Super Megatron is a Japanese exclusive character that made his debut in the Transformers Battlestars Manga first published in 1991. You can read it in the Transformers: The Manga Volume 3, but basically this is a post-Galvatron Megatron resurrected by a strange alien thing called Dark Nova (Megatron does attract evil things that like to bring him back to life). The design is said to have influenced the character on the Transformers: Animated series, but that's as close to fame as this chap has gotten. Since the Takara exclusive Generations line revels in creating niche characters out of existing moulds (this used to be Galvatron), we now have probably the most obscure Megatron toy ever, created for the very first time in actual plastic.
Let's see how that worked out, shall we?
Flying Thing Mode
Looking like Darkwing Duck's equivalent of the Batwing, drink this in because it's as good as alt-Mode Super Megs gets. It has some charm as the sort of spaceship a child might draw, but honestly it's a bit daft and about as aerodynamic as a house-brick.
Tank Mode
The triple-cannon is hidden within SM's new Fusion Cannon, and this mode barely tabs together to create an "everything-folded-in-as-much-as-possible" mode, with a cannon on top. Again, it's daft as a brush, you'll either dig it's cheesy rubbishness or just look at it puzzled, like me.
Robot Mode 1
This is more like it, look at the hench bastard! That lovely Megatron colour scheme is in full swing, with bloody reds, gunmetal grey and some lighter grey to break it up, all Megatron-like. The face is a bit soft, detail-wise, and you have to move his shoulder thingy before you can lift his cannon, but it's solid and mean looking. Definitely the mode to display him in.
Robot Mode 2
An ugly face with the accessories spread around a bit. Who's not a pretty boy then?
The back
Surprisingly solid, with the tank treads filling in the back of the legs, it's actually very tidy.
Overall:
It's ridiculous in a good way - that first Super Megatron robot is certainly the main draw, with his alt modes being a bit rubbish and his cannon, versatile as it is, being no match for the classic Fusion Cannon. But who ever thought we'd get the manga-only Super Megatron as a toy? Not me, certainly, and despite the limitations, and the fact that it's really in the spirit of the character rather a very accurate rendition, I do like it. But it really is a super-niche character and if you want a good toy, you can safely skip this chap I think.
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