Strika doesn't need any sort of explanation. Just put her in there.

IDW GET ON IT

 

Strika was one of the neutrals who left into space. She's recently come home after Dark Cybertron. Due to being about as feminine as a tank, nobody ever dared question her gender to her face.

I'd be happy if it could be explained that there are a handful of females out there in general, and we've just simply not seen them so far, rather than making them this wonderful thing that must be explained through more convoluted means. Maybe Arcee could simply be explained as an unreliable narrator, a theory a few friends have put to me, and that she simply doesn't quite understand what happened with her.

 

I'm not necessarily asking about her origins as female, I'm just asking what a good way to have her show up would be. Y'know, as a (possible) Decepticon and all that jazz.

 

If you want her to be more spot-on than, say, Fat Tankor was, then the only thing for it is to wait for the right story. If they need an antagonist that has to be a Cybertronian but not a (traditional) Decepticon pain-worshipping jerkobot, hopefully they are keeping her in mind. Actually, I don't even need her as an antagonist. I think in my headcanon she's already the Great General of Caminus.