#and that Getaway should be an MTO and this is how they're used

[arceespinkgun]

I feel like the weird treatment of Megatron in MTMTE highlights how Roberts, despite his intentions and the dialogue in the comic, unintentionally depicted the character more like a former violent criminal: someone who had done terrible things in the past, but whose actions were not on the same scale as a war-mongering dictator. I think the best example of this is how Megatron using violence for the most justified self-defense situations is treated as one step towards him potentially becoming evil again, but him commanding other characters to use violence is completely fine. In contrast, Getaway is depicted more as a dictator than Megatron ever was in MTMTE, with the comics making it clear his actions are more to secure power and try to vindicate his delusional beliefs than any sympathetic or rational motivation.

I think this is a interesting way to look at it—I hadn't thought of it before, but I think you're right because it makes sense with a lot of the most bizarre details of MTMTE/LL:

Roberts retconned Megatron into having been a pacifist originally, ascribing the violent and radical ideology to other characters like Terminus and Impactor.

When Tarn argues with Megatron and asks if there's anything Megatron doesn't regret doing, Megatron says he doesn't know... he doesn't even stand by the earliest beginnings of the revolution. Then, Megatron says that if he's being mind-controlled with drugs in order to keep him in-line, he's "better this way"! (This is one of my least favorite Transformers moments, actually.)

The "don't change back" thing with Ravage.

When Ultra Magnus thinks Megatron's betrayed them all, he decries him as a "serial abuser." It isn't wrong to call him that, but that's an incredibly weird way to talk about someone who killed 100+ billion people.

What I find so weird is that Roberts handled things this way, but he is also the same writer who introduced things like the death camps and 100+ billion deaths figure. Also, when I think about this, it's interesting to see how this echoes with how Roberts wrote mnemosurgery—an addictive act that will either kill you or make you go insane if you keep doing it, but this addiction is to a thing that is assaulting another person!

With Getaway, I think you're right, too. Especially when he's ranting like this:

Getaway was written to suffer delusions, and I remember thinking that even someone like Megatron would think he's laying it on a little thick when he says things like this, right? And Getaway directly uses the words of Nigel Farage and also uses the term "fake news" in this issue, too!

Very funny that "All Hail Getaway" was used as an allusion to "All Hail Megatron" but Megatron wasn't written like himself from back then lol

[mychlapci]

Okay sorta random but I’ve always thought that MTO’s are probably like not fertile. Like at all. Their transfluid is weak and their valves aren’t any good at absorbing other bot’s spent. They aren’t entirely infertile but it’s like an extremely extremely low chance for them. Not for any fault of their own they were just built like that; after all they’re meant to be soldiers! They can’t be getting sparked or sparking up their comrades. And I think there should be lots of stigma about this. Other bots should talk about how MTO’s really are practically drones- they can’t even carry, can’t even sire! Truly Primus himself must look at them with disgust for hardly even being able to pass on their code. Really the only good thing they can be used for is a fragtoy and that’s only because they won’t spark no matter how many of your loads you blow.

Anyways I specifically have Getaway related thoughts on this but I haven’t thought it through enough. However consider- Rodimus getting sparked by Megatron. And not only is Getaway seething because he hates Megatron but also because he will literally never be either of them.

Oooh yes, fertility issues, MTO's would totally have them. They're not made to reproduce, they're made to... order. I guess. I mean, they go into battle, they die, end of story. and yes!! give Getaway another weird hangup!! Roddy gets pregnant with Megatron’s nasty bastard and he’s so fucking mad. It should’ve been him! Does he even want sparklings? Well, it’s the principle of the thing.

cue Getaway’s quest to make Rodimus miscarry by any means possible.

[nerdcrawfish]

I honestly hate the idea that tfs come out knowing how to do shit like shoot a gun or perform surgery. like no they gotta learn. Ain't nothing popping out of the ground knowing theoretical physics on day fucking one. They limp around and flail and get used to their fucking rapidly growing bodies as they seperate from the baby soup--knowing tax codes is the LAST THING on their minds.

I think in idw it does kind of imply a lot of MTOs struggle with the fact they suddenly exist and are being thrown out of an aircraft to do battle (snaps fingers Getaway scene that's right). And a lot of them don't fucking make it because of it. Like imagine being a fucking baby--even if you are a fast growing species and not even HAVING to grow at that b/c MTO (also imagine what it feels like to innately feel like you need to unfurl and blossom and it should be warm and nice, but you're stuck in this cold ass body that is entirely rigid and limited. That it feels constraining and choking and so wrong. Like imagine the code and base instincts going haywire on that one. Then you got more outside stuff that's weird and misfiting and not... natural feeling... in the form of code being injected fucking in. everything is LOUD and There are Flashing LIGHTS and You are shaking violently. And it no doubt is overwhelming and confusing as FUCK.)--and suddenly you're being forced to fucking shoot a thing you barely understand the concept of at moving things you ALSO barely understand the concept of. Like imagine shooting a gun and being like... what the fuck am i??? Are they also like me(at comrades)???? But the ones over there (enemy) look like them??? Are they also like me????

And also being like which ones do i shoot this loud hot thing that I have to hold onto else it flies out of my hand??? It's called a gun apparently? And I am shooting at... Decepticons? What makes them that?? Purple badges??? where are those????? why do i need to do that? why do i need a gun?? and like... slowly pieceing shit together from that mental onslaught. It's too much too fast so it parses out in tiny bits at whatever fucking rhythm it happens to. You understand Decepticon before you understand enemy or to avoid the bright lights trying to hit you. And there is such a difference between knowing something and just having it in your memory banks versus UNDERSTANDING something.

Like getting an orientation AFTERWARDS (if you survive) and you'll be getting questions like: "Ok WHY are the Decepticons bad. Why do I shoot them? Why--? Why--?"

And just being told the same shit over and over again. "Because they're bad. If you don't shoot them, and you shoot us, you're also bad. Which means we'll be shooting you and that will lead to you dying."

And also like the whole concept of dying coming in on the fucking back-end. Imagine the fucking trauma of being like: I was on a battlefield and didn't fucking know what I was doing and I could have fucking DIED. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT DYING THEN--OH MY PRIMUS I COULD HAVE FUCKED UP SO BAD AND FUCKING DIED RIGHT THEN AND THERE. AND I WOULDN'T HAVE EVEN KNOWN.

Like wow. 👍 Imagine being not even 10 kliks old and fucking dying. Also trauma because you SAW that happen. Over and over again. And you didn't even UNDERSTAND that them going dark, the hole in their chest sputtering with sparks was bad, and them falling over like that meant they fucking DIED.

You didn’t even remotely know what the risks were, what could have happened, what you should have been afraid of--and you could have been just like all those bots you saw fucking die.

Think about huddling up in your dark little berth and playing over and over again how you could have so easily died if you hadn't managed to avoid THAT hit. If you hadn't seen and recognized THOSE were Autobots and to follow them. That THOSE were Decepticons when you fucking did. That you BARELY missed being decimated by that artillery there...

And then eventually you'll ask... They're the bad guys, we're the good guys... But was any of that right?

(... I actually wanted to muse about fuck what was it... Education or some shit. In tfs. Oh and I think I wanted to complain abt a species that lives so long not having a more delayed growth and it kind of irritating the shit out of me. So instead, theybhave a really insanely long mental growth progression. But now that's uhhh... for a different post yeah....)