Micron Legend: Ironhide Saves Starscream from Megatron

[X] Intervene

When the Destrons' previous winning streak is broken violently by the Cybertrons' acquisition of the Comsotector, Megatron becomes rather frustrated. So frustrated, in fact, that when Starscream appears and makes one little ill-timed comment, Megatron tells him to come with him, alone. Confused, but obedient as ever, Starscream complies, whereupon Megatron leads him into a dark room and locks the door...

Thankfully, Ironhide hears the commotion outside and, with a little prompting from Double-Face, smashes a hole in the wall to interrupt Megatron, most likely saving Starscream's life.

This scene is infamous among Armada fans for its startling treatment of the abuse Starscream suffers from Megatron. Whereas G1 always played Starscream's helplessness for laughs, this scene chooses a much more serious portrayal.

Adding to the stark mood is the removal of several lines of dialogue and voice grunting from several characters in the English dub from the Japanese version. The shortening of dialogue coupled with the lack of a score makes the scene eerily silent. The darkness and silence definitely create a stark contrast with the colorful, friendly Cybertron base and really emphasizes the feeling of entrapment.

Notice, if you will, that Starscream uses the standard pronoun "watashi" to refer to himself while he's being beaten. In previous episodes, and even later in this episode, Starscream has been shown to prefer the pronoun "ore," which, as previously discussed, connotes arrogance, pride, and masculinity on the part of the speaker. Starscream switching to the gender-neutral and much more formal "watashi" is a sign of his verbal deference to Megatron. It is possible that Starscream is attempting to humble himself so as not to incite Megatron further.

Clip from episode 23 of Transformers: Micron Legend, "Ready for a Rebellion."