Fallen (Transformers)

Megatronus/The Fallen

The Fallen as he appears in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.
Dynasty of Primes, later Decepticon
Information
Sub-group Micro Vehicles, Voyagers, Primes, Thirteen, Unicron
Function First and Original Decepticon Leader, First Decepticon Overlord, Overseer of Entropy, Warrior of Darkness
Rank 10
Partner Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave
Motto "Destruction, like all things, is mine to command."
Alternate modes Cybertronian Tank, Cybertronian Destroyer Jet
Series Transformers: Titanium
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
English voice actor Tony Todd (film)
James Arnold Taylor (video game)[1]
Japanese voice actor Banjō Ginga[2]

The Fallen is a fictional character in the Transformers franchise. According to Hasbro, he was formerly known as Megatronus, and is a multiversal singularity, meaning that while he exists across the multiverse, he has no alternate-universe counterpart. He was one of the original 13 Transformers and the founder of the Decepticons (at least in the Transformers films).

Character history

As explained in more detail in the appropriate sections below, The Fallen has been given different origin stories in several of the different continuities in which he has appeared. At first glance, these may seem to be in conflict, but they are simply another facet of his nature as a singularity. The Fallen and other beings of his type do not experience reality in the same manner as lesser, linear beings. With the complicated loops and twists of time and dimension, he is quite capable of possessing different origins in the different realities he enters and still remaining one singular entity.

Although the Fallen's origins are only suggested in his comic book appearance, they would be fully explained in Dorling Kindersley's Transformers: The Ultimate Guide. One of the original Thirteen Primes created by Primus, Megatronus betrayed his creator by siding with Primus' dark twin, the malevolent planet-eater Unicron. In the final battle between Primus and Unicron, Megatronus fell victim to the same fate as his master, sucked through a black hole into another dimension. However, while Unicron emerged in another universe, the Fallen was not so fortunate, finding himself trapped in the "underspace" between dimensions.

Years before the Fallen was introduced in the Generation 1 Dreamwave Productions comic book, Beast Wars would introduce a similar character. This character was known simply "Megatron". Both the Generation 1 Megatron and Beast Era Megatron named themselves after this mythological figure. It is unknown if this Megatron named himself after The Fallen or if they are the same character, all that is known about him, is that he is "the beginning and the end" and "the alpha and omega", or at least claims to be as something of a God complex.

Dreamwave Productions

The Fallen in Dreamwave's War Within comics.

The Fallen made his first appearance in the second volume of Transformers: The War Within. Around 6.5 million years ago, an accident in the "space bridge" system on Cybertron liberated the Fallen from his prison, and he materialized on Cybertron, where he quickly recruited the Chaos Trinity - Bludgeon, Mindwipe and Bugly - into his employ. Abducting Transformers that he identified as possessing "genetic potential" within their sparks - Grimlock, Blitzwing, Jetfire and Hot Spot - the Fallen planned to use their energies to awaken Primus from his self-imposed slumber, thereby alerting Unicron to his location, allowing the world-eater to renew hostilities with his old enemy. An attack from combined Autobot and Decepticon forces led by Shockwave and Prowl disrupted his plans, and Primus himself reached out and promptly destroyed the Fallen.

Fun Publications

The Fallen made an appearance in the story Vector Prime: In the Beginning published by Fun Publications. This issue shows many key points in previous Transformers stories from across the original comics, the original cartoon, Beast Wars, and the Armada television series. It establishes that there is one Unicron across the multiple continuities, and that Vector Prime travels through all of Transformers history. One of the silhouettes of the first 12 Transformers that stands behind Vector Prime in his first panel appears to be that of The Fallen.

IDW Publishing

In Transformers: Defiance, the artifact containing the Fallen is unearthed when Cybertron is under attack by aliens that desire the All Spark. During the fight, Megatron is gravely injured as the Fallen awakens from his rest, healing Megatron while taking him under his wing with promises of power. Under the guidance of the Fallen, Megatron reforms the Decepticons and plunges Cybertron into Civil War. In the prose story Transformers: Covergence, it is revealed that Fallen freed himself from his prison after Soundwave presented him Sentinel Prime Space bridge Pillars. explaining how he got freed before the events Revenge of the Fallen happened.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The character appears as the main antagonist in the second live action film, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the 2009 sequel to the 2007 Transformers movie, voiced by Tony Todd.[3] Director Michael Bay described him as "apocalyptic".[4] He has the ability to teleport and generate a shockwave upon reappearance. He wields a spear as his weapon. He also has telekinesis. He stands 42 ft (13 m) tall and weighs 9.1 metric tonnes (10 tons).[5]

The original seven Primes scattered throughout the galaxy looking for planets where they could build Star Harvesters. These massive machines create energon, the vital energy of Transformers, by destroying suns and were activated by an artifact known as the Matrix of Leadership. The Dynasty of Primes had one rule: Star Harvesters were not to be built in systems which contain life. One of them, believing that the Cybertronians were the ultimate race and destined to rule the universe, and also due to his hatred for the human race, chose to ignore this rule. He arrived on Earth in 17,000 B.C., where he began construction of a new Star Harvester. To assist him, the treacherous Prime, now known as The Fallen, assembled an army of like-minded Cybertronians who called themselves "Decepticons". Identifying themselves with a symbol based on fearsome visage of the Fallen, the Decepticons built the Harvester in prehistoric Egypt, where they slaughtered any humans who discovered the Harvester. Learning of his betrayal, the other Primes launched an assault on the Decepticon forces. Although they were unable to kill the Fallen, the Primes succeeded in capturing and imprisoning him before sealing the Matrix within a tomb made of their own bodies, thus sacrificing themselves to help save Earth and humanity.

As a result, the Fallen became the first Decepticon and the true founder and leader of the Decepticons (as Megatron accepts the Fallen as his master), and all future Decepticons would wear an insignia which is similar to the Fallen's face.

In the present day, the Fallen appears after millennia and resumes leadership of the Decepticons. The Fallen reveals to the revived Megatron that the AllSpark's power is now in Sam Witwicky, who is the key to finding another source of Energon. He also reveals that he can only be defeated by a descendant of the Primes, with the last survivor of these descendants killed by Megatron. Now confident of no threats to him, the Fallen commands Megatron to find Sam. Eventually, the Fallen himself travels to Earth to complete his plans to destroy humanity, demanding the humans to turn over Sam to him otherwise the Decepticons will kill them all. Because of this, Sam is branded a fugitive by the world. Later, the Fallen, along with Megatron and the Decepticons, travel to the Great Pyramids of Giza, where the Fallen's Sun Harvester lies beneath one of the pyramids. There, the Fallen steals the Matrix of Leadership from Optimus Prime's body and teleports to the Sun Harvester, only seconds after Optimus Prime has been resurrected by Sam. Optimus is easily knocked down, too weak to battle him alone. The Fallen uses the Matrix to activate the Sun Harvester. However, Optimus - after receiving parts from Jetfire, making him super-powerful - arrives on the scene and promptly destroys the Sun Harvester before knocking the Fallen and Megatron off the pyramid. The Fallen and Optimus Prime then engage in a fierce duel. Megatron intervenes, but is quickly overpowered and knocked out. The Fallen counterattacks Optimus, managing to tear off his sword and one of his rocket thrusters, using it to strike Prime in the face. The Fallen then attempts to stab Optimus with his spear, but Optimus parries the blow and rips the Fallen's face off with his own weapon. The Fallen attempts to escape, but Optimus Prime punches through his chest and crushes his spark core, killing the Fallen.

Following the Fallen's death, a wounded and shocked Megatron flees with the remaining Decepticons, taking over as the new leader.

Video games

The Fallen (voiced by James Arnold Taylor) appears in the official game adaptation of the film. He is not a playable character, but is the final boss of both campaigns, except in the Nintendo DS/Nintendo Wii versions where the final boss is Optimus Prime or Megatron.

Transformers: Prime

Megatronus/The Fallen is one of the Thirteen Primes in Transformers: Prime. Megatron named himself after this particular Prime. The Fallen is briefly mentioned in the episode "Partners", when Starscream tells the Autobots that he wishes to join them. Bulkhead jokes by saying that he was "lobbing with The Fallen". In the episode "One Shall Rise, Part 1", the Thirteen were mentioned as the ones who vanquished Unicron. Then in "One Shall Rise, Part 3" it was said by Ratchet that Megatron named himself after the Fallen's original name: "Megatronus". This confirms the Fallen being among the Thirteen.

Books

Megatronus is mentioned as one of the original thirteen Primes in Transformers: Exodus. Megatron is shown originally calling himself Megatronus, after this particular Prime, and is a gladiator, who then takes the name Megatron after the name is shortened by cheering fans at one of his matches. Megatronus, though the namesake of the Decepticon leader Megatron in the book, holds no sway over Megatron, who took the name simply because he had none of his own and wished to be associated with power and grandeur. According to Transformers: Exiles, Megatronus commissioned Solus Prime to create the Requiem Blaster. Later, Megatronus murdered Solus, triggering the first breaking among the Thirteen and leading him to become the Fallen. Transformers: The Covenant of Primus reveals that Megatronus and Solus Prime were in love, but that Megatronus was prone to bursts of temper and aggression due to his pride and secret shame at being a necessary counter-force to balance out light and darkness within the Thirteen. Following the War of the Primes, he exiled himself from Cybertron after unintentionally murdering Solus Prime.

Toys

The first toy version of the Fallen was released in 2007 as a part of the Transformers: Titanium toy line as a 6" transforming figure.
A new mold that transforms from robot to Cybertronian Destroyer mode.
This toy first appeared on the internet in February 2009.[6]
This toy was designed by Takara Tomy toy designer Hisashi Yuki.[7]
With the Fallen standing 1280 centimeters (42 feet) tall, and this toy standing 20 centimeters tall in robot mode, this makes the toy about 1:64 scale.
A Target exclusive redeco with flaming red/orange highlights.
A Toys "R" Us exclusive gift set that includes the Voyager Fallen figure with a gray redeco of Voyager Megatron (2007 version) and a blue/gray redeco of Deluxe Soundwave.[8]
A black/orange redeco of the Legends figure. Bundled in a gift set with Legends Megatron, Starscream, Optimus Prime and Jetfire.
A light blue/teal redeco with spear and an all-new head sculpt with a removable face when he is decapicitated by Optimus.[9] The figure is retooled with new hands and grooves on the upper torso to hold the spear.[10]
Hasbro has stated in an interview that the light blue was to balance the darker blue of the main body.[11]

References

External links