WARNING! Spoilers for Transformers #18Megatron is back in the Energon Universe, and nothing will ever be the same in Skybound’sTransformerscomic book series. The Decepticons’ true leader has been on the fringes of the main storyline currently playing out in the comics, but his return to the Autobot / Decepticon war is enough for Optimus Prime to do the unthinkable - and order the Autobots to retreat.
Transformers#18 by Daniel Warren Johnson and Jorge Coronoa finally sees Megatron return to the Decepticons, right as Soundwave and Starscream are tearing up Seattle withtheir divided Decepticon factions.
Megatron’s arrival comes via a beautiful double splash page, as he stops Starscream and Soundwave from fighting by simply calling out their names. It’s a rather quiet image following the destructive battle over the last two issues, but it speaks volumes.Megatron’s very presence commands respect.
Megatron Is Finally Back in the Energon Universe, and the Autobots Are in Trouble
Transformers#18 by Daniel Warren Johnson, Jorge Corona, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton
Missing an arm and having to rely on the mini-cassette Laserbeak to see thanks to his damaged optics, Megatron is certainly looking worse for wear when he appears at the end ofTransformers#18. But even in his damaged state, the one true Decepticon leader is able to stop all the fighting with a simple command. Ever the loyal soldier,Soundwave immediately swears fealty to Megatron upon seeing him. Starscream has more reason to worry, as it was he who betrayed Megatron by shooting him off the Ark when it crash-landed on Earth centuries ago.
Out of all the stories teased via Megatron’s return, his confrontation with Starscream promises to be the most exciting to see play out.
What happened immediately after falling from the Ark isn’t currently known, but Megatron eventually became a captive of thehidden society of Cobra-La. There, he was ruthlessly tortured and experimented on at the hands of Cobra Commander, who used what he learned to develop deadly weapons based on Transformers technology. Recently,Megatron freed himself from Cobra-La,fighting their leader Lord Golobulus in his escape. Although free once more, Megatron was badly damaged, and Laserbeak found him licking his wounds in a cave two issues ago.
Starscream’s betrayal of Megatron was harsh, but readers recently learned that the second-in-command has a good reason to hate his leader. The flashback story seen inTransformers#13-14 by Johnson and Jason Howard revealed thatStarscream was once a peaceful scientiston Cybertron. Once the Autobot / Decepticon war broke out, Starscream was recruited by the Decepticons, wherehe was forced to execute his enemies at the behest of Megatron, twisting him into the cruel villain he is today. Out of all the stories teased via Megatron’s return, his confrontation with Starscream promises to be the most exciting to see play out.
Megatron Takes His Place as the True Decepticon Leader in the Energon Universe
Will He Take His Arm Back from Optimus Prime?
Megatron officially takes control of the Decepticons at the end ofTransformers#18, ominously standing atop a building in Seattle as Optimus Prime and the other Autobots attempt to save the humans caught in the crossfire of their battle. One look at Megatron in the distance is enough to send a shiver down Optimus’ spine,as he immediately orders the Autobots to retreat after what he’s seen. Optimus managed to best Megatron when they last fought as the Ark was crashing, even cutting off the Decepticon’s cannon arm with his Energon ax, but that was centuries ago.
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Optimus Prime has since taken Megatron’s arm as his own after tearing his own arm off in a battle with the Decepticon Skywarp, so fans have to assume thatMegatron will want his arm back. The pieces are falling into place for the next cataclysmic arc ofTransformers, and it’s hard to imagine how the series could get any more epic. The last arc saw the DecepticonShockwave literally bring Cybertron to Earthvia a space bridge, and Optimus and the Autobots only managed to win after making a tough decision that stranded several of their allies on a war-torn Cybertron.
With Megatron’s Return to the Playing Field, Everything AboutTransormersIs About to Change
Including the Creative Team
WriterJohnson will be leaving the title after the twenty-fourth issue, bringing his award-winning run to a close after two years. It sounds like Johnson’s final arc will be pulling out all the stops as Megatron re-enters the stage to establish his dominance as the franchise’s number-one villain. The next issue promises to provide a little more backstory about Megatron’s journey to this point, which will hopefully set the table for what promises to be an unforgettable conclusion to Johnson’s run.
Don’t forget to check out Skybound’s other Energon Universe titles, like the currently ongoingVoid Rivalsby Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici andG.I. Joeby Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly.
Many fans were puzzled when Megatron didn’t appear with the rest of the cast inTransformers#1, but his reappearance here shows that there was a plan in place to bring him back in the best possible way. It’s the type of storytelling that shows off what monthly comic books can do when they’re at their best, as the slow burn builds anticipation of Megatron’s eventual return. It’s been a long time coming, but Megatron’s return in the pages ofTransformersmore than lives up to the years of build-up.
Transformers#18is available now from Skybound Entertainment.
Transformers (2023)
Optimus Prime was supposed to have led the Autobots to victory. Instead, the fate of Cybertron is unknown, and his allies have crash-landed far from home, alongside their enemies—the Decepticons. As these titanic forces renew their war on Earth, one thing is immediately clear: the planet will never be the same. New alliances are struck. Battle lines are redrawn. And humanity’s only hope of survival is Optimus Prime.
