Megaplex

Megaplex is a Decepticon from the Machine Wars portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

I hear the new Cybertron Megaplex has over 30 screens!

Megaplex is one of a series of specially constructed clones of Megatron. He exists to foment confusion in the Autobot ranks and protect against traitors among the Decepticons. He has led many battles in Megatron's stead.

While Megaplex is ideally endowed with the same power as the original Megatron, the Decepticons' true leader is no fool. Realizing that a being based so closely on his own nature and with equal power would be quite likely to make a play to permanently replace him, Megatron thus had his clones constructed with a failsafe device that significantly restricts their abilities. Thus, though Megaplex is easily able to pass as Megatron for short periods of time, his intelligence, strength, firepower, and skill are capped at levels significantly below those of the real Megatron. The deception is likely to work best on the battlefield, from a distance, or when Megaplex is following a strict script set by the original.

Megaplex prefers close-quarters combat, tearing into his opponents with electron sword and energy flail. For artillery he prefers liquid helium "Freeze Shells".

Toys

Machine Wars

"Hello there people of America!"

• Megaplex (Basic, 1997)
  • Accessories: 2-piece rifle

Megaplex was one of two original characters introduced in the Machine Wars line. His mold was originally designed, but unused, for the end of Generation 2. He transforms from a Lockheed-Martin F-22 Raptor fighter jet to robot mode with a spring-loaded one-step transformation. The two halves of his rifle store in the back of his robot-mode legs.

This mold is also used by Air Hunter, Machine Wars Megatron, Beast Wars II Thrust and Robots in Disguise Wind Sheer.

Generation 1

Who is this Megatron you speak of?

• Megaplex (Decepticon, 2003)
  • Japanese ID number: 93
  • Accessories: "Megasight" scope/"fusion cannon", two-part silencer ("focusing barrel" and "accelerator"), three-part stock ("death charge unit", "saddle", "cannon base"), "energy flail", "high-density infra-red ray laser gun", "electron sword", 20 "Freeze Shell/particle beam" bullets

Released as an e-Hobby exclusive, Megaplex is a redeco of the original Megatron Walther P-38 pistol toy in the same colors as its original Takara Transformers release, itself a coloration used in the Microman line the mold originated in. The spring-loaded firing mechanisms inside both the toy's main body and the stock have has also been restored, letting the toy launch choking-hazard-sized projectiles in both pistol and robot mode.

Based on the "Transformers Collection" reissue of Megatron, this version comes with all of Megatron's accessories. (The original Takara version lacked all of the gun's add-on parts, having only the chromed rifle and sword, and of course the flail is new to the "bookbox" Megatron.) His scope, stock and silencer can combine to form a large "particle beam cannon" artillery mode, or attach to his robot mode to make a huge shoulder-mounted "telescopic laser cannon formation". Both of these modes can fire the small plastic bullets the toy comes with thanks to the spring-loaded "death charge unit" portion of his stock. This piece can also connect to the back of his pistol barrel in robot mode, letting him "shoot from the hip", as it were.

Trivia/Notes

• Megaplex's Machine Wars packaging art is in fact a color-altered version of the card-art for the Predator jet Falcon.

• The Machine Wars stock photos (and even the boxart) have Megaplex as the blue jet and Megatron as the gray one, meaning either the package designers got everything wrong, or the toys were put on the wrong cards. The latter is more likely since gray is more associated with Megatron than blue is.

• The e-Hobby Megaplex's "Particle Beam Cannon" accessory configuration is actually a slight adaptation of a mode used in the original Microman line; the "saddle" extension that raises the cannon up to robot-height actually plugged into the back of the cannon vertically. This made a backed seat that Micromen figures could sit on, making it a (Micro-)manned piece of field artillery; the back of the scope even has little flip-out handles for them to hold. The seemingly-nonsensical peg on the side of the "saddle" piece plugs into the back of the New Microman-era figures to secure them. (Modern Micromen are too big.)

External links

• Megaplex at TFU.info