Scorponok (Movie)

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 from the live-action film continuity family.

He was great as Scorpitron in the Power Rangers movie!

Scorponok is a small Transformer with a symbiotic connection to Blackout. Just as Blackout would often be found looming powerful and silent by Megatron, Scorponok is always near Blackout, except in those times he has been sent to kill.

His main drives are to hunt, destroy, and hunt some more, causing many to view him as barely sentient. Others are concerned that he actually be a cunning opponent getting friend and foe alike to underestimate him... and the latter are right. In secret, Scorponok has proven to be astonishingly erudite and focused on patient, long-game operations.

Since he can tunnel underground with frightening speed, he's incredibly good at ambushing. His favorite pastime is playing Hide and Seek with unsuspecting players, be they robotic or organic. He prefers to be hider and seeker. On Cybertron, he was deliberately left behind on battlefields so he could use his chameleon mesh armour plating to blend in perfectly with the background, then ambush any Autobot patrols that would arrive. Thanks to this, Megatron gave him more autonomy than other Decepticons would get, as he admired Scorponok's genocidal zeal.

He may retreat, but he'll come back. He kills Autobots. He never gives up.

Chinese name (Taiwan): Wēn-yì (瘟疫, "Plague")

Fiction

IDW Transformers movie prequel comics

Before the war, Scorponok and Blackout were members of the Cybertronian Defense Force under the authority of High Protector Megatron. When unknown hostiles attacked Cybertron, Scorponok and Barricade were placed on recon. Defiance #1

During the war, Scorponok and Blackout, who ordinarily never leave Megatron's side, were dispatched to join Starscream's forces elsewhere on Cybertron while Megatron closed in on the AllSpark. After the group realized that both the AllSpark and Megatron had left Cybertron, Blackout ended an argument with Starscream over what to do next by deploying the fearsome Scorponok. Planetfall

Soon after the Decepticons launched a battlecruiser to pursue Optimus Prime's starship, they were unwittingly led into a trap and crippled by mines. Also damaged was Starscream's forward scout Dreadwing, who was rescued by Scorponok. The Decepticons limped back to Cybertron in humiliation. The Reign of Starscream #1

Adorably bloodthirsty.

After repairs were made to their ship, they followed the energy signature of the AllSpark to Mars, then to Earth, where Scorponok adorably helped out in the massacre of a United States military installation in Afghanistan. Planetfall

IDW's comics thus far have the only two fictional depictions of Scorponok's robot mode (which was designed for the toy) and show that he has always had a scorpion beast mode, meaning it was not a form he assumed once on Earth. His beast mode is just alien enough to work, but you can explain his name yourself.

Ghosts of Yesterday prequel novel

During the long years of searching for Megatron, Scorponok was a member of the Nemesis crew. After Starscream left the ship temporarily with strict orders that everyone was to stay put, Blackout decided to attack the Ark, and Scorponok went along. The small Decepticon managed to grab onto Optimus during the fight, but proved more of a nuisance than anything. Optimus was able to inflict some damage in return, and leave Scorponok struggling to return to the Nemesis.

When the Decepticons later made another attack on the Autobots, Scorponok snuck aboard the Ark. It wasn't until Optimus spotted him moving through the ship that the Autobots were alerted to his actions. Ratchet was sent to forcibly eject Scorponok, who was ill-equipped to move through space. While Ratchet pressed to the attack, the helpless Decepticon was only saved by an injured Blackout, who was still recovering from a massive beating by Starscream. What a pal. Ghosts of Yesterday

Transformers (2007) film

Oh, slag, I forgot the Bungee cord!

During Blackout's attack on the US SOCCENT Forward Operations Base in Qatar, the Decepticon helicopter dispatched Scorponok to seek out and destroy an escaped unit under the command of Captain Lennox.

HUUUGZ!!!

The next morning, as the surviving soldiers discussed the attack, Scorponok observed their conversation from a distance while hidden in the sand. Targeting Lennox for elimination, Scorponok followed the unit as they made their way to the human boy's village. Choosing his moment to strike just as the men stopped on the outskirts of the settlement, his attack was foiled when Sergeant Epps saw the metal scorpion tail pointed at Lennox's back and shouted a warning. (Well, it wasn't so much a warning as it was a very, very panicked "WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!" followed by gunfire, but hey, it counts.) The other soldiers joined in the firefight as Scorponok dove under the sand to confuse them before fatally impaling Sgt. Donnelly and dragging him into the sand below.

*Sniffle* Where'z my hugz?

Driving the soldiers into the village, Scorponok fired a barrage of missiles, which destroyed the ruins that the village had grown around and critically injured Figueroa. Unfortunately for Scorponok, Lennox's distress call to the Pentagon had gotten through, and an MQ-1 Predator drone relayed images of the Decepticon to astonished US military commanders. They immediately sent two A-10 Thunderbolt IIs to attack Scorponok, to little effect, then followed up with an AC-130 Spectre gunship, which damaged Scorponok enough for him to dive back into the sand and escape, leaving his broken tail behind.

Scorponok's tail was transported back to the States aboard a C-17 transport. Lennox, Epps, and several other soldiers examined it en route, which led to the discovery that the only damage the armor didn't either shrug off or quickly heal was the "6000-degree magnesium burn" of a sabot round. Armed with this knowledge, the humans knew they now had a weapon that could hurt the invaders. Transformers

Titan Magazines Transformers comics

Ironhide and a team of US Special Forces went looking for Scorponok. (Captain Lennox was originally meant to oversee this mission but was reassigned.) Hunting his hunters, Scorponok attacked Ironhide and took control of his motor functions, having him rampage through the humans. Luckily, one of them was able to sever the connection with a shot, and Ironhide smashed the Decepticon to pieces. Scorpion Sting

The following events occur in a splinter timeline where Megatron won the battle of Mission City.

"DIE, empty space next to Autobot! DIE!"

Scorponok spied on a team of Moon-based Autobot reinforcements Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 1 and later helped Starscream battle them. Twilight's Last Gleaming, Part: 3

...HUUUGZ?

Much later, during the Decepticon Civil War, he was Blackout's trump card against Stockade. He not only failed, he was thrown as a projectile weapon against Blackout. Revolution Part Three

Toy bios

Template:Notemoviebio Scorponok actually led the hunt for the AllSpark during the absence of Megatron, and this gave him a taste of command. He happily started using Megatron's own style of super-brutality to keep the troops in line, and looked forward to bumping off his leader and taking full command of the Decepticons. Desert Attack

The disastrous failure on Earth evidently cocked that up, as poor Scorpy was left behind by the other Decepticons in the Middle East. His attempt at remaining out of sight have failed, and he is constantly being pursued by Bumblebee. Legends Scorponok

Titan Magazines Revenge of the Fallen comics

I said HUGZZZZ, DAMN IT.

Scorponok was part of a scheme to frame Skids and Mudflap: while Sideways got himself captured, Scorponok headed for Diego Garcia and made an attack to free the comrade. He shouldn't have been able to do this without being detected (dun dun dunnnnn) and made sure to attack right when the twins were distracting Optimus Prime. Showing some ball bearings, Scorponok personally shot at Prime before smashing apart Sideways' cuffs.

And then he got clean away! Reversal of Fortune

Revenge of the Fallen movie

I CAN HAZ DETH?

During the battle in Egypt between the Autobots and the Decepticons, Scorponok, having answered The Fallen and Megatron's call, lurked beneath the surface of the sand. He struck when the decrepit turncoat Jetfire was finishing off Mixmaster, catching the ancient Seeker off-guard and severely wounding him. Scorponok did not live long enough to savour his success, however, as a collapsing Jetfire managed to crush his head with his fist. Revenge of the Fallen

Games

3D Battle-Card Game

Under Megatron's command, Scorponok fought the Autobots using his Pulse Klaw, Blast Klaw and energon stinger. He also made use of his seldom-seen robot mode, in which he had access to an anti-gravity cannon and pulse blasters. Scorponok may also have participated in the seemingly inter-dimensional "Energon Wars" conflict, during which the Decepticons were led by Predacon Megatron against Optimus Primal's Autobots. 3D Battle-Card Game

"Flight of the Bumblebee" online game

Scorponok was one of a group of Decepticons who trapped Bumblebee in a canyon. He stood around on a rocky butte, walking back and forth and waiting for Bumblebee to drive up to him. When the Autobot dropped in, Scorponok immediately opened fire, blasting Bumblebee continuously. Unfortunately, Bumblebee had the idea to shoot back, blasting him right out of the picture with just one shot. Flight of the Bumblebee

Transformers The Game

Coolest. Backpack. Ever.

After Blackout scrapped the military base in Qatar, Scorponok was sent to destroy five mobile communications vehicles, succeeding in his task. Scorponok went and did his own thing while Blackout searched the databanks for information on Megatron and the AllSpark, but reunited with Blackout in time for their escape.

After arriving in Mission City, Scorponok fought through a horde of Energon drones to secure the AllSpark. Sam Witwicky nearly handed Scorponok the AllSpark, but Ironhide punted Scorponok. That made Blackout very mad... Transformers The Game

Allspark Highway

Allspark Highway

Transformers: Battle for the Matrix

Battle for the Matrix is a simplified retelling of the events of Revenge of the Fallen. It can be played from the perspective of either Bumblebee or Optimus Prime. Scorponok is a recurring enemy.

Transformers: Battle for the Matrix

Toys

Transformers (2007)

Voyager Class Blackout companions

File:MiniScorponok.jpg

I'm just an accessory.

• Blackout (Voyager Class, 2007)
  • Japanese ID number: MD-01

Blackout comes packed with a small silver figurine of Scorponok, who himself features a spring-loaded tail. He is usually stored in a cage on the rear of Blackout's helicopter mode. (Note: The spring in the figurine's tail is oriented not to spring the tail forward, but to help propel the figure out of the cage so that it lands right-side up.)

• Blackout Ver. 4500X (Lawson exclusive Voyager Class, Japan 2007)

This Voyager Class Blackout repaint, exclusive to the Japanese convenience store chain Lawson with the purchase of the movie DVD, came with a redeco of the small Scorponok figurine that came with the regular Voyager Class Blackout, in metallic colors that better match the Deluxe Class Scorponok toy (and the movie CG design, of course).

I'm just a Premium accessory. But face it, I got better colours.

• Blackout ("Premium Series" Voyager Class, USA 2008)

This redeco of the Voyager Class Blackout toy appears to be based on the same plastic color layout and paint mask as the Japanese Lawson exclusive "Version 4500X" redeco of Voyager Blackout, down to the improved paint on the Scorponok mini-figure. However, Hasbro's version has brighter, more contrasting gold and silver paint compared to the Japanese Lawson release's more subdued colours.

Unlike some of the early "Premium Series" toys, Blackout was available as a mass release.

Legends Class toys

File:Movie Legends Bumblebee Scorponok toys.jpg

Ironically, more robot-like than the deluxe-sized one.

• Bumblebee vs. Scorponok (Legends Allspark Battles two-pack, 2008)

Legends Scorponok is the smallest transforming figure of Movie Scorponok yet. He features a better-proportioned robot mode and better articulation for the legs than the Deluxe Class version. In fact, he's one of the best articulated Legends-sized toys to date. Even his claw hands are able to rotate. He does bear a resemblance to a previous version, though. The only version of the mold released thus far comes packed with a slightly redecoed Legends Class Bumblebee. Face it, he should've come with Voyager Blackout.

Multiple reports suggest that the soft plastic used for the tail has a tendency to harden after a while, and then become prone to breaking, in a way similar to Gold Plastic Syndrome (but occurring in a much shorter span of time).

Deluxe Class toys

File:Move DeluxeScorponok toy.jpg

Ever notice every Scorponok has the same transformation? Claws into claws, legs from the main body, tail sits behind, hoping to be ignored...

• Scorponok (Deluxe Class, 2007)
  • Japanese ID number: MD-04

Scorponok is a robotic scorpion. His body is covered in military warning and command designation markings, suggesting he forms part of a larger military vehicle (hint, hint). Two wheels on the bottom of his beast mode, when pushed along a flat, smooth surface, rotate gears that cause the turbines in his body and the pincers on his arms to spin. His tail features a spring-loaded, yet non-launching stinger that extends when a latch is released.

In beast mode, Scorponok can combine with the underside of Blackout's helicopter mode to exploit the larger Decepticon's own gear gimmick system. A geared shaft linked to Blackout's rotor mechanism connects to a geared peg on Scorponok's back. Thus, pressing the button on Blackout's tail not only rotates his blades, but also rotates Scorponok's pincers and the turbines in his body. (This can also be done with Blackout's Revenge of the Fallen redeco Grindor, his retool Evac and Evac's Revenge redeco Whirl.) This gimmick can also be activated (more easily) by rotating the geared wheels on Scorponok's undercarriage instead.

Deluxe Scorponok can transform into what might be charitably called a robot mode, but was most likely added as an afterthought to the design for added play value (and possibly so Hasbro could actually justify selling the toy as a "Transformer" by itself). The later Legends Class toy features a considerably better-executed bipedal robot mode. In any case, this robot mode never appears in the movie, but does appear briefly in the second Target-sponsored Movie Prequel comic and in The Reign of Starscream issue 1.

Ignoring the vast difference in scale between Scorponok's two figures while linked to Blackout takes some imagination.

• Decepticon Desert Attack (Toys'R'Us exclusive two-pack, 2007)

This package, based on their first appearance in the film, features an unchanged Voyager Blackout packaged with an unchanged Deluxe Scorponok, which was exclusively available at Toys "R" Us stores. Since Voyager Blackout was gang-molded with the miniature Scorponok figure the single release came with, this means that the set contains two Scorponok toys in different sizes.

• Ultimate Bumblebee Bonus Value pack (Wal*Mart exclusive multi-pack, 2007)

A Wal*Mart-exclusive special pack of Ultimate Bumblebee with Deluxe Class Decepticon Brawl and Scorponok as bonus figures. None of the three toys are changed from their respective original releases.

Scorponok now comes with little people to kill.

• Desert Attack (Screen Battles, 2007)
  • Japanese ID number: SB-03

This pack features a minor redeco of Deluxe Class Scorponok sporting "sand" paint applications on his body. The pack also comes with non-posable figurines of Sergeant Epps, Jorge Figueroa and Sergeant Donnelly. They are packaged in a special window box featuring a diorama depicting the battle at Mahfouz's village.

According to details listed in an official checklist on Hasbro's website, this pack was originally supposed to include "4 soldiers". Apparently budget ultimately only allowed for three. The fourth one was most probably supposed to be Captain Lennox, who was included with the Screen Battles "Capture of Bumblebee" set instead, colored as a Sector Seven soldier.

Attacktix

I am going to KILL Yukon Cornelius.

• Battle Masters Megatron and Scorponok (Battle Master set)

Scorponok was one of the many Attacktix toys that never saw release as the line was canceled. He would have been packaged with Megatron and featured a firing missile.

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

Revenge of the Fallen

Voyager Class Grindor companions

Still just an accessory here.

• Grindor (Voyager, 2009)
  • Japanese ID number: RD-18

For Revenge of the Fallen, Voyager class Blackout was redecoed into Grindor, so the Scorponok PVC included with Blackout got redecoed too... in a color scheme like that of his Fallen Deluxe toy (see below). Seems like he found a new partner in Grindor.

Deluxe Class Toys

Soon followed by Restraining Order Scorponok.

• Stalker Scorponok (Deluxe, 2009)

A redeco of the original Deluxe Scorponok toy in black, grey, and red. The deco scheme bears a strong resemblance to Beast Wars Scorponok; additionally, Scorponok's legs have symbols on them that when mirrored form a certain faction's symbol, and "916-96" markings are tampographed on his claws. This is the date Beast Wars first aired in syndication.

Of note is that during part of 2010, Hasbro did a promotion wherein US fans could receive three free Deluxes in exchange for receipts showing the purchase of $25 or more of select Transformers product. As noted in this thread over at Allspark.com, and later confirmed by this listing here, this version of Scorponok was one of a pool consisting of eight figures (all from the same wave) from which the free deluxes were drawn, with several people having noted receiving him.

Transformers (2010)

Legends class toys

• Stalker Scorponok (EZ Collection, 2010)

A redeco of Legends class Scorponok in black, a color scheme based on Revenge of the Fallen Stalker Scorponok. This toy was only available in Japan.

Dark of the Moon

Cyberverse

• Blackout (Cyberverse Commander, 2011)
  • Series:
  • Number:
  • Japanese ID number:

Merchandise

3D Battle-Card Game

Part of the 3D Battle-Card Game, Scorponok consists of two cards with punch-out pieces that can be assembled into either a scorpion mode or a robot mode (or rather, a scorpion mode standing on its hind legs). He uses the same card layout as Beast Wars Quickstrike.

Robot Heroes

Ripped straight from that scene they didn't appear together in.

• Optimus Prime vs Scorponok (2007)

Scorponok is naturally sculpted in his beast mode for his Robot Heroes release. Cast in gray plastic, he has gold and black paint apps for color. His head is quirked to the side, and his pedipalps are bent into a possible standard-issue smile. He is articulated only at the pincers' shoulder joints, but his tail and legs are made of soft enough plastic to wiggle about. (The tail is much too short to sting anything other than his own back.)

Notes

Sentience and relationship to Blackout and Grindor

• In the 2007 movie, Scorponok is a silent hunter-killer sent by Blackout. This has caused some conflicting depictions in the fiction and toy bios of Scorponok's level of intelligence. Some present him as being barely alive and merely an animalistic drone, and this is a commonly accepted view. After all, non-humanoid Transformers aren't important or noteworthy. Another bio, by contrast, describes him as having leadership ambitions, and his Titan Magazines profile implies strongly that he fakes being a bestial drone to give him a psychological edge. Finally, his Battle Bio on Hasbro's website would come down on him having sentience by having Scorponok record his own personal data track!

• In the feature "From Script to Sand: The Skorponok [sic] Desert Attack" on the movie's bonus DVD, production designer Jeff Mann suggested that Scorponok was "birthed" from Blackout, thus suggesting that he might be more of an autonomous extension of Blackout himself, similar to Roller. Screenwriter Roberto Orci later confirmed that as far as he was concerned, Scorponok was something between a symbiont and a "drone", rather than a fully fledged character. The Ghosts of Yesterday novel would go on to unambiguously identify him as a symbiont.

• In a USA Today interview for Revenge of the Fallen, Roberto Orci stated that the Decepticons with "animal" forms didn't speak in the movies because it would be "strange" for audiences to hear Scorponok's English accent.

• According to writer Roberto Orci on the official Transformers Movie board, Ravage was originally going to appear in the movie (back when Blackout was still supposed to be Soundwave), but was later changed to Scorponok when the setting of the opening scene was changed from jungle to desert. This would imply that Scorponok's scorpion is indeed the robot mode (in the same fashion Ravage's panther mode was the robot mode), whereas his "alternate mode" is actually a part of Blackout's engine. The toys' robot modes are therefore an afterthought on behalf of Hasbro to avoid the paradox of non-transforming "Transformers" toys.

The Turboshaft engine that film Scorponok transforms from. You can almost see the bits of Donnelly.

• Exactly which parts of Blackout turn into Scorponok is a little unclear. The center of his body appears to be made of a General Electric T64 turboshaft engine; his transformation/separation sequence in the movie shows that his forearms are made up of part of the side exhausts, and therefore also consist of parts of T64 engines. How this is possible, considering an MH-53 Pave Low only features two T64 engines, is up to anyone's guess.

• Meanwhile, the various markings found on the CGI model's design, the life-sized props and Hasbro's Deluxe toy are taken from all kinds of places on Blackout's helicopter mode, most prominently the cockpit and the tail. Some of those markings can also be found on props used for the scene which features the US Navy dumping the Decepticons' remains into the ocean. Considering Blackout didn't appear to be missing any integral parts of his alternate mode in the movie's final act, it seems that either Scorponok reattached himself to Blackout after he escaped the US Air Force's counterattack in Qatar (and was therefore part of Blackout during the final battle), or Blackout somehow magically regrew the parts that were previously made up by Scorponok.

• Scorponok's sudden appearance during the battle at the end of Revenge of the Fallen leaves the audience to assume he was simply chilling in the desert for two years! In all fairness, considering all the generics in the film, it could have been Grindor's Scorponok, because Blackout's Scorponok lost a tail and this Scorponok has one. Grindor and Blackout have the same robot mode, so they might have the same kind of pet.

Other

• A leaked early draft of the script spells his name "Skorponok". That spelling is also used by Alan Dean Foster's novelization of the movie and in the menus for the movie's bonus DVD (most notably the featurette named "From Script to Sand: The Skorponok Desert Attack"). Hasbro themselves used the traditional spelling "Scorponok" for their toys, even though a wallpaper on Hasbro's website spells the name "Scorponock". Meanwhile, in interviews, Michael Bay constantly refers to him as "Scorponox", and a preorder listing for the movie score even uses the spelling "Skorpinok". Come on, people! It's not like his name's Mxyzptlk. (Even though misspelling Scorponok's name is not quite unprecedented.)

Now I'm the Headmaster!

• Real physical props of Scorponok's head and tail were made by ILM's crew for certain scenes, most notably Lennox and Epps's examination of the tail leftovers on the plane. The head prop was used in the close-up of Scorponok stalking the SOCCENT survivors.

• Speaking of real: The famous shot of Scorponok leaping from the sand in pursuit a trio of soldiers, the shot used in a lot of the promos? Scorponok is the only element of CGI in that shot. The sand-explosion behind the soldiers is real, caused by carefully timed explosives placed under the dunes, which certainly must have encouraged the actors to run like hell—the looks of fear on their faces are 100% genuine. The overwhelming majority of explosions, flying cars, and broken buildings in the movie are similarly real effects, not CGI.

• Besides Frenzy, Scorponok is the only Transformer in the 2007 movie whose name is not spoken or stated in any way. Well, arguably Brawl fits in that category too...

External links

• Scorponok at TFU.info