Starscream's Brigade

Starscream's Brigade is an episode from season two of the Generation One continuity family

After making an attempt to overthrow Megatrons rule of the Decepticons, Starscream is banished from HQ but this time, he hatches a plan...

Detailed synopsis

Decades ago, when life existed only in black and white, humans waged war on one another on the island of Guadalcanal in the south Pacific. Some of their wrecked vehicles remained there as of 1984.

After one too many attempts at overthrowing him, Megatron finally got so ticked at Starscream that he banished poor little 'Screamer to Guadalcanal. Humiliated and infuriated, Starscream stumbled upon the remnants of some old World War Two vehicles, which inspired him to create an army of his own. He travelled to Cybertron and stole the personality components of five renegade Decepticons. Installing them into the wrecked vehicles, he transformed them into the Combaticons. The quarrelsome warriors threatened to simply beat Starscream to a pulp, until he revealed that their new bodies did not contain energy absorbers, without which they could not refuel: "No energy, no life." In exchange for the needed equipment, the Combaticons agreed to obey Starscream's orders for the moment.

At the unveiling of the Optimus Prime Memorial, Starscream and the Combaticons attacked and kidnapped Jazz and Cliffjumper. A later clash with Megatron's army allowed him to capture Dirge and Ramjet as well, bringing their energy absorber count to four. Megatron, meanwhile, rallied his troops, and moved against Starscream and his army. In the ensueing battle, Megatron's trump card, Devastator, was easily brushed aside when Starscream revealed that the Combaticons could likewise combine into a single titan: Bruticus! The massive combiner scooped up Megatron in one hand and forced him to acknowledge Starscream as the new Decepticon leader.

The Autobots used the battle's distraction to rescue Jazz and Cliffjumper; meanwhile, the late-arriving Stunticons looked over the situation, and decided that Starscream too likely to continue his rampage. Merging into Menasor, they defeated Bruticus with one massive punch.

From the resultant crater, Megatron emerged; grabbing Starscream by the throat, he decreed that he and his army were banished from Earth. The usurpers were hauled away by Astrotrain and left stranded on a distant asteroid in deep space.

Stats

Original airdate: ???

Written by:

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Others
		Regulars Guests

Notable quotes

"NOBODY TURNS THEIR BACK ON ME!"

-- Starscream, as Megatron turns his back on him.

"I would like to welcome two members of the Autobot team: Jazz, and Cliffjump."
"Uh, that's Cliffjumper."

-- Marty Mingkler and Cliffjumper.

"I see incompetance breeds even more incompetance. HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

-- Megatron to Starscream, after the latter fails in his attempt to destroy the Decepticon leader.

"Now, Megatron: who is the new Decepticon leader?"
"Uhm... you are."
"I can't hear you!"
"You are!"
"I am now the leader of all Decepticons!"

-- Megatron in the grip of Bruticus (literally), and Starscream.

"Megatron's in trouble."
"Who cares."
"It looks like Starscream's defeated him."
"So?"
"So, you think Starscream's going to stop here?"
"Good point. He never knows when to quit."
"Stunticons, unite to form Menasor!"

-- Motormaster, Dead End and Wildrider, surveying Starscream's victory.

"Bruticus?"
"No Starscream, not Bruticus. It's Megatron - your leader!"
"Megatron, no, wait, please!"
"This time, it really is 'goodbye', Starscream! Astrotrain, get him and his giant ally off this planet! ...They are banished from Earth... forever!"
"You'll regret that you did not destroy me Megatron! I shall have my revenge!"

-- Starscream and Megatron after the Decepticon leader survives Starscream's latest mutiny.

Other notes

Animation and/or technical glitches

• At several points in the episode, such as when Starscream approaches the Space Bridge, his eye colour changes from red to blue.

Continuity errors

• Starscream maintains control of the Combaticons by not installing energy absorbers into them, thereby preventing them from re-energising. They are however later shown to re-energise anyway when they steal energy from a power plant.

• This episode was aired after Aerial Assault, which also featured the Combaticons.

Transformers references

• Earth builds a memorial to Optimus Prime before he's even dead...Ominous.

Real-world references

• Elements of World War II are shown in the episode with the abandoned military vehicles.

External links

From Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki, a Wikia wiki.