Starscream clone (Animated)
| This article is about the abominations from the Transformers Animated continuity family. For the clone from the Generation 1 cartoon, see Starscream clone (G1). |
- Starscream clones are a group from the Transformers Animated continuity family.
A Starscream clone is one of an army of (mostly) physically identical copies of Starscream. They have all of his abilities, with the added bonus of being extremely disposable. While there seem to be a large number of mass-produced clones, a handful have appeared which carry AllSpark energy signatures, have different colour schemes, and seem to embody various elements of Starscream's personality. The clones include:
- Dirge, representing Starscream's greed.
- Ramjet, a clone that is as honest as the day is long.
- Skywarp and Clone #3370318, two clones representing Starscream's cowardice.
- Slipstream, representing parts of Starscream best left unexplored.
- Starscream Clone Black Version, representing... something.
- Sunstorm and Clone #2716057, two clones representing Starscream's bootlicking tendencies.
- Thundercracker, representing Starscream's ego.
- Thrust, representing Starscream's jealousy.
| “ | Ah, never before have I seen a more impressive group of lethal fighting machines! ...and pretty good-looking if I do say so myself! | ” |
— Starscream on his new clone army, A Bridge Too Close, Part I | ||
Fiction
Animated cartoon
Starscream created the clones in a multi-step process. First mechanical shells based on Starscream's design were infused with protoforms stolen from Master Yoketron's dojo. Endgame, Part I Since those protoforms were sparkless, a fragment Starscream's AllSpark fragment was inserted into their chassis to give them life. A Bridge Too Close, Part I
After Prowl and Lockdown captured and then lost the original Starscream on the Moon, his sycophantic clone destroyed Prowl's shuttle and headed for Earth. The two bots followed him, but bumped into the cowardly clone first. After capturing him, Lockdown double-crossed Prowl and dragged the clone away. As the Autobots gave chase, the Sycophant appeared and offered to deal. Prowl wasn't having any of it, and after a brief skirmish, managed to get the stasis cuffs on him. Both Lockdown and the Autobots took the clones to an abandoned warehouse, where the Decepticons were waiting. As everyone was understandably shocked, some sort of program deactivated the clones' higher functions and opened their spark chambers, which were empty... except for a pair of powerful bombs. As Lockdown and the Decepticons made a break for it, Prowl welded his borrowed mods to the pair and launched them into the sky, where they exploded. The Decepticons were caught in the blast wave, but the city was saved. In the wreckage of the Nemesis, a disappointed but pragmatic Starscream consoled himself with the fact he still had plenty left. A Fistful of Energon
While Megatron was officially bringing the Constructicons into his army on Earth, Starscream was doing the same with his fifth clone on the Moon. Immediately after he brought his final clone on-line, however, the neurotic ensemble began giving him trouble, and he learned that each of them embodied a distilled facet of his personality: his cowardice, his sycophancy, his deceitfulness, his egomania...and one facet that warned him not to ask what she was. A Bridge Too Close, Part I
After bringing the five clones to life, the Starscreams all flew to Earth after Megatron made the space bridge. Starscream attacked the Decepticons with his new army and lost two clones (along with Blurr) in a blob of cement, and soon after lost his head to Prof. Sumdac. Finally, the other Starscream clones decided he was unworthy to lead them and sided with Megatron, but after that they all had to attack Omega Supreme and were easily defeated. A Bridge Too Close, Part II
The two clones who were warped into space with Blurr were able to escape their cement prison, but were left behind in space as Blurr darted away. TransWarped
It was also revealed that Ramjet had survived, as he saved Lugnut (and promised not to tell Megatron), Three's a Crowd and later paid Lockdown to help him against the Autobots. Five Servos of Doom Both he and Sunstorm would end up as prisoners, and briefly broke free before being recaptured. Decepticon Air
The final Earthbound clone, Slipstream, kept a low profile after the disastrous encounter with Omega Supreme, but she eventually resurfaced when Optimus Prime was attempting to learn to fly. She pursued him assuming he was Starscream, and was quite confused when she realized she was actually confronting a flying Autobot. But that didn't stop her from shooting Prime down, then escaping once more to parts unknown.Endgame, Part I
The remaining cache of unactivated Starscream clone shells were unceremoniously destroyed by Megatron, upon the latter's return to his destroyed warship on the moon. Endgame, Part I
Titan Magazines
Starscream used his mass produced clones to seize the Autobot base. Unfortunately, Sari knew their weakness: they weren't immune to giant robot dinosaurs beating the slag out of them. Dino-MIGHT!
The Cool comic
In an attempt to destroy Megatron, Starscream wired two of his clones (Clone number 3370318 and Clone number 2716057) with explosives as part of a convuluted scheme involving Lockdown, a bounty hunter, bringing them to the Decepticon leader. The plan made it that far, but due to interference from the Autobots (mainly Prowl), the clones exploded without killing anyone (except themselves). Observing the situation, Starscream took the failure in stride and declared that there was more to come from his Clone Army. The Cool Episode 6
Later, when the Autobots and Decepticons came into conflict over the Space Bridge, Starscream chose then as the most opportune time to unleash his Clone Army. Megatron regarded them as little more than an irritation, and even joined forces with Optimus Prime to combat them. Their partnership was short-lived, however, as Megatron used Prime as a living shield to protect himself from a blast from Slipstream.The Cool Episode 7
After being defeated, the clones were then forced to join Megatron's ranks under threat of destruction. The clones attempted to stop Omega Supreme, but were blasted into oblivion. The Cool Episode 8
Toys
- Voyager
- The Voyager class Starscream from Animated has been recolored into:
- Activator
- Starscream's Activators mold, a smaller, auto-transforming design based on the larger toy, was recolored into:
- Legends
- The smallest toy of Starscream, his Legends Class mold, has been recolored into:
Notes
- The clones are a reference to the common practice of redecoing Starscream toys as new characters, specifically the Seekers.
- The color schemes (though little more) of most of the clones are inspired by various Generation 1 Seekers. When later released as toys and listed in the AllSpark Almanac guidebook, they were finally given the names of the Generation 1 characters they were colored to resemble. They were never given individual names in the cartoon, however, only ever being credited as "Starscream"; this was because if they had been given names, they would have been considered separate characters, and actor Tom Kenny's fee would have increased substantially with the addition of four "new" characters for him to play.
- At BotCon 2008, Animated series creators Derrick Wyatt and Marty Isenberg repeatedly emphasized that there would be "no clone army... definitely no clone army... absolutely no clone army in this show." Lots of reports forgot the sarcasm tag.
- Starscream could certainly be considered an army-builder.
- This is, however, not the first appearance of a Starscream clone.
- Or even the second.
- Derrick Wyatt explained in a interview[Which interview?] that he intended the clones to evolve into individuals the longer they remained online. Noting it has not been depicted, he implied the concept was dropped.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Ikemens & Slip (イケメンズ&スリップ Ikemenzu to Surippu, "Studs & Slip")
