View source for Starscream (G1)

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{{disambig3|Starscream}}{{suite}}
:''Starscream is a [[Decepticon]] from the [[Generation 1 continuity family]].''
[[File:Starscreamg1.jpg|upright=1.66|thumb|Let me guess. You're gonna attempt to overthrow Megatron, fail, cry, then repeat the cycle.]]
'''Starscream''' is the treacherous Decepticon [[Air Commander]] and the deadliest of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. The self-proclaimed pride of the [[Cybertron War Academy]], he's famous not only for his incredible skill, but also for his limitless (and troublesome) ambition. Starscream believes that he is more suited for command than [[Decepticon leader]] [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], his motive depending on the universe, from simply wanting the title to stroke his ego to having genuine concerns with how Megatron is running things. Thankfully for Megatron, 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 a situation, but is too arrogant to realize when he's in over his head. He never learns from his mistakes, but then again, Megatron doesn't either, seeing as how he's never turned Starscream into [[Slag (slang)|slag]]. Despite his constant failures, Starscream believes it is only a matter of time before he prevails—his destiny is inevitable.

Starscream's never-give-up attitude extends even to the afterlife: unlike most Transformers, he has a mutant, indestructible [[spark]]. His life-force cannot be destroyed and can persist even without a body to contain it. However, there is no indication that Starscream (or anybody else) was aware of this fact prior to his destruction.

{{bigquote|''Why?'' That's what they ''all'' asked me. Why him... why ''Starscream''? Why, of all the Decepticons, did I decide to revitalize the one whose record of deceit and betrayal is ''legend''? Because I'm an ''idiot'', that's why!|Megatron on Starscream|"[[Total War!]]"}}

==Fiction==
===Marvel Comics continuity===
[[File:ClubCon flyme.jpg|left|thumb|Quickly! To the traitor-mobile!]]
{{Main|Starscream (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity}}
Formally the political figurehead of the city-state of [[Vos (polity)|Vos]], Starscream sat ill in his position in the Decepticon ranks, but never posed a real threat to [[Megatron (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Megatron]] in their early days, delivering only the occasional snipe or criticism that the Decepticon leader would be quick to put down with a show of force. Deactivated following a battle with [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]], Starscream spent several years in stasis, but once reactivated, he quickly ingratiated himself with the new Decepticon leader [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] and through information gained from him was able to obtain the cosmic power of the [[Underbase]]. After going on a legendary rampage across Earth and slaying dozens of Transformers, Starscream himself was destroyed by the Underbase's unstoppable energies, but his corpse was recovered and brought back to life by Megatron as a mindless [[Pretender]]. Regaining his faculties thanks to [[Ratchet (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Ratchet]]'s sabotage, Starscream joined [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]'s Decepticon cell on Earth, but his new powers led him to be feared and hated by his fellow Decepticons, even more than usual, and he proceeded to break away and help [[Shockwave (G1)/Marvel Comics continuity|Shockwave]] start a [[Decepticon Civil War]]. Teleported to Cybertron to face the threat of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], Starscream fled the planet aboard the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], and was knocked offline again when it crashed to [[Earth]] for a second time. Years later, Megatron defied common sense by once more reactivating him to join in his attempt to retake command of the Decepticons, and unsurprisingly, Starscream betrayed Megatron to [[Jhiaxus (G2)|Jhiaxus]] in order to briefly gain control of the [[Matrix of Leadership|Creation Matrix]]. The scamp!
{{--}}

===Generation 1 cartoon continuity===
[[File:Tud3 starscream smirkiest.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|"So if I beat [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|you]], will I become the chief Decepticon?"
"More people have said that and were sent offline than there are Energon decay products."]]
{{main|Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity}}
{{quote|He never knows when to quit.|Dead End|"[[Starscream's Brigade]]"}}

A former scientist who joined the Decepticons with gusto after the loss of his friend [[Jetfire (G1)|Skyfire]], Starscream quickly decided that [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s leadership was old and outdated, and that he was the one who should be in charge. Cue nine million years of backstabbing, treachery, cowardice, coups and general disobedience, which continued when the war moved from Cybertron to Earth. In fact, it was Starscream's refusal to listen to Megatron that kept the war going, when a petty parting blast that he delivered to the Autobot's crashed starship jostled the body of [[Optimus Prime (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Optimus Prime]] into the path of [[Teletraan I]]'s restoration beam. Starscream's scheming was a constant throughout the Earth conflict, and it culminated in his expulsion from the Decepticon ranks, following which he created the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to serve as his personal army, only to have them turn on him, forcing him to rejoin Megatron's ranks.

Even in death, Starscream was unstoppable. Following Megatron's climactic battle with Optimus Prime in [[2005]], Starscream set his commander's battered body adrift in space and promptly appointed himself the new Decepticon leader. In the midst of a grandiose coronation ceremony, however, Megatron returned, recreated as [[Galvatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|Galvatron]] by the power of [[Unicron/Generation 1|Unicron]], and promptly blasted Starscream to ashes. Surprisingly, Starscream's lifeforce persisted as a [[ghost]], which continued to bedevil the Transformers, even across the gulf of time.
{{--}}

===Kid Stuff Talking Story Books===
Catching the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] flying on route from the Antarctic towards the Autobots’ headquarters, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticon superjets attacked them in mid-air. After damaging [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons broke off their attack. {{storylink|Jaws of Terror}}

Starscream and the other Decepticon jets took part in a series of hit-and-run attacks on Autobot superjet forces around the Pacific Rim to draw attention away from their operations on the island of [[Buru]]. {{storylink|Slaves of the Insecticons}}

===Deadly Paradise===
[[File:DeadlyParadise Windcharger kills Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|left|"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sy-Yjk-jtg YOU. SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP!!]"]]
Starscream was stationed on [[Carob Island]], where the Decepticons had set up a mining and construction operation. Using a rare ore from the island, the Decepticons were building duplicate Autobots loyal only to Megatron. When a squad of captured Autobots escaped from their force cages, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] and Starscream attempted to subdue them. Starscream was killed when [[Windcharger (G1)|Windcharger]] used his magnetic powers to pulverize Starscream's head into scrap. {{storylink|Deadly Paradise}}

===Sticker Adventures books===
Starscream participated in a Decepticon assault on the Autobots, only to be once more beaten back. Under Megatron's orders, the Decepticons then lay low for several days, lulling the Autobots into a false sense of security. The Decepticons then stole the entirety of the Autobots’ fuel supply and attacked them once more. But Optimus, having anticipated a trick on the Decepticons’ part, arrived at the battlefield with a new supply of fuel for his troops. After sustaining too much damage, the Decepticons were forced to retreat once again. {{storylink|Revenge of the Decepticons}}

Starscream attacked an Autobot construction site that Optimus and his troops were using to fix up a spaceship. {{storylink|Return to Cybertron}}

===Marvel Storybooks continuity===
Starscream was one of Megatron's most vicious fighters. He was involved in Megatron's scheme to take over the Earth by holding millions of humans hostage. When Megatron feigned a friendly demeanor after the Autobots had invaded the Decepticon base, Starscream stood by his leader's side. {{storylink|Battle for Earth}}

===Marvel coloring books===
Starscream loved to follow Megatron's orders. (!) {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}} Megatron considered Starscream to be one of his "secret weapons" alongside Thundercracker. Starscream was in attendance at the Decepticons' latest meeting in their war room. There, Megatron explained his latest scheme; by salvaging sunken treasure in the waters near Alaska, the Decepticons would finance factories that would build a Decepticon army. Starscream and Thundercracker maintained a high altitude above the other Decepticons as they retrieved the treasure. Megatron called upon them when a squad of Autobots attempted to ambush the Decepticons. The Decepticons were ultimately defeated when one of Rumble's earthquakes backfired, and swallowed up all of the Decepticons (yes, even the flying ones...) {{storylink|Search for Treasure Under the Sea}}

After Megatron has constructed his own prison for the Autobots, Starscream and the other Decepticons were tasked with rounding their enemies up. He and Thundercracker employed [[Sleep Net]]s to capture Bluestreak and Sideswipe. As the Decepticons incarcerated the Autobots, Starscream expressed concerned that they had missed one; Bumblebee was nowhere to be found. Megatron dismissed Starscream's concerns, stating that Bumblebee was too small to cause any trouble. Then Bumblebee tricked all of the Decepticons in leaving the prison unattended, and freed his comrades. Starscream and Thundercracker were shot out of the sky by Sideswipe and Bluestreak upon the Autobots' escape. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue!}}

Megatron ordered Starscream to patrol "every inch of the Earth" in order to find a factory suitable for constructing a Decepticon army. Starscream wound up in orbit, and found no factories, only a few communication satellites. Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp then happened upon an "Autobot Factory," and began attacking it. After repeatedly bombing the factory yielded no results, an enraged Megatron led his troops to tare the factory down with their bare hands. As it turns out, the factory had been a hologram all along, and the Decepticons barely avoided tumbling down the hole it concealed when Ravage attacked Mirage, who was projecting the illusion. The Decepticons then battled the Autobots, and Starscream was caught in Huffer's crushing grip. He surrendered to the Autobot immediately. {{storylink|Decepticon Patrol}}

Decepticons was one of the many Decepticons who attempted to harm Buster and Sparkplug Witwicky, only to be repelled by the Autobots when the Decepticons began running low on fuel. He later joined his fellow Decepticons on their attack on the Hoover Dam. They were repelled once more by the heroic robots. {{storylink|The Deadly Fuel Shortage}}

Upon spotting a convoy of Autobots moving towards the Decepticons stronghold, Starscream and two other seekers mobilized themselves and attacked them. Huffer attempted to attack Starscream, but the Decepticon air commander was too fast for the land-bound Autobot... That is, until Windcharger stepped in and used his magnetic powers to pull Starscream within easy reach. Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons were forced to abandon their stronghold when the Autobots used their own [[Molecular transfer device]] against them, draining the Decepticons of their fuel in the process. {{storylink|Summertime Coloring Book}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|A Message From Outer Space}}}}

The urge to build a Decepticon factory came upon Megatron once more, and he ordered Starscream to clear a forest of its "stupid trees" to make room for one. Coincidently, the Autobots were vacationing in that very same forest, and confronted the Decepticons on their deforestation. Starscream took to the air to better fight against the Autobots, but was driven away by Optimus's Combat Deck. {{storylink|Forest Rescue Mission}}

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Bumblebee's Dangerous Mission}} {{storylink|The Big Book of Coloring Fun}}}}

Starscream joined Galvatron in a mission to steal oil from [[Oil Valley]]. Once they were in the oil drilling area however, Soundwave informed them that he had detected Autobot activity nearby. Hoping to take their enemies by surprise, Starscream and Dirge took to the air. Starscream and Dirge then encountered the Dinobots and fought against them. Starscream was taken out of the fight when Grimlock grabbed him out of the sky. {{storylink|Battle at Oil Valley}}

When the Decepticons learned that the Autobots had long ago lost a large shipment of Energon cubes at the Ark's original crash site, Galvatron ordered them to head to Mt. St. Hillary to uncover it. There, Starscream fought the Autobots over possession of it. The brawl ended when Starscream scarfed down all of the Energon, and proceeded to pick a fight with Galvatron. {{storylink|The Lost Treasure of Cybertron}}

===Big Looker storybooks continuity===
Starscream was part of the ambush party that boarded the Ark during the Cretaceous period, which led to Optimus Prime crashing his ship in a volcano and shutting everyone on board offline. When the Decepticons reawakened, they attempted to destroy the Ark, only for its automatic defences to deflect their firepower. The Decepticons then raided a nearby nuclear power to gain the additional power necessary to destroy the Autobots. When the Decepticons returned only to find the Ark deserted, Megatron became suspicious and split his troops into two attack squads. Starscream was part of the second squad, which attacked the Autobots after the first. Starscream delivered the most damage on the Decepticons’ side, short-circuiting Optimus with his null-rays. With the Decepticons running low on fuel once more, they were forced to retreat, vowing that the battle had just begun {{storylink|Battle for Cybertron}}

[[File:DecepticonsCarShow.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|I have no idea what colors I am!]]
Starscream and his fellow Seekers performed a threatening flyby over the Autobots' headquarters in order to distract the heroic robots while the other Decepticons stole a tanker of [[oil]] that would give them the power to rule the world. Thanks to [[Shooting Star]], the Autobots got wise to the Decepticons' tactics and [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]] blew up the villains by dropping missiles on them. Starscream arrived on the scene to spitefully blow up the [[oil tanker]] so that no one could have it, then he and his fellow airborne Decepticons carried off the remains of their fallen comrades. {{storylink|Decepticon Hijack}}

Starscream was part of the battle that resulted when the Autobots came to rescue the mind-controlled [[Grapple (G1)|Grapple]] from the Decepticons' clutches. When Grapple was freed from the effects of the [[cerebro-shell]] controlling him, he kicked Megatron over on top of Starscream and Skywarp, winning the day. {{storylink|Insecticon Attack!}}

At some point in the future, when Galvatron had taken leadership of the Decepticons, Starscream suggested to his leader that he create a city of his own to gather energy, as the Autobots did with their Autobot City. Galvatron decided to go about it in the most circular way possible, by stealing a robot car on display at a car show that night and duplicating its circuitry to create an army of drones to build said city. While investigating the Decepticons' presence at the show, Kup was captured by Starscream. When the Autobots arrived in response, Starscream threatened Kup's life to stay their hands, but luckily, Hot Rod soon saved Kup, and the Decepticons were defeated. {{storylink|Car Show Blow Up}}

===Ladybird Books continuity===
[[File:Starscream ladybird books.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Toy-accurate art makes Starscream ANGRY!]]
A brash and aggressive character, Starscream was constantly running up against the older, smarter Megatron. He once convinced Rumble to help him attack and destroy an Autobot tower (believed to be for communications) against Megatron's orders. In the process, he caused Megatron and the other Decepticons to come get him back. (They arrived ''just'' as he was slagging off Megatron.) Since that tower was actually used for channeling lightning storms into power, the entire Decepticon team was viciously injured by an electric surge due to his disobedience. {{storylink|Autobots' Lightning Strike}}

Starscream later tried to overthrow Megatron when the commander was off on a mission and requested the other Decepticons rendezvous with him. Starscream's act of rebellion was to blow up the building he thought Megatron was in and declare himself leader. Megatron turned out to be standing behind him, and he gave Starscream a valuable lesson on leadership (i.e., told him how dumb that was whilst punching him). {{storylink|Megatron's Fight for Power}}

Starscream grew frustrated with Megatron constantly testing out new technology instead of implementing it. He complained that if the Decepticons were under his command, they would have already completed the construction of their ship and be on their way back to Cybertron. His argument with Megatron was interrupted when it was discovered that Bumblebee was spying on them. Some time later, Starscream was one of the Decepticons assembling their ion drive when their assembly lab was discovered by the Autobots once more. Starscream was knocked away when Jazz pushed a train cart through the construction site. {{storylink|Autobots Fight Back}}

When Megatron was bemoaning the fact that time and again the Autobots had foiled his plans, Starscream pointed out to him that every enemy had a weak spot that could be exploited. Megatron agreed, and posited that the Autobots' human friend was their weakness. Starscream volunteered to exterminate the fleshling, but Megatron tasked Laserbeak with studying mankind instead. Starscream laughed at his leader's decision, declaring that Megatron had grown soft in his old age. Megatron assured his subordinate that he was old because he was ''hard''. During his investigation, Laserbeak was disabled by flying headlong into electrical cables, baffling Starscream over how the humans could have built such a devastating "zero magnetism energy mechanism." He, Soundwave and Megatron headed out to rescue Laserbeak, now "captive" in his cassette form to a human child. Laserbeak escaped on his own and rejoined his teammates, with an angry mob on his trail. Starscream was gung-ho to slaughter the humans en masse, but Megatron had him stay his hand once again. The Decepticons were soon distracted by the Autobots, and due to a series of misunderstandings, came to believe that a windmill was some sort of advanced weapon. They destroyed the windmill, but were buried in its rubble as it collapsed. {{storylink|Laserbeak's Fury}}

When [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] time-travelled to the 20th Century and took command, Starscream served under him. He'd learnt his lesson since the early days, not trying to overthrow his commander ''once''. {{storylink|Galvatron's Air Attack}}
{{--}}

===The Special Teams===
Starscream was equipped with an [[Electronic Pulse Gun]]. Starscream participated in a battle against the Autobots in the [[Burma ruby mines]], where he was able to squirrel away a stash of Energon cubes during the confusion.

The Decepticons' war efforts on Earth suffered greatly due to Starscream's self-interest and childish behaviour, despite Megatron's frequent reprimands. He once attempted to assassinate Megatron, but was met with failure. Starscream was sent by Megatron to fetch the Stunticons from Cybertron in order to counter the Aerialbots, but failed to report back after accomplishing his task. While the Stunticons had rejoined the main Decepticon forces, Starscream had taken off towards the Pacific. There, he mulled over his failure to take over the Decepticons. Starscream landed on a remote Pacific island, only to discover several military vehicles in the island's forest. Using his stash of Energon cubes, he transformed these military vehicles into the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticon]]s. Now ready to implement his latest coup, Starscream came into communication with Megatron, who ordered him to rendez-vous near a human power plant, as the Decepticons were preparing to raid it. Starscream did not meet with Megatron, but instead sent in the Combaticons ahead of himself. As they merged into Bruticus to take on the Autobots gestalts guarding the place, Starscream watched from afar. He ordered Bruticus to concentrate on Defensor, only for the Decepticon gestalt to be subsequently defeated by his opponent. Starscream then began bombarding Defensor with his artillery. The Aerialbots then separated to give chase after Starscream while Defensor took over the fight against Menasor. Outnumbered, Starscream took off. {{storylink|The Special Teams}}

===Listen 'n Fun audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Starscream was annoyed when Megatron called off the attack on the Autobots which he was leading, and instead instructed him to scout out Doctor [[Heath Blaisedale]]'s solar plant. So annoyed was Starscream, that when he got to the plant and saw the Autobots there, he attacked them anyway. [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] wounded him before an enraged Megatron ordered him to call off the attack, and Starscream and his fellow seekers retired to a location a mile away. Megatron told him off for endangering the solar plant and ordered him to stay there while the other Decepticons went to secure the plant. Partway through the battle, Starscream pointed out to Megatron that the reactor had become too damaged to use, and he should probably retreat. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Fun)}}

===Listen 'n Play audiobooks continuity===
{{voiceactor|? (English)}}
Megatron worked out a plan to abduct human air travelers by disguising the jets as commercial airliners. Starscream requested he lead the mission to [[Phoenix International]], and was duly welded into a fake airliner body. When he, Skywarp and Bombshell reached the airport, they found it completely empty, so they headed for the warehouse where the previously obtained hostages were being held, only to find that there was an Autobot welcoming committee waiting for them. Starscream soon discovered that he was welded too securely into the fake airliner body and was unable to transform or use his weapons. The Decepticon squad was forced to retreat. {{storylink|Sun Raid (Listen 'n Play)}}

===The Battle for Planet Earth===
{{voiceactor|[[Peter Marinker]] (English)}}
{{quote|You are a born leader, Starscream; Not only handsome, but clever.|Starscream|[[Espionage!!!!!]]}}
Starscream was one of the group of Decepticons who followed the Autobots to [[South America]], and undermined Megatron's leadership whenever possible. The Decepticons attempted to attack the Autobots as the latter were examining [[Mount Sheelah]], only for the volcano to erupt, trapping them with lava. {{storylink|Terror of Mount Sheelah}} Starscream took part in the kidnapping on [[human]]s for use as slave labor. When [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] stole the Decepticons' [[global crystal]], Starscream pursued him, but failed to locate the Autobot, and the Decepticons were forced to release their slaves. {{storylink|Bumblebee to the Rescue (G1)|Bumblebee to the Rescue}} Flying over the [[Scranner Mountain Range]], Starscream's patrol spotted [[Stanley Lake]] dam, prompting the Decepticons to take it over. Their invasion was again foiled by the Autobots who used the power of the dam against them. {{storylink|Menace at the Dam}}

During a meeting of the high-ranked Decepticons, Starscream volunteered to infiltrate the Autobots as a spy. His story about Megatron having a list of Decepticons to bump off after victory was achieved appeared to work, and Starscream was accepted into the Autobot ranks. They even showed him the [[Deuterium Orbital Laser Tracing System]] they'd developed, which would be hidden on [[Mount Levram]]. After Starscream reported back to the Decepticons by radio, he found himself being placed under the guard—the Autobots hadn't been taken in at all, and when the Decepticons all went to level Mount Levram, the Autobots destroyed their base. Starscream was let go afterwards, but faced a difficult time explaining how he'd been duped. {{storylink|Espionage!!!!!}}

===Peril from the Stars===
{{notemultipath}}
[[File:Bombshell starscream uncle jack aunt sue peril from the stars.jpg|thumb|upright=0.55]]
Behind the backs of the other Decepticons, Starscream recruited [[Bombshell (G1)|Bombshell]] to help him capture the [[Los Palmos observatory]] and its staff [[Jack Richards|Jack]] and [[Sue Richards]] in order to track a weapons pod that had been launched from Cybertron. These weapons woud allow Starscream to defeat the other Transformers and conquer the Earth. It was only thanks to the intervention of the Autobot [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]] (with [[you]]r help) that his plans for global domination were thwarted. {{storylink|Peril from the Stars}}

{{note|As "Peril from the Stars" is a [[multipath adventure]], Starscream's plans are not necessarily thwarted. If you choose the wrong path through the book you and Jazz could end up being killed by Bombshell, and Starscream presumably then goes on to conquer the world.}}

===Find Your Fate Junior===
{{notemultipath}}
====Dinobots Strike Back====
Starscream was one of many Decepticons at a somewhat premature victory bonfire celebration atop [[Mount Lomas]] after four of the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobot]]s had joined their forces, courtesy of Bombshells [[cerebro-shell]]s, and ''reportedly'' crippled the Autobot ranks, assuring the success of Operation Black Coral. Suddenly, their new recruits turned against them, prompting Starscream to fire his laser at [[Slag (G1)|Slag]], which merely bounced the beam straight back and melted his gun. The Autobots emerged victorious that evening, though Starscream's fate is unclear. 

Apparently he should have used his cluster-bombs instead, since an alternate path in that same micro-continuity nexus led him to blow [[Seaspray (G1)|Seaspray]] to smithereens with just one of them, ensuring Operation Black Coral's success. That's more impressive than it sounds, since Seaspray was a huge destroyer with at least two passengers at the time. Seriously, he was! {{storylink|Dinobots Strike Back}}

====Battle Drive====
[[File:BattledriveBumblebeevsBlitzwingStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|Ahh! Where did my color go?!]]
Starscream and Blitzwing had been instructed by Megatron to wreak havoc and destroy the humans' wheat and corn farmland. They were meant to let the Autobots overhear that the Decepticons were planning to force the humans into starvation if they did not become Decepticon slaves, their true plan was a much more practical one. The two jets were to lure the Autobots into the open country, where they would have no cover against the flying Decepticons, and thus would be easy pickings.

In one possible sequence of events, Bumblebee happened upon the duo, and was able to take out Blitzwing with a sucker punch. Not having seen Blitzwing being taken out when it happened, Starscream panicked and pleaded for reinforcements over the radio, only to have his bravado returned to him when spotting the lone little Autobot. Laughing at his foe, Starscream dropped a barrage of [[cluster bomb]]s onto Bumblebee before nearly downed himself when the Autobot flung a bail of hay into one of Starscream's engines. At that moment, Starscream's reinforcements arrived in the form of Bombshell, and Bumblebee was forced to retreat.

If Bumblebee attempted to escape through the burning cornfield nearby, Starscream manages to stun him with his null rays, leaving the little Autobot to his mercies.

If Bumblebee fled back to a nearby town, the Autobot would manage to evade Starscream and Bombshell by ducking into a smokescreen emanating from a nearby burning field. Starscream wasn't able to spot Bumblebee hiding in the used-car parking lot nearby, but nonetheless transformed to [[robot mode]] and loudly had a conversation over his radio with Megatron, discussing their "plan" to force the humans into slavery or starvation. His ruse worked, as Bumblebee was within earshot.

In the event that the Autobots never showed up to stop the Decepticons, Starscream continued to burn acres of farmland.

If events unfolded a certain way, the Decepticons would learn that Sparkplug had discovered a fatal flaw in Decepticon circuitry, and Starscream would join the bulk of the Decepticon forces in hunting down the human to a cave in the mountains. At this point, Swoop was able to sneak up on the Decepticons while they were focused on the cave's entrance, and the Dinobot blasted Starscream out of the sky, and sent him crashing into the side of a mountain. Starscream survived the impact and remained with the Decepticon squadron. In one possible turn of events, Optimus and the Autobot cavalry arrived on-scene and forced the Decepticons to flee.

In a completely different possible series of events, Starscream was amongst a vast army of Decepticons that attacked Optimus's small squadron of Autobots, who had been lured into open farmland by Megatron's ploy.

In the event that Optimus separated from his squadron to provide cover fire, Starscream was one of the ten Decepticons who ganged up on the Autobot leader. If Jazz returned to rescue his commanding officer, Starscream was blasted away by a shot of Optimus's [[laser rifle]]. The Autobots managed to get away in the end however.

In many other versions of these events, Starscream was presumably amongst the immense Decepticon forces who managed to destroy the Autobots without much fanfare. {{storylink|Battle Drive}}
{{-}}

====Attack of the Insecticons====
[[File:AttackoftheInsecticonsattackStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb]]
When Kickback spied Autobot activities in an underground cave and came to know of the Sun-Pak, an energy device created by the Autobots' human ally Sparkplug, he opened communications with Decepticon headquarters to inform Megatron of his findings, only to be answered by Starscream. Convincing the Insecticon to relay his findings to him, Starscream saw the Sun-Pak as an opportunity to take control of the Decepticons from Megatron. Leading a squadron of Decepticons to Kickback's location, Starscream began attacking the Autobots, demanding their surrender lest he and his Decepticons bury the Autobots underneath the crumbling cave's rubble. He was met with different fates depending on how Optimus Prime responded to his threats.

In the event that the Autobots decided to stand their ground and fight, Optimus noted Starscream's difficulty in flying in the small underground cave. This in turn would open two possibilities for the Autobot leader; order his Autobots to concentrate their firepower on Starscream or continue fighting all of the Decepticons Starscream brought into the fray equally. 

If Starscream suddenly found himself the sole target of the Autobots' weapons, the Decepticon began to panic, and became unable to relay orders to the troops under his command. Under constant fire, Starscreams began to beg for mercy from his opponents. 

If Optimus accepted Starscream's surrender, this only led to Starscream dying at Thundercracker's hand, as Thundercracker derided Starscream for his cowardice, and blasted him to death. If, however, Optimus continued to attack Starscream despite his pleas, Starscream owed his survival to Thundercracker's action, as a sonic boom from his subordinate allowed Starscream the opening to kidnap Sparkplug, and order a retreat from his Decepticons, all the while gloating that he would take control of the Decepticons for himself. Hiding out in a plane museum while in his [[alternate mode]], Starscream awaited the cover of night to attempt coercing Sparkplug into building a Sun-Pak for the Decepticons. Calling on Bombshell, Starscream informed the human that he would build the energy device either of his own volition, or thanks to the mind-controlling abilities of Bombshell's Cerebro-Shells.

In the event that Blaster and Buster, who had tracked down Starscream unbeknownst to him, had traded to Megatron an audio-clip of Starscream's gloats, revealing Starscream's plan to overthrow his leader, Megatron arrived on scene and berated the seeker for his clandestine activities. Starscream attempts to lie his way out of the situation, explaining that he only ever planned to use the Sun-Pak to benefit Megatron himself. Bombshell does not corroborate Starscream's story, leaving Megatron to give Starscream an ultimatum; either face the full force of the Decepticon army by himself, or return to Decepticon headquarters for reprogramming. Starscream chooses the later.

If Blaster and Buster did not complete an agreement with Megatron, the Decepticon leader arrives on-scene nonetheless, but allows Starscream to go through with his plan of mind-controlling Sparkplug. All of his machinations are for nought, however, as the Cerebro-Shell inadvertently damages Sparkplug's memory, making it impossible for him to produce the device for the Decepticons.

If Buster, Blaster and Bumblebee formulate a plan together to snatch Sparkplug from the Decepticons' clutches, it is Starscream himself who falls prey to the Cerebro-Shell. Hit by Blaster's Electro-Scrambler, Bombshell misses his mark, and Starscream becomes a mentally malleable moron. Convinced by Blaster that the Autobots are his masters, Starscream releases his captive, and allows the humans and Autobots to escape while an infuriated Bombshell attempts to convince Starscream of his true allegiance. {{storylink|Attack of the Insecticons}}

====Earthquake====
[[File:EarthquakeCosmosspies.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1]]
True to form, Starscream schemed to overthrow Megatron in the middle of the Decepticon leader's latest attempt at destroying the human race. This time around, he had convinced Soundwave to join in his insurrection, promising that the two of them would lead the Decepticons jointly. Unbeknownst to Starscream, the Autobot Cosmos was spying upon them, and learned all about Starscream's plot.

In the event that Cosmos relayed this information to Megatron, the Decepticon leader became enraged and confronted the pair. The Decepticons subsequently began fighting amongst themselves, leaving the Autobots to their own devices.

In a completely different possible sequence of events, Megatron, Starscream, Thrust and Dirge captured Beachcomber and Buster as the pair were frantically searching the Decepticons’ base for the captured human Jessie. The prisoners were then taken to Megatron's lab so that the Decepticon leader could torture the pair by showing them the destruction of Center City via a view screen.

In another possible turn of events, where the human Jessie was brainwashed into being loyal to the Decepticons, Starscream had the honour of playing jailor to the heroic robots, after the girl had lured them into a trap. {{storylink|Earthquake (book)|Earthquake}}
{{--}}

====Decepticon Poison====
[[File:DecepticonPoisonMegatronFlying.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
In one possible sequence of events, Starscream accompanied Megatron in order to take out the recently poisoned Autobots. They found themselves fighting against the now-cured Autobots, but gained the upper hand early in the fight nonetheless. They were nonetheless force into a retreat when Optimus led a second squad of Autobots into battle.

In another possible scenario, Megatron and his Decepticon squad were tricked into thinking that the Autobots were already dead, and strode into the Autobots’ base. The Decepticons lay down their weapons in order to carry out the Autobots’ "corpses," but were ambushed once they had disarmed themselves. Starscream and the others were then quickly defeated.

In another possible scenario, Starscream was led by Ramjet in a full-scale Decepticon assault. The Autobots, having miscalculated on how much antidote they had taken to cure themselves of the Decepticons’ poison, found themselves falling apart, leading to an easy victory for the Decepticons.

In yet another possible scenario, the Autobots managed to weaponize the tainted fuel, and ignited it before their base, catching Starscream in the toxic smoke that billowed out. Starscream then crashed close to the raging inferno bellow, and begun to melt into a putrid puddle of metal.

In completely different possible series of events, Ramjet and Starscream had the bad habit of loudly gloating about the Decepticons’ plan to enslave the human race, unawares that there might be Autobot spies lurking in the shadows nearby. He also took amusement in kicking around the mutated rats that scuttled about the Decepticons’ poison lab.

If the Autobots snuck up on the two Decepticons, Starscream and Ramjet were quickly overpowered and forced to watch as the Autobots destroyed the lab. Optimus then gloated to the pair, telling them that the Autobots would soon be back in full fighting force, before driving off.

In a possible later scenario, Starscream was one of the many Decepticons present at the water supply facility, about to poison it when the Autobots arrived on-scene. In one possible scenario that followed, he was shot down by the Autobots, creating his own grave in the charred earth bellow. {{storylink|Decepticon Poison}}

====Autobot Alert!====
Starscream took part in a Decepticon mission to take over Earth's communication satellites. He was aboard Astrotrain when the Decepticon shuttle was performing an ammunitions delivery to the Decepticons’ ship out in Earth orbit.

If Bumblebee and Hot Rod had infiltrated Astrotrain, Starscream happened upon the pair, but was fooled by their disguises, as the two Autobots were garbed in Decepticon space gear. {{storylink|Autobot Alert!}}

====The Invisibility Factor====
In one possible scenario, Starscream accompanied Galvatron on a patrol in a desert at night. Upon spotting a spaceship that flickered in-and-out of sight, the patrol investigated. Finding the Autobots Kup and Hot Rod conversing with a woman at the ship's landing site, Starscream and the others fired upon them, causing them to scramble away. Galvatron then ordered his troops to stay and scrutinize the spaceship instead of pursuing the Autobots.

If Hot Rod and Kup decided to attack immediately, the Autobots were easily defeated and destroyed by the Starscream and the other Decepticons.

If Hot Rod and Kup silently followed the Decepticons back to their hide-out in a nearby canyon, they managed to tricked Starscream and the others into thinking that they were being ambushed by a whole squadron of Autobots. Panicking, the Decepticons attempted to retaliate by firing in all directions. Amidst the confusion, Starscream took to the air to better assess the situation.

If Hot Rod attempted to attack Galvatron as this was happening, Starscream spotted the young Autobot, and dispatched him before he could reach his target.

If Hot Rod snuck down and successfully snatched the Invisibility Device from Shockwave, the Decepticons gave chase to the young Autobot. They were unable to catch him before Kup fired down onto the canyon's walls, causing it to collapse and burying the Decepticons under an avalanche of earth and rocks.

In an alternate scenario, Starscream and the other Decepticons decided to take off into space in [[Sarah Sanders]]'s ship after acquiring the Invisibility Device. Whether the Decepticons succeeded in mastering the Invisibility Device and subsequently destroyed the Autobots, or were destroyed or defeated themselves depended on what choices the Autobots made from this point on.

In another possible scenario, Starscream was part of a Decepticon assault on Metroplex. The Decepticons, having pilfered the secrets of Sarah Sanders's Invisibility Device though themselves guaranteed a victory. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots had in their possession an [[Invisibility Scrambler]], which they used to defeat the Decepticons. Starscream was taken prisoner in the aftermath of the battle.

In another possible scenario, Shockwave and the other Decepticons happened upon Sarah Sanders's ship before any Autobots had come in contact with her. While Scavenger held the woman captive, Starscream and the other Decepticons dragged the ship itself to a hidden location. In whichever scenario that followed, the Autobots managed to steal the Invisibility Device from the Decepticons, either dazzling Starscream and the others with their headlights while Hot Rod took the device right out of their hands, or tricking him into leaving the spaceship behind while he pursued the young Autobot on a wild goose chase.

In one possible version of the events that followed, Hot Rod managed to shoot Starscream out of the sky. The injured Starscream was retrieved by a Decepticon hidden in a nearby secret base, who unwittingly revealed the location of the Decepticons’ stronghold, and caused it to fall to the Autobots. {{storylink|The Invisibility Factor}}

===Beehive Books continuity===
Starscream, one of Megatron's most loyal Decepticons, was one of many to participate in the battle at [[Castle Decepticon]]. When Ultra Magnus was able to find his shuttle, which had been previously shot down by the Decepticons' defenses, Starscream squared off against the Autobot. Ultra Magnus's shuttle had been repaired by the Decepticons'automated robots, who had mistook it for one of their own. The advantage lay with either Starscream or Ultra Magnus depending on what changes the drones had implemented in the shuttle.
{{note|At this point in the book, the narrative is overtaken by a game of chance. The game determines which of the following outcomes plays out.}}
*Ultra Magnus managed to escape Starscream in his shuttle, ''or''
*Starscream managed to vaporize Magnus before the Autobot could escape in his shuttle, ''or
*Starscream managed to wing Ultra Magnus, forcing the Autobot to stop and blow Starscream out of the sky before proceeding in his shuttle, ''or''
*Unable to take off in the reprogrammed shuttle, Ultra Magnus was forced to stay and fight Starscream, who vaporized the Autobot, ''or''
*Unable to take off in the reprogrammed shuttle, Ultra Magnus was forced to fight his way out and blew Starscream away.
{{Storylink|Transformers Pop-Up Book}}

===Frito-Lay posters===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Power Struggle}}}}
Starscream was amongst a squad of Decepticons who attempted to get to the power source within [[Sherman Dam|Boulder Dam]]. While Megatron dueled Optimus, Starscream joined Ravage, Buzzsaw and Soundwave in an attack formation. There might have been two of him... But no number of Starscreams was enough, and the Decepticons were ultimately unsuccessful in gathering the data they were after. {{storylink|Battle in the Desert Valley}}

===Toy pack-in material===
Starscream and Devastator attacked some power-lines, only to be thwarted by Optimus Prime. Even after the Autobot leader had toppled Devastator by himself, Starscream tried to gun him down. He received a laser-blast to his nosecone for his efforts. Later, Starscream came across Grimlock, Slag, and Snarl while flying over a desert. He assumed his robot form to face Grimlock in one-on-one combat. {{storylink|Sweepstakes Offer!}}

===''PDTF Comic''===
[[File:Starscream pd type.jpg|left|upright=1.05|thumb|HaHA! I have caught the Golden Snitch!]]
As various [[Decepticon]]s from across the timestream joined forces to track down the all-powerful [[Black ball]]s, Starscream proved most effective at the hunt. Discovering a Black ball, he immediately carried it over to [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] for some praise. Unfortunately, the "Black ball" turned out to be a cartoon bomb, which promptly exploded in their faces. From a distance, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] were astounded that their plan actually worked. Inside the smoking crater, a badly singed Megatron strangled Starscream, frustrated at his consistent failures. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##3 "Don't Cry! Megatron!!"|Don't Cry! Megatron!!}}

Later, Starscream uncovered another Black ball. For a moment he considered giving it to Megatron, but then decided that if he kept it for himself, he could use the power to seize command of the Decepticons. He then immediately became suspicious that the Black ball might be another bomb, but dismissed the suspicion just as quickly. Then it exploded. {{storylink|PDTF Comic##10 "Good Luck! Starscream!!"|Good Luck! Starscream!!}}

{{-}}

===The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual===
[[File:G2StarscreamPackageArt.jpg|thumb]]
Back on Cybertron, Starscream was the leader of the Decepticons' air forces. {{storylink|The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual|Starscreams's ''The Official Transformers: Generation 2 Annual'' profile}} After the Transformers arrived on Earth, the Decepticons and Autobots became locked in a stalemate that lasted many years.

While on patrol, Starscream crossed some Autobots in the [[Nevada]] desert. Eavesdropping, he learned that they had uncovered an ancient Cybertronian ship in [[Africa]], with a starmap within that pointed the way back to Cybertron. He then sped back to Decepticon headquarters to report his findings. Though he tried to embelish his tale, pausing dramatically at several points, Megatron and the others soon lost patience with Starscream, and forced him to blurt out what he had uncovered all at once. The Decepticons headed out immediately afterwards to seize the ship for themselves. Sending the Autobots into a retreat and capturing the ship proved surprisingly easy. Once inside the vessel, the Decepticons learned why; it was a trap! They were locked within with no control over the ship as it shot up blindly into space. Though the Autobots knew this wouldn't get rid of the Decepticons permanently, they were happy enough to have them out of their hair for a while. {{storylink|Day of the Decepticons}}

Megatron brought Starscream along to ambush Optimus and a couple of his soldiers while they were investigating Transformer power emissions in [[Brazil]]. Starscream had the honor of firing the first shot in the attack. After he had thrown Optimus off-balance, Megatron was able to knock out most of the Autobots with a single blast. But the two unidentified Transformers turned out to be the [[Dinobot (G1)|Dinobots]] [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]], and once they were shocked out of their primitive animal instincts, they turned their weapons on the Decepticons. Starscream chose to flee along with the rest of his team rather than face the Dinobots' awesome power. {{storylink|The Dinobots!}}
{{--}}

===''Beast Wars'' cartoon continuity===
====''Beast Wars'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Doug Parker]] (English), [[Kazuki Yao]] (Japanese)|[[Michel Vigné]] (French), [[Diego Sabre]] (Italian), [[Alfonso Obregon]] (Latin American Spanish), [[José Padilla]] (Castilian Spanish)}}
[[File:Agenda3-Starscream.jpg|right|thumb|350px]]
After the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]] crashed on [[Earth]], Starscream's body lay in [[stasis lock]] next to his [[Megatron (G1)|leader]], along with [[Soundwave (G1)|the other]] [[Skywarp (G1)|Decepticons]]. {{storylink|The Agenda (Part III)}} Into the Great War, Starscream was killed by [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] for being a traitor. {{storylink|Possession}}

[[File:Starscream ghost BW.jpg|left|upright=1.4|thumb|EBENEZER SCROOGE...!]]
Little was known about Starscream among the [[Maximal]]s, as the [[Maximal Elder]]s had classified most of his information. At some point in time, Maximal scientists had attempted to duplicate Starscream's mutant indestructible spark effect, which led to the origin of the monstrous [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]]. {{storylink|Bad Spark}} [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]], a student of military history, was familiar with Starscream's record of deceit and betrayal. It is possible that Megatron was also aware of his history, as he ordered [[Scorponok (BW)|Scorponok]] to keep an eye on Starscream when he arrived on Earth.

Starscream's ghost traveled through time and space to the prehistoric Earth of the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]], where he possessed [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]]'s body during an electrical storm. He ingratiated himself with Megatron, claiming that he had been destroyed by [[Unicron]] while protecting [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]. After leading a successful raid on the ''[[Axalon (BW)|Axalon]]'', he was left in command of the captured Maximal ship, along with Scorponok and [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]]—the latter having sufficiently impressed Starscream by seeing through his historical deception that he took her on as a "protégé". When the defeated Maximals surrendered to him, he took Dinobot and [[Optimus Primal (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Optimus Primal]] hostage and ordered the remaining Maximals to attack the ''[[Darksyde (BW)|Darksyde]]''. Scorponok objected, but he was very forcefully overruled. Shortly after the attack began, the two captive Maximals broke out and drove the Predacons out of the ''Axalon''. Starscream fled, pursued by Primal, and abandoned Blackarachnia to her fate. After a spirited chase, Primal cornered Starscream at an [[energon]] deposit, paralyzing him. As he tried to bargain his way out of his predicament, his vengeful ex-partner Blackarachnia detonated the energon, blowing Waspinator to scrap and forcing Starscream's spark out of his body. Waspinator was restored back to normal by Megatron, and Blackarachnia explained her betrayal as an attempt to find Starscream's true motives, and at that point, Megatron pardoned her. 

Adrift in space once more, Starscream's ghost screamed vengeance into the void. {{storylink|Possession}}

A gray model of Starscream's head was a part of [[Megatron (BW)/Beast Wars cartoon continuity|Megatron]]'s personal belongings. {{storylink|Coming of the Fuzors (Part 2)}}
{{--}}

====2006 IDW ''Beast Wars'' continuity====
[[File:TransmetalWaspinatorBWSourcebook.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
As [[Magmatron]] surveyed the timestream, he witnessed several key moments during the Beast Wars. Among those moments was Starscream possessing the body of Waspinator. {{storylink|The Gathering issue 1|The Gathering #1}}

After his defeat at the hands of the Maximals, Starscream's immortal spark wandered through space and time, until it found [[Primax 208.06 Zeta|an alternate timeline]] with another Waspinator to possess. Starscream was somehow able to influence Waspinator's metamorphosis, giving him a third fighter jet mode resembling Starscream's own old alternate form.

Although the two of them bickered over control of the body constantly, their two separate voices audible to whoever hears them argue, Waspinator secretly enjoyed the enhanced skills Starscream granted him. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Sourcebook #4}} Afterward, Starscream's whereabouts were reportedly unknown. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Sourcebook|Beast Wars Glossary}}

=====Ask Vector Prime=====
In actuality, having been armed with the knowledge of Optimus Primal's gambit, Starscream permanently fused himself into Waspinator's body and killed all the Maximals before staging a coup against Megatron. The [[Vok]] intervened by activating their [[Planet Buster]]; Blackarachnia managed to disarm it but the quantum surge [[Transmetal]]lized some of the combatants, and Waspinator's body gained a jet mode.

Now calling himself "Waspscream", his new crew recruited [[Rampage (BW)|Protoform X]] and commandeered a shuttle from the Ark. Waspscream headed home to Cybertron, intending to take over the [[Tripredacus Council]]. Along for the ride were their prisoners: Megatron, his loyalists Inferno and Scorponok, and the independent agent [[Silverbolt (Fuzor)|Silverbolt]].

However, as in [[Primax 496.22 Alpha]], Megatron escaped in transit and arrived ahead of Waspscream's crew on Cybertron. He created a [[transformation virus]] to capture the sparks of Cybertron's populace and converted their sparkless bodies into [[Vehicon (BM)|Vehicon]]s. When Waspscream's crew arrived, those with Transmetal forms managed to escape the virus and stay mobile. Waspscream and his surviving Predacons were drawn to the [[Oracle (BM)|Oracle]], who [[Reformatting|reformat]]ted them into [[technorganic]] bodies that were immune from the virus. Waspscream proceeded to wage a valiant [[Spark War]] against Megatron, liberating Silverbolt and prompting Megatron to unleash a new general: the former Autobot military genius [[Obsidian (BM)|Obsidian]]. Obsidian, however, conspired with Tankor to assassinate Megatron. Inferno thus defected to Waspscream's Predacons, desiring revenge against the usurper of his queen. Waspscream continued to fight against Obsidian and Tankor, who were waging an increasingly brutal campaign against the Predacons and other resistance groups on the planet. [[Unicron]] eventually intervened by scooping up all three Vehicon generals to serve him in the [[Cauldron]].

With their leaders gone, the remaining Vehicons proved easy to dispatch. In the relative peace that followed, Waspscream joined forces with fellow resistance leaders [[Rodimus Primal]], [[Magmatron]], and [[Icebird]] to create a new High Council, in the hopes of bringing peace to Cybertron. {{storylink|Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/16}}

====''Wings Universe''====
{{main|Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Wings Universe}}

===''Transformers Legends'' anthology===
While Starscream lay [[stasis lock]]ed in the Ark, [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] broke in and implanted a fraction of the original Megatron's spark into the Air Commander, allowing the two Megatron's to control him. The Decepticon leader, whose spark had been implanted into Megatron, attempted to use Starscream to return to his own body, but was subdued in a battle of wills with beast Megatron. Starscream's services ultimately went unused until the [[Beast Wars (event)|Beast Wars]] ended, at which point the [[Maximal]]s were able to extract the spark fragment. {{storylink|A Meeting of Minds}}

When the Autobots deployed the [[Sky Spy]] to counteract a weather machine Megatron was using to unleash a hurricane on the Gulf Coast, Starscream blasted the Autobot device, rendering it inoperative. {{storylink|Healers, Fighters, and Transformers}}

===Dreamwave ''Generation One'' continuity===
{{notekeepers}}
[[File:Starscreamwarwithin.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|left|Smirkier-than-thou.]]
''Hailing from the city of [[Centurion (polity)|Centurion]]'', {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}} Starscream was an explorer and a scientist with many friends from Autobots, such as Jetfire and Grimlock. Albeit he was a known bully and manipulator, nobody who knew him predicted the atrocities he would eventually commit. {{storylink|Starscream (G1)/toys#Titanium Series|Titanium Series Starscream toy bio}}

At some point, Starscream became a competitor in [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]'s underground gladiatorial matches, the breeding ground for what would eventually become the Decepticons. He enjoyed baiting his fellow combatant, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]; in fact, he was a master at it, once goading the big brute into using excessive force to pummel fellow combatant [[Maul]] in the arena, simply for a lark. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}}

When Optimus Prime was first inaugurated as leader of the Autobots and bestowed the Matrix of Leadership, he was bestowed visions of the many enemies he would one day face. Among the images he saw was Starscream's smirking faceplate. {{storylink|The War Within issue 1|The War Within #1}} As Megatron planed out a major offensive against the newly appointed Prime, Starscream urged his leader to strike at the Autobots as they were readying to evacuate Cybertron, pointing out that they could eliminate all of their enemies in one fell swoop. Telling his subordinate to leave the thinking to him, Megatron assured Starscream that the Autobots wouldn't be going anywhere. Megatron then sent Starscream out, alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp, to take out several Autobot outposts in sector zero-six, a tactically significant area. {{storylink|The War Within issue 2|The War Within #2}} During this mission, Starscream came across Grimlock, and decided to once more taunt his old friend, hoping to turn him to the Decepticons. He told Grimlock of his target, and gave him a choice: Grimlock could either forewarn the Autobots that they were coming, or join him and help pick off whatever stragglers would be left after the attack. Starscream's plan backfired as Grimlock remained with the Autobots, alerted the outposts about the Decepticons' attack, and left a massive bomb behind to blow up upon Starscream's arrival. Starscream's life was saved only by the fast action of Skywarp. {{storylink|The War Within Preview}}

With his mission failed, Starscream was quick to blame Megatron, and waxed on how his leader only sought to control him through exercises in pain. Skywarp rightly pointed out that Starscream was solely to blame for his own failure, and then left with Thundercracker, disgusted with Starscream's ineptitude. Returning to [[Kolkular]], Starscream learned that Megatron had dispatched an full-scale assault on [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] in his absence, a "tactical no-no" in his opinion. Megatron revealed to Starscream that the attack was merely part of a diversion tactic, and that his true goal was to power up Cybertron's planetary engine, using the Matrix of Leadership as a battery. Starscream ridiculed Megatron over this, calling the Matrix a "ceremonial bauble," earning him a swift back-hand blow to the face. Megatron warned Starscream never to question him again, and then left to meet Optimus in Cybertron's underground. The two faction leaders met atop of a bridge, and Starscream took this opportunity to strike, destroying the bridge and sending both Optimus and Megatron plummeting down into the pit bellow the overpass. {{storylink|The War Within issue 3|The War Within #3}}

With Megatron lost deep within the bowels of Cybertron, Starscream assumed command of the attack on the Autobot stronghold from the control room in the [[Kolkular|Cradle]]. Shockwave was less than thrilled to be taking command from him however, and claimed he would... "review the situation" once he had completed the taking of Iacon. Dismissing Shockwave's threat, Starscream had [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]] forcefully extract data from within [[Laserbeak (G1)|Laserbeak]] to uncover the true extent of Megatron's plans. Uncovering information that would allow him to initiate the planet's mechaforming sub-structure, Starscream decided to activate it immediately to better allow him to "start fresh" with Cybertron. {{storylink|The War Within issue 4|The War Within #4}} He instructed [[Scrapper (G1)|Scrapper]] to carry this procedure out, hoping Megatron would be crushed in the planet's transformation sequence. Scrapper warned him against rushing the process, but Starscream simply didn't care about the Constructicon's misgivings. He gave Scrapper an ultimatum: he had a choice between beginning the mechaforming process immediately, or be himself be "mechaformed" by Starscream's enforcer, Motormaster. A group of Autobots were then discovered spying on the scene, and a firefight began between them and the Decepticons present. At this time, deep inside Cybertron, Optimus and Megatron were being fed visions of the future by the Matrix. In one of these visions, they saw Starscream participating in an attack on a hydro-electric dam on Earth. {{storylink|The War Within issue 5|The War Within #5}} Meanwhile, in reality, Starscream continued to pressure Scrapper into activating Cybertron's engine, even as they came under heavy fire. Optimus, fresh from his victory against Megatron, soon joined the fight, and proceeded to beat down the bulk of the Decepticons stationed to guard the engines. With the odds turned against him, Starscream chose to flee, and the engines were destroyed after his departure. {{storylink|The War Within issue 6|The War Within #6}}

[[File:Predaconstww.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|My... people.]]
A few millennia later, after the apparent death of Megatron, Starscream created a splinter group of Decepticons called [[Predacon (War Within)|Predacons]]. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recruit many intellectuals to his faction, leaving him with the likes of [[Motormaster (G1)|Motormaster]], [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and [[Octane]] to command. One of the group's attempt to secure a plenty of energon was foiled by the [[Lightning Strike Coalition]], led by Grimlock, who managed to distract Starscream and his troops long enough to swipe their goods and make a quick getaway with them in hand. {{storylink|Fragmentation (G1)|Fragmentation}}

Over time, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] managed to unite the Autobot forces once more, allowing them to take control of a significant portion of Cybertron's territories and resources. The Autobots gained enough power that both the [[Ultracon]]s and Shockwave's Decepticons felt it necessary to sign a peace treaty, ceding the Autobots victory in the war and putting an end to hostilities between factions. But Starscream refused to do so, and led his Predacons on an attack on the treaty. While he personally assassinated the newly reassembled High Council, Starscream had Motormaster and the bulk of his forces attack the faction leaders themselves at the signing. But Starscream's coup was interrupted by the return of Megatron, now heading an army of [[Air Warrior]]s. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath}} Starscream thought his massacre of the High Council would make him the stuff of legend, and so allowed [[Slamdance (G1)|Slamdance]] to walk away from the scene to tell the tale of how it transpired. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.3}} But Megatron was none too pleased that Starscream had robbed him of his vengeance against the council in his absence. While the Decepticon leader used his new troops to take over the planet, he angrily confronted Starscream for highjacking his plans. Though Starscream claimed he was merely following orders in spirit, Megatron grappled his underling by the throat, and made it clear through threats that Starscream shouldn't presume his own autonomy; he was to follow his orders to the ''letter'', and nothing else. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} To punish his treacherous subordinate, and to entertain himself, Megatron locked Starscream up inside a tank with a swarm of [[Piranacon (Quintesson)|Piranacons]], allowing the critters to slowly gnaw at the captive Decepticons. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.2}}

{{Unreleased WW comic}}
Starscream escaped from his confinement thanks to a rampaging Grimlock. He then unwittingly foiled the Quintessons' attempt to extract Cybertron's core, thinking the whole thing was Megatron's doing and wanting payback against the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|The Age of Wrath Pt.6}}

Starscream was among the Decepticon boarding party that attacked the Autobot flagship Ark, causing its crash-landing on Earth and putting all Autobots and Decepticons alike in emergency stasis. In 1984 a volcanic eruption awakened the Ark's computer, Teletraan-I, and it repaired all on board. Starscream's actions over the next fifteen years are largely unrecorded, but he probably did what he did best: strafe the Autobots and fleshlings and attempt to betray Megatron, smirking all the while. In 1998, the combined forces of the Autobots and Earth defeated and captured the Decepticons. Starscream was secured on board the ''[[Ark II]]'' along with the other Decepticons when the ship exploded, killing the human crew and scattering the Transformers across the ocean. Arms dealer Adam Rook (a.k.a. [[Lazarus]]) recovered several of the Autobots and Decepticons and used them as a reprogrammed weapons for hire for terrorists and despots. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 1|Prime Directive #1}} {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} As part of a demonstration to prospective buyers, Rook had Starscream join an assault against the Smitco Oil Refinery alongside half a dozen Transformers. When Megatron eventually broke free of Rook's control, he freed the other Decepticons. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 2|Prime Directive #2}} 

The reactivated Starscream, along with his Seeker brothers Thundercracker and Skywarp, took a particular pleasure in dismantling the Autobot Minicars. When Megatron complained that he didn't rewire them so they could sit around and do nothing, Starscream playfully said they were only having some fun with their new "toys". Megatron ordered the three Decepticons to follow him, and when Skywarp asked Starscream what their leader's plan was this time, the air commander casually tossed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s head over his shoulder and said that he didn't care, as it was going to be evil, and evil is ''always'' fun. Soon afterwards, the Autobots arrived and attacked. As Starscream attempted to choke [[Wheeljack (G1)|Wheeljack]], [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] paid him back with a nice throat punch. All the combatants were then bombed by rogue members of the U.S. military. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 3|Prime Directive #3}} 

But the bomb's blast was absorbed by a cyber-forming virus previously unleashed by the Decepticons. Instead of being destroyed, all of the Transformer combatants were encased in a metallic dome. After extracating themselves from it, the Decepticons attacked [[San Francisco]]. When [[Superion (G1)|Superion]] appeared to stop [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]], Starscream led the other Seekers in bombing the Autobot giant, forcing the Aerialbots into their component team member forms and putting them at the mercy of Devastator. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 4|Prime Directive #4}} Starscream and the other Decepticons secured the Autobots after Optimus Prime defeated Devastator. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 5|Prime Directive #5}} The Autobot leader managed to free his comrades after humans distracted the Decepticons, and the battle started anew. Fellow F-15 [[Air Raid (G1)|Air Raid]] punched Starscream in the face, repaying him for the earlier defeat. After the Aerialbots, as Superion, sacrificed their lives to save San Francisco from [[Robert Hallo|General Hallo]]'s unauthorized nuclear strike, Starscream and the other Decepticons escaped. {{storylink|Prime Directive issue 6|Prime Directive #6}}

''After the destruction of Devastator in [[California]], Starscream covertly recovered his pieces to rebuild the Combiner, ensuring the loyalty of the Constructicons and making him a secret weapon to help him overthrow Megatron when the time came. ''

''That time was when Megatron, Optimus Prime and some Autobot cannon fodder were kidnapped into space by the [[Keeper (species)|Keepers]]. Seizing the opportunity, Starscream brought the Constructicons out of hiding and declared himself ruler of the Decepticons. He acquired the services of Soundwave and most of the remaining Decepticons on Earth for a scheme to take over the human city of [[Las Vegas]]. Redubbing it New Centurion, Starscream's insidious plan was to coerce the locals into accepting Decepticon rule by appealing to their vanity and greed, playing it off like a reality TV show where the humans could sell their stories and profit from the occupation. To maintain control, he had [[Bonecrusher (G1)|Bonecrusher]] and the Constructicons drive back the few humans who accepted the chance to leave of their own free will, tricking the humans into believing they were in danger and the Decepticons were protecting them.''

''Starscream's rule obviously came to the attention of the American government, who arranged for an unmarked and official denied strike force from the Armed Forces to join up with the rogue Cybertronian, [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. Grimlock in turn recruited [[Prowl (G1)|Prowl]] and [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] to assault "New Centurion" in an effort to reclaim the city.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Hardwired|Hardwired}}

''During the battle for Las Vegas, Megatron and the Autobots returned, but brought their captors, the Keepers, with them. Megatron was weakened by his ordeal, and Starscream took the opportunity to consolidate his power by defeating Megatron in combat. Megatron lost, and was forced to officially cede leadership of the Decepticons to Starscream. The victory turned sour, however, when Soundwave and several Megatron loyalists renounced their ties to the Decepticon army and left with Megatron, costing Starscream roughly half his forces. He retained the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]], Devastator, the [[Insecticon (G1)|Insecticons]] and about half the [[Decepticon Mini-Cassette|Recordicons]].''

''Starscream's reign continued to crumble when he was confronted by the Keepers, all-but-unknowable cosmic level creatures who had already killed and possessed the Autobot [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]. Starscream also fell before their power, and was seemingly killed to become the second Cybertronian host body for their might. His Decepticons were defeated and detained behind a powerful force field. Unknown to all, Starscream's mind still existed, hidden deep down inside his stolen body.''

''The Autobots and Megatron's ex-Decepticons joined forces to stop the Keepers, leading the formless entities to merge their two Cybertronian hosts, mixing Bluestreak and Starscream together into a nightmarish super mode. This proved to be their undoing. Alone, Starscream and Bluestreak were not strong enough to overcome the Keepers' control, but by merging bodies the Keepers also connected the two Cybertronians' minds. Together, the Autobot and the Decepticon fought back against the Keepers, forcing them out and restoring their independence. Optimus Prime ultimately ended the threat of the Keepers with the Matrix.'' {{storylink|Transformers: Annihilation|Annihilation}}

''The chaos caused by the Keepers cost Starscream his city and his reign. Megatron reclaimed leadership of the Decepticons and, to add insult to injury, named Skywarp his aerospace commander and second-in-command, forcing Starscream to answer to him.''

''Unfortunately, the Keepers survived in an extra-dimensional realm. Their human agent, [[Franklin Townsend]], managed to retake control of Starscream (and Bluestreak) forcing them to work towards the Keepers' release. This continued until Franklin unleashed his plan to open a hole into the Void and allow the Keepers back to Earth. Starscream regained control of his senses while Franklin and the Keepers were focused elsewhere, although this didn't stop him from making another attempt on Megatron's life before being beaten down again. {{storylink|Transformers: Fusion|Fusion}}

[[File:Starscreamshhhhhh.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|left|Holy crap! Expressions!]]
In the middle of a battle against Optimus's forces, Starscream and the rest of the Decepticons were approached by Shockwave and his followers, newly arrived from Cybertron. Shockwave claimed that Cybertron was now at peace under his unified ruled, and demanded the Earthbound Transformers surrender to him. Though they tried to fight back, Shockwave had altered his troops, making them much more powerful than both Megatron and Optimus's followers. With Megatron crushed beneath Shockwave's heal, Starscream led the Decepticons in joining Shockwave's Cybertronians. As they boarded his ship, Shockwave instructed the Decepticons to enter [[CR chamber|CR Chambers]] to have themselves repaired, but Starscream guessed that the chambers had mind-altering devices incorporated within them. Starscream escaped his CR chambers long enough to jettison Megatron out of the ship, and into the void of space. {{storylink|New World Order}} Shockwave soon found about Starscream's clandestine actions, and set about disciplining him. But punishment didn't deter him, and Starscream continued plotting against Shockwave. Once on Cybertron, he set about disabling Soundwave, who had since worked himself in Shockwave's good graces. {{storylink|Brothers' Burden}} He continued creating a small sect of separatist Decepticons on Cybertron, next approaching Rumble and Frenzy after they had been ordered to release the psychotic Stunticons from incarceration, in order to distract Ultra Magnus from Shockwave's true motives. {{storylink|Cold War (issue)|Cold War}} He used the cover of Menasor's release to steal the incapacitated Combaticons from the same prison wing. As the Autobots began openly rebelling against Shockwave's regime, Starscream crippled Shockwave's surveillance systems by assassinating the Reflector trio posted in his base's monitor womb. In thanks for his aid in delaying video footage throughout Shockwave's network, allowing Starscream to go about scheming freely, Starscream gave Soundwave a present: [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]]. He then invited the two of them to "enjoy the show" with him, and sat back to watch the Autobots tear down Shockwave's government. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (issue)|Countdown to Extinction}} As the insurgence was nearing its end, Starscream opted to abscond from Cybertron with his small cadre of followers, and the inactive Combaticons. Unfortunately for him, the shuttle he attempted to hijack to this end turned out to be [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]], who took off on his own volition, with the Decepticons trapped within him. {{storylink|Revelation (War and Peace)|Revelation}}

[[File:Starscreamdaydream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|There but for the grace of a fusion cannon go I.]]
Despite this setback, Starscream and his soldiers managed to get back to Earth, and implement their plans there. Starscream first made his way to the ''Nemesis'', but found the ship in worst condition than anticipated. After bestowing the Combaticons with military alternate modes, scanned from an abandoned military testing ground, he set out to repair the Decepticon vessel. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} To this end, he set his sights on the ''Ark'', and unleashed the Decepticons on the Autobots under the leadership of [[Jazz (G1)|Jazz]]. His first wave of soldiers were captured, though Starscream had only sent them forth as a distraction; his real attack came in the form of [[Bruticus (G1)|Bruticus]], the combined form of the Combaticons. With this mighty soldier at his side, Starscream managed to beat down all of the Autobots, save two: [[Brawn (G1)|Brawn]] and [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]]. Pursuing them back to the ''Ark'', Starscream instructed Bruticus to retrieve the two runaways, but to keep the ship intact. But as Bruticus encroached on his prey, the Autobots engaged the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s self-destruct mechanism. Though all of his troops were freed, Starscream was robbed of his means to get to the ''Nemesis'' back in working order. To complicate matters further, Starscream's clone, [[Sunstorm (G1)|Sunstorm]], then arrived on Earth, babbling about some bizarre mission. {{storylink|Night of the Combaticons}} The Decepticons turned their weapons on the new arrival, only for their shots to prove ineffective against him. Using his "divine light," Sunstorm deactivated all of the other Decepticons, forcing Starscream to flee the scene. Sunstorm pursued, eventually confronting his template within the Decepticon's base. Starscream demanded to know what Sunstorm wanted out of him, only for his clone to spew out more religious babble. Sunstorm then demanded that Starscream join him in his crusade, but Starscream declined, and instead distracted Sunstorm long enough for Jetfire to sneak up on him. {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Jetfire was able to disable Sunstorm, only to discover that the clone had rapid regenerative abilities. Out of options, both he and Starscream absconded from the ''Nemesis'', and went to find the Autobots once more. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} {{storylink|Black Sunshine}} Starscream was forced to ally himself with his hated enemies in exchange for getting his forces freed. The Autobots then pooled their knowledge with Jetfire's in order to formulate a battle plan against Sunstorm. While they implemented it, Starscream was left under Jetfire's watchful eye. But the attempt against Sunstorm quickly turned sour for the Autobots, forcing Jetfire to abandon his post. {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} This allowed Starscream to disable to rest of the ''Orion''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew wit his null-rays, and fly off on his own to a hideout in Alaska. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}}

By the time Sunstorm tracked Starscream down once more, the Autobots had attached an energy siphon to the clone, severely weakening him. Sunstorm begged Starscream for his help, but Starscream refused by back-handing his "brother." {{storylink|Skyfire (issue)|Skyfire}} Then, [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] came bearing down on the both of them. Finding himself incapable of defeating this much bigger opponent alone, Starscream destroyed the energy-siphon attached to Sunstorm. The clone reawakened, and though Omega Supreme put up a good fight, Sunstorm defeated him using both his radiation powers and his guile. {{storylink|The Omega Effect}} Starscream was then taken to a concealed mechanical door, which Sunstorm uncovered using his radiant powers. Claiming he was the "chosen one," Sunstorm ordered Starscream to open the seal. Starscream complied just as Jetfire and Bumblebee came bearing down upon them. Despite the Autobots' best efforts, they were unable to stop the Decepticons from entering the underground chamber, but soon caught up to them. Jetfire was able to quickly subdue Starscream, only to be left in a stand-off against Sunstorm, who held Bumblebee in his irradiated grip. Unexpectedly, Starscream turned on Sunstorm and used his recently modified null-rays to blast his clone. After disabling Jetfire as well, Starscream kicked Sunstorm away, sending him tumbling down a nearby chasm. {{storylink|Original Sin}}

Starscream then took to mocking Bumblebee at gunpoint, proclaiming that the young Autobot was completely clueless to the events unfolding around him... until Sunstorm returned, the energies within him now erupting more violently than ever. Having grown tired of his "brother's" constant betrayals, Sunstorm denounced Starscream, claiming that he had corrupted his divine mission through his perverse desires. But as Sunstorm turned to Bumblebee, claiming that ''he'' was now the recipient of divine favor, an eruption tore through his arm... from within! With a meltdown of his frame inevitably forthcoming, Sunstorm lashed out violently to everything surrounding him. Jetfire tackled Starscream out of the way of one of Sunstorm's energy arcs, and after telling the Decepticon he owed him one, flew the clone up into Earth's orbit. Starscream begrudgingly returned the favor by carrying Bumblebee to the surface. Bumblebee then pleaded Starscream to help Jetfire, only for Starscream to counter that he wasn't looking to help anyone beyond himself. Starscream flew away, leaving Jetfire to be destroyed. {{storylink|Atonement}}

Despite his words, Starscream had been thoroughly shaken by his ordeal. He was still trying to straighten out his thoughts when he arrived at the Decepticons' headquarters, where he was greeted by Frenzy. Brushing the little Decepticon away, Starscream made his way to Soundwave, who he found suspiciously shutting off a monitor as soon as he entered the room. Annoyed that his compatriots didn't seem all-too-pleased by his return, he demanded to know what they were all up to. {{storylink|Infestation (Dreamwave)|Infestation}}

Dissatisfied with their previous lackluster performances in combat, Starscream took the Combaticons for some practice against the captive Sky Lynx.[[File:DWMTMEPretenderStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85]] This also ended in disaster, for [[Predaking (G1)|Predaking]] soon arrived, and Starscream discovered that Soundwave, his cassettes, and the other Seekers had allied with Predaking's master... Megatron! Starscream was again forced into a subservient position, with Megatron preparing to lead the Decepticons in the conquest of Earth... {{storylink|The Route of All Evil}}

As Starscream became more competent all around as time went on, the Decepticons that once laughed at him started taking his aspirations of leadership more seriously, and with the upgrade accompanying his [[Pretender]] shell, he became more powerful than ever. {{storylink|Transformers: More than Meets the Eye#Issue #7|Pretender Starscream's ''More Than Meets The Eye'' profile}}
{{--}}

===''G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers''===
[[File:JoeVsTF1 Starscream transforms.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|Even when Starscream's nothing more than a mindless drone, he still manages to smirk.]]
When the nascent terrorist organization known as [[Cobra]] uncovered the buried hulk of the Ark, they removed the bodies of numerous Transformers with the intention of using them as weapons of war to threaten America. Cobra scientist [[Doctor Mindbender]] hacked the brain functions of the captive Transformers, reducing them to the level of remote-controlled drones, and dubbed them "[[Battle Android Trooper]]s". Starscream was reconfigured to transform into a jet plane known as a "Night Raven", and was selected for use by the [[Cobra Commander]] as his personal aircraft.

Starscream was among the Transformers deployed during Cobra's opening attack on world freedom, when they targeted the [[United Nations]] Headquarters. Starscream transformed to [[robot mode]] and was punching his way through the building when a U.S. Military soldier code-named [[Snake-Eyes]] opened fire on him with a machine gun. Although unharmed by the attack, Starscream returned fire with his lasers, blowing up the missile tank upon which the soldier was perched and horribly scarring his face. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #1}} Returning to Cobra's island base, Cobra Commander began his meeting with [[Destro]] by having Starscream dramatically fly by overhead and transform, for no reason other than to impress the arms dealer. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #2}}

Meanwhile, Autobot scientist Wheeljack had been able to avoid capture by Cobra, and had allied himself with America's newly formed special mission force [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]]. Hacking into Cobra's system, he was able to shut off the terrorists' control of the Transformers, liberating their minds and bodies. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #3}} Naturally, the first thing Starscream did once he was free was to interrupt a battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron by shooting Megatron in the chest in a bid for leadership. Megatron returned the sentiment, blasting him with his fusion cannon, and Starscream slunk away as Megatron returned to more important matters. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #4}}

[[File:Starscream snakeeyes eye gouge.jpg|upright=1.95|thumb|left|"You've got something in your eye. Let me get it out."]]
Lurking in the island's jungle, Starscream crossed paths with Snake-Eyes, who took revenge for his disfigurement by shattering the unsuspecting Starscream's eye with his [[sword]] and shoving a grenade into the socket. Clawing at his face, Starscream tumbled over a cliff and was badly damaged in the fall. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 5|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #5}} His still-operational body was soon happened across by Cobra Commander, who was attempting to flee the escalating battle between the Autobots, Decepticons, Joes and Cobras that was engulfing the island, and Starscream made the human proposition: help him remove the grenade, and he would get him off the island. Naturally, the commander agreed. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers issue 6|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers #6}}

[[File:Starscream gijoe energyropes.jpg|thumb|Starscream is allergic to glow stick ropes.]]
Starscream and Cobra Commander resurfaced two years later, when Cobra Commander learned that human scientists had created an interstellar wormhole to Cybertron. With Starscream forced to do his bidding (via unspecified means), he used the portal to travel to Cybertron with the intention of gaining control of the wormhole technology by stealing the super-computer [[Teletran 3]]. However, a G.I. Joe ambush that struck just as they were carrying out their plan caused a catastrophic malfunction in Teletran 3, scattering numerous Transformers through the wormhole network across space and time. Starscream was not among those scattered, but he was promptly bound with [[energon chain]]s by Perceptor and [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] while they assessed the severity of the situation. It transpired that the chronal disruption caused by the time-lost Transformers would destroy the Earth, and teams of Joes and Cobras were soon dispatched through the timestream to retrieve the robots and save the planet. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 1|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #1}}

While the Joes and Cobras were off on their time-tossed mission, the forcefield protecting Magnus, Perceptor and Teletran 3 collapsed, at which point Decepticon commander Shockwave struck. Shockwave freed Starscream and reprogrammed Teletran 3 to prevent Transformers from being able to return to their proper times, so that Earth would be destroyed and he could invade it, as he had always planned to—it was Shockwave who had leaked the wormhole technology to humans in the first place. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 2|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #2}} {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 3|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #3}} When a small team of Joes and Cobras that remained on Cybertron tried to undo his programming, Starscream spotted [[Lady Jaye]] modifying Teletran 3 and shouted a warning, but it came too late. The Transformers were returned, and Starscream escaped in the midst of the chaotic battle that resulted.

In the aftermath of the battle, Shockwave accused Starscream of deliberately trying to foil his scheme by trying to steal Teletran 3. Starscream denied any treacherousness on his part, and Shockwave was just starting to come around when a recording Cobra Commander had programmed into Starscream began to play, informing the Decepticon leader of Starscream's general uselessness. At that point, Starscream promptly exploded, taking out the Decepticon headquarters in the process, courtesy of forty-five pounds of plastic explosives that Cobra Commander had lined his housing with, in case the Decepticon had ever escaped his clutches. {{storylink|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4|G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II #4}}

===''Transformers/G.I. Joe''===
[[File:Starscream gijoe ww2.jpg|thumb|left|"Pathetic fools! There's no escape!"]]
When the foundling terrorist organization known as Cobra discovered the Ark buried in the [[Fera Islands]] in [[1938]], they inadvertently awoke the Decepticons from their stasis. The evil robots entered into an alliance with the organization's leader, Cobra Commander, to conquer the world and strip it of its energy, but Megatron's true goal was to take the Matrix of Leadership—stolen from the body of Optimus Prime—from around Cobra Commander's neck. Starscream adopted the [[alternate mode|alternate form]] of a P-51 Mustang aeroplane.

One year later, in [[1939]], the American military formed a special mission force to counter the Cobra-Decepticon alliance named "G.I. Joe". Laserbeak spied upon the first meeting of this team and reported the information to Cobra; Starscream stood nearby as Cobra Commander vowed to kill the Joes, and opined that heroes were ''born'' to die. G.I. Joe's first attack came soon after, and Starscream distracted their aircraft in his jet mode while Megatron attacked them from above and downed them. {{storylink|The Line}} As it happened, the Joes bailed out and landed near to the buried Ark, where they wound up awakening the Autobots within the craft. Starscream watched as the ship sent out a repair drone to scan for alternate modes, aware of what it meant and seeing it as a threat to Megatron's leadership that he could exploit. Megatron happened upon Starscream as he was monologuing about taking the power of the Matrix for himself, and witnessed the drone going about its business. Knowing he would need the scheming Starscream for the coming battle, he ordered the Air Commander to help him move their stockpiled energon cubes to safer location. {{storylink|Transformed}}

Megatron proceeded to mass the Decepticons for a major battle with the Autobots, save for Starscream, who was left to languish within their base. Unfortunately for Megatron, this merely left Starscream with an opportunity to conspire with Cobra Commander's own traitorous second, [[Destro]], and together the pair prepared to unleash the newly constructed giant robot, Bruticus, upon everyone. {{storylink|Wolves}}

[[File:Starscream gijoe ww2 weakspot.jpg|upright=1.4|thumb|"I...will...keep reaching...uuuhh."]]
Even this conspiracy proved to be a deception on Destro's part, however, when he had his lover, the [[Baroness]], shoot Starscream in his weak spot: an inch below his right ear, just behind his jaw hinge. Starscream's head flared with electricity and he collapsed, while Destro loosed Bruticus upon all his assembled enemies. G.I. Joe member Snake-Eyes ended the threat when he plucked the Matrix from Cobra Commander's clutches, and at Optimus Prime's direction, hurled it at Bruticus. The resultant explosion of creation energy destroyed Bruticus, but apparently killed all the Transformers in the process. {{storylink|The Iron Fist}}

Forty-six years later, in [[1985]], Starscream was revealed to have survived his injuries and the destruction of the Matrix through unexplained means. Discarding his archaic alternate mode for the form of an F-15, Starscream was performing a flyby over Cobra Island, seeking a means to return to Cybertron, when he intercepted a communication about an alien starship (actually a Cybertronian craft containing Blaster and Perceptor) crashing in [[Oregon]]. Starscream saw the craft as his ticket home, and while he was too low on energon to claim the ship for himself, he was content to let Cobra take it and then steal it from them later. {{storylink|Targets of Opportunity}}

{{Unreleased TFGJ comic}}
When the Joes attacked Cobra's secret base in the Arctic, only to be met by Destro's COBRA/Decepticon hybrid warriors, Starscream waited on the sidelines to pick up the pieces in the battle's aftermath. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front #3}} At some point, Starscream and Soundwave uncovered information about a "terrible secret" buried beneath Cobra Island, and set out to destroy Cobra Commander should the terrorist refuse to allow them access to it. {{storylink|Unreleased Dreamwave issues#Transformers/G.I. Joe: Divided Front|Divided Front #5}}

===''The Beast Within''===
Starscream participated in an all-out Decepticon offensive, beating down Autobots at Soundwave's side. He cheered on when Predaking clashed with [[Beast (G1)|The Beast]], the Dinobots’ merged form, but it did little good in helping the Decepticon gestalt. Starscream then joined several other flying Decepticons in a direct assault against The Beast, to little avail. {{storylink|The Beast Within}}

===''Another Con''===
After Megatron had been transformed into a {{w|Pikachu|small electrical rodent}}, Starscream sarcastically assured him that the Autobots would find him much more intimidating in his new form. {{storylink|Another Con}}

===''Mini Mayhem!''===
Starscream proclaimed his greatness, warning those who opposed him to tremble before his might... only for the cashier of the burger place he was in to insist that the price of his meal still added up to $1.36. A cent short, Starscream cursed the inventor of the penny for his misfortune.

Later, Starscream participated in an infiltration of [[BotCon]] to track down next year's toy designs, and use them to conquer the Autobots once and for all!

On Megatron's birthday, Starscream concealed a bomb in Megatron's cake... though he did a poor job of it, leading Megatron to wonder whether Starscream was putting any efforts in his schemes anymore. {{storylink|Mini Mayhem!}}

===''Lil Formers''===
Starscream got his mitts on a treasure map, and became convinced that by using it is, he could usurp Megatron... somehow. {{storylink|Lil Formers}}

===''Universe'' cartoon===
Starscream was one of the many Cybertronians caught up in a civil war that emerged due to greed, corruption and malice emerging in their planet's halls of power. {{storylink|Action Blast 1}}

===2005 IDW continuity===
{{main|Starscream (G1)/2005 IDW continuity}}
[[File:StarscreamIDWF22-Infiltration4cvrA.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|left|"A man may fight for many things: his country, his principles, his friends, the glistening tear on the cheek of a golden child. But personally, I'd mud wrestle my own mother for a ton of cash, an amusing clock, and a sack of French porn!"]]
Starscream and his comrades, [[Skywarp (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Skywarp]] and [[Thundercracker (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Thundercracker]], were recruited by [[Soundwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Soundwave]] when [[Megatron (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Megatron]] requested fliers. After recruiting [[Shockwave (G1)/2005 IDW continuity|Shockwave]] and murdering the [[Senate]], he led the Seekers as air support in the overthrow of [[Zeta Prime (G1)|Zeta Prime]] before, after a spell as recruitment agent, becoming Megatron's personal bodyguard, warning him about the power of the [[Phase Sixer]] [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], to which Megatron dismissed his concerns. During this time, he appeared to let his ambition rest, mostly out of fear of his leader.

Many years later, as leader of an [[Infiltration protocol|Infiltration unit]] on [[Earth]], he discovered an [[Ore-13|Ultra-Energon]] seam and saw in it his chance to finally overpower and defeat Megatron. His breach of protocol in pursuit of this drew Megatron to Earth personally, and despite Starscream's enhanced power, he easily defeated the treacherous Seeker and blew a hole in his chest. After a spell in a CR chamber, however, he was revived by his unit, worried about Megatron's seeming instability, and ultimately accepted back into the Decepticon army by Megatron after helping to defeat a rebellious Sixshot and the [[Reaper]]s.

He then did a deal with the mentally-damaged [[Sunstreaker (G1)|Sunstreaker]] ostensibly to help overthrow Megatron, before double-crossing him, leaving the Autobots at the point of total defeat. Ultimately, this period ended with Megatron comatose and Starscream in charge of the Decepticons... an opportunity he completely squandered, "leading" the Decepticons to rack and ruin on a remote asteroid. On revival, Megatron was not happy at the complete destruction of the Decepticon infrastructure, but let him live due to the lack of able-bodied soldiers.

After the Chaos War, he placed himself as a repentant soul, trying to do his best to help the vastly-expanded [[NAIL|neutral population]] on a reborn Cybertron. This, combined with the apparent blessing of [[Metrotitan (G1)|Metrotitan]], left him placed after a Decepticon uprising to kill his "friend", neutral leader [[Metalhawk (G1)|Metalhawk]], and use his death as a tool to evict both factions from [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] and seize the leadership of the city.
{{--}}

===''Hearts of Steel''===
[[File:Starscream HOS.jpg|thumb|Ye olde Tyme treacherie.]]
Starscream was one of the many Decepticons who fought the Autobots on prehistoric Earth, taking on the [[beast mode]] of a reptilian flying creature before the ice age forced both factions into prolonged hibernation. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 1|Hearts of Steel #1}}

[[File:Decepticonhuddle-HOS2.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75]]
Starscream was later the nominal leader of the Decepticons on 19th-century Earth, while Megatron slept in [[stasis lock]]. He decided to conquer the Earth in this time, and to use that power to overthrow Megatron when he should wake. Posing as a benefactor to humanity, he enlisted the help of inventor [[Tobias Muldoon]] to design new [[Alternate mode|altmodes]] for the Decepticons. Starscream also commissioned Tobias to build the Decepticons a new base of operations, though he insisted that its location to be some place remote, away from prying eyes. All the while, he sent the Decepticons under his command to "appropriate" funds to finance the operation as a whole. Thanks to the Decepticons' tireless efforts, Starscream's machinations advanced at full speed. Tobias Muldoon eventually learned of Starscream's evil intentions for the Earth when he overheard Starscream gloating that he would soon subjugate the human race. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 2|Hearts of Steel #2}} Starscream built (or reformatted) [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] for an assault on [[New York City]], and the new electrical generators there. As the preparations for Astrotrain were being finalized, another human by the name of [[Jacob Lee Bonaventure]] came to meet with Starscream. Starscream accepted Bonaventure's proposal for a partnership, stating that he still had use for an intermediary. While Bonaventure and his accomplice [[Vanflint]] were marveling at the Decepticons' efficiency, the two of them mentioned a "little yellow locomotive," piquing Starscream's interest. Starscream quickly deduced that the locomotive was indeed [[Bumblebee (G1)#Hearts of Steel|Bumblebee]], concluding that the Autobots had also reactivated themselves. Starscream then ordered [[Squawkbox]] to spread the word among the Decepticons, so as to prepare them for combat. Without further delay, the attack on New York City was put underway. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 3|Hearts of Steel #3}} When the Autobots moved to intercept Astrotrain, Starscream oversaw the blasting of a tunnel, cutting off the Autobots in turn. Confident that the Autobots could no longer interfere with his plans after a few more artillery volleys in their direction, Starscream boarded Astrotrain, and resumed travel towards New York. It all ended badly for him, as Bumblebee managed to make his way in front of the Decepticons, and literally derailed them off of a cliff. {{storylink|Hearts of Steel issue 4|Hearts of Steel #4}}

{{IDW HOS}}

===''Q-Robo Transformer''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Q-Robo Transformer}}}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' pack-in comic===
[[File:Henkei starscream pack in comic.jpg|thumb]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons who joined [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Megatron]] in attacking the Earth in the 21st century. During an attack on Tokyo, Starscream got the drop on some human military operatives who were observing a fight between Megatron and [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Optimus Prime]], but before he could take them out, [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Bumblebee]] got the drop on ''him'', spraying him with a fire engine's hose. This gave [[Grimlock (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Grimlock]] the opening he needed to lash Starscream with his tail and send him crashing into Megatron, prompting the villains to retreat. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 1|Henkei! Henkei! #1}}

Starscream later concocted a plan to have [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Astrotrain]] keep the Autobots busy while the Decepticons raided a power plant, but he had not factored in the Autobots' newest warrior, [[Hot Rod (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Hot Rod]], who took them by surprise and blasted Starscream in the back. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 2|Henkei! Henkei! #2}} Seeking revenge, Starscream tried to return the favor, only for Hot Rod to dodge the blast, and cause Starscream to shoot Megatron instead! {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 3|Henkei! Henkei! #3}}

Knowing that his friend [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Skyfire]] had been stranded on Earth tens of thousands of years ago, Starscream had [[Ramjet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ramjet]] search for his body, which was eventually located frozen in a glacier. Starscream thawed out Skyfire and placed a mind-controlling helmet on him, to ensure that his kind-hearted old friend would serve the destructive Decepticon cause. Together, they attacked a power plant, but while they fought off the plant's Autobot defenders, Skyfire began to struggle against the helmet's influence, eventually overpowering it and turning on Starscream. Realizing he was outnumbered, Starscream fled, as Skyfire called after him to remind him that even thousands of years ago, they'd never gotten along that well anyway... {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 4|Henkei! Henkei! #4}}

Following Megatron's use of energon cubes to power himself up into [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Galvatron]], Starscream attempted to repeat the process on himself, and had [[Ravage (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ravage]] steal a sack of cubes for him. Before he could put them to use, however, he was ambushed by [[Cheetor (BW)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cheetor]], who defeated him and reclaimed the cubes. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 8|Henkei! Henkei! #8}} Later, Starscream was led by [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Cyclonus]] to a volcanic field, where Megatron was in the process of using the magma to again power up into Galvatron. Seething over his own inability to obtain the power Galvatron wielded, Starscream thought his chance to lead had finally come when a team of Autobots arrive and collapsed the volcano on top of Galvatron. His gloating was short lived, however, as Galvatron burst out from under the rubble, and, entirely unaware that a fight had even gone on, began berating Starscream and Cyclonus for being lazy idiots. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 9|Henkei! Henkei! #9}}

When [[Ratchet (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Ratchet]] was trying to take a human girl to the hospital, Starscream arrived to take potshots at him. Ratchet's comrade [[Inferno (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! pack-in comic|Inferno]] blocked Starscream's shots, and the enabled Ratchet to escape by blinding Starscream with a blast from his water cannon. {{storylink|Henkei! Henkei! volume 10|Henkei! Henkei! #10}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Generations'' comic===
Starscream was part of the Decepticons. When [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity|the ghost of Starscream]] from [[G1 World|another universe]] met the native [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]], he clarified that he was not the Starscream that Megatron was familiar with. {{Storylink|Starscream's New Body}}

===''Henkei! Henkei!'' Bun Bun comic===
[[File:Henkei1 enter starscream.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|Hello, Tumblr...]]
Years ago on Cybertron, Starscream was a scientist and explorer. Together with his friend [[Jetfire (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Skyfire]], he embarked on a search for energy on other planets, but when the duo visited Earth, Skyfire was caught in a blizzard and frozen in ice. Starscream subsequently returned to Cybertron and became a warrior, joining up with [[Megatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Megatron]]'s Decepticons. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} Untold years later, when the legendary power source known as the [[Energon cube]] was lost to the reaches of space, Starscream was among a small team of Decepticons who departed Cybertron in pursuit of it. The Cube crash-landed on Earth in the Japanese town of [[Hoshinochō]] and shattered into fragments, so Starscream and the other Decepticons took on the forms of local vehicles and machinery to remain hidden while searching for the shards. [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Optimus Prime]] and his Autobots had also followed the Cube to Earth, and so the Transformers' war continued in secret on this new world. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

Eleven years after arriving on Earth, Starscream and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]] tracked Prime's Autobots to the human building known built over the Cube's impact crater called the [[Star Dome]], and launched an attack. Starscream was surprised to find a human boy, [[Wataru Hoshinoumi]], caught in the middle of the conflict, but gave the fleshling little thought and aimed his gun to destroy it. The human, however, had a protector: the littlest Autobot, [[Bumblebee (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Bumblebee]] came bursting out of nowhere to nail Starscream with a flying kick and save the boy. {{storylink|Enter! The Transformers}} Starscream didn't take kindly to this insult upon his person, and pinned Bumblebee beneath his foot, but before he could finish him off, Wataru blinded the Air Commander with a fire extinguisher! Unfortunately for Starscream, it was at that point that Megatron himself chose to arrive, and he violently berated Starscream for going behind his back, throttling him and using him as a shield to block Optimus Prime's fire. After some further shots were exchanged, Megatron's attention was piqued by Wataru, and he decided to call retreat. {{storylink|The Emperor of Destruction Appears!}} Back at the Decepticons' underwater base, Starscream opined that Megatron was growing old, but Megatron simply replied with equal sarcasm that the weakest dog barks the loudest. Starscream stalked off, vowing to himself that he would be leader of the Decepticons, then summoned Ramjet to join him on a personal mission to the Arctic. {{storylink|Kingdom of Giants}}

[[File:Henkei4 starscream and skyfire.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|*cue "ScreamerxSkyfire OTP" squeals*]]
Starscream and Ramjet located the glacier that Skyfire's body was trapped in, and released him from his frozen sleep. Skyfire was happy to see Starscream again, but Starscream soon proved how much he had changed when he sent a watching group of humans to their deaths by shooting the ice out from under them. Just as Skyfire demanded an explanation for his actions, Starscream slapped a helmet onto his head that took over his mind and co-opted him into the Decepticon ranks. Starscream proceeded to lead the brainwashed Skyfire in an attack on a power plant back in Hoshinochō, but through it all, Skyfire refrained from outright killing any human workers. Displeased with Skyfire's resistance to the helmet's control, Starscream set an example by opening fire indiscriminately. Just before he shot Wataru, who happened to be visiting the plant, Skyfire seized his arm at the last second, insisting they were researchers, not murderers. Luckily, this was enough of a delay to save Wataru's life, as Optimus Prime's Autobots then came blasting into the plant. {{storylink|The Enemy from the Arctic}} In the battle that followed, Skyfire continued to struggle against the helmet, shielding Wataru and Bumblebee from Starscream's attacks. Starscream was shocked to learn that Wataru was a "[[Booster]]", a being born with the ability to control energon, when Wataru used his powers to liberate Skyfire from the control helmet. Skyfire turned his guns on Starscream, blowing off his left null ray cannon, then informed him of one important fact he had remembered: they never actually got along that well in the first place. With no options left, Starscream was forced to retreat. {{storylink|Wataru's Power}}

When both Optimus Prime and Megatron were left badly damaged after a fierce battle, Starscream, Ramjet and [[Astrotrain (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Astrotrain]] exploited the Autobots' reduced manpower by raiding a hydroelectric power plant. Together, they made short work of the Autobots who did turn up to fight them, but just as they were preparing to leave with a haul of Energon cubes, the revitalized Optimus Prime came speeding onto the scene. The three Decepticons beat a hasty retreat, but only Starscream got away, the other two taken down by a powered-up blast from Prime's [[ion blaster]]. {{storylink|Time of Resurrection}} With nothing to show for his efforts, Starscream returned to the volcanic caves were Megatron was recuperating from his injuries, bathing in a "bath" of molten energon cubes. Deeming it a waste of their energon resources, Starscream saw his chance when Optimus Prime and Bumblebee arrived in the caves, the Autobots having received a message that gave Megatron's location. Starscream greeted the two Autobots and gleefully led them to the chamber Megatron was in, serving them up the Decepticon leader in the hopes that they would destroy him and leave his throne free to be usurped. Starscream kept Megatron's newest soldier, [[Cyclonus (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Cyclonus]], busy so Prime could deliver the killing strike, but against everyone's expectations, Megatron did not die from Prime's sword slash, and was instead transformed by the power of energon into the deranged [[Galvatron (G1)#Henkei! Henkei! Bun Bun comic|Galvatron]]! {{storylink|Creation! The New Emperor of Destruction!!}}

[[File:Henkei10 starscream survives.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb]]
Galvatron immediately attacked Optimus Prime, and Starscream exploited the opened, attacking his former leader from above. Galvatron proved able to shrug his shots off, and destroyed the rocky outcrop on which Starscream was standing, bringing him tumbling into Galvatron's clutches. After being slammed around a bit, Starscream fired his jets and blasted from Galvatron's grip, looping back around to deliver a jet-powered kick, but the attack accomplished little other than to thoroughly tax Galvatron's patience. Powering up his cannon, Galvatron unleashed a single earth-shattering blast that appeared to reduce Starscream to atoms. {{storylink|The Threat of Galvatron}}

[[File:Henkei10 starscreams end.jpg|thumb]]
Starscream proved hardier than Galvatron expected, though: after Galvatron had torn his way through the assembled Autobots, Starscream re-appeared, broken and crippled, but nonetheless determined to bring Galvatron down. His weapons still proved ineffective, however, and so Starscream demanded that Wataru use his powers to give him a boost. Naturally, Wataru was hesitant, but saw the logic in Starscream's plan and acquiesced, providing the Decepticon with a forcefield and a powered-up gun. Starscream was only able to get off one shot before Galvatron destroyed the field and his cannon, but the blast successfully reopened the original wound Optimus Prime had torn in Galvatron's armor. Taking the opening, Prime repeated the tactic and plunged his energon sword into the gash, ripping Galvatron open. A catastrophic release of energy from Galvatron's body ensued, which began to the collapse the cavern. The Autobots raced for the exit, but Starscream did not move, and Wataru could only look back to see a smile form upon the Air Commander's lips as he watched Galvatron's defeat, seconds before he too disappeared beneath the tumbling rocks. {{storylink|Revenge (Henkei)|Revenge}}

Later, as Prime's Autobots prepared to return to Cybertron, Skyfire announced that he would be staying on Earth in order to search for Starscream, indicating that he believed his old friend was still alive. {{storylink|To the Sea of Stars}}
{{--}}

===''Henkei! Henkei! Transformers -Visualize-''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Visualize Shot 2}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 3}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 4}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 5}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 9}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 11}} {{storylink|Visualize Shot 14}}}}

===Alternity===
[[File:Alternity starscream boxart.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4|"Carscream"? Really, that's the best [[Fandom|you]] could come up with?]]
A Starscream from an unidentified [[universal stream]] was selected by [[Megatron (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Alternity|Megatron]] to become the leader of his team of cross-dimensional [[Questor]]s. Imbued with a small portion of the incredible powers over space and time that his leader had acquired from the god-beast [[Hytherion]], Starscream became incredibly powerful, equipped with an uncharacteristic sports car alternate mode, a [[Timaeus drive]] that allowed him to travel through dimensions, a "Retroactive Nullifer" capable of erasing victims from history, and four "Evil Optics" that can send an enemy into [[stasis lock]] with only a look. Despite all the new powers that this infusion of Hytherion power conveyed about him, Starscream was wary, wondering why Megatron would so empower him given his record of deceit. Despite fears that he might be the subject of some strange cosmic experiment that Megatron was conducting, Starscream still took to his new role with glee, seeking ways to put his new power to use overthrowing Megatron.

On a mission to Earth, Starscream confronted one of [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Alternity|Optimus Prime]]'s [[auto-avatar]]s. Surprising Prime with his sports car form, Starscream scored a hit with his Nullifer, which slowly began killing the Autobot. Starscream had heard other species call the [[Alternity (species)|Alternity]] "gods", but taunted Prime by telling him that any story of gods must end with a Ragnarök. However, Starscream did not expect Prime to tell him that the Alternity were already well aware of the time and circumstances of their prophesied end, and were already prepared. {{storylink|Foreshadows}}

Learning that Megatron intended to use a magic tablet to seize control of the all-powerful [[Planicron]]s of [[Flatworld]], Starscream made his inevitable power play, hunting out a tablet of his own and mastering its abilities. Just as Megatron was in the process of taking control of the Planicrons, Starscream stepped in, paralysing his fellow Questors with his Evil Optics and using his tablet in an attempt to collapse Flatworld in on itself. It came as a rude shock, then, to find that Megatron had anticipated his treachery and was able to override his tablet's control of the Planicrons. Megatron explained that the only reason Starscream had been chosen to be a Questor at all was so that he would have a test subject to see if it was possible to kill a being infused with Alternium—and as it turned out, it was, as Megatron had the Planicrons enter Starscream's body and cause the Alternium within him to multiply rapidly, exploding his body from the inside out.

Of course, that was not quite the end for Starscream, who naturally survived as a ghost, like so many other versions of himself throughout the multiverse. Megatron was subsequently defeated by the Alternity when Thundercracker freed the Planicrons from his control, and Starscream's ghost appeared before his fellow Questor after the battle was done to taunt him with the fact he would never be forgiven for his betrayal. Though unclear, it seems possible Starscream may have actually possessed Thundercracker and caused him to free the Planicrons in the first place. {{storylink|Alternation}}

At some point, [[Cloud World]]'s [[Wreckers]] battled Starscream. {{storylink|TFC-A04}}
{{--}}

===Robot Heroes===
Starscream was one of the "pretty tough" soldiers in Megatron's army. He and the other 'bots serving Megatron traveled to Earth to gather energon, only to run afoul of the Autobots. Starscream was tackled out of the air by Arcee, and then shoved into a river by Drift! He then sulked over it. {{storylink|I Am Optimus Prime (Robot Heroes)|I Am Optimus Prime}}

===''United''===
After Megatron believed Optimus to have been forever vanquished, he proclaimed himself Cybertron's "Emperor of Destruction", and turned to Starscream for an update on a mysterious "item". Starscream only bitterly responded that the object in question would serve them better if he were to wield it. The conversation was cut short by the timely arrival of the still-living Optimus Prime and his troops! Upon their entry on the scene, Starscream goaded Megatron into battling the Autobot commander, and Megatron readily gave in to his urge to do so. {{storylink|A New Battle!}}

===''Kre-O'' cartoon===
[[File:starscreamkreo-wallpaper.jpg|thumb|upright=1.67|Renegade for life.]]
After [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Bumblebee (Kre-O)|Bumblebee]] managed to best [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], the Decepticon leader tagged in Starscream. {{storylink|Last Bot Standing}} Starscream entered a dance competition, where his quiet, peaceful interpretive performance was roundly booed by the audience. He finished his piece by falling over and disintegrating. The judges ([[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]], [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]], and [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]) nonetheless gave him ludicrously high marks. Score one for nepotism. (Decepotism?) {{storylink|Bot Stars}}

Starscream and his pilot pulled up beside Bumblebee, just after the Autobot had finished impressing another driver with his moves. {{storylink|My Ride Is Better than Your Ride}} When Megatron took part in a race, Starscream attempted to aid his leader by dropping a boulder onto Bumblebee. Unfortunately, the boulder hit Megatron instead. {{storylink|The Big Race}} During the holiday season, Starscream was unwrapping his presents when Optimus Prime and [[Sideswipe (G1)|Sideswipe]] looked ominously in through the window. {{storylink|A Gift For Megatron}}

Starscream helped Megatron train to defeat the Autobots after his leader became annoyed at their constant losses. {{storylink|Megatron's Revenge}}

Starscream participated in an enormous battle against the Autobots... until Optimus Prime began talking about the plot of the [[live-action film series]] to the audience. Starscream directed the "recap" segments from a director's chair until [[Grimlock (Kre-O)|Grimlock]]'s attempt to order a pizza on the phone started bleeping out Optimus's lines. {{storylink|Take Us to the Movies}}

===Titan ''Kre-O'' comic===
Starscream was with Megatron when the Decepticon leader proclaimed that the alien world they were on was his. His attempt to amend Megatron's statements to "theirs" were ignored, as were his warnings about the approaching Optimus Prime. He transformed and left while Megatron was trampled on. {{storylink|Transformers Comic issue 4.3|Kre-O Transformers}}

===''Transformers: All Spark''===
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Another Episode, Part 1}} {{storylink|Another Episode, Part 2}} {{storylink|To Earth}} {{storylink|Reunion and Parting}} {{storylink|Plans of the Emperor of Destruction}} {{storylink|Revenge (All Spark)|Revenge}} {{storylink|The False Power}} {{storylink|Ray of Hope}} {{storylink|Great Aspirations}} {{storylink|Conclusion}}}}

===Starscream's New Power===
[[File:Starscream's New Power Starscream vs. Decepticons.jpg|thumb|150px|left]]
Using a cloaking device to infiltrate [[Shockwave's Tower|Shockwave's lab]], Starscream managed to swipe a couple of weapons, and fended off the Decepticons that attempted to apprehend him. He boasted that soon the Decepticons would kneel before him as their true leader, unaware of Megatron sneaking up behind him... {{storylink|Starscream's New Power}}

===''Kre-O'' online comic===
Starscream was one of the [[Decepticon]]s who joined [[Megatron (Kre-O)|Megatron]] in the ''[[Nemesis (Kre-O)|Nemesis]]'' to chase the [[Autobot]]s in the ''[[Ark (Kre-O)|Ark]]''. After they boarded the ''Ark'', it crashed to [[Earth]] and the [[Transformer]]s fell to a four million year-long sleep. After waking up, Starscream was strangled by Megatron for not setting the alarm. {{storylink|Kreon Story}}

Starscream was part of a massive Decepticon invasion force intended to ruin the Autobots' picnic. However, [[Optimus Prime (Kre-O)|Optimus Prime]] plowed through them with his truck and left them scattered... and then left. Returning to the scene after.. ''ahem'', taking care of some pressing business, Optimus gathered up the still-wiped-out Kreons, bound them up on a flatbed trailer, and took them to the picnic. {{storylink|Emergency! Hurry to the Base, Optimus!}}

Starscream formed the [[Combaticon (G1)|Combaticons]] to help him overthrow Megatron, only for the team to become base guards and leave him at Megatron's mercy. {{storylink|New Military Unit Combaticon! Bruticus, Combine!}} He was among the Decepticons present during Megatron's brief takeover of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]. {{storylink|Two Giant Bases! Everybody Getting Along, Come On, Fight!}} When Megatron wanted to place a giant golden replica of his head on top of his new [[Solar Tower]], Starscream refused to help fly it up there as it was just too heavy. {{storylink|Megatron's Ambition!? The Solar Tower Is Built!}} Starscream stayed up all night building a big statue of himself only to have [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]] show up and wreck it during the unveiling. {{storylink|Enter the New Emperor of Destruction!? Stop Galvatron's Rampage!}}

Starscream was charmed by [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] into cleaning the Decepticon base for her, {{storylink|The Beautiful Flower Has Thorns? Temptation of the Female Soldier, Airachnid!}} and later attended Megatron's hanami party together with the spider. {{storylink|Soundwave's Trap? Stop Operation Brainwash Humanity!}} He was among the Decepticons accidentally sent to a world of giants, where they battled the Autobot until Megatron realized his underlings back home would forget about him unless they went back quickly. {{storylink|Robots in Disguise! The Transformers Are by Your Side!?}}

===''Construct-Bots'' cartoon===
[[File:Construct-Bots ep 2.jpg|thumb|150px|left]]
Starscream was playing cards with [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] when [[Predaking (Prime)|Predaking]] attacked their base. Megatron used a nearby Construct-Bots computer terminal and upgraded him using [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]'s blasters and wings, much to the spying Autobot's ire. He cringed when Megatron fell after slipping on some gumballs. {{storylink|Intro!}} He was later seen preening in front of a mirror (to the amusement of [[Ironhide (G1)|Ironhide]] and Bumblebee, who were spying on him) when Predaking flew by in dragon mode and smashed into him, scattering his pieces. As he reattached his pieces, Bumblebee switched his wings with wheels, and when he attempted to transform and fly away, he fell quite a nasty drop. {{storylink|Take Flight!}}

===''Transformers vs. G.I. Joe''===
Seeking to ascend towards the Decepticon Elite in Megatron's army, Starscream devised a means to lure the legendary Optimus Prime out of hiding. To do so, he attempted to capture Bumblebee as the Autobot fled into outer space. The chase led Starscream to [[Cobra Commander]]'s private storage room on planet Earth, where he lost his quarry among the multitude of vehicles in the terrorist's collection. As Starscream rummaged about, he encountered [[Snake-Eyes]], who mistook him for a [[Cobra]] drone unit. Though Snake-Eyes's attempt to harm Starscream proved pitiful, the human escaped in the newly disguised Bumblebee, and Starscream resumed his chase.

Despite getting embroiled in a battle between [[G.I. Joe (team)|G.I. Joe]] and Cobra, and getting one of his wings torn off by [[G.I.Rocket|Creeper vines]] along the way, Starscream managed to rip off Bumblebee's head and return to Cybertron with his prize in-hand. Starscream prostrated himself before his king as Megatron promised him a place in the highest echelon of his new order. {{storylink|The Golden Boys}}

Starscream later returned to Earth, this time accompanied by Soundwave and Shockwave, to demand the humans surrender to Megatron. While Ravage discussed their terms with their G.I. Joe welcomers, Starscream adopted an Earth alternate mode, based on [[Ace (G.I. Joe)|Ace]]'s [[Skystriker (vehicle)|Skystriker]]. The meeting soon escalated into a skirmish between the two teams, with Starscream getting half of his face melted off by [[Snake-Eyes]] by the end of it. The Decepticons were defeated and forced to retreat. {{storylink|I Saw Three Ships}}

The Decepticons allied themselves with Cobra, forming the "Decepticobra" alliance. Starscream was fitted with a partial face-plate to cover his wounded face, and participated on an attack on the [[USS Flagg|USS ''Flagg'']] in order to retrieve the body of Soundwave, killed in their previous encounter with the Joes. Discovering that the Decepticon's body was not being held there, and facing considerable resistance from the Joes, Starscream and the others retreated. {{storylink|Funeral for a Friend}}

Some time afterwards, Starscream served as the [[Baroness|Serpentress]]<nowiki>'</nowiki>s transport to the United Nations when she tried to strong-arm the Earth's leaders into submitting to Megatron's rule. Her speech was interrupted by the arrival of Optimus Prime, grappling with G.I. Joe forces outside. With the "ultimate prize" seemingly within his grasp, Starscream joined the fight and tried to slay Optimus. Unfortunately, Shockwave was too distracted by the sight of his brother's body being used as a robotic suit by [[Doctor Venom]] to assist him much. The battle became even more chaotic when [[Koh-Buru-Lah (creature)|Koh-Buru-Lah]], among others, joined the fray, allowing Optimus to escape Starscream. {{storylink|Expelled from the Garden}}

Later, Starscream and [[Viper (CW)|Viper]] attacked a Joe convoy, only to be ensnared in the road-coils of the disguised [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. {{storylink|Pax Megatronus}}

During the final battle over the Sun, Starscream found himself briefly saddled by [[Hawk (G.I. Joe)|Hawk]], who hitched a ride up to the top of Megatron's head. After Megatron fell into the Sun, Starscream managed to snatch the Matrix from his fallen leader... only for it, in turn, to be grabbed out of his hand by Laserbeak. When the Matrix was returned to Optimus, Starscream petulantly mumbled that he intended to return the talisman to the Prime. {{storylink|The War Never Ends}}

===''Transformers × Evangelion''===
[[File:Transformers Mode Eva ch 1.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Get in the robot, Optimus, or [[Elita One (G1)|Elita One]] will have to pilot it again.]]
His body destroyed during the war with [[Unicron]], Starscream wandered the universe as a ghost until arriving on an [[Earth]] under attack from [[Angel]]s. He proceeded to possess one of the creatures, becoming the monstrous "Angel"-scream, and attacked [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] and the Autobots. {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 2}} By scanning the human weapon [[Evangelion Unit-01|Eva-01]], Prime was able to grow greatly in size and battle "Angel"-scream, {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 3}} who repelled him using an impenetrable [[Absolute Terror Field|A.T. Field]] granted to him by the Angel's body. Tempted to use this newfound power against [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]], he first decided to get rid of Prime once and for all, but was distracted by trying to catch the tiny [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] while [[Tokyo-3]] was simultaneously shifting around him. This gave Optimus Prime the opportunity to slice through the A.T. Field and into the Angel's core with his [[energon-axe]], destroying the Angel and exorcising Starscream's ghost back into space. {{storylink|Mode "Eva" chapter 4}}

===''Angry Birds'' comic===
[[File:ABTF1 BeetakesStarscreamprisoner.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.9]]
Starscream participated in the attack on the Autobot shuttle carrying the [[AllSpark]], but broke ranks to get his own mitts on the relic, intending to conquer the universe for himself. He chased down and cornered [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]], the carrier of the AllSpark, but accidentally blasted open a window while firing on the Autobot, causing the AllSpark to be sucked out into space and down a [[unspace|quantum tunnel]]. Crestfallen, Starscream bemoaned his lost opportunity as Bumblebee took him into captivity. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers issue 1|Angry Birds Transformers #1}}

===''Beast Wars: Uprising''===
During the Great War, Starscream posed a challenge to Megatron's leadership position. {{storylink|Not All Megatrons}} Once the war was restarted in 1984, Starscream lead an attack on the [[British Museum]] to claim a statue of [[Amenhotep III]] to try and gain the supposed [[magic]]al powers within to crush the Autobots. Even though the Autobot Minibots showed up, the Decepticons got away with the statue and [[Rosetta Stone|some useless stone]]. {{storylink|Cultural Appropriation}}

[[Rampage (BW)|Rampage]] was the result of experiments aimed at achieving immortality by mimicking Starscream's immortal spark. {{storylink|Hasbro Transformers Collectors' Club issue 55|Rampage's profile in Club magazine #55}}

[[Eject (G1)|Eject]] lamented that all the great and famous Cybertronians, be they good or evil, were long gone by the time Cybertron was controlled by the [[Builder Assembly]], naming Starscream as an example of the evil ones. {{storylink|Broken Windshields}}

===''Timelines''===
[[File:ATB Starscream boxart.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3]]
In [[Primax 096.0 Beta|one universe]], [[Megatron (G1)#Timelines|Megatron]] upgraded himself with flight capability and the ability to combine with Starscream during the latter days of the [[Great War (G1)|third Cybertronian war]]. In response, [[Optimus Prime (G1)#General Optimus|General Optimus Prime]] upgraded himself with heavier armor and weaponry. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime profile card}} During the obligatory Battle for [[Sherman Dam]], [[Hound (G1)#TransTech|Sergeant Hound]] kept Lieutenant Starscream from interfering in the fight between Megatron and General Optimus Prime. {{storylink|Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#September 6, 2015|Ask Vector Prime, 06/09/2015}} At the war's final battle on [[Mirtonia]], the Autobots emerged victorious in routing the [[Decepticon Empire|Decepticon Star Empire]] when Decepticons accidentally blew up an experimental energon refinery and themselves along with it. {{storylink|Optimus Prime (G1)/toys#Timelines|General Optimus Prime profile card}}

===''Q-Transformers: Mystery of Convoy'' cartoon===
{{voiceactor|[[Tomokazu Sugita]] (Japanese)}}
{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Road to More Popularity than Autobots}}}}

===''Of Masters and Mayhem''===
[[File:Of Masters and Mayhem flashback.jpeg|thumb|left|250px]]

Decepticon Aerospace Commander Starscream left Cybertron during the Great War to seek out the power of the [[Underbase]]. Allying with [[Bluestreak (G1)|Bluestreak]]'s squadron, Starscream found the cosmic power he sought and turned it on the Autobots only for its power to ultimately overwhelm him, melting him from the inside out. Impactor later revealed that this mission had been part of a plan to upgrade [[Computron (G1)|Computron]], Starscream having been but an unwitting pawn. {{storylink|Lively Pursuit}}

When Megatron met the Autobot [[Pretender]]s on Earth, he informed them of how the Great War had transpired in this reality, remembering Starscream as one of the key Decepticons. {{storylink|History}}

===When Worlds Collide===
When Megatron and Cobra Commander stole the [[Matrix of Leadership]], Starscream flew by in jet mode. {{storylink|When Worlds Collide}}
{{--}}

===''Prime Wars Trilogy'' continuity===
====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' cartoons====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Todaro]] (English)}}
[[File:PreludeToCombinerWarsStarscream.jpg|thumb|Look Mom, I'm in 3D!|upright=1.4]]

Starscream was among the Decepticon troops who bore witness to a pivotal duel between Optimus Prime and Megatron, one meant to end the war before the never-ending arms race between the two factions spiralled further out of control. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Optimus Prime}} Following the end of the war, Starscream found a role on Cybertron's new ruling council alongside Rodimus Prime and [[Caminus (planet)|Caminus]]'s [[Mistress of Flame]]. {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Starscream}} {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Windblade}} Although he claimed that his old backstabbing had given way to a newfound sense of responsibility, in reality he was just playing a long game to get his hands on the [[Enigma of Combination]]. {{storylink|A War of Giants}} {{storylink|Prelude to Transformers: Combiner Wars - Starscream}}

[[File:AWarOfGiants Starscream plus combiners.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.4|This isn't even my final form.]]

To contain Menasor, Starscream ordered the Council agent [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] to stop the Decepticon combiner, sparking a fight that spilled over to Caminus. Following the destruction, Starscream met with the Council to discuss the growing combiner threat, but no-one could come to a meaningful agreement. {{storylink|The Council}}

The Council examined the two dead combiners, Starscream regretting sending Computron on his suicide mission. When [[Windblade (G1)|Windblade]], Megatron, and Optimus Prime attacked the Council building, the trio opted to face the intruders without the aid of the Enigma. Starscream failed to convince Megatron of his good intentions, and the former Decepticon leader fired on his old second-in-command, triggering the turrets. Then Devastator showed up out of nowhere, ripping off one of Rodimus's arms and turning the tide in favor of the combiners. {{storylink|Homecoming (CW)|Homecoming}} When [[Victorion]] also showed up out of nowhere, the Mistress of Flame argued in favor of using the Enigma to control the combiners, a plan of action Starscream agreed with - as he touched the Enigma, Megatron realized that this was all Starscream's long con, and he had gotten all the players in his scheme right where he wanted them. Starscream, energized by the Enigma, absorbed the four combiners to become Ultimate Starscream... {{storylink|A War of Giants}} 

[[File:DarkestHour-starcloud.jpg|thumb|Incoming barrage from the Big Giant Head!|upright=1.4]]

...and, after monologuing about his evil scheme for a while, the energies of the Enigma imploded on him, turning him into a giant, screaming head. Starscream threw around the interlopers for a while before knocking Windblade unconscious. {{storylink|Darkest Hour (CW)|Darkest Hour}} Windblade gained a second wind, however, and on regaining consciousness she had Metroplex reach out and crush whatever Starscream had become, killing him. {{storylink|Destruction's Dawn}}

[[File:TR-Ep10-All-Things-Must-Pass-Ghost-Starscream.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.4]]
Studying his body afterwards, Perceptor discovered that its consistency had changed as a result of his attempt at combination, taking on properties similar to the Enigma and the [[Matrix of Leadership]]. {{storylink|The Fight Begins}} Despite his death, Starscream's spark endured and was left to drift through space as he cursed at whatever higher power had left him in this predicament. His fortune shifted, however, when his spark was unexpectedly pulled into the body of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], resurrecting the [[Titan (group)|Titan]]. {{storylink|Aftermath and Rebirth}} As the Autobots battled Trypticon, Starscream's latent personality would occasionally emerge, projected via dark smoke emerging from Trypticon's mouth, though his mind seemed to be addled as a result of his possession. {{storylink|Overlord and Emissary}} {{storylink|At the Last Second}} {{storylink|Run for Our Lives}} Ultimately, Trypticon was defeated by the power of the Matrix, freeing Starscream's spirit from within. The deceased Decepticon laughed, feeling reborn, as his spirit vanished into the air. {{storylink|All Things Must Pass}}

In the aftermath of [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimal Optimus]]'s rise to power, neither he nor Optimus Prime noticed Starscream's ghost watching them, cackling that he wouldn't be leaving any time soon. {{storylink|Saga's End}}
{{--}}

====''Prime Wars Trilogy'' marketing material====
The scheming Decepticon air commander Starscream could wield powers of the [[Prime (rank)|Prime]]s by linking with [[Prime Master]]s. {{storylink|Starscream (G1)/toys#Power of the Primes|''Power of the Primes'' Starscream packaging bio}}
{{note|For a list of powers manifested by Starscream, see [[Prime Master/Combinations|this chart]].}}
{{--}}

===Transformers social media content===
[[File:Facebook-DatingProfiles2.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1]]
Starscream, aka LOOKING4LOVE84, had an online Dating Profile.<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/transformers/videos/1625292087540979/ Dating Profiles]</ref>

{{--}}

===''Star Trek vs. Transformers''===
[[File:PrimesDirectivePart1-Decepticons.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
When [[World War III]] consumed [[Earth]], the [[Decepticon]]s fled the blighted planet aboard [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]], trailing the Autobots aboard [[Fortress Maximus (G1)|Fortress Maximus]]. When the two [[Titan (group)|Titans]] reached [[Cygnus Seven]], the Decepticons attacked, the battle sending Maximus hurtling into the moon and causing everyone to fall into [[stasis lock]]. Eventually, the [[Federation]] moved onto Cygnus Seven with a survey team accidentally rousing Maximus's autonomic systems. By random chance, the repair beam first struck [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] who proceeded to revive the other Decepticons and lead an attack on the surface. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} The attack brought the attention of the [[USS Enterprise|USS ''Enterprise'']], with the Decepticons managing to corner the away team sent by the human ship only for [[James T. Kirk|Captain Kirk]] to scare the Decepticons away with a [[photon torpedo]] barrage. Retreating to a nearby moon, the Decepticons found Trypticon with [[Klingon]]s occupying his city mode. When [[Kuri]] demanded the Decepticons identify themselves, Airachnid grumbled about all the organics pointing weapons at them. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part One}}

Though Megatron was initially intrigued by the human hating aliens, Starscream's pessimism about their usefulness soon spread to his leader before Kuri revealed the existence of the Klingon cloaking device. Taking advantage of the Klingon dedication to victory at any cost, Starscream smooth talked the commander into having one such device installed within his own chassis. After Trypticon had disabled the ''Enterprise'', Starscream led the attack on the surface of Cygnus Seven, pinning down Optimus Prime outside the mine shaft that led to Maximus. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Two}} {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

[[File:PrimesDirectivePart5-emperorstarscream.jpg|thumb|300px]]

As Starscream laughed at the humans' screams, Optimus Prime and Commander [[Spock]] of the ''Enterprise'' offered themselves as prisoners in exchange for the miners' safety. Contemptuous of the humans ever since the 20th century, Starscream instead prepared to slay Optimus before Fortress Maximus burst free from the moon's crust, now reformatted into a copy of the ''Enterprise''. As Starscream and Kuri pointed fingers, Maximus, or "Fortress Tiberius" as he now called himself, began to duel Trypticon. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Three}} Opting for the better part of valour, Starscream cloaked himself and absconded to the [[dilithium]] processing centre, noting that the fuel, while not [[energon]], would serve his needs nicely. Starscream then set off to conquer the Klingon homeworld, [[Kronos]], unaware that Megatron had already taken note of Starscream's desertion. Starscream blatantly violated the [[Neutral Zone]] and landed beyond the First City. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Four}}

Taking a second to learn Klingonese (which he loved), Starscream burst into the chambers of the [[Klingon High Council]] and fashioned a makeshift throne out of rubble, declaring himself the new emperor. When the Chancellor [[Gorkon]] scoffed at this, Starscream responded with his [[null-ray]]. No sooner had the councillors whipped out their disruptors did an orbital bombardment commence. Much to Starscream's horror, Megatron descended and promptly downed him. In stasis, Starscream played no role in the subsequent battle for Kronos and was taken into custody by the Klingons once the Decepticons had been defeated. {{storylink|Prime's Directive, Part Five}}

===''Bumblebee'' graphic novels===
[[File:GoForTheGold-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]
Eager to seize a volatile [[Cybertonium]] meteorite, Starscream press-ganged [[Astrotrain (G1)|Astrotrain]] and the [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicon]]s into helping him retrieve the mineral, but the mission soon became a skirmish against Optimus Prime and the Autobots. In between barking orders at his fellow Decepticons, Starscream traded fire with Prime before the meteor threatened to explode; when the impending detonation sent the Autobots scattering, Starscream grabbed a fragment of the meteor and prepared to retreat... but reckoned without Bumblebee, whose midair tackle threatened to overload his meteor fragment. Starscream's self-preservation instincts promptly led him to drop the meteorite and escape aboard Astrotrain with the defeated Constructicons. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee - Go For the Gold|Go for the Gold}}

{{-}}

===''Go-Bots'' comic===
[[File:IDW go-bots starscream.jpeg|thumb|right|250px]] 
After much consideration, [[Road Ranger]] decided to use the remains of the deceased [[Cy-Kill (GoBots)|Cy-Kill]] and [[Leader-1 (GoBots)|Leader-1]] to create a new [[GoBot|Go-Bot]], one that looks eerily familiar.... {{Storylink|Go-Bots issue 5|Go-Bots #5}}

{{-}}

===''Mazinger Z versus Transformers''===
[[File:MazingerVsTransformers-Mazinscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A final boss form for Starscream that's ''not'' a giant screaming head? Blasphemy!]]
During a battle between the Decepticons and Autobots on Earth, Starscream wound up clipping his own wing when his shots reflected off [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and sent him hurtling into a nearby [[space bridge]]. The subsequent surge of energy had the unexpected side-effect of briefly opening up a portal to another dimension, and both Autobots and Decepticons wound up in the Japan of an alternate universe. A still-wounded Starscream and the other members of Megatron's team wound up outside the [[Photonic Power Laboratory]] and planned to attack this facility in the hopes of harnessing its miraculous energy source—but the Autobots, who had been mislead by the villainous [[Doctor Hell]] and [[Baron Ashura]] into joining their evil [[Mechanical Beast]]s attacked first, and tangled with [[Kōji Kabuto]] and his powerful [[Mazinger Z]] super robot. 

Realizing that they had a potential ally, Megatron's forces teamed up with Doctor Hell, and launched a second attack on the Photonic Power Laboratory; Starscream attacked from the air, and initially held the upper hand against the Mazinger until Optimus Prime, riding atop the [[Jet Scrander]], provided some air support for his new friends and shot the Seeker out of the sky. As the evil alliance lost ground, Starscream displayed the ability to absorb both Photon Power and Mazinger Z's spare parts, transforming him into the gigantic, out-of-control "'''Mazinscream'''". Mimicking some of Mazinger's own powers, such as the ability to fire powerful rocket punches, Mazinscream cut a swathe through friends and foes alike, melting legions of Mechanical Beasts with his superheated "Null Fire" blasts and even blasting Megatron himself in a demented bid for leadership. Only a three-way alliance susccessfully put Mazinscream down for good: Kōji deployed the Mazinger's rocket punch attack, which hurtled Optimus Prime and Megatron towards their mutual foe, and a blast of photonic power from Megatron's gun mode blew the Air Commander apart. The resulting explosion teleported the remaining Autobots and Decepticons back to their world, unaware that a council of [[Go Nagai|mysterious figures]] had masterminded the entire dimensional overlap, and witnessed Starscream's demise, for their own purposes. {{storylink|Mazinger Z versus Transformers}}
{{--}}

===''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' continuity===
====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' marketing material====
[[File:Siege-Starscream-art.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|right]]

{{bigquote|Conquest is made of the ashes of one's enemies.}}

Starscream rose to prominence in [[Vos (polity)|Vos]], the home of the Decepticon Air Command, becoming the Air Commander of the [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. {{storylink|Source:Teletraan-1 Data Files|''Siege'' Teletraan-1 Data Files}} During the war for Cybertron, Starscream was the [[Cybertronian military insignia|Air Force Infantry Captain]], whose function served as the Decepticon Air Commander. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Siege|''Siege'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/siege ''Siege'' webpage]</ref>

With Cybertron's fate sealed and the Autobots gone, the Decepticons followed them closely through space aboard the ''[[Nemesis (G1)|Nemesis]]'' in pursuit of the [[AllSpark]]. During this period, Starscream's primary objective was to gain power, and his primary weapons were his Null Rays. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Earthrise|''Earthrise'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/earthrise ''Earthrise'' webpage]</ref>

Closer than ever to reaching the Allspark, the Decepticons awakened after crash-landing on pre-[[Ice Age]] [[Earth]]. While battling the Autobots, both sides were joined by the [[Maximal]]s and [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, their epic battle changing their combined destinies.

During this period, Starscream's function was second-in-command, and he [[trans-scan]]ned into a jet. His Null Rays and speed were his powers and weapons, and his core traits were his scheming, ambition, and relentlessness. Starscream's message from the future was that as [[Megatron (G1)|old]] alliances are tested, [[Blackarachnia (BW)|new]] alliances will be forged. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|''Kingdom'' webpage}}<ref>[https://transformers.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/kingdom ''Kingdom'' webpage]</ref>

During the collective battle, Starscream teamed up with Predacons [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] and [[Waspinator (BW)|Waspinator]] in pursuit of [[Mirage (G1)|Mirage]] and the Maximal [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]]. {{storylink|War for Cybertron: Kingdom|Battle Across Time Collection marketing material}}<ref>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08TM6TDF7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Battle Across Time Collection on Amazon]</ref>
{{--}}

====''War for Cybertron Trilogy'' cartoon====
{{voiceactor|[[Frank Todaro]] (English), [[Setsuji Satō]] (Japanese)|[[Boris Rehlinger]] (French), [[Santiago Ziesmer]] (German), [[Simone Crisari]] (Italian), [[Rodrigo Oliveira]] (Portuguese), [[Jesús Maniega]] (Castilian Spanish), [[Irwin Daayán]] (Latin-American Spanish), [[Samay Thakkar]] (Hindi)}}

{{bigquote|You like the sound of your own voice... ''don't you?''|[[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] first meeting Starscream, [[Kingdom episode 1]]}}

[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep1-Starscream-threatens-Bee-n-Wheeljack.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

Second-in-command of the Seekers, Starscream was part of the unit that cornered Bumblebee and Wheeljack at a Space Bridge only for Jetfire to cut his hand off for insubordination. After the Autobots had escaped, Starscream got a new hand and stood behind Megatron at a rally. {{storylink|Siege episode 1}} As he and Jetfire had their ideas shot down by Megatron, [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] surrendered himself to the Decepticons for good faith negotiations. {{storylink|Siege episode 2}}

When Megatron announced his plan to use the Allspark to reformat the Autobots into Decepticons, Starscream aired his grievances about this to his fellow Seekers in a courtyard before Jetfire arrived and sent him on patrol. He was later approached by the fatally damaged Skywarp who managed to pass on the news of Jetfire's betrayal before he perished. {{storylink|Siege episode 3}}

[[File:WFC-Siege-Ep4-Starscream-chases-Jetfire.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

Armed with this information, Starscream confronted Jetfire at [[Tarn-Hauser Gate]], exposing him as a traitor to Megatron, the tyrant ordering Starscream to kill the traitor. Despite losses to the Seekers, Starscream managed to shoot Jetfire down, proudly reporting this to Megatron who promoted him to commander of the Seekers. {{storylink|Siege episode 4}} Soon afterwards, he was reporting to Megatron on the Seekers' observations of Autobot activity near the disused Space Bridge when Shockwave and Soundwave announced that Autobot Command had been located. {{storylink|Siege episode 5}}

When Jetfire was found to be alive and had defected, Starscream duelled the traitor before he received priority orders to withdraw and destroy the Space Bridge. Reluctantly following, Starscream led his troops to Sector Seven and began an aerial attack where he claimed [[Impactor (G1)|Impactor]]'s life before [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]] arrived to attack the Decepticons. {{storylink|Siege episode 6}}

After Optimus and his Autobots fled Cybertron, Starscream and the other Decepticons stayed behind, struggling to keep their civilization running while also dealing with the remaining Autobots who hadn't left the planet with their leader. Using [[Steeljaw (G1)|Steeljaw]]'s corpse, Starscream baited [[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] and her team of rebels into a trap, {{storylink|Earthrise episode 1}} and brought them before [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] who'd launched "Project Nemesis" as a way to harvest the lifeblood of both Autobots and Deceptions. However, when the low-ranking Decepticon [[Scrapface]] helped the Autobots escape, Megatron blamed Starscream for the loss—but when the Decepticons picked up a signal from the ''Ark'', all other concerns were swept aside when Megatron ordered the activation of "Project Nemesis", the construction of a [[Nemesis (G1)|massive warship]] that would take them off-planet in pursuit of their old foes. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 2}} 

[[File:EarthriseEp4-changeinmanagement.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

Some time later, Starscream sent an air patrol to flush out Elita's unit, but eventually left with the other high-ranking Decepticons in the newly constructed ''Nemesis''. When the Decepticons caught up with their old foes at [[Nebulon Station]] thanks to a tipoff from the crew of the ''[[Fool's Fortune]]'', Starscream joined the boarding party. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 3}} However, the Decepticons encountered the gigantic [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]; when an explosion separated the feuding warriors from their respective leaders, Starscream announced that Megatron had died and he now led the Decepticons. His reign proved short-lived—when Megatron and Optimus limped back to the main antechamber, Starscream accused him of collaborating with the Autobots before Megatron blasted him in the chest. Amidst the chaos of battle, the Autobots took the opportunity to escape by disabling the station's gravity, and by the time that Starscream returned to the ''Nemesis'' ahead of Megatron the Autobots had already warmed up their ship's warp drive. Starscream lied that Megatron was dead and ordered [[Barricade (IDW)|Barricade]] to fire on the station; when Barricade refused to follow his orders, however, Starscream did it himself and annihilated the space station. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 4}}

The explosion blew open a rift to the extradimensional [[Dead Universe]], but Megatron had survived his assassination attempt, and after a brief beating, banished Starscream from the bridge. The Decepticons followed the ''Ark'' through the Dead Universe, gaining a mysterious [[Golden Disk (Voyager)|golden disk]] with the power to change history in the process, and caught up with the Autobots over prehistoric [[Earth]]. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 5}} The Decepticons boarded their ship, but had to contend with both an ambush and [[Deseeus]]'s remaining Mercenaries, intent on destroying both factions. The battle destroyed the ''Fool's Fortune'' but left the remaining ships drifting into Earth's gravity well, and ended with both sides hurtling toward the primordial jungle. {{storylink|Earthrise episode 6}}

[[File:KingdomEp3-StarscreamVsDinobot.jpg|thumb|right|300px|"You! Your beast mode should have feathers!"]]

After crash-landing, Starscream and Megatron discovered that they were not the only Cybertronians on this planet: a group of [[Predacon (BW)|Predacon]]s, time-travelling Cybertronians from the future led by [[Megatron (BW)|their own Megatron]], had witnessed their descent. Annoyed by this new "Megatron" and his sycophantic appreciation toward his Decepticon namesake, the treacherous Predacon [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] proposed a secret alliance with the Seeker leader. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 1}} Fellow Predacon [[Dinobot (BW)|Dinobot]] soon caught wind of their treachery, but before he could intervene, [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]] informed them that they'd captured [[Airazor (BW)|Airazor]], a Maximal spy. Later, Starscream spied on the two Megatrons as they enthused over over the Golden Disk and reported his findings to Blackarachnia. Again, Dinobot ambushed the pair—not to attack them, however, but to join forces: together, they could seize the Allspark and use its power to end the war. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 2}}

The three stole a shuttle to search for the Allspark, but interference caused their shuttle to crash in the Allspark's mystical "cyber-forest". When the artifact trapped both Starscream and Blackarachnia in illusory scenarios, Dinobot snapped them both back to reality. Disgusted by his selfishness and cowardice, Dinobot accused Starscream of using his past traumas as justification to hurt others—the remark caused Starscream to snap and throw the Predacon warrior off a nearby cliff. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 3}} With nowhere else to go, Starscream considered returning to Megatron's side until Blackarachnia convinced him to seize command through force. Using a cloaking chip, Starscream attempted to stealthily offline the Decepticon leader... but thanks to the Golden Disk's infallible knowledge of future events, he was able to take out the invisible Decepticon and steal his cloaking chip. With [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]] trapped outside the temple the Allspark created for itself, Starscream and Blackarachnia arrived, trailed by "Beast" Megatron; furious at the idea of his subordinates for conspiring with a Maximal, the Predacon leader swatted the pair aside. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 4}}

[[File:KingdomEp5-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px|Starscream plays the Golden Disk backwards and discovers that John Lennon actually did bury Paul.]]

Using a sample of Megatron's [[energon]], Blackarachnia and Starscream jury-rigged a device capable of reading the Golden Disk, which they'd seized amidst the battle—in doing so, however, Starscream realized that Blackarachnia had manipulated him into picking an unwinnable fight with Megatron to get her hands on that energon. Starscream attacked Blackarachnia, then absconded with both the disk and its reader. The artifact chronicled a dark timeline, one where [[Unicron]] had corrupted Megatron into becoming [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]... and, somehow, Unicron's dark influence was able to reach backwards in time to show Starscsream a vision of a Unicron-dominated future. When Blackarachnia finally caught up with him, Starscream tersely informed her that they needed to warn Optimus and Megatron immediately. 

The pair made it to the repaired ''Ark'' just as the Autobots prepared for takeoff; when Optimus gave the two a chance to explain themselves, a terrified Starscream babbled that Unicron had deliberately manipulated the history of the Cybertronian race and, unable to bear its burden, entrusted the disk to [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]]—who promptly shattered the artifact. When he rejoined the ''Nemesis'' during its final attack on the ''Ark'', Starscream tried to warn his Megatron that his current path would lead them all to ruin; to ensure that this future would not come to pass, Starscream tried and failed to kill Megatron by knocking him off the ship's ramp. Although the battle ended with all of the Decepticons captured and imprisoned, Starscream was unconcerned by this: he was more worried about the fact that the ''Ark'' would take them back to Cybertron—exactly what Unicron wanted. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 5}}

[[File:KingdomEp6-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

As the ''Ark'' flew through space, Starscream tried to convince the Autobots of what he'd seen and heard before the ship's [[stasis field]] temporarily incapacitated him. After returning to Cybertron, Starscream's worst fears were seemingly confirmed when Galvatron and [[Nemesis Prime (G1)|Nemesis Prime]]—the two corrupted alter egos of the Autobot and Decepticon leaders—reached backwards in time to attack the Cybertronians. However, Starscream and Optimus Prime's impassioned encouragement to fight for the future of Cybertron inspired Megatron to turn on his future self, and the united factions bought just enough time for Bumblebee to implant the Allspark, reactivate Cybertron, and banish the two malevolent time-travellers. With the crisis having forced both sides together, Megatron agreed to a ceasefire, and Starscream was one of the many Decepticons who attended the peace ceremony. {{storylink|Kingdom episode 6}}

{{--}}

===2019 IDW continuity===
{{first|[[The World In Your Eyes Part Four|''Transformers'' issue #4]] (mentioned), [[The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four|''Transformers'' issue #10]] (full depiction)}}

[[File:NauticaHome-StarscreamNautica.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

Starscream was forged at some point before the [[War of the Threefold Spark]]. His [[mentor]] [[Cryak]] brought the young Starscream along on her expeditions, and their adventures in the Cybertronian wilderness opened Starscream's eyes to the beauty of his homeworld. Eventually, however, Cryak suffered a debilitating accident on one of her expeditions and chose to go [[immersant]]. {{storylink|I Have No Mouth And I Must Starscream}} 

After the eccentric genius [[Termagax]] abandoned her political ambitions to her mentee [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and retired to a life of seclusion, Starscream occasionally showed up to bother her. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Two}} 

During the reign of [[Sentinel Prime (G1)|Sentinel Prime]], Starscream caught wind of a conspiracy in the uppermost echelons of the Cybertronian government: to uphold the terms of the [[Nominus Edict]], [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] had diverted multiple [[Spark|Titansparks]] and stored them underneath the [[Forge Pyramid|Pyramid]] instead of bringing them to term. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} In exchange for his silence, Sentinel Prime promoted him to Head of Cybertronian Intelligence and removed [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundwave]] from the position. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} As Head of Intelligence, Starscream delivered reports on potential threats like rogue [[Mini-Cassette|infiltration trooper]]s {{storylink|Wheeljack: Orbital Decay}} and kept abreast of interspecies politics, including spying on the secretive and hostile [[Thraal]] empire that bordered Cybertronian space. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}} 

[[File:G1StarscreamMocksOrionIDW2019.jpg|thumb|250px|Gottem.]]

Off the books, Starscream began building a private spy network for his own benefit: handpicked moles like the [[Decepticon|Ascenticon]] [[Reflector (G1)|Refraktor]] {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} and [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]'s right-hand 'bot [[Trickdiamond]] {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}} fed him a constant stream of intel; by only telling Sentinel Prime what ''he'' wanted the Autobot leader to know, his opportunism afforded the ambitious [[Seeker (body-type)|Seeker]] a near-total monopoly on information. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} Whether through his repeated encounters with Termagax or through his myriad contacts, Starscream eventually deduced that she'd been entrusted with the mythical [[Enigma of Combination]]. {{storylink|Lord of Misrule: Sea of Rust II|Sea of Rust II}}

As a member of Sentinel Prime's inner retinue, Starscream joined his leader and other high-ranking government operatives for a tour of the [[Cybertronian colonies]] aboard the Titan [[Lodestar (Titan)|Lodestar]], secure that his various moles on Cybertron would fill him in when he returned. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} While in orbit around [[Hexagon]], Sentinel received word that both [[Brainstorm (G1)|Brainstorm]] and [[Rubble]] had been murdered, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} and informed his staff that they would be returning to Cybertron ahead of schedule. Starscream, after making some mildly racist remarks about a recently murdered [[Voin]], showed [[Nautica (G1)|Nautica]] that his team had finally cracked the Thraal's anti-security measures and gained security footage of the organics. When he showed footage of the visiting delegation leaving, the Head of Xeno-Relations, realising that the Thraal were plotting something, hurried away. {{storylink|Nautica: Home}}

When the group returned home, {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Four}} they made their way to the [[Senate]], where Sentinel found little concrete progress had been made and barked a few orders before stomping off. Following the Prime, Starscream sarcastically praised [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Orion Pax]] for keeping the peace so effectively. {{storylink|The Cracks Beneath Your Feet Part Five}}

[[File:TheChangeInYourNaturePartTwo-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

When [[Security Operations]] besieged four members of [[The Rise]] in an [[immersant]] Titan, Starscream arrived, claiming that he'd simply come to observe the standoff. In reality, however, he had come to receive a report from his mole in the Ascenticon Guard, [[Reflector (G1)#2019 IDW continuity|Refraktor]]. Chromia was simply glad that Soundwave was out of sight due to their history. As Refraktor finished his report, Starscream spotted Soundwave and his guards, and chastised his agent for not telling him the most significant news—that [[Bumblebee (G1)#2019 IDW continuity|Bumblebee]] had joined the Ascenticon Guard. Before Refraktor could respond, however, the Titan suddenly exploded, forcing Starscream to cover his audio sensors. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Two}} 

Starscream learned from his contacts that Sentinel Prime intended to arrest Soundwave for suspected collaboration with the Rise, and after the Reversionist senator [[Heretech]] warned Megatron of the plot, Starscream made contact with the leader of the Ascenticon movement too. Although he freely admitted he was still hedging his bets between the Autobots and Ascenticons, Starscream did give Megatron one tip for free—Bumblebee was deeply loyal to Orion Pax and likely the mole in the Ascenticon Guard who had alerted the Autobots to Soundwave's activities. {{storylink|The Change In Your Nature Part Four}}

After Bumblebee had been arrested for murdering [[Quake (G1)|Quake]], Starscream paid him a visit. Confident that his various connections would allow him to safely ride out Megatron's impending uprising, Starscream offered to ally with Bumblebee but left when the yellow bot offered him no answer. {{storylink|Rise of the Decepticons: We Have Deceived You|We Have Deceived You}} Indeed, when Megatron dropped all pretenses of civility and overthrew the Senate, Starscream had already fled the Senate and abandoned Sentinel to his fate. When the [[Rainmaker]]s slew Sentinel Prime not long afterwards, Sentinel, aware that Starscream intended to stand with Megatron, ordered his successor Orion to find and kill Starscream before he could reveal the secret of the Pyramid to the Decepticon leader. {{storylink|War World: Prime|Prime}} {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} 

[[File:Awakenings-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

A few days later, as Megatron consolidated his power over Iacon, Starscream came out of hiding to meet with the new leaders of the city, confident that his connections and secret knowledge would give him an edge in the new hierarchy to come. However, his smug attitude quickly eroded any goodwill; Soundwave, still nursing a grudge against his old rival, blasted him with his sonic cannon. When Megatron threatened to turn his [[fusion cannon]] on Starscream, the Seeker quickly revealed that he had information on both Titansparks and the Enigma of Combination. {{storylink|War World: Awakenings|Awakenings}} While recuperating from his injuries, Starscream ordered Refraktor to pass along information about the Titansparks to the Autobots—Megatron had gotten this far by holding all the cards, but now it was time for the Decepticon leader to face his first real test. As he was to be transferred to [[Flatline (G1)|Flatline]]'s care, Starscream, aware that Megatron would have him watched, ordered Refraktor to volunteer for that role. {{storylink|War World: Hunt|Hunt}} Acting on Starscream's intelligence, both sides converged on the Pyramid for the Titan sparks at the same time, sparking a brawl that ended in the destruction of the facility and almost all of the sparks. {{storylink|War World: Titans|Titans}} Finding Starscream to still be of use, Megatron promoted the Seeker into his inner circle and gave orders for Soundwave to not kill him. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

[[File:IHaveNoMouthAndIMustStarscream-excuseme.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Osmosis Scream?]]

After the Autobots withdrew from Iacon, Starscream eavesdropped on Megatron as the Decepticon leader considered putting Starscream in charge of a new public relations unit that would hunt down and flush out any Autobot stragglers. However, [[Sixshot (G1)|Sixshot]], citing Starscream's selfishness, pressured Megatron into appointing Soundwave instead. A frustrated Starscream stormed out of [[Decepticon Headquarters (G1 Cybertron)|Decepticon Headquarters]] and ran into [[Runamuck (G1)|Runamuck]] and [[Runabout (G1)|Runabout]], who told him that they'd heard a ghost from Cybertronian mythology screaming somewhere out in the wilderness. Aware that Autobots could be using the ghost story as a cover to regroup, Starscream decided to investigate himself. When he tracked the noise to its source, however, he discovered that the "ghost" was a lost and confused Voin ape, tangled up in a glade of metallic flora. Starscream considered putting the creature out of its misery... but when his blade touched the metallic cable leeching [[energon]] directly from the planetary surface, a strange electrical reaction sucked out his [[spark]] and transplanted it into the body of the helpless Voin ape.

Upon reawakening in this fleshy form, Starscream briefly panicked... but soon realized that he was not the ''only'' Cybertronian inhabiting this body: this was the final resting place of his old mentor Cryak, who'd become trapped in this realm between life and death when the alien creature interrupted her return to the [[Transformer afterlife|Allspark]]. Although Cryak, now viciously insane after spending kilocycles in purgatory, intended to steal Starscream's body and use it to "free" dozens of Cybertronians from their physical forms, Starscream was able to stop her, and although he briefly contemplated trying to help his old mentor, eventually decided to simply keep her trapped in her predicament forever as punishment. {{storylink|I Have No Mouth And I Must Starscream}}

Some time later, Starscream was in Decepticon Headquarters when [[Slipstream (G1)|Slipstream]] and [[Flamewar (G1)|Flamewar]] brought [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] before the Decepticon leader for an interrogation. Although Magnus warned the Decepticons that [[Exarchon]], who'd kicked off the [[War of the Threefold Spark]], had returned, Megatron put no stock in these rumors and dismissed them. Starscream was curious by the specificity of his warnings, however, and Megatron grudgingly permitted him to investigate. Shortly afterwards, Starscream received a call from Trickdiamond, whom he'd once promised her everything if Swindle ever fell. When she informed him that her boss was voluntarily aiding the Autobots, Starscream passed the word along to Megatron and Sixshot. {{storylink|Darkness, Once Gazed Upon: Part Two}}

[[File:WarsEndPartTwo-Soundwave.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

As the Decepticons prepared to attack Crystal City, Cyclonus arrived, spouting more warnings about Exarchon, Starscream suggested to Megatron that, true or false, they spin the rumours to their advantage, painting the Decepticons as benevolent protectors against a foe to all of Cybertron. {{storylink|War's End Part One}} Starscream later tried to make peace with Soundwave before [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]] teleported in, bringing confirmation that Exarchon had returned. When the three made for the throne room, Megatron was in the process of speaking with Optimus Prime. Given that the Autobots were the least of the threats facing the Decepticons, Starscream advised Megatron to agree to a temporary alliance, being supported by Soundwave. {{storylink|War's End Part Two}}

In the Decepticons' big push on [[Darkmount (Cybertron)|Darkmount]], Starscream led the Seekers into battle against [[Sky Lynx (G1)|Sky Lynx]]. After [[Computron (G1)|Computron]] had been felled, Starscream attempted to warn Megatron of the Autobots' imminent launch only for them to do so before he could even finish his sentence. {{storylink|Transformers: Fate of Cybertron|Fate of Cybertron}}

{{--}}

===''Transformers/Ghostbusters''===
[[File:GhostsOfCybertronPart1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|300px]]

After the Decepticons won the Great War, the malevolent entity known as [[Gozer]] appeared on Cybertron. Though Starscream was quick to attack, Gozer simply reflected his weapon's power back at him before it was approached by the [[Decepticon leader]], offering Megatron the choice of which form it would assume to destroy Cybertron. In his arrogance, Starscream momentarily thought that only ''he'' was powerful enough to destroy Cybertron, and when Gozer picked up on this thought it reshaped itself into a monstrous parody of the Air Commander and began its attack. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} 

Though the Decepticons fought valiantly against the extradimensional menace, the invader proved too powerful, and the destruction of the [[Decepticon fleet]] and Megatron's pride meant that evacuation was not an option. As Megatron prepared to execute Starscream for giving Gozer a form, the energy being known as [[Kremzeek]] approached the members of [[Decepticon High Command]] and offered them a proposition: he would spare their lives by transforming them into [[ghost]]s... but once Megatron accepted the deal, he discovered that Kremzeek intended to use them to find the [[AllSpark]], which the Autobots had taken with them when they fled Cybertron, and seize it for his own ends. Megatron, Soundwave, and Shockwave refused, resulting in the Scavenger absorbing them into his being. Only Starscream chose to serve Kremzeek, and the energy creature sent him out into the galaxy to find the ''Ark'', and with it, the AllSpark. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}} {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

[[File:GhostsofCybertron1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|300px]]

One thousand years later, Starscream's ghost manifested on [[Earth]] and drew the attention of the ''Ark''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s crew, who sent [[Ectotron|Ectronymous Diamatron]] to investigate. When he arrived at the Autobot's coordinates, Starscream asked the nearby [[Ghostbusters]] to leave, but the humans responded by trapping him in one of their [[ghost trap]]s. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 1}} Ectronymous accidentally set Starscream free, who nearly turned his wrath on the organics before they restrained him with their [[proton pack]]s. Noticing Ectronymous' Autobot insignia, Starscream called a truce and told an edited version of his story, claiming that he needed the AllSpark in order to rebuild his physical body. When one of Kremzeek's children arrived, Starscream, ostensibly to win the humans' trust, instructed them on how to destroy it before the group returned to the [[Ghostbusters firehouse]]. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 2}}

[[File:GhostsOFCybertronPart4-youstillfunction.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Loitering through the building, Starscream failed to kill a [[Slimer|a gluttonous ghost]], much to [[Peter Venkman]]'s amusement. While the human sympathized with the attempted murder, he wasn't fooled for a second by Starscream's act and activated a hidden ghost trap that kept the Seeker contained while Ectotron and the Ghostbusters went out on a call. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 3}} While the Ghostbusters took care of a local ghost, Kremzeek created a power surge that disabled the trap and set his servant free. Starscream fled to the [[Grosbeak Generating Station]] and set a trap for the Ghostbusters—once they'd captured him, he shrieked for his master to save him, prompting the arrival of Kremzeek. Though Starscream intended to use the Prime as a hostage for the AllSpark, Kremzeek had reached his limit with the Seeker's lack of results and absorbed him into his being. Starscream's imprisonment was a short-lived one, however, for [[Killerwatt|an electricity consuming ghost]] made physical contact with Kremzeek, dissipated the both of them and freed the Decepticon ghosts. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 4}}

As Megatron attacked Optimus Prime, Starscream tried to kill the distracted Peter Venkman only to be restrained once again by a proton stream. Salvation came when Shockwave, also restrained by such a stream, fired a round near Venkman and shattered his hold on the Seeker. Opting for the better part of valour, Starscream fled the planet and swore revenge on the Ghostbusters. When Ectotron left Earth in an [[Autobot shuttle]], intending to search for other Cybertronian ghosts across the galaxy, Starscream watched him leave with an opportunistic smirk. {{storylink|Ghosts of Cybertron Part 5}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers vs. The Terminator''===
[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPart2-Seekers.jpg|thumb|250px|right]]
In the year [[1984]], Starscream and the other Decepticons awoke aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' and killed [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] before the Autobot leader could awaken. Without their adversary to slow them down, the Decepticons promptly began a destructive campaign against humanity, and in spite of the Earthlings forming [[Skywatch]] to fight back, this genocidal war ended with humanity's complete extinction. Only Skywatch's [[Skynet]] supercomputer network survived, and, under the pretenses of surrender, marshaled its resources to construct a time machine in the hopes of changing history. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}}

In the year [[2029]], Starscream, Skywarp, Thundercracker, and the Insecticons led the final attack on Skynet's [[Omega Base]], destroying scores of [[T-800]] robots, but were too late to prevent Skynet from activating its [[time displacement device]] and sending one T-800 back to the year 1984. Unaware of this gambit, Starscream destroyed the machine that the android had used and ordered the artificial intelligence's execution. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part One}}

[[File:EnemyOfMyEnemyPartThree-Starscream.jpg|thumb|left|200px]]

The Terminator travelled back to 1984 and, after recruiting [[Sarah Connor]] into its mission of complete Cybertronian destruction, hightailed it to [[Mount St. Hilary]] and attacked the Decepticons before they could kill Optimus Prime. Smaller and more agile than its Decepticon foes, the Terminator withstood both Soundwave and Starscream's attacks long enough for Sarah to accidentally reactivate Optimus Prime and Bumblebee. Starscream panicked, assumed that ''all'' the Autobots were coming back online, and suggested a retreat. The Decepticons regrouped on an Oregon beach, where Starscream explained that the cyborg that had attacked them was ''not'' one of the native [[human]]s, but a cleverly disguised machine. Seeking power to fuel their invasion, the Decepticons then attacked the headquarters of [[Cyberdyne Systems]]. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Two}}

After the facility had been conquered, Starscream interrogated its scientists for information about the Terminator unit, even making attempts to bargain with the humans. By the time the Autobots arrived, the interrogation had allowed Starscream to work out the truth behind the Terminator's existence. After Refraktor had been killed, Starscream confronted the T-800 and offered to cut the android a deal, lest he exterminate his hostages and erase the android's timeline. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Three}}

Seeking to turn the android's anti-Cybertronian mission against Megatron before he destroyed it, unaware that it had already deemed his hostages as expendable, Starscream downed Soundwave with a missile barrage before he launched the T-800 at Megatron. Even at point blank range however, the android failed to breach the warlord's armor who promptly hurled it back at Starscream, sending the Seeker down into a crash landing. As the T-800 told [[Sarah Connor]] that it would complete its mission of Cybertronian destruction, Starscream reverted to robot mode, his transformation bisecting the time traveller, before he prepared to execute the Terminator. As he gloated about his plan to make a legion of slaves in the T-800's image, Starscream was shot in the side by Soundwave. Cursing his foes, Starscream flew off, content to let them kill each other. {{storylink|Enemy of My Enemy Part Four}}

{{--}}

===''My Little Pony/Transformers''===
[[File:ShineLikeADiamond-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|200px|"You're just jealous of my ''swish''."]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons battling for control over a malfunctioning [[Space bridge|spacebridge]] (earning a hit to the face from a transformed [[Bumblebee (G1)|Bumblebee]] in the process) when it suddenly activated, transporting Autobots and Decepticons alike to the world of [[Equestria]]. {{storylink|Transformation Is Magic}} Upon his arrival, Starscream attacked the city of [[Manehattan]], forcing [[Rarity]] and her boutique staff to make him look presentable for his eventual conquest of this new world. Though Rarity tried to appease him, Starscream remained unconvinced of her sincerity, asserting that the ponies would serve him. His tirade was interrupted, however, by the arrival of [[Arcee (G1)|Arcee]] who engaged him in battle. Enraged at the humiliation, Starscream fled vowing revenge. He returned with Skywarp and Thundercracker, though their attacks were hindered by Rarity conjuring a magical shield to defend Arcee. After Thundercracker was shot down, Rarity had Arcee force the remaining Seekers to fly closer together, allowing Rarity to use Starscream's own discarded cape to tangle him and Skywarp together. After a brief struggle, Skywarp teleported away, leaving Starscream to lose control and crash outside the city. {{storylink|Shine Like a Diamond}}

Starscream would later join the rest of the Decepticons and their new Changeling allies in an attack on the [[Crystal Empire]]. Eventually, Optimus Prime and [[Twilight Sparkle]] managed to combine the powers of friendship and the Matrix of Leadership to defeat the Decepticons and force them back through the reactivated spacebridge to Cybertron. {{storylink|Finale (Friendship in Disguise!)|Finale}}

[[File:Finale-StarscreamAxe.jpg|thumb|left|250px]]

Following the Decepticons' construction of a new spacebridge, Starscream led the Seekers to the Equestrian city of [[Las Pegasus]] to claim magical artifacts only to run afoul of [[Twilight Sparkle]] and her friends once again. The Seekers fell back to Cybertron where a magical beam from Twilight struck one of the pilfered artifacts and unleashed [[King Sombra]] who proceeded to enthrall several Decepticons. When the Autobots arrived to investigate the commotion, the ponies claimed, much to Starscream's chagrin, that the Cybertronian race would have to unify to combat the [[unicorn]] tyrant. {{storylink|The Magic of Cybertron}}

Starscream's mood only worsened when he found his Seekers allied with the [[Wonderbolt]]s. As he endured [[Rainbow Dash]]'s attitude, the fliers came under attack from the brainwashed Cybertronians. Though Starscream ordered an indiscriminate carpet bombing, the Wonderbolts instead created an atmospheric disturbance that instead allowed the Seekers to fire immobilizing nets at their kin. Landing, Starscream groused about the poor quality of opposition before launching into a speech that once he freed the rubes, they would pledge undying loyalty to him, a speech that no one heard as they were all too busy praising Rainbow Dash's plan. {{storylink|Stunt Flying}}

After [[Ratchet (G1)|Ratchet]] and Rarity had discovered how to free Sombra's thralls, Rainbow Dash was given a transformable [[exosuit]], turning into a handheld weapon for Starscream. When Optimus Prime confronted Megatron, Starscream eagerly jumped in to bludgeon his leader with his transformed ally, hoping that the surge of magical energy would kill his master but it simply freed the warlord instead. When Optimus Prime and Megatron stopped Sombra from getting control over [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]], Megatron revealed that the empathetic magic had made him aware of his second's treachery. As he dodged fire from Megatron's [[fusion cannon]], Starscream flew off, swearing revenge on Megatron and the ponies. {{storylink|Finale (The Magic of Cybertron)|Finale}}

===''Transformers/Back to the Future''===
[[File:TFBTTF1-Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|250px]]

Starscream was one of the many dormant Decepticons who had been entombed aboard the ''[[Ark (G1)|Ark]]'' when it crash-landed on [[Earth]] millions of years in the past. In the year [[1984]], [[Teletraan I|Teletraan-1]] reactivated the Decepticons ahead of schedule thanks to a time-travelling [[Rumble (G1)|Rumble]], who had used [[Doc Brown]]'s [[DeLorean time machine|DeLorean]] to travel back in time from [[2015]] and bring his comrades online. After executing the slumbering Autobots, the Decepticons quickly conquered Earth and enslaved the human race. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

When [[Hill Valley]] fell behind on its quota of [[energon cube]]s, Starscream was sent to investigate. As he humiliated Coordinator [[Biff Tannen]], [[Marty McFly]] lobbed a trash can lid at the Seeker's head, redirecting the SIC's anger. Starscream quickly cornered the youth but was prevented from executing him when the time travelling Autobot [[Gigawatt]] materialized and sent the Seeker tumbling into Jones Fertilizer. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 1|Transformers/Back to the Future #1}}

Hauling himself out of the excrement, Starscream attacked Gigawatt, briefly recognizing the turncoat, but was denied victory when the Autobot [[Skilz]] revealed himself, landing a kick to the Seeker's face that downed him long enough for Gigawatt to escape through time with Marty and Skilz. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 2|Transformers/Back to the Future #2}}

In 2015, Starscream made another visit to Hill Valley where he oversaw an execution of human rebels with four of the Constructicons. Before Biff Tannen could execute the humans, the Autobots and Marty McFly arrived. When McFly managed to use Brown's [[alpha-wave ionic nullifier]], Starscream shot him down only for [[Hot Rod (G1)|Rodimus Prime]] to confront the Seeker and down him with a mighty left hook. {{storylink|Transformers/Back to the Future issue 3|Transformers/Back to the Future #3}}

{{--}}

===''Transformers Go! Go!''===

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|The Evil Leader's Big Miscalculation}}}}

[[Elita One (G1)|Elita-1]] told the other Autobots that they needed to work together to get some [[energon]] and [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Pirme]] informed her that he had an idea about where they can get it. However, they were interrupted shortly afterwards by [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]] and Starscream, who wanted to steal the energon for themselves. {{storylink|Great Adventure on the Planet of Games!}} 

{{charstubfiction|{{storylink|Careless Scream}} {{storylink|The Iron Man of Repair}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 15}} {{storylink|I Want to Protect This Place}} {{storylink|The Transformers' Explosive New Years' Battle!}} {{storylink|Autobot Police Dispatched!}} {{storylink|Muscle Revolution! Ya!}} {{storylink|The Villains' Strategy Conference, Indeed!}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 26}} {{storylink|Zzzzzz}} {{storylink|Protect Freedom! Optimus!}} {{storylink|Go! Go! issue 32}}}}

{{--}}

===''Last Bot Standing''===
Starscream was among the many Decepticons who fought against the Autobots as both sides drained the universe of its resources. {{Storylink|Last Bot Standing issue 2|Last Bot Standing #2}}

===Energon Universe===
{{spoiler|Transformers (2023) issue 5|March 14, 2024}}

On Cybertron, Starscream fought alongside the other Decepticons for 200 years, felling many Autobots such as [[Beachcomber (G1)#Energon Universe|Beachcomber]] {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 2|Transformers #2}} as well as many unaligned Transformers such as [[Cliffjumper (G1)#Energon Universe|Cliffjumper]]'s clan. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 4|Transformers #4}}

[[File:TF2023 1 Starscream blasts Bumblebee.jpeg|left|thumb|225px|Say what you want about him, but he sure doesn't waste time.]]
Many years later, Starscream was one of many Decepticons lying dormant in the ''[[Ark (G1)#Energon Universe|Ark]]'' when [[Jetfire (G1)#Energon Universe|Jetfire]] unearthed the ship and attempted to use [[Teletraan One]] to reactivate and rebuild the Transformers aboard. Starscream was the first to be rebuilt, and began his new lease on life by thanking his old friend, then shooting a dormant [[Bumblebee (G1)#Energon Universe|Bumblebee]] in the face. When Jetfire confronted him, Starscream told him that the [[Decepticon|markings]] on his wings were because of the war that had been raging for the past hundred years, before also shooting Jetfire in the abdomen. Starscream took aim at the dormant [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]]'s face before he was attacked by the newly rebuilt [[Optimus Prime (G1)#Energon Universe|Optimus Prime]].

A fight ensued, and after taking a kick from the revived [[Ratchet (G1)#Energon Universe|Ratchet]], Starscream ordered [[Skywarp (G1)#Energon Universe|Skywarp]] to drag more Decepticon warriors to his posistion to be revived by Teletraan One. Starscream then caught Optimus off-guard as the Autobot leader discovered Bumblebee's body. He grappled Optimus from behind, berating him for mourning the weak Autobot before asking [[Soundwave (G1)#Energon Universe|Soundwave]] for assistance. Soundwave deployed [[Ravage (G1)#Energon Universe|Ravage]], whom Starscream ordered to rip out Optimus' eyes. However, humans [[Spike Witwicky (G1)#Energon Universe|Spike Witwicky]] and [[Carly (G1)#Energon Universe|Carly]] helped Optimus grab his blaster in time, allowing him to shoot Ravage and knock off Starscream before destroying Teletraan One to prevent the computer from reviving more Decepticons.

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream Takes Out Jetfire.jpg|thumb|right]]
Mildly upset at the destruction of Teletraan One, Starscream, in jet mode, gave chase to Optimus and Ratchet alongside Skywarp, but the pair were shot at by a still-alive Jetfire. Starscream fired on his former friend, fatally wounding him. The two Decepticons were forced to give up the chase soon after, as Skywarp's energy levels were dangerously low. 

Upon returning to the Ark, Starscream learned from Soundwave that Teletraan One was irreparable without more energy, and since Starscream had the most [[Energon]] reserves, he had to find some. Starscream begrudgingly agreed, but not before telling Soundwave to not say [[Megatron (G1)#Energon Universe|his]] name and asserting himself as leader of the Decepticons. Starscream traveled to a nearby power plant, where he crushed [[Davey|one of the human workers]] in his hand. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 1|Transformers #1}}

[[File:TF2023 – Starscream slaps a jet.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.225]]
Starscream took enough energy back to power the other Decepticons, and later returned to the power plant with them in tow to collect even more energy with a converter. A fighter jet attempted to investigate, but Starscream intercepted the jet and quite literally slapped it out of the sky. Starscream then killed the one of the pilots, only to be shot in the face with a flare gun as [[Duke (G.I. Joe)|the other pilot]] escaped. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 2|Transformers #2}} The Decepticons returned to the ''Ark'', where Starscream expressed frustration at Soundwave's inability to repair Teletraan One due to the inadequacy of Earth's materials. Soundwave attempted to lament on what Megatron would have done, which earned him a swift slap from Starscream for mentioning that name. Just then, the Decepticons received a priority message from Laserbeak about an Autobot. As he was busy, Starscream sent Skywarp to deal with it. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 3|Transformers #3}}

[[File:TF2023 no. 4 – Prime Runs Over Starscream.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.225]]
Starscream arrived after the ensuing battle to find Skywarp beaten and in desperate need of repairs. Starscream asked his fallen comrade where the Autobots went and took off to pursue them. This led him into a chase with Optimus Prime, Starscream's fire interrupting a communication between the Autobot leader and Ratchet. Starscream transformed and landed in front of Optimus, intending to block his escape, only for Cliifjumper and Carly to sweep his legs out from under him and allow the Autobots to get away. Starscream would regroup with Soundwave and his cassettes at the local hospital, halting Soundwave from executing Optimus Prime. Starscream grew a smile as he realized the hospital was meant to fix the humans, gleefully mocking Optimus' pathetic empathy. To make Optimus' death more painful, Starscream opened fire on the building, damaging its generator. However, he was interrupted by the arrival of two new Autobots: Ratchet and [[Jazz (G1)#Energon Universe|Jazz]], the latter shooting Starcream in the shoulder. The Autobots rallied, prompting Starscream to order a retreat.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Starscream kicks Ravage.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.225|[[Cobra Commander]] would [[:File:CobraCommander-150.jpg|approve]].]]
As the Decepticons returned to the ''Ark'', Soundwave berated Starscream's single-minded penchant for destruction. Starscream deflected blame, asserting that their failures were due to Soundwave's inability to repair Teletraan One. Yet their arguing led to a realization: they ''did'' have the Cybertronian materials to repair the computer, and the two proceeded to tear Skywarp apart to get them. After the computer was repaired, Starscream watched on as it repaired [[Reflector (G1)|Reflector]], gloating that he was the Decepticon leader now and forever. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 4|Transformers #4}} Soundwave was about to suggest that they use Teletraan One to repair Ravage, but Starscream was contemptuous of the idea of starting with the smallest of their number and punted the cassette away, instead picking [[Thundercracker (G1)#Energon Universe|Thundercracker]] as the next candidate for revival. Thundercracker was shocked to see what had become of Skywarp, but Starscream assured him that Skywarp had "volunteered his life for the greater Decepticon good." Soundwave then alerted Starscream that the Autobots had found a new source of energy at a power dam. Angry that the Autobots were stealing "their" energy, Starscream ordered an attack on them, to which a newly revived [[Frenzy (G1)#Energon Universe|Frenzy]] and Reflector volunteered. Reflector asked Starscream where Megatron was, but Starscream ordered him to shut up and stay focussed on the mission, and he and the Decepticons set out for the dam.

[[File:TF2023 no. 5 – Optimus taunts Starscream.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.25]]
Once there, upon noticing that the Autobots were using power from the dam and a jerry-rigged turbine to revive their dormant comrades, Starscream and Thundercracker strafed the enemy, then deployed Reflector to attack, only for Reflector to be blown to bits by Optimus Prime, who had equipped himself with Megatron's arm and [[fusion cannon]]. Starscream took on Prime directly, scorning the Autobot Commander for using the "precious" weapon. Prime retorted by noting how much the cannon scared Starscream and how it reminded him of what he would never be. Enraged, Starscream managed to slip past Prime and severely damaged the turbine. Starscream gloated over his victory, and was shot by Optimus for his troubles, prompting him to order a retreat.

The Autobots then launched a counteroffensive to retake the ''Ark'', but Starscream, having anticipated this, dispatched the freshly revived [[Constructicon (G1)|Constructicons]] to intercept the Autobots, then ordered them to merge into [[Devastator (G1)#Energon Universe|Devastator]]. {{storylink|Transformers (2023) issue 5|Transformers #5}}
{{ongoing}}
{{--}}

==Commercial appearances==
[[File:Starscreamg1early.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|I'm the black one! ...wait.]]
[[File:Commercial-PretenderStarscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Way to leave your shell stranded on the top of a skyscraper.]]
[[File:Commercial-AMStarscreamsits.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Where's our [[BotCon]] exclusive of ''this'' deco?]]
Starscream's [[commercial]] appearances with original footage include:
*An appearance in the first ''Transformers'' animation, a commercial for [[The Transformers (issue)|Issue #1]] of Marvel's ''[[The Transformers (Marvel comic)|The Transformers]]'' comic book. Alongside Thundercracker and Skywarp, Starscream attacked an Earth power plant, then defended himself against an Autobot counterattack. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#The Transformers #1|''The Transformers'' #1 commercial}}
*Starscream, Thundercracker and Skywarp encountered the Autobots Jazz, Sideswipe and Prowl in the middle of the desert. They briefly scuffled. This was a toy commercial for all six featured characters. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Decepticon jets & Autobot cars|Decepticon jets & Autobot cars commercial}}
*Starscream and Thundercracker were strafing three Autobots, when their enemies unveiled their newest warrior, [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]]! No longer possessing the advantage of flight, the Decepticons retreated so that their own newest recruit, [[Shockwave (G1)|Shockwave]] could deal with the flying Autobot. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Jetfire and Shockwave|Jetfire and Shockwave commercial}}
*Starscream led Thrust over the desert to attack the Autobots' new defense base, brushing off Thrust's concerns about the whereabouts of the Autobots themselves. He was caught off-guard when the base transformed into [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]]. Good goin' there, Starscream. This was the only ad in which Starscream had a speaking part; he was given his usual cartoon voice. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Omega Supreme|Omega Supreme commercial}}
*Starscream, [[Skywarp (G1)|Skywarp]], [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]], and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] faced off against [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Optimus Prime]] until Autobot reinforcements showed up in the form of [[Blurr (G1)|Blurr]], [[Kup (G1)|Kup]], and [[Hot Rod (G1)|Hot Rod]]. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, Rodimus Prime|Hot Rod, Kup, Blurr, Cyclonus, Scourge, and Rodimus Prime commercial}}
*He led an attack on the Autobots' launch site while Optimus was away on Cybertron. Ultra Magnus led the Autobots in a counter-attack against Starscream's team. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus|Ultra Magnus commercial}}
*Starscream and Skywarp battled alongside Galvatron - yes, Galvatron! - when the three Decepticons encountered [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] driving down a highway. The two Decepticon jets strafed about as Galvatron bellowed that his first encounter with the Autobot city commander would be Ultra Magnus' doom. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Ultra Magnus and Galvatron|Ultra Magnus and Galvatron commercial}}
*Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker found themselves on the wrong end of a beating when they came to blows with the Dinobots. Starscream was batted away by a swing of [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]'s tail. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Predacons|Predacons commercial}}
*Starscream was lurking in the dark of an Earth city as Optimus Prime was reunited with Jazz and Bumblebee. (Narration from [[Victor Caroli]] led the viewer to believe that his lurking was quite evil.) Starscream emerged from his Pretender shell, and swooped down to attack the Autobots. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Classic Pretenders|Classic Pretenders commercial}}
*Still in his Pretender Classics body, Starscream was seen dunking [[Wildfly]], [[Icepick (G1)|Icepick]], and [[Scowl (G1)|Scowl]] into colorful vats to create the [[Pretender Monster]]s. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Pretender Monsters|Pretender Monsters commercial}}
*Starscream was seen battling Prowl aboard his [[Turbo Jet]] on Cybertron. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 1#Action Master vehicles|Action Master vehicles commercial}}
*His jet form was seen flying over a rocky landscape alongside Ramjet. {{storylink|Commercial/Generation 2#Jets and cars|Generation 2 jets and cars commercial}}

He also appeared in some online promotional videos:
*Starscream learned from eavesdropping on a conversation between Optimus and Megatron that [[BotCon 2009]] would have some sweet exclusive toys. He demanded that the Decepticons attend the convention, and was eager to be the first to get the "Wings of Honor" box set! {{storylink|BotCon 2009!}}
*Starscream gushed about his Botcon exclusive Kup toy when Megatron interrupted him, demanding to know if Starscream had completed the work on the Decepticons' anti-matter gun. When Starscream fumbled his words, Megatron caught on that Starscream hadn't done any work on the weapon whatsoever. Megatron was convinced to attend BotCon in the hopes of finding some new weapons there, and Starscream readied himself for the convention by putting on a kitty hat. {{storylink|BotCon 2010 Promo}}
*Megatron rode atop of Starscream's jet mode in outer space. {{storylink|Mega Spice -- The Transformer Your Fan Could Be Like}}
*Starscream and Megatron visited Shockwave's lab on Cybertron. Despite being told off from touching Shockwave's newest creation, the "continuum transmorpher," Starscream did so anyways as soon as Megatron and Shockwave stepped out of the room. He then attempted to upload his toy review using Shockwave's computer, fumbling the transmorpher in the process. The device summoned Starscream's [[Starscream (Animated)|"Animated" counterpart]] to his reality. The two Starscreams then discussed how awesome BotCon was. They also teamed up to blast Megatron, but then argued over which one of them was now the new Decepticon leader. Not that it mattered, since Megatron was far from being defeated... {{storylink|Who is the Greatest Starscream Of All Time?}}
*Starscream nominated himself as the official reviewer for BotCon exclusive toys. He was about to reveal the first of the [[BotCon 2012]] exclusives when Megatron interrupted his video. While Starscream was distracted, Grimlock stepped in and revealed the [[Overlord (G1)|Gigatron]] toy, spoiling the review. {{storylink|BotCon 2012: Figure Reveal!}}
*After a dance-off between Soundwave and Blaster, Starscream prepared to take the stage by first putting on a pair of sunglasses... {{storylink|Blaster VS Soundwave 2013}}
*Starscream was part of an epic battle in a desert against the Autobots. He provided Megatron air support against Optimus, Megatron, Bumblebee and Ratchet. Optimus managed to snag him out of the air by riding atop of Bumblebee. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O TRANSFORMERS Online Exclusive commercial}} When the narrator pointed out that the Transformers' battles had never been bigger, Bumblebee's Kreon pointed out that they never had been small either, and kicked Starscream's Kreon over, reducing him to pieces. {{storylink|Commercial#Kre-O|KRE-O TRANSFORMERS teaser trailer}}
{{-}}

==Games==
===Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons===
When Optimus embarked on his mission to rescue the Autobots' [[Mini Vehicle|Minicar]] troops from the Decepticons, Starscream could hinder Optimus Prime's progress, pushing him back towards Optimus's point of origin in the Decepticon's maze-like base. {{storylink|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons|Adventure Game: Defeat the Decepticons packaging blurb and game}}

===''Transformers: Mystery of Convoy''===
[[File:Jetron MoCsprites.jpg|thumb|200px]]
Starscream was among the [[Decepticon]] troops who sought to destroy [[Ultra Magnus (G1)|Ultra Magnus]] on his journey, confronting him in the [[Temple Ruins]]... in theory. {{storylink|Transformers: Mystery of Convoy}}

{{note|Starscream's supposed appearance in this game is from a [[Transformers: Mystery of Convoy (promo video)|''Mystery of Convoy'' promo video]], calling him one of the "[[Seeker (body-type)|Jetron]]" foes. These enemies being copies of Starscream is... less dubious than all the other jets the video claims use the same sprite, since the sprite ''is'' in the right colors... but still.}}
{{-}}

===''The Transformers'' (Commodore 64)===
{{charstubgame}}
{{storylink|The Transformers (Commodore 64)}}

===''The Transformers'' (PS2)===
[[File:TF PS2 Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4]]
{{voiceactor|[[Jack Merluzzi]]}}

While the Autobots were on their way to ELTA, Starscream appeared and told them to stop right where they were. Transforming to robot form, he announced that he would be their opponent. Optimus Prime asked him where he had been during the whole adventure, but Starscream just told him to shut up and warned him that his null ray was not like the others. Despite saying that he was going to shut Optimus' mouth forever, Starscream was defeated by the Autobots. Deciding to make a strategic withdraw and that discretion was the better part of valor, despite knowing that Megatron was going to chew him out, Starscream transformed to jet form and flew off. In the post credits Starscream was drained off all of energy and was helpless and drifted off into deep space. {{storylink|The Transformers (PS2)|The Transformers}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals'' (N64)===
[[File:N64Starscream.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Yes, that's Transmetal Waspinator in original Waspinator colors as Generation 1 Starscream. No, that's not normal.]]

{{voiceactor|[[Alec Willows]] (English)}}

In an alternate timeline created when Megatron sent a message through Transwarp back to his past self, Starscream returned to the Beast Wars following the [[quantum surge]], which granted him a strange but powerful new [[Transmetal]] body. Fearing that the Beast Wars would alter history against his liking, Starscream set out to destroy any Maximal or Predacon that opposed him. After vanquishing his foes, Starscream entered the Ark and infused himself with the power of his old body, just as Megatron and Optimus Primal had increased their power. This fusion of old and new allowed Starscream to finally achieve his eons long goal of restoring his original body. Finally whole, Starscream undertook the long journey through transwarp back to Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers: Beast Wars Transmetals (N64)|Beast Wars Transmetals}}

{{BW fighter ending|Starscream|N64}}
{{--}}

===''Transformers Battle Circuit''===
Starscream, one of the "greatest Transformers of all time," was part of a Decepticon team that participated in a tournament on Cybertron. He faced off against a team of Autobots in a series of one-on-one matches. If he managed to defeat Bumblebee, Rodimus, Grimlock, Jetfire and Optimus Prime, Starscream was declared to be the tournament's champion! {{storylink|Transformers Battle Circuit}}

===3D Battle-Card Game===
Starscream serves under [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] as one of his Decepticon soldiers, battling [[Optimus Primal (BW)|Optimus Primal]]'s many Autobot allies in what might possibly have been an inter-universe battle. {{storylink|3D Battle-Card Game#Energon Wars expansion|Energon Wars Expansion Set}}
{{-}}

===Sector Seven Alternate Reality Game===
[[File:Starscream 1982.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|Masterpiece attack!]]
Disguised as an F-15 Eagle fighter jet, Starscream was active on Earth in [[1982]], with documented sightings of jets sporting his unique colors on several continents before he was caught on camera transforming to [[robot mode]] in California. This sighting (and its subsequent leak) was the direct impetus for [[Hungry Dragon|Hungry Dragon 1]].

Later, during late April/early May of [[2007]], [[Sector Seven]] intercepted two sound clips through Agent Cod3x and another source (currently unknown). Apparently, Starscream wanted to make his presence known and left a message announcing that he would have the All Spark, and that Agent Powers would be the one to hand it over. These messages were somewhat garbled, as they were apparently received over a SETI@home system. So far, only these two "blips" have been analyzed (the second still needing work), but more may come in the near future. {{storylink|Sector Seven (game)|Sector Seven}}
{{-}}

===''Revenge of the Fallen'' - The Game (Xbox 360/Sony PS3/PC)===
[[File:ROTF 360PS3PC DLC G1Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|"Why do I feel like [[Pat Lee]] designed me?"]]
{{voiceactor|[[Charlie Adler]] (English)}}

{{Note|Starting on [[August 27]], [[2009]], Starscream was made available as one of a handful of downloadable characters in a DLC pack for Xbox 360 and Sony Playstation 3. }}
{{storylink|Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox 360/PS3/PC)|Revenge of the Fallen}}
{{-}}

===Transformers Battle Universe===
At the edge of time, when the [[Matrix of Leadership|Matrix]] needed a new host, Starscream was among several warriors summoned from the multiverse to battle for control of the prize. {{storylink|Transformers Battle Universe}}

===Transformers G1: Awakening===
[[File:Starscream g1awakening stats.jpg|upright=1.1|left|thumb]]
Starscream was among the Decepticons who pursued and boarded the Autobot [[Ark (G1)|Ark]]. When the ship crashed on [[Earth]], all inside were sent into stasis, but the Decepticons woke up four million years later and resumed their conquering ways. Picking up [[Jetfire (G1)|Jetfire]], whom they tricked into becoming a Decepticon, Starscream took part in an attack on [[Dyson Dam]]. He was later present when the Decepticons trapped Optimus Prime's team on Cybertron, though he was unable to prevent the Autobots from subsequently escaping imprisonment. He returned to Earth where he picked a fight with [[Grimlock (G1)|Grimlock]] and was soundly defeated by the Dinobot. He also took part in Megatron's ill-fated assault on the Ark, and completely failed to stop the Autobots when they attacked the Decepticon fortress on Cybertron. {{storylink|Transformers G1: Awakening}}
{{-}}

===''Bot Shots Battle Game!''===
[[File:Bsbg-starscream.jpg|thumb|]]
Starscream participated in numerous one-on-one matches against other Autobots and Decepticons, using his fists, his sword, or his gun to defeat his opponents. Sometimes, he even faced off against himself! {{storylink|Bot Shots Battle Game!}}

===''Construct-Bots Builder''===
The components necessary for building "Construct-Bot" Starscream were accessible within the Cybertron construction zone. Despite it being against protocol, [[you]] could mix his parts with those of Autobots! (gasp!) {{storylink|Construct-Bots Builder}}

===''Bumblebee Boulder Dash''===
Bumblebee was driving peacefully down a road when Starscream started making boulders roll along the road at him. {{storylink|Bumblebee Boulder Dash}}

===''Kreon Chaos''===
There were lots of Starscreams! They bedeviled the Autobots on their quest to retrieve the Optimus Prime Kre-O kit parts held within the Decepticons' base on Cybertron. {{storylink|Kreon Chaos}}
{{charstubgame|"Earth" and "Moon" stages}}

===''Starscream Stand Off''===
Starscream engaged in aerial combat against the many units of the Autobot/Human Alliance Air Defence. {{storylink|Starscream Stand Off}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers Legends''===
Once one of Cybertron's defenders, Starscream was stationed aboard an orbital station. The long isolation resulted in him becoming greedy and ambitious, and he eagerly took up Megatron's offer to lead troops in battle. {{storylink|Transformers Legends (mobile game)|Starscream's card bio}}

Following the disappearance of Megatron, Starscream stole the [[Exponential Generator]] from [[Doctor Arkeville]] with the intention of using it to destroy [[Earth]] and harness the energy from the planet's destruction. Luckily the Autobots stopped him, firing the generator into orbit after a battle. {{storylink|Countdown to Extinction (Legends)|Countdown to Extinction}} Starscream was among the Decepticons who coated themselves in [[Electrum]] from a Golden Lagoon, though their campaign against the Autobots was halted when the Autobots found the lagoon, and the Electrum was destroyed in the ensuing battle. {{storylink|The Golden Lagoon (Legends)|The Golden Lagoon}} After the Decepticons discovered a [[Crystal of Power]] in [[South America]], Starscream and Reflector were sent to steal materials for a cannon. They succeeded, despite Autobot interference, though the Autobots later managed to destroy the cannon anyway. {{storylink|Fire on the Mountain (Legends)|Fire on the Mountain}}

Starscream was among a group of Decepticons who accidentally time travelled back to the sixth century and ended up having to battle some similarly displaced Autobots using medieval technology. They lost, and returned to the present as prisoners of the Autobots. {{storylink|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court (Legends)|A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court}} The Decepticons manage to drive the Autobots off Earth, and proceeded to set about conquering the planet. Unfortunately for them, the Autobots soon returned and succeeded in badly damaging Megatron, resulting in Starscream and the other Decepticons retreating with their wounded leader. {{storylink|All Hail Megatron (Legends)|All Hail Megatron}}

Starscream took part in an all-out assault on [[Autobot City (G1)|Autobot City]]. {{storylink|One Shall Fall...}} Following Megatron's death, Starscream wrested control of the Decepticons. Despite resistance by Megatron loyalists, Starscream organized a coronation, however the event was gatecrashed by Galvatron, who blasted Starscream into dust. {{storylink|The Coronation of Starscream}}

Reduced to an insubstantial ghost, Starscream sought the help of [[Unicron]] and was pressed into service as an instrument of Unicron's will, becoming an agent of chaos. During a period when the barrier between the physical and ethereal plane was weakened, Starscream enlisted [[Fangry (G1)|Fangry]], [[Weirdwolf (G1)|Weirdwolf]] and [[Ratbat (G1)|Ratbat]] to help him pass through the [[spirit portal]]. Thanks to the interference of the Autobot [[Headmaster (technology)|Headmasters]], he was unable to take physical form before the portal collapsed and was again left stuck on the ethereal plane. {{storylink|Ghost in the Machine (Legends)|Ghost in the Machine}} Unicron again struck a deal with Starscream, who took control of [[Cyclonus (G1)|Cyclonus]] and [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]] to enact a plan to provide Unicron with a new body in the form of [[Trypticon (G1)|Trypticon]]. Though the trio managed to steal one of [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]]'s eyes, they were intercepted by Autobots en route to Trypticon, and defeated. Though Starscream was forced to flee, he had regained corporeal form thanks to a new body supplied by Unicron. {{storylink|Unicron Returns}}

An ancient prophecy discovered by [[Scoop (G1)|Scoops]] appeared to name Starscream as the chosen one who would bring Cybertron to a new Golden Age, though Starscream himself was skeptical. He and the other Transformers attempted to make contact with the newly arrived [[Quintessa (IDW)|Necrotitan]], only to find it had some connection with the [[Dead Universe]] and an annoying immunity to being attacked. {{storylink|Dark Cybertron (Legends)|Dark Cybertron}}

===''Angry Birds Transformers''===
{{main|Minion Pig#As Starscream}}
Starscream appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by a Minion Pig. He also comes in an [[Minion Pig#As Energon Starscream|Energon version]], which one of the first unlockable characters in the game, and a [[Minion Pig#As Captain Starscream|Captain version]], which is part of War season 3. {{storylink|Angry Birds Transformers (mobile game)|Angry Birds Transformers}}

===''Transformers: Battle Tactics''===
Starscream participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He appeared in multiple different bodies:
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
*''Starscream'' - This Common character could be recruited by collecting 12 units of cybermetal.
*''Starscream'' - This Rare character could be recruited by collecting 160 units of cybermetal, 95 units of transmetal, and 90 exclusive cores.
*''Starscream (Gen)'' - This Super Rare character was available as a reward in the "Lord Starscream" event.
*''Starscream (G2)'' - This Super Rare character first appeared in the "Lord Starscream" event, and could be recruited by collecting 250 units of cybermetal, 75 units of transmetal, 35 event cores, and 10 cores of this character.
*''Lord Starscream'' - This Epic character was available as a reward in the "Lord Starscream" event. {{storylink|Transformers: Battle Tactics}}
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[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(Classics).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Oh, how it pains me to do this!]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(Gen).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|He's [[Starscream (SG)|Shattered Glass Starscream]] turned evil!]]
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[[File:Battle-Tactics-Starscream-(G2).jpg|thumb|upright=2.2]]
[[File:Battle-Tactics-Lord-Starscream.jpg|thumb|upright=2.2|Who disrupts my coronation?]]
{{!}}}

===''Transformers: Devastation''===
{{voiceactor|[[Scott Whyte]] (English)}}

After the ''[[Proudstar]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Plasma Core]] had been ejected from the ship, Starscream fought the Autobots at [[Liberty Bridge]] in an attempt to stop them from reaching the core only to be defeated. He recovered in time to steal the Core from under the Autobots' olfactory sensors and prevent them from launching off-planet. In his haste however, the Core had yet to be repaired, Megatron ordering that Starscream bring it to the space bridge so it could be repaired on Cybertron. Though Starscream made it back to [[New York City]], the weather, combined with the increasingly unstable Core, caused him to lose control of his flight and crash. He eventually made it back to the ''Proudstar''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s command tower as everyone was going through the space bridge, being ordered to guard the rear. Duelling the Autobots in [[unspace|transwarp]], Starscream was defeated once again and sent hurtling across the floor, asking Megatron to help him up. The Decepticon leader declined to do so.

When the Core was repaired and reinstalled, Starscream led his Seekers in defending the [[Ferrotaxis]] from the Autobots only for he and his troops to defeated. {{storylink|Transformers: Devastation}}

===''Transformers: Earth Wars''===
[[file:StarscreamEarthWars.jpg|upright=1.75|thumb|My Null Ray cannons will blast you into... wait what?]]

Vain, arrogant, ruthless and self-serving, Starscream believes he was made to rule, not to serve, and he'll stop at nothing to advance his own cause.
He'll betray anyone, ally or enemy - and that extends to his own leader, Megatron, whose tactics Starscream views as antiquated.
He believes conquest is made from the ashes of his enemies, and woe betide anyone who gets in his way. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Starscream bio}}

Starscream was the first Decepticon to arrive on Earth. After Starscream established a base and took out [[Jetfire (G1)#Transformers: Earth Wars|Jetfire]] by building an Auto Cannon, Luca advised Starscream bring [[Bludgeon (G1)|"the disturbing sword guy"]] through. Starscream is then contacted by Megatron, who commanded him to bring him to Earth, or be stuck on the dreary mudball forever. Seeing as Starscream did not want to be abandoned on a planet full of Autobots, he reluctantly brought Megatron though the Space Bridge after finding a [[quantum crystal]] powerful enough to bring their leader through. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Get Megatron! Campaign}}

Starscream and Bludgeon attended a battle with Megatron where there were a few mortars around. Starscream, being the coward he was, tried to hide from the mortar fire. Megatron got irritated with the Decepticons cowardice and led a ''Rallying Charge'' and destroyed the mortars. He then lorded the victory over the rest of the decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Lost Map Campaign}}

After that whole endeavour, Starscream contacted his agent on Cybertron to get some inside information on the shards of the [[Fractal Map]], who just so happened to be [[Swindle (G1)|Swindle]]. Swindle then got Starscream out of a sticky situation by dealing with some Mortars and Laser Turrets, but now he owed the swindler big time. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|Power Play Campaign}}

Starscream then brought in [[Hook (G1)|Hook]] and another Decepticon recruit. With their help, Starscream tried to snag another piece of the Fractal Map, but was stopped by Bludgeon. Megatron then took control of the operation much to Starscreams chagrin. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars|The Codex Showdown Campaign}}

Finally, Starscream witnessed along with Bludgeon, Megatron, Razorclaw, Kickback, and Shockwave the creation of [[Devastator (G1)|Devastator]]! He watched in awe as Devastator destroyed many Autobot outposts. {{storylink|Transformers: Earth Wars| Combiner Wars Campaign}}

Upon [[Scourge (G1)|Scourge]]'s arrival to Earth, Starscream rudely questioned why another air bot was getting in his way. In response, Scourge warned Starscream to watch his mouth or else Hook would spend the weekend "assembling a 100 piece puzzle" with Starscream's name on it.

Starscream was present in almost all of the Decepticons' future exploits, hoping to use whatever was discovered to overthrow Megatron.

*'''Class:''' Aerial
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 1 star
*'''Weapons:''' Starscream shoots buildings with his null rays dealing a good amount of damage at a steady rate.
*'''Ability: Air Strike:''' Fires 4 powerful rockets at a target building dealing moderate damage.
**'''Cost:''' 4 ability points + 2 for reuses.

[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:staracream Starscream at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]

Starscream's unique quotes when walking around the base:
* "Ha! Megatron will never see that coming..."
* "What's in it for me?"
* "Never let it be said... I don't look out for Number One."


;'''Cybertron Starscream'''
[[File:Cybertron_Starscream_Earth_Wars.jpg|thumb|upright=1.75]]

*'''Class''': Special
*'''Lowest Star Rating:''' 2 star
*'''Ability: ''' Cybertronian Laser - Fire laser dealing damage to regular buildings or double damage to Cybertron raid event buildings (except HQ).
[http://wiki.transformersearthwars.com/character:cybertron-starscream Cybertron Starscream at Transformers: Earth Wars Wiki]
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Frontiers''===
{{charstubgame|{{storylink|Transformers: Frontiers}}}}

===''Transformers Operation Omega''===
{{charstubgames|{{storylink|Transformers Operation Omega}}}}

===''Transformers: Forged to Fight''===
[[File:Starscream-Forged to Fight.jpg|thumb|upright=1.66|Now, fear the power of my nullifying Null Ray!]]
Starscream was one of the Decepticons pulled from [[The Transformers (franchise)|his universe]] by the [[Quintesson]]s and forced to fight. He eventually joins the [[You|Commander]]. There are at least a few of him running around!
As a Tactician, his Null Rays literally Nullify any kind of buff.

{{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight}}
Starscream was flying around the area in a search pattern for Shockwave and [[Ramjet (G1)|Ramjet]]. After Shockwave was defeated, he stole his Aim Enhancer and Unstable Energon. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Shocking Revelation}}

Starscream with the Aim Enhancer repaired met up with Ramjet, but he considered him too treacherous to lead him, and had Bludgeon relieve him of the Aim Enhancer. {{storylink|Transformers: Forged to Fight|Power Seeker - Brothers No More}}

{{chargamestub}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive''===
[[File:BBOStarscream.jpg|thumb|100px]]
Starscream commands the twenty-fourth Decepticon Base to be bombarded by Autobot forces. He puts up a swift resistance utilizing his jet mode but is eventually defeated. Starscream will make his presence known once players reach a total of 627,000,000 points. {{storylink|Transformers: Bumblebee Overdrive}}
{{-}}

===''Transformers: Heavy Metal''===
[[File:TFHeavyMetal Starscream.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
With Megatron trapped in Cybertron, Starscream took control of the Decepticons and led them on an invasion of Earth in search of Energon. Despite losing at least one battle to Bumblebee, Starscream would occasionally contact the humans recruited into the [[Guardian Program]] and suggest they join the winning side represented by the Decepticons. {{storylink|Transformers: Heavy Metal}}


===''Transformers Roleplaying Game''===
Starscream is the leader of the Seekers and Megatron's second in command. His boisterous ego is complimented by his skills as a warrior and flyer. {{storylink|Transformers Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook}} His fickle and self-serving nature sometimes provided interesting interactions between himself, his fellow Decepticons, and the Autobots—be it a desperate call for aid, a greedy grab for power, a malevolent plot, or a mysterious conspiracy the finer details of which are only known to him.<ref>[https://renegadegamestudios.com/transformers-roleplaying-game-free-bonus-material Starscream's Self-Serving Scheming]</ref>

Along with his Seekers, Starscream assumed control of an Autobot Energon facility and launched an assault on [[Sherman Dam]] to attain even more power. His grip on the dam was loosened by a crew of rookie Autobots, but not before he managed to acquire enough Energon to overthrow Megatron once and for all. Where have we heard that one before? {{Storylink|Troubled Waters}}

In cahoots with Soundwave, Starscream then attempted to foil the Autobots attempts to establish a communications beacon in deep space. The terrible two's plot was once again halted by a few uppity Autobot recruits. {{Storylink|A Beacon of Hope}}

* '''Threat Level''' 17
* '''Health:''' 18
* '''Size:''' Large/Long
* '''Movement:''' 30&nbsp;ft Ground/45&nbsp;ft Aerial (Bot-Mode); 75&nbsp;ft Aerial (Alt-Mode)
* '''Strength:''' 8 '''Toughness:''' 21
* '''Speed:''' 12 '''Evasion:''' 22
* '''Smarts:''' 9 '''Wilpower:''' 19
* '''Social:''' 11 ''' Cleverness:''' 21
* '''Specialized Skills''' 
** Deception +d10
** Driving (Flying) +d10
** Persuasion (Scheming +d6
** Targeting +d8
** Languages: Cybertronian, English, French, German, Korean, Japanese, Junkion.
* '''Perks'''
** '''Aerial Superiority:''' Starscream gains an Edge as well as ↑1 on attacks when attacking from higher ground.
** '''Barrel Roll:''' Starscream can take the Defend action for 2 Free Actions instead of a Standard action, provided he moves using Aerial Movement on his turn.
** '''Earlier is Better Than Later:''' While in Alt Mode, Free Actions used for additional Movement adds 10 feet to Starscream's movement instead of 5 feet.
** '''Energon Hoarder:''' Starscream has access to 3 Energon Points at the beginning of any scene.
** '''Expert Swordsbot:''' Starscream gains Multiple Attack (2) when using any kind of one-handed blade.
* '''Powers'''
** '''Flak Pods:''' Starscream adds 1 damage to his Flyby attack and changes its damage type to Sharp.
** '''Mock Surrender:''' If Starscream starts his turn with 5 or fewer Health, he can use his Standard action to plead and fast-talk his way out of danger. Until his next turn, an enemy must succeed on an DIF20 Alertness Skill Tests to target Starscream with a Skill Test.
** '''Scramble:''' Starscream forces attacks to target his Evasion rather than any other defense. If an attack hits, the damage is reduced by 1 (minimum of 1).
* '''Armor:''' Heavy Armor Matrix (+3 Toughness)
* '''Weapons:''' Electronic Pulse Guns x2, Flak Pods, Focused Energon Blade, Missile Rack.
* '''Hangups'''
** '''All For Me:''' Starscream is unable to Lend Assistance in any capacity.
** '''I'll Get You Next Time!:''' If Starscream starts his turn with 3 or fewer Health, roll 1d4. If the result is higher than his current Health, he will attempt to escape the scene.  

{{-}}

==Toys==
{{main|Starscream (G1)/toys}}

==Notes==
[[File:Ulchtar.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Phew.]]
*In [[Jim Shooter]] and [[Denny O'Neil]]'s original ''Transformers'' treatment, Starscream was named "'''Ulchtar'''". Yes. When [[Bob Budiansky]] took over ''Transformers'' preproduction from them, he changed it to "Starscream".<ref>[http://transformers-advent.blogspot.com/2009/07/exclusive-interview-with-bob-budiansky.html Exclusive Interview with Bob Budiansky!]</ref> And "Starscream" was the name given to [[Thundercracker (G1)|Thundercracker]]'s bio, so who knows what else was going on. This may be related to a mix-up that involved all three jets' [[Tech Spec]] numbers being switched around (Starscream was given Skywarp's stats by mistake). 
**Years later, it was established that some versions of [[Starscream (Armada)|Unicron Trilogy Starscream]] were named Ulchtar.
*An early ''[[The Transformers Universe (Marvel)|Universe]]''-style character profile published in ''[[The Transformers Comics Magazine]]'' gave Starscream the smirk-worthy nickname of '''The Silver Snake'''. A second "alternate name" for Starscream shows up in Bob Budiansky's hand-written write-up of his bio, which is briefly visible in one of [[Shout! Factory]]'s DVD featurettes. In addition to "The Silver Snake", the hand-written bio gives Starscream the alternate name of '''Pretty Poison'''. Oookay then...
*An actor in a Starscream costume was among the "live" Transformers one could meet at the 1985 [[The Transformers Universal Studios Tour|Universal Studios Tour]].
*According to the line art of Starscream by Studio OX, each side of his chest has a turbine mounted on it. This concept has influenced his [[Action Master]], [[The Transformers: Masterpiece]], and [[Transformers: Classics|Classics]] toys and the [http://tfu.info/2004/Destron/RMStarscream/starscream.htm art of the Robot Master version].<ref>[[Transformers Visualworks]]</ref>
[[File:StarscreamMW Genesis.jpg|upright=0.85|thumb|Bringing a [[Particle cannon|cannon]] to a [[canon]]-fight.]]
*A 1986 [[Panini]] stickerbook sold in Belgium and the Netherlands gave Starscream the alternate French language name "Starscrim". Whether this name was used in any other media made for French-speaking regions is unknown.
*In ''[[Genesis: The Art of Transformers]]'' is a picture by [[Matt Kuphaldt]] of ''[[Machine Wars: Transformers|Machine Wars]]'' Starscream wearing a purple cape and brandishing [[Galvatron (G1)|Galvatron]]'s torn-off arm cannon. To date, this remains the only canonical appearance of Starscream in this body—so far as the canonicity of art books can be placed. The Facebook edition of [[Ask Vector Prime#Facebook|Ask Vector Prime]] would later [[Starscream (G1)/Generation 1 cartoon continuity#Ask Vector Prime 2|elaborate]]<ref>[[Source:Ask Vector Prime/Facebook#August 27, 2015|Ask Vector Prime 27/08/2015]]</ref> on the nature of the scene being pictured in Matt Kuphaldt's illustration.
*Starscream appears in the DLC for ''Revenge of the Fallen'' on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in his G1 appearance with quite a few new features, not the least of which is the fact that he can summon and fire [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s gun mode (despite the fact that Megatron is already playable as a separate downloadable character).

===Foreign names===
*''Japanese:'' '''Starscream''' (スタースクリーム ''Sutāsukurīmu'')
*''Armenian:'' '''Astghagoch''' (Աստղագոչ, "Starscream")
*''Basque:'' '''Izaroihu'''
*''Cantonese:'' '''Seng Seng Giu''' (星星叫, "Star Shouting")
*''Czech:'' '''Hvězdolam''' ("Starbreak"), '''Křikloun''' ("Screamer")
*''French:'' '''Égo''' (Canada)
*''Hebrew:'' '''Koháv Tsoék''' (כוכב צועק, "Shouting Star")
*''Hungarian:'' '''Üstökös''' ("Comet")
*''Italian:'' '''Astrum''', '''Tornado''' ("Set Commandos" four-pack), '''Arcan''' (Action Master), '''Scintillor''' (''Beast Wars'')
*''Korean:'' '''Starscream''' (스타스크림 ''Seutaseukeurim'')
*''Mandarin:'' '''Hǒu Hsīng''' (Taiwan, 吼星, "Roaring Star")<!--To be confirmed:, '''Tīen-wáng-hsīng''' (Taiwan, 天王星, "Uranus" in direct translation / "Lord of sky and stars" in meaning of translation)-->, '''Hóng Zhīzhū''' (China, 红蜘蛛, "Red Spider")
*''Polish:'' '''Gwiazdowrzask''' ("Starscream"), '''Gwiezdny Krzyk''' (''Beast Wars'', "Star Cry")
*''Portuguese:'' '''Estrela-Estridente''' (Portugal comics, "Shrill Star"), '''Cometa''' (Brazil comics, "Comet")
*''Russian:'' '''Skandalist''' (cartoon, Скандалист, "Brawler")
*''Spanish:'' '''Grito de Estrella''' ("Star Cry"), '''Destello''' (Latin America ''Beast Wars'', "Sparkle")
*''Ukrainian:'' '''Zorekryk''' (Зорекрик, "Starscream")

==References==
{{Reflist}}


[[Category:Action Masters]]
[[Category:Alternators Decepticons]]
[[Category:Alternity Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars Predacons]]
[[Category:Beast Wars: Uprising Decepticons]]
[[Category:Classics Decepticons]]
[[Category:Construct-Bots Decepticons]]
[[Category:Council members]]
[[Category:Decepticon leaders]]
[[Category:Decoys]]
[[Category:Dimension hoppers]]
[[Category:Dreamwave Generation 1 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Energon Universe Decepticons]]
[[Category:Generation 1 Seekers]]
[[Category:Generation 2 Decepticons]]
[[Category:Ghosts]]
[[Category:Go! Go! Decepticons]]
[[Category:Hall of Fame characters]]
[[Category:Henkei! Henkei! Decepticons]]
[[Category:IDW (2019) Transformers]]
[[Category:Live-action film ARG characters]]
[[Category:Kiss Players Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kre-O Decepticons]]
[[Category:Kreons]]
[[Category:Machine Wars Decepticons]]
[[Category:Matrix bearers]]
[[Category:Mystery of Convoy Decepticons]]
[[Category:Predacon leaders]]
[[Category:Pretenders]]
[[Category:Robotmasters Decepticons]]
[[Category:Scientists]]
[[Category:Transmetals]]
[[Category:Triple Changers]]
[[Category:Unicron-related characters]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Earthrise Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Kingdom Decepticons]]
[[Category:War for Cybertron: Siege Decepticons]]
[[Category:War Within Predacons]]
[[Category:Zombies]]