WARNING! Spoilers Ahead for Transformers #19!Megatron is now officially a triple-changer in the Energon Universe era of Transformers, as the latest issue reveals the Decepticon leader’s alt-modes: both a tank and a handgun. Skybound’s reimagined origin for Megatron in this new continuity adds deeper complexity to the iconic villain, shedding light on key moments from his past as he prepares for an inevitable clash with the Autobots in the present day.

Coming from the creative team of Daniel Warren Johnson, Ludo Lullabi, Adriano Lucas, and Rus Wooton, Transformers #19 jumps back to Megatron’s early days. The story sees the Decepticon captured by the Quintessons and forced to fight in the pits of Quintessa.

Early on, Megatron transforms into a tank to blast his captor, the Quintesson Judge Dezimir. However, it all proves for naught, as Megatron is destroyed and rebuilt for another combat trial. Megatron winds up being killed and rebuilt hundreds of times, before being granted an upgrade via a new alt-mode as a handgun.

Megatron Has Two Alt-Modes in the Energon Universe

The Decepticon Leader Can Transform Into a Tank AND Handgun

As many fans know, Megatron was originally based on the Japanese toy "Gun Robo – P38 U.N.C.L.E." from Takara’s Microchange line. For reasons that remain unclear, this mold was chosen to become the leader of the villainous Decepticons when Hasbro adapted the toys for the Transformers brand. In the years that followed, toy regulations were updated to prevent toy guns from looking too realistic, which made Megatron’s original gun mode a problem. When Transformers returned in the early 1990s, Megatron’s alt-mode was reimagined as a tank, a change that has largely stuck ever since.

Fans were excited when Megatron’s alt-mode was revealed to be a hand-gun during the previous flashback that established Starscream’s new origin. Now that fans know Megatron can also transform into a tank, the creative team has created a situation where they can make fans of both incarnations happy. Seeing the creators remix various elements from the franchise’s forty-year history has been one of the most exciting aspects of the Energon Universe, and the new origin provided for Megatron is yet another way Skybound has found a way to keep Transformers’ complicated history accessible.

Megatron’s Return Could Spell Doom for Optimus Prime

Transformers Is Heading for an Epic Autobot x Decepticon Showdown

Learning these key aspects of Megatron’s backstory should set the stage for the final arc of writer Daniel Warren Johnson’s run on Transformers, as the true Decepticon leader is officially back to lead the enemy faction in the present day. Given the history between the two, and the fact that Optimus is currently in possession of Megatron’s fusion cannon arm, fans can expect a battle royale between Megatron and Optimus Prime before Johnson departs the Enegon Universe. And now that Megatron is officially confirmed to have a third alt-mode as a tank, the Autobots have quite the fight ahead of them in Transformers.

Transformers #19 is available now from Skybound Entertainment!