42 Years Later, Megatron’s Most Intense Redesign Changes Everything

Megatron's shocking transformation has begun, and the reason for it changes everything about the Energon Universe.

After a devastating encounter with the Autobots, the dreaded Megatron finds himself facing a seemingly endless series of trials while trapped within his own mind. As seen in the pages of Transformers #31 (by Robert Kirkman, Ludo Lullabi, Mike Spicer, and Rus Wooton), this is all due to the enigmatic Megatronus, who calls out from within the Matrix of Oppression, the very same which is currently transforming Megatron into something more terrifying than ever before.

Transformers #31

• Written by ROBERT KIRKMAN
• Art by LUDO LULLABI
• Colors by MIKE SPICER
• Letters by RUS WOOTON
• Main cover art by DAVID NAKAYAMA
• Variant covers by DANIEL WARREN JOHNSON & MIKE SPICER; PYE PARR; MANABU YASHIRO; LUDO LULLABI; and PATRICIA MARTÍN

The official solicit synopsis for Transformers #31 from Skybound and Image Comics reads, "THE SECRET OF MEGATRON REVEALED! Megatron has a vision that will change the course of his life. And no one in the Energon Universe is safe."

Megatron's ongoing transformation has been the subject of plenty of hype and endless speculation for months. Back in January, Skybound Entertainment Executive Editor Ben Abernathy promised big things to come with the release of Transformers #31, stating, "Megatron is one of the greatest villains in modern entertainment history, and this issue will be groundbreaking for the Energon Universe."

Megatron's Significance In The Transformers Universe, Explained

The longtime leader of the Decepticons, Megatron has been a part of the Transformers franchise from the very beginning. Across the vast majority of iterations of the franchise, Megatron has stood as the series' premier antagonist, not to mention the personal nemesis of the Autobots' own Optimus Prime.

The concept of a Matrix has been another key fixture of the Transformers franchise for decades. However, the specific form in which any given Matrix takes has changed vastly across different versions of the story. In the Energon Universe, the Matrix of Leadership denotes the one true leader of the Autobots, all while housing the experiences and knowledge of Primes past.

Megatron isn't the only one undergoing a major transformation as a result of his recently unearthed Matrix. As of Transformers #30, Optimus Prime is no longer the leader of the Autobots proper. Instead, that duty now falls to Elita-1, whom the Matrix of Leadership chose to be the new Prime after a particularly harrowing encounter with the Autobots' former leader, currently known simply as Optimus.

Apart from all the major changes taking place in the pages of Transformers, the Energon Universe is on the verge of what might be its biggest shakeup yet as a new faction prepares to step into the spotlight. On June 3, M.A.S.K. #1 by writer Dan Watters, artist Simon Parr, colorist Pierluigi Casolino, and letterer Rus Wooton, brings yet another '80s mainstay into the fold.

Transformers #31 from Skybound and Image Comics is on sale now.