Paramount has served the web a nice high-res version of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen teaser poster for us to scrutinize now that Yahoo’s 24-hour exclusivity window has shut.
At first I didn’t see anything really “new” in the larger version save for more details and mechanical parts. I was going to publish it as a high-res version update and nothing more.
Then I stopped by The Transformers Live Action Movie Blog, one of my favorite resources for Transformers movie news, and noticed they have posted an “enhanced” version revealing the entire head of this mysterious new Transformer character.
Giddy with geek-ticipation, I threw Paramount’s version into Photoshop and started tinkering with brightness and contrast. It took less than 15 seconds to remove the black fade and reveal the head. When that happened a theory came to light.
My first reaction to the poster’s initial unveiling was this character is The Fallen. He’s framed above the tagline “Revenge is Coming” and the name of the movie is “Revenge of The Fallen.” Then I thought otherwise and jumped on the Jetfire bandwagon figuring why would Bay and company reveal a mystery character in the first teaser poster?
Now that I’ve had a good look at the new enhanced high-res poster I’m convinced we are looking at The Fallen. Whether The Fallen and Jetfire are one in the same is inconsequential. This guy is The Fallen and here’s the evidence I have to back up this geek driven claim.
Photo #1: (click to enlarge) is the enhanced high-res teaser poster. Each of the next images will refer to this image for comparison.
Photo #2: This is the Decepticon logo. It looks a lot like the head of this character, don’t you think? That’s the obvious comparison but there may be some relevancy that isn’t coincidental.
Photo #3: This is King Tut’s sarcophagus. Why include this image? I was intrigued by the horizontal “vents” on either side of the new character’s face when first seeing the teaser poster. With the enhanced image above, we can see those vents or ribbing run from above his head right down to his torso. They also bulge around the shoulders and taper at the head… just like King Tut’s sarcophagus.
Also take a look below the character’s head. The neck/upper chest area is shaped and etched similar to King Tut’s beard.
Photo #4: Next we have more from ancient Egypt: heiroglypics. Take a look at these, then look back at the teaser poster at the joint where the horizontal ribbing connects to the head. There are markings there that could easily pass for Egyptian heiroglypics or ancient Decepticon language. Maybe one influenced the other.
Photo #5: This is the cover for the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen Movie Prequel: Defiance #1 comic book that ties directly into the film. In what is considered a flashback sequence, Megatron is seen bowing before a shard of “something” with a face engraved into it. Take a close look at that face, then look back at the enhanced teaser poster above.
Photo #6: This the connecting the dots photo. The firs two parts are from The Transformers Live Action Movie Blog comparing the face on the shard to the background image on the toy packaging. I’ve added this character’s face below each so you can compare for yourself.
Now lets connect these clues with some other known facts and see what we come up with.
- Bay has stated Megatron is not returning in Transformers 2 which opens the door for The Fallen to rise as a new adversary
- Megatron once worshiped The Fallen
- The Fallen’s head looks like a Decepticon symbol
- A portion of Revenge of the Fallen is set in Egypt with filming taking place on and around the Pyramids
- The new character’s head resembles an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus
- He has potential Egyptian/Decepticon markings on him
- Sam carries knowledge of the Transformers’ past and the Decepticons want him *alive* to retrieve this knowledge
Using these clues my theory goes like this: The Fallen character is in fact on the teaser poster. He is the genesis of the Decepticons, not Megatron, and has been buried on Earth for thousands of years under or around the Pyramids at Giza. The Fallen and possibly other Transformers had a hand in constructing the Pyramids as well as influencing Egyptians during their stay (echoes of Stargate).
The knowledge Sam carries is the history of the Decepticons and The Fallen and will lead Starscream, Soundwave and their minions to The Fallen’s tomb. When The Fallen is awakened and seeks his “revenge” he may be more than Starscream and gang bargained for.
What are your theories? Sound off in the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen dedicated HDR Forums thread.
– Dan Bradley