderer) and kills him with his bare hands.
Clearly not expecting things to get this out of hand, the wounded Decimus watches in horror as his security detail is overwhelmed by a roaring mob of angry ‘bots. Losting control of the situation he orders them to open fire against the rioters and things go from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.
Most of the miners get fried on sight and it’s a total massacre.
Megatron survives along with a few others. They’re immediately arrested and shipped off to a prison facility.
This is far too simple an end for someone such as Megatron though and there’s no way fate would see him sealed away to rot in a prison. Aboad the prison transport Megatron has time to reflect on the actions left behind back there. How he killed a law enforcer and encouraged a riot. He’s never killed before today and it’s weighing heavy on him. him.
He’s interrupted when his fellow prisoners urge him to help them escape their dire fates. Fans will note this little ‘bot is none other than Rumble, one of my favorite of the cassette guys… but oh wow that’s a whole other thing and happens way, way down the road so we’re not getting into all that right now. Anyway, Megatron’s reluctant at first and doesn’t want more blood on his hands but you know what they say about desperate times calling for equally desperate measures.
So, while en route to prison, Megatron leads a coup, takes over the ship, and does it all without breaking a sweat… hypothetically speaking. The vehicle of their damnation quickly becomes the means of their salvation. Still, there’s one last bit of business Megatron must attend to before they get away scot-free. The Senator’s ship is not too far away from them and well when life hands you lemons ya know. Megatron turns the ship to face the Senator’s and something amazing is about to happen.
Decimus is undergoing maintenance repairs on the grievous wound he received back at the mining colony. He learns they lost contact with the prison ship’s pilot (Longshot) and just when things couldn’t get worse for the guy Megatron gets on the com system. Proving, once again, what a total badass he is Megatron uses Decimus’s own words against him and says, “The senate thanks each of you for your contribution.”
To everyone aboard the Senator’s ship’s utmost horror, they see the rouge transporter is lighting up its weapons.
Ka-fucking-BOOM, bitch! Megatron unleashes unholy Hell all over that smug fuck before escaping! Decimus’s ship burns and veers violently off course, but, on purpose too, Megatron didn’t destroy the vessel. The Senator lives. When questioned why he didn’t just kill Decimus, Megatron informs his crew that had they destroyed the ship the Senate would waste no time in hunting them down. Instead, by leaving the asshole alive out there, the Senate would rather invest all their energy in saving him and not waste time on searching for a small band of criminals. Reluctant as he may have been we already see the mastermind at work to preserve his people.
The prisoners lay low and hide in Kaon where a new life awaits Megatron in the pits of death-match gladiatorial arenas.
Kaon Gladiator Pits
We’re introduced to Sentinal Prime, the lead law enforcer and overall scary dude. The guy is armed to the gills with weapons and stands as an opposing figure, towering over (most) everyone else. This is early on in the lore so Optimus Prime doesn’t exactly exist yet. What I mean is the character is alive and active but goes by the name Orion Pax. He’s not become a Prime yet, and, up until now, the Primes have mostly all proven to be corrupted and cruel.
Now wait a moment. Before fans ring my neck I’m not saying Sentinal Prime is corrupt. After a quick re-read it’s pretty clear he’s on the up and up, and, in a funny way, finds the Senate to be annoying. At least that’s what I get from him. Like, when he’s approached about the Senator’s distress beacon somewhere off planet at first he acts like he can’t be bothered by it. Like it’s not his problem and he assigns someone else to look into it. That made me actually laugh. The guy is ok by me and is a fan-favorite and rightly so too.
Just look at the guy! I would love it if MDLX made a figure of him.
Meanwhile, rumors of (pretty illegal) gladiatorial games are mounting. These games involve violent matches where ‘bots fight for their lives in a show of brute strength and tactical might. Word of such events has even made its way to the Senate, where ailing old farts fret over what sort of threat these (alleged) warrior ‘bots could pose to their law and order. Doesn’t take long before they enlist Sentinal Prime to seek and destroy whoever is behind this.
We come back to Megatron – and you know it – he’s part of the gladiators. He’s quickly risen in rank due to his tactics and natural talents for combat.
It’s during this period we really get to see the leader of the Decepticons come into his own. The villain we all know starts showing his face as he, expecting Sentinal Prime to be on the hunt, starts setting the board in his own favor.
Chenk is the ‘bot in charge of these events and takes sadistic pleasure in seeing the most violent of outcomes. We’re thrown into the action with Megatron battling an opponent. During the fight, Megatron transforms into his vehicular mode and throws his weight down upon his rival ending the fight with a nasty blow. He doesn’t kill him though.
This act of mercy pisses Chenck off and he demands death. The crowds around Megatron chant, ’til all are one!’ over and over, filling his mind, and opening a dark portal within his core. Filled with new purpose Megatron obliges and kills his opponent and the crowds erupt in a frenzy of cheers. Megatron basks in it.
Now could it be that this event marked the moment when Megatron lost the final ounce of innocence desperately clinging to him? This death, though encouraged as it was, was in fact done in cold blood. True, he hesitated at first, but the door towards a violent path swung open and he willingly chose to step foot on it.
A darker side of Megatron starts being seen in all of his calculations from here on out.
The violent games continue to spread through the underground of Kaon, building in infamy and in numbers as more ‘bots flock to join the arenas. All the while Megatron gains increasing notoriety for his incredible battle prowess. His calculated ruthlessness begins to gradually show as well.
For example, in one game Chenck is shockingly betrayed by his own teammates, which creates an opportunity for Megatron to strike and he deals a fatal blow that ends Chenck’s life. Megatron quickly takes charge and ascends the empty throne to rule in Chenck’s place. A new power is on the rise.
Now fans have speculated whether or not Megatron was the puppet master behind this betrayal or if it was a coincidence. I happen to believe he orchestrated it. Mainly because it’s during these gladiator times that he’s molded into the villain we all know him as and this doesn’t seem too far off the course of what we’d come to expect.
Fun detail: The Deathmatch arenas are built onsite for every game and then torn down leaving not a trace behind. It’s discovered that the bodies of fallen ‘bots are in fact smelted down and used in the construction of these gladiatorial sites. That’s so motherfucking metal. Imagine going to a deathmatch wrestling event where the ring was made up of the bodies and bones of fallen wrestlers. Or a metal concert where the guts and viscera of fanatic fans were used to build the stage? Metal as Hell! Megatron is hardcore and one of my top favorites for obvious reasons!
Decepticons Assemble
The board is set and all the crucial pieces make their play. It’s here that we start seeing some very familiar faces show up.
So Sentinal Prime can no longer ignore the widespread rumors of the illegal games happening beneath everyone’s nose. He assigns two of his Autobots to snoop around and see what they might dig up.
These two spies manage to locate the location of a new arena build site and it becomes apparent they’ve accidentally stumbled face-first into a hornet nest of activity. Constructicons arrive and make fast work of the area. Dead ‘bots are cast into a glowing pit, smelted down, and the arena starts to rise. The two spies are horrified by the sight.
Then Megatron arrives and the spies are pretty much doomed. During this event, Soundwave, one of my favorite Decepticons, makes a dramatic entrance and offers to supply illegal weapons to Megatron and his warriors. Soundwave mentions that he works for a powerful ‘boss’ and Megatron takes it all into consideration. Soundwave then proves his value to Megatron by using Lazorbeak and Ravage, his personal assistants, to expose the two Autobot spies.
The two spies are brought before Megatron. There is no hope for escape for either of them for they’ve seen too much. Megatron kills the one before investigating the other for information. The remaining spy calls Megatron a psychopath but Megatron takes it as a compliment. With the help of Lazorbeak’s hacking ability, he learns all of Sentinal Prime’s little secrets. He and his warriors are top of the most wanted list and really no shocker there.
Megatron commands the site to be torn down, it’s too compromised now. Megatron then turns back to the spy and muses, “Now what did you call me…? … Psychopath?” He crushes the spy’s head beneath his boot.
Their deaths – oh let’s face it this was murder – have a profound impact on Sentinal Prime. The situation beneath Kaon proves to be far more dire than he first thought possible. These illegal pitfighters are exceedingly more treacherous than originally anticipated. Prime won’t underestimate this Megatron ever again. During the funeral of the two spies, Prime vows to each of his Autobots that Megatron will pay for this atrocity. His underground operation is about to be crushed!
Tensions are rising and the rebellion is gaining strength. Soundwave, per Megatron’s orders, has brought in three sky operatives to join the cause: Thundercracker, Skywarp, and the infamous Starscream. It is ironic how Starscream, who has a notorious history of undermining Megatron’s authority in the Transformers universe, quickly pledges his loyalty to Megatron in this situation. It feels like hero worship almost, Starscream is in awe of Megatron’s presence.
The three want to join the pitfighters but Megatron gives them a far more important task at hand. Something to shake all of Cybertron to its core.
So it’s during a public event, something involving a grand parade and a statue unveiling (well la-de-dah!) for none other than dear ol’ Senator Decimus who’s been recently rescued from space, that the three sky operatives swoop in and kill his personal guards.
Goddamn! This guy cannot catch a break it seems. Well, that’s what he gets for being a dickhead. Starscream then kidnaps him as the whole planet watches unable to do a single thing to stop them. That’s because the three sky operatives are so fast they can basically teleport themselves across advantage points.
As the three fly away they leave behind the iconic Decepticon logo carved into the face of the Autobot insignia. I absolutely love that. This is nothing short of a call to war.
Megatron’s forces act fast and attack hard. They target key locations across the planet to sabotage and destroy, sending a clear message out to all that oppose them. Pretty much the games are over and the new order is at hand.
Megatron’s grip over the planet tightens as the Senate watches on with trepidation. In particular, we’re shown the devastation from Senator Ratbat’s perspective as he views multiple view screens, each one glowing with Megatron’s lethal pattern of destruction. Never before had anyone dared to launch such calculated assaults against them. The Law is unable to hold back the resistance as transport sectors explode around them trapping citizens in select zones.
Mass poisonings spread and plague tactical locations. On top of all this, resource centers are obliterated. It’s nothing short of a symphony of chaos. This level of organized terrorism shakes everyone to the core as the flames of Megatron’s revolution burn out of control. Honestly put Han Zimmer in charge of scoring this scene and you’d have one helluva’n epic masterpiece on your hands.
Megatron also puts out a call to join his cause and scores of ‘bots flood to answer. Here we see tons of familiar faces. Characters we played with and watched on TV all gathered together before Megatron. Each of these ‘bots have assembled expecting to join the gladiator games, but, as I stated earlier, the games are over and this is something much more vital to the cause.
Megatron addresses the gathered multitude and insists that as gladiators they fought one another and wore different badges to support whatever cause they followed. But now the time’s come for them to put away badges that divided them and to unite as one mighty force and fight against the corruption of the Autobots.
He introduces the Decepticon logo, a logo that would identify them with the new order and one they would wear forever. They’ve all come from various places but share a common misery at the hands of their oppressors. In their misery, they’ve been made strong and fierce. They now have the chance to stand together as one unit, the forgotten who refuse to forget the crimes of the Autobots. He calls them the most dangerous power on Cybertron alive and swears it’s time they take back what’s theirs.
The rally comes to an abrupt end as Sentinal Prime and his elite task force break through and bust up the party. The Decepticons are arrested in mass, Megatron among them. In an apparent victory for the Autobots Starscream, as per usual, promises to turn in evidence against Megatron in exchange for his own freedom. Now there’s the little bastard we’ve come to know. Of course, he’d betray Megatron at the first chance he got. Strascream’s had plenty of one-on-one meetings with Megatron so he knows all of the megalomaniac’s plans. This is information the Kaon Counsel couldn’t stand to lose.
Starscream and Soundwave are brought before the Kaon Counsel to both answer for their crimes and provide vital intel. The Counsel is all gathered here eager to see this minor inconvenience, this rebel cause, extinguished before it had a chance to deal any permanent damage. It’s here when the shit hits the fan as Starscream delivers a message from Megatron personally. He addresses the assembly by saying, “Through your own interests you created this. You didn’t just make it possible – you made it happen. All we did was give it a badge.”
The Counsel orders them to be taken away but Starscream and Soundwave reveal hidden weapons and quickly kill every member there.
Smoldering bodies lay fractured everywhere. The Decepticons then move to enact the new phase of Megatron’s master plan. Before leaving the court though they carve the Decepticon logo into the wall as a nice parting gift. Now I geeked the fuck out over this when I read it. Talk about epic. Damn! That’s good storytelling.
Megatron’s plan goes perfectly as Starscream returns back to the prison to free him and the other Decepticons. Megatron stalls him a moment before escaping and tells Starscream to release every prisoner there. They all shall be recruited and wear the badge of the new order. The day of the Decepticons is at hand.
Soundwave supplies everyone with weapons and badges. It’s also here that Megatron gets his devastating arm-mounted BFG canon. This thing blasts a hole through solid walls of steel or whatever superior metal is used in Cybertronian buildings. Imagine the havoc he now can create against his foes.
He commands his forces to fall on the city like predators on prey!
Kaon burns as the Decepticons spread out melting a path of wanton destruction in their wake. Innocent bystanders are caught in the crossfire as Autobots retaliate but steadily lose control.
Amid all the chaos, Soundwave holds a secret meeting with his enigmatic superior, a Senator who goes by the name Ratbat. Fans of the story will recognize this name undoubtedly. Ratbat reveals himself to be the sole instigator of all the past despair and eventual destruction at hand. It all occurred according to his master plan.
As a Senator, Ratbat initiated the earliest events, including the automation of the small mining company, to achieve what he calls a ‘win-win-win’ scenario for himself. Decimus was merely a pawn in Ratbat’s game, and the other senators, well Ratbat just killed them.
Senator Ratbat stands smugly in the neon glow of Cybertron’s pyre, standing to alone gain from everyone else’s loss. However, he overlooked one important detail: Megatron’s charisma.
Soundwave, who had already changed his allegiance, is now a loyal soldier for his new king. He believes that Ratbat is too dangerous even for the Decepticons. As a result, he shoots the Senator with a calculated shot, crippling him. Ratbat is left dying, but Soundwave feels that this is too lenient a punishment for someone with so much blood on his hands. Therefore, he looks down at the helpless politician and says, “- resources – limited -“. He then transfers Ratbat’s spark into a cassette body and uses him as his servant for the cause. Touche, Soundwave!
Now, it’s all come down to this – a major showdown between Megatron and Sentinel Prime. Just look at Prime’s armor. He is damn near Titan-class as he confronts Megatron. I mean, the guy has cannon blasters on top of cannon blasters! Anyone else would run for their lives, and, as a matter of fact, they do, leaving Megatron alone to stand against Prime.
Megatron is too much of a badass to run away though and stands his ground. Sentinal Prime is loaded up in the Apex Armor and approaches Megatron like the final boss of a video game.
Megaron isn’t intimidated by the flashy show of guns and calls Sentinal Prime a pussy or something like that. He challenges Prime to come out of that armor and face him in a fair hand-to-hand fight like a true warrior, like a gladiator! Now this is where I have to love Optimus Prime, who will fight Megatron (many, many times) in fair combat once his time to be Prime comes, vs this current Prime at hand.
Sentinel Prime responds with a sudden attack on Megatron, causing a massive explosion. He believes that he has killed him.
In his eagerness to claim a triumph, Prime believes that victory is within his grasp and commands his Autobots to break through the enemy lines. He thinks that by cutting off the head of the snake, he has already won. However, Prime is mistaken.
Megatron bursts out of the flaming crater like a crazed demon escaping Hell and uses the body of another ‘bot to crack open the Apex Armor. Megatron then gets the fight he wanted all along and with his bare hands begins beating Sentinal Prime. What follows is a fury of panels full of Megatron’s unwavering ferocity.
He informs Prime that times are changing, that is the end of Prime’s and the beginning of his. Prime asks Megatron what he and his rag-tag group of thugs plan to do with the time they’re now given. Megatron answers in true tyrannical fashion, “I will create desolation – and call it peace!”
For a brief moment, Sentinal Prime manages to gain the upper hand and fate seems to be on his side for the final time. He strikes Megatron, nearly knocking him over the cliffside. However, Megatron manages to grip the edge and save himself from falling into the void below. This is where Sentinal Prime’s Achilles heel is revealed – his pride. Instead of kicking Megatron in the face, he decides to gloat over his foe. So, he lifts Megatron up to stare him down optic to optic.
Megatron doesn’t waste the opportunity and stabs Prime in the throat. Sentinal Prime staggers briefly, then plummets into the crater with Megatron in tow.
As they fall, Megatron admits to Prime that everything he has said about him and the Decepticons is true and even worse. Prime crashes and lies broken, with his life force slowly leaving him. With his last breath, he tries to tell Megatron that nothing he has done this day will matter. Megatron pauses, but then coldly assures his enemy that it will matter, and to everyone, once they see what he has done to the mighty Sentinal Prime. Finally, Megatron ends Prime’s life.
Meanwhile, Autobot reinforcements fly in overhead just in time to look down and see the broken body of their leader lying dead at Megatron’s feet. Megatron’s words prove true as horror washes over them all.
No one believed Sentinel Prime could fall, let alone by any bot’s bare hands. Megatron proves he’s an insidious force no one is ready to face. They order a retreat and leave Kaon to Decepticon occupation.
Megatron and the Decepticons have emerged victorious as the Autobots retreat from Kaon. The sun rises on the horizon, as if symbolizing the dawn of a new era. We witness Megatron sitting on a makeshift throne he’s crafted from the broken Apex armor of Sentinel Prime. The great war of Cybertron has now begun.
Holy shit! This is how the four-issue comic closes, on this magnificent shot of Megatron victorious! I know this was a lot but there was a lot to cover – and I skimmed over a lot of it – so thank you for hanging in there this long.
I really admire how the story explored Megatron’s power over the masses. He not only understood their pain, but he isolated it to use it as a weapon. The story also leaves an open door and an urgent need for an Autobot leader who understands Megatron, unlike Sentinal. That role would eventually be filled by none other than our hero, Optimus Prime. It’s interesting to note that Optimus doesn’t even appear in this storyline, but it has a way of making me appreciate the character a whole lot more. That’s damn good storytelling.
Ok, I’m done! This was a lot to write. I’m gonna get ready for the big retro toy show coming up. And, yes, I’m gonna finally shut up for now. So until next time, friends, or rather, I should say ‘until all are one.”
