Starscream (BW)
| The name or term "Starscream" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Starscream (disambiguation). |
- Starscream is a Predacon Combatron from the Beast Era portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.
Starscream (スタースクリーム Sutāsukurīmu) is a two-faced, back-stabbing, no-good schemer. But man, is he ever charming. Confident, clever and sort of effeminate, Starscream's greatest strength isn't actually his strength, but his ability to flatter and endear himself to those in power. Confidentially, it's all a ploy to lull his superiors into letting their guards down so he can strike at the most opportune time, seizing power for himself.
Starscream is something of a snob and a narcissist who doesn't suffer fools or low-class fashion rejects lightly. He prefers to hide behind his partner, the hulking bruiser BB, not so much because he can't fight but because he'd rather not get his hands dirty or his paint job scuffed. When left with no alternative but to throw down, Starscream and BB can combine to create the "Formation Scream", which is more than a match for most Maximals.
He was later upgraded via Angolmois energy into the Cyborg Beast Hellscream (ヘルスクリーム Herusukurīmu). It didn't do much for his looks, but it certainly made him a tougher foe on the battlefield.
Fiction
Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity
Beast Wars II cartoon
- Voice actor: Hiroki Takahashi (Japanese)
Starscream was the brains of a Combatron jet duo with his partner, BB. They served Galvatron aboard the Galvaburg II when he brought his Predacons to the planet Gaea, in search of the amazing powers of Angolmois energy. The New Forces Arrive! When Galvatron fell into a coma shortly after arriving on the planet, Starscream began conspiring with BB to ingratiate themselves with the new self-appointed Emperor of Destruction, Galvatron's younger brother Megastorm. They planned to be the first to capture the mysterious white lion that had caught the interest of both Galvatron and Megastorm. Starscream chastised BB when he launched a missile payload at the lion during their capture mission, and was humiliated when the comedy duo Dirge and Thrust saw their near-fatal mistake. He had BB block their competition out in a smokescreen missile, leading Dirge and Thrust to crash into a cliffside. Starscream and BB then captured the lion in a net missile and presented the net humbly to Megastorm back at base. Unfortunately, the lion was actually the Maximal commander Lio Convoy, who unleashed his rage and arsenal on the Predacons for the damage they had done to the creatures and natural order of Gaea. Starscream, BB, and Megastorm were quickly driven into retreat. White Lion, Run!
After the last debacle, Megastorm wanted the chance to redeem himself against Lio Convoy and take credit for dispatching him. He ordered his subordinates to find Lio Convoy but not engage, merely report the Maximal commander's position to him. Starscream saw through Megastorm's plan immediately, but went along with it to stay in the acting emperor's good graces. He and BB went so far as to avoid conflict with other, less-important Maximals while on their search, and dispatching Dirge and Thrust in a rockslide to prevent any competition. The Maximal Bighorn would not be denied, however, and his thirst for combat finally forced Megastorm, Starscream and BB to fight with him, where he proved surprisingly effective. Bighorn's Rage
Starscream next orchestrated a plot to catch the Maximals in a lakeside trap. First, he had the Autorollers build the exterior of a fortress by the lake as a lure. When Tasmania Kid arrived and destroyed the fake base, Starscream trapped him in a cage controlled by the real, underwater base. He then pulled Kid into a series of deathtraps in their lake base, while using the danger to Kid to lure the other Maximals in. Starscream succeeded in snaring Lio Convoy, Bighorn and Apache just as he trapped Kid by the lakeside. Unfortunately, a chain is only as strong as its dumbest link. When Dirge and Thrust went topside in a mini-sub to retrieve the Maximals, their sub was boarded by a real Tasmanian devil. Thinking Tasmania Kid had somehow escaped (and shrank), Dirge and Thrust returned to the base without the captive Maximals and left a hatch open so that Diver and Scuba could enter as well. As Starscream was left wondering how his partners could be so stupid as to mistake the Tasmanian devil for a Maximal, Diver shut down the cage holding Lio Convoy's crew and Scuba freed the Kid. Then BB started firing missiles in the tight hallways of the pressurized, underwater base, and Megastorm decided to cut his losses and remotely blow up the base with his men still inside, and...look, it WAS a good plan, alright? The Lake Trap
Starscream watched closely as Megastorm became rankled at the idea of giving up his power once Galvatron awakened. Starscream kept an eye on Megastorm as his attempt to quietly dispose of his sleeping brother only turned Galvatron into a revived Angolmois-powered dragon. As Galvatron engaged the Maximals in battle, Megastorm dislodged his brother's footing and sent him tumbling into a volcano, unaware he was being monitored by Starscream. Galvatron Revived Without Megastorm's consent, Starscream retrieved Galvatron from the volcano and brought his inert body back to the Galvaburg II for recuperation, leaving Megastorm off-balance on whether Starscream was conspiring against him. Mystery of the Ancient Ruins
When Dirge and Thrust were trounced thoroughly by Insectrons native to the Southern Continent, Starscream confidently told Megastorm he could devise a plan to eliminate the threat. Starscream and BB set up a series of energy nets in the Insectrons' territory, planning to capture the bugs and then free them, claiming the traps had been set by the Maximals. They successfully made contact with Bigmos and Tonbot this way, and left the Insectrons with a falsified data disc containing information on the Maximals. This sent Bigmos and Tonbot into a battle with Lio Convoy's crew, which Starscream and BB secretly intervened on by trying to collapse an entire ravine on the two factions with their missiles. The Maximals and Insectrons survived, but Starscream's involvement in the rockslide was left undiscovered. The Insect Corps Arrive
For his next trick, Starscream and BB fired upon the Maximals Diver, Bighorn and Tasmania Kid, luring them into the nest of another group of Insectrons, Scissor Boy, Powerhug, and Drill Nuts. He begged his Insectron "friends" to save them from the pursuing Maximals, leading to another fight between the two groups. When the Maximals dropped low on power from fighting the Insectrons, Starscream and the Combatrons emerged to finish them off. Unfortunately for Starscream, Lio Convoy and the other Maximals arrived to reinforce their ailing friends. Friend or Foe? The Insect Robos
Starscream's final plot involved creating an adorable cartoon hologram of himself to invite the Insectrons to an oil party. He had secretly spike the oil to make it extra-intoxicating, hoping the Insectrons would get so drunk they would begin brawling and wipe each other out. Surprisingly, that's exactly what happened at first until the Maximals arrived and hosed them down. When Galvatron also got into Starscream's special stash of oil, he ran amok and served as the impetus for the Maximals and Insectrons to join forces and make a lasting peace. The Strongest Tag Team?
Disgraced, Starscream was unable to stop Megastorm from giving the job of removing the Insectrons to the Autorollers. Fearing what would happen if the Autorollers eclipsed his accomplishments, Starscream and BB shadowed the Autorollers and discovered their leader, Autostinger, was owed a debt from the Insectrons' leader Bigmos from long ago. Stinger tried to get Bigmos to return the debt by stepping aside so the Autorollers could eliminate the Maximals, but Bigmos escaped the debt another way and challenged Autostinger to a duel. As the Maximals, Insectrons, and Autorollers present entered a cave system for the bout, Starscream saw an opportunity. He had BB blast the mountain with missiles, hoping to eliminate his competition and enemies in one act. Unfortunately for Starscream, all the combatants survived his sneak attack. Autorollers Roll Out!
Starscream and BB were out on patrol when the Autorollers brought their captives Tasmania Kid and Scissor Boy back to the Galvaburg II. Megastorm tried to call the Combatrons back to help him when the Maximals and Insectrons arrived to protect their friends, but they arrived too late and Megastorm had to move the ship to escape their enemies' onslaught. Danger! Scissor Boy
Starscream was spying on the Autorollers' fortress operation after their failures led to the unit being removed from Insectron duty. Rejected, the Autorollers planned to undermine Starscream's standing in the Predacons and eliminate the Insectrons in one swoop by causing Angolmois explosions around the continent using their underground pipelines. To preserve his status, Starscream had BB shut down the main pipeline, causing a build up back at the Autorollers' fortress that would destroy the would-be-usurpers permanently. Starscream's dazzling victory dance was interrupted when simple BB asked if Starscream would be doing the Autorollers' heavy-lifting assignments once they were destroyed. As Starscream stopped short to consider the indignity of *ugh* manual labor, the rampaging Galvatron pierced the pipelines and began guzzling Angolmois, growing to gigantic size. As his former leader-turned-kaiju started stomping through the countryside, Starscream motioned to BB and they exited, stage left, before anyone realized what they had done. Galvatron Rampages
As Megastorm ordered a massive attack on the South Continent, Starscream, BB and the Combatrons fought against the Maximals and Insectrons once more. Predacon General Offensive!
Later, when a strange ship landed on Gaea, Hellscream took part in stealing the control unit for it. However, a few minutes later, Lio Junior charged at him and almost killed him, but he was saved by Max-B. Hellscream was present for the summoning of Majin Zarak, and took part in the climactic battle only to be beaten up by Diver and Bighorn, and forced into retreat along with the others. Galvatron stated that he and the others were morons and continued the attack on the Maximals. Lio Convoy in Imminent Danger!
The Great Angolmois Freezing Tactic Knock Out Nemesis Lio Junior's Revolt!? Emissary of the Fourth Planet The Crisis of Planet Gaea Fly Out! Planet Gaea Assemble, Thirty-Nine Warriors Revenge of the Space Pirates Breaking into Nemesis Legend! The Green Warrior Farewell! Lio Convoy
The Maximal Brainwashing Operation
Starscream hatched a scheme to capture a couple of Maximals and brainwash them into Predacons. Amused by this plan, Galvatron granted Starscream permission to put it into motion. Soon, BB brought him Tasmania Kid and Diver, and Starscream went to work on the pair.
Starscream then oversaw the altered Maximals' initial ambush on their former allies. After the initial surprise strike, the rest of the Predacons joined in on the attack. But as the Predacons pressed on, Dirge and Thrust turned up on the battlefield as allies of the Maximals! Annoyed that Lio Convoy had "stolen his idea" to brainwash enemy combatants, Starscream ordered BB to shoot the "traitors" out of the sky. The Predacons were on the verge of victory when a stray shot from Megastorm rocked the battlefield, badly injuring the Predacon forces. Starscream and the rest of the Predacons retreated, with the unconscious Dirge and Thrust in tow. The Maximal Brainwashing Operation
Cloud
Beast Wars II manga
IDW Beast Wars comics
Starscream spent time in a Maximal prison facility, where he developed grandiose plans for the future. Beast Wars Sourcebook 4 There, Starscream also met and befriended the traumatized giant BB. During an escape from the prison, Starscream took BB with him, solidifying BB's loyalty to Starscream. Beast Wars Sourcebook #1 After their escape, Starscream and BB joined Galvatron's Destrons. Beast Wars Sourcebook 4 Starscream was later exposed to Angolmois by Gigastorm, which altered the jet into the vicious Hellscream. Hellscream hated his new form and preferred to have his jet form back. Beast Wars Sourcebook #2
At some point, Hellscream became one of Unicron's heralds and subsequently one of Shokaract's Heralds. When Shokaract faced Big Convoy in battle, Hellscream and the other Heralds returned to Cybertron with, as Hellscream put it, more than enough Angolmois for Shokaract's eternal glory. The Ascending # 3 He went on to help spread Angolmois across Cybertron, causing widespread chaos and violence. When Shokaract suddenly disappeared from the battlefield, he and his fellow Heralds temporarily retreated to think up what to do next. 'Next' never happened due to Ravage lobbing a grenade into their presence, scattering the Heralds in the resulting explosion. The Ascending # 4
Transformers Legends comic
In the Legends Universe, Starscream was the manager of a "little brother cafe" in Akihabara, where he gave Windblade a job out of sympathy for her situation, despite her gender. LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue 1 He later commended her on her ability to sell expensive lunches to customers. Windblade Sequel
When another Starscream filled in for Windblade, the manager criticized him for not welcoming customers loudly enough. When Armada Starscream questioned why a supposed "little sister cafe" would hire a man, the manager explained that they were in actuality a little brother cafe. LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue 1 He was present when Windblade returned and told Armada Starscream of the reason for her poor condition. LG-18 Armada Starscream Super Mode Prologue 2
Games
Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars
When a super-powerful energon crystal was discovered on Earth, Starscream was one of the several Predacons involved in the ensuing conflicts. He was not, however, directly involved in combat. Instead, he was sent on missions to traverse pit-riddled fields, occasionally having to fend off enormous bacteria opponents. Duel Fight Transformers Beast Wars
Toys
Beast Wars
- Starscream and BB (Ultra, 1998)
- Japanese ID number: D-13
- Accessories: 2 missile launchers, 2 missiles
- A recolor of Dreadwing with Smokescreen, this toy is nearly identical to the unreleased Generation 2 Megatron ATB with Starscream toy. Starscream transforms into a fighter jet of undetermined (probably made-up) model. He has two side-mounted spring-loaded rocket launchers that become hand-weapons in robot mode. He can combine with BB's vehicle mode to form the large Formation Scream stealth bomber jet.
- The stickers on his tailfins and on BB's arms call him "Starscrem." This is easily ignorable as bad transliteration.
- This mold is also used by 2001 Robots in Disguise Smokejumper and Robotmasters Smokesniper. Starscream was reissued in Korea in Car Bot packaging, reaffiliated as an Autobot and renamed as Stealth Saber.
- Hellscream (Deluxe, 1998)
- Japanese ID number: D-23
- Accessories: Head missile launcher/sword hilt, spear missile, 2 missiles
- An extensive retooling of the Beast Wars Cybershark mold, "Hellscream" now transforms into a heavily-cyborged shark. This toy features a new mechanically styled beast mode head, fins and tail, a new robot mode head, arm, and leg. The beast mode head may be launched in shark mode and used as a hand-weapon in robot mode. The beast mode body/robot mode chest has a flip-up spring-loaded missile launcher that can fire the head or the two missiles that store in Hellscream's back. The tail turbine has a spring-loaded missile launcher as well.
- This mold was slightly redecoed to make Universe Overbite. A retool of the original mold was used to make Sharp Edge.
Merchandise
Notes
- Starscream's name is repeatedly misspelled as "Starscrem" in Japanese material, including the stickers on the toy.
- Transformers Cloud Hellwarp is both a roundabout and direct homage to Hellscream.
Foreign names
- Korean: Starscream (스타스크램 Seutaseukeuraem)
