Double Punch (G1)

Double Punch is a Decepticon and Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Maybe if I pretend to be BlackZarak, I'd be more cool.

Highly aggressive and even more foul-mouthed, the only thing Double Punch loves more than a good act of violence is the planning that goes into the next one. This hulking brute was forged from the most durable metal alloys from the desert regions of Cybertron and has a specialty for desert combat... though he's pretty good at combat all-around, what with killing and destruction being his chief interests. If his gladiatorial matches end too quickly, he has been known to demolish parts of the arena and any unfortunate spectators around him. When employed as an assassin, Double Punch likes to lay low his targets in broad daylight, the better to spread public awareness of his skill.

He is cunning and cynical, taking both sides of any argument just to stir others up and advance his own position regardless of who wins.

Double Punch's only weakness is his arrogant battle-lust, which can get him into situations that are beyond even his power levels.

Fiction

Wings Universe

Wings Universe is based on the Generation 1 cartoon, but deviates from it in cosmetic ways and continuity points.

Double Punch seemingly watched matches of the human sport soccer simply as an excuse to cause chaos and destruction. Krok tended to avoid him for this. Krok's Wings Universe profile

In 2010 under the command of Decepticon Syndicate leader Clench, Double Punch aided in the assault of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland and in the process captured Autobot leader Pyro. He chose to bask in his victory by idle target-shooting and recounting to his colleagues how boldly he had rejected the disgusting suggestion of becoming a Headmaster — though with his cockney accent they couldn't fully follow his meaning. When Scorch and the Go-Bots showed up on a rescue mission, Double Punch eagerly welcomed them with obscene words and gestures... but soon found it hard to defend himself against so many quick and small opponents. He also found himself being thoroughly thrashed by Pyro, whose new Forestonite-spawned power to see the future gave him an unbeatable combat edge. When the Autobots gained a decisive upper hand and leveled the facility that the 'Cons had been trying to secure, Double Punch decided he had had enough and fled the scene. Generation 2: Redux

Toys

Generation 1

"Who will join me? Who will give up being really tall to become immune to Gold Plastic Syndrome?"

• Double Punch (Action Master Elite, 1991)
  • Accessories: 2 sets of detachable blue scorpion legs

As an Action Master Elite, Double Punch is one of the few figures in the Action Master line that can actually transform to some limited extent, in this case transforming into a scorpion... with two tails. He has a claw-arm-raking action gimmick in both modes, activated by pressing in the plunger on his back.

Double Punch, as with the other Action Master Elites, was only released in Europe and Australasia. As such, can command some pretty exorbitant prices for a complete, clean figure, even loose.

Like most of the Action Master Elites, Double Punch appears to be an homage to a pre-existing Generation 1 character. His color scheme, molded detail and transformation strongly resemble BlackZarak, only with extra eye-searing pastels. He is also the only Action Master based on a Japanese-original character.

• More information on Double Punch at TFU.info
• Instructions for Double Punch at Botchthecrab.com

Beast Wars

Chomping on the bits of crickets in his mitts.

• Double Punch (Mega, 1998)
  • Accessories: "Beeline" drone, 2 missiles

A BotCon Japan 1998 exclusive limited to 600 pieces, Double Punch is a redeco of Scorponok, transforming into a large organic scorpion. His tail features a geared "jabbing" action, while each claw hides a spring-loaded gimmick: the right (robot mode) claw launches the observation drone Beeline, while the left hides a dual missile launcher activated by opening the upper part of the claw wide. Aside from his normal robot-mode head, he also has a "mutant mask".

While his fellow BotCon Japan 1998 exclusive Grizzly-1 was based on the unused pre-release coloration for that mold, Double Punch was given blood-red colors, rather than the clear-orange of pre-release Scorponok, because it was felt that coloration was more "traditional" to scorpions in Japanese culture. His new function, "Killer Elite," is a reference to his prior status as an Action Master Elite.

The mold was later used to make Beast Wars Sandstorm.

• More information on Beast Wars Double Punch at TFU.info

Timelines

One punch, two punch, black punch, jet punch.

• Double Punch and Turbomaster (BotCon 2010 souvenir set)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

A BotCon 2010 exclusive limited to 1500 pieces, Double Punch is a redeco of Energon Scorponok,transforming into a scorpion-shaped construction vehicle. His bucket-scoop arms each conceal a spring-loaded missile launcher. His tail/crane features twin flip-out cannons activated by a geared slider mechanism. He also has a third space-jet mode.

In order to keep costs down, he lacks the electronic sound effects from the original retail versions of this mold. Where both prior uses of this mold had had a Decepticon spark crystal embedded in one of the claws, Double Punch has a featureless blue dome.

Double Punch was only available in a bagged at-show "souvenir" set with Turbomaster and Shattered Glass Ravage.

This mold was later retooled into BotCon 2014 Scorponok.

• More information on Timelines Double Punch at TFU.info

Notes

• Double Punch's key adaptation to desert warfare is said to be his ability to withstand temperatures all the way up to 150 Fahrenheit. Yes, he is almost as powerful as an average teaspoon. There were probably supposed to be a few extra zeroes in the original profile writeup, but if that's the case, what excuse does Fun Publications have?
• The bio profiles for all three Double Punch toys reiterate his cynical cunning and penchant for playing both sides of an argument.
• While several other characters have multiple BotCon exclusive toys, Double Punch is still notable as his only non-BotCon toy was released only in Europe and Australasia. He may be unique in the history of the Transformers brand in having gotten so many toy releases where each one was of such limited availability.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Double Punch (ダブルパンチ Daburu Panchi)