Scourge (ROTB)

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

Scourge is a Terrorcon from the Rise of the Beasts portion of the Movie continuity family.

I'm here to see MF DOOM.

Scourge is the most fearsome hunter in the universe and the ruthless leader of the Terrorcons. Scourge commands his Terrorcons to pillage and leave chaos in their wake, to continue their mission to conquer thousands of worlds under Unicron's command. He is a ferocious but patient killer who makes sure that all who oppose him or his master will die, and his body is covered with insignias claimed as grisly trophies of his many kills. However, make no mistake, Scourge is Unicron's servant, and any failure on his part is immediately punished with extreme pain. It is a testament to Scourge's skill that he rarely fails.

As part of his servitude to the dark god, Scourge has been imbued with a dark energy that gives him power beyond the measure of most ordinary Transformers, making him all but invulnerable. In the event any would-be victim attempts to escape his grasp, he is capable of infecting them, slowly and painfully corrupting them into a puppet for his will. On occasions when he is unable or unwilling to reach his targets, he is able to deploy a pair of fearsome Freezers from within his body to sniff out his prey for him.

“	I enjoy that look of confusion when an inferior being meets a higher power.	”
—Scourge, Rise of the Beasts

Fiction

Rise of the Beasts film

Spoiler warning: Plot details for Rise of the Beasts follow. Spoilers expire in 39 days

Voice actor: Peter Dinklage (English), Nobuo Tobita (Japanese), Idzi Dutkiewicz Sánchez (Latin American-Spanish), Jérémie Covillault (European French), Thiéry Dubé (Canadian French), Gianluca Iacono (Italian), Wellington Lima (Brazilian Portuguese), Claus-Peter Damitz (German)

When this ends, I’ll have a cheetah skin hanging on my wall. I don’t care whose.

Scourge hailed from a world that was destroyed by Unicron, perhaps in a time beyond the modern era, leaving him as the only survivor. He sold his soul to the monster planet and became his most terrifying hunter, becoming known throughout the universe.

As Unicron approached the homeworld of the Maximals, Scourge, accompanied by several Predacon Scorponoks, was sent ahead to retrieve their Transwarp Key, so his master might feed on planets across space and time. He confronted the Maximal leader Apelinq, taunting that their planet would make a savory meal for Unicron, yet the dark god would spare their home if they surrendered the Key. When the noble Maximal refused, Scourge welcomed the fight, easily besting him and tearing away his insignia to add to his collection. But Apelinq's sacrifice had bought enough time for the other Maximals to escape with the key, foiling Scourge's mission. He was then ordered by his master to scour the universe until the Key was found.

"I've come to enlighten you to the Great Darkness!"

In the year 1994, Scourge was drawn to Earth by the recently activated Transwarp Key, landing in the Hudson River in New York City with his loyal Terrorcon accomplices Battletrap and Nightbird. As they emerged from the water, he promptly ordered Nightbird to search the island, confirming the Transwarp Key's signature emanated from a museum on Ellis Island. After instructing his drone-like Freezer drones to sniff out two humans who were in possession of the Key, Scourge would engage with Optimus Prime and his Autobot forces alongside Battletrap and Nightbird. Despite the Autobots' valiant efforts, Scourge managed to outperform Optimus in combat. Scourge killed Bumblebee when he tried to intervene in the battle, but before he could finish Prime, the Maximal Airazor arrived and the Terrorcons departed, having got what they came for.

Scourge reported back to Unicron with the retrieved key, only to discover that the Terrorcons only had half of the actual key; split by the Maximals as a last resort against Unicron's servants. Unicron mentally tortured the Terrorcon leader as punishment, demanding that his followers return with the completed key.

Eventually, the Terrorcons arrived in Peru to track down the Autobots and their human allies, with Scourge deploying two Freezers to capture the humans. The Terrorcons chased the Autobots on the Peruvian highway, culminating in Scourge tackling Prime down the mountain. Before the Autobots escaped Scourge's advances, he infected Airazor with Unicron's foul energy, which eventually corrupted and brainwashed her into Scourge's minion. Following Noah's reluctant attempt to destroy the other half of the Transwarp Key, Scourge stole it and ordered Airazor to kill her former comrades, forcing her leader, Optimus Primal, to kill her. Relocating with his minions to a nearby volcano, he used the complete key's power to create the Transwarp tower capable of allowing Unicron to access Earth.

The Autobots and Maximals soon staged an assault and he ordered his cohorts to defend the tower. After summoning a giant army of Freezer troops, Scourge stood his guard at the tower's control panel. He was attacked by Mirage alone to keep his attention away from Noah and Elena's efforts to deactivate the beam, but despite his mask being kicked from his face, he was able to defeat the two, near-killing Mirage and leaving Noah for dead under his comatose body. He then dispatched a Freezer to eliminate Elena and inadvertently contributed to Nightbird's death in his attempts to fire on the revived Bumblebee. Noah restarted the fight minutes later, now wearing an exo-suit courtesy of Mirage, and was joined by Optimus Prime. Scourge fought on fiercely but would eventually be overpowered by the combined forces of Noah and Prime after suffering a stab to the back of the leg from the human. Beginning to lose the fight, he begged Unicron for reinforcements before spitefully destroying the control panel to ensure his master's victory. A furious Prime then forced him into an open lava flow, cleaved off both his arms and finally decapitated him.

As his body sunk into the lava, Prime forcefully removed Bumblebee's stolen Autobot insignia from his frame. Scourge's efforts failed as the key and tower were destroyed, with his remains pulled into the collapsing portal.Rise of the Beasts

Scourge's involvement in the preceding events, or events mostly similar, were also chronicled in the books "Mission at the Museum" and "The Search Is On".

Toys

Studio Series

Never skip neck day. Well, skip it a little.

• Scourge (Leader Class, 2023)
  • Movie: Rise of the Beasts
  • Hasbro ID number: 101
  • TakaraTomy ID number: SS-109
  • Accessories: Cannon, left arm

• Known designers: Sam Smith and Evan Brooks (Hasbro), Takashi Kunihiro (TakaraTomy)

Released as part of the eleventh wave of Studio Series Leader Class figures, Scourge transforms into a frightening truck in 31 steps. Scourge is compatible with the Core Class Freezer figure as a blaster for his hand and in his truck bed. His left arm can detach at the elbow so it can be replaced by his gun attachment.

Like the majority of Studio Series figures from Rise of the Beasts, Scourge is based on early concept art, evident by his neck, shoulders, mouth, and the inaccurate chest section/truck grill.

The hexagonal hinges required for transformation, added with the fact that Scourge's truck cab is entirely clear plastic, can cause the plastic to crack. As there are no known fixes at this time (if any even exist), exercise caution when transforming the figure.

Hasbro revealed the figure on January 30, 2023.

• Designer commentary on Scourge from Sam Smith on Instagram

Buzzworthy Bumblebee

Fan theory fuel.

• Scourge (Smash Changers, 2023)
  • TakaraTomy name: Papapatto Change Scourge
  • TakaraTomy ID number: BPC-EX
  • TakaraTomy release date: April 15, 2023

Buzzworthy Bumblebee Smash Changers Scourge is a retool of Smash Changers Optimus Prime, changing from a cab-over Mad Max-esque truck to robot in three kinetic auto-transforming steps. Manually converting the toy back into truck mode takes eleven steps. He features limited articulation on the elbows.

In Japan, this toy was released as a Toys"R"Us Japan Exclusive.

Rise of the Beasts

Green is the new black.

• Scourge (Battle Changers, 2023)

• Known designers: Koki Yamada (TakaraTomy)

Released as part of the "Beast Alliance" subline for Rise of the Beasts, Battle Changers Scourge is a simplified 5 inch toy that converts from robot to truck in 7 steps.

• Scourge & Predacon Scorponok (Beast Combiners, 2023)
  • TakaraTomy name: Kakusei Change Armor Set Scourge & Scorponok
  • TakaraTomy ID number: BCAS-04
  • TakaraTomy release date: July 15, 2023

• Known designers: Koki Yamada (TakaraTomy)

Released in the second wave of "Beast Combiners", Scourge converts from robot to post-apocalyptic truck mode in 7 steps, and is packaged with Scorponok, who combines with Scourge to form his armor in 6 steps. Scorponok's tail section detaches to form a weapon for Scourge to wield. Scourge is also compatible with any other Beast Combiners beast-partner.

More fuel for the fire.

• Scourge (Titan Changer, 2022)

Titan Changer Scourge is an extensive retool of The Last Knight Titan Changer Optimus Prime, turning from a robot to a truck in 4 steps.

Merchandise

Figural Bag Clip

• Scourge (Exclusive A) (2023)

Released by Monogram, this 2.5" 3D foam bag clip takes the form of a chibi Rise of the Beasts Scourge.

It was available only as part of a mystery blind bag collection as one of two chase items.

Pop!

• Scourge (2023)
  • ID number: 1377

Released as part of a Rise of the Beasts-themed batch of the Pop! Movies segment, Funko's Pop! Scourge is a super deformed vinyl figure molded in an "intimidating" pose.

Notes

Wednesday Addams called dibs when she’s ready for her first car.

• Scourge's alt-mode was first revealed via Steven Caple Jr.'s Instagram account on 6 October 2021, along with the other two senior Terrorcons, Battletrap and Nightbird.
• Scourge's design as a large evil semi-truck evokes the Robots in Disguise holder of the name. It's also worth noting that this series's Megatron also adopted a similarly Mad Max-esque truck form during the events of Dark of the Moon.
• Scourge's grill is decorated with insignia "trophies" taken from his slain enemies, which transform into his arms and shoulders in robot mode. Looking closely, one can identify Autobot, Decepticon, Maximal, Mercenary, Predacon, Terrorcon, and Wrecker (specifically the two-hammer symbol used in the 2019 IDW design) insignias. This may be a reference to the 1971 film Duel (directed by Steven Spielberg), which featured a similar evil truck with "trophies" along the grill in the form of license plates (and Duel has been referenced in Transformers before).

Foreign names

• Japanese: Scourge (スカージ Sukāji)