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1997 Hasbro: Machine Wars Starscream

In 1997, as Beast Wars' popularity continued to grow, Hasbro quietly released a small, vehicular-themed series called Machine Wars. Available only at Kay-Bee stores, this line would have no accompanying cartoon or comic series. It did not last past the year's end; only twelve figures were ever released and the series has since faded into relative obscurity.

Machine Wars Starscream is a repaint and slight retooling of an earlier toy called "Skyquake", previously only available in overseas markets. As a result, this figure bears very little resemblance to any previous incarnation; the only similarities are that his alternate form is a jet and certain features of his head. He's fairly large, about the size of the average Ultra-class figure of the era. He's coloured primarily black with some blue, mostly concentrated around the cockpit and vents on his back. He came with no hand-held weapons but had an abundance of bilious green-coloured missiles that could be attached to the undersides of his wings, along his sides, and inside his bomb bay. For a toy of his girth, his transformation is rather simplistic and he has virtually no articulation; his arms can swivel at the shoulder, but that's about it.

Motto: "Conquest is made of the ashes of one's enemies."

Profile: Starscream is ruthless, cold-blooded, and cruel, yet considers himself the smartest, most sophisticated Decepticon of all. He believes Decepticons should rely more on guile and speed rather than brute force to defeat the Autobots. He's a powerful air commander who can reach speeds of mach 2.8 at an altitude of 52 miles, even while flying heavily armed with his heat seeking, air-to-air missiles.

Interestingly, while Machine Wars Starscream's tech spec bio is virtually identical to that of his G1 counterpart, there is one basic difference. The original profile had been written with the line "He considers himself the most sophisticated and handsome of the Decepticons." The word "handsome" has been excluded from the Machine Wars bio; apparently, this Starscream didn't think he was physically appealing.

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Photos and Images
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Machine Wars Starscream
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Machine Wars Starscream Robot