Appearing in "Shooting Star!"
Featured Characters:
- Joey Slick (First appearance)
- Megatron (Revived)
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Ratchet (Only in flashback)
- Starscream (Only in flashback)
- Soundwave (Only in flashback)
- Frenzy (Only in flashback)
- Ravage (Only in flashback)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Shooting Star!"
Owing money to mobster Jake Lomax, small-time crook Joey Slick flees for his life from the men sent to collect from him, or kill him. Tripping over his feet in a gutter, Joey finds his last hope: A discarded pistol in a drainage pipe. Pulling it on the two hire thugs, he pulls the trigger and nothing happens. The two men then mock Joey for finding a gun that is just like him: a complete loser. When they mockingly dare the gun to blast them, it does just that, knocking the two crooks out.
Joey flees the scene and hides out in a small barn, trying to figure out what to do next he openly asks the gun what it really is. Suddenly, the gun jumps out of his hand and transforms into Megatron, the former leader of the Decepticons. Megatron explains to Slick that he is from the planet Cybertron who came to Earth and led a campaign to take over the planet until he was disposed as leader, and then defeated in combat by Ratchet. He goes on to explain that he was knocked off a cliff, and in order to lessen his fall he transformed into his gun mode, but the impact damaged is circuitry disabling his ability to act independently. When Joey confirms that Megatron will only do what he is commanded, Joey begins to get ideas.
At the home of Jake Lomax, the two thugs report to their boss what happened. Jake is not impressed and orders the men to go back to Joey's place and kill him. Joey in the meantime is one his way to his apartment, where he is greeted by his neighbors and the neighborhood children who all treat him with respect. Inside his apartment, Joey laments over his lot in life until he hears the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Suspicious, he looks out the window and sees a bunch of classy cars parked outside and makes a break for the roof. Naturally, it's Lomax's men coming to kill him and they chase after him. There Lomax is able to fend them off by ordering Megatron to shoot at them, sending them sprawling long enough to make his escape.
Fleeing to the outskirts of town, Joey attempts to get a room in a motel and is turned away because he is a few dollars short. Not wishing to be a penny-pinching loser anymore, it finally crosses his mind to use Megatron as a means of getting what he wants. He then holds up a convenience store and when the police chase after him, he uses Megatron to blast out a section of the freeway, preventing the police from catching up with him.
Over the coming weeks, Joey uses his newfound firepower to commit daring robberies dubbing him the name "The Super-Shooter" in the papers. When local law enforcement seems incapable of stopping him, they send the National Guard to prevent him from robbing the First National Bank of Portland, this opposition too is easily blasted away by Slick. The news of Joey's rise to fame angers Jake Lomax who demands that his men get outside and kill him.
Joey Slick meanwhile has moved into a condominium downtown and has attracted a group of leeches and carry abouts. Sick of them crowding him, he tells them to leave while he has a heart-to-heart with Megatron. Although Megatron is incapable of providing any advice, Joey makes it up in his mind that he is sick of living the rich life. He kicks all the leeches out of his condo and goes to visit the old neighborhood. There he finds the adults all fear him, and the children aspire to be big-time mobsters like him. Feeling that this isn't right, Joey decides to confront his old demons.
Going to Lomax's home, he blasts his way through the mansion's defenses and hired thugs to face Jake Lomax one-on-one. Deciding to take on his feared foe in hand-to-hand combat, Joey tosses Megatron aside causing the gun to fire on its own. Joey manages to take Jake out in one punch, and sick of the lifestyle that he has perpetuated over the past few months tosses the money that he owes on Jake Lomax's unconscious body.
Megatron, having had his logic circuits reconnected transforms into robot mode and lashes out at Joey Slick for daring to command him around like an automation. Joey, no longer fearing anything dares Megatron to do his worse. This strikes a chord in Megatron who is impressed with the humans fearlessness and decides to spare him, departing off into the countryside leaving Joey to be arrested by the police.