Possession

Waspinator finds himself possessed by none other than the original Decepticon traitor, Starscream!


 * Japanese title: 不死身のスタースクリーム (Fujimi no Starscream "The Immortal Starscream")

Summary
A violent storm rages, causing significant damage and knocking out power to both the Maximal and Predacon bases. While the Maximals stash their extra ammo deeper in their ship's hold to prevent undue accidents, Waspinator attempts to get one of the Predacon base's computer consoles online...only to be greeted by a ghostly, shrill voice from it. A power surge hits the bugbot soon afterwards, and when the other Preds begin to wonder what has happened to him, in he comes, announcing his return "at long last" in the same eerie voice.

The voice belongs to Starscream, Air Commander of the Decepticon forces and second in command to the original Megatron, whose Spark had been tumbling through time and space for an unknown number of years before settling within Waspinator; as he puts it, he was destroyed defending Galvatron from the Chaos Bringer Unicron, but his spark endured. As a show of his good faith, he pledges his loyalty to the Predacon Megatron, revealing vital information about the state of the Maximal base due to the storm that he could use to plan a sneak attack. Intrigued by the idea, Megatron accepts Starscream into his ranks, but warns Scorponok in private to watch their new ally closely.

The next day, as the Maximals are making repairs to their base, they are suddenly attacked by the Preds, Starscream's intel proving very useful in catching them off-guard. In the ensuing firefight, Dinobot is injured and the Decepticon Air Commander flies rings round Optimus, forcing the Maximals to abandon ship and regroup outside. Happy with their victory, Megatron puts Starscream in charge of holding the Axalon, with Scorponok and Blackarachnia under his command, while the rest of the Preds return to their base, in case the Maximals decide to go for a sneak attack of their own. Once they're alone, though, Blackarachnia shows off her knack for history by correctly pointing out to Starscream that he was murdered by Galvatron (the Unicron-reborn Megatron) after he betrayed the Decepticon commander; she's willing to keep this a secret, though, if she's let in on his real plans: to destabilize Megatron's control and rule both factions.

Deep in the forest, as the Maximals recover, Optimus voices his confusion and concern over Waspinator's new personality; he isn't entirely convinced he is possessed by the spark of Starscream, but as the Maximal Elders had long since sealed the Decepticon's records, they're not able to confirm or deny it, either. Fortunately, Dinobot's as much of a military history buff as Blackarachnia is, commenting on how Webster's Cybertronian Dictionary has pretty much replaced all definitions of "traitor" with Starscream's name. Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Optimus?

He is. Returning to the Axalon, the Maximals call Starscream out to announce their surrender, citing the need to use the ship's RC Chamber to repair Dinobot's (now exaggerated) wounds. Feeling generous, the Decepticon Air Commander allows Optimus and Dinobot to come on board, but as predictably as night follows day, betrays them and strips Optimus of his weapons and locks him up in the hold as soon as he steps on deck. With their leader now his prisoner, Starscream orders the other Maximals to attack the Predacon base, over the token objections of Scorponok. They comply, and the trap is set.

Unbeknown to the Air Commander, he's been duped by the oldest trick in the book; by allowing himself to be betrayed, Optimus has put himself and Dinobot in the perfect position to retake their base, which they do in a dazzling display that forces Starscream to retreat back to Pred territory. Optimus pursues, and manages to best the Decepticon in an aerial dogfight, leaving him grovelling at the Maximal's feet...until Blackarachnia shows up, prompting Starscream to plead for her aid, believing they can still complete their coup. No dice; this new generation is much less gullible than their ancestors, and Blackarachnia has skillfully pulled off a double-cross on the double-crosser, igniting a small energon cache underneath Starscream to "exorcise" the Decepticon's spark from Waspinator's body.

At the end of the day, Megatron gets done fixing the back-to-normal Waspinator as Blackarachnia explains her betrayal; if she didn't, she maintains, she wouldn't have been able to sniff out Starscream's true motives. Megatron reluctantly accepts this excuse, but warns her that it still doesn't invoke confidence in her loyalties. Back at the Axalon, the Maximals are finishing up repairs of their own...everyone but Cheetor, who's slacking off with a bout of stargazing, quipping "Twinkle, twinkle, little Starscream" as the camera pans up to beyond the planet's orbit, showing Starscream's spark screaming mech fluid-drenched vengeance on all within the Beast Wars as he drifts away into the void...

Quotes
"What is this? Program does not respond!  Waspinator does not understand!" "I'll bet Waspinator seldom does! But try not to let it depress you, bug face."
 * -- Waspinator, about to be possessed by Starscream

"Allow me to present myself: Air Commander Starscream of the Decepticon Battle Fleet!!!"
 * -- Starscream speaking through Waspinator, making his grand return.

"Starscream, perhaps the centuries of weightlessness have taken a toll on your neurological circuitry."
 * -- Megatron seems to forget that free-floating sparks don't have circuitry.

"I'd say it's tramplin' time!"
 * -- Rhinox, free to open a can of kick-keister.

"Ugh! Starscream and Blackarachnia! I'll have both their treacherous hides! Yeeessss..I'll-I'll melt them down and use them for aluminum siding! Oh, yes indeed!"
 * -- Megatron finally learning of Starscream's traitorous nature. Odd...

"Ohhhh... Waspinator has a headache in his whoooole body."
 * -- Waspinator, as he's put back together yet again. Awwwww...

Stats
Original Air Date: February 3, 1997 Written by: Ian Weir

Featured Characters
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Animation and/or technical glitches

 * When Megatron "checks up" on Waspinator, his dino head inexplicably switches from his right hand to his left hand.


 * When Waspinator/Starscream is standing on top of the Axalon telling the Maximals that he has Optimus Primal captured, his right leg is overlapping one of the autoguns.

Continuity errors

 * Looking at the intro sequence with Starscream's spark, he clearly touches down somewhere in the Southwest United States, apparently Arizona. The terrain and creatures in Beast Wars clearly suggest that it takes place in Africa; then again it makes sense, since "The Agenda (Part III)" puts the Axalon and the Ark within commuting distance.


 * Megatron knew a great deal about Cybertronian history, yet apparently did not know the real nature of Starscream and his demise. However, Megatron might have been playing dumb to lure Starscream into being bolder with his actions. It should also be of note that both the Predacon and Maximal Elders had a large portion of his records sealed due to his history.


 * Unicron's "ring" is not connected to his body.


 * Despite being born from a Maximal Protoform, Blackarachnia refers to the Decepticons as "our" (the Predacons) ancestors.


 * Inferno is absent for the entire episode.


 * In an interview about the fact above, it is stated that Primal originally had a very complex way of breaking free, but due to budget and time restrictions, this was changed to just him "Busting out".

Real-world references

 * Optimus Primal says "Hasta la vista, Starscream," paraphrasing a famous line from Terminator 2.


 * As he flies away immediately after saying this, Optimus Primal is seen wearing a pair of sunglasses, aping Arnold Schwarzenegger's trademark look from the movie.


 * And another Terminator reference, Starscream screams "I'll be back!"


 * Rhinox's line "It's Tramplin' time" is an obvious homage to The Thing of the Fantastic Four's catchphrase, "It's clobberin' time!"

Transformers references

 * Obviously, Starscream himself firmly ties Beast Wars to established G1 history. Though you could argue that Waspinator thinking he was Shrapnel already did this.


 * Starscream's spark, or "ghost" as it was then called, had possessed several Decepticons (including Cyclonus, Scourge, Astrotrain, and Trypticon) in the G1 episodes "Starscream's Ghost" and "Ghost in the Machine." It's nothing new that his spark is pretty durable.


 * One of the Predacon insignias on the side of Waspinator's cranium changes into Decepticon insignia while Starscream's spark is inhabiting his superstructure.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * Doug Parker performs both Starscream (standing in for the late Chris Latta), and the very Starscreamy Terrorsaur. It makes you wonder why they didn't just have Starscream possess Terrorsaur instead of Waspinator. Maybe that was just too obvious.


 * Starscream's color scheme is different from his character model in G1 cartoon, particularly around his head. Just take a look and compare it to the original, you'll see what is meant. It some how slightly resembles his appearance in Marvel G2 comics.


 * Why does Starscream imprison Optimus in shackles that he can break out of in about five seconds flat? It probably has something to do with his Starscreamish arrogance and stupidity.