In the realm of literature, there are many great rivalries one such example would be Goku and Vegeta. Two individuals who have different but not opposite worldviews and even sharing some core values but having different ways of expressing those values. They both desire to be the strongest, but Vegeta wants to be the sole strongest being in the universe while Goku wants to meet people stronger than him because he wishes to be challenged. In addition to that, Vegeta is also motivated by honoring his now extinct race. Goku, on the other hand, though still wanting to honor his dead run doesn’t really see it as one of his primary reasons for getting stronger. This dichotomy is what makes their rivalry so compelling. The reason why I bring up Goku and Vegeta is that the things that make their competition great would make a rivalry between Rick and Megatron just as great if not better.

Now the purpose of this essay isn’t to convince people that a Rick & Morty Transformers crossover would work instead I intend to argue why the Transformers and Rick & Morty franchise should merge as one and why the primary reason that should happen is because of the dynamic between Rick Sanchez and Megatron of Tarn. Do I think this will actually make it happen, well no but I’ll at least be able to explain my opinions in depth. So without further adieu.

Before we discuss Rick and Megatron, let us talk about their enemies and how they treat those enemies. They both have more enemies than friends (though in Megatrons it’s not that large of a gap) and since they both revel in the dismemberment of their enemies. They’d more likely than not bond over their shared enjoyment of seeing their enemies suffer. Though they aren’t equally cruel to all their enemies, with how they treat their enemies depending on how they feel about the enemy their fighting. Rick is or was at war with the galactic federation an organization which controls vast amounts of the galaxy and behaves as the chief peacekeeping force in the galaxy and is politically dominated by the Gromfloms. While Megatron and the Decepticons are at war with the galactic council an organization whose main difference from the galactic federation is that they aren’t dominated by a single race. Logically in a universe where both franchises are one the Galactic council & federation are one and the same and an obvious common enemy for Rick and Megatron to join forces and fight against. Their reasons for fighting against those galaxy-spanning governments are similar yet different. They are both doing it because they feel like their respective galactic encroach on their freedoms and also because they hoard most of the land and resources but Megatron fights against them for the additional goal of setting up an empire in order to establish peace, while Rick simply fights against the galactic government because their interest conflict with his but doesn’t really plan on creating a government to replace them. This will be a point of contention between both characters, they have different views of fighting. Though they do both fight to win one fights out of a desire to cause peace at least short term while the other doesn’t even bother to try to bring peace unless it’s in his interest.

However, galaxy-spanning Governments aren’t the only common enemy these two have. They both have negative views on heroes, seeing them as self-righteous and pretentious. With Megatron essentially fighting on for a living while Rick meets with some time to time. When it comes to dealing with beings, they deem low threats, they tend to use less physical force and more verbal force, believing their enemies not to be worth the energy. In Ricks case, this is Jerry while in Megatron’s case, this is Starscream. Though since Starscream threat level does fluctuate Megatron has used more force when taking him down. Neither of them is a complete sadist since they both engage in violence when they see it as justifiable and detest violence that they deem unnecessary. Though Rick is more open about his disliking of unnecessary violence while Megatron behaves indifferently. Though to be fair, Megatron is involved in a constant war while Rick gets involved in wars from time to time so it would make sense why Megatron is more desensitized. Overall, both individuals have similar receptions to handling conflict though they differ on how to view it. They do both think that conflict is never-ending. Megatron at least desires to establish short term peace and does try to enact it while Rick only supports peace when it’s in his interest though those interests aren’t always selfish and sometimes they are to protect his loved ones which is something that both he and Megatron have in common though Megatron mainly fights to avenge friends he’s lost while rick fights to keep the loved one he has though occasionally seeks revenge. When it comes to retribution few beings in the multiverse match the tenacity these two have when carrying it out. May the one have mercy on the souls of those who have wronged either of these individuals because they will dismantle everything they stand for. Just like what rick did to the galactic council and what Megatron did to senate and primes.

Now that we’ve discussed how they interact with their enemies, let talk about how they talk with their friends. They both possess irrational connections and can be cold towards their loved ones. For Rick, his irrational connection is well Morty who despite his at times incompetence, rick still keeps around as he assistant. For Megatron, his irrational connection is Starscream who despite constant attempts to usurp him, Megatron still keeps around as his second in command. Now both at least on the surface justify their irrational connections by saying that there is a strategic reason for keeping them around and though there’s some truth to those reason’s do have some validity they are far from the main reason Rick and Megatron keep their unreliable subordinates around. With the true reason being that Ricki and Megatron keep Starscream and Morty around is because Megatron and Rick genuinely care about them and value their lives. Both Rick and Megatron find entertainment from Starscream and Morty’s attempts to rise to their levels. As for the loved ones that actually are loyal to Rick and Megatron. Both Rick and Megatron tend to be cold toward those most loyal to them but do try to make sure that they know that their loyalty is appreciated. For Rick, this person would be Beth, and for Megatron, it would be to an extent Soundwave. Although all the loyalty is given by Beth and Soundwave, Megatron and Rick do act coldly toward them, though they do try to make sure they Soundwave and Beth loyalty is appreciated. That being said, Megatron is much more respectful to Soundwave than Rick is to Beth. That’s not to say rick doesn’t respect Beth, but it’s just that Megatron goes out of his way to be with Soundwave than Rick does with Beth. In a way, Megatron’s relationship with Soundwave is an odd mix of Rick’s relationship with Beth and Birdperson. Just like Beth, Soundwave sees Megatron as an idol and just like Birdperson they two have had many shared experiences together fighting for the same goal. On the topic of Birdperson, let’s quickly discuss his relationship with Rick. The two have a strong sense of mutual respect between them built up by their shared experiences fighting against the galactic federation.

Lastly, let us discuss how they both view the world. Both Rick and Megatron want to be the masters of their own destiny but go about it in completely different ways. Where Rick turns to Science, Megatron goes to politics. Where believes that he can master his destiny by knowing everything, Megatron believes he can master his destiny by having authority over everything. Now that’s not to say Rick doesn’t want authority. Since after he dismantled the Galactic federation, Rick claimed that he was the patriarch of the universe. So clearly he is confident enough in his intelligence that he thinks it gives him power over virtually everyone. So this shows that Rick also desires control but goes about it through different means. However one thing Megatron does that Rick doesn’t is that he tries to justify his pursuit for power by arguing that he is the only one worthy to wield it while Rick simply pursuits power because he can and doesn’t even care to justify his pursuit. In a way Megatron is more heroic since he does feel some guilt over all the misdeeds he must do in his pursuit while Rick doesn’t really care and this is the big ideological divide between Rick and Megatron. One is collectivist while the other is an individualist. Where Megatron is motivated by the betterment of the universe, Rick is motivated for the betterment of himself. Aside from Rhetoric, this can also be shown by the fact that Rick actually has a larger kill count then Megatron. Since he destroyed two micro universes just so he could have something to power his car. Their shared desire to be the masters of their own destiny will be the thing that will bring Rick and Megatron together but also keep them apart. Though they may not completely see eye to eye, Rick and Megatron do have more ideologically in common with each other than Megatron and Optimus, and an argument between the two would seem more like an intellectual debate rather than a competition of who can say the most one-liners. Another similarity the two have is a disregard for their own well being, and their reasons for this are nearly identical. Since they both are racked with guilt over things in their past and fear the potential of enduring failure.

In conclusion, both Rick and Megatron have a plethora of similarities and contrast that’ll give them an interesting duality and make for a fascinating dynamic between the two. They would be compelling friends and tragic enemies. I can think of no other way to end this blog then to quote both Megatron and Rick themselves.

“ I’m a scientist … I invent Transform, create, destroy for a living and when I don’t like something about the world I change it.”-Rick Sanchez

“Oh destiny how it pleases you to caress a few and molest others. In the mines we had no idea that destiny must be harnessed, kicked and ridden until it takes you in the right direction. Not just where you want to go, but where you force it.”-Megatron