I've got to say Prime. Partially because of my fanboy attitude to him, partly becuase of his fight to the end and never say die attitude.

 

To quote for Dreamwave G1 V1,

 

Spike once asked me... what does it take for a soldier to become a leader... What differentiates the two?

 

Sometimes there is no difference.  Sometimes certain soldiers are chosen to lead other soldiers.  To become leaders of the fight.

 

But they never stop being soldiers.

 

Because when the stakes are high...When the battle burns...when death seems near...You either fight or you don't.

 

You're either a soldier or you're not.

 

I am Optimus Prime.

 

No matter what canon you take, Optimus always had this step up to the challenge attitude. It's this attitude that would have given him victory over Megatron.

 

Heck, even in that same comic, Prime fights Megs one on one. Both are at equal power levels, however Prime is definately mad. He easily lays it all upon Megatron and is about to destry him, if not for the nukes heading straight towards LA.

 

 

It's easy. Optimus would win.

while megatron was built for war, prime was REBUILT from pax, to be a war machine, also, megatron might have more firepower, but prime is stronger due to his design but also the matrix of leadership also gives him a power boost. in tf the movie, when hot rod became rodimus, he beat the crap out of galvatron. and there was an eposide were scourge got ahold of the matrix and got powered up. my point is that prime would win because he's more powerful, and while megatron fights dirty, he also gets so mad at times he doesn't think straight and blindly attacks, leaving himself wide open, while prime for the most part remains calm and cool headed, and prime seems more durable than megatron too.

:pfx

 

Also, Megatron is bully. He only fights on if he thinks he can win, while Prime will keep fighting as long as there are people that need protection.

while megatron was built for war, prime was REBUILT from pax, to be a war machine, also, megatron might have more firepower, but prime is stronger due to his design but also the matrix of leadership also gives him a power boost.  in tf the movie, when hot rod became rodimus, he beat the crap out of galvatron.  and there was an eposide were scourge got ahold of the matrix and got powered up.  my point is that prime would win because he's more powerful, and while megatron fights dirty, he also gets so mad at times he doesn't think straight and blindly attacks, leaving himself wide open, while prime for the most part remains calm and cool headed, and prime seems more durable than megatron too.

:pfx

 

Also, Megatron is bully. He only fights on if he thinks he can win, while Prime will keep fighting as long as there are people that need protection.

:pfx x2 I mean I should know, I was the one who essentially built prime into what he is :tftounge

Optimus. Hands down. No matter how long either of them has been fighting, Optimus's will to beat the odds, take that final shot, or strike that final blow for the protection of all sentient beings, makes him stronger than Megatron. No matter how many times you knock him down, Optimus will ALWAYS get back up and lay it to ya.

 

 

And what does Megatron do when the battle gets tough? Does he stay and fight? No. He tucks his tail between his legs, screams out his customary "Decepticons, RETREEEEEEAAAAATTT!" and flies off to lick his wounds.

 

 

Boo-ya.

Megatron does have more SINGULAR combat experience than Prime, that's true. But Prime has the Matrix, and the wisdom of all the previous Autobot leaders, which means that he would have all of THEIR experience in combat too.

But overall, Prime also has an edge in the "never say die" category. Megatron will abandon a fight if he sees no point in it. he figures he can always fight another day. Optimus will fight to the end, no matter the cost. TFTM was a good example of that attitude. Also, Prime doesn't have to worry about his second in command stabbing him in the back. (Hot Rod was only trying to help; if it were starscream, he would have taken the chance to blast Megatron with a Null-Ray!)

while megatron was built for war, prime was REBUILT from pax, to be a war machine, also, megatron might have more firepower, but prime is stronger due to his design but also the matrix of leadership also gives him a power boost.  in tf the movie, when hot rod became rodimus, he beat the crap out of galvatron.  and there was an eposide were scourge got ahold of the matrix and got powered up.  my point is that prime would win because he's more powerful, and while megatron fights dirty, he also gets so mad at times he doesn't think straight and blindly attacks, leaving himself wide open, while prime for the most part remains calm and cool headed, and prime seems more durable than megatron too.

:pfx

 

Also, Megatron is bully. He only fights on if he thinks he can win, while Prime will keep fighting as long as there are people that need protection.

VERY true. Good observation.

Optimus would kick megatron, but he would come back as galvatron.

This was settled canonically.

 

Megatron beat-up, THEN outsmarts, Optimus in MTMTE. Then he killed him (REGARDLESS of circumstances) in TF:TM.

 

Victory: Megatron

Now I don't know if this was ever a topic or not but I was remembering when the TF movie came out me and my friends all got into agruments about who would have won in a fight to the death between Optimus and Megatron. They of course said Prime, I said Megatron and I'll tell you all my reasoning and you can give your 2 cents * or even a quarter I'm broke. *

 

The reason I believe that Megatron would have won is because...

1. Megatron was built for war, Prime was built for labor and exploring. In fact the autobots even said in the G1 cartoon that they were explorers.

 

2. If you rewatch the old series the Autobots usually won by outsmarting the Decepticons not exactly but beating them up.

 

3. Prime is bond by a code of respect for all life. Might show Megatron mercy and Megatron use it to his advantage.

 

and finally...

4. Megatron gave Prime a heck of a fight in the movie where Optimus was fresh and Megatron had been fighting all night therefore leaving his power lower.

 

Anyways those are my thoughts, Tell me what you all think. And not the fact that I'm a nerd Big Grim! :redface I already know that! :tftounge

I believe they said Prime was the first "warrior" Autobot in the show somewhere. Someone please tell me if I'm mistaken...

so yeah i just typed this great response. but being as its 3:50am. i submitted it as a report and not a reply *slaps forehead*