The following text is an excerpt from the official Beast Wars Story Bible, written by Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio. It's from a draft of Dec. 1995, before the first show aired...

Name: MEGATRON, Leader of the Predacons

Beast Form: Gigantic T-Rex

Robotic Form: Purple and Black Humanoid

Weaponry: T-Rex form: Dual Magna-Bomb Launchers (Hip mounted, on each side), Plasma Blast (Mouth), Missile Launchers (Wrist mounted)

Skills: Ranged and Melee Combat, Leadership, Strategy & Tactics, Computer, Environmental Survival, Cunning, Stealth, Swim, Underwater Combat, Abnormal Psychology, Astro-Navigation.

Interests/Hobbies: Megatron's only interest is power and all his effort is spent on acquiring, sustaining and expanding it. He does however occasionally indulge in a nice hot mud bath.

Attitude: Megatron is a villain. But he does not cackle, snort or constantly scream "Destroy them". He is not a comic-opera villain, he is a REAL villain. He's clever, ruthless and cool. Megatron matches up pretty evenly with Optimus in leadership and battle skill but there is an important difference. Optimus believe the key to leadership is mutual respect. Megatron believes it is FEAR. He also knows it is less what he does, then what the other Predacons THINK he might do. To bolster this attitude Megatron will often commit spontaneous acts of destruction on one of the Predacons. This is done in a casual manner and often for no discernible reason. When he really gets mad he seethes, bubbles, boils and then EXPLODES in a murderous rage. Most Predacons head for the hills on seethe, only Scorponok is reckless enough to stay around through boil.

Megatron has one goal - Power. He must be in control at all times. If you put him in a Jungle he will challenge every beast there until he rules it and burn it to the ground if he can't. If you put him on a Planet, he will amass armies to conquer it. And then he will go into Space. Like Optimus, he never loses sight of the larger picture -- though his is Galactic Conquest.

He trusts no one, especially after DinoBot's defection. He dearly wants revenge for this. But it is a dish he'll eat cold. Megatron can be quite charismatic when he needs to be. Even charming. He gives new meaning to the term crocodile teeth.

Megatron prefers to enter battle last (if possible). He is not cowardly he merely believes it is better to have his troops soften up the opposition first, then unleash his power for the final strike if needed.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Scorponok is Megatron's second-in-command. He holds this position because he is the most berserk of the Predacons and because Megatron secretly fears his poisons. It also grates on Terrorsaur who feels he should have the position. Megatron feigns some degree of friendship with Scorponok, mainly to make sure he watches his back around the others.

Terrorsaur feigns loyalty to Megatron but Megatron knows he is a vile schemer who like DinoBot wants to rule the Predacons. He often allows Terrorsaur to carry out such schemes, scotching them at the last instant. He knows Terrorsaur is cowardly but as Terrorsaur's flying ability is very useful to him, he keeps him around. For the present.

Waspinator is a deluded fool, flighty, smug and all too confident in his flying ability and tricks. Megatron suffers his presence for his usefulness as a counter to any scheme Terrorsaur might come up with.

Tarantulas is the Predacon Megatron most distrusts and despises. The taciturn spider is just a bit too taciturn for Megatron's taste and his gluttony appalls Megatron.