Starscream

*"Leadership of the Decepticons must be taken, Prime. Not magically offered up by chance. Something your kind will never understand."* —Starscream defends Megatron

No Decepticon has ever displayed more ambition than **Starscream**. The former Air Commander seeks to reclaim his former glory, and he had no problems in joining the Decepticon Cause to accomplish that goal. While he appears loyal to Megatron, Starscream actually plots to dethrone the Warmonger and seize control for himself. Thankfully for the Decepticon Leader, Starscream's mutinous, power-grabbing plots are almost always transparent, and he can never muster up enough patience to complete a grandiose power play. Even on the few times he *has* taken command of the Decepticons, he quickly loses control of the situation, but is too arrogant to realize when he's in over his head. Despite his constant failures, Starscream believes it is only a matter of time before he prevails—his destiny is inevitable.

The fact of the matter is, Starscream's persistence combined with his arrogance is what makes him such a dangerous enemy to the Autobots. While the former Air Commander accompanied his fellow Decepticons in pursuit of the Autobots, the Seeker did not remain among the Decepticon ranks for very long following their arrival to Earth. After one of their earliest battles with the Autobots, Starscream broke off from the Decepticons when he turned his gun on Megatron, wounding him and thus allowing the Autobots to win the battle. This action promptly named Starscream a traitor to the Decepticon Cause and added him to the list of threats to Megatron's grand plans. To this end, Starscream proved Slipstream's suspicions that he could not be trusted true. Starscream's roguish activities would often bring him into conflict with both his former comrades and the Autobots. While he originally clashed with the Mini-Con, Starscream would soon after his betrayal gain the allegiance of Pyrostorm (originally allied with Moltenstorm). Eventually, Starscream would rejoin the Decepticon ranks when Megatron convinced him that he would one day succeed in taking control of the Decepticons.

## Personality

At first, Starscream was a seemingly loyal follower of Megatron. However, he visibly possesses an ambitious side that is rather difficult to hide. He has more than once attempted to overthrow Megatron, but has been met with numerous failures. When he's not plotting against Megatron, Starscream appears loyal, following his master's orders as best he can. In fact, Starscream was the first Decepticon to learn of the Autobots' plan to leave Cybertron aboard the *Ark*, albeit retrieving said information from the Agent.

As a Leader, Starscream more of less carried a similar campaign to Megatron's, only instead being more merciful for failures. Though, he managed to find other ways of punishing his Warriors, such as ferociously beating Fracture for failing to find the Mini-Cons. Shortly after their arrival to Earth, Starscream's loyalty to Megatron faded into nothing, to the point Starscream rigged an Energon bomb in the Energon supply cache of the Decepticon installation amidst a battle with the Autobots, resulting in both his abandoning the cause and another defeat for the Decepticons. His backstabbing tendencies were carried on by other rogue Decepticons, such as Slipstream, who tried killing him several times after he abandoned the ranks.

Starscream was ruthless, cruel, conniving, selfish, cunning, and above all arrogant. As mentioned before he is traitorous on occasion. When he does something, it is usually for his own personal benefit. His greatest weapon is his cunning and resourceful nature. He also seems to have *some* sense of honor as he will repay his debts. Surprisingly, there are Decepticons who respect Starscream because of his abilities, and have even willingly joined the former Decepticon in his mission to seize control of the Universe, starting with Earth. Starscream also seems to hold a grudge, seeking revenge on Megatron, Optimus Prime and others for their crimes against him. However, Starscream appears to hold some form of honor. After having been convinced by Megatron that he would one day succeed, Starscream swore allegiance to his Master. When Megatron was critically wounded and at the mercy of the Autobots, he stepped in to protect the Decepticon Leader, showing that his respect and loyalty had been gained by Megatron.

## Powers and Abilities

Starscream was able to transform into a jet that appeared similar to an F-15 Eagle and it can be assumed that he was able to fly up to Mach 2 or greater. In robot form, he wielded a pair of arm-mounted blasters that could cause significant damage to his enemy if concentrated on. His clawed fingertips were razor-sharp and can presumably puncture thick armor. Starscream has shown some military strategic ability, though not to the extent of Megatron's. While he lacked much physical power in Cybertronian terms, he was very speedy and agile. Apparently Starscream seems to have a unique skill with a sword, as he was able to match Megatron in a solo battle after the destruction of Autobot City. Starscream appears to be much more powerful than any of his previous counterparts, as he is *the* first one to successfully overthrow Megatron and gain the loyalty of the Decepticons, as well as being able to take on Optimus Prime in single combat. He is also shown to be smarter than he appears, knowing when it's time to either retreat or call for reinforcements. It should be noted that

## Notes

* *Robot Defenders* Starscream shares some similarities to his *Transformers Animated* counterpart, in that he remains loyal to the Decepticons up until their arrival to Earth.
* Just like his *Generation One* counterpart, Starscream possesses a mutant, indestructible Spark that typically renders him immortal.
* Shockdrop and Windblade have had the most encounters with Starscream out of any Autobot.