CON-QUEST ISSUE DETAILS:
Raksha's Rantings ... from Issue 29, Summer 2000
* * *
I have often said, if the Decepticons were real and were to show up on Earth, I'd be the first to bang on their door and ask where I had to sign to join up. The sneering response I have often gotten, is that this would be tantamount to suicide; I've heard even self-professed Decepticon fans say that if the Decepticons were indeed real, they'd lose no time running away from them rather than towards them, and would even support the Autobots(!!). The claim is made that no alien would ever be accepted into the Decepticon ranks - that one would simply get stepped on for one's trouble, regardless of what services or loyalty was offered. But this viewpoint, like so many others, is the result of years of pro-Autobot propaganda that has painted the Decepticons as mindless instruments of destruction, who kill for the hell of it - a viewpoint that finds absolutely no support in the facts.
First of all, the Decepticons do not kill "for the hell of it." We've been over this one. Decepticons are pragmatic, efficient beings who have a grand destiny to pursue; yes, they're very willing to use violent means against those who oppose them, and also very willing to run over any insignificant beings stupid enough to get caught in the crossfire - why should they care, after all, when they have far more important pursuits? - but going out of their way to deliberately kill beings who pose them no threat, well, that would just be a waste of time and energy, which is very much against Decepticon nature. Witness the many incidents in the cartoon where the 'Cons helped themselves to human resources, but made no attempt to deliberately kill any humans. The malicious intention simply wasn't there. But somehow the Autobot viewpoint of seeing the Decepticons as soulless killing machines, has insidiously worked its way into the minds of even some self-defined Decepticon fans.
The Decepticons are an elitist species, this much is true - they are very much a closed group with a pack mentality, whose concerns are for their own kind and not for non-Decepticons. But being pragmatic beings, they're not so closed-off, arrogant, and xenophobic that they cannot see benefit from the outside, and so a very obvious back door is left open for new recruits, whatever their origin may be. The claim that no alien would ever be judged worthy to be accepted into the Decepticon ranks, is categorical nonsense.
Let's look at some of Megatron's alien allies. Numerous episodes have shown Decepticons working with non-Decepticons, starting with Dr. Archeville way back in "The Ultimate Doom," and proceeding through Shawn Burger (in "Megatron's Master Plan"), Ali ("Aerial Attack"), the Getys brothers ("Make Tracks"). Non-human allies have included Lord Gyconi ("The Gambler"), Jerrol ("The God Gambit"), and possibly Deceptitran ("Sea Change"). The comics universe saw an alliance with the Cobra organization. It's true that most of these individuals were utilized as "resources" who could easily be double-crossed and abandoned when their usefulness was ended - but it was with this exact same intention that most of these "allies" approached the Decepticons in the first place. They were all out for themselves, with no interest in furthering the Decepticon cause, and saw the Decepticons as a means to an end. Is it any wonder that such individuals would be treated precisely the same way? The significant point is that contact was taken up in the first place, that Megatron was willing to hear out the proposal of these "insignificant beings" at all, which denotes an openness to at least the possibility of a true alliance. Not with personality-types such as the above-listed individuals, of course, but with those who would be worthy to join the Decepticons in the fullest sense of the word. If someone with obvious selfish intentions can gain an audience with the Decepticon leader, then most certainly the response toward someone who offered true allegiance, would be even more positive. And we've seen ample evidence of such situations as well.
Recall Skyfire, whom Megatron was willing to accept from the start, and who, on Starscream's word, was given full honors as a Decepticon - a status that others, surely, had to first laboriously win. How did Skyfire thank his benefactors, those who saved his life and were willing to grant him all the rights and privileges of a Decepticon warrior? By betraying them and joining their enemies. It's a wonder that any outsider should ever again be considered for membership in the elite ranks - and yet, the back door was still open. Nightbird, as well, was later accepted as a Decepticon. She is the ideal example of an outsider who would have joined up and been worthy of doing so - thus not a resource to be utilized and thrown away, but a full-fledged member of the team. (One does not rescue a resource - one at best protects it as long as it's still useful, but you'll recall that Nightbird's actual mission was entirely secondary in Megatron's mind by the time he led his troops to come to her aid.) Unfortunately Nightbird is the only clear example of an honest addition to the ranks (though there is good circumstantial evidence for the Constructicons as well); all other applicants were unworthy. But the fact that the one individual who was worthy, was immediately and without prejudice taken in, speaks volumes about Megatron's willingness to accept select outsiders.
In other words - if you're a Decepticon fan, and we take the "what if" game one step further ("what if the Decepticons showed up on Earth tomorrow") - I should hope you'd support your philosophical ideals in fact as well as in fiction. Stand up for your beliefs, knock on the door of the base, and ask for admission - not out of selfish reasons (Megatron could see through that ploy right away - he's certainly seen it enough times!), but out of a true allegiance to the Decepticon dream. Cast aside the twisted preconceptions about Decepticons' reactions to members of other species, and you might be pleasantly surprised.
The few,
The proud,
The Decepticons' Alien Allies.
--Raksha the Plumed Serpent
The End
* * *
I have often said, if the Decepticons were real and were to show up on Earth, I'd be the first to bang on their door and ask where I had to sign to join up. The sneering response I have often gotten, is that this would be tantamount to suicide; I've heard even self-professed Decepticon fans say that if the Decepticons were indeed real, they'd lose no time running away from them rather than towards them, and would even support the Autobots(!!). The claim is made that no alien would ever be accepted into the Decepticon ranks - that one would simply get stepped on for one's trouble, regardless of what services or loyalty was offered. But this viewpoint, like so many others, is the result of years of pro-Autobot propaganda that has painted the Decepticons as mindless instruments of destruction, who kill for the hell of it - a viewpoint that finds absolutely no support in the facts.
First of all, the Decepticons do not kill "for the hell of it." We've been over this one. Decepticons are pragmatic, efficient beings who have a grand destiny to pursue; yes, they're very willing to use violent means against those who oppose them, and also very willing to run over any insignificant beings stupid enough to get caught in the crossfire - why should they care, after all, when they have far more important pursuits? - but going out of their way to deliberately kill beings who pose them no threat, well, that would just be a waste of time and energy, which is very much against Decepticon nature. Witness the many incidents in the cartoon where the 'Cons helped themselves to human resources, but made no attempt to deliberately kill any humans. The malicious intention simply wasn't there. But somehow the Autobot viewpoint of seeing the Decepticons as soulless killing machines, has insidiously worked its way into the minds of even some self-defined Decepticon fans.
The Decepticons are an elitist species, this much is true - they are very much a closed group with a pack mentality, whose concerns are for their own kind and not for non-Decepticons. But being pragmatic beings, they're not so closed-off, arrogant, and xenophobic that they cannot see benefit from the outside, and so a very obvious back door is left open for new recruits, whatever their origin may be. The claim that no alien would ever be judged worthy to be accepted into the Decepticon ranks, is categorical nonsense.
Let's look at some of Megatron's alien allies. Numerous episodes have shown Decepticons working with non-Decepticons, starting with Dr. Archeville way back in "The Ultimate Doom," and proceeding through Shawn Burger (in "Megatron's Master Plan"), Ali ("Aerial Attack"), the Getys brothers ("Make Tracks"). Non-human allies have included Lord Gyconi ("The Gambler"), Jerrol ("The God Gambit"), and possibly Deceptitran ("Sea Change"). The comics universe saw an alliance with the Cobra organization. It's true that most of these individuals were utilized as "resources" who could easily be double-crossed and abandoned when their usefulness was ended - but it was with this exact same intention that most of these "allies" approached the Decepticons in the first place. They were all out for themselves, with no interest in furthering the Decepticon cause, and saw the Decepticons as a means to an end. Is it any wonder that such individuals would be treated precisely the same way? The significant point is that contact was taken up in the first place, that Megatron was willing to hear out the proposal of these "insignificant beings" at all, which denotes an openness to at least the possibility of a true alliance. Not with personality-types such as the above-listed individuals, of course, but with those who would be worthy to join the Decepticons in the fullest sense of the word. If someone with obvious selfish intentions can gain an audience with the Decepticon leader, then most certainly the response toward someone who offered true allegiance, would be even more positive. And we've seen ample evidence of such situations as well.
Recall Skyfire, whom Megatron was willing to accept from the start, and who, on Starscream's word, was given full honors as a Decepticon - a status that others, surely, had to first laboriously win. How did Skyfire thank his benefactors, those who saved his life and were willing to grant him all the rights and privileges of a Decepticon warrior? By betraying them and joining their enemies. It's a wonder that any outsider should ever again be considered for membership in the elite ranks - and yet, the back door was still open. Nightbird, as well, was later accepted as a Decepticon. She is the ideal example of an outsider who would have joined up and been worthy of doing so - thus not a resource to be utilized and thrown away, but a full-fledged member of the team. (One does not rescue a resource - one at best protects it as long as it's still useful, but you'll recall that Nightbird's actual mission was entirely secondary in Megatron's mind by the time he led his troops to come to her aid.) Unfortunately Nightbird is the only clear example of an honest addition to the ranks (though there is good circumstantial evidence for the Constructicons as well); all other applicants were unworthy. But the fact that the one individual who was worthy, was immediately and without prejudice taken in, speaks volumes about Megatron's willingness to accept select outsiders.
In other words - if you're a Decepticon fan, and we take the "what if" game one step further ("what if the Decepticons showed up on Earth tomorrow") - I should hope you'd support your philosophical ideals in fact as well as in fiction. Stand up for your beliefs, knock on the door of the base, and ask for admission - not out of selfish reasons (Megatron could see through that ploy right away - he's certainly seen it enough times!), but out of a true allegiance to the Decepticon dream. Cast aside the twisted preconceptions about Decepticons' reactions to members of other species, and you might be pleasantly surprised.
The few,
The proud,
The Decepticons' Alien Allies.
--Raksha the Plumed Serpent
The End