Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

So during the last meet up between a few local guys I know. We were talking about morality and such. Primarly, revisionist history. This lead us to think about the last 3 live action movies as well as the original G1 Cartoon.

What we were thinking was, who was actually evil, the Decepticons or the Autobots. Now in a perfect world of Only Black and WHite and nothing in between, we can easily see that the Autobots are the good guys.

But what if they arn't, what if they are acutally the bad guys? I am not talking about alternate realities, just differnt perception on the events that have occured in the movies.

So what I started to do a few days ago is write an eassy on the premise that the Decepticons are actually the good guys doing bad things for the Greater good. Where the Autobots due to there dogma have become the bad guys even though they are preceived as doing good things.

I would like to post my essay on here once it has been finished. But due to the potential for political / religous fever that runs through it, it maybe not promited by this site.

If possible, with the promission of a mod, I would like to send that essay to them for approval.

There are no real world refernce in the eassy to any historical injustices, or goverments or religions. Only those of Cybertorian Ficiton.

I'm just curious, is anyone here actually intrested in read an eassy on the perception of Good and Evil.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

In IDW, those that would one day become the Decepticons saw themselves as second class citizens (slaves in some cases) and fought for change against the tyranny of those that would one day become the Autobots.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

True to that, however slightly different my argument might be. I am putting it into the movie verse. Which may be by it's intent of the argument, a little uncomfortable or contraversal.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

From the G1 Cartoon standpoint..

Well, perception is reality. Off the top of my head, a lot of the Decepticons didn't seem to be inherently evil. A great many selfish. But not outright evil. Astrotrain and the Constructicons strike me to a large extent were just there because they were. And could almost as easily been Autobots.

But then so many of the characters are one dimensional, they weren't developed enough to even base a decision on.

Even Starscream I could say wasn't evil. He was totally fixated on usurping Megatron he didn't get around to really doing much of anything else.

The movies are a slightly different beast. The evil ones are more evil. But then so many of the others are just there as well. Following along. So maybe more of the same, just with more exaggeration.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

I really need to read the comics and get more into the juicy background stuff thats come out over the last couple decades =)

I had a few early issues of the Marvel comic and that was all.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

Well, in the 3 live action movies, you could argue that the Decepticons were doing what was best to restore their own home planet, Cybertron. From the view of a Cybertronian, they could be seen as the good guy, looking to retrieve the AllSpark to repower Cybertron, getting more Energon to replenish Cybertron, and taking control of Earth and its people to rebuild Cybertron. You could argue that the subjugation of humans was a necessary evil to rebuild a planet and a race that was far more advanced.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

Additionally to that point, which i've already wrote about. The Cybertronian Race is on its way to extinction. Which makes this even more needed then ever.

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

I remember a similar article about star wars, I believe it was called "The case for the Empire." It ignores all the EU, and focuses only on the movies, with the idea that these most purely represent Lucas' intent. It's been widely posted elsewhere, here is one of those repostings: http://www.strauss.za.com/sla/emp_vs_rep.asp


I can easily picture something similar involving transformers, particularly the movie ones. Cartoon I think is more difficult, but in the movie I think it's rather clear that the autobots are committee atrocities at least on par with the decepticons. While they still have their principles, it seems like they've gone off the deep end, and as you say, are upholding those principles "no matter the cost" even if it means killing humans, or decepticons.

I'd also call into question whether they are friends of humanity, or friends of the united states, or merely using the US to bolster their position on earth. One has to wonder if the US, or humanity in general, decided to go down the road of conquest like the Decepticons, what would they do then?

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

I'd say you have an essay because of Sentinel Prime. He practically writes it for you.

Outside of that, it's kind of hard to make much of a case for either the Decepticons or the Autobots from the movies.

Movie 1, you could go either way because it's vague what the goal is. The extent of the Allspark's power and who will do what with it is largely he-said-she-said. The Decepticons engage in more killing, but you could possibly make a case for them in the greater scheme of things.

Movie 2, it's kind of hard to justify the Decepticons. You might have a case because Murder Prime makes his debut in this movie, and you almost feel sorry for Demolishor.

But it's difficult to justify using a machine that will destroy the sun. It's kind of hard to paint that as not evil, given that there's nothing special about our sun and it could be used in an unpopulated system.

The best you can argue is that everyone seems to go all "End Justifies the Means" in ROTF, Autobots and Decepticons alike. Prime murders and is murdered. Decepticons want to kill Sam with the Slutticon, then take out his brain. Lots of stuff seems to blow up indiscriminately. No one seems to care about collateral damage. Still, the sun thing is going to take some spin, like in the article about Star Wars that kind of addresses Alderaan but glosses over it somewhat.

Movie 3 is probably the meatiest in terms of arguments for the greater good, Cybertron vs. Earth, and character motivation. It's a little hard to rationalize enslavement of a planet's population and indiscriminate killing, though. Perhaps arguing that the Autobots are no better by allowing the Decepticons to run amok, kill a bunch of people to demonstrate the need for the Autobots "protection", and the eventual murders of Sentinel Prime and Megatron.

One thought: do the Decepticons actually say that they're going to enslave everyone? I know EvilPatrickDempsey does, but that's hearsay. I don't remember exactly what they say, and anything other than their exact words is just propaganda. You could possibly go for the angle that the Decepticons want to work in partnership with the Earth, share technology, and build a future for both planets together. It's not like the Autobots were sharing their stuff and advancing the human race.

I can't see why you shouldn't be able to post your essay. It's intelligent discussion about Transformers. If that doesn't belong here, where would it?

Re: Perceptions of the Decepticons
 

The autobots in the movie are very principled, but their principles ring hollow for me, it's like there's no thought behind it. They've been doing what they're doing so long it's become second nature. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings, unless you're a Decepticon, then we'll hunt you down where you're hiding, and be your judge, jury, and executioner.