Scorponok (Energon)

The name or term "Scorponok" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Scorponok (disambiguation).

Scorponok is a Terrorcon Triple Changer from the Unicron Trilogy continuity family.

He's sick sick sick with a bicycle kick.

Scorponok's origin differs greatly depending on which universe you are speaking of. What doesn't change, however, is the fact that he's a massive and terrifying sight on the battlefield and a vicious military leader in league with the mysterious Alpha Quintesson.

Fiction

Toy pack-in comics

After Hot Shot and Strongarm found a pool of energon, they were quickly beset by a jamboree of Battle Ravages. They easily defeated the Battle Ravages, only to realize that the ambush was a distraction while other Battle Ravages absorbed the energon. When the two tried to shoo off the Ravages, Scorponok appeared and blocked their path. One Battle Ravage created an energon mace, which Scorponok gleefully used. Strongarm was able to produce a counter-weapon, which Hot Shot used to attack Scorponok. Once the Battle Ravages had absorbed all of the energon, Scorponok ordered a retreat. Energon Volume 1

Scorponok later fought alongside a Battle Ravage and Starscream against Optimus Prime, Hot Shot, and Skyblast. Energon Volume 2 In another battle, Scorponok confronted Hot Shot while Constructicon Maximus and Omega Supreme fought nearby. Energon Volume 4

Energon comic

When Starscream thinks you're a troublemaker, you're probably a Big Deal.

Scorponok was a powerful Decepticon warrior who aided Megatron in his war of conquest on Cybertron. Somewhat counter to Megatron's personal style of guile and subterfuge, Scorponok chose to conduct himself in a more direct manner, leading from the frontlines and being at the forefront of many battles. Starscream warned Megatron that Scorponok might be a possible threat to his leadership one day in the future. No Exit

During the massive battle with Unicron, Starscream saw Scorponok "get his undercarriage toasted" by the giant planet-eater and assumed him deceased. After Unicron's subsequent defeat, Scorponok sought out (or was recovered by) Alpha Quintesson, who granted him a newly-enhanced "Hyper-Mode" laden with energon-powered weaponry. He gathered a small group of loyal followers, dubbed the Terrorcons, to undertake Alpha Quintesson's will. On a return trip to Cybertron where he recruited Tidal Wave, Scorponok killed Starscream in a fit of pique. This Evil Reborn Subsequently, he led the Terrorcons to Earth to attack Alterenergy installations and drain the planet of its natural energon sources. However, the newly-enhanced Autobot forces led by Optimus Prime foiled his initial incursion, and Unicron's Four Horsemen forcibly retrieved the Terrorcons when Scorponok seemed to be stepping too far out of the boundaries of Alpha Quintesson's plans. What Lies Beneath What Lies Beneath, Part Two What Lies Beneath, Part Three What Lies Beneath, Part Four

True friends stab you in the front.

The Terrorcons' next attempt at invading Earth came as Alpha Quintesson sicced clone armies of Divebomb, Cruellock, Battle Ravage, and Insecticon on the planet. Multiplicity Scorponok was given the task of taking out a newly-constructed Autobot energon tower situated in the Yukon. He easily defeated the Autobots guarding it, but was interrupted in his task by the newly-revived Megatron. Multiplicity, Pt. 4

Recognizing Scorponok as an obstacle to regaining his power, Megatron engaged the Terrorcon leader in a brief but intense battle. The two argued their respective strategies of subtlety and brute force as they clashed. While Scorponok temporarily gained the upper hand when he buried Megatron under a collapsing mountain, he reckoned without Megatron's new personal teleportation system. As Scorponok stood gloating, Megatron teleported behind him and ran him through with an Energon sword. Scorponok's frame bled out a massive amount of Energon, then expired still on its feet, his body now nothing more than a standing monument to Megatron's triumph. No Exit

Energon ceased publication before the story could conclude. The following would have taken place in unpublished issues.

Cartoon continuity

Energon cartoon

Voice actor: Colin Murdoch (English), Yasunori Masutani (Japanese), Stefan Berglund (Swedish)

Plot points derived exclusively from the Super Link version of the Energon cartoon are in italics.

Jedi lightsaber skills in action!

Scorponok was formerly the Grand Chamberlain of the world known as "Planet Q", guardian of the planet's ruler, the being who would later come to be known as Alpha Q. When Unicron attacked Planet Q at some undetermined point in the past, the ruler was too frozen with fear to act, and the chamberlain sacrificed his life to detonate the planet's core, blowing it up in Unicron's face. Alpha Q: Identity

Within Unicron's body, however, the spark of Planet Q's ruler continued to exist, and when Unicron was deactivated in 2010, he was able to access the chaos-bringer's powers and create a new body for himself, becoming "Alpha Q". By the year 2020, seeking energon in order to recreate the planets consumed by Unicron, including his own, Alpha Q had recreated the armies of Planet Q as Terrorcons and resurrected the chamberlain as Scorponok to be their leader Energon Stars using the spark of a dead Decepticon. Return! Our Scorponok To turn existing Decepticons to their side, Scorponok was armed with a sword forged from their deceased leader Megatron's spark, Megatron's Sword but when a fit of rage led him to stab the blade into Megatron's corpse, the Decepticon leader was reborn. Despite Scorponok's best efforts, Megatron proceeded to beat Scorponok half to death with his bare hands, branded him with the Decepticon symbol, and ousted Alpha Q from Unicron's body. Megatron Resurrected

Scorponok continued to serve Alpha Q in secret, operating under Megatron's command, until Megatron discovered his deception and attempted to use him as bait to draw out Alpha Q. Chained to an asteroid, Scorponok was cast into Earth's Energon Grid and almost destroyed, Rodimus Friend or Foe? but Rodimus rescued him, Go for Unicron! and Scorponok then openly served under Alpha Q in his alliance with the Autobots. Survival Instincts During this team-up, Scorponok gained an admirer in the young Autobot Ironhide, but in his final conflict with Megatron within Unicron, Scorponok was defeated and thought destroyed during an explosive energon reaction. Ripped Up Space

This reaction allowed Alpha Q to achieve his goal to recreate the planets Unicron had destroyed, which were immediately targeted by the Decepticons as sources of energon. It was during the attacks on these planets that Scorponok resurfaced, having been restored by Megatron and now totally loyal to him. Protection Scorponok continued to serve Megatron throughout the remainder of his campaign, Jungle Planet personally leading a force of Terrorcons to obtain the energon of the restored Planet Q. Alpha Q hoped the sight of his old home planet would help Scorponok to shake off Megatron's programming, but it failed. Scorponok was fought off by the joint efforts of Ironhide and Alpha Q, and from then on, Scorponok's old friends came to consider him an enemy to be destroyed. Return! Our Scorponok

During the Decepticons' takeover of Cybertron, Ironhide engaged Scorponok in battle, smarting from the betrayal of a 'bot he had looked up to. Spark Both combatants were severely wounded and eventually collapsed, but when Ironhide's Spark of Combination activated in response to a summons from Optimus Prime on the Jungle Planet, Scorponok awoke and dragged his former ally to Jungle Planet. Scorponok told Ironhide that he had only saved him so that he might save Galvatron from Unicron... but something suddenly stirred his memory of Alpha Q's beloved planets. Scorponok then collapsed and perished. The Sun

Cybertron comic

Will this be Sentinel Maximus's only victory? Maybe!

Despite Unicron's apparent death inside the Unicron Singularity, his essence's will was still strong enough to use the reality-altering black hole to bring Scorponok to Cybertron. Now Dark Scorponok, this undead creature stalked the evacuated planet surface, screaming in hunger and pain, crying out for sparks upon which to feast. At first, Dark Scorponok assaulted Skyfall, Balancing Act, Part 2, who survived due to his powerful force field ability, but the monster was drawn away by Ramjet's evil Mini-Con minions towards the Kalis Primary Energon Reserves Control, where Vector Prime and Sentinel Maximus were located. Balancing Act, Part 3 After a prolonged fight, Sentinel Maximus was able to defeat Dark Scorponok, after which he and Vector Prime realized this was just a diversion. They abandoned what was left of Dark Scorponok, unable to solve his affliction, as their attentions were needed elsewhere, below the planet's surface. Balancing Act, Part 4

Cybertron key codes

Dark Scorponok located the Jungle Planet and served Scourge as a bodyguard.

Games

Transformers Energon: Battle for Megatron

Scorponok led the Terrorcons on a mission to retrieve Megatron, held deep within Unicron's defenses. Using his three modes to great affect, and using several battle techniques, such as his "Scorp Punch," his "Barrage" attack, and his "Scorpion Sting," Scorponok and his underlings fought destroyed many of the drone units that stood in their way. Scorponok could also boost his fellow Terrorcons' moral and repair them when the need arose. The Terrorcons were eventually successful in liberating Megatron from Unicron's clutches. Transformers Energon: Battle for Megatron

Toys

Energon

• Scorponok (Ultra, 2004)
  • Japanese ID number: SD-05

Color scheme courtesy of a vat of assorted M&Ms.

Energon Scorponok transforms into a...scorpion-shaped construction vehicle thing. That just happens to look like a giant scorpion. Yeah. He has two articulated, scorpion pincer-shaped bucket scoops on two articulated arms along with a scorpion stinger-shaped crane hook on the end of a scorpion tail-shaped crane arm. The tail also has a really sensitive sound effects button that is set off whenever somebody breathes near the toy, filling the room with the sound of metal clanking. The vehicle is also armed with decidedly non-scorpion-like double laser cannons behind each tread, two translucent yellow laser cannons on either side of his cockpit, and two flip-out laser cannons on the end of his crane arm, which are activated by pushing the small cockpit-shaped device (which also has a Mini-Con Powerlinx port) forwards. Inside his bucket scoops are two spring-loaded missile launchers in translucent housings. The right pincer houses his spark crystal while the left has another Mini-Con Powerlinx port.

Scorponok can also transform into a non-aerodynamic space fighter mode, with his crane arm serving as the nose, the tiny, translucent spikes on his pincer-shaped bucket scoops acting as the wing tips, and the turbines on his ankles becoming the engines.

Mega-mintier and super-improved!

In robot mode, Scorponok bears a significant resemblance to his Generation 1 namesake, though pretty much all Scorponoks who transform into robot mode end up with a similar arrangement of beast mode parts in robot form. While his legs have articulation typical of toys in that size class of the time, Scorponok has extremely restricted arm articulation due to the fact he has no up-and-down shoulder movement. This could be rectified by leaving his shoulder pads transformed as they would be in space fighter mode, but of course, this is not his proper appearance. On Scorponok's pincers are 5mm peg holes to accommodate all forms of Terrorcon and Omnicon Energon weaponry, as well as most other accessories featuring a similar peg system.

The Hasbro Energon release of Scorponok was in a riot of not-exactly-cohesive colours including pale green, black, orange-red, yellow and blue. The Takara Super Link Mega Zarak release removed the black and red, replacing them with metallic dark green and gold.

This mold was also used to make Timelines Double Punch and was retooled and recolored to make BotCon 2014 Scorponok.

• More information on Scorponok at TFU.info

Built to Rule

CONstruction is better than DEstruction, if you catch mah drift?

• Scorponok (Built to Rule, 2004)

Built to Rule Scorponok was designed with a much more solid skeleton and larger, blockier limbs compared to the Armada range of Built to Rule toys. It can be rebuilt from a Cybertronic scorpion-shaped construction vehicle thing into a robot...or into basically whatever you feel like doing with the parts.

Unfortunately, due to the slow performance of the Built to Rule line overall, the Energon versions only had a limited, test-market release initially in and around Cincinnati, Ohio. The sets later filtered out into many Tuesday Morning and Ollie's chain stores at drastically reduced prices.

• More information on Built to Rule Scorponok at TFU.info

Cybertron

I'm back... in black!

• Dark Scorponok (Ultra-Class, 2005)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles, Jungle Planet style Cyber Key

Cybertron Dark Scorponok is an extensive redeco and retool of Energon Scorponok, based heavily upon Generation 1's BlackZarak. Naturally, his predominant colour scheme is black with gold and translucent dark red, but it also carries over blue from the Energon release of this toy. As part of the Cybertron line, the crane arm 'stinger' laser cannons and housing have been retooled to accommodate a spring-loaded Cyber Key gimmick, for which inserting the key will cause the lasers to flip out into position.

Dark Scorponok includes a silver-bordered, Jungle Planet-style Cyber Key with the Key Code "u812" printed on the back. Entering this into Hasbro's Cybertron website revealed additional bio information and an image of Dark Scorponok's toy control art (basically a modified version of his Energon toy control art, complete with dropped early features.)

This is also the only toy in the entire Unicron Trilogy that can accept a Mini-Con, an Energon Star, and a Cyber Key (the three series' respective power up gimmicks) all at once.

• More information on Dark Scorponok at TFU.info

Merchandise

Attacktix

• Scorponok (Booster, 2006)

Now cough.

ID number:	TF15
Rarity:
Faction:	Decepticon
Class:	Captain
Special:	Recruit - 10/26 (38%) success ratio
Point Cost:	30
Base Speed:	10
Attack Type:	Striker (Scoop Arm)

Attacktix Scorponok's scoop attack was designed to tip over other figures by scooping up their bases. It uses a free-swinging joint controlled by the player, rather than a spring-loaded attack like most other strikers. If one turns Scorponok at his waist, it's possible to get a nearly 360-degree swing into the attack, delivering more power than any other striker besides the Mega figure Omega Supreme.

This unexpected power level allows Scorponok to knock down any other figure, any defensive formation, and even any Mega figure easily. If Scorponok gets into range, you don't stand a chance. This seemingly unbalanced level of power has led some players to suggest Scorponok should be banned from tournament play. In practice, though, it just makes him your opponent's most immediate target.

When Scorponok dies, he has the potential to summon up to two Insecticons from your back-ups. Bringing in multiple Troopers makes him an excellent support figure for the Crumplezone/Ransack combo.

• More information on Attacktix Scorponok at TFU.info

• Dark Scorponok (Booster, 2007)

Now die.

ID number:	TF17
Rarity:
Faction:	Decepticon
Class:	Captain
Special:	Vanquish
Point Cost:	30
Base Speed:	10
Attack Type:	Striker (Scoop Arm)

A redeco of the Scorponok figure slated for the second series of Attacktix figures, retaining all his lethality. His Vanquish Special Power should allow him to regenerate by devouring figures from your opponent's graveyard. Mmmm. Zombielicious.

Game over. This Attacktix item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Titanium Series

• Scorponok (Robot Master, 2006)

Did I do...good?

Titanium Series Scorponok is a small, 3-inch die-cast metal-and-plastic figurine of Scorponok based upon his Energon appearance. He can't transform, but has some articulation at the shoulders, neck and waist. He comes with a Decepticon display stand.

Scorponok is the only Energon-series character in the Titaniums line, and one of only two Unicron Trilogy characters made for the line.

• More information on Titanium Scorponok at TFU.info

Notes

• Scorponok's visor was a late addition to his design, at the insistence of the toy's "mech designer" Hirofumi Ichikawa.

MY GOD! With those gone, he's only 1/1200 of the way to being completely unarmed!

• Some late changes were made to Scorponok's design, including but not limited to Scorponok's articulated shovel "thumbs" being de-articulated for the final version, Scorponok's hip cannons being severely shortened and losing their joints (also lessening the Generation 1 Scorponok cannon nod a tiny bit), and also entirely losing large cannons that presumably pegged into the now-vacant holes on the sides of Scorponok's knees. The first two changes can be readily seen on the pre-release toy shown in Energon Scorponok's box pictures, while the third can only be seen on Scorponok and Dark Scorponok's control art. Scorponok's first animated appearances in Energon display all of these features, as particularly evident in the episode "Megatron's Sword", but the model was changed for later episodes.

• Scorponok and his Japanese counterpart Mega Zarak seemingly have "swapped" card art: The deco patterns on each Tech Spec card more closely resemble the other country's release. Mega Zarak's artwork even has the US toy's color scheme. Despite the seemingly swapped color of the Dreamwave art/CG render, both Scorponoks have purple thighs—a stronger G1 homage, but notably absent from either deco.

• There are several significant differences in the story of Scorponok between Super Link and its English dub as Energon. Primarily, the episode "Return! Our Scorponok" revealed that Scorponok was not the same entity as the Grand Chamberlain of Planet Q, but merely a being that Alpha Q had created in his image out of an emotional connection, using the spark of a "wandering Decepticon" (often speculated by fans to be Thrust, who died on Unicron during Armada) and programming him to behave as the chamberlain had done. For unknown reasons, this episode was never dubbed into English, and the following episode is even redubbed to remove any references to it.
  Furthermore, while the Energon series only ever presents Scorponok as having been mind-wiped/reprogrammed by Megatron (in the same manner as he did to Starscream, Demolishor and Inferno), Scorponok and Ironhide's final exchange in Super Link makes the matter a bit ambiguous. Up until this point, Scorponok has rejected all claims that Alpha Q was ever his master, and restates constantly that Galvatron is the only master he knows. However, his final line—a near-whispered "Our planets..."—followed by a shocked reaction from Ironhide ("Scorponok? So... you do..."), indicates that he does remember after all (Scorponok's line survives into the Energon dub, but Ironhide's does not, thus depriving the whole thing of the punctuation that makes it clear what the exchange is suggesting). It is not clear from the scene, however, whether Scorponok has always had his memories and has simply been lying to himself and others throughout the series, or if he is merely only remembering now, reminded of the energon sun by Ironhide's glowing Combination Spark.

Foreign names

• Japanese: MegaZarak (メガザラック Megazarakku)
• Hungarian: Skorpió ("Scorpion", 1st dub), Szkorponok (2nd dub)
• Italian: Scorpinok
• Polish: Skorpinok
• Russian: Scorpinok (Скорпинок Skorpinok)

External links

• Scorponok at TFU.info