Don't let the rust consume you

Blitzwing and Astrotrain, triple changer boyfriends? 👉👈

Post upgraded Megatron's escape from prison, Megatron's distrust in his troops grows as he too becomes unstable and his troops begin to distrust him as he's becoming overbearing and physically violent to even his most loyal Decepticons.

I like to think he particularly hates him, pretty much a "when someone is really similar to you in a way that makes you hate them" thing (not that he would realize that)

I do find interesting that Skywarp and Blitzwing are described in a similar maner, having a "cruel sense of humor", and that the only difference between them is that one of them is particularly disliked.

Skywarp's outlier ability, even if he's not particularly smart and a brute gets the 'ok' in a way that Blitzwing does not despite him being just as (if not more) competent. This gets into personal headcanon territory for me as well, but I think Blitzwing (due to his G1 Cartoon Origin) being a Quintesson Drone who gained sentience to join the Decepticons might be judged differently from a Seeker. Like some type variation of a functionist (even if the concept doesn't exist in this universe) belief system at play.

In this (admittedly) delusional scenario Blitzwing might have a chip on his shoulder about this subject, which becomes a "I am twice the value you are because I have two alt modes" going on.

On the note, since Dreamwave has a different origin from the G1 comics, you could also argue that the Decepticons see Blitzwing as an experimental Triple Changer who is the most loyal soldier to Shockwave vs. Skywarp's undying loyalty to Megatron where it's more based on factions and ideology.

There is a lot of ways to go with it, but I always like to the play there is simply some type of bias that makes SKywarp somehow more tolerable to Decepticons than Blitzwing despite being incredibly similar.

I like all the scenarios you brought up! I also imagined that all boils down to some kind of bias agaisnt Blitzwing.

Also about that last part-

Meme ref under the cut:

An increasingly deranged Megatron nearly kills Motormaster.

The Transformers (UK) #96

Writer Simon Furman

Art Will Simpson

Letters Annie Halfacree

astrotrain of joy and whimsy

Like I know they tried to circumvent that narrative with Optimus wishing for the Aerialbots to have minds and wills of their own, but that doesn’t change the fact that they were literally born to kill

Do you understand how stressful that is? That they were all not only born with a purpose, but with a purpose so dark and intense? That they were made to hurt others simply because no one else could handle said others? It’s horrifying

The lives of the Aerialbots are intrinsically linked to the lives of the Stunticons, but it’s not an equal exchange: the Stunticons would live with or without them

(I’m going to get into a little Silverbolt favouritism; don’t mind that)

And for Silverbolt? God. He was created not only to hurt and kill, but to lead others, the only others like him, in the charge. And when those four don’t want to fight, but he knows that they have to? That he has to convince them to?

I don’t know what would be more tragic: Silverbolt knowing how terrible a fate he and his brothers face without an option to say no, or him being blissfully unaware that he and his brothers should get a choice

They were born into a war that they’re suddenly expected to fight—that’s a major part of the reason why I think the Aerialbots should’ve gotten (and for any modern adaptations, get) screentime with Skyfire. Their reasons for not wanting to fight a war are different, of course, but in baseline they’re the same: they don’t want to be here, but they don’t have a choice

Back to Silverbolt—Being the leader of the Aerialbots kind’ve makes him the only one of the group with an intended rival, doesn’t it? Leaders face leaders. At least, that’s the example Optimus and Megatron are setting

Motormaster? A prick. We know this. Silverbolt knows this. But… Do you ever think he wonders what, exactly, Motormaster did to deserve having someone be born to kill him beyond being too much for the Autobots to stop on their own? Or is he too deep in the rabbit hole of doing what he’s told without question?

“I was born to kill you, but why?” I think, as a question—even just as a momentary lapse in blind loyalty—could create so many interesting narratives