Starscream
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- This article is about the Transformers character. For the computer programmer, see StarScream.
| Transformers character | |
| Image:Starscream toy.jpg | |
| Starscream | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance | Decepticon |
| Subgroup | Seekers / Pretenders/Action Masters |
| Function | Air Commander |
| Alternate mode(s) | F-15 Eagle (G1), Futuristic jet (Armada / Energon / Cybertron) |
| Series | G1 cartoon, Marvel Comics, Beast Wars, Dreamwave Comics, Armada, Energon, Cybertron |
| Voiced by | Chris Latta/Hirotaka Suzuoki (G1), Doug Parker/Kazuki Yao (BW), Michael Dobson/Jin Yamanoi/Nobuo Tobita/Takaya Kuroda (Armada/Energon/Cybertron) |
Starscream is a Decepticon (or sometimes Predacon) in the Transformers fictional universe, having appeared in multiple incarnations in the related comics, animated television series and movie. Most incarnations of the Starscream character are extremely ambitious and treacherous, though how strong and successful he is varies with each one.
Contents |
Generation 1
Starscream makes no secret of his ambition to overthrow Megatron as Decepticon Leader. He is ruthless, cold-blooded and cruel, but is also possessed of a cowardly streak. He will kick you when you're down, but is unlikely to take any direct action without his fellow Decepticons to back him up. He considers himself the most sophisticated and intelligent of the Decepticons, and looks down at Megatron for being antiquated in his military strategy. Starscream believes the Decepticons should rely more on guile and speed rather than brute, destructive force to defeat the Autobots, although even when Starscream is given the chance to strike out on his own, he is rarely any more successful than Megatron. Megatron overlooks the potential threat Starscream represents for one reason: he believes Starscream is very good at his job. But even then, Starscream often pushes him over the edge, and brief, violent conflicts are not uncommon between the two.
Starscream transforms into an F-15 Eagle and serves as the Decepticon Air Commander, leading the other Decepticon Seekers and air vehicles, many of whom share his physical design. According to his tech specs, he can reach speeds up to Mach 2.8, and is able to climb to sub-orbital altitudes of 52 miles and nose-dive down to near ground level in mere minutes. His arm is mounted with launchers (mounted under his wings in jet mode), which can launch two types of weaponry - cluster bombs, each of which can level an area 10,000 feet square, and his primary weapon, the null ray, which can interrupt the flow of electricity in any circuitry it hits for periods of up to two minutes, effectively preventing the operation of many machines, including Transformers themselves.
Starscream would also serve as a character in Transformers: Robot Masters, which diverges from normal animated continuity after Season 2 and prior to the beginning of season 3.
Animated series
Image:Starscreamg1.jpgStarscream was formerly a scientist and explorer, working with the Autobot Skyfire, during the Golden Age of Cybertron, shortly before the Autobot/Decepticon war erupted again. Following the disappearance of Skyfire when the two were exploring a prehistoric Earth, Starscream returned to Cybertron and soon abandoned his scientific pursuits, becoming a warrior in Megatron's Decepticon army as the civil war exploded, considering it "far more exciting". Starscream would make use of his old profession in the future, however, particularly when he and several other Decepticons were temporarily displaced in time to medieval England and his scientific talents enabled him to seize power.
Acting as second-in-command of the elite troops Megatron took with him aboard the Nemesis, Starscream was among the Transformers trapped in stasis on Earth for four million years when the Decepticons attacked the Autobot craft, the Ark, causing it to crash on the planet. When the ship's computer, Teletraan I was reactivated by a volcanic explosion in 1984, the Decepticons were the first to be reactivated and were restored with new Earthly alternate modes. Before departing, Starscream opened fire on the Ark as a petty parting gesture, only to cause a small tremor that knocked Optimus Prime into the path of the reconstruction beam, allowing the Autobots to be restored, and the war to continue on Earth.
During the cataclysmic events that ensued when Megatron transported Cybertron into Earth's orbit, Starscream attempted to use the Decepticons' human ally, Doctor Arkeville, for his own purposes. Starscream forced him to take him to his secret lab, where he destabilised Arkeville's exponential generator, which, when it reached critical mass, would destroy the Earth, and then fled to Cybertron with the human, where he intended to collect the energy released in the planet's destruction. When Optimus Prime and Megatron were forced to work together to stop Starscream's plan, Starscream returned to Earth to investigate why the generator had not exploded. Meanwhile, to remove the threat of the generator, Prime loaded it into Megatron's gun barrel and fired it into space - blasting Starscream out of the air in the process, causing him to fall to Earth and into a vengeful Megatron's clutches.
Image:Starscream jet.jpgStarscream was a prominent figure in most of Megatron's schemes over the following year, but also made several further plays for power - teaming up with the Triple Changers to betray Megatron, only to be double-crossed himself; duping the paranoic Autobot, Red Alert, into allowing him to acquire the Autobots' Negavator weapon; destroying Megatron's Nightbird robot to maintain his own position of power, and more. Generally speaking, almost every time Megatron received even the slightest damage in a battle, Starscream was quick to profess that he had "fallen", and would urge the Decepticons to follow his leadership.
In 1985, Starscream was responsible for the creation of the Combaticons by liberating their imprisoned personality components from a detention centre on Cybertron and installing them into refurbished World War Two vehicles. He intended them to be his own private army after he was exiled from the Decepticons for attempting to betray Megatron one too many times, but ironically, the Combaticons ended up betraying Starscream, and conquered Cybertron, then attempted to destroy Earth by crashing it into the Sun. This forced another uneasy alliance between the Autobots and Decepticons, who fought Bruticus and ultimately defeated him thanks to a weak spot revealed by Starscream in exchange for Megatron not blasting him into dust.
In 2005, (during the events of Transformers: The Movie), Starscream finally got his big chance to dispose of Megatron - severely damaged following a battle with Optimus Prime - by throwing him off Astrotrain into the void of space. When Starscream was coronating himself as leader of the Decepticons, however, Megatron returned, having been recreated by Unicron as Galvatron, and just as Starscream realised who he was, Galvatron obliterated him.
Starscream's spark (the core of each Cybertronian that contains their consciousness- referred to as a "laser core" in the original cartoon) survived, however, apparently confined to the Decepticon crypt on Cybertron, and he continued to exist in a disembodied ghost-like form. When the Decepticon turncoat, Octane, sought refuge from his pursuers in the crypt, Starscream's ghost seized control of Cyclonus's body, and worked with Octane to turn Galvatron over to the Autobots and take leadership of the Decepticons for themselves. Galvatron evaded capture, however, and returned to blast Starscream out of Cyclonus, only for the ghostly Decepticon to quietly take up residence in a Sweep. A short time later, he possessed Scourge and entered into a bargain with Unicron, performing three labors for the planet-eater in exchange for getting his body back. Acquiring the eyes of Metroplex and the Transforming Cog of Trypticon, Starscream's body was restored so that he could make the final connection between Unicron's head and Cybertron, allowing the planet to become the chaos-bringer's new body, but now that he had what he wanted, Starscream refused. At that point, an explosion instigated by the Autobots hurled Starscream and Unicron's head off into space. Starscream was last seen tumbling out of control through space, as Galvatron opened fire on him.
The precise reason for Starscream's ability to survive after death was never revealed in the original animated series, but would later be covered in Beast Wars.
Marvel Comics
Image:Starscream comic.jpgAgain serving as one of Megatron's elite troops in the attack on the Ark, the Marvel Comics incarnation of Starscream possessed the desire to take leadership of the Decepticons, but in the early days of the war on Earth, he limited his actions to making snide remarks about Megatron's capabilities, and did not accomplish any notable acts. When he participated in an attack on the Ark with several of his fellow Decepticons, Starscream was deactivated by Omega Supreme, and sealed in a stasis pod in the Ark for a prolonged period of time.
Meanwhile, however, on the other side of the Atlantic, the UK offices of Marvel Comics were producing their own storylines which were interspliced throughout the US material. Here, Starscream came into his own under writer Simon Furman, who portrayed the character's scheming and ambition with more subtlety than the cartoon, making Starscream more intelligent and cunning than clownish. As one of the more interesting Decepticon characters, he was often the focus of his own stories, including a notable Christmas special based around Starscream's misery at being stranded on Earth. In this story and in many others penned by Furman, Starscream had a noticeably British sense of humour, often coming across as wry and sarcastic. He was one of the most formidable warriors in the Decepticon army and adversaries were often shown to be visibly intimidated by him before he had even begun to fight. At different times in the series, he has been shown to best fellow high ranking Decepticons Ravage and Soundwave in combat.
In these UK tales, Starscream was briefly revived from his stasis prison to participate in the events of the Target: 2006 mega-serial, where he teamed up with future Decepticon leader Galvatron. Galvatron tolerated his service with amusement, aware of the irony in the situation - Starscream thought that working with Galvatron would ensure his future, but thanks to Galvatron, Starscream had no future, since he was destined to die at his hands in 2006 (in the comic's alternate-future rendition of Transformers: The Movie). When Autobots from the future duped Galvatron into turning against Starscream, a repainted Skywarp stood in for the air commander, who Galvatron then blasted. Believing that he had altered his timeline by killing "Starscream", Galvatron returned to his future, while the future Autobots returned the true Starscream to stasis.
Image:Starscream underbase.jpgSome time later, back in the US stories, Starscream was liberated from his imprisonment by the new Decepticon leader, Ratbat, who appointed him second-in-command of his operations - a foolish move, as Starscream would immediately return to form, learning of Ratbat's plan to acquire the power of the Underbase, and orchestrating a massive battle between the Autobot and Decepticon forces that allowed him to seize the colossal information bank's energy. Now imbued with the Power Cosmic, Starscream immediately turned his attention to Earth, and deactivated scores of Transformers who attempted to stand against him. As he steadily mutated into a gigantic being, Starscream was stopped by Optimus Prime, who tricked him into absorbing more of the Underbase's energy - more than his body could handle, destroying him.
At this point, Simon Furman began penning the US comic book as well as its UK counterpart, and quickly returned Starscream to the fold. In the UK comics, Megatron had Dreadwind and Darkwing locate Starscream's shattered body, only to find that it still possessed some of the Underbase's power, which was drained away by their Powermaster partners, leaving the body lifeless, and ready for delivery to Megatron, who then, over in the US comics, had Autobot surgeon Ratchet reconstruct Starscream as a Pretender, and had him attack Optimus Prime and Scorponok. Ratchet disobeyed Megatron's request to reprogram his mind, however, and Starscream's original cowardly personality soon re-emerged.
The UK comics then began a breakaway storyline that diverged the continuities, centring around the exploits of the Earthforce, the Earth-based Autobot sub-team. Through a team-up with Soundwave, Starscream succeeded in deposing Megatron and Shockwave briefly, before they returned seeking vengeance. Starscream, however, had some unlikely protectors - the Autobots needed him alive so that his compatible systems could boost those of the Dinobot, Snarl, who was dying from the rusting disease, Corrodia Gravis.
In the US comics, Starscream went on from his rebirth as a Pretender to join up with Shockwave in instigating the Decepticon Civil War, and was transported to Cybertron along with all the other Transformers in preparation for the battle against Unicron. Following the Transformers' victory, Starscream and Shockwave fled the planet in a restored Ark, which was then crashed by Ratchet.
Generation 2
Starscream's original G1 toy was slightly retooled for 1993's Transformers: Generation 2 toyline, with grey and salmon paint where he had preivously been blue and red, an added electronic sound box accessory and new missile launchers. However, the companion Generation 2 comic continued to portray him in his G1 color scheme as it continued the story of its predecessor.
Starscream had been deactivated in the crash of the Ark, but Megatron, who had also been on board, was the only survivor and over the next few years restored the Ark, entering into a deal with the human terrorist organisation, COBRA, which saw him obtain a new body and weapons. Desperate for troops and in spite his own misgivings about doing so, Megatron then reactivated Starscream, who (predictably) immediately betrayed him by alerting the forces of the Cybertronian general Jhiaxus to the location of the joint Autobot/Decepticon base. Starscream was subsequently able to acquire the Creation Matrix (previously stolen from Optimus Prime by Megatron), and used it merge himself with the Decepticon craft, the Warworld, turning himself into a living weapon. However, Starscream found his mind affected by the innate goodness of the Matrix, and rejected it in order to preserve his own personality.
Dreamwave Comics
Image:Dw screamer.jpgIn the 21st century reimagining of the Generation One universe by the comics company Dreamwave, Starscream remained his treacherous, power-hungry self. In the early days of the war on Cybertron, he devastated Iacon with a terraforming process, and went on to form his own faction called the Predacons when Megatron vanished in a Spacebridge experiment. When the other splinter factions attempted to reconcile their differences, Starscream's Predacons attacked the ceremony, although their bombing occurred concurrently with the return of Megatron, who immediately subjected Starscream to physical torture for stealing his glory.Image:Tww screamer.jpg
Winding up in stasis aboard the Autobot spacecraft, the Ark, along with the other Decepticons when it crashed on prehistoric Earth, Starscream was reactivated in 1984 with the other Transformers. When the Autobots succeeded in defeating the Decepticons in 1999 and they all attempted to return to Cybertron aboard the Ark II, the ship exploded as it exited Earth's atmosphere, and the Transformers were believed destroyed. In actuality, many of their bodies were appropriated by the terrorist, Lazarus, including Starscream's. Bumblebee, Frenzy, Grimlock, Laserbeak, Prowl, Ravage, Soundwave and Starscream were forced at attack the Smitco oil refinery in the Arctic to display their power for sale to the highest bidder (Transformer: Generation One #2).
When Megatron liberated himself from Lazarus's control in 2002, the other Decepticons were soon freed, and Starscream and the other Decepticon jets passed some time by dismembering the Autobot Mini-Bots before joining in an attack on San Francisco, during which they attacked Superion, forcing him to separate.
The following year, Starscream was offered the opportunity to return to type when Shockwave - who had unified Cybertron in their absence - arrived on Earth to arrest Prime and Megatron as war criminals. Seizing an opportunity to remove his main obstacle to power, Starscream blasted open the cargo hold of the ship taking them back to Cybertron, setting Megatron's damaged body adrift in space.
Image:TFG1 4.jpg With the aid of Soundwave, he susbequently liberated the Combaticons from imprisonment, and returned with them to Earth, where they attacked the Ark in an attempt to acquire parts to make the Decepticons' space cruiser flight-worthy. With Bruticus defeated by the arrival of Starscream's Shockwave-spawned, super-powered clone, Sunstorm, Starscream fled and brought online Jetfire, who the Decepticons had previously uncovered frozen in ice. Operating together, they deduced Sunstorm's clone nature, and fashioned a power siphon to drain his energy, but Starscream turned the tables on everyone by freeing Sunstorm, who then took him to a mysterious Cybertronian seal beneath the ocean's surface. Sunstorm claimed that only Starscream could open the seal, which he proceeded to do, unlocking an underground reservior of a powerful, energy-rich liquid, which Sunstorm planned to use to empower his "brother," so that they could achieve his goals together. Starscream turned on Sunstorm, who fell into the liquid, which reacted with his own powers and destroyed both him and Jetfire.
Starscream escaped the conflagration and returned to the Decepticon base, only to discover that Megatron and Shockwave had returned in his absence, and to receive the beating he had earned from his former leader. Starscream hinted that he had discovered some of the secrets in the Transformers' history that Megatron and Shockwave had learned in the past, but unfortunately, Dreamwave went bankrupt and closed its doors before resolution to this storyline could be offered.
Devil's Due Comics
Image:Starscream-devilsdue.jpg In this reimagining of the Generation One story, the Ark was discovered by the terrorist Cobra orginization, and all the Transformers inside were reformatted into Cobra vehicles remotely controlled by the Televipers. In this storyline Starscream turned into a Cobra Nightraven. An animosity developed between Starscream and GI Joe member Snake-eyes. When the first series ended Starscream ended making a deal with Cobra Commander.
The second series from Devil's Due involved a plot by Starscream and Cobra Commander to get technology from Cybertron by breaking into their space bridge system. However, the intervention of both Ultra Magnus' Autobots and Shockwave's Decepticons complicated this plan, forcing Cobra and GI Joe (inadvertantly teleported with them) to make a hasty truce. As Starscream tried to weasel his way out of being destroyed by Shockwave he was destroyed when Cobra Commander activated his parting gift - a large amount of plastic explosives attached to Starscream's shell.
Beast Wars
Image:Bw starscream.jpgAlthough 1990s Transformers series, Beast Wars, officially occurred in a universe/continuity that contained aspects of both of the G1 cartoon and Marvel comic, the show most commonly displayed its lineage with references to the animated series. To that end, Starscream's ghost made a brief but memorable appearance in the first season episode, "Possession". His spark wandered to prehistoric Earth and ended up in a computer. Taking control of Waspinator's body with Terrosaur watching, Starscream went about his standard backstabbing ways, acquring the trust of Predacon leader Megatron, telling him that he was defending Galvatron against Unicron and got blasted but his spark endured - in reality he was planning to overthrow Megatron. His true intent discovered by Blackarachnia who knew he was really scrapped by Galvatron, he took the spider under his wing to teach her the ways of treachery - inevitably resulting in her betrayal of him. Caught in an Energon explosion, Starscream's spark was forced out of Waspinator's body and set adrift in space once more.
Image:Csoptimusprimal5.jpg At the time "Possession" was written, the idea that Beast Wars took place in the past had not been cemented, hence it was not precisely explained how Starscream's spark was able to travel back in time, aside from a qualifier in the form of Starscream's indistinct claim that his spark was "...beyond the reach of time itself." Although no specifics were intended by the writer, fans generally speculate that his spark hails from a point in time that post-dates his final appearance in the G1 cartoon, since he was last seen tumbling through space - a predicament he is also in, sans his body, at the beginning of "Possession".
In the second season of Beast Wars, the reason for Starscream's ability to survive beyond death was revealed—a mutation in his spark had rendered it indestructible. Maximal experiments to replicate this effect resulted in the creation of the insane monster, Rampage.
Starscream himself was seen, laying in stasis lock, in the last episode of season two when Megatron entered the Ark.
Beast Wars II
In the Japanese-exclusive animated series, Beast Wars II, a character named Starscream (misspelled as "Starscrem" on toy packaging) was one of Galvatron's most loyal minions (neither character, however, was meant to be the same as his namesake, as was the case in the original "Beast Wars" series; preexisting names were reused for entirely different characters). He was the only sophisticated member of the bunch, but used his hulking sidekick, BB, to back him up. BB and Starscream were redecoes of the Generation 2 Dreadwing and Smokescreen figures respectively, which were in turn originally conceived as new incarnations of the original Megatron and Starscream, an idea that was aborted.
In episode 31 of the series, Starscream's exposure to the Angolmois energy evolved him into Hellscream, a cybernetic flying shark (a remould of the 1996 Beast Wars toy, Cybershark). He was voiced by Hiroki Takahashi. The Hellscream mould was later recolored slightly and released in Hasbro markets in 2006 as part of Transformers: Universe line, under the name "Overbite".
Transtech
After the Beast Machines line ended, Hasbro planned a follow-up series called Transtech. The Transtech concept was a line intended to take Transformers to their most futuristic. Hasbro commissioned sets of designs from Draxhall Jump. The series was supposedly to bring back some of the characters who died in Beast Wars along with some Generation 1 characters, all in new, more organic-looking bodies, though with vehicle alternate modes instead of the animals used in Beast Machines. Many concept sketches and even a few toy prototypes were made, but Hasbro scrapped the idea in favor of bringing Car Robots to their markets.
The only toy design from the Transtech line to see release was Air Attack Optimus Primal from the Robots in Disguise line, who was supposed to the Transtech version of Optimus Primal. Concept sketches or prototype toys have been seen for Blackarachnia, Cheetor, Depth Charge, Megatron, Nightscream, Optimus Prime, Scavenger, Shockwave, Soundwave, Starscream and a new character called Immorticon. There were also rumors of a Transtech Dinobot.
Transformers: Armada
Image:Armada screamer.jpgThe Starscream of the Transformers: Armada (Micron Legend in Japan) universe was notably similar yet different to his G1 predecessor. Like him, this incarnation of Starscream loathed his commander, Megatron, but not out of any desire to take command of the Decepticons - simply because of the sheer mistreatment and contempt Megatron heaped upon him.
Starscream transforms into a jet, armed with twin null laser cannons activated by his partner Mini-Con, Swindle (Grid in the Japanese version). In robot mode, his left wing transforms into an energised sword blade, which he wields expertly.
Forcibly made the last of the Decepticons to gain his partner Mini-Con, Starscream was manipulated by Sideways into a duel with Megatron, which he promptly lost. A short time later, Starscream was given ownership of the Star Saber as part of a scheme by Thrust to make him the patsy in has plan to steal the Requiem Blaster from the Autobots, which led to him being abandoned on the battlefield. Surviving to return to the Decepticon base, Starscream went on a rampage with the sword and disowned the Decepticons, siding up with the wary Autobots, not out of any desire to do good, but out of sheer hatred for Megatron. After a clash with Hot Shot and a trip to Mars with Jetfire, Starscream befriended the Autobots' human allies, particularly Alexis, and then gave the Autobots access to the Decepticon base, resulting in a raid that freed all the captive Mini-Cons. However, Thrust (himself being manipulated by Sideways) then toyed with Starscream, planting seeds of doubt in his mind that eventually caused him to steal the Skyboom Shield from the Autobots and return to the Decepticon fold, giving the evil robots possession of all three Mini-Con weapons.
Subsequently, Starscream was among the Transformers injured battling Nemesis Prime, and who then received power boosts from their Mini-Cons. Starscream gained a new, blue colouration that he commented made him look like his contemporary, Thundercracker. A repaint of the Starscream toy had already been released in the US, renamed Thundercracker (with Swindle redubbed Zapmaster) and intended to be a different character, but the Japanese opted to rework the toy into the animated series as an upgraded Starscream, necessitating the insertion of the line into the English dub. In Japan, the toy was released as Starscream Super Mode, with Swindle/Grid now called Spark Grid.
Returning to Cybertron, Starscream pursued Thrust into the depths of the planet when the turncoat tactician revealed his treachery by stealing the Requiem Blaster and Skyboom Shield. Starscream took a fatal shot from the Requiem Blaster as he battled Thrust in the subterranean tunnels, but the Mini-Con High Wire used his powers to restructure the timeline, saving Starscream, but Thrust escaped and delivered the weapons to Sideways and his master, Unicron, presently disguised as Cybertron's moon. Following Thrust through a warp gate, Starscream entered the belly of the beast along with Hot Shot and Wheeljack, but were stymied by Unicron's internal defenses and failed to stop Sideways from using the weapons to begin Unicron's reactivation. Galvatron was unwilling to acknowledge Unicron's threat, however, dismissing it as an Autobot trick, but Starscream knew the threat was real, and that only united under a true leader like Optimus Prime - whose strength of character and nobility and touched Starscream during his time with the Autobots - could the Transformers hope to stop him. To show Galvatron the error of his ways, he challenging him to a duel in which he allowed Galvatron to run him through with the Star Saber, and then turned his firepower on Unicron, prompting the chaos-bringer to destroy him, proving to Galvatron that the danger was real.
Transformers: Energon
Image:E screamer.jpg Ten years later in Transformers: Energon (Superlink in Japan), when Megatron seized control of Unicron's body, Alpha Q needed an assassin to destroy him so that he could return to his original task of recreating the worlds destroyed by Unicron. Using what little Energon he had left, Alpha Q recreated another victim of Unicron - Starscream. However, Alpha Q ran out of Energon before the process could be completed, leaving Starscream's body unstable, constantly shifting from a physical to an ethereal form, able to teleport by "ghosting" from location to location (in homage to G1 Starscream and his return as a ghost). He still transformed into a jet, now equipped with Hyper Power missiles and a colossal Energon sword. Additionally, Starscream (now renamed Nightscream in Japan) lacked any of his memories, and was unleashed upon Ocean City, battling Optimus Prime, and then tracking Megatron back to Unicron's body, where he lost a battle to the Decepticon leader, who used Unicron's power to wipe Starscream's mind, turning him into his right-hand man and most loyal subordinate. Later, as a reward for his loyality, Megatron allowed Starscream to immerse himself in the Super Energon, stabilising his physical form, while allowing him to retain his teleporting powers. Then, when Megatron (now Galvatron) plunged himself into the Energon sun, Starscream seemingly sacrificed himself alongside his leader.
While Energon spells it out clearly, in Superlink, it is never clearly established that Nightscream is Starscream, leading theories that he may be a clone.
Dreamwave Comics
Just as Marvel Comics produced a companion comic for the G1 toyline and cartoon, so too did Dreamwave Productions for the 21st century cartoon and toyline. In these comics, the Armada incarnation of Starscream had a much smaller role, but was written in a fashion much closer to the original G1 character, which eventually caused him to be eliminated mercilessly by Scorponok at the beginning of the Energon comic. He was subsequently seen haunting Energon refineries in his newly, ghostly Energon body, but with the closure of Dreamwave's studios, resolution to this storyline has yet to occur.
Transformers: Cybertron
In Transformers: Cybertron, Starscream participates as Megatron's righthand man, but has his own ambitions to become the Decepticon leader. He excels in both various fighting arts and speed. In addition to his standard array of null ray weapons (located on his arms and chest-gun turrets), he can call upon a Cyber Key to unlock the blades to bolster his melee combat. By biding his time, he assures that Megatron suspects nothing of his true intentions, and Starscream continued waiting until the right moment to lure Megatron and those loyal to him into a trap. Although the original Japanese version of the series, Transformers: Galaxy Force, is not presented as a sequel to Armada and Energon, Cybertron professes to take place ten years after Energon, indicating that Starscream's restored spark must have reverted to its original personality. Another piece of Hasbro-exclusive information reveals that Starscream cut off the hand of Autobot medic Red Alert with an energon sword in combat a long time ago, for which Red Alert has never forgiven him.
Starscream eventually revived the Decepticons that were on Earth, locked in stasis pods since ancient times, and used them to not only become the leader of the Decepticons, but also successfully take both the Cyber Planet Keys and Omega Lock from the Autobots. By unleashing the power of the three Cyber Planet Keys that had been collected so far, a spacebridge was established between Cybertron and Earth. Soon afterwards, Starscream absorbed a large amount of power from the Keys, reformating himself into a much larger body, towering over all the other Transformers. He soon lost the Cyber Planet Keys to Optimus, who had combined with Wing Saber. Despite the loss of the ancient Decepticons, Starscream remained a serious threat to both the Autobots and the Decepticons still loyal to Megatron.
Starscream eventually challenged Galvatron to a final battle. Although initially he appeared to be winning, their final blows determined that Galvatron has won. In the resulting aftermath explosion, Starscream was sent to another dimension along with Sideways and Soundwave. He would appear for one final time before a defeated Galvatron who lost the Cyber Planet Keys, and encouraged him to fight on. At the conclusion of the series, however, Wing Saber - departing from the rest of the Autobots to continue with his "loner" lifestyle - radios Cybertron to inform Optimus that he had found Starscream and was persuing him. No mention is made of Sideways or Soundwave, nor is there any resolution to this plot point save Optimus' dispatching Landmine (Guardshell) and Mudflap (Demolishor) to aid Wing Saber.
The design of this incarnation of the character is directly based on the Cybertronian form of G1 Starscream, designed by Dreamwave Productions for Transformers: The War Within.ru:Скандалист (персонаж мультфильма)