#vynx.analysis

[vynxwave]

EarthSpark Season 4 Trailer Analysis

Mandroid returns in a very small form (it looks like he's fashioned an arachnamech as his new body) compared to his form in the S1 finale, but he makes up for it by controlling Starscream (indicated by the white eys) with what appears to be a version of his mind-control badge. Actually, in another scene that pink thing on his head isn't there, but he's still being controlled, so maybe that's something else?

Starscream and Mandroid in their respective seasons both sought Terratronus's power (I went into that here under the last section) and would both lose themselves in the power they obtained, so this "team-up" doesn't come from nowhere.

Given that Starscream's being controlled, paired with his previous defeat and subsequent arrest, his desire to actually fight the Autobots and Malto(bot)s is doubtful. I think he deserves a long retirement after all this xD.

Around the Space Bridge lie defeated arachnamechs. It looks like Mandroid-controlling-Starscream gives the Autobots quite a lot of trouble.

Oh yeah, the Space Bridge is activated!!!!

EarthSpark's Cybertron!!! Looks very rocky.

The big new villain is Liege Maximo (source)! He seeks to "rule the cosmos" and wants Optimus Prime's matrix.

It looks like he may be wanting to possess all of the Prime artifacts in order to obtain that ultimate goal of ruling the cosmos.

His language indicates he may not be alone: "Victory awaits us" and "We will rule the cosmos".

He has both the Emberstone (which is visibly not afflicted by Chaos energy or turned to dust!) and also another artifact that practically radiates evil. Maybe it's the Dark Spark, given the zombies and its glowing? Or maybe the Enigma of Combination, as it's split lengthwise?

If two Prime Artifacts weren't enough, it looks like this guy even has the Star Saber and the Requiem Blaster??? Good luck, Optimus...

On Cybertron, an army of zombies (based on their postures and the gaping hole in their chests that signify a lack of Spark) is raised!

This calls back to Shockwave's plan in S1 of raising a protoform army and in S2 Alex Malto fearing a Chaos Terran army. These zombies don't look like protoforms, given their lack of circles, but instead old rusted Cybertronians.

What are those weird things on Cybertron that seem to reach into the sky? They appear to be produced by something Liege Maximo does (given the sequence of evil pink beam shooting into the sky and the next shot of these things growing).

Shockwave's Decepticons are joined by Scorponok, Octopunch, and fronted by Hot Rod!!!

In another scene, we see Bumblebee riding atop Breakdown, presumably fighting on the same side. Breakdown isn't in that shot above, despite being part of Shockwave's Decepticons, so maybe that occurs at the same time as this shot with Bumblebee?:

Based on my previous analysis/prediction, and now paired with Hot Rod's joining them, it's likely these Decepticons will team up with the Autobots and Malto(bot)s to defeat Liege Maximo and his forces.

Liege Maximo has patterns in his design similar to Terratronus and the Quintessons'.

Posters (source):

Yes, that's Mirage.

Wonder what Robby's holding? It looks like an arrow. Given the context of the poster, it may be EarthSpark's version of the Liegian Dart, which is Liege Maximo's artifact.

AAA I'M SO EXCITED!! DECEMBER 5TH COME QUICKER!!

[11/22 EDIT: See this reblog for my additional analysis about the new trailer from Nick!]

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EarthSpark Soundwave's head is designed in such a way where when he tilts it down his visor looks like a sharp "V" shape giving the impression of an angry face despite his face being static, which complements his character quite nicely

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EarthSpark Frenzy's line in S1E08 Decoy "We're free now. You don't have to follow him anymore." has no implications about how Soundwave treats the cassette-bots.

I've seen this misconception a lot and I'd like to clear it up.

So, let's delve into the context surrounding the line, starting with the scene that precedes it:

After the cassette-bots get caught by the Autobots, Optimus allows Megatron to let them go. The cassette-bots beg Megatron to let them go free, and he does so but with a warning: "You will only get one second chance. Do not throw it away."

Megatron is saying that if they are caught again, then they will be imprisoned by GHOST (the organization that has forced all the Decepticons marooned on Earth to stay on the run or hide lest they be caught and imprisoned).

Now, onto Frenzy's line and the scene it occurs in:

Frenzy & Laserbeak are standing together, notably apart from and behind Ravage which represents their division and their background/foreground positioning representing Ravage leaving them behind when she does so.

Frenzy is trying to convince Ravage to literally not follow Soundwave into GHOST, because doing so risks her imprisonment, and she knows how loyal Ravage is to Soundwave. Frenzy & Laserbeak want to abandon the operation in favor of maintaining their freedom, which this is them heeding Megatron's words of not throwing away their freedom (their second chance), hence Frenzy trying to convince Ravage to do the same.

Frenzy's line does not imply anything about how Soundwave treats them because that's not the point of why she’s trying to dissuade Ravage — it's about wanting Ravage to use this second chance they've been given to maintain her freedom and be safe from GHOST.

Ravage, however, isn't dissuaded and leaves to follow Soundwave and the mission, and sneaks into Soundwave's chest cavity.

This scene ties back into one of EarthSpark's themes that run throughout the entirety of the show about making your own choices, whether good or bad ones (this theme also manifests in second chances — choosing to do better, or not), and these choices are what shapes your character (and this ties into EarthSpark's exploration of self-discovery and growth).

Circling back to the cassette-bots: Frenzy & Laserbeaking choosing to heed Megatron's words and abandon the mission and Soundwave doesn't imply anything negative about their relationship with him, only that they value the chance they've been given and perhaps ultimately that they're afraid of GHOST. Ravage not heeding Megatron's words and not being dissuaded by Frenzy shows just how important Soundwave is to her, regardless of the risk following him into GHOST poses.

Inferring that Ravage sneaks into Soundwave's chest cavity would've been easier had that one subplot cut for time with S1E08 Decoy's payoff showing her literally sneaking around GHOST (and Starscream's dialogue implying its habitualness) not been cut... but I digress. (She'd later get to showcase her sneakiness in S2E03 Control Alt Delete.)

Of course with these scenes/this subplot not making the cut it ultimately isn't canon, but I mention it due to it being the planned follow-up to S1E08 Decoy as it clearly shows a positive relationship between Ravage and Soundwave.

In S1E17 Home it's shown that Frenzy & Laserbeak decided to go underground — a choice that was made actively heeding Megatron's words and staying clear of GHOST.

In S2E07 The Imposters Soundwave is seen feeding Ravage and standing by her, and this shows that he cares about her.

In S2E09 Witwicky Laserbeak flies above all the gathered Decepticons and out of all of them chooses to perch on Soundwave's arm.

In S3E05 Fire and Ice Frenzy & Laserbeak take silly selfies aboard the commandeered starship. Evidently, they're messing around with a camera/technology they're not supposed to — and they're capable of sending its photos to Earth! — and Soundwave is quick to confiscate it. I'd presume he does this for purposes of safety/security — sure, they encrypted what they sent out, but now that they're in space who knows what could intercept their transmissions.

The tone of this scene is evident in Optimus's good-natured laugh and comment ("looks like they're having fun on your ship"), and Breakdown's grinning when Soundwave makes for the camera/technology. Ultimately, this scene doesn't convey much of anything about Soundwave's relationship with the cassette-bots, just that the cassette-bots are silly; Breakdown's wide grin likely doesn't suggest anything negative will happen to the cassette-bots.

[More of my EarthSpark meta ->]

[vynxwave]

EarthSpark ArceeLita ♡ Ship Manifesto

“A ship manifesto is a meta essay meant to introduce fans to a ship and promote it by explaining its appeal.” — Fanlore

Unlike most other series with them, EarthSpark has put Elita-1 and Arcee on the same immediate team and on the same planet. This has allowed them to have on-screen interactions, which is a first for a Transformers show.

From the moment they're introduced, it's clear that they're both seasoned Autobot warriors, and have been for ages.

Elita-1 is second-in-command of the Autobots and this is reflected in her personality: she's perceptive, clever, collected, and decisive. She's also quick to step in to diffuse or deescalate situations, but this doesn't mean she's afraid to fight.

Elita-1's solemn blink while Megatron transports the injured Twitch is small detail that indicates she's hopeful for her recovery, but it also subtly alludes to that Elita-1 has seen many battle casualties before; which is congruent with her having been second-in-command for "megacycles" and the Cybertronian Remembrance Flowers seen in S1E16 "Warzone" being of Sparks lost during the battle on Earth.

On this point, perhaps Arcee can commiserate with her over their fallen comrades and friends. Arcee, given her extroversion, would likely have been friends with many who had fallen in battle and have friends left behind on Cybertron (<- as of S3, they remain ignorant of Cybertron's status).

Arcee is energetic, lively, cheerful, and extroverted with a rather physical nature. Following this, she values assertiveness/confidence in others; which is easily found in Elita-1. Much like Elita-1, she's eager to hop straight into a battle or a mission.

They're both adept at fighting (whether melee or ranged), quick on their feet, and brave. Which makes it very easy to imagine that they might train, exercise, spar, or shoot together due to their similar skill set. (And they did work together, more or less, when hunting Twitch while they were infected with the Hate Plague.)

In S3E5 "Fire and Ice" they're immediately portrayed as friends by their continual conversing.

When Elita-1 gets tossed by the infected Bumblebee, Arcee immediately tells him to back off and offers a hand to help her up, which shows that she cares about her.

Later when the temperature drop rids them of the Hate Plague, Elita-1 helps Arcee to her feet (complimenting the reversed and unsuccessful attempt at the beginning). Despite attacking each other when they were infected, they were able to bounce back immediately with no hard feelings at all; that is, their bond is very solid!

ELITA-1: "We still good?" ARCEE: "Eh, you got to do a lot more than that to not be my friend."

S3E5 "Fire and Ice" wouldn't be the first time they've appeared together, as they were the ones escorting Soundwave to his cell at the end of S1E8 "Decoy".

With that in mind, perhaps they've been friends for a long while. Prior to Earth, they were presumably both on Cybertron.

In terms of visual similarity, they're both primarily pink and have blue eyes.

But most notably when they’re standing next to each other, Arcee is quite shorter than Elita-1.

Not many couples would get to know which one of them would turn into a zombie first (or in this case, infected by the Hate Plague), but EarthSpark answers: Elita-1 would get turned first.

For Elita-1, if including her "complicated" relationship with Optimus Prime, what would love be like after dating him, the Autobot leader? How would the experience of being with Arcee differ?

In these respects, Arcee differs by being smaller and not being the Autobot leader, so a relationship with her be without that weight, but her strength and skills shouldn’t be underestimated due to her size.

In Elita-1, Arcee could find someone who enjoys her physical greetings, shares her athletic nature so they'd be able to regularly do a lot of outgoing activities or missions together, and a long-time friend.

In Arcee, Elita-1 could find someone cheery who knows how to adequately challenge her (mentally and physically) to keep her her best self.

Together, they share interests, skills, experience (among that would be being mind-controlled by Mandroid and later being infected by the Hate Plague), history, and grief.

[vynxwave]

EarthSpark Shockwave Analysis

Since Shockwave's first appearance, he's been shown to have a strong affinity for Cybertron intertwined with his being a Decepticon, and this is central to his character.

Unlike all the other Decepticons, Shockwave is the only Decepticon who retains his Cybertronian altmode the entire time he's on Earth. While not unusual for this character at all, it does carry meaning in EarthSpark in particular due to altmodes being expressly reflective of one's identity/character. For him, keeping his Cybertronian altmode is reflective of his refusal to embrace Earth as a new home. (Compare with Megatron, whose adoption of an Earth altmode represents his acceptance of Earth and subsequent willingness to embrace a new path.)

Shockwave is first shown in S1E16 "Warzone" planning to use the AllSpark to raise a protoform army to defeat the Autobots and conquer Earth, and resurrect Cybertron under Decepticon rule: Shockwave upholds Decepticon supremacy, whereas Megatron values the lives of all Cybertronians regardless of faction. Both want to revive Cybertron with the AllSpark, but they refuse the other side's ways of going about it.

Of sides, Shockwave exhibits a very strong loyalty to the Decepticons and upholds their ideal of superiority over others.

Shockwave here rejects the Terrans, who represent "the new path to the future" post-Transformers War, and he doubles down in his bigotry by calling them "lower class Cybrids".

Shockwave: "You think you can just start over with these... lower class Cybrids?" Megatron: "Class. You have learned nothing." Shockwave: "Except that you will eventually betray them, just like you did me."

Shockwave's use of "start over" and "just like you did me" shows he doesn't grasp Megatron's actual meaning because of how narrow his perspective is: instead of seeing Megatron's desire to move forward post-war, Shockwave can only understand Megatron's alliance with the Terrans as being Megatron effectively starting a new movement with new recruits, just as Megatron did with the Decepticons back on Cybertron with Shockwave's allegiance.

Shockwave's rejection of the Decepticons losing the war is so strong that he's willing to die in a murder-suicide to defeat Megatron, whose betrayal he took personally*. This decision may likely be informed by his understanding of the ramifications of the Space Bridge being destroyed — as in, there's no way back to Cybertron for him without it (so he'd rather die assuredly defeating Megatron than stay marooned on Earth!). *(It isn't just Soundwave that took Megatron's betrayal personally. Megatron called Shockwave "old friend" twice in the flashback, Shockwave calling him "traitor" in the stasis pod has emotional weight to it (corroborating "old friend"), and Shockwave's "[…] you will eventually betray them, just like you did me" all suggest he took Megatron's betrayal personally.)

Shockwave saying "You brought this on yourself, Megatron" and offering an out for Mo suggests he views humans as uninvolved in the current conflict, despite previously having wanted to conquer/destroy Earth (which would have harmed humans). Without access to the Space Bridge to Cybertron and, consequently, all the Decepticons back home, conquering Earth has disappeared from his priorities, so perhaps he considers humans to only be bystanders at this point, considering his recognition of their sentience (but also his view of them as inferior). I'll note here that none of the other Decepticons expressly extend this grace to the humans on their own accord, so Shockwave is unique in this regard.

(Based on Optimus Prime saying that Megatron had been allied with him and GHOST for 15 years in S1E09 "Age of Evolution", it is likely that Shockwave has been in the stasis pod for 15 years at this point.)

In S1E24 "The Battle of Witwicky" Shockwave is quick to reject Thrash's claim of the war being over, upholding a similar belief he held in his introduction episode (— "The war continues so long as I stand to oppose you."). Despite this, his immediate priority is Croft due to being betrayed by her.

Shockwave: "She has an active Space Bridge. Who knows what she plans to do with it."

While Shockwave doesn't go in-depth, it can be inferred that he had helped in some way to realize a Space Bridge under Croft and was able to because GHOST (as shown throughout S1) does possess and even engineer Cybertronian technology.

Shockwave's "She betrayed me" in context suggests he and Croft had some kind of deal before being under Mandroid's mind-control tech. Based on Shockwave's affinity for Cybertron shown in his introduction episode and dismay at the Space Bridge's destruction, I'd actually go so far as to say that he helped Croft realize the Space Bridge under the pretense that he and the other Decepticons could return to Cybertron upon its completion, because there's no reason to believe he would be interested in furthering a human's goals for just her benefit (due to having described humans as "sentient bags of goo", he sees them as an inferior species) (and Croft's major involvement in imprisoning earthbound Decepticons). Croft, of course, would never actually let the Decepticons go, so she betrays him. She would later reveal that her intention is to conquer Cybertron, validating Shockwave's concern about her intentions with the Space Bridge.

Shockwave's concern about Croft's intentions with the Space Bridge is grave enough to where he allies himself with the Maltos, and even Megatron and the Autobots. Unlike his first encounter with the Terrans, here he bears no hostility or prejudice against them — in fact, his alliance with them is immediate; he recognizes Hashtag's altmode capabilities and helps her (because doing so would also help him further his objective — a logical choice, and his logical nature would become apparent in the series henceforth [or since his introduction if you consider the murder-suicide a logical conclusion from seeing the Space Bridge's destruction]).

Although Shockwave still doesn't see eye-to-eye with Megatron, this team up with the Autobots and Terrans shows he's able to put grievances and factions aside when a greater danger demands it.

In S2, Shockwave's disapproval with the direction Starscream has taken the Decepticons is actually visible in the first episode of the season, S2E01 "Aftermath", when Starscream addresses them:

When Starscream shouts "Decepticons, to war!" to enthuse the rallied Decepticons, all of them shout and throw their fist up in agreement — except for Shockwave, who instead remains silent with his arms crossed, subtly displaying his discontent with Starscream's objective.

Shockwave is quickly hidden from view in the next shot by Breakdown's enthusiasm:

— Breaking off here for a moment to actually delve into the way Shockwave and Starscream's leadership and goals are continually (and intentionally) compared throughout the show, which begins in S1E16 "Warzone":

Shockwave often talks as if embodying the will/interests of all Decepticons rather than in the interest of furthering a personal agenda. "For our glory" "We will conquer this planet and resurrect our own, under Decepticon rule" "[…] the Autobots will kneel before us" "[...] Cybertron will be ours"

Compare to Starscream who, when the AllSpark (the life force of Cybertron) tumbles to him, exclaims "Yes! I have it!" (be)holding it as if it were a personal victory/trophy. (More on S1 Starscream in this post.)

For Starscream it's all about himself, whereas for Shockwave it's all about the Decepticons and Cybertron. Shockwave lacks all of Starscream's self-interest, being instead wholly devoted to the Decepticons' interests.

Alex Malto in S2E01 "Aftermath" brings up the idea of Starscream using the Embershards to create a Chaos Terran army, which calls to mind Shockwave's original plan to use the AllSpark to create a protoform army to conquer Earth in S1E16 "Warzone".

Now, this is more pertinent to S2 Starscream's character than to Shockwave's (so, it'll be explored in a future post with S2 Starscream), but this does compare the two's leadership. (Without getting too in-depth about him here) Starscream ultimately seeks his own personal glory and power — Terratronus is a weapon he would personally wield, and with her he'd have power to crush all who oppose him like a dictator (rendering an army unnecessary when he holds all the power in his hand).

Starscream's selfish goals contrast greatly with Shockwave's, who has only ever had (what he sees as) the Decepticons' best interest in mind.

This makes Shockwave's leadership share a commonality with the Malto family's values of "family first": Shockwave is interested in the collective well-being of the Decepticons rather than just himself; Breakdown would even refer to the Decepticons expressly as "family" in S3.

Shockwave had actually discarded his interest in conquering Earth in S1 the moment he perceived the Space Bridge's destruction (the Decepticons' way back home), and this is further supported by his implied part in helping to realize Croft's Space Bridge (like mentioned before, he would have no reason to do this just for Croft's gain considering his view of humans as inferior and her role in imprisoning the Decepticons). Shockwave's frustration and disapproval with Starscream's goals in S2 makes this all the more apparent (elaboration on this shortly).

Returning back to S2 — in S2E03 "Control Alt Delete" Shockwave is tasked with retrieving Croft's hard drive and he gets increasingly frustrated as this chase with Hashtag goes on.

Of Hashtag, despite his frustration chasing her, he's able to genuinely compliment her skills. This is quite the positive development from Shockwave's original impression of the Terrans, though not at all sudden given his previous alliance with the Terrans in S1E24 "The Battle of Witwicky" where he recognizes Hashtag's altmode capabilities and helped her.

Interestingly, he offers to let Hashtag live if she gives him the hard drives. Classic villain dialogue, but for Shockwave, he may actually be believed here, based on his logical nature and objective being to simply retrieve the desired hard drive. When he downs her, he immediately moves onto the hard drives rather than assuring her termination. By this, he doesn't see the Terrans directly as his enemies.

Earlier in the episode when Starscream says "The information on that drive is vital to the future of the Decepticons" Shockwave is visibly 'taken aback' when Starscream says "future", which is another subtle hint of Shockwave's disagreement with the future that Starscream wants for the Decepticons.

When Shockwave has the hard drive in hand, he says: "Finally. Starscream will be pleased." Due to his discontent being visible in the first episode of this season and reaction to Starscream's use of "future" earlier, perhaps this statement reflects how he doesn't actually view retrieving the hard drive (progressing Starscream's objective) as something he values or views as important himself (as his dissent would later be verbalized in S2E09 "Witwicky"). Of course, this statement also means to acknowledge Starscream's increasing frustration with Shockwave's lack of retrieving the hard drive.

It's also worth noting that when Shockwave says he didn't retrieve it, Starscream begins to say "I never should have entrusted such—" which actually subtly reveals that Starscream is aware of Shockwave's discontent, because Starscream would have no reason to believe him (a loyal Decepticon) to be untrustworthy for an important mission otherwise.

Based on Shockwave and Starscream's dialogue in S2E09 "Witwicky" —

Starscream: "Decepticons, when the sun next rises, it will shine upon New Cybertron. I, her ruler." Shockwave: "Starscream, your objective is misguided. Had you consulted me, I—" Starscream: "Fall in line, Shockwave." Shockwave: "Our priority should be a return to Cybertron. Earth will never be our home. It is our prison." Starscream: "For years, you have failed to provide proof of Cybertron's survival. So this world is our new domain. All who stand in opposition shall perish beneath the heel of my Chaos Titan."

— Shockwave had wanted to put the Decepticons' entire focus on returning to Cybertron following Mandroid's defeat (based on his extreme reaction to seeing the Space Bridge gone and later helping realize a Space Bridge under Croft), but was unable to put this into motion due to Starscream having taken Decepticon leadership.

Starscream's "For years, you have failed to [...]" reveals he has been aware of Shockwave's objection to his plans (which is corroborated on-screen in S2E03 "Control Alt Delete" as mentioned).

Starscream's objective may have appealed to the Decepticons based on their desire to get revenge on the Malto(bot)s/Autobots (and therefore the Earth and its inhabitants as a whole) for the role they played in imprisoning/hunting the Decepticons, whereas Shockwave never shared this desire for revenge against them (Croft, who had his focus for betraying him, is dead) (and unlike the rest of the Decepticons, he never spent years being hunted or imprisoned by GHOST).

Shockwave ends up choosing not to stop Twitch and Robby from stealing the Embershards. It's a choice made in opposition to what his leader wants, with his understanding of Starscream needing all of the Embershards to control Terratronus. From this it can be deduced that Shockwave does not want Starscream to have the power of a Chaos Titan.

(The Maltos working to protect their home is something that Shockwave would do for Cybertron. While Shockwave can understand a human's desire for self-preservation, it might be too speculative to wonder if he empathizes with them. So, this may later function as a parallel to, assuming Breakdown in S3 suggesting Cybertron is in need of help is correct, Shockwave and his Decepticons working to save Cybertron from whatever menaces it.)

Following Shockwave's conversation with Starscream, Shockwave must have come to terms with the fact that Starscream's ambitions are selfish and actually threaten the Decepticons (Shockwave was not surprised at all when Starscream turned on them). If Starscream succeeded in his plan, would Shockwave have been able to continue to search for Cybertron (or return to it) under Starscream's dictatorial command with the Chaos Titan?

While Starscream wants to conquer Earth and call it "New Cybertron", Shockwave never believed Cybertron to be gone in the first place.

Shockwave: "Decepticons, Starscream has lost control of his weapon and his mind. This will be the end of us all." Hardtop: "Woah, where are you going?" Shockwave: "My own way. Follow me if you want to live."

^ Shockwave addresses the Decepticons who have just been betrayed by Starscream. Notably, they are injured from Terratronus's swipe; and now with a taste of what Starscream intends to do, Shockwave easily appeals to them.

Shockwave saying he's going his own way marks the new direction he intends to go in: focusing on a return to Cybertron like he said in this episode.

In S3E01 "The Need for Read" Shockwave's logic is emphasized to contrast Starscream's irrationality: Starscream threw away his promise to make the Decepticons a new home and threw away the good rapport he had built up with them just so he could empower himself, whereas Shockwave does not seek to empower himself or put his own interests above the interests of the Decepticons.

Shockwave describing the Decepticons as "much more logical" under his command and "this need not be a violent conflict" contrasts Starscream's leadership, where the Decepticons regularly fought the Autobots over the Embershards. While many of the Decepticons have been shown to enjoy fighting, Shockwave's use of fighting appears more pointed and intentional, rather than being just for the sake of fighting. For example, Shockwave's first words to Hashtag after ambushing her in S2E03 "Control Alt Delete" were "Hand over the hard drives" which was straight to the point.

Shockwave says he wants to "facilitate an exodus from this planet" (leave Earth), which is completely consistent with how he's been portrayed throughout the series.

Shockwave honors the deal he made with Bumblebee, even when it means a Decepticon loss, and by doing this he shows himself to be honorable and fair (compare with Starscream, who ended up breaking his promise to the Decepticons).

In S3E04 "No Solider Left Behind" Shockwave's desire to return to Cybertron — to return home — like he has been wanting is finally put into motion now that he's the Decepticon leader and is able to commandeer the starship.

He heavily stresses the starship's importance to the Decepticons: "That starship is our way home. We must have it at any cost." "Just find us a way inside. Do not destroy it." "The ship is our priority. [...]"

Shockwave, as Breakdown revealed in S3E01 "The Need for Read", has promised the Decepticons a return to Cybertron, and by commandeering the starship they'll be able to do just that. This also adds credibility to Shockwave's "you can trust our promises".

Shockwave referring to the Decepticons escaping the Dome and Earth as "freedom" reflects his calling both a "prison" (in S3E01 "The Need for Read" and S2E09 "Witwicky" respectively). "To freedom." "But it's not too late to join us in freedom. Choose: us or the Autobots."

Shockwave is disappointed at Megatron's choice and doesn't end up blasting him. Giving Megatron that option in the first place shows that Shockwave wants Megatron back in the Decepticon fold, despite him having seriously betrayed him and the Decepticons. So, Shockwave doesn't totally hate Megatron.

For the second time, Shockwave has chosen to not fire at the enemy he's supposed to. (Or for the third time, if Bumblebee's dissuasion in S3E01 "The Need for Read" is counted.)

This is interesting, considering Shockwave still values Decepticon victory over the Autobots. Will this be challenged on Cybertron, once the Autobots are able to come? If Cybertron is in need of help like Breakdown suggested, would Shockwave ally with the Autobots like he has before?

[More of my EarthSpark meta ->]

[vynxwave]

Share your thoughts on MegaSound? It was one of my first Transformers ships and even though it's not a rarepair or anything it's oddly less popular than I'd expect, and I don't see a lot of analysis of what their relationship is actually like in various canons

I'd love to! Yeah, finding out it's not as popular as I thought was surprising. With Soundwave often depicted as loyal to Megatron, I really would've thought it'd be more popular than it is. You're definitely right about there being a lack of analyses on their relationship, so I think I'll eventually make a post analyzing their relationship in various canons. For this post I'll be going over how I see MegaSound (and from what parts of canon I derive it from) and sharing thoughts about its (lack of) popularity/prevalence.

Here I'll note the basis of canon I ship them from across various continuities where they have a positive relationship*:

Megatron likes monologuing in Soundwave's presence and talking with him (Dreamwave Generation 1 (2002) #4, Megatron Origin #4, IDW Robots in Disguise (2012) #22, Prime). Considering Soundwave's continued steadfast loyalty, I'd reckon he likes hearing him talk/plan.

Soundwave is Megatron's confidant (War Within #2, Prime, IDW Robots in Disguise (2012) #17, IDW 2019)

The both care for each other's continued functioning (Soundwave does so consistently in loyalist depictions, and for Megatron it depends on the continuity/writer but is often true of him too (though, Soundwave doesn't get injured often); [specifics cited later in this post])

Soundwave's loyalty even extends to when Megatron loses his marbles (WFC: Kingdom E03, Galvatron in Sunbow G1 S3E14 & Headmasters E02 & E04), but his loyalty does not extend to Megatron defecting from the Decepticons (IDW Dark Cybertron, EarthSpark) due to Soundwave's loyalty to the Decepticon Cause.

Dreamwave Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye #6 Soundwave's character bio written from Megatron's perspective expressing his uncertainty of whether he can risk lending his trust and friendship to Soundwave is one of my favorite things with them.

(*this mostly excludes where Soundwave's characterized as a self-serving opportunist and where Megatron treats him as just another subordinate)

My MegaSound Thoughts

(Preface: Inspiration taken from all over, but classic Decepticon Cause and they're both as evil as typical. I ship them in various canons but here I describe a broad overview of ways I interpret this pairing and what aspects I'm interested in. I tried to avoid citing Soundwave's self-serving opportunistic depictions for the most part, but he often has a lot of character I like in them xD.)

For me their ship is built upon their longstanding mutual trust, respect, and reliability; especially compounded with the fact many of their comrades' loyalty is prone to wavering from time to time (whereas Soundwave has continuously stuck by his side). I also like to focus on Soundwave's staunch loyalty to and belief in Megatron and the Cause he embodies — and, importantly, Megatron's recognition of this.

For Megatron I like to think about what valuing someone in such a way means to a tyrant whose sights are set on control, destruction, and personal power.

I think Soundwave's competence, strength, devotion, skills, and intelligence would all be appealing to Megatron. Soundwave, with said qualities, has made himself indispensable to the Decepticons, and therefore indispensable to Megatron himself.

Perhaps one reason Megatron is drawn to Soundwave would be for the steadfast security he provides (compared to the unreliability/treachery of others).

Though, with Megatron being surrounded by the infighting/treachery of Decepticons, I think it would be natural for him to sometimes be uncertain of whether his closeness with Soundwave is as safe/secure as it seems (inspired by Dreamwave More Than Meets The Eye #6's Soundwave bio written from Megatron's perspective) due to how much sensitive information and vulnerability Soundwave's been trusted with. But any such feared betrayal would not come to pass, because Soundwave sides with him, including in his times of need.

All I've written so far assumes a wishy-washy loyalty in Megatron's other followers; for where he has other loyalists, perhaps Soundwave is just one of his oldest followers (Sunbow G1 "War Dawn", Dreamwave G1 (2004) #10, IDW 2019, Prime S1E26) and his loyalty is ultimately tried and true.

Time and time again, Soundwave is shown to care about Megatron's continued functioning/well-being (Sunbow G1 "MTMTE, Part 3" [Soundwave warning Megatron of Starscream's attack], Transformers: The Movie, War Within #6, Prime, All Hail Megatron #13, Fall of Cybertron [saddened at Megatron's death & later rebuilds him], Retribution ["And if it turned out he couldn’t save Megatron, Soundwave knew what his duty demanded. / Vengeance on everybody involved."], Transformers vs. The Terminator #2 [Soundwave repairs Megatron's optic], WFC: Kingdom E03).

In cases where Soundwave has been injured/killed, this has often been true of Megatron too (Transformers (2009) #17 [this & AHM #13 were both written by Costa — making this mutual care of each other's continued functioning intentional, I presume], Prime S2E14, Headmasters E02 & E04 if including Galvatron, WFC: Kingdom E03 [where Dinobot downs Soundwave then Megatron comes swinging]).

For Soundwave I first want to detail the basis of his character as I think it's important to recognize his beliefs and personality. His personality and how much is shown ultimately depends on the continuity and writer; and varies depending on if the writer favors the Marvel UK G1 Soundwave (self-serving opportunist) or the Sunbow G1 Soundwave (loyalist) depiction.

Soundwave believes himself to be superior to others (to other lifeforms, to Autobots, and even to fellow Decepticons) and it's not just a cool line, but an actual sentiment/belief he holds (Transformers: The Movie, Spotlight: Soundwave, Revolutionaries #3, Skybound Transformers #7, Animated S1E10 Sound and Fury), and it is continuously embodied in his actions and loyalty to the Decepticon Cause (conquest & domination). Following this, Megatron's ideals of Decepticon superiority must appeal to Soundwave greatly — as a result, their vision of the future and values are quite similar.

Soundwave has (well, if the continuity depicts it) a negative reputation among other Decepticons, with others actually being aware of his monitoring and subsequent reporting to Megatron (Prime S1E13 [among other episodes], implied in Robots in Disguise (2012) #11... I think, Earth Wars: Sea Phantom: "[...] The walls have audio receptors, if you know what I mean." / Coelagon: "Yeah, Soundwave has the place wired for sound.", Sunbow G1 "Countdown to Extinction" & "The Golden Lagoon"). Instead of such a reputation being a negative for Soundwave, it is something he has intentionally fostered for indirect power and control over the other Decepticons; and by doing this he's made Megatron hold him in high esteem (Prime, Dreamwave More Than Meets the Eye #6 [Soundwave's Bio], All Hail Megatron #10) and positioned himself securely in the Decepticon's upper ranks.

In line with his beliefs of superiority, Soundwave personality-wise is quite confident and secure. This is also true of his standing with Megatron (for reasons described above).

Following Soundwave's colder depictions, perhaps one of the bots he finds himself the most "warm" to or emotionally responsive to is Megatron, even if he may not express this the same way most others might (but I'd think Megatron would understand it, due to his perceptiveness and having known him a long time).

With Soundwave generally not being much of a conversationalist, I'd think Megatron easily makes up for this with all his talking and monologuing (they are so [eloquent] yapper x listener to me). Given Soundwave's continued loyalty, I'd like to think he quite likes hearing Megatron's voice and his ideas/plans; for Megatron I'd like to think he enjoys an intelligent and receptive audience and finds it in Soundwave (who gets to hear his words/plans unfiltered from the manipulative rhetoric he gives others), and likes Soundwave's encouragement and amoral pragmatism. As Megatron's confidant, Soundwave gets to hear him at his most honest (Dreamwave War Within #2, IDW Primacy #4, Prime).

I like to think about how them both being evil impacts what activities they find enjoyable. Moments in various canons that come to mind: All Hail Megatron #1 (where Megatron's like "Soundwave, if you will?" then >:D when Soundwave diverts the missiles), Prime S2E22 ("You should have seen Optimus Prime's face when his precious Star Saber shattered like glass [...]"), and Retribution Ch. 9 (where Soundwave really wants to show Megatron a playback of him and Ravage interrogating/torturing Decepticon traitor Axer for information that Megatron wanted). Could sharing the joy of violence be an evil love language xD?

For angst I think there's a lot of potential based in EarthSpark or Headmasters (the same is true of IDW 2005, though I won't be expanding on it here).

For EarthSpark there's S1E08 0:24 & 2:30 plus a sentence from the guidebook: "Soundwave believes that anyone who defects from the Decepticons is a traitor, and he considers Megatron the worst traitor of all!" Based on their interactions and dialogue (S1E08 Decoy "Don't make this personal, Soundwave." "It already is."), it's apparent that they used to be close before Megatron switched sides; and Soundwave's feelings impact Megatron a lot! Soundwave's recording calling out his hypocrisy invokes such a rage in him; and Soundwave calling him a traitor disheartens him, making him lower his cannon (and he would've been blasted had Optimus not intervened)!

For Headmasters Soundwave/Soundblaster would witness how much Galvatron differs from Megatron — how insane he's become, but also how distant he's become from him. (The Headmasters E04 & E10)

In general, I think there could be angst found in Megatron's favorite trope: getting put out of commission for a duration of time. Or, that trope could be bestowed upon Soundwave for a change xD (like in Transformers (2009) #17). Exploring the consequences of Megatron's hubris or lust for power could be fun too.

Favorite Moments in Various Canons

Dreamwave More Than Meets The Eye #6 Soundwave's bio:

[From the Datatracks of Megatron, Decepticon Leader] What is more valuable to a commander, loyalty or reliability? Loyalty is a luxury, but reliability is a necessity for effective military operations. Soundwave exemplifies the latter while projecting as much as the former as realistically possible. He is an indispensable lieutenant and a fierce warrior, with seemingly unshakeable loyalty to me and our cause. When I enter into combat with Soundwave beside me, I am assured that he will perform his role unerringly. I am, however, well aware of his blackmailing of other Decepticons and the fearsome retribution he takes on any who attempt cross him, safe in the knowledge that he is virtually untouchable in his current position. His flaunting of his role have caused many to turn against him, which has only strengthened his need for my favor and implicit protection. Thus far, Soundwave has been utterly faithful to my commands and risked his own life on my behalf several times. But is he only biding his time until his own power base is secure enough? Many great commanders have been undone by trust and friendship in the past… can I afford to extend these to even my most capable solider?

Dreamwave War Within #6 & Generation 1 (2004) #10 (Also, throughout Dreamwave's run Soundwave is actually visibly by Megatron's side, which I think is a pretty neat detail)

All Hail Megatron #13 & Transformers (2007) #17

I enjoyed their dynamic in IDW 2019 because of how visibly instrumental Soundwave is to the Decepticon's rise, and his subsequent importance to Megatron. (#5) (#16) (#26)

Soundwave's sheer nonchalance at getting yelled at/scolded by Megatron who was breaking things in rage (#11) was so funny to me... Soundwave knows he's too important.

In Fall of Cybertron (37:15) Soundwave reaches out sadly to Megatron's hand sticking out from beneath rubble (thanks to Megatron's hubris getting himself scrapped)

In WFC: Kingdom E03 Soundwave is concerned about Megatron and tries to caution/advise him, but it goes unheeded.

The Transformers (2003) PS2 Japan: nearly every time Soundwave and Megatron talk... ["Lord Megatron, I'm glad you're unharmed!], ["This is how a subordinate should behave!"], ["No, don't apologize. You are not to blame"], ["..."], ["high price"], [deferring to Soundwave's judgement]

I haven't actually watched Robots in Disguise (2015), but its portrayal of Soundwave's devoutness is pretty cool... specifically in S3E21 Collateral Damage what he says at the timestamp 5:49:

Soundwave: "[...] when [the transgalactic beacon generator is] activated at the highest point in the city it would transmit a signal strong enough to summon Megatron back to Earth." Sideswipe: "[...] but that much radiation won't just call Megatron it'll—" Soundwave: "—devastate the city, then spread to eradicate all life on Earth. Incidental collateral damage."

I don't know how to describe how much I love the coldness/callousness in his inconsideration for an entire planet, all for the sole purpose of getting Megatron back.

(Lack of) Popularity

I've thought about the reasons for the ship's lack of popularity/prevalence. The one that jumps out the most to me is that there's a lack of in-depth exploration into their relationship in canon despite their constant proximity and importance to each other — as in, plots hardly ever test/strain/strengthen their relationship (to elaborate, there's rarely tension between them, and when there is it's minor and carries no meaningful weight).

Well, IDW 2005 did do some things with their relationship, but it didn't feel as in-depth as other relationships because their backstory together (which occurred in phase 1 with Soundwave's self-serving opportunistic characterization) was recontextualized/retconned for phase 2's Decepticon Cause of equality origin and was there to ultimately serve their subsequent (and separate) becoming betterish arcs relevant to that origin, and then they never got a proper reconciliation together; post-Dark Cybertron Soundwave continued to keep Megatron in mind, whereas Megatron (iirc) doesn't ever think about him in any noteworthy way. (Elaboration/analysis of this will be in whenever I make that analysis post, although trying to analyze IDW 2005 is kind of a headache for me.)

Rarely does Megatron communicate how he feels about Soundwave to him beyond his usefulness/function (e.g. Megatron praising Soundwave in Prime and Sunbow G1). There's IDW Robots in Disguise (2012) #22 ("Ours, Soundwave. The world shall be ours." is a cool line that expresses Megatron wanting to conquer Cybertron with Soundwave, but this scene is a retcon & flashback — it only serves phase 2 Soundwave's arc in the present).

That's not to say Megatron never expresses any thoughts/feelings about Soundwave, of course (various episodes of Prime, Headmasters E02 ["Soundwave! NGHAAAHHHHH" — Galvatron after witnessing him explode], probably some moments from The Transformers (2003) PS2 Japan).

The most explicit of Megatron recognizing Soundwave's importance to him I can think of off of the top of my head is Primacy #2.

Obviously with this post, I think a lot about their relationship can be inferred from the way they interact and talk regardless of how much or little Megatron directly expresses to him. (With this post being for the purpose of shipping, all I mention here is through a shipping potential lens xD).

Perhaps another reason for this ship's lack of popularity, related to the first, is maybe Soundwave is broadly thought of as just a loyalist without knowledge of his other qualities and so people don't think it's interesting? (I could say more on this, but I'll end this post here.)

[vynxwave]

tf skybound issue 14 thoughts / analysis / connections n whatnot. spoilers for the issue 15 preview too.

absolutely gorgeous art

VERY G1 starscream vibes in some places xD... i could practically hear his voice

more of starscream's origin and a bit more of megatron! i like megatron's characterization in skybound so far plus the decepticon cause's. i think skybound's decepticon ideology's gotta be my favorite, it just meshes their violence with their believed righteousness in such a great way.

this issue gives starscream quite a different initial approach to morality than seen in previous continuities (iirc) where here in #14 he is against killing prisoners of war while being a decepticon (often he's with loose morals even before becoming a decepticon).

megatron has the ability to mentally coerce the one wielding him to bend to his will (painfully), which i think is a really cool concept.

this makes starscream's evil directly caused by megatron from prolonged exposure to his influence conditioning/corrupting him. as seen in the mini background panels, over time blasting many Autobots to scrap, starscream grows to enjoy it

i've personally always loved starscream's evil to be completely independent of megatron('s) (as it has been) so i'm a bit conflicted on this aspect of skybound starscream... but i do understand its purpose/role in the story though.

issues #13/#14 run a parallel between then starscream & megatron and present starscream & those humans: both purport to Starscream they want to help him, but in reality they just want to use him for their own benefit. with that then story running parallel to the present one, starscream's dialogue about those humans also reflects upon how he felt under megatron's control

megatron forcing starscream to wield him definitely felt like it was expounding upon a question one might have had watching G1 — "why would megatron let someone who openly covets his position wield him?" of course, skybound isn't g1 and takes the idea and angle quite differently than the show did. with this it also supplies the reason of why starscream resents megatron and wants to overthrow and kill him.

and of G1, the Decepticons siding with starscream are ones who have sided with him once in the cartoon — the Combaticons in Starscream's Brigade and Astrotrain in Triple Takeover (and of course, Astrotrain was also the one to crown Starscream in the 1986 movie).

with Soundwave having the Constructicons and Starscream the Combaticons, a cool fight between Devastator and Bruticus is sure to ensue (vol 3 [collects #13-#18 + the story from the 2024 special] is called "Combiner Chaos" anyway)

i will be delighted to see soundwave and his decepticons vs starscream and his decepticons.

soundwave looks to be a megatron loyalist in this continuity and shares a bit of his sentiments (a bit below).

neat how then starscream and present thundercracker both had objections to the treatment of prisoners of war.

not the first time there's been a similarity between them, here's panels (#1 & #8) that parallel each other:

and how they differ:

not 1:1, but megatron's words to starscream reminded me of soundwave's to thundercracker — a subordinate's objection met with a reminder of their place and that their objection is irrelevant to their superior.

also worth noting, soundwave keeps thundercracker by his side despite his continual disagreements with how things are going, which is similar to megatron keeping starscream (who resents him) by his side.

i'd guess these similarities serve to build up to thundercracker possibly eventually actively opposing soundwave (as opposed to just going along with it) — here in the #15 preview he gives the humans warning to flee before blasting the building

now, knowing megatron's gunmode has the ability to mentally coerce the wielder to bend to his will... looks like this is what's happening with optimus wearing megatron's cannon arm!! xD. "megatron's cannon arm is influencing prime" has been built up and noticed, but it's nice to have megatron's ability now explicitly shown.

In #5 Starscream comments on Optimus having Megatron's cannon arm, and Optimus has a bit to say to him before blasting him with it.

Many noticed the parallel between Megatron & Optimus's fight in the Energon Universe Special 2024 and Optimus & Shockwave's in #12 as well as his tinged eye color.

Now with #14 we can also see a a similar thing that happened to Optimus happen to Starscream — Megatron's influence practically forcing their hand, going against what they wanted. Note the green-yellow background gradient suggesting Megatron's mental coercion in Starscream's panels, and in Optimus's panels (above) when his eyes are tinged there's yellow or yellow-green used in the background.

[vynxwave]

EarthSpark Starscream began his plan with the Tunnels (Terratronus) in S1

An aspect that I feel has gone largely unrecognized despite its importance and relevance to S2 is Starscream beginning his plan with the tunnels in S1E21 “What Dwells Within”, so I figured I’d make a post dedicated to it!

I'll also be going over how Terratronus was subtly alluded to/referenced in S1E24 "The Last Hope" as well as expanded upon and called back to in S2, along with any other relevant callbacks.

At the beginning of S1E21 "What Dwells Within" Starscream has assumed leadership of the Decepticons here (as based on his and Swindle's dialogue, and Starscream specifically having been the one to blast them an exit into this route) and it's revealed that he had devised a plan for their escape from GHOST's detention center (we saw him first scheming in S1E08 "Decoy"). This jailbreak is only the first part of his plan.

When flying with Nova Storm and Skywarp into the tunnels, Starscream tells them:

“These tunnels are ancient, predating GHOST and this whole pathetic town.”

Starscream should not know this about the tunnels because he's been imprisoned for who knows how long and information about the tunnels is not freely accessible or widely known (see: Croft mention later in this post). But he does know this about the tunnels, because he has intentionally and purposefully sought out this information about the tunnels.

He's sharing this information because he's briefing his Seekers in relation to what he has planned — because the tunnels are an integral part of his plan (as we'd later see come to fruition in S2).

If the Seekers were using these tunnels as an escape route, he would have no reason to even have or share such information about them; the Witwicky Ranger Station exit route that Swindle used prior in S1E18 "Disarmed" is not their destination.

Nova Storm rushes ahead and flies deeper into the tunnels after Starscream's briefing. She transforms to stop where the tunnels split into opposite directions, as her map shows here:

The tunnel to the left is visible, and it's a dead end:

Which leaves only the tunnel to the right — the cave system entrance!:

The Seekers ending up here by the cave entrance was not incidental: they were deliberately heading to the cave system entrance in accordance with Starscream's planning.

Nova Storm had blasted ahead and visibly passed another branch of the tunnel without pause because this was her destination; Skywarp chided her for using sonic booms because a cave-in right at the cave entrance would be an inconvenience to Starscream's plan.

At GHOST HQ when Megatron starts to make a plan involving a retrieval team going into the tunnels, Croft cuts him off to tell him it'd be pointless because the Seekers went into an "unmapped cave system", and that they should use their energon scanners for when they resurface.

Croft disregards Megatron's urgency and forbids them from going down into the tunnels with a grave tone: "No one is to go down into the tunnels. Do you understand me?" (which is accompanied by the ominous GHOST leitmotif), alluding that she knows more than she's letting on — in fact, she is intentionally keeping them in the dark.

Back with the group in the cave tunnels, the shot framing and SFX calls attention to the map of the cave system that Starscream has here (he's also positioned in front, leading the group) because it directly contradicts Croft's claim of the cave system being "unmapped". This map is even labelled! (This disproof adds to Croft's/GHOST's shadiness as built up throughout S1.)

(Relevant to Croft having information kept secret that's of interest to Starscream, Starscream would later want specific information he knows Croft has on her hard drive in S2E03 "Control Alt Delete")

One thing I'm curious about is Starscream deliberately turning right instead of continuing straight when the Dweller begins chasing the group — he had his eyes on the map recently, so was he intending to head for the map room right then and there? (Could it have been that he hoped the others would keep the Dweller busy, allowing himself to find the exit and escape?)

It's interesting that Starscream identifies the map room as a "central hub" and not just a map room (Nightshade identifies it as "some sort of map room") — it suggests Starscream has some recognition of what this cave is.

I want to make an important note that the Maltos/Terrans, including Hashtag, are never aware of Starscream's planning here. What Hashtag challenges here is his selfishness and his belligerent authority (as portrayed throughout this episode to this point) — and we'd see this actually impact his leadership style from here until S2E09 "Witwicky" (he goes from trying to physically assert his authority over others to instead explaining the importance/relevance of what he's asking of his followers). His desire for power and glory (see: S1E16 "Warzone" where he [be]holds the AllSpark as if it were a personal victory/trophy, as opposed to Shockwave's more collective Decepticon victory goal) was never challenged here.

When Hashtag prompts Starscream to convince the Seekers to help stop the Dweller, he tells them: "The boy is right. If that thing gets out, no Cybertronian will be safe, including us."

The way he words this excludes the Maltos and all non-Cybertronians of Witwicky: instead of mirroring the Maltos' concern about Witwicky as a whole, he narrows the concern to "Cybertronians" and themselves to appeal specifically to Skywarp and Nova Storm (who've actively endangered humans before) (later in S2E01 "Aftermath" Skywarp would express explicit disdain for non-Cybertronians, corroborating this; though paired with her and Nova Storm's blatant disregard for human, Autobot, and Terran safety as shown in S1, including in this episode, this isn't surprising xD).

This (or rather, this and other moments) shows that Starscream is actually quite capable at knowing his audience and understanding how to appeal to them, which is useful in S2 when he's able to rally the Decepticons behind him by promising to make them a new home, following their imprisonment by Autobots and GHOST.

(Starscream's "Take care of yourself" at the end of S1E21 "What Dwells Within" is genuine, and his later shift on the word emphasized would be deliberate and intentional — but not actually reflective of his meaning in S1E21 "What Dwells Within". An in-depth analysis of Starscream in S2/S3 will be a different post than this one.)

In S1E24 "The Last Hope" when the Decepticons are freed they fall under Starscream's command. Starscream properly taking leadership of the Decepticons was a long time coming: S1E01 "Secret Legacy" established the Decepticons as being aimless, divided, disorganized, and leaderless (as portrayed all throughout the season too), so pairing this with S1E08 "Decoy" revealing that Starscream was imprisoned and scheming (who had the allegiance of Soundwave) set Starscream up for becoming the Decepticon leader following their liberation from GHOST.

Starscream's ability to appeal to the Decepticons can also be inferred to be true of in S1E26 "The Last Hope" where he's able to convince the Decepticons to help defeat Mandroid's forces (Sharkticons and mind-controlled Autobots) when the Maltos and Bumblebee were unable to convince them to do so (because their reasoning didn't appeal to the Decepticons' interests).

I'd doubt Starscream would appeal to the Decepticons the same way the Maltos and Bumblebee tried to — what he appealed to them with would be conjecture, but I'd guess something like being able to fight Autobots (who relentlessly hunted and imprisoned them, aiding GHOST) without consequence if Starscream's awareness of the mind-controlled Megatron and his and the Decepticons' enthusiasm joining the fight is any indication; and obviously allowing Mandroid wipe out all Cybertronian life would be quite a hindrance to Starscream's plan seen in S2.

Notably, Starscream describes the Decepticons joining the fight as "return[ing] the favor" for freeing the Decepticons from GHOST, rather than any mention of saving Earth or Cybertronians, which suggests a transactional perspective (which wouldn't be the first or last time the Decepticons appear to have this [e.g. Tarantulas asking "What do you want in return?" in response to Nightshade's gift and the Decepticons following whoever promises them something they want (Skywarp & Nova Storm working under Mandroid for his protection against GHOST, S2 Decepticons for Starscream's promised New Cybertron, and S3 Decepticons for a return to Cybertron]).

Related Set Ups & Callbacks

In S2E01 "Aftermath" Starscream shares his plan with Breakdown and alludes to Terratronus:

"Beneath Witwicky lies a tremendous weapon. The Autobots don't even know about it yet. [...]"

Which actually calls back to what Mandroid said in S1E24 "The Last Hope" at GHOST's spacebridge, revealing that he was alluding to Terratronus (which served to subtly set her up):

"[...] you have no idea the power that's been lying beneath your base all these years"

"Showing you the weapon it's perched upon."

In S2E09 "Witwicky" Starscream stands with the Witwicky Tower (which was GHOST's Spacebridge) in frame which calls back to Mandroid alluding to Terratronus lying specifically beneath GHOST's spacebridge.

In S1E21 "What Dwells Within" when Starscream saw the Maltos he says: "Ah, so you're the Maltos / [...] they'll make perfect hostages", recognizing who they are and their value to the Autobots (and Megatron) and GHOST. And in S2E09 "Witwicky" he's able to do just that:

[More of my EarthSpark meta ->]