The Transformers franchise is still very much defined by the original Generation 1 continuity, with this especially being the case for its cartoon and action figures. Recently, a dedicated fan located a once “lost” commercial showcasing both — namely, by focusing on the leader of the Decepticons.
The TFRaw.com Transformers Multimedia Archive has found an esoteric United Kingdom commercial for the original G1 Megatron toy. Differing from the American commercial, it emphasizes the evil and power of the mighty warlord, questioning whether the good guys would be enough to stop him. Decades later, this toy is particularly controversial due to its alternate mode, with this plaguing Megatron for decades since.
Why the Original G1 Megatron Toy Was So Difficult to Release in the UK
X (formerly Twitter) user @walruslaw recently posted a “lost” commercial for the UK release of the Generation 1 Transformers toy line. The spotlight was on Megatron, the evil leader of the Decepticons, with his gun mode and scope heavily emphasized. The commercial begins with an animated scene of Megatron blasting his fusion cannon in robot mode (with a slightly different animation model compared to how he appeared in the actual Transformers cartoon).
From there, a child is seen holding him in his realistic Walther P38 gun mode, with other kids pushing the Autobot cars to combat their Decepticon opponent. The Megatron toy is then transformed back into robot mode, with his massive scope weapon pointed toward his enemies. The commercial ends with the narrator stating that he “hopes” the Autobots can defeat Megatron and his followers.
The commercial is notable for a few reasons, with its status as formerly “lost media” being only one of them. Due to the contentious nature of Megatron’s realistic gun alternate mode, even in the 1980s, the original toy for the character saw limited or delayed releases in parts of the UK and Australia. In fact, some of the brand’s marketing in these areas had to circumvent this by stating that Megatron’s loyal minion, Soundwave, was the actual leader of the Decepticons.
The Transformers UK comic book by Marvel eventually had to explain the scarcity of Megatron’s toy, especially given how popular that comic had become. This included gimmicks such as explaining that Megatron was off “fighting the war” in the comic’s letters column, as well as infamous color mishaps where, due to only having the original Micro Change toy to base things on, Megatron was colored gold in his first UK comic appearances.
Writer Simon Furman eventually began creating completely original stories for the UK book that weren’t in the American version of Marvel’s Transformers. This allowed him to make up for Megatron’s scant appearances in the UK book up to that point by characterizing him as incredibly violent. That storyline was further explained by involving the Decepticon scientist Lord Straxus, who was exclusive to the comics and had no toy for decades.
Finally, Hasbro decided to ditch Megatron’s gun form in Transformers: Generation 2, with his new tank alternate mode now long being the one he’s had across most continuities.
- First Film
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Transformers
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Transformers: Rise of the Beasts
- First TV Show
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The Transformers
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Transformers: EarthSpark
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Peter Cullen, Wil Wheaton, Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Luna Lauren Velez, Dominique Fishback
Transformers is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two alien robot factions at war that can transform into other forms, such as vehicles and animals.
