Starscream VS Rainbow Dash

Starscream VS Rainbow Dash is the 17th episode of Death Battle. This Hasbro themed episode features Erica Mendez as the voice of Rainbow Dash and Zak Wilson as the voice of Starscream, with Emilio Lopez-Centellas as Starscream's audio engineer.

Screwattack
''Episode 17 - My Little Pony VS Transformers! Which of these two high-speed Hasbro toys will dominate the skies and win this epic duel? Can a tiny pony really stand up to a giant living death machine?''

YouTube
''Episode 17 - My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic VS Transformers! Which of these two high-speed Hasbro toys will dominate the skies and win this epic duel? Can a tiny pony really stand up to a giant robot warrior?''

Interlude
(*Cues: Invader - Jim Johnston*)

Wiz: Television has been used to market toys to boys and girls for generations, ranging from G.I. Joe and Barbie to Transformers and My Little Pony.

Boomstick: Are we really doing this?

Wiz: Yes. Yes we are.

Boomstick: Alright, well, Starscream from the first generation Decepticons.

Wiz: And Rainbow Dash of the G4 Pegasus Ponies.

Boomstick: He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick.

Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.

Starscream
(*Cues: Attack On the Shuttle - Lightning Their Darkest Hour*)

Wiz: Starscream is the air commander of the Decepticon Battle fleet. He constantly seeks power, and often attempts to usurp Megatron's leadership of the Decepticons, with little success.

Boomstick: He has two forms- giant robot and jet.

Wiz: His robot form is primarily meant for ground travel. Though it can fly short distances.

Boomstick: This form's weaponry consists of cluster bomb, missiles, machine guns, and his trademark Null Ray, a laser that shuts down anything that uses electricity.

Wiz: He can transform into an F-15 Eagle; a twin engine, all weather fighter jet with top speeds reaching mach 2.8, nearly three times the speed of sound.

'''Boomstick: In jet form, he can fire three different types of homing missiles, from short-ranged Sidewinders to long ranged Slammers. And if those don't do the trick, he's equipped with a M61A1 Vulcan Gatling Gun, that fires twenty millimeter ammo at six-thousand rounds per minute. Fun fact: it also works great for hunting!'''

Wiz: Starscream is a coward, and uses cheap tactics, often shooting his opponents in the back. However, his deadliest weapon is arguably his silver tongue. While he is not the strongest Decepticon, he is a clever and deceiving speaker, who can worm his way into favorable positions. Despite this he is a terrible strategist. Most of his plans instantly go wrong.

Boomstick: Like when he took over the Decepticons because Megatron had a sore throat:

Megatron: *incomprehensible speech* Autobots!

''Starscream: Too bad! He's blown his vocal components. I guess that makes me the new leader!''

Boomstick: It was short lived.

Wiz: And yet his persistence paid off, and he was eventually crowned leader of the Decepticon Faction.

Boomstick: Again, short lived.

Wiz: Starscream was king for a whopping twenty seconds, a personal record. However, after his death, Starscream discovered his spark, or life-force, was, somehow, indestructible.

Boomstick: And a good thing too, because since then, he's been dying nearly every episode.

Wiz: His ghostly spark can possess machinery. He has taken over several other Transformers, robots, and even a cybernetic schoolgirl while she was using the bathroom.

Boomstick: What?!

Wiz: Unfortunately, his poor knowledge of human society led him to forget to pull up the girl's underwear, making him the laughing stock of the school.

'''Boomstick: Props to you, Japan. I didn't see that coming.'''

Megatron: You're an idiot, Starscream!

Rainbow Dash
(*Cues: MLP: FIM - Sonic Rainboom (Just An Old Mare's Tale)*)

Wiz: Rainbow Dash is a Pegasus Pony from Equestria, the magical land of ponies.

Boomstick: *Sighs*

Wiz: After dropping out of Flight School, Rainbow found a job in Ponyville as Weather Manager. She is a strong, agile flyer with great durability and resilience. She can smash through trees and solid rock and get right back up. She is also training to join the Wonderbolts, a superb team of flyers who are kind of like the Blue Angels.

Boomstick: ...Except, they're ponies.

Wiz: She is also a black belt in karate.

Boomstick: How does a pony learn karate, let alone master it?

Apple Bloom kicks a punching bag, only for her to shake a few seconds and fall to the ground.

(*Cues: MLP: FIM - Iron Pony*)

Wiz: As a Pegasus pony, Rainbow can control weather. She can use the clouds in the sky to manipulate lighting strikes and precipitation. Also, she can create and control giant tornadoes.

'''Boomstick: She's also got some other moves, like the Buccaneer Blaze, which is apparently so amazing it can't be shown on screen. And, somehow, it creates a huge explosion.'''

Wiz: Rainbow often brags that she is the fastest in the world. And you know what? She's right.

Wiz: By calculations according to this guy, Rainbow Dash can fly up to five times the speed of sound with ease. This is apparent through the mach cone that often forms around Rainbow, which indicates that she has broken the sound barrier. And the angle of which proves she can reach up to Mach 5 speeds.

'''Boomstick: This is a pony, a baby horse girl toy. Why is it so awesome?'''

Wiz: And upon reaching Mach 5, she entered hyper sonic speeds to create the Sonic Rainboom. With this, her speed doubles instantaneously to Mach 10. And somehow the resulting sonic boom completely shatters the visible light spectrum.

Boomstick: Not to mention the sonic boom itself is apparently strong enough to split solid rock and shake entire mountains.

Wiz: Rainbow is brash, athletic, and extremely competitive. But while she's steadfast and loyal, she sometimes cheats to get her way.

'''Boomstick: Well... let's make it fight a giant robot.'''

Rainbow Dash: Yeeeeaaaaahh!

Death Battle
The F-15 Eagle Jet Fire flies in to reveal itself to be bumbling Starscream coming in for a land in his humanoid robot form.

Starscream: Who dares challenge the mighty Starscream?

(*Cues: MLP:FIM - Rarity's Fashion Show*)

Out of the blinding sun, a Pegasus pony named Rainbow Dash flies down in a landing seeing Starscream.

Rainbow Dash: Hi there.

FIGHT!

''Starscream: *mockingly laughs* A pony? I'll crush you in an instant. Prepare to be annihilated.''

Rainbow Dash: You talk a lot.

Rainbow flies around Starscream in many different directions, bucks him in the heel with no effect on him, Starscream backhands Rainbow out of anger.

''Starscream: That. Is. it. I am going to kill you!''

Rainbow Dash: Tag, you're it!

Starscream shouts in anger as he turns back into the F-15 Eagle Jet Fire and chases Rainbow Dash in the sky. He proceeds to fire his Gatling gun, which Rainbow Dash easily evades. He then fires missiles, which also fail to hit their mark. In Starscream's POV, we see him preparing to lock onto Rainbow Dash.

''Starscream: Alright. Don't move.''

Just as Starscream successfully locks on, Rainbow Dash flies off, immediately undoing it, causing his monitor to say "TARGET LOSS".

Starscream: Blast it!

After he says this, Rainbow Dash appears face-to-face with him, making multiple funny faces at him.

''Starscream: Hey! What are you doing? Stop that!''

This whole time, Rainbow Dash was standing on Starscream, who didn't even notice.

Rainbow Dash: You're not very good at this game, are you?

She leaps off of him, which Starscream clearly flees and then he proceeds to follow Rainbow Dash upward into the clouds.

(*Cues: Spectrum*)

Starscream then transforms back into his robot form and hovers.

''Starscream: Where are you? Show yourself!''

Rainbow Dash quickly flies in with a rain cloud and places it over Starscream.

Starscream: Hey!

Rainbow Dash repeatedly kicks the rain cloud, causing Starscream to be hit repeatedly with lightning, eventually causing him to fall to the ground. Rainbow Dash walks on the ground up to her downed opponent, but she is suddenly struck by the Null Ray, knocking her back and momentarily dazing her. Starscream laughs, but then Rainbow Dash recovers.

''Rainbow Dash: Alright! It... is... on!''

Rainbow Dash flies around Starscream multiple times, eventually creating a tornado, which he is trapped in. He attempts to escape by turning back into his jet form, only for one of his wings to break off, causing him to fall to the ground once again. Rainbow Dash lands and prepares to charge at him.

''Starscream: Wait! Wait! I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me! Please!''

Hearing this, Rainbow Dash slows and eventually stops in her tracks.

''Starscream: I'll... I'll join the herd. I'll be a good Decepticon from now on.''

As he is saying this, Starscream is preparing to lock onto the idle Rainbow Dash.

''Starscream: Please... just let me go.''

''Rainbow Dash: Well... I don't know. I mean... I know should love and tolerate, but...''

Starscream successfully locks onto Rainbow Dash, preparing to fire everything.

''Rainbow Dash: Wait... what's that?''

Starscream's chest reveals his homing missiles.

Starscream: Die!

He fires the homing missiles, which head toward Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash: Oh my gosh!

Rainbow Dash flies into the sky and up into the clouds as the missile follow. Starscream stands waiting with his arms crossed in his "Any minute now" pose.

(*Cues: MLP: FIM - Sonic Rainboom*)

Rainbow Dash then flies downward with the missiles still following her, flying so fast that she has broken the sound barrier. She then unleashes the Sonic Rainboom. Starscream is stunned as Rainbow Dash flies right past him, leaving him too late to dodge the homing missiles. They strike, destroying his lower body, as Rainbow Dash smashes into Starscream and then uses her Bucaneer Blaze, which tears Starscream apart off-screen. Rainbow Dash then flies towards Starscream's torso.

''Rainbow Dash: Aw yeah! That was awesome!''

(*Cues: Transformers (2008) - Decepticons*)

Then Starscream's Spark emerges from his torso, floating in the air.

''Starscream: You haven't won! I'm invincible! My Spark lives! You can never defeat Star...''

He is cut off by Rainbow Dash, who eats and swallows his Spark.

K.O.!

Results
(*Cues: Rainbow Rhapsody - Makkon*)

Boomstick: Forget all doubt, that pony is a monster!

Wiz: Rainbow's speed and agility were more than a match for the clumsy Starscream, and it doesn't help that his aim is even worse than a Stormtrooper's. Not to mention the Null Ray is designed to destroy electronics, not living ponies.

Boomstick: She just ate a Transformer!

Wiz: Yes, and while Rainbow might experience some mild indigestion, Starscream's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Boomstick: Well, she put the pwn in pony.

Wiz: The winner is Rainbow Dash.

Trivia

 * Both Starscream and Rainbow are iconic flyers in franchises created by Hasbro, and are known for having a fairly large ego.
 * This was the third Death Battle episode to pit two combatants each of the opposite gender to fight against each other, the first three were Boba Fett VS Samus Aran, Yoshi VS Riptor, and Justin Bieber VS Rebecca Black, and the next ten are Gaara VS Toph, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran Remastered, Dante VS Bayonetta, Meta VS Carolina, Tracer VS Scout, Zoro VS Erza, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie, Lara Croft VS Nathan Drake, Lucario VS Renamon and Thor VS Wonder Woman.
 * This is the second Death Battle to have the Female combatant defeat the Male combatant, the first one was Boba Fett VS Samus Aran and the next seven are Gaara VS Toph, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (Remastered), Meta VS Carolina, Tracer VS Scout, Lara Croft VS Nathan Drake and Thor VS Wonder Woman.
 * This is the fourth episode to pit 2 or more combatants from their respective company of any sort against each other.  The first 3 were Goomba VS Koopa, Haggar VS Zangief, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Battle Royale, and the next 10 are Zelda VS Peach, Pokémon Battle Royale, Ragna VS Sol Badguy, Darth Vader VS Doctor Doom, Beast VS Goliath, Bowser VS Ganon, Ratchet & Clank VS Jak & Daxter, Meta VS Carolina, Naruto VS Ichigo and Jotaro VS Kenshiro.
 * This is the third Death Battle episode to have at least one combatant having an original Death Battle voice actor (this time being both Starscream and Rainbow Dash); the first 2 were Vegeta VS Shadow and Mario VS Sonic.
 * This is the first remastered episode of Death Battle, the second being Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (Remastered).
 * This is the first, and so far only, episode of Death Battle in which the loser technically doesn't die.
 * Dante VS Bayonetta and Shredder VS Silver Samurai could also qualify as the losers didn't die until they got to their respective versions of hell. However, this episode is the only episode in which the loser dies and yet is still in the world that the battle took place.
 * Derpy Hooves makes a cameo as Rainbow Dash and Starscream disappear into the dark clouds.
 * When asked in their second Q&A, "As Starscream didn't technically die, did Rainbow Dash really win?", Wizard replied that once Starscream's Spark gets out of Rainbow Dash, the only piece of machinery in Equestria for him to possess is a sewing machine, to which Boomstick added, "We like to think that's a fate worse than death."
 * Famous internet personality Jim Sterling provides the voice of Starscream's Spark.
 * This is the third fight to pit a hero character (Rainbow Dash) and villain character (Starscream) against each other, with the first two being Boba Fett VS Samus Aran and Yoshi VS Riptor, and others being Kirby VS Majin Buu, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (Remastered), Iron Man VS Lex Luthor, Meta VS Carolina, Hulk VS Doomsday, Metal Sonic VS Zero and Balrog VS TJ Combo.
 * Originally this was supposed to be Starscream vs Twilight Sparkle based on a panel Q&A regarding the Death Battle itself to fit with the Science vs Magic, but was changed once Ben and Chad saw Rainbow Dash's feats and abilities.
 * This is the third Episode of Death Battle where a Protagonist of a series is set against an Antagonist of a series, the first one being Boba Fett VS Samus Aran and Yoshi VS Riptor, while the next nine are Kirby VS Majin Buu, Boba Fett VS Samus Aran (Remastered), Guts VS Nightmare, Iron Man VS Lex Luthor, Joker VS Sweet Tooth, Meta VS Carolina, Hulk VS Doomsday, Metal Sonic VS Zero and Balrog VS TJ Combo.
 * It should be noted a bulk of Starscream and Rainbow Dash's feats and characteristics came from their cartoon series, not the comic books or any other media. It's unknown how the Death Battle would go had ScrewAttack taken that into account.
 * During a lunch break in 2011, former ScrewAttack employee Jared Knabenbauer A.K.A. ProJared, suggested this matchup as a joke. Afterwards, Ben and Chad looked up Rainbow Dash's page on the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Wiki and were immediately floored by her absurd power, they greenlighted this episode soon afterwards.
 * Watchmojo.com listed this episode as an honorable mention on their "Top 10 Screw Attack: Death Battle Episodes" list alongside Vegeta VS Shadow, Terminator VS RoboCop, Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, and Wolverine VS Raiden.
 * This is the third Joke Battle, with the first two being Goomba VS Koopa and Justin Bieber VS Rebecca Black, with the next three being Chuck Norris VS Segata Sanshiro, Deadpool VS Pinkie Pie and Smokey Bear VS McGruff the Crime Dog.
 * This is the first joke battle to have a conclusive result as opposed to a tie, with the next one being Smokey Bear VS McGruff the Crime Dog.