@honeydew-tiger (replying to your tags) *is gripped* 🤭first of all, thank you!! And I hope you'll forgive me for using this as an excuse to ramble about this au HAHA
Although I didn't have a select bug in mind while making this, I do think a beetle of some sort would be quite fitting. I remember looking at references of Elder bug and similar bugs while I was drawing him.
I've seen other interpretations of him being a moth, which I think looks great! But, personally, I'm captivated by the idea that, to stay true to IDW Megatron, he comes from very humble beginnings, and emerged as a very normal (almost "common") looking bug.
To make it even more true to IDW, perhaps he could be some sort of burrowing or cave bug? Similar to perhaps Cloth or Ogrim.
I think he would've started life out near/in Crystal Peak, then made his way through the City of Tears, and then ended up in the Colosseum of Fools; perhaps when it was first being formed.
An image of him dueling it out with the (alive) Lord of Fools comes to mind! He was the champion of the pits, of course. (I'm so tickled that that his backstory can fit so neatly into the lore of HW, by the way).
Perhaps, even, Megatron was the one who killed the Lord Fool, but rejected the throne in order to expand his horizons and message to all of Hallownest!
P.S., I see him as the #NO.1 Pale King hater, and I don't think he would've succumb to the infection. His will is much too strong!
... In the present times of the game, however, I see him drifting aimlessly through Hallownest; a legend of olden times only few recognise and fear... (though, It's sweet to imagine that he's turned over a new leaf by this point).
P.P.S., Here's some other draft designs I made while sitting on this!
P.P.P.S, here's Skywarp and Thundercracker based off of my friend's designs (ft. his designs for Starscream + Soundwave), because why not? :>
gummygunk
romaincrisis
turnnoffyourmind
origamiaround
pixelskylines
stormborns
