Starscream (Prime)

For other uses, see Starscream.

Transformers character
Prime First Edition Starscream toy
Name	Starscream
Autobot/Decepticon
Series	Transformers: Prime Transformers: Generations
First appearance	Transformers: War for Cybertron video game
Information
Alternate modes	Cybertronian jet, Earth fighter jet (based on F-16 Fighting Falcon)
Function	Sabotage Specialist
Rank	9
Sub-group	Cyberverse Commanders, Deluxe vehicles, Seekers, Voyagers

Starscream is a fictional character in the Transformers series. He is a high ranking Decepticon in the Transformers: Prime story.

Transformers: Prime

Starscream is one of the main group of Decepticons in the 2010 computer animated series Transformers: Prime. In this series, he is a much darker character like his Unicron Trilogy Counterpart.

He has displayed a contempt for Decepticons who do not choose a flying alternate mode, like Knockout.

Fictional biography

Cyberverse biography: Sneaky Starscream always has a plan. He builds his plots, layer on layer, for months or years - and all with one goal: to take over command of the Decepticons and finally destroy the Autobots once and for all.

First Edition biography: This military fighter jet is Megatron's right-hand man. Starscream would rather sneak up on his victims than face them head-on, which makes him extra-dangerous. He's an expert planner, and that's one reason Megatron keeps him around. Starscream always shows respect to his general, but he's really just waiting for a chance to take command of the Decepticons himself.

Ultimate Opponents biography: With his grip on power weakening, Megatron finds himself vulnerable for the first time. Starscream is there to take advantage of it. But with leadership within his reach, Starscream must still deal with Bumblebee and the Autobots - a truly tough opponent to overcome.

Robots in Disguise biography: Starscream hasn't survived this long simply by running away every time he might lose a fight. Every retreat is a calculated risk, designed to fulfill a greater purpose. It is often when his enemies believe they are winning that Starscream turns and finishes them off.

Animated series

Starscream is a regular character on Transformers Prime. Since Megatron's disappearance, Starscream was leading the Deceptions on Earth while waiting for his leader's return. After killing off Cliffjumper, Starscream sends a pair of Eradicons after Arcee and the resulting humans who come in contact with her. Eventually, once Soundwave detects Megatron's signal, Starscream has the Space Bridge open to guide Megatron to Earth. Upon learning of Megatron's finding of Dark Energon, Starscream offers Cliffjumper's body to be used when offered the opportunity of sacrificing himself for the Decepticon cause. This action results with the Autobot's following Cliffjumper's signal to the Energon mine Starscream was mining, forcing the Decepticon to destroy it. Though confident that he destroys Optimus despite Megatron insisting otherwise, Starscream becomes horrified when his leader uses the Dark Energon on himself. Eventually after Megatron is seemingly killed when their Space Bridge Gate exploded, Starscream eagerly take over as leader.

Attempting to boost up morale and be respected as leader, Starscream revives Skyquake to kill Optimus Prime for him. But during the battle, Starscream learns that Megatron survived and investigates it in hopes it was a glitch. But finding Megatron alive, Starscream attempts to kill him by removing the shard of dark energon from him, only to be forced transport Megatron to their base's sick bay to hide his act from Soundwave.

Starscream's schemes would mainly revolve around locating the Autobot base, and stockpiling on Energon. He tries to find the Autobot base with shape-shifter Makeshift, though he is eventually caught in his deception by the Autobots. In Convoy, he sends a squad of Vehicons to defeat the Autobots, again ending in failure. In Deus ex Machina, the crew is dissatisfied with Megatron's slow recovery, so they vote to bring Knock Out and Breakdown to the ship to effect better repairs. Starscream attempts to use an Energon Harvester to collect Energon easily, but is thwarted by Bulkhead. In Speed Metal, he is angered by Knock Out's participation in human street races, and punishes his subordinate by scratching into Knock Out's paint job, much to the narcissic and image-sensitive Decepticon's horror.

In Sick Mind, Starscream believes the only way forward for the Decepticons is to kill the comatose Megatron, and offers Knock Out the post of second-in-command if he convinces Soundwave to pull the plug on Megatron. However, though Soundwave appears convinced, Starscream discovers Bumblebee and Arcee on board the Nemesis escaping, and while Arcee severs Megatron's life support, Soundwave silently yet clearly angrily makes Starscream replug Megatron, as to not let their leader die by an Autobot's hand. Knock Out later reported that whatever the Autobots did to Megatron, it left him brain-dead. Overjoyed by this, Starscream decides to start his official tenure as leader in Out of his Head by melting a glacier to uncover a cache of Energon. Optimus Prime thwarts this latest plan, leading a furious Starscream to fatally shoot Prime in a nosedive. However, midway during his descent, he is stopped by the revived Megatron, much to his absolute horror. Starscream at first claims it's a miracle that Megatron has returned, but Megatron retorts that it will be a miracle if Starscream survives the punishment he is about to take for his assassination attempt on Megatron.

In Shadowzone, he is shown to have grievous wounds from Megatron's punishment, but still has the shard of Dark Energon he ripped from Megatron's chest. Starscream travels to Skyquake's grave, and infusing himself with Dark Energon, attempts to raise Skyquake from the dead to help overthrow Megatron. However, the Autobots arrive, and Optimus Prime shoots Starscream's entire arm off his body. A Ground Bridge mishap results in the three children and Starscream's arm being trapped in an alternate dimension with the revived Skyquake. Starscream returns to the ship, only for Knock Out to be mostly unable to repair his arm, due to Starscream being obsolete in terms of technology and models. When he realizes Skyquake lives, Starscream returns to where he revived Skyquake, only to be attacked by the undead's severed hand, much to his horror. In the next episode, Operation: Breakdown, he has fully recovered from the incident. Starscream then led a secret rescue of Breakdown after he was captured by MECH. The purpose of the rescue was to leave Breakdown in debt and to consider whether to choose either Megatron or Starscream as leader of the Decepticons.

In Rock Bottom, it becomes apparent that Starscream has been hoarding Energon from an energon mine, and Megatron has been well aware of Starscream's endeavours since Shadowzone (mentioning the events of that episode, but he does not appear aware of Starscream's role in rescuing Breakdown), and has spared him because he has found Starscream's actions amusing; but Megatron has tired of Starscrean's predictable treachery, and has only brought him to an isolated Energon mine to execute him. Starscream escapes Megatron's wrath when Jack and Arcee confront the latter, but in the ensuing cave-in, Starscream has no choice but to rescue Megatron regardless, since not only has Megatron survived worse, but the Decepticons loyal to him will take the credit for rescuing him themselves. He plans to bring Bulkhead in as a trophy, but ends up holding the ceiling up to prevent the mine from collapsing after Arcee shows up and rescues the latter. After realizing Megatron is watching him, Starscream is reduced to begging for his life from the impassive Megatron.

In Partners, he states to Megatron that he is only loyal to him, and wants nothing more to do than be his trustworthy second-in-command, which he believes. Starscream leads Airachnid to a piece of a crashed Decepticon ship in order to obtain a weapon called The Immobilizer, which paralizes its enemies. Airachnid betrays Starscream, who then tells the Autobots that he wants to join them, as he has been betrayed by Airachnid and doesn't wish for Megatron to see him as a failure. He is put in stasis cuffs and his flight capabilities are temporarily deactivated until further notice. Arcee is asked to keep an eye on Starscream, and learns that Starscream was the one who killed Cliffjumper. Starscream breaks out of his cuffs and beats on Arcee up until she gets the upper hand and almost kills him, but Bumblebee convinces her not to, and Starscream escapes. Later that night, he gets his flight ability back, and decides to be an independent from then on and flies away.

Books

Starscream appears in the short story Bumblebee at Tyger Pax By Alex Irvine.

Starscream appears in the novel Transformers: Exodus, and its sequel, Transformers: Exiles.

Games

Starscream appears as a playable Decepticon character in the 2010 video game Transformers: War for Cybertron, voiced by Sam Riegel.

In the Decepticon campaign, Starscream starts out as a Seeker guarding Dark Energon, but when Megatron immerses himself in Dark Energon, he quickly allies himself under the Decepticon leader, hoping to learn from him the ways of controlling Dark Energon. Starscream – along with Skywarp and Thundercracker – are assigned to reactivate the Energon Bridge that connects his space station to Cybertron. He serves Megatron for the remainder of the game as leader of the Decepticon aerial forces, retaking his former title of Sky Commander, and at one point even attempts to usurp leadership of the Decepticons when it is believed that Megatron is killed in action by Omega Supreme. He is by Megatron's side when the Decepticon commander completely infects Cybertron's core with Dark Energon.

In the Autobot campaign, Starscream is a boss fought by Optimus, Ratchet and Bumblebee who leads an assault on the Autobot city of Iacon. He retreats after being defeated personally by Optimus.

Starscream appears as a level boss in the Nintendo DS video game Transformers: War for Cybertron Decepticons, where he is defeated by the Decepticons at Trypticon, but survives by begging to live and swearing to serve Megatron. After this point in the game, Starscream and Skywarp become playable characters.

Starscream will appear in Transformers: Fall of Cybertron.

Toys

• Prime First Edition Deluxe Starscream (2011)

A new mold of Starscream from the Prime animated series.

This toy was remolded into Timelines Slipstream.

• Prime Cyberverse Commander Starscream (2012)

A new mold.

• Prime Voyager Starscream (2012)

A Voyager class figure of Starscream is set for release in 2012.

• Generations Deluxe Starscream (not released yet)

Announced at CybertronCon 2012, this figure is based on the Starscream's appearance in the War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron video game. Set for release in Spring 2013.

Gallery