Scorponok (G1)

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

Scorponok (G1)/suite

Scorponok is a Decepticon Headmaster and occasional Titan from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Scorponok's American design, taken from a British publication, based on a Japanese toy, manufactured in China.

Dangerous, wily, and cunning, Scorponok (aka MegaZarak and BlackZarak) possesses both a keen mind and a great deal of raw, savage power. He is equally comfortable with maverick stratagems and brute force, though he's built more for the latter: his animalistic alternate form bristles with weapons, from multiple paired cannons and the dreaded electro-stinger in his tail, to the crushing grip of his mighty claws. These traits combine to make him both a terrifying foe on the battlefield and a serious contender for leadership of the Decepticons. Often, only his arch-foe Fortress Maximus is capable of standing against him.

He is often partnered in some way with a being named Zarak.

“	I'll rip you to pieces with my bare claws, tear your circuits out with my teeth and spit your diodes back at you!	”
—Scorponok, "On the Edge of Extinction!"

Much about Scorponok differs by continuity; from personality to size. See separate character notes in the sections below.

Fiction

Marvel Comics continuity

And he'll form the head(master).

Leader of a contingent of Decepticons on war-torn Cybertron, Scorponok was the arch enemy of Autobot commander Fortress Maximus. After many clashes on Cybertron, their respective armies carried their fight to the peaceful organic world of Nebulos, where Scorponok and many of his troops physically joined with that world's inhabitants to became Headmasters. Binary bonded with the Nebulan leader Lord Zarak, Scorponok pursued the Autobots across Nebulos and then across the stars to Earth.

In the wake of the Underbase catastrophe, Scorponok became leader of Earth's surviving Decepticons. The binary-bond with Zarak had unexpected consequences, and Scorponok often saw himself simply as an extension of Zarak's own self. With the coming of Unicron, Scorponok accepted an alliance with Optimus Prime's Autobots, while Zarak came to terms with his role as a powerful Decepticon leader. Scorponok led his troops in a doomed final stand against the Chaos Bringer, ultimately falling before Unicron's might.

In one timeline, Scorponok's original head was reactivated, inheriting Zarak's scientific skills. He manipulated Grimlock into unleashing the Gene Key, to turn Cybertron's population into Decepticons, but was eventually killed for good by the Dinobot leader.

American Generation 1 cartoon continuity

The Transformers cartoon

Voice actor: Stephen Keener (English), Eiji Itō (Japanese), Fang Shuqiao (Chinese), Hans-Rainer Müller (German), Georges Atlas (European French)

A Tale Of Two Cities

Scorponok! Converts from robot to scorpion to city to... wait, is that a space ship

Scorponok was a gigantic Headmaster robot built from scratch by Lord Zarak, the secret ruler of Nebulos, upon learning of the Transformers. Working from the Headmaster process designed by the Autobot Brainstorm and later applied to his allies in the Hive and the Decepticons, Zarak used his mental powers to reconstruct the Hive's entire city into a robotic body for him to binary bond with. The Rebirth, Part 2 With Scorponok under his command, Zarak was able to retrieve the key to the Plasma Energy Chamber from the Autobots and carry the Decepticon forces back to Cybertron to reunite with Galvatron. In the end, a bolt of plasma energy zapped Scorponok in his city mode, launching the massive Headmaster (and the collected Decepticons inside) far out into space. The Rebirth, Part 3

Like Fortress Maximus, it is unclear if Scorponok has a life of his own or is simply a large machine that Zarak can control. There is no explanation of how Zarak could've brought him to life and his one line of "Autobot Die!" isn't exactly the most sophisticated of expressions.

Legends comic

Zarak brought Scorponok to the Legends World, where he disguised his city mode as a shopping center known as the Hive. After recruiting Flywheels, he rampaged through the city as Scorponok until he was confronted by the Double-Headmasters, a combination of his Nebulon enemies and the local Autobots. He refused to become a Double-Headmaster himself by allowing Flywheels to form Scorponok's head, and ended up blasted through a portal back to where he came from. LGEX Headmaster Set Chapter

Wings Universe

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

Under the control of the elder Zarak, Scorponok fought countless battles against Galvatron in the hope to seize power. He eventually passed away, leaving Scorponok to his son, Olin Zarak. As the new Scorponok, Olin eventually found himself under Cannonball’s employ. He worked as a manual laborer aboard the Tidal Wave, but continued to long for glory. Worried that he suffered mental instability due to Scorponok still being attuned to his father’s brainwaves rather than his own, Olin planned to have Dr. Vez recalibrate the machine… but not until he could be sure he could fully trust the doctor. Olin insisted that the Scorponok exo-suit was not an intelligent being in its own right, Tornado expressed doubts about this statement, swearing a malign intelligence was silently observing him from within the mechanical scorpion, even when Olin was separated from it.

After the creature from "Demon's Maw" caused serious damage to the Tidal Wave, Scorponok and his band of laborers were tasked with rebuilding the ship under Ferak’s supervision.

Scorponok was absent from the Star Seekers’ attack on Ventax II, having instead been tasked in procuring a large energy production device from a building.

Scorponok later helped Ferak upgrade the Tidal Wave's transwarp engines in anticipation for Cannonball's greatest heist; robbing Cybertron of all of its energy... in the distant future! Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur

After using advanced transwarp mathematics to travel through time, Cannonball led Scorponok and the Star Seekers on a raid of the future Autobot outpost Galadria to access its space bridge nexus. Warping into the heart of Unicron's severed head, Cannonball intended to use the planet-eater's systems to drain Cybertron dry of energon. During the raid, Olin discovered the Cybertronian Knight Devcon spying on them, and combined with Scorponok to detain him. As more Cybertronian Knights came to oppose the Star Seekers, Brimstone lent his rail gun mode to Scorponok to ward them off. During the fight, Scorponok was knocked out by Flareup and captured alongside the rest of the crew. Hoist the Flag

Tornado's log indicated that Scorponok escaped capture by the Knights and made it back to the Tidal Wave, but Tornado opined that Scorponok may have taken that opportunity to mutiny. Although Cannonball eventually escaped and was back in control of the Tidal Wave, later logs referred to Scorponok's "former quarters". Tornado - Decepticon Saboteur

Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity

In this continuity, in a reverse of the standard western naming, Scorponok is the name of the being who becomes the head of the giant robot, taking the place of Lord Zarak in Japanese fiction. When Scorponok is attached to his giant transtector body, he is properly referred to as MegaZarak (メガザラック Megazarakku), much like how Fortress becomes "Fortress Maximus" when in his large form. Scorponok's size varies over the series, from human-sized to full Transformer-sized.

The Headmasters cartoon

Voice actor: Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Jack Murphy (English), Fang Shuqiao (Chinese)

Well-manicured eeeeevil.

Scorponok was one of a group of diminutive Transformers who left Cybertron four million years ago to escape the Great War and took up residence on the planet Master. To survive the harsh environmental conditions on Master, the Transformers built large, lifeless robotic bodies called Transtectors, to which they could connect as heads, increasing their size and power. Scorponok underwent the training to become one of these "Headmasters," but he chafed under the leadership of Fortress, and he led several like-minded Headmaster warriors in a rebellion that ultimately ended with their defeat and exile from Master. The Mystery of Planet Master

By the year 2011, Scorponok had teamed up with Galvatron and the Decepticons, and his three minions, Weirdwolf, Mindwipe, and Skullcruncher, joined Galvatron's forces in an attack on Cybertron in 2011. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky Scorponok himself, on the other hand, refrained from making appearances on the battlefield, sticking to the shadows (in the most preposterously literal way imaginable) and emerging only to lure the Autobot Headmasters into a trap on the planet Praum. The Four-Million-Year-Old Veil of Mystery Not long thereafter, when Galvatron discovered that Vector Sigma was in the midst of developing a powerful new alloy, Scorponok advised against attacking the planet, suggesting instead that they destroy the alloy, rather than risk the Autobots gaining control of it. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 1 In truth, Scorponok was more concerned about Galvatron obtaining the alloy's power, and determined to stop anyone from acquiring it by taking out Cybertron itself. He had Mindwipe plant powerful bombs in Vector Sigma's chamber, which went off and devastated the planet, ostensibly taking Galvatron with it. Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2

"Mine is an evil laugh! Moo hoo ha ha!"

Scorponok subsequently took control of the Decepticons, falsely claiming that Galvatron was alive and commanding him from afar. He immediately put a series of far-reaching plans into action, starting with the creation of a massive Transtector for himself, which would put him on equal footing with Fortress and his Transtector-scum-battleship, the Maximus. Enslaved Beastformers were put to work on the planet Zarak to construct this Transtector, and to provide it with power, Scorponok had the Decepticons steal Sol 1, a human solar-energy-gathering satellite, which beamed its power reserves to Zarak. The Shadow Emperor, Scorponok To distract the Autobots from his plans, he ordered Sixshot to attack Earth, so the heroes would focus their efforts on defending the planet. While the construction was going on, meanwhile, Scorponok focused his attention on harnessing the power of the plasma energy released in the destruction of Cybertron. The Dormant Volcano Mysteriously Erupts As part of his efforts to distract the Autobots, Scorponok sent the buridanka to Earth and Athenia, but was shocked when Fortress revealed his mighty transtector's robot mode to defeat it. Head On!! Fortress Maximus

Claws...check. Stinger...check. Multiple gun turrets...check. Giant, vulnerable weak spot dead center on the chest...check mate.

Seeking to generate even more of plasma energy for his plans of universal conquest, Scorponok used the energy he had already obtained to create bombs that were planted beneath the surface of Mars, which would rip the planet apart. Explosion on Mars!! Maximus Is in Danger While the Autobots were busy fighting the Decepticon contingent on Mars to prevent the planet's destruction, Scorponok unveiled his completed MegaZarak transtector to the rest of the Decepticons on Chaar, stepping from the shadows for the first time as he brought all his troops aboard his new battleship-body and flew to Mars. Once there, MegaZarak transformed into robot mode and spitefully attacked the immobile Fortress Maximus before fleeing into space just before his plasma bombs detonated and blew Mars to cosmic rubble. The Maximus was able to absorb some of the energy released in the initial stages of the explosion, and Fortress was able to transform into Fortress Maximus and escape the blast. Fortress Maximus cleaved MegaZarak shoulder with his Master Sword, forcing the Decepticons to retreat. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears

"Hello? My visor seems to have fallen down over my face. Little help?"

Believing that his deeds had cemented his position of power, Scorponok arranged to be coronated the new Decepticon emperor on Earth's moon, but in the midst of the ceremony, Galvatron returned alive and well and retook leadership. Return of the Immortal Emperor Subservient to Galvatron for the moment, MegaZarak and the other Decepticons once attempted to stop Autobot assistance to Sandra, but failed. SOS from Planet Sandra On MegaZarak's suggestion, Galvatron had the Decepticons distract the Autobots with a trap before departing to plunder other planets for their energy. Daniel Faces His Biggest Crisis Ever!! MegaZarak transformed to robot mode to battle Fortress Maximus on Hive, but the Decepticons were still forced off-planet. Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!! MegaZarak then took the Decepticons to Sperity, but they were fooled into thinking the planet was bereft of energy and left. Battle for Defense of the False Planet They next went to Daros, where they entered an alliance with the planet's decadent ruling class for energy, leaving when the Autobots and the oppressed populace joined forces to overthrow the corrupt government. It was on Daros that the Autobots met a Beastformer named Tekna who gave them valuable data about MegaZarak's weak spot at the cost of his life. Find MegaZarak's Weak Spot!! The Decepticons made final stops at Paradise Head Formation of Friendship and the Pirate Planet, but were nevertheless again and again repelled by Fortress and his Autobots. Mystery of the Space Pirate Ship When the Decepticons returned to Earth, diminishing MegaZarak's immediate usefulness to Galvatron, the wicked Headmaster returned to this own schemes, ignoring Galvatron's orders Ultra Magnus Dies!! and planting more plasma energy bombs along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Everything turned around for Scorponok when Galvatron faced the Autobot Headmasters alone in a battle in Alaska, and was finally destroyed when they collapsed an iceberg on top of him. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg This allowed Scorponok to once again seize leadership of the Decepticons, appointing himself the "Emperor of Terror" and resuming his plan for the destruction of Earth by attempting the detonation of his plasma bombs. After Chromedome decoded Tekna's data, he raced to Earth where a battle was already in progress and gave Fortress Maximus the information, allowing the Autobot leader to perforate MegaZarak's weak spot, and send the critically wounded Decepticon fleeing off into space. I Risk My Life for Earth

Moving his attentions away from Earth for the time being, Scorponok led the Decepticons back to planet Master in search of a weapon to counter the power of Fortress's Master Sword. Miraculous Warriors, Targetmasters (Part 2) The Autobots pursued them, which unfortunately resulted in Wheelie being captured by the villains and ransomed for the secrets of the Master Sword. The Master Sword Is in Danger!! Using this information, Scorponok forged the Zarak Shield out of G-Metal, The Zarak Shield Turns the Tide and when the two weapons clashed, the Zarak Shield emerged triumphant. Operation: Destroy the Decepticons Emboldened by this victory, Scorponok led the charge back to Earth, My Friend Sixshot! intending to finally destroy it, pausing only in the asteroid belt to effect repairs on his Transtector, and to betray and dispose of Sixshot, whom he had never trusted. Duel on the Asteroid

Upon his return to Earth, Scorponok promptly had the Decepticon launch an energy-gathering satellite into orbit, and then withdrew to the sunken continent of Lemuria, where already had numerous Decepticons working to mine the legendary crysmagnetal. Scorponok raised "Death Towers" of this metal in five strategic location all over Earth all, which proceeded to generate waves of energy that were gathered by the satellite. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 1) For the final part of his plan, MegaZarak lured the Autobots to the North Pole, where he clashed with Fortress Maximus for the last time atop a sixth dais of crysmagnetal. As soon as the two combatants were upon the dais, MegaZarak had the satellite beam its stored energy down into his Transtector, and through it into the dais, creating an exponential loop that threatened to tear the Earth apart. Scorponok disconnected from his Transtector and retreated into space with the Decepticons to watch the Earth's destruction, only for Fortress Maximus—supercharged with the combined energy of the Autobot army united in a Head Formation—to destroy his Transtector, breaking the circuit and saving the Earth. The Final Showdown on Earth (Part 2)

Ask Vector Prime

Vector Prime stated that when Scorponok arranged for the plasma bombing and devastation of Cybertron, he also damaged the stable axis of the core reality. Several divergent universal streams and contradictory timelines emerged as a result of the network being based upon this unstable reality. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/11

In one segment of the system, Scorponok dispatched Fenris's team of Pretenders to acquire the Ultra Matrix from Beast. They were foiled, however, by a team of Autobot Pretenders led by Marduk. Ask Vector Prime, 2015/09/30

Super-God Masterforce Master File

With the Decepticons at last forced off of Earth, the Autobots also left the planet, and Transformers' war transitioned into a series of space-based exchanges between Chaar and Athenia, which became known as the Master Wars. To rejoin the fight, Scorponok had a new Transtector constructed, much smaller than his old one (comparatively speaking – it was still taller than a combiner), but outfitted with hyper-dense armor. Before he could connect with this new body, Scorponok was captured by the mysterious alien entity Devil Z, who had been in hibernation on Earth until recently, and saw a use for Scorponok in his plan to create the ultimate lifeform. Devil Z brainwashed Scorponok, placing him, and by extension the entire Decepticon army, under his control, and then allowed him to link up with his new Transtector. Rather than forming the head for his Transtector, however, Scorponok controlled it from within its chest cavity, wired directly into its systems from there, with a new "decoy" head placed between its shoulders. Now, Scorponok was BlackZarak (ブラックザラック BurakkuZarakku).

The former Decepticon ninja, Sixshot, learned what had befallen Scorponok, and alerted the Autobots to the existence of Devil Z on Earth. The news of this shadowy controller reached the Autobots just as the Trainbots reported the first sighting of BlackZarak in the shadows of a meteor cluster, and the concerned Autobots decided to send a collection of Transtectors to the small Autobot group under the command of Metalhawk that was still on Earth, which he used to transform human beings into Autobot warriors to aid in the battle against Devil Z's forces. Master File No, 1

Following The Headmasters, Japanese continuity branches off in two similar but distinct directions: one is depicted in the Super-God Masterforce animated series, leading into the Zone cartoon, while the other is told through the Super-God Masterforce manga, which leads into the Zone manga and story pages. However, Scorponok's activities between the end of The Headmasters and the beginning of Super-God Masterforce, told through his own packaging bio and TV Magazine articles, apply to both continuities.

Super-God Masterforce cartoon continuity

Super-God Masterforce cartoon

Voice actor: Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Hidekatsu Shibata (Japanese, when merged with Devil Z)

His cartoon power level is only matched by his toy's likelihood of shattering.

Archive footage of Fortress Maximus destroying the MegaZarak transtector was used to educate the future Headmaster Juniors about the Master Wars. Birth! Headmaster Jrs

After numerous failures by Devil Z's forces on Earth resulted in multiple Godmaster warriors joining the Autobot ranks instead of the Decepticons, the incensed alien summoned BlackZarak to Earth. Observing BlackZarak's activities, Fortress Maximus's younger brother, Grand Maximus, raced to Earth ahead of him and warned the Autobots of his coming. In preparation for BlackZarak's arrival, the Autobots worked to construct a power-up drone named Godbomber for their most powerful member, Ginrai. Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot While they worked, the approaching BlackZarak bombarded the Earth with meteors as part of a complicated scheme by Devil Z's ambassadors, Giga and Mega to publicly discredit the Autobots, which was ultimately foiled. Expose the Decepticons' Dark Trap!

BlackZarak's threat loomed for a while Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!? and when he made his way to Earth's orbit, Giga and Mega combined into their robot form of Overlord and headed to Earth's moon to rendezvous with BlackZarak. Will the Bomber Project Be Destroyed!? But before BlackZarak arrived, Ginrai merged with the completed Godbomber, and pursued him into space. BlackZarak showed up in the midst of their battle, and promptly impaled Ginrai with his Tyrant Spear, sending him crashing to the moon's surface. God Ginrai - Into the Sky!! BlackZarak and Overlord followed him down to the moon, and hunted the wounded Autobot, who was in dire straits until the timely arrival of Grand Maximus. With the sides now more evenly matched, the two Decepticons attempted to break off the battle and head for Earth, but Ginrai and Grand brought them back down to the moon with a bump. BlackZarak instructed the damaged Overlord to flee the battle, and although he was furious at being ordered around by this newcomer, Overlord could do little to argue, and left BlackZarak to face the two Autobots alone. Grand and Ginrai double-teamed BlackZarak, and eventually, Ginrai was able to decapitate the Decepticon with his God Fire Guts attack. Although Ginrai thought his opponent was done for, BlackZarak's headless body hauled itself back up, and retreated off into space, with Grand Maximus hot on his tail. God Ginrai - Showdown on the Surface of the Moon The defeat of both Overlord and BlackZarak upset the Earth-bound Decepticons, who swore vengeance on Ginrai. Overlord - Terror of the Chōkon Tornado Footage of BlackZarak's battle on the Moon eventually made its way to Clouder's hands, who used it as impetus to join the conflict. Appearance!! The Final Godmaster

The scorched remains of two fans who wouldn't stop asking why Devil Z made so many Autobot Transtectors.

During this extended stay in space, BlackZarak mastered localized gravity manipulation and gained the ability to open black holes, which he could use to teleport himself across the galaxy at will. After trapping Grand Maximus inside one of these singularities in order to keep him out of the way, BlackZarak teleported directly to Earth and immediately tore through New York City as part of Devil Z's "Operation M-1". He proceeded to attack Tokyo alongside Overlord, but was foiled when Ginrai freed Grand Maximus, and the two Autobots stopped the villains by tricking them into blasting each other. BlackZarak - Destroyer from Space With the failure of this scheme, Devil Z initiated "Operation M-2" and had BlackZarak withdraw to the far side of the moon, where he would unleash the atmosphere-destroying Death Para-Machine against the Earth. Thankfully, BlackZarak was only able to get off one shot from the deadly weapon before Ginrai destroyed it with his God Fire Guts attack. Crisis! The Day of Human Extinction

A dog chasing its own tail has nothing on Hydra Mode.

BlackZarak returned to attacking cities around the globe, and soon struck in a city where Cancer went to, with a trio of Sparkdash drones to back him up. Luckily, Autobot Godmaster Road King was on patrol in the area, and soon called him Ginrai to help him take BlackZarak down. God Ginrai - Save Cancer!? When the Decepticons formulated a trap, BlackZarak was sent to Moscow as part of a divide and conquer strategy. God Ginrai: Showdown at the Decepticon Base After battling Grand Maximus there, BlackZarak returned to the Decepticon base when the Autobots attacked it. During this clash, Devil Z took his brainwashing to the next level, and actually merged his consciousness with BlackZarak, entering his body and taking control of it himself. For his first act in BlackZarak's body, Devil Z collapsed the Decepticon base in a failed attempt to destroy the Autobots The Ultimate Combination!! BlackZarak, the New Lifeform and then led the Decepticons in an attack on North America, bombarding the country with his Devil Power from a strategic staging point in the heart of the Grand Canyon, Battle to the Death!! God Ginrai VS Darkwings Reborn continuing till Devil Z ordered the Decepticons to move to Europe. Autobots! Desperate Attack!!

Devil Z took the Decepticons to the peak of the Matterhorn, where he unleashed his Devil Power upon the continent until God Ginrai arrived to challenge him. Malevolent and Inhuman! The True Form of Devil Z The battle was fierce, and Ginrai thought he had won when he once again cleaved BlackZarak's head from his shoulders, but the decapitation of his host meant little to Devil Z, who simply transformed BlackZarak's body into a new, twin-headed serpent form, and kept the fight going. Uniting his Chōkon Power with that of the Headmaster Juniors, Ginrai unleashed his most powerful God Fire Guts yet and dove through BlackZarak's body, finally destroying the giant Decepticon in a huge explosion that left only ash and shrapnel. Although Devil Z survived the blast, he now no longer had BlackZarak's body to enclose him, and was wide open for Ginrai's finishing move: the Final Fire Guts, which utterly obliterated the evil alien. A Battle... and Then...

Legends comic

Years prior to his departure from Master, Scorponok kidnapped six of his fellow 'bots and exposed them to a sample of plasma energy in search of a method to use the energy to power himself up. The experiment was interrupted by Fortress, marking the beginning of Scorponok's open rebellion against him. He tried to recapture his test subjects on his return to Master, prompting them to flee and end up becoming Targetmasters. Mutant Targetmaster Birth Chapter

Brainstorm told Rattrap, visiting from the Legends World, the story about how he and other diminutive Transformers, including Scorponok, left Cybertron to escape the war and settled on Master. He then destroyed a returned Scorponok's Transtector with a powerful blast as proof that despite their size, life on the inhospitable planet had only made them stronger. Bonus Edition Vol. 9 Reflecting on his easy victory over such a mighty opponent, Brainstorm would later realize he had been temporarily powered up by Rattrap's presence. Bonus Edition Vol. 39 Highbrow would later mention that the Autobot Headmasters needed to train in case recent rumors that Scorponok had returned again were true. Brainstorm Chapter Part 1

By 2021, Scorponok did indeed reveal himself to have the battle with Brainstorm and continued his feud with the Autobots. Consumed by his lust for revenge against Fortress, he detonated a black hole in order to both destroy the Autobots and produce plasma energy for himself, indifferent to the fact that his own troops were in range of the explosion. His plan failed as the Autobots were able to recover much of the explosives, causing the black hole to instead divide into "blackballs" that infested the bodies of everyone present. Headmaster Chapter Prologue While his troops traveled to the Legends World, Scorponok remained in the G1 World and wandered space. Devil Z, resurrected in the Legends World, remotely brainwashed him and had him return to Beast and enslave Beastformers to build two new transtectors. This resulted in a new BlackZarak as well as the gigantic Majin Zarak, a beast so gigantic Scorponok didn't even form part of it but piloted it like a vehicle. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One

When Devil Z was resurrected, Weirdwolf recalled with resentment how they'd lost BlackZarak to him. Bonus Edition Vol. 35 Devil Z also remembered how he had taken control of BlackZarak, and repeated the trick by wiring Megatron into the chest of the Galvatron Transtector while he himself controlled it from the head. Bonus Edition Vol. 36 When Devil Z broke free from his restraints in the Legends World, he brought the brainwashed Scorponok and BlackZarak transtector to the Legends World and reformed the hybrid Devil Z/BlackZarak being. Devil Z attempted to kill every living thing in the Legends World so that he could use its native energies all for himself, but he was stopped in his tracks by Grand Maximus and the Masterforce users residing in the Legends World. Devil Z and the BlackZarak transtector were destroyed at the battle's conclusion, although Scorponok was spared. Bonus Edition Grand Maximus

Freed from Devil Z's influence, Scorponok immediately thought of a plan to produce energy by using the plasma-infused Targetmaster partners as bombs to blow up the Legends World. In order to keep the world's defenders busy, he brought over Majin Zarak and began causing chaos while his troops abducted the Targetmasters. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part One While his creation seemed unbeatable, sabotage at the hands of Beastformers allowed the defenders of the Legends World to force Majin Zarak and Scorponok through a dimensional portal, causing them both to disappear to some unknown location. Legends World in Imminent Danger! Part Two

Zone cartoon

Voice actor: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese)

Aye aye aye—sharpen your boot, and bludgeon your eye

Several years after the conclusion of the Masterforce War, when the supernatural entity Violen Jiger seized control of the Decepticons, one of his first actions was to recruit "Nine Great Demon Generals" from Decepticon history. Violen Jiger assigned BlackZarak to serve as his "Evil Spirit General", and outfitted him with new armor and weapons to make him more deadly than ever before.

Aye aye aye—the blarney stone brings a tear to me eye

BlackZarak was part of the team of generals who attacked planet Zone in order to steal its precious Energon Z for Violen Jiger's schemes, but BlackZarak refrained from participating in the assault, hanging back on the fringes of the planet's atmosphere to cover his allies' rear. As his fellow generals made good their escape with the Energon Z in hand, BlackZarak barred the way of the Super Car Patrol Team and Battle Patrol as they attempted to pursue in the Galaxy Rocket. The Demon General managed to trap the rocket in a crackling field of electricity, and then departed to rejoin his fellow Decepticons, leaving the electric net to slowly destroy the rocket. Luckily for the Autobots, the Jet Patrol Team arrived to destroy the net, and Sunrunner proceeded to use his radar to track BlackZarak back to the other Decepticons. Enter the New Supreme Commander, Dai Atlas!

Super-God Masterforce manga continuity

Super-God Masterforce manga

Black-and-WhiteZarak

When it became apparent that the small force under his command on Earth lacked the manpower to handle the Autobots, Devil Z chose to unite them with the Decepticons in space, and ordered the combined army to attack Athenia. Ginrai (who was on the planet at the time to be appointed Supreme Commander of the Autobots) was able to win the battle by defeating Scramble 7, but after the fight, BlackZarak made his first appearance before the Autobots, carrying Hydra, Buster and the Decepticon Headmasters, who announced that they were returning to Earth. The Battle Begins! The United Earth-Space Troops

BlackZarak joined the Decepticons in travelling to Earth, battling Raiden and the Autobot Headmasters outside the planet's atmosphere while Ginrai confronted Overlord for the first time down on its surface. After defeating his opponents, BlackZarak turned towards Earth, only to find Ginrai streaking towards him, with Overlord in close pursuit. At the last moment, Ginrai spun out of the way, causing the two Decepticons to accidentally strike each other, and damage one another quite badly. While the wounded Overlord returned to Earth, BlackZarak limped back off into space. God Ginrai's Amazing Super-God Combination!

BlackZarak later battled Grand Maximus and the Autobot Godmasters in space, with the aid of Darkwings, The Earth Families of Good and Evil after which Devil Z spirited him away to carry out some upgrades. Decepticons' Great Counterattack! These upgrades complete, BlackZarak was soon returned to Earth, and joined Overlord in attacking another city, where he wound up battling Grand Maximus and the Autobots Godmasters once more. Live? Die?! The Desperate Super-God Combination Later, BlackZarak attacked China with a trio of Sparkdash drones. Decepticon Headmaster Junior Cancer happened to be in the city at the time, and when the Autobots arrived to battle BlackZarak, he displayed his disdain for humans—even comrades—by seizing Cancer and using him as a shield to keep the Autobots at bay. It was then that Overlord arrived, and surprised everyone by viciously attacking BlackZarak, disgusted by his treatment of Cancer. While the two Decepticons were fighting, the Autobots exploited their conflict to attack and force them to retreat. Great Turn-Around! Autobots

Head? I don't need a head. Heads are for wimps!

Overlord's betrayal proved to be the last straw for Devil Z, and he took matters into his own hands by connecting himself to BlackZarak's Transtector as a new head of sorts. Now in control of the Decepticon's body and mind, he transformed BlackZarak into a new serpentine form, and attacked Overlord, the Headmaster Juniors and Ginrai, intending to absorb their Jinchōkon, in order to transform himself into the ultimate lifeform. His Jinchōkon-absorbing beam was blocked by the wholly-robotic Autobot Pretenders, and the Autobots and Decepticons united to destroy Devil Z and BlackZarak for good. Uniting their powers in the "Perfect Transform Attack", all the Autobots and Decepticons boarded Grand Maximus, who collided with BlackZarak, destroying the Decepticon and his alien passenger in an explosion of pure Chōkon Power. The Birth of the Super Lifeforms

Zone manga and story pages

Years after the end of the Masterforce War on Earth, the creature known as Violen Jiger took control of the Decepticon forces and created an elite fighting force by recruiting "Nine Great Demon Generals" from throughout Transformer history. BlackZarak was selected to be one of these generals, and Violen Jiger used his strange, supernatural powers to bring the Decepticon back from the dead, dubbing him his "Evil Spirit General" and increasing his strength with new armor and weaponry. Zone Part 1

BlackZarak was part of the contingent of generals sent to planet Zone to steal its super-energy, Energon Z, for Violen Jiger. After his fellow Decepticons succeeded in purloining the Energon Z, BlackZarak covered their escape, seizing the Galaxy Rocket carrying the pursuing Autobots in an unbreakable grip. He proceeded to coat the rocket in a cocoon of strange energy webbing and then departed to join his fellow generals, but fortunately for the Autobots, the Jet Patrol Team arrived to cut them free before they lost BlackZarak's trail. Transformers: Zone

BlackZarak later attacked Earth, and met resistance in the form of Landshaker and Sky Hyper. BlackZarak seized Landshaker, easily shrugging off Skyhyper's blasts, but was suddenly stunned by a barrage from Sonic Bomber, as he and Dai Atlas came swooping onto the battlefield. Exploiting the opening, Dai Atlas fired on BlackZarak, proving once again that the Autobots' desire to save their comrades would always best the Decepticons' evil. Zone Part 5

Along with the other Generals, BlackZarak schooled Metrotitan and the Metrosquad in the ways of evil, making them formidable opponents for the Powered Masters. Zone Part 7

Ladybird Books continuity

"Put me on the Naughty List, will you?!"

Scorponok was originally a large, mobile Decepticon base on Nebulos. Decepticons at the Pole Through means unknown, he became a Transformer, as well as smaller and sentient, and took command of the Decepticon forces from Cyclonus.

He matched wits with Optimus Prime himself, at one point trying to lure him into surrendering in exchange for a hostage's life. Autobot Hostage Eventually, the Autobots became too big a nuisance, and Scorponok had the Decepticons move en masse to a secret underground city in the Nebulos Triangle, but this backfired when the Autobots sealed him and his army underground for good. Decepticons Underground

Swamp of the Scorpion

The following summarizes one or more multipath adventures. Details vary depending on the paths taken in-story. See the book's page for information on alternate paths.

The mighty city Scorponok lay dormant deep within Nebulos's vast jungle-swamp. In this mode, he served as Lord Zarak's base of operation while Zarak plotted to steal Nebulos's oil supply to further his dreams of conquest. Opposing him were a young Nebulan and the Autobot Highbrow. Whether or not Scorponok and the other Decepticons succeeded in their plot depended on the decisions you made! Swamp of the Scorpion

Transformers in 3-D

Seeking a new Energon source, the Decepticons flew Scorponok to an out-of-the-way asteroid, where he served as a base of operations. When a fight inevitably broke out, Scorponok flew to the battle scene. After he pucked up Blurr and tossed the Autobot into the distance, Fortress Maximus angrily bodyslammed him, and the pair began grappling. The Test

Scorponok, accompanied by Cyclonus and Octane, intercepted Cosmos, as the Autobot was heading for Andellor. Scorponok threatened to destroy the Autobot unless he revealed where he was headed. Cosmos complied, but Scorponok was keen on destroying him anyway. Cyclonus insisted they investigate, and recalled the history of Andellor. Scorponok realised that the Prism of Power which Cosmos sought was the only thing that could stop the Decepticon's new weapon, the suspension-ray beam. Down on the planet, the three Decepticons ventured into a cave and were attacked, first by some tentacles from a pool, and finally by Ironhide. Ironhide shrugged off Scorponok's mightiest blast, and defeated both him and Cyclonus. Transformers in 3-D #2

After the Clones failed to obtain the coordinates to Metascan Alpha, Zarak mocked Galvatron's skills and, combining with Scorponok, reasserted that he was leader of the Decepticons now. While the pair were still in disagreement, Optimus Prime broke into their base with the intention of destroying Galvatron's Nullification Cannon. During the battle, Scorponok took a swing at Prime which accidentally connected with the Cannon, causing it to explode. The War Against the Destructons, Chapter 1 of 3

PDTF Comic

Scorponok and Fortress Maximus met in battle, with Scorponok vowing to crush Maximus with his bare hands. Unfortunately the two giant Transformers, engrossed in their fight, began to topple over, sending their smaller comrades fleeing for their lives. Watch Out! Mega Zarak!

Dreamwave Generation One continuity

Bah-weep-Graaaaagnah wheep ni ni bong, you have reached Decepticon Headquarters, your call is important to us, please hold.

Shortly before the Great Shutdown, Scorponok attended a teleconference with Ratbat and Shockwave, where he criticized the latter for "thinking like a calculator instead of a warrior". Destined for Nothing

2005 IDW continuity

Kre-O cartoon

Spinister, Galvatron, and Scorponok were sent by Megatron to rob the Autobot City Bank. In heavy disguise, they went in and got the drop on the bank tellers, only for Optimus Prime, Bumblebee and Wheeljack to turn up. The Decepticons called in Devastator, who ripped the roof off the bank and disposed of the three Autobots. Scorponok subsequently cracked open the safe and passed the energon inside to Spinister for delivery to Megatron. Quest for Energon, Part 1 Scorponok and Barricade carried the completed weapon over to Hightower to be set up. When Wheeljack and Cliffjumper invaded the work site, Scorponok helped in their capture, only to be pelted with molten cheese when they turned out to be a diversion. He and the other Decepticons were subsequently strung up in a net. Quest for Energon, Part 2

Kre-O online manga

Scorponok was among Bludgeon's forces when they uncovered the Red Bucket, and fled the scene when Bludgeon was defeated by Jazz and Bluestreak. Treasure Competition! Defeat with Block Power!

Transformers vs. G.I. Joe

A city on Megatron-dominated Cybertron, Funeral for a Friend Scorponok was known as a "city of madness" where unspeakable things took place. When several Autobots and Joes were captured by the Decepticons, the Astrotrain carried them to Scorponok for punishment. Expelled from the Garden Billy and Snake Eyes battled atop Scorponok's claws, resulting in the former losing his right arm and leg. FCBD Funnies Within Scorponok, Decepticobra constructed the artificial town of Springfield where Doctor Mindbender brainwashed the captured Joes into thinking they were just ordinary citizens. As Scorponok was facing off against Optimus Prime, Scarlett was able to fight off the influence and kill Scorponok's Neb'los Headmaster, Mo Zarak, after which she herself took control of the scorpion-city. Headmasters Optimus Prime stood atop of Scorponok when he repaired Bumblebee back to working order, leading to word spreading that Optimus had "tamed" the Decepticon war machine. Pax Megatronus

When Primus began transforming, Scorponok fled with the rest of the Autobots to avoid getting crushed. Escape from Primus Scarlett, now going by "Zkarlett", then had Scorponok meet up with Fortress Maximus so that she could share a moment with Snake-Eyes, who was similarly in control of Maximus. Together, they then used their city-bot bodies to help convince Metroplex to transform into robot mode and join them in fighting the Decepticon army. Transformers vs. G.I. Joe #12 During the final battle, Scorponok and Maximus took on Megatron's "Mega-Megatron" combiner form, which dwarfed even them. After the Autobots and Joes were victorious, Scarlett brought Scorponok with her to Earth and positioned the city on the new continent, where it became home to victims of the Springfield incident and other displaced peoples and refugees. She and Snake-Eyes lived in a log cabin built on the tip of its tail. The War Never Ends

Ask Vector Prime

In Primax 1086.0 Kappa, Scorponok and Fortress Maximus were both killed by Nebulans during the Transformers' battle on Nebulos, and their remains were fused together by Mortilus Zarak into a giant robot body under his control. After he binary bonded with the body, however, the faint traces of Scorponok and Maximus's sparks began affecting his mind, eventually driving him mad and turning him into "Zarak Maximus". Ask Vector Prime, 2015/06/11

Of Masters and Mayhem

According to reports by Punch, his alter-ego Counterpunch had worked his way into being a trusted advisor to Scorponok. Whether or not this actually happened is uncertain given the conflict between the two personas. The Truth We Make

Beast Wars: Uprising

When the devastating Transformer war spread to Nebulos, the Decepticon saboteur Zarak and the Nebulan genius Fausto Borx colluded to transform the city of Kinodia into the towering superweapon MegaZarak: the first "double-Headmaster", jointly piloted by their binary-bonded intellects. Bolstered by this new addition, the Decepticons briefly enjoyed the upper hand during the Nebulan campaign - but their joy would short-lived, as the Autobots retaliated by binary-bonding Cerebros and Spike Witwicky into Fortress Maximus. The battle between these two titans devastated the already ravaged world. Though MegaZarak was the stronger of the two city-bots, the Autobots used Llyra—daughter of Fausto and mate of their human ally Daniel Witwicky—as a distraction, and MegaZarak's brief hesitation cost him the fight. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue

Though Fortress Maximus emerged triumphant, Nebulos would never again support life, and races across the galaxy would forever immortalize the tragedy as the "Scouring of Nebulos." Head Games MegaZarak saw action again several years later on the planet Rebirth; by that point, Zarak had replaced Borx with the Cyberdroids Dante and Caliburn. When the Autobots arrived to liberate the world from Decepticon control, the Decepticons deployed MegaZarak against Fortress Maximus. This time, MegaZarak succeeded in toppling his old foe and the Autobots were forced to retreat. A Brush With Infamy–Prologue Derailment

At some point after this, Dante was unwillingly replaced by the grandson of Fausto Borx. MegaZarak was later destroyed under unspecified circumstances in another battle with Fortress Maximus at the very end of the Great War, presumably taking Zarak with him. Derailment

War for Cybertron Trilogy cartoon

Voice actor: Michael Dunn (English), Frédéric Souterelle (French), Tilo Schmitz (German), Ricardo Schnetzer (Portuguese), Paco Vaquero (Castilian Spanish), Humberto Solórzano (Latin-American Spanish)

In this continuity, Scorponok hails from entirely different origins, being a creation of the Quintessons much like the Transformers. Despite his modified Decepticon symbol, he is neutral and it is unknown if he is a Headmaster aside from a few minor hints. His name is from being the last of the "Scorponok" faction or family.

Scorponok was created by the Quintessons, and was just one member of a race of Scorponoks. At some point, the Quintessons launched a campgein to wipe out their creations, and in the process, destroyed Scorponoks homeworld by 'poisoning the sky' and killed his family. By the end of it, Scorponok was the last of his kind to remain, and took refuge on Nebulos Station, an outpost jammed between a constantly active Space Bridge. Earthrise episode 4

"COME HERE!"

Scorponok had been hiding out on the station for some time by the time a team of Autobots entered in search of energon and a way to use the space bridge for themselves. Having followed behind them for a time, he soon revaled himself, declaring the Autobots an infestation, and deceivers. However, after a desperate struggle, his foes managed to push him down the well in the centre of the control room. This did not stop him, however, as he merely transformed into his gigantic robot mode, and gave chase to the fleeing Autobots. However, his infestation escaped through a doorway that he could not easily follow. Earthrise episode 3.

"GET OVER HERE!"

This did not delay Scorponok for long, as he soon busted the door down, and resumed the fight against the Autobots. Despite repetative fire from his enemies, Scorponok remained unscathed, and struck directly at Optimus, grabbing the Autobot Leader and lifting him up, only to be forced to drop him thanks to the arrival of Megatron and a legion of his Decepticons. Scorponok saw them as only more contagion, and turned to face them instead. The Decepticons attacked then attacked him too. In the battle, Scorponok got a hold of Soundwave, who promptly deployed Ravage to scratch at his visor, blinding him enough to throw Soundwave aside and swipe the pestilent pet away. Ravage soon attacked again, Scorponok this time grabbing him, and throwing him hard at the opposite wall. Scorponok then transformed back into his scorpion mode, yelling out at Optimus and Megatron, and attacking them both. Optimus then threw the bomb he had originally intended to use to surgically sever the station, right at the charging Scorponok. Prime then shot it, causing it to explode, and burying Scorponok under rubble.

He survived, and soon emerged once again, still furious. Both Autobots and Decepticons alike then attacked him, soon learning his head was his weak point. As Scorponok recoiled under heavy fire, Prime lept onto his back, and slung the disconnected wires on the ground around his neck, and yanking up, hauling Scorponok back. Furious and disoriented, he attempted to throw Prime off, swinging around and snapping his claws. Scorponok furiously declared he was not a slave, and sprung his stinger at Optimus, but before he could strike down the Autobot, his stinger was blasted to scrap by Megatron. Prime disembarked as Scorponok crawled up the tower, climbing out of reach. However, when Optimus called Megatron a Quintesson, he also gained the attention of Scorponok, who was none too happy to hear the name of his former masters. He then realised that his foes were of Quintesson design, though Megatron told him of how the Quintessons enslaved the Cybertronian race, until they rose up and won. Scorponok revaled that his own race never rose up or fought back, and suffered genocide as a result, leaving him the last of his kind. Scorponok then likened Megatron to a Quintesson Judge, enraging him and causing him to attack. As they fought, the Autobots made their escape, shutting off the gravity, leading the Decepticons and Scorponok to float into the air. After this, Scorponoks fate is unknown. Earthrise episode 4

Commercial appearances

stupid sexy scorponok

Scorponok has an odd history of television commercial appearances:

• Scorponok grappled with Fortress Maximus on Nebulon, while other Headmasters and Targemasters scuffled around them. Scorponok was lifted into the air by his tail, and tossed about like a ragdoll by his opponent. Headmaster comic book commercial
• When the Technobots attacked his base mode, Scorponok transformed to scorpion mode and retaliated under Galvatron's orders. Galvatron then ordered his "Triple Changer Headmaster base" to transform to robot mode and deal with the enemy when the Technobots combined. Scorponok ripped a boulder out the nearby ground and bashed Computron with it. Technobots and Scorponok commercial
• In 1990, a Scorponok toy painted white and gray appeared in the stop-motion animated toy segment of a commercial advertising the Hot Rod Patrol and Construction Patrol. Like his cel animated counterpart, he gets overwhelmed by his smaller foes, who blow up a bridge beneath him, sending him tumbling into a ravine with the rather unthreatening cry of "RAWRRR." Micromaster Patrols commercial

Games

Transformers: The Headmasters

As the Decepticons rampaged over Earth, Cybertron, and Chaar, Scorponok waited on planet "Last" for Fortress Maximus to show up and challenge him. And Fortress did. And he won. Transformers: The Headmasters

Angry Birds Transformers

Scorponok appears as a character unlockable in Challenge Events. He is portrayed by Corporal Pig. Angry Birds Transformers

Transformers Legends

Although Scorponok was not included in a storyline for the Transformers Legends game, he was featured as a playable character.

Signature Series

Notes

• Scorponok's colors are distributed differently in the 1987 and 1988 toy catalogs as compared to the finished product.

Have fun crawling through the joints.

• Both Scorponok and Fortress Maximus suffer from the writers struggling to reconcile the characters' high rank with their size. In their comic appearances, they are portrayed as commanders in some capacity but are shrunk down to interact with other Transformers, and their city modes pretty much don't exist. Conversely, the cartoons have opted to portray them as giant city Transformers, though they seem to be merely extensions of the smaller beings that bond with them, with no real life or will of their own.
• When Scorponok prepares to leave Nebulos in "The Rebirth, Part 3," he opens a ramp for the other Decepticons to board him. Curiously, the ramp leads up into one of his scorpion mode legs.

His name is about as clever as his progenitor's.

• The Action Master Elite Double Punch's mold looks just like an Action Master version of BlackZarak, right down to the molded details, including the head. The coloring (black/red/purple) is similar to BlackZarak's coloring (black/red/gold) as well. This is very strange, considering that Japan never got Action Masters, and Europe never got BlackZarak.
• Scorponok served as the basis for the evil "Zazorigun" (ザゾリガン Zazorigan, a play on サソリ, sasori, meaning "scorpion") mecha in Takara's Brave of Gold Goldran series. Unlike fellow Goldran baddie Deathgarrygun (who was derived from Sky Garry), no toy or merchandise of Zazorigun was ever released. At least one enterprising Japanese fan, though, has created a custom one for himself.
• Omni Productions dialogue scripts for The Headmasters, included on the R2 release of the series, feature a number of different, bizarre names for Scorponok, including "Bronco" in episode 7, "Locke"/"Lok" and "Jart" in episode 9, and "Sogi" and "Chandler" in later episodes. While the final English dub just calls him Scorponok, variations of these names were actually used in the Latin American dub based on the same scripts, leading to some inconsistencies with Scorponok's name. On his first appearance, Galvatron calls him "Lok". Later, Skullcruncher calls him "Gronko" (episode 7 only), later in the series, he's named "Scorponok", and during the space travel event, he's called "'Chandler", the last two names being the most used during the Headmasters series. It should be noted that no name makes a distinction between Scorponok and his Transtector.
• The Scorponok that appears in the Japanese Kre-O Transformers manga is not based on the toy, which wasn't released in Japan, but on Generation 1 Scorponok's head unit as it appeared in The Headmasters. Like all non-toy robot Kreons in these comics, he is made up of existing Kre-O parts, namely the Ironhide helmet.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Scorponok (スコルポノック Sukoruponokku), MegaZarak (メガザラック Megazarakku), BlackZarak (Masterforce, ブラックザラック Burakkuzarakku), Zarak (ザラック Zarakku, see above), Scorpion (The Rebirth, スコーピオン Sukōpion)
• Italian: Scorpion
• Mandarin: Zarak Jùrén (萨克巨人 Sàkè Jùrén, "Giant Zarak")
• Russian: Skorponog (cartoon, Скорпоног, "Scorpoleg")
• Spanish: Lok, Gronko, Chandler, Scorponok (all Latin America, see above)
• Ukrainian: Skorpiy (cartoon, Скорпій, "Scorpius")