 Megatrons classic alternate mode was a Walther P38 pistol, but  Hasbro the owners, and official distributors of the toyline stated  that they would not produce a gun of any kind for their characters  (its also illegal to make replica toy guns in several  jurisdictions). Also the writers thought it was like "having Darth  Vader transform into his own lightsaber and someone else swinging  him around," so it was changed to an "interstellar jet." Megatron  was also given a less humanoid face to make him more menacing.