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Chaos Theory Part 1

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"Chaos Theory Part 1"
Publisher IDW Publishing
First published July 20, 2011
Cover date July 2011
Written by James Roberts
Art by Alex Milne
Colors by Joana Lafuente
Letters by Shawn Lee
Editor Andy Schmidt
Assistant editor Carlos Guzman
Continuity 2005 IDW continuity
Chronology Current era (2011)

Why did Megatron surrender...?

Contents

Synopsis

Ongoing22 MaccadamsNewOilHouse.jpg

On Cybertron, before the Great War, Megatron and Impactor are sitting in Maccadam's New Oil House, discussing Megatron's treatise that calls for non-violent direct action to bring about a revolution. A bar fight involving Rung soon attracts Impactor's violent attention, despite Megatron's protests.

Aboard Omega Supreme's rocket, Perceptor and Ratchet scan the captured Megatron for weapons. A paranoid Ratchet worries about a rumor that Megatron can siphon antimatter from a black hole and release it through his eyes. Perceptor finds his paranoia ridiculous and turns the Decepticon over to Optimus Prime. While Megatron is being investigated by the scientists, Optimus watches with Ironhide and Xaaron, who came from Kimia to see Megatron for himself and offer Wheeljack a position at Kimia. Optimus Prime questions Megatron's motives, wondering if his nemesis wants the war to be over as much as he does. Ironhide offers to handle the interrogation, but Prime considers Megatron as his responsibility and as his greatest failure.

In a police cell, Springarm, a police officer, checks Megatron's information and asks for his name and where he was created. Megatron asks of Impactor's whereabouts, learning that he is in a medical facility. However, the cadets he beat up are in a much poorer condition. Whirl enters with a Communicube to relieve Springarm and warns Megatron that things for him will not turn out well if the cadets expire.

Optimus Prime, alone and blocking out any prying eyes, engages Megatron in a "civilized conversation". After being released of his restraints and taking a seat, Megatron enquires about his troops back on Earth, but Prime tells him to focus on the current topic. Megatron elaborates on the constants of his millions of years of war and conquering: hate, created in his stay in prison thanks to an Autobot, and Optimus Prime. Megatron does not hate Prime himself, just what he represents and the barriers he creates for Megatron's ambition. Megatron asks Optimus if he hates him; the question is first answered with a yes, but Optimus takes it back. "Hate" is too simple a word—it may sustain Megatron, but he is lessened by it. Megatron mocks Prime's rhetoric and claims to know the Autobot leader all too well. Optimus tires of the conversation, but Megatron points out that the war has changed; things are speeding up. Optimus asks him what victory is to him. It is dominion over the lesser species, the Autobots vanquished, and a new Golden Age—peace through tyranny. Optimus attempts to compare the two's desires for peace, but Megatron refuses to accept the parallel. Optimus has done nothing for his goal, while Megatron fought to address the injustice in their society. Optimus asks when the two first met, leading into the two recalling their battles over the years. Optimus wishes for Megatron's help in ending the war, but he refuses.

ChaosTheory1 take a seat.jpg

The Autobot High Command convenes to discuss the situation with Megatron. Xaaron wants to make sure that there is a proper public and independent trial. Prowl agrees and Ultra Magnus suggests Chief Justice Tyrest, seen as neutral by the Galactic Council. The conversation turns to the death sentence, but Bumblebee fears making Megatron a martyr and turning away from the Autobots' principles. The ultimate decision, however, rests with Optimus Prime. Rodimus doubts whether Optimus can make the right decision and points out that, although there was no visual showing of the conversation between Optimus and Megatron, the audio feed was not shut down and everyone heard the cozy recall of memories. Prime is livid, and soon sits alone in despair.

Ongoing22 WhirlbeatsMegatron.jpg

In a police cell, Whirl savagely beats Megatron for supposedly crippling his cadet friends and threatens to kill the prisoner, planning to claim self-defense. He notes his death will mean nothing. Before Whirl can carry out the threat, Springarm stops him, horrified at what Whirl has done. The prisoner is released under orders and Megatron is escorted to see the police captain, Orion Pax. Pax had read Megatron's treatise and surmised that he was not prone to violence and the bartender's evidence backed this up. Orion tells Megatron that, though he doesn't agree with the entirety of the treatise, he is glad someone is voicing their concerns and encourages Megatron to keep it up.

Annoyed, Optimus Prime returns to Megatron's cell and demands to know why he surrendered. The Decepticon is obtuse, telling him to rephrase the question. Optimus rants at Megatron, laying singular blame on him for millennia of conflict, the billions of lives ruined, and their race on the edge of extinction. Again, Megatron insists that Prime rephrase his question, and Optimus Prime asks if Megatron feels even the slightest remorse. The answer is "no"; Megatron's only regret is that he didn't do more while he had the chance, that he didn't kill even more. He will always respond by killing on an industrial scale, he will do anything to murder every single Autobot, and doing so will give him great pleasure. Megatron turns the conversation on Optimus Prime, stating that the war made Prime who he is now, and that he should be grateful to Megatron for starting it. Optimus realizes Megatron's attempts to bring out anger, but nevertheless activates the variable voltage harness. From the audience, Rodimus observes sternly. Recovering, Megatron tells Prime that they first met in Rodion and thanks him for what happened back then.

Leaving the cell, Optimus Prime tells Omega Supreme that he should have cut the power to the harness. Omega explains that he did and that, had he not, Megatron would likely be dead. Ironhide asks Optimus if he had found out what Megatron wanted, and Optimus replies sadly that he thinks he does.

Outside the Rodion police station, Springarm bids farewell to Megatron and hands back his non-violent treatise on Cybertronian society. Megatron looks at it briefly before smashing it through a large screen. He walks away with fresh determination and a new perspective.

Featured characters

(Characters in italic text appear only in flashbacks.)
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots Decepticons Others

Quotes

"They say he can use this weird inter-dimensional circuity to syphon anti-matter from... from a black hole. You know, in space. So."
"With respect, Ratchet, that sounds—that just sounds stupid."

—Ratchet and Perceptor


"So. How are we going to play this? Are we going to spend the next hour posturing, or are we going to rise to the occasion and actually have a civilised conversation?"
"'Rise to the occasion'? What is this, a summit meeting? I'm bolted to the wall, I'm riddled with inhibitor chips, and I'm precisely one rash gesture away from being electrocuted to death. It's hardly conducive to a frank exchange of views."
"Fair point. [unbolts] Take a seat."

—Optimus and Megatron


"I look back over the last four million years and recognize that there have been only two constants: hate... and you."

—Megatron


"Look me in the eye and say you want it ended, and it will end."

—Optimus


"Do you even feel the slightest remorse?"
"No."

—Optimus and Megatron


"Understand this. So long as you stand in my way- so long as anybody stands in my way, I will respond by killing. Murder on an industrial scale. Because in the final analysis, I would happily wade across a river of corpses, chest-deep in rust and grease and engine oil, just to crush the spark of the last Autobot standing. And I would do so not simply as a means to an end, no. I'd do it, Prime, because it would give me pleasure."

—Megatron

Notes

Continuity notes

  • The flashback portions of this issue take place before Megatron Origin and fill in a lot of details that the miniseries left out: namely, why Megatron is already so angry and willing to turn to violence.
  • Impactor and Megatron are sitting in Maccadam's NEW Oil House, an early version of the classic Transformers hangout that was previously only mentioned in dialogue in the IDW continuity, in the Ironhide mini-series.
  • Xaaron mentions a free lab on Kimia; it's Ironfist's old one, free following Skyfall's demise in the Last Stand of the Wreckers prose story "Bullets".
  • This issue introduces Nominus Prime, another previously unheard-of Prime who was not part of the lineage as glimpsed in Spotlight: Optimus Prime. Where the last one, Zeta Prime, introduced in Spotlight: Blurr, came after Sentinel Prime, Nominus precedes Sentinel.
  • The idea of the Transformers as a pariah race, shunned by the rest of the galaxy, was originally suggested by some aliens' reactions to them in Spotlight: Drift.
  • The montage of war scenes include: Stormbringer, Infiltration, "Spotlight: Arcee", Drift, Escalation, "Spotlight: Kup", "Spotlight: Shockwave", Ironhide, Devastation, "...For All Mankind", Last Stand of the Wreckers, and Heart of Darkness.
  • When recalling past fights, Megatron and Optimus remember their relatively recent battle in Brasnya from Escalation, and one at Rada Mor, which was previously mentioned in "Bullets". Also mentioned are the Vorsk Offensive and the Battle for Hell's Point, which would receive some expansion during Roberts's later stories. Contrarily, this is the only mention of the Siege of Massunstrad.
  • The Tremorcons were mentioned before in "Bullets"; Rung—a character originally created by Roberts for a passing mention in his unofficial novella "Eugenesis"—was also seen in that story, and served as the writer of the Last Stand of the Wreckers Autopedia profiles.
  • The screen that Megatron throws his treatise through ends up with a hole the shape of the Decepticon insignia, inspiring the design of the badge of his cause-to-be.
  • Knowing that he would soon be writing an ongoing series of his own, More than Meets the Eye, James Roberts wrote many story seeds into "Chaos Theory", including:
    • A reference to the "Knights of Cybertron", who were going to be in an abandoned Mike Costa plot after "Chaos"; the search for the Knights would become the backbone of More than Meets the Eye.[1]
    • The introduction of the concept of "forged" and "constructed cold" methods of Transformer creation, which would take several years to be explained. Further, the idea of racism against constructed cold 'bots debuts; this was an idea which Roberts came up with in Eugenesis. Cybertron used to have apartheid based on your origin, which was supposed to no longer matter near the end of Nominus' reign (but obviously still does). The idea of racism based on the circumstances of your birth would be greatly expanded on during More than Meets the Eye to encompass the ideals of Functionism.
    • Mention of the Galactic Council.
    • Prowl's concerns about Chief Justice Tyrest, which would become the focal point of More than Meets the Eye's final arc of "season 1".
    • Whirl as the prison guard who beats up Megatron; Whirl is a main cast member in More than Meets the Eye, and was specifically chosen for this scene in "Chaos Theory" for that reason.
  • Roberts didn't know at this point whether Megatron was forged or constructed cold, and the missing batch code was done to create mystery around the character. But they'll both turn out to be relevant in Elegant Chaos![2]
  • At the end of the story, Ironhide asks Optimus if he had found out what Megatron wanted. Optimus replies "I think so, and I think I just gave it to him." In the past, whilst in prison it was the beating given by Whirl that turned Megatron from pacifist rhetoric to violence. In the present day, Optimus notes that before handing himself in, Megatron had sounded "hollow" - he had lost his passion, it is this he wanted to renew. During their second conversation, Megatron repeatably goads Optimus into a reaction, until eventually Optimus applies a full blast of the VVH (It is only intervention by Omega Supreme that prevents the death of Megatron). As before in the past, it is this act of violence that refuels the fire in Megatron, and Optimus only realises too late what he has unleashed.

Transformers references

  • We learn that Megatron was created in the "1st Cycle 012" amongst other notable dates. While previously unseen in the IDW Generation 1 continuity, this dating system harkens back to "The Quest!", a text story from the Marvel UK 1990 Transformers annual where the Theturian Dicet Alpha-zero noted that the Ark's launch and Megatron's subsequent attack took place during "1st Cycle 931 (Cybertronian dating)".
  • Ratchet and Perceptor are discussing a superpower that Megatron was given in his original bio... and which almost every single G1 story since has ignored. Probably because, as Perceptor notes, throwing a black hole around is a little too silly. Ratchet talking about it as "the thing with the eyes" is a reference to the Marvel UK story "Resurrection!", in which Megatron used said power to channel antimatter through his eyes. Except, as it turns out later, it wasn't just a rumor.
  • Some graffiti in Megatron's cell reads "peace through tyranny", the motto from his original bio, indicating that this is where he picked up the phrase.
  • Megatron correcting the guard on his name seems to be a reference to how Bob Budiansky came up with the actual name: combining the words "megaton" and "electron".
  • Among the battles recalled by Prime and Megatron include one at Sherma Bridge, which Megatron recalls as their first meeting. This hearkens back to another Marvel UK story, "And There Shall Come...a Leader!", in which Megatron and Prime were shown having their first meeting in a significant battle on a bridge. That bridge was unnamed, but the name "Sherma Bridge" is a nod to the pair's famous battle on Sherman Dam from the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "More than Meets the Eye, Part 2".
  • The variable voltage harness comes from the original Marvel comics. Also mentioned are Pathblasters, communicubes, and Shanix from the Marvel UK comics.
  • The plot element of Optimus and Megatron having met before the war, and the former agreeing with the latter's ideals, is reminiscent of the Aligned versions of Optimus Prime and Megatron. This, however, would turn out to be complete coincidence, developed by Roberts independent of any Aligned material.
  • On page 17, a Diagnostic Drone-like drone appears.
  • Megatron mentions he spent two years stuck in alt-mode, possibly a reference to the Marvel story "Shooting Star!"

Real-life references

Errors

  • Jazz is seen amongst the Autobots who are viewing the captive Megatron, but issue #25 will establish that he should currently be on Earth.
  • Both Megatron Origin and Spotlight: Blurr had a pre-Prime Optimus sporting a body clearly inspired by Orion Pax. Here, before either story, Optimus is already in his usual Cybertronian Optimus Prime form. This would later be remedied in Spotlight: Orion Pax.
  • Despite Megatron's recollection of being trapped in a gun alt mode after the Battle for Hell's Point, Prime's recollection of the fight shows Megatron having the Don Figueroa-designed body that transforms into a Cybertronian tank. It is, of course, possible that Megatron was forced to withdraw and swap alt-modes in the midst of that battle, only to return later.
  • The notion of Optimus and Megatron having their first (or second) meeting at Sherma Bridge would essentially be retconned away by Autocracy. Chalk it up to Megatron switching the subject, perhaps?
  • In the first panel Impactor either has a normal right hand which later transforms or his drill attachment is mis-colored.

Other notes

  • JAMES ROBERTS!
  • "Chaos Theory" was originally going to be published separated from the ongoing as a one-shot, but the series had higher sales than one-shots and minis, so it and "Chaos", which was going to be a mini-series, were rolled in—which is why the series ended on #31 and not #25.)[3] Other early plans were that it would be set on Earth, the Decepticon Justice Division were going to attack, and Impactor would turn out to have been visiting Megatron in his cell and would steal his badge for Guzzle. (All that in one issue.) Other characters would talk to Megatron before Optimus. Crucially for the future, Whirl would not be in it but a new character.[4][5]
  • Orion Pax was originally scripted as looking like he does in Spotlight: Blurr.[6]
  • "Forged" and "constructed cold" come up here for the first time. "Constructed cold" was a concept from Roberts' Eugenesis: Transformers made by the Matrix instead of budding and seen as unnatural for it. The idea would be heavily reworked for the IDW world.

Foreign Localizations

Swedish

    • Title: "Kaosteorin Del 1" ("Chaos Theory Part 1")

Covers (3)

  • Cover A: Megatron's current head; art by Alex Milne and colors by Josh Perez.
  • Cover B: Megatron's head from Megatron Origin; art by Milne and colors by Perez.
  • Cover RI: Both half-heads combined into one time-spanning B&W super head; art by Milne.
  • (thumbnail)

    Cover A - Megatron; as in Electron

  • (thumbnail)

    Cover B - Megatron; as in Neutron Bomb

  • (thumbnail)

    Cover RI - Not Megaton

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Reprints

References

  1. ↑ TFW2005 interview with Mike Costa
  2. ↑ TransMissions Episode 94 – James Roberts MTMTE Elegant Chaos Interview 36:27 to 37:37
  3. ↑ Moonbase 2 interview with Mike Costa ("Special Guest")
  4. ↑ Moonbase2's second interview with James Roberts - 01:33:27 to 01:35:01
  5. ↑ Podcast Maximus episode 3, 06:10 to 05:00
  6. ↑ Podcast Maximus episode 3, 07:09 to 07:19
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