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 is a Decepticon Headmaster from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Dangerous, wily, and cunning, Scorponok 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.
Sometimes he is known as MegaZarak, and sometimes he becomes BlackZarak (ブラックザラック Burakkuzarakku).
Fiction
Marvel Comics continuity
American Generation 1 cartoon continuity
The Transformers cartoon
- Voice actor: Stephen Keener (English), Eiji Itō (Japanese), Hans-Rainer Müller (German)
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
Wings Universe
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
The Headmasters cartoon
- Voice actor: Banjō Ginga (Japanese)
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
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 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. Seeking to generate even more of the 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 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, he transformed into robot mode and spitefully attacked the immobile 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 Scorponok's shoulder with his Master Sword, forcing the Decepticons to retreat. Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears
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 Galvatron's return saw Scorponok relegated to the insulting position of interplanetary short bus as the Decepticons traveled from world to world, pillaging copious amounts of energy. Scorponok transformed to robot mode only once on the journey, to battle Fortress Maximus on Hive. Fight to the Death on Planet Hive!! When the Decepticons returned to Earth, diminishing Scorponok'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. The Emperor of Destruction Vanishes on an Iceberg
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. During the previous interplanetary quest, the Autobots had made contact with Tekna, one of the Beastformers who had worked on the construction of Scorponok's Transtector, and he was able to provide them with encrypted data that pinpointed the location of the Transtector's weak spot. After Chromedome decoded the data, he raced to Earth where the battle was already in progress and gave Fortress Maximus the information, allowing the Autobot leader to perforate Scorponok'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. 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, 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, 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, Scorponok 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, Scorponok 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)
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.
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
Super-God Masterforce cartoon continuity
Super-God Masterforce cartoon
- Voice actor: Banjō Ginga (Japanese), Hidekatsu Shibata (Japanese, when merged with Devil Z)
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!
Giga and Mega combined into their robot form of Overlord and headed to Earth's moon to rendezvous with BlackZarak, 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
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
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!? Later, after battling Grand Maximus in Moscow, BlackZarak was present at 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
Devil Z next took the Decepticons to the peak of the Matterhorn, where he unleashed his Devil Power upon Europe until God Ginrai arrived to challenge him. 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...
Transformers Legends comic
In a dream, Brainstorm told the Legends Universe's Rattrap the story about how he and other diminutive Transformers, including Scorponok, left Cybertron to escape the war and settled on Master. He then knocked Scorponok's Transtector down with a powerful blast as proof that despite their size, life on the inhospitable planet had only made them stronger. Bonus Edition Vol. 9 Highbrow would later mention that the Autobot Headmasters needed to train in case recent rumors that Scorponok had returned were true. Brainstorm Chapter Part 1
By 2021, Scorponok did indeed reveal himself to have survived the destruction of the BlackZarak transtector 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. Headmasters Chapter Prologue
Zone cartoon
- Voice actor: Hirohiko Kakegawa (Japanese)
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. Using his mysterious powers, Violen Jiger resurrected BlackZarak to serve as his "Evil Spirit General," and outfitted him with new armor and weapons to make him more deadly than ever before. It was never explicitly stated if he possessed the consciousness of Scorponok or Devil Z, but he seemed to have a serious pirate-vibe going on, now sporting a hook for a hand and an eye-patch.
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
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 Family 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
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
Ask Vector Prime
Vector Prime stated that when Scorponok arranged for the plasma bombing and destruction 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
Ladybird Books continuity
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 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
Transformers PD Type
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
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
IDW Generation 1 continuity
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
Commercial appearances
Scorponok has an odd history of television commercial appearances:
- Scorponok grappled with Fortress Maximus on Nebulon, while other Headmasterss 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 an amusingly 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
Transformers Legends
Transformers Ultimate Allstars
Toys
Generation 1
- Scorponok (Headmaster, 1987)
- Japanese ID number: D-93
- Accessories: Lord Zarak Headmaster unit, helmet, Scorponok's rifle, rifle cover, Scorponok's shield, Fasttrack, Fasttrack's 2 guns, 2 ramps, 4 double cannons, 4 antenna, 2 leg shields, 1 claw arm, 1 side gun arm and 1 elevator.
- The largest Decepticon toy in Generation 1, Scorponok's beast mode is a robotic purple, green and orange scorpion. The pincers have multiple points of articulation, and the ratcheting joints are strong enough to grasp a smaller Transformer. His eight legs are also independently jointed. There are two wheels with rubber grips underneath Scorponok's beast mode body, and pushing him along will cause the scorpion legs to move, simulating the motion of walking. Lord Zarak can sit inside the scorpion head/cockpit while in robot form, or he can be stored inside the chest compartment.
- Like many large Generation 1 Transformers, Scorponok has a base mode, with various ramps and towers for smaller Transformer toys to interact with, though it is quite out of scale for larger toys, such as his fellow Decepticon Headmasters. The central ramp (formed out of his beast tail) is designed with Fasttrack in mind and features a minor gimmick — placing Fasttrack on the orange panel and pressing the small black button will cause the back of the orange panel to rise, sending Fasttrack rolling down the ramp.
- Scorponok's robot mode is impressively large, and still remains one of the largest Decepticon toys in the Transformers franchise. As with all Headmasters, Scorponok has a flip-down panel on his chest which covers a spring-loaded mini-Tech-Spec-meter which gives readings for Speed, Strength and Intelligence. The tumblers are activated when Lord Zarak (or any other Headmaster unit) is plugged into his neck socket while in head mode. As Lord Zarak is about the same size as the Headmaster units of smaller Headmaster toys, Scorponok would thus have a pretty small noggin if not for the large helmet (that was the beast mode scorpion head) that is placed over the Headmaster. The helmet also features a flip-down visor, which was homaged in Energon Scorponok. The 2-part rifle and shield plug into Scorponok's pincers.
- Also, he has a die-cast ass.
- Fasttrack transforms into a small six-wheeled attack vehicle. He comes with two small, easily lost orange guns.
Super-God Masterforce
- BlackZarak (Headmaster, 1988)
- Japanese ID number: D-311
- Accessories: Scorponok Headmaster unit, face cover, two-piece "Tyrant Spear", "Black Hole Cannon", cannon cover, "Shield Tower"/"Plantium Shield", four "Blacking Cannons", two "Combat Ramps", two "Maintenance Arms", four "Radar Sensors", elevator, Black Roritchi, Black Roritchi's two lasers
- This Japanese-exclusive retool of the original Scorponok figure redecoes the figure in black, gold and red, and equips the figure with a new helmet/scorpion head that features a better-proportioned face sculpted directly into it. As such, it's not really necessary to plug the Scorponok Headmaster unit between the shoulders, since the new helmet-head conceals it completely, but it does fit. The figure includes a small red visor-like mask that clips over the robot mode face, hiding it from view for scorpion mode.
- BlackZarak comes with one major new accessory—his red, two-piece "Tyrant Spear", which he can hold in robot mode—and also includes all of Scorponok's original accessories, appropriately redecoed, including a gold redeco of Fasttrack named "Black Roritchi". BlackZarak is notoriously difficult to find complete, due to many of his accessories, and even body parts, suffering from Gold Plastic Syndrome. Even sealed box samples have horrified owners who opened the toys for the first time to discover broken parts on their previously-untouched toys.
- Like Sixshot and Overlord, with their respective "Wingwolf" and "space jet" alternate modes, BlackZarak's instructions do not feature the additional two-headed serpent mode, created as it was by the production staff after fiddling around with the toy and dubbed the "dakatsu" mode. As such, it's entirely possible to transform the toy into this form, but if you try, be aware that it was seriously streamlined for animation, and doesn't look nearly as good in plastic as it does on the screen or comic page. (Also, if the toy hasn't shattered yet due to GPS, putting the toy into dakatsu mode will probably finish the job.)
Kre-O
- Scorponok (Micro-Changer, 2012)
- Kit number: A1011
- Bag number: 21451 1
- Part of a six-figure "preview" wave of Micro-Changer Kreons, Scorponok is a blindpacked bagged mini-figure. He comes with extra parts which help him form a crude scorpion form.
- He uses Sideswipe's helmet and Vortex's body armor. His claws and "insect legs" come from the Battleship sets; the claws come from the alien Kreons, while his "legs" are rifle supports, which are also used for Waspinator's insect legs.
Timelines
- Pirates vs Knights (BotCon 2014 box set)
- Accessories: Olin Zarak Headmaster figure
- Decepticon Pirate Scorponok is a retool of Energon Scorponok, who transforms into both a scorpion-shaped construction vehicle thing and a spaceship. The vehicle is armed with decidedly non-scorpion-like double laser cannons behind each tread, two translucent orange laser cannons 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. 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. On the production toy, the green-and-orange panels on either side of his torso are swapped left to right. This doesn't inhibit transformation, but does block his shoulders from going fully into robot mode position. This can be fixed with a screwdriver.
- Most importantly, Scorponok has new tooling that replaces his head with a new mechanism for his Headmaster head to plug into. The Headmaster figure itself is a retooled Encore Spike Witwicky figure with a new face based on Scorponok's original model sheet head.
- Scorponok comes in a box set with fellow pirates Ferak, Tornado, and Cannonball, plus knights Ginrai and Devcon.
- The original version of this mold was redecoed into Timelines Double Punch, and retooled differently to make Dark Scorponok.
Merchandise
Parody Deformed
- MegaZarak (1990)
- A small white and red, non-transforming super deformed model kit of Scorponok was available as part of Kabaya's "Parody Deformed" line of candy toys. The fourteenth figure in the series, he came with a "Transformers PD Type" comic about himself, "Watch Out! MegaZarak!", and something that could charitably be described as "gum".
Super Collection Figure
- BlackZarak (2001)
- BlackZarak was the "Build-A-Figure" from the fifth, Masterforce-centric wave of Takara's line of Super Collection Figure PVC figurines, available in eight out of every ten cases. He was divided into six parts, each one packaged with one of the silver metallic "pewter" versions of the other six figurines in the line (the regular, color versions of the figures didn't come with BlackZarak parts): his head and torso came with Ginrai, his left arm with Goshooter, his right arm with Metalhawk and Minerva, his waist and tail with Devastator, his left leg with Omega Supreme and his right leg with Overlord. BlackZarak's parts were available in both full-color and smokey translucent plastic (in an equal ratio of 4 out of every 10 cases each), meaning that there were two versions of the figure to collect.
- MegaZarak (2002)
- Like BlackZarak before him, this version of Scorponok was the Build-A-Figurine from the line's eighth wave. His six components were packaged with the regular color versions of the other figurines in the line: his head and torso came with Fortress, his left arm with Dai Atlas, his right arm with Star Convoy, his pelvis with Jazz, his left leg with Alpha Trion and his right leg with Cyclonus. Like BlackZarak, there was both a regular full-color figure to collect (available in 6 out of every 10 cases) as well as a rarer variant version, this time in metallic silver (available in 4 out of every 10 cases).
Gigantic Action
- Scorponok (2014)
- Accessories: Rifle, shield, visor, four cannons
- Produced by Japanese toy company Sentinel as part of the Transformers 30th anniversary celebrations, Transformers Gigantic Action MegaZarak/Scorponok is a huge non-transforming action figure based on the character's appearance in The Headmasters but with details drawn from the original toy. It stands at close to 23" tall (58 cm), finally allowing Scorponok to rival the size of the original Fortress Maximus toy.
- BlackZarak (2014)
- Accessories: Rifle, shield, four cannons
- Gigantic Action BlackZarak is a redeco/retool of MegaZarak with a new head.
Notes
- Scorponok's colors are distributed differently in the 1987 and 1988 toy catalogs as compared to the finished product.
- 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.
- 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.
Foreign names
- Japanese: Scorponok (スコルポノック Sukoruponokku), MegaZarak (メガザラック Megazarakku), Zarak (ザラック Zarakku, see above), Scorpion (The Rebirth, スコーピオン Sukōpion)
- Italian: Scorpion
- Ukrainian: Skorpiy (cartoon, Скорпій, "Skorpiy")
- Russian: Skorponog (cartoon, Скорпоног, "Scorpoleg")
- Spanish: Lok, Gronko, Chandler, Scorponok (all Latin America, see above)
- Chinese: sàkè jùrén (萨克巨人, "Giant Zarak")
- Pages with image sizes containing extra px
- Character stubs missing fiction
- Character stubs missing video games
- Pages with broken file links
- BotCon exclusives
- City Transformers
- Decepticon bases
- Decepticon leaders
- Emperors
- Generation 1 Decepticons
- Generation 1 locations
- Headmasters
- Legends Decepticons
- Machination
- Multi-component Transformers
- Point One Percenters
- Pirates
- Scientists
- Super-God Masterforce Decepticons
- The Headmasters Decepticons
- Timelines characters
- Triple Changers
- Wings Universe Star Seekers
- Zone Decepticons
- Zombies
- Wings Universe locations
