The Energon Pub

I've often wondered this myself after watching all the shows an movies what's your take?

Starscream's more memorable, but Cyclonus was the better soldier.

I'm a starscream fan and all, but, cyclonus wasn't always trying become 1st in command, he kept his place.

That's a tough one- I mean comparably the two characters shared virtually the same role. I think it would be easy to give Starscream the edge based on popularity, name-familiarity, his roles in the movies, etc. Cyclonus seems more sinister to me, not as light-hearted and goofy. At times Starscream has shown flashes of brilliance and the ability to devise and implement the Decepticons plans. In fact if you look at movie-verse Starscream and what he accomplishes between the first and second movies he seems to be even more competent than Megatron. Cyclonus is a bit more serious, whether the writers meant for that or not. I believe he means business whereas sometimes you just laugh at how insane Starscream's (usually G1) ideas are. Realistically Cyclonus is probably the better choice because Starscream just can't seem to rally the troops behind him. However I still have to say movie-verse Starscream is probably the best second-in-command (minus a couple silly scenes in DOTM). Not to mention Starscream (to me) is just an all-around better character. Whew- that was a mouthful

Starscream was second-in-command so he could be close to Megatron so he could take over when the time was right, hence why I love him. But Cyclonus knew his place and didn't try anything. So with that said, Cyclonus was the better of the two. But Starscream will always be the one remembered for being the Decepticons second-in-command.

I almost see Cyclonus as a Decepticon leader in his own right. At times in season three, when Galatron's madness reduced his effectiveness to govern the Decepticons with any coherence it was Cyclonus that galvanised them together. I genuinely think that it was only Cyclonus's honour and his deep loyalty to Galvatron that really prevented him from seizing command completely.

Starscream. Cyclonus left the old decepticons to a slow death on Char. He was more loyal, but not a good second in command, since you can't leave the armies leading to him when the leader's away.

Cyclonus is

Cyclonus. The role of the second in command is to make sure the leader's commands are followed through. Cyclonus is more reliable in that respect than Starscream.

Although, was Starscream ever officially second in command back in G1? That seems to be his role now, but back then I never got the impression that the Decepticons even had a second in command.

Gauntlet101010 wrote:Cyclonus. The role of the second in command is to make sure the leader's commands are followed through. Cyclonus is more reliable in that respect than Starscream.

Although, was Starscream ever officially second in command back in G1? That seems to be his role now, but back then I never got the impression that the Decepticons even had a second in command.

Starscream was most certainly the Decepticons second in command, it's confirmed in the narrative of more than one G1 episode.

That and Starscream was the Air Commander. And we know how important the seekers were.

Starscream's Girl wrote:That and Starscream was the Air Commander. And we know how important the seekers were.

Incompetent too.

Air superiority for a loooooooong time. Their enemies where cars, CARS.

Cyclonus, in my opinion. He wasn't working against or trying to usurp Galvatron like Starscream did with Megatron.

RhA wrote:

Starscream's Girl wrote:That and Starscream was the Air Commander. And we know how important the seekers were.

Incompetent too.

Air superiority for a loooooooong time. Their enemies where cars, CARS.

Yeah.

starscream is my favorite he's awesome.animated starsceam was a maniac.cybertron starscream is probably his most underrated incarnation.movie starscream was nothing special but.tranformers prime version is great. and of course g1.cylonus was just a g1 yes-man pretty badass though.more like nemesis enforcer from g.i. joe. Megatron already had plenty of yes-men like shockwave soundwave reflector.......starscream broke up the monotony of the decepticons all and made them interesting.he was like cobra commander to serpentor (even voiced by the same guy)

Seibertron wrote:Cyclonus, in my opinion. He wasn't working against or trying to usurp Galvatron like Starscream did with Megatron.

Yeah, he was more like a babysitter, keeping Galvatron somewhat lucid. Cyclonus would have made a really good leader as well, IMO.

Argghh! Don't make me choose!


Better second-in-command, militarily-speaking? - CYCLONUS

Better second-in-command, character-wise and voice actor (Chris Latta!) - STARSCREAM

It is my opinion Starscream was a more entertaining 2nd in command. Cyclonus was faithful but very entertaining.

As a character Starscream. Cyclonus is kind of boring.

Starscream. If he got his act together he could have been a great commander, and I think a little maniacal at times. In the G1 movie I always wondered how he fared in the battle inside of Astrotrain to stand at that podium to give that one piece of his coronation speech.

To be honest he was never really given the title of second in command. He was Megatron's left if anything...Soundwave was the right hand. Most of the time Starscream just assumed command, and that was his claim to fame through scheming and plotting. However I think Megs liked him because he had some level of competency going for him. But having watched the first two seasons of transformers I never saw he was given the official title of number 2, or even air commander. He just assumed command because it was his nature.

Cyclonus...he had a gruffness about him, but season 3 to me was just one big sloppy mess of a story, and by the time Japanese Headmasters came out, Cyclonus and Scourge became comic relief.

Also, you have to give it to Starscream. Evey iteration of him in the other shows that bear his name have the character as a scheming plotting 2nd...period.

Starscream > Cyclonus.

that's a coin toss up.

on one side of the coin. you had Starscream who appeared to be older,smarter & faster than Megatron. Starscream appeared to know a lot about Cybertron's origin past & old language that Megatron didn't know of. in season one,starscream seemed to be a better second in command when the decepticons were lower in number. in season 2 starscream seemed to be less of a second in command. due to his hate getting more & the troops being larger in number. apparently megatron's newer season 2 tropps & combiners made starscream's power/strenght less needed by megatron.

On the other side of the coin,You've got a extremly loyal Cyclonus. who really wasn't that smart due to his memories being erased by unicron in the movie while he was either in his seeker or insecticon form. Cyclonus appeared to have some super computer in his body that just made him smart/intelligent from the get go. Cyclonus was very strong & fast due to Unicron making him so superior.

I'd say Cyclonus was the better second in command. due to his loyalty. his zero ambition to over take his leader. the way cyclonus would keep the decepticons in line & run the show without galvatron kmowing. the way cyclonus would assist galvatron when he was in his crazy moods.
the fact Cyclonus wasn't a coward like Starscream. Cyclonus actually fought Ultra Magnus & was his rival.

Starscream was only out for himself. starscream didn't seem that competent to lead the decepticons. despite starscream knowing all that back history origin of cybertron. starscream didn't possess the battle strategy finese that megatron had. during the whole season 2 starscream ruined it for himself by trying to defeat megatron a few times. thus megatron couldn't trust starscream so sort of reduced his 2nd in command rank & labeled him a rogue decepticon. in the 1986 movie starscream didn't have the respect of his decepticons soldiers.

At the very least cyclonus did have the respect & dignity of the decepticons in season 3.

Don't even get me STARTED on how the Japanese Headmasters cartoon series. reduced the personalities of Cyclonus & scourge to a bunch of bumbling jokers,who were equally stupid & not that strong. IT APPEARED SINCE CYCLONUS & SCOURGE didn't have any Headmasters toys comming out in 1987. they were treated like garbage & made side show jokes. My THEORY WAS that had both cyclonus & scourge got their targetmasters partners toys in japan's hheadmasters toy line/cartoon series. then cyclonus & scourge would have been treated with more respect. because they had no newer toys or upgrades in the cartoon,they got treated like inferior cybertronian technology next to the decepticon headmasters & targetmasters & the 6 changer sixshot. it was kinda sad to see galvatron give away cyclonus second in command position to both Sixshot & Scorponok.

Sort of like how Blaster & soundwave got treated with respect & dignity in japan's headmaster series. due to them have double cassette modified toys in the headmasters toy line/cartoon series.

I think if we ignore the Japanese G1 Continuity (where Cyclonus and Scourge become Bebop and Rocksteady) and focus just on the North American Seasons 1-4, then it's Cyclonus.

Starscream was cool, but he wore his ambition too openly. Granted, that was so kids could pick up on it, and find him entertaining, but his schemes almost always ended in total failure.

Cyclonus was fiercely loyal to Galvatron, and that alone makes him a better second in command. Maybe not a better leader, but that's not what we're looking at here. However, Cyclonus did lead the Decepticon in the interim while they were searching for Galvatron, and though they were energon-starved at least he kept them going.

So yeah, as a second in command, Cyclonus wins. As a leader, it's hard to say, as Starscream had his moments, and Cyclonus was too focused on making sure Galvatron was always #1. As a character, Starscream had quite a bit more flavor.

To quickly mention one thing from the Headmasters: When Cyclonus first meets Sixshot, he introduces himself as the "Air Commander of the Planet Charr", so he had at least some official title in that continuity... until Galvy took it away I guess!