IDW - The Reign of Starscream

Plot

In the past, the Allspark is launched into space and Megatron pursuits, shortly afterward the Autobots follow. Dreadwind follows, but is caught in a minefield left by the Autobots, and is badly injured along with the Decepticon's ship, Scorponok is sent out to recover Dreadwind, and the ship is forced back to Cybertron for repairs, whilst the Autobots fly away.

Later, the Allspark lands on Earth and Megatron crashes and is caught in ice. The Autobots start sending out scouts to hunt for the Allspark, and the Decepticons land their ship on Mars. A team of Decepticons head to Earth where they start hunting for the Allspark, upon arrival they take on alternate modes, but Wreckage is seemingly killed during a confrontation with some humans and he's buried. After a while the events of the previous comic occur and Screamer watches as all of the other Decepticons, including Megatron, are taken down. Starscream fights off some fighter jets, then learns that Barricade is still alive and goes to meet with him.

Barricade is too injured to help, but he tells Screamer that Frenzy has details about the boy who helped the Autobots, and the Allspark, so Screamer goes to find him, which brings him to Hoover Dam where he's confronted with some S7 guys.

Starscream is attacked by the humans, but decides to fly into the base to recover Frenzy, who died during the battle for Mission City, whilst Agent Salazar is heading towards the base. In the base, Screamer finds Frenzy and kills some scientists to get him back. Upon leaving the base, Screamer is confronted by Salazar and his new creation, the LM-1 who tries to transform, but dies out partway, Starscream is intrigued and kidnaps Salazar to learn how he achieved this himself, he takes Salazar into the atmosphere with him, but the human doesn't survive and explodes upon entering space.

Starscream returns to Mars where he's detected by the Autobot Cosmos, who reports this to his team below. Screamer returns to the ship where Thundercracker and the others tend to him, and start downloading Frenzy's brain and confirm that the space bridge they've been working on is complete. Starscream learns from the data he's downloaded that Wreckage has been helping S7 in some way and gets angry, suddenly the ship is attacked by a team of Autobots.

The Autobots under Arcee's command take on the Decepticon's drones and cause a lot of damage, until Thundercracker and Starscream join the battle and start tearing the Autobots apart, and end by leaving them for dead. The Decepticons launch their ship through the space bridge and return to Cybertron.

On Earth, Professor Vine is informed of Salazar's disappearance, and say's it doesn't change their overall plans still.

The Decepticon ship returns to the Decepticon City of Trypticon on Cybertron and Screamer informs the Decepticons there (including Dreadwind and Ramjet) that Megatron is dead, and he's their new leader. Soon the Decepticons have captured some Autobots to act as slave labor, and they start building a replica Allspark.

The Autobots continue to build the fake Allspark, whilst Arcee appears, having snuck aboard the Decepticon ship and starts looking for a way to stop Screamer in whatever he's doing. Starscream keeps trying to figure out what Wreckage told the humans when he's told that the Allspark is completed. He calls a meeting outside the building site, where he reveals that he's going to use the Autobot workers to power the Allspark for him, as well as the annoying Decepticon Crankcase as well.

Arcee meets up with Clocker, and joins up with his resistance group, they head to Trypticon, where they see the horrifying sight of several Transformers being strung up to the fake Allspark, whilst a huge crew surrounds it, led by Starscream and his crew.

The Autobot resistance make their plans to stop Starscream in his mad scheme, but are too late to save the restrained guys, who are all drained of energy, but the Allspark doesn't work as planned, which is when Starscream noticed several of the Decepticons turn their guns on him, Dreadwind and Ramjet have started a revolution, right at the right moment, as Arcee shoots the Allspark's power source and blows it up. It's now all out war between the 3 groups. Ramjet is killed by Crossohairs. Starscream goes after Dreadwind,a nd ends up killing Divebomb as well, the duo end up going through the space bridge again, just as Arcee's team cause Trypticon to explode and Thundercracker goes off into space to find Starscream again.

Dreadwind arrives on Mars, where he is killed immediately by Starscream, and the space bridge explodes as well. Starscream looks towards Earth and starts his preparations for his next plan.

Characters

Autobot

Arcee - Cybertronian Motorcycle

Cliffjumper Killed by Starscream

Air Raid - Cybertronian Jet Killed by Thundercracker and Starscream

Smokescreen - Cybertronian Speeder Killed by Starscream

Camshaft Killed by Thundercracker

Cosmos - Orbiter

Clocker - Cybertronian Speeder

Armorhide

Breakaway

Crosshairs

Strongarm

Wingblade - Cybertronian Jet

Skyblast - Cybertronian Jet

Grindcore Killed for Fake Allspark

Warpath Killed for Fake Allspark

Signal Flare Killed for Fake Allspark

Elita One - Cybertronian Motorcycle Killed for Fake Allspark

Optimus Prime - Truck Cab

Bumblebee - Concept Camaro

Ironhide - Pick Up Truck

Jazz

Prowl

Other Autobots

Skids (Mentioned)

Decepticon

Starscream - Fighter Jet (Formerly Cybertronian Jet)

Thundercracker - Cybertronian Jet

Dreadwind - Cybertronian Jet Killed by Starscream

Ramjet - Cybertronian Jet Killed by Crosshairs

Stockade

Payload

Swindle

Hardtop Killed by Arcee

Divebomb - Cybertronian Jet Killed by Starscream

Vortex Killed by Arcee

Crankcase Killed for Fake Allspark

Wreckage - Personnel Carrier

Megatron - Cybertronian Jet Dead

Blackout - Military Helicopter (Formerly Cybertronian Aircraft) Dead

Scorponok - Part of Helicopter

Brawl - Tank Dead

Frenzy Dead

Bonecrusher - Mine Clearing Vehicle Dead

Barricade - Police Car

Dreadwind Drones - Cybertronian Jets

Swindle Drones

Payload Drones

Mutation

L.M.-1/Landmine - Military Buggy

"Longarm" - Tow Truck

"Salvage" - Pick Up Truck

Human

Agent Salazar Killed by Starscream

Professor Vine

Sam Witwicky

Sector Seven

Agent Simmons (Mentioned)

Banachek (Mentioned)

Keller (Mentioned)

Notes

• This is set during the launch of the Allspark, briefly sums up some of the last scenes of the Movie, and shows the events set just after it from Starscream's POV.
• One van features the word "Latta" which was Starscream's G1 counterpart's voice actor
• The Landmine drone shown here are S7 created robots, not the real Landmine (though since Landmine himself never appears in these comics, they could just be all there are.
• Two vehicles using Longarm and Salvage's vehicle modes are seen in the S7 carpool, since we later see Longarm and Salvage in the DOTM comics, these are even just coincidences, or these are the real guys who came to Earth as well, but captured by S7 after the battle
• Dreadwind and Starscream's exchange on Mars is taken from the G1 Movie where Starscream throws Megatron out of Astrotrain
• Smokescreen is shown being killed in this comic, but he reappears in later comics, alive and well (for a while)
• Starscream's plan in this is to create an artificial Allspark by using the sparks of the dead Transformers to power it, this of course wouldn't create an Allspark, but would act as a token of leadership really.