Prisoners of War: Cyclonus
Featured Cartoon Appearances: Five Faces of Darkness, Webworld
Featured Comic Appearances: Headmasters series, UK comics I don't have
Fanfic Appearances: "Psychological Dependence" by Raksha, "Galvatron and Cyclonus Reunion" by Dalmatian
A while back, I wrote an essay on Punch/Counterpunch where I said I thought he was the one Autobot who best understood his cause. He gave all he had for the Autobots, right down to becoming a Decepticon. Well, there is a Decepticon who I have always felt is much the same in that respect. Cyclonus is powerful and intelligent, and he represents what I believe a Decepticon is. This can be shown best in studying his complex relationship with Galvatron.
We'll just cut to the chase. Why does Cyclonus follow Galvatron? First of all, Cyclonus had no way of knowing that Galvatron snapped from the plasma bath and/or the mental torture from Unicron. Cyclonus saw the dire situation the Decepticons on Charr were in and decided that he couldn't raise the Decepticons up himself, so he went after Galvatron. The Galvatron from the movie, though mired in a violent temperament (as seen when he killed one of Megatron's most valuable warriors), still had the potential to be a great leader, and even had the respect of the other Decepticons. But once Cyclonus discovered Galvatron's mental defect, why did continue to flow an obviously unstable leader? There could be any number of reasons one could subscribe to. One I do not believe is the crudely-named "battered wife syndrome." Cyclonus comes off as too self-respecting for that. Yet, he still takes what his leader gives him. Some may say it was loyalty his leader. I do believe there was some of this. But more, it was undying loyalty to his cause. A loyalty that was greater than any personal misgivings about Galvatron.
Imagine you are a run-of-the-mill Decepticon in the months after Unicron's destruction. Unicron has decimated your faction; you've been handed you butts by the Autobots; and lost your home planet, a world that was under your control for over four million years. Even if you're not imagining you're Dead End, you would probably be pretty depressed. Cyclonus knows that what the Decepticons need is a powerful, energetic leader; one that would laugh in the face of defeat and never give up on their goals. Crazy though he is, Galvatron is all of those things. But Cyclonus also understands how abusive Galvatron is and how this might be detrimental to the others following him. So what does Cyclonus do? He takes the punishment, absorbing a fair amount of the whole of Galvatron's attacks. Cyclonus is doing several things with this inaction. One, he staves off the punishment that may be directed towards other, more sensitive, Decepticons that might bail under such abuse. Two, he becomes the role model. He is showing the Decepticons that he believes they can be victorious with Galvatron, that the Decepticon cause is more important than their personal feelings about their commander's faults.
Why doesn't Cyclonus just lead the Decepticons? I have little doubt that other Decepticons would have any trouble changing their allegiance towards Galvatron's obviously intelligent second-in-command. In a number of episodes, Cyclonus is seen leading the Decepticons here or there. Decepticons have always followed his orders. For Cyclonus' part, there may be a little self-doubt on his ability to be the leader of the Decepticons. After all, in "Five Faces of Darkness," he retrieves Galvatron even though he had a perfect opportunity to take command. I don't think this was the driving force. I believe he honestly believed that Galvatron would lead them to victory, despite his mental problems; that after weighing the pros and cons and dreaming up any number of possible circumstances, Cyclonus believed that Galvatron was the best choice. Cyclonus even went as far as to try to "fix" Galvatron's mental defect. By the end of the third season, Cyclonus' faith may have been justified. Towards the end of the run, Galvatron became a more patient, less violent leader. Could Cyclonus have done better himself? Many would say yes, including me, but we weren't in Cyclonus' position when making the decision. Besides, in a way, he was the leader of the Decepticons.
The other Decepticons did not respect Galvatron as a leader, only as a powerful being you shouldn't cross if you want to live. They feared Galvatron; they respected Cyclonus. In "Five Faces of Darkness," they willingly gave up their own energon to Cyclonus. When Cyclonus ordered something, others jumped to follow the orders. Not because they thought Cyclonus might shoot them or rat them out to Galvatron, but because they respected and trusted Cyclonus as an authority figure. He was the voice of reason that Galvatron lacked. In "Five Faces of Darkness," Cyclonus states that the Autobots around Jupiter were surely dead, but Galvatron wants their heads. Later, once Galvatron thinks they're destroyed and Cyclonus asks about the heads, Galvatron states that the Autobots are surely dead. Now, I believe the writer of the episode wanted this exchange in for some attempt at humor, but it remains an example of how Galvatron listens to Cyclonus' advice.
This doesn't make Cyclonus the leader though. What it shows is what he does for the cause he believes in. Cyclonus advises Galvatron as to appropriate courses at personal risk to himself. He serves as a role model for the other Decepticons in the face of the enemy and a violent commander. He holds together the cause that threatened to dissolve with the loss of Megatron and Cybertron. Cyclonus' actions are heroic and admirable, and a symbol of what a Decepticon truly is.