CON-QUEST ISSUE DETAILS:
Raksha's Rantings ... from The Best of Con-Quest 3 reprint special, Summer 2000

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"Give someone a fish, and they eat for a day; teach them to fish, and they eat for a lifetime."

How does it relate to Transformers? Read on...

In an earlier essay, I explained that the Decepticons and not the Autobots were the real heroes of the Transformers mythology. Here I wish to expand upon that subject. Who's a hero, of course, is a very subjective matter; to a Decepticon, Megatron will likely represent the very personification of the word "hero", while Prime represents the greatest evil Cybertron has ever known; to an Autobot, those labels will be reversed. There are those to whom the Autobots are every bit as much personal heroes as the Decepticons are to me. It all depends on which side of the fence you're on, right? Well, yes - but even under that stipulation, I will argue that the Decepticons are far better suited to the term "hero" than the Autobots could ever be.

It comes down to the definition of the term, of course. In my opinion, it's not enough to simply do great and brave deeds, though this too is part of the definition - but only a part. A hero may be someone who swoops to your rescue when you're in trouble - but a better breed of hero is someone who inspires you to stand up and fight for yourself. The ultimate hero is not just someone who survives tremendous odds, but someone with the capacity to inspire you to believe in yourself enough to do the same.

I could tell many personal anecdotes as a stranger in a strange land, trapped in times of difficulty, surrounded by those who wished me harm, fighting for my very identity. If I'd waited for someone to miraculously appear and help me, I'd be waiting still. What I did, instead, was to mentally reach for the Decepticons' fortitude and self-sufficiency, in particular Megatron's unwavering courage and perseverance. I can think of no Autobot character who could possibly serve as a similar model - someone who faced defeat repeatedly, skirted the end of everything he'd ever striven for, the extinction of his troops, the death of his dreams - and always, always found a way out and returned to carry on the battle. If Megatron could stand against all the odds repeatedly and never give up, to eventually triumph, then I could certainly honor his example by at least trying to do the same.

I am reminded of a letter to the TF comic which described a sick boy hooked to life-support machinery, which he at first found frightening, until he was induced to call his machine "Optimus Prime," and see it as a protective, nurturing thing rather than as a scary threat. All well and good if it helped - but far better if that kid had designated his machine "Megatron" or "Starscream" or "Cyclonus" - inspiring him to keep fighting, to never give up, despite any and all setbacks. And it's not that Decepticons can't be protective. Quite the opposite, in fact. They're very protective of their own. They don't go around saving just anyone randomly for no other reason than that they need help; Decepticon standards are higher than that. One must be worthy of rescue. Once those standards are met, Decepticons will defend each other to the death. The closest thing to "nonjudgmental compassion" among the Decepticons would be personified in Soundwave - and even he only showed his protective nature toward fellow Decepticons.

So what makes the difference, really, in who makes a better hero? The difference is that the "savior" type of hero cannot always be there for you when you're in trouble - and worse yet, fosters a passive approach to one's problems. The "role model" type of hero can teach you physical and psychological survival skills that can never be taken from you. The self-esteem that comes from the ability to protect oneself, then draws together those with similar strength in order to defend one another where needed. I know which version I prefer.

The End