“Starscream’s Brigade,” take 2 has been a very long time coming. A part of Skybound and Daniel Warren Johnson’s “Transformers” pitch to Hasbro was a drawing (by Johnson) depicting Starscream and Bruticus. It is no shock that Johnson wished to jot down this team-up, particularly since his pitch was a successful one.
The ending of “Transformers” #14 leaves the warring Decepticons evenly matched: Soundwave, Thundercracker, and Devastator vs. Starscream, Astrotrain, and the Combaticons. Johnson has additionally confirmed in a Reddit AMA that he’ll be leaving “Transformers” after problem #24. So, I am going to make an informed guess on the remainder of his run.
Megatron is nonetheless alive and coming again. “Transformers” #4 pointedly ended with Starscream declaring himself Decepticon chief now and ceaselessly, just for the comedian to chop to a frozen, deactivated Megatron someplace within the Arctic. Skybound’s “Energon Universe Particular 2024” features a quick (written by Johnson, drawn by Ryan Ottley of “Invincible,” and to be reprinted in “Combiner Chaos”) explaining what occurred to him: Megatron was grievously wounded whereas combating Optimus Prime on the Autobots’ ship in orbit of Earth. Starscream took his likelihood and blasted his chief out of a gap within the ship’s hull, sending him crashing all the way down to the planet under.
So, it is probably that “Combiner Chaos” will function Starscream and Soundwave combating a civil battle till, on the finish of this arc or the start of the following one, Megatron returns and reunites the Decepticons beneath him. Johnson’s finale arc shall be an explosive one, that includes Optimus Prime and the Autobots pushed to the restrict when their biggest enemy returns.
Will even the ever slippery Starscream survive a vengeful Megatron? I do not know, however the collection has already proven why the Decepticons nonetheless revere Megatron (even in seeming loss of life) over the nonetheless alive Starscream.
Within the unique “Transformers,” Megatron remodeled right into a handgun. He would shrink all the way down to be wielded by different Decepticons, Starscream included. This has all the time been fairly foolish, so newer “Transformers” collection often have Megatron flip right into a jet or a tank as an alternative. Skybound Megatron, although, has his unique alternate mode and provides a brand new, highly effective resonance to it. Megatron actually places the facility to destroy in his followers’ palms. “Transformers” #14 contains one other flashback to the primary time Starscream killed Autobots — Megatron transforms and instructions Starscream, his executioner, to blast them.
Skybound Leisure
Megatron fights for his Decepticons, whereas Starscream fights for himself. Each of them all the time lose as a result of their beliefs have such a poor basis.
The primary 14 problems with “Transformers” — in addition to first quantity of “Robots In Disguise” (accumulating points #1-6) — can be found in print and digital. “Transformers” quantity 2, “Transport To Oblivion,” releases on November 26, 2024, and is on the market for pre-order.
