Transformers One Reveals The Origin Of A Legendary Hate/Hate Relationship

This post contains spoilers for "Transformers One."

"Transformers One," the fully-animated prequel, has arrived. Set on Cybertron, home planet of these autonomous robots, the movie depicts how Optimus Prime (Chris Hemsworth) and Megatron (Brian Tyree Henry) went from best friends — and nobodies named Orion Pax and D-16 — to leading two sides of a galactic civil war. (Read /Film's "Transformers One" review here to find out whether or not it succeeds.)

Even with its brief 104-minute runtime, "Transformers One" shows the beginnings of the other most important conflict in Megatron's life: The one with his future second-in-command, the Decepticons' treacherous Air Commander Starscream (Steve Buscemi, using the same serpentine voice he used as Randall in "Monsters Inc.").

Starscream's defining quality has always been a desire to overthrow Megatron and supplant him as Decepticon leader. He's too ambitious and egomaniacal to accept serving under someone else, but in the end, he can never surpass Megatron as a warrior or leader. Starscream is so synonymous with his character archetype that TV Tropes even uses his name to label it.

"Transformers" has mixed this schtick up over the years. Sometimes Starscream is competent and only comes up short next to Megatron, other times he's a total buffoon and his repeated failures become comic relief. Anime series "Transformers: Armada" reimagined it as more of an abusive father-son dynamic. Starscream wasn't out to betray or usurp Megatron, only to gain his leader's respect and favor — which Megatron always withheld. That turned Starscream's feelings into hatred and a desire to defeat his leader.

Sometimes Starscream will try and feign loyalty, while other times Megatron gets sick of the backstabbing. See "Transformers: Infilitration" by Simon Furman and E.J. Su: 

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The original 1986 "The Transformers: The Movie" also saw Megatron, reborn as Galvatron, blast Starscream into dust after one too many betrayals.

But no matter how a series depicts the particulars of their dynamic, Megatron and Starscream are almost always butting heads. The major exception is, amazingly, the live-action "Transformers" movies. These films couldn't be bothered to characterize the robots, so Starscream was just a toady — his first line "I live to serve you, Lord Megatron" is delivered without a hint of sarcasm or backhanded praise. "Transformers One," though, plants the seeds of this franchise-defining rivalry. Starscream's often claimed that without Megatron around, he'd be the Decepticon leader, and this new movie shows he wasn't embellishing.

A brief recap: The main four bots of "Transformers One" (Orion Pax, D-16, B-127, and Elita) discover Cybertron's leader, Sentinel Prime, actually betrayed the planet and has been telling them lies their whole lives. (You don't need further details here, I promise.)

While our four leads are on the way to expose Sentinel, they're kidnapped by unseen attackers. When they awaken, they're surrounded by a crowd of Transformers led by Starscream, Soundwave, and Shockwave. These, you see, are the former Cybertron "High Guard," who discovered Sentinel's treachery and have been working in secret to sabotage him ever since. Starscream, sitting on a throne, thinks the four are Sentinel's spies, despite their protestations. 

D-16 gets up to go, so Starscream walks off his chair and challenges him, saying all that matters is the strength of one bot over another. Starscream winds up eating those words when, after a brief scuffle, D-16 overpowers him. All of Starscream's High Guard soldiers, who've watched the battle, rally behind D-16 as he asks if they want to continue cowering behind a pathetic leader.

Due to its short runtime, "Transformers One" speedruns the Decepticons' origins. Still, this scene manages to fit in some essential details. Megatron's go-to backstory is that he was a gladiator who used his public spotlight to rally followers behind him. As director Josh Cooley confirmed, the film didn't have time for this. However, the Decepticons still begin with Megatron defeating another robot in a pit fight before an adoring crowd. Shockwave also goes to help Starscream, but Soundwave tells him to hold back. Soundwave is typically Megatron's most loyal follower, and in "Transformers One," he's the first of the future Decepticons to see this new leader's potential. 

Starscream doesn't get much screen time after his defeat, and he falls in line behind Megatron. The film's post-credit scene shows him eagerly sporting a new Decepticon brand like his former subordinates. Still, this take on Starscream's backstory adds new context to his classic traitorous attitude. He's not an upstart, he's a deposed leader trying to get his old job and power back from Megatron, who stole them. Of course he hates the guy who kicked his ass, humiliated him in front of all his soldiers, and then remade him into a mere lackey. Megatron taking the newly-christened Decepticons to greater heights than Starscream ever did must add salt in the wound, too.

The first actor to play Starscream was Christopher Collins, who also voiced Cobra Commander on "G.I. Joe." On that show, the Commander's minions eventually got so fed up with his failures that they created a new leader, Serpentor. Afterward, Cobra Commander became much like Starscream, constantly scheming against his new boss. "Transformers One" does the inverse, making Starscream more like Cobra Commander. Should we get a "Transformers Two," I've no doubt Starscream's resentment toward Megatron will soon boil over.

"Transformers One" is currently playing in theaters.