| The Reign of Starscream > Issue #2 | |
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Starscream goes to the Hoover Dam to find Frenzy. He kills a lot of people.
Synopsis
Starscream arrives at Hoover Dam to find a number of soldiers there to meet him. He gives the puny flesh creatures a chance to surrender. Their response: a bazooka shot to his face. Starscream makes it clear that this was a bad idea via his cluster bombs, but even so, the humans' assault starts to overwhelm him. More irritated than than injured, Starscream's priorty is nevertheless to find Frenzy, and he flies into the dam's interior to do so.
Once inside, Starscream can sense residual All Spark energy, amused by how Megatron must have been driven insane by its closeness during his captivity. He can also sense Frenzy nearby, but is unable to pinpoint him due to interference (of the bullet kind) from nearby pests. He exterminate this annoyance and continues deeper into the dam, through narrow corridors almost hindering his search, but not quite.
Outside, Sector Seven Agent Salazar contacts his troops. After ensuring that Agents Simmons, Banechek and Secretary Keller are out of the area, he tells them to get out now that "N.B.E. -3" is apparently trapped.
Meanwhile, Starscream has reached the dam's radio room, monologuing on how his Seeker attribuees have not been hindered by this planet, nor his ability to adapt. He detatches his hand from his arm, his wrist strectching out into little more than ropy wires, and reaches one into the room, pulling out Frenzy, as well as two human scientists. Surprisingly, he allows the two scientists to live, providing they give up Frenzy without a fight. They comply, and Starscream stores the little spy in his cockpit, before rocketing quickly upwards out of the dam.
Outside, Sector Seven is waiting. Starscream cannot waste anymore time or energy fighting. He intends to run, but one of the humans addresses him by name, surprising him.
Agent Salazar orders Starscream to stand down. Starscream is not amused, but still cannot risk a fight. Sector Seven does not see it that way, and Salazar unleases a "secret weapon" -- L.M.- 1. Starscream senses an odd energy signature from the vehicle, and realizes what is must be as it begins to Transform. Starscream's curiousity gets the better of him, and he lowers his guard, giving Sector Seven a window in which to attack. Belating himself, Starscream pounces on Salazar's jeep, captures it and the Agent, and takes off into the sky.
Apparently to Seekers, merely flying is relaxing, as Starscream's energy reserves begin to recharge. Using this time to his advantage, he tosses the jeep back to Earth and begins his interrogation of Salazar, demanding to know how the agent knows his name. Salazar uses the excuse that he's not authorized to tell Starscream anything, and an irritatred Starscream drops him, then dives down and catches the plummetting flesh-creature, saying its job is now to tell Starscream what it knows, or else be "returned" to its planet. Salazar stubbornly still refuses. With fighter jets appearing on the horizon, Starscream can no longer waste time with this game. He shoves Salazar into his cockpit, intending to take him back to Decepticon HQ. Transforming back to F-22 mode, Starscream prepares for his journey to Mars, confident that his Earth alternate mode can survive the trip.
His "passenger"? Not so much.
Approaching Mars, Starscream hopes his subordinates aboard the Nemesis have made themselves useful, theorizing that it's only a matter of time before they are discovered. As a certain, green spaceship observes him entering Mars' atmosphere, transmitting his findings to his friends on the planet's surface, Starscream's theory proves correct.
Almost out of energy, Starscream arrives at the Nemesis just in time, and "one of his own" is there to help him. Starscream has no time to waste in answering stupid questions, and is quickly taken to the regeneration device.
After his recovery, while confortably seated in his command chair, Starscream muses to his fellow Seeker on how interesting humans are, capable of great achievements, like destroying Megatron and the Allspark. Thundercracker expresses confusion at this, since apparently Starscream had told him that he had the Allspark. Belittling his subordinate for stupidity, Starscream explains that he does not have the Allspark itself, but rather a way to recreate it and Cybertron, under his rule, of course. Thundercracker, apparently confused, instead questions Starscream's Earth mode. Starscream ensures him that while they may look like Earth vehicles, their adaptive abilities mean that they are not limited to the vehicles' abilites, and they will prove useful when they rule Earth. However, his priority is to rule their own planet, and the data in Frenzy's memory is the key to doing so.
Starscream orders Thundercracker to plug Frenzy in, and start transmitting the data to Cybertron, aslso asking if a space bridge terminal has been constructed. A view outside confirms that one has been, but due t their distanc from Cybertron, it will not be a straight trip, but rather, a connection through multiple space bridges. This makes no difference, as Frenzy's data can be sent back to Cybertron ahead of Starscream making the trip himself. He is confident that with Optimus Prime on Earth, nobody will be able to stop his concquest of Cybertron.
Nobody, except perhaps the team of Autobots heading his way.
| Writer(s): Chris Mowry and Chris Ryall | |
| Art: Alex Milne | |
| Colors: Josh Perez | |
| Letters: Chris Mowry | |
| Editor(s): Denton J. Tipton | |
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Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
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