Simplify the Product: Negative 4 Raised to Powers 3, 4, and 2

To solve this problem, we'll follow these steps:

• Step 1: Identify the exponents in the expression.
• Step 2: Use the rule for multiplying powers with the same base.
• Step 3: Simplify the expression with the combined exponent.

Now, let's work through each step:

Step 1: From the expression $-4^3 \times -4^4 \times -4^2$, the exponents of $-4$ are 3, 4, and 2.

Step 2: Using the formula for multiplying powers with the same base, which is $a^m \times a^n = a^{m+n}$, add the exponents: $3 + 4 + 2 = 9$.

Step 3: Rewrite the expression using the combined exponent: $-4^{3 + 4 + 2} = -4^9$.

Therefore, the simplified form of the given expression is $-4^9$.

The correct answer to the problem is indeed $-4^9$, which matches choice (3) in the provided options.