Marvel comics StarShock really has everything and I still feel like I have more to say more about it:
In the backstory, they were leaders of two opposing city-states who declared war on each other. It's interesting that Shockwave is described as the supreme ruler of Tarn while Starscream was an athlete and also a puppet to the higher politicians of Vos who backstabbed his way to the top.
But despite this conflict in their past, after joining the Decepticons they were scientists who worked together and seemed to be friendly with each other.
And actually, Starscream was the one who inspired Shockwave to decide it was "logical" to overthrow Megatron!
Starscream and Shockwave were a great villainous duo—one in-touch with emotion and the other often overwhelmed and confused by it, one who wanted to watch the world burn and one who believed in a twisted logic.
Shockwave gained more understanding of his own emotions through his dynamic with Starscream.
The two of them were a snarky second-in-command and a cold leader (well, Shockwave tried to project coldness anyway), and it was great to see that Shockwave actually seemed to react well to all of Starscream's complaints/backtalk and that Starscream never actually ended up trying to assassinate Shockwave.
Later, Starscream and Shockwave rescued each other multiple times—when they were both lobotomized and controlled by Megatron, Starscream is the one who managed to ensure, with great effort, that Megatron was killed, and then Starscream went back for Shockwave. Shockwave then restored Starscream's voice and they worked to overthrow Galvatron together.
I especially love how Starscream, possessed by Underbase, remakes Shockwave/frees him. I think this is a wonderful moment. It takes that famous power play in the classic comics in which Starscream took the Underbase into himself to try and become supremely powerful and commit mass murder, only to eventually explode because his body couldn't handle it... and then this moment turns that all on its head since it has him/Underbase instead use the power in a more compassionate way.
And Shockwave returns the favor when he saves Starscream and shows compassion. While the "Interrogative: is this... emotion?" line is really cliché, I found this moment really touching and pure.
I also appreciate that while Shockwave and Starscream in these comics were extremely villainous, they ended up suffering so much after their evil deeds that they eventually gave up on evil and became devoted to peace instead, and it's interesting to see how much they were influenced mainly by their connection with each other. I think it's a unique narrative for the two of them that hasn't really been done with any other versions of the characters, and in my book they really earn the title of "power couple."
...Oh, also there was that time Shockwave rose out of a swamp to stare at Starscream, whose face looked just like the one in the knife cat meme. That sure was something that happened once.
