Starscream (TFA)


 * Starscream is a Decepticon in the Transformers Animated continuity family.



Starscream is easily as accomplished, powerful and deserving of leadership as Megatron. At least, that's what he thinks. Power-hungry and driven by jealousy, Starscream operates through three ideals: lying, manipulation and deception. And when all else fails, a bit of sabotage never goes astray. Wise bots are careful about turning their backs on Starscream, just in case it's the day he finally decides to shove in the knife.

Though not nearly as powerful as Megatron (despite what he thinks of himself), Starscream is by no means a wimp. His null-rays can demolish large buildings, and he can fly around so fast that he can break free of Ratchet's magnetic powers.

He's very fond of villainous speeches. You really don't want to interrupt him in the middle of one of those.

"Yes! Right then. Solemn face, solemn face."

- Starscream about to tell the other Decepticons that he is the new leader

Animated cartoon

 * Voice actor: Tom Kenny (English), Stefan Staudinger (German)

Like others of his kind, Starscream seeks to betray Megatron and take over leadership of the Decepticons. This time, however, he's not afraid to plant bombs on his mighty leader. In the aftermath of the explosion, Starscream got so caught up in his own greatness that he didn't notice that his comrades abandoned him on a ship hurtling towards an exploding space bridge.

Over the next fifty solar cycles, Starscream searched for the AllSpark on his own, using the damaged ship as a base (and probably getting a few screws loose in his central processor). He later discovered that the AllSpark was on Earth and adopted a jet fighter as an alternate mode to search for it. When he revealed himself to the Autobots, he quickly thrashed each of them individually. Starscream mocked them, apparently assuming that the Autobots thought they had really defeated Megatron (whom he referred to as "the great Megatron" without sarcasm, so he seems to have at least a loathing respect for his leader's power). All too boastful of his cunning, Starscream boldly admitted that Megatron was already defeated by the bomb which Starscream himself had put on him. Despite being more powerful than the Autobots, Starscream failed to take the AllSpark, partially because he spent too much time gloating. Optimus Prime grabbed Starscream in midair, and they opened the AllSpark, releasing a massive wave of energy. Optimus was killed by the energy surge and subsequent fall (he got better), but Starscream's fate was unspecified.

After Megatron woke up, he found a tape of Starscream's confession and watched it. His reaction was typical: "STAAAAARSCREEEEAM!"

It turns out Starscream had been hiding on Earth this whole time, until he decided to reveal himself to a badly damaged Blitzwing and Lugnut, offering them help in exchange for their loyalty. It also seems that for his skill he never mastered parallel-parking, as evidenced by the wreckage of the Nemesis on Earth's moon.

After repairing Lugnut and Blitzwing, Starscream continually had to reassert his authority over the two walking malfunctions. As Lugnut went prostrate with praise, Starscream was initially quite flattered by the hulking Decepticon's obsequity, but quickly learned that the big guy was being manipulated by an outside source. Tracking the transmission, he came to Sumdac Tower and was quite surprised to find the disembodied head of his former leader. Beginning the smug monologue to end all smug monologues, he was interrupted by the senseless heroics of the Autobot Bumblebee. Focusing his attentions on the yellow little squirt, he mistakenly assumed that Megatron was helpless, an oversight that allowed the galactic despot to control the lab's machinery and defenestrate the traitor. Even so Starscream remained fixated on Bumblebee, and thus was caught unaware when the repaired form of Megatron burst from the tower roof.



Starscream watched with interest, tossing Bumblebee around absentmindedly as Megatron trashed the Autobots. When Megatron called out his loyal Decepticons, Starscream gracefully landed on Lugnut's head, ready to return to his position as second-in-command. Megatron prepared to fire on the Autobots, but quickly lashed out and rammed the AllSpark Key into Starscream's chest, seemingly offlining the traitor, who then crumpled to the ground.

Sometime later, Starscream awoke on a garbage barge, evidently thrown in by an Autobot cleaning up Detroit. He found he couldn't detect any Decepticons, not even himself! Panicking, he wondered he if was dead, but recovered when he realised he was still on Earth. Furious, he managed to track down Lugnut and Blitzwing, and follow them to the Decepticon base. There he challenged Megatron and was soundly sliced, blasted and thrown off a cliff. However, he again revived, except now he had no spark! Starscream discovered he was being kept alive by an AllSpark fragment embedded in his head. Using this newfound immortality to his advantage he again, attacked Megatron...and again and again and again in a montage, each time taking a trouncing and having his corpse thrown off a cliff by Blitzwing and Lugnut. Discovering another fragment, he set up a trap that would draw Megatron out and blow up both him and the city. He embedded the shard in a train engine, and as the overloading machine drew out Megatron, Blitzwing, the Elite Guard AND the Earth team, the plan seemed to be working. Unfortunately, the Autobots stopped the train, and Megatron knocked him out of the sky, sending him crashing into the midst of the Autobots. He blasted Ultra Magnus and took back his fragment, but was put into stasis lock when Optimus slipped some cuffs on him. He was last seen bound, gagged and being taken onto the Elite Guard vessel.

Animated

 * Starscream (Voyager, 2008)
 * Accessories: 2 x missiles




 * Starscream transforms into a futuristic, forward-swept wing fighter jet based upon the Su-47 (S-37) Berkut Experimental Fighter and the YF-19 "Alpha One" from the series Macross Plus. This shape allows him to have his faction symbols right-side-up on his wings in robot mode.


 * Going by past experience, there is a fifty-fifty chance this mold will be retooled and redecoed.


 * Starscream (Activators, 2008)