Starscream

For other uses of this name, see Starscream (disambiguation).

Starscream is a deadly Decepticon warrior and Megatron's second-in-command.

U.S. Animated, Japan

In his early days, Starscream was an explorer, travelling the universe with his friend Skyfire. Before the Third Cybertronian War, Starscream and Skyfire travelled to the planet that would one day be named Earth. Gale-force winds in the polar regions caused Skyfire to crashland, and Starscream was unable to find him. It was after that that Starscream joined the Decepticons (Destrons).

Starscream's skill was hampered by overreaching arrogance and ambition- he believed he should lead the Decepticons. For unknown reasons, Megatron let him live, even though Starscream presented a constant threat to his command. Four million years ago, Starscream was among the Decepticons who attacked the Ark, and was trapped in stasis lock when the Autobot (Cybertron) spacecraft crashed. In 1984, the Decepticons were reawakened by Teletran 1, and left the Ark. As a parting shot, Starscream fired at the ship as he left- accidentally allowing the Autobots to be rebuilt as well.

Over the next 21 years, Starscream's existence was a mix of skilled battle, attempted betrayals and fumbles through arrogance. One of Starscream's plots inadvertently allowed the Triple Changers to temporarily take over the Decepticons, and another centered around his creation of the Combaticons.

In 2005, Starscream, perhaps fed up with Megatron's now-relentless taunting of him, set his leader adrift in interstellar space after the battle at Autobot City (Cybertron City). A struggle for leadership ensued, ending with Starscream the victor. Unfortunately, just as he was coronated, an angry Galvatron arrived, and demonstrated his power by disintegrating his traitorous lieutenant.

However, unknown to all, Starscream's spark was unusual- it could not die. In 2006 (2010), Starscream returned as a "ghost," and plotted revenge. Cooperating with the Decepticon traitor Octane, Starscream possessed Cyclonus and tried to take over the Decepticons. However, when Galvatron returned, Starscream was forced to leave his host. Hiding in one of the Sweeps, he later possessed Scourge, and made a bargain with Unicron- in exchange for a new body, he would complete three labors for the planet-eater.

With an unwilling Scourge helping him, Starscream stole one eye each from Metroplex (Metroflex) and Trypticon (Dinosaurer), as well as Trypticon's transforming cog, having them installed within Unicron's head. Along the way, he possessed Astrotrain and Trypticon. Unicron's last request was to have his head connected with Cybertron, so that he could turn it into his new body. However, Decepticons within Trypticon damaged the giant Transformer's internal components, which made Starscream unable to use him. As such, Unicron was forced to give Starscream his new body in order to complete the final connection. Starscream, however, having what he wanted, prepared to ditch the planet-eater- only to be blown into space by energon explosives planted by the Autobots. As Unicron settled back into orbit, Starscream drifted. Passing by an irate Galvatron, his new body was destroyed.

Once again a bodiless spark, Starscream wandered for hundreds of years, before accidentally passing through a rip in transwarp space that sent him back to prehistoric Earth. Drifting to the Darkside, Starscream was able to possess a new body- Waspinator (Waspeetor). In Waspinator's body, Starscream collaborated with Blackarachnia (Black Widow) to take over the Predacons (Destrons), and then proceeded to launch an offensive against the Maximals. However, Blackarachnia betrayed Starscream, and with the Maximals, blew him out of Waspinator back into space. Starscream left, vowing revenge.

Manga

Starscream's ghost was given the body of Guiltor by the Quintessons, and he used it to attack Galvatron and Rodimus Convoy. However, he was defeated.

Abilities

As a Seeker, Starscream transformed into a pyramid-shaped aircraft on Cybertron (Seibertron). On Earth, he was reconfigured into a fighter jet. His trademark weapon was the Null Ray. As a "ghost," Starscream was able to possess any other Transformer, and was immortal.

Marvel U.S.

Starscream's skill was hampered by overreaching arrogance and ambition- he believed he should lead the Decepticons. For unknown reasons, Megatron let him live, even though Starscream presented a constant threat to his command. Four million years ago, Starscream was among the Decepticons who attacked the Ark, and was trapped in stasis lock when the Autobot spacecraft crashed.

In 1984, both groups of Transformers were reawakened. Starscream remained in the Decepticon ranks through the tenures of Megatron and Shockwave on Earth, until he was badly damaged in battle with Omega Supreme, and was placed into stasis within the Ark. He remained there for years, until released and rebuilt by Ratbat.

When he and Ratbat learned about the Underbase, Starscream began a grander plan. Inviting Scorponok's faction of Decepticons to Ratbat's base, he then engineered events so that they would fight- and then used Buster Witwicky to lure the Autobots there. In the ensuing melee, Starscream stole a spacecraft and went to intercept the Underbase. He was able to absorb a small portion of its power before he was interrupted by the Autobots and Decepticons, who had set aside their differences to stop him. Unfortunately, that small portion gave him godlike power, and he proceeded to destroy the Autobots and Decepticons' spaceships before proceeding to Earth.

As a demonstration of his power, Starscream attacked the cities of New York City, Tokyo and Buenos Aires, stopped at every turn by the Transformers he abandoned in space and their troops. However, he also wreaked grievous damage on both factions. Ultimately, he was able to absorb the entire Underbase, an act which first drove him mad- them destroyed him.

Starscream's tattered remains were retrieved by Darkwing and Dreadwind for Megatron, who had a kidnapped Ratchet rebuild him as a Pretenders. Megatron also commanded him to strip Starscream of his traitorous personality, leaving only his skills and turning him into a killing machine. Ratchet seemed to comply, but when the Pretender Starscream was sent to destroy both the Autobots and Decepticons on Earth, it was ultimately revealed that Ratchet had merely submerged Starscream's true personality- in battle, pain inflicted on Starscream's Pretender Shell caused his true, more cowardly self to emerge.

Starscream tentatively joined Scorponok's Decepticons, but soon set out on his own, seeking out a mutant human with the ability to absorb and redirect energy. The human was rescued by G.B. Blackrock's Neo-Knights, and Starscream was recruited by Shockwave to join his group of renegade Decepticons. Starscream tagged along with Shockwave for a time, through the attack on Scorponok's forces, the attack of Unicron and the apparent end of Cybertron. He and Shockwave stole the Ark to travel back to Earth, unaware that they had three extra passengers- Galvatron, and the in-stasis Megatron and Ratchet. As a result of Ratchet's sabotage, the Ark crash-landed, and all the Transformers on board either died or entered stasis.

Years later, Megatron- for reasons even he was unsure of- had Starscream rebuilt again. Starscream, however, feared that once Megatron created new troops with the Creation Matrix, he would become expendable. As such, he threw his lot in with the Second Generation Decepticons, and seized the Creation Matrix for his own- merging with Warworld and setting out to seize power for himself. However, the Matrix began to rewrite Starscream's psyche, driving him to defend Earth against Jhiaxus's attack. He reluctantly gave it back to Optimus Prime before returning to Earth.

Marvel U.K.

After he was damaged and captured by Omega Supreme, he was briefly reanimated during Galvatron's initial visit to 1986, and allied himself with the future Decepticon leader. He was damaged again and restored to stasis in the Ark. Also, Starscream was briefly animated as a powerful but mindless corpse, after he was destroyed following his absorption of the Underbase. In that form, he was eventually defeated and taken to Megatron by Darkwing and Dreadwind.

Dreamwave

Starscream's skill was hampered by overreaching arrogance and ambition- he believed he should lead the Decepticons. For unknown reasons, Megatron let him live, even though Starscream presented a constant threat to his command. During Megatron's absence following a space bridge accident, Starscream led a splinter faction of Decepticons known as the Predacons. He later assassinated the Autobot High Council, only to enrage Megatron because the action took away from the drama of Megatron's own return.

Four million years ago, Starscream was among the Decepticons who attacked the Ark, and was trapped in stasis lock when the Autobot spacecraft crashed. In 1984, both groups of Transformers were reawakened and resumed their war.

In 1999, humans and Autobots united to defeat and capture the Decepticons. The Ark II was built and launched to return to Cybertron, but it was sabotaged and exploded. Starscream was among the Decepticons reanimated and reprogrammed to serve the terrorist Lazarus, but he regained self-will along with his comrades. Months later, Starscream willingly surrendered to Shockwave after his defeat of Megatron, and took the opportunity to jettison the wounded Megatron into space. An angry Shockwave warned him against trying any more treachery.

Skeptical of Shockwave's plans, Starscream eventually took the stasis-locked Combaticons, and with Soundwave and his fellow Seekers, returned to Earth in Sky Lynx. Before he could enact any significant plans as the new leader, he was drawn into conflict with Sunstorm. Soon after that, he was recaptured by a returned Megatron's new forces.