Double Punch (G1)

Double Punch is a Decepticon and Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.

Maybe if I pretend to be BlackZarak, I'd be more cool.

Highly aggressive and even more foul-mouthed, the only thing Double Punch loves more than a good act of violence is the planning that goes into the next one. This hulking brute was forged from the most durable metal alloys from the desert regions of Cybertron and has a specialty for desert combat... though he's pretty good at combat all-around, what with killing and destruction being his chief interests. If his gladiatorial matches end too quickly, he has been known to demolish parts of the arena and any unfortunate spectators around him. When employed as an assassin, Double Punch likes to lay low his targets in broad daylight, the better to spread public awareness of his skill.

He is cunning and cynical, taking both sides of any argument just to stir others up and advance his own position regardless of who wins.

Double Punch's only weakness is his arrogant battle-lust, which can get him into situations that are beyond even his power levels.

Fiction

Wings Universe

Under the command of Clench, Double Punch aided in the assault of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland and in the process captured Autobot leader Pyro. He chose to bask in his victory by idle target-shooting and recounting to his colleagues how boldly he had rejected the disgusting suggestion of becoming a Headmaster — though with his cockney accent they couldn't fully follow his meaning. When Scorch and the Go-Bots showed up on a rescue mission, Double Punch eagerly welcomed them with obscene words and gestures... but soon found it hard to defend himself against so many quick and small opponents. He also found himself being thoroughly thrashed by Pyro, whose new Forestonite-spawned power to see the future gave him an unbeatable combat edge. When the Autobots gained a decisive upper hand and leveled the facility that the 'Cons had been trying to secure, Double Punch decided he had had enough and fled the scene. Generation 2: Redux

Toys

Generation 1

File:G1DoublePunch toy.jpg

"Who will join me? Who will give up being really tall to become immune to Gold Plastic Syndrome?"

• Double Punch (Action Master Elite, 1991)
  • Accessories: 2 sets of detachable blue scorpion legs

As an Action Master Elite, Double Punch is one of the few figures in the Action Master line that can actually transform to some limited extent, in this case transforming into a scorpion... with two tails. He has a claw-arm-raking action gimmick in both modes, pressing a button on his torso causes his claw arms to rotate back and forth at the shoulders.

Double Punch, as with the other Action Master Elites, was only released in Europe and Australasia.

Like most Action Master Elites, Double Punch appears to be an homage to a pre-existing Generation 1 character. His color scheme, molded detail and transformation strongly resemble BlackZarak. He is also the only Action Master based on a Japanese-exclusive character.

• More information on Double Punch at TFU.info

Beast Wars

Chomping on the bits of crickets in his mitts.

• Double Punch (Mega, 1998)
  • Accessories: Beeline drone and 2 missiles

A redeco of Scorponok, Double Punch transforms into a large scorpion. His tail features a spring-loaded "jabbing" action, while each claw hides a spring-loaded gimmick. The right (robot mode) claw launches the observation drone Beeline, while the left hides a dual missile launcher activated by opening his claw wide. Aside from his normal robot-mode head, he also has a "mutant mask". Double Punch was an exclusive at BotCon Japan 1998, and only 600 pieces were made.

While his fellow BotCon Japan 1998 exclusive Grizzly-1 was based on the unused pre-release coloration for that mold, Double Punch was given his blood-red colors, rather than the more orange pre-release colors for Scorponok, because it was felt that coloration was more "traditional" to scorpions in Japanese culture.

His new function, "Killer Elite," is a reference to his prior status as an Action Master Elite.

The mold was later used to make Beast Wars Sandstorm.

• More information on Double Punch at TFU.info

Timelines

One punch, two punch, black punch, jet punch.

• Double Punch and Turbomaster (BotCon 2010 souvenir set)
  • Accessories: 2 missiles

Limited to 1500 pieces, Double Punch is a redeco of Energon Scorponok, available exclusively at BotCon 2010 with Turbomaster and Shattered Glass Ravage. Double Punch transforms into a fanciful construction vehicle that resembles a mechanical scorpion, with two articulated bucket scoop arms that resemble pincers, along with an articulated crane arm that resembles a scorpion's stinger. Double Punch can also transform into a hover jet mode. He retains Scorponok's firing missiles and flip-out tail cannons, but lacks electronics.

Double Punch is made from the original Energon version of the Scorponok mold, with none of the retooled features of Dark Scorponok.

Where both prior uses of this mold had had a Decepticon spark crystal embedded in one of the claws, Double Punch has a featureless blue dome.

• More information on Double Punch at TFU.info

Notes

• Double Punch's key adaptation to desert warfare is said to be his ability to withstand temperatures all the way up to 150 F. Yes, he is almost as powerful as an average teaspoon. There were probably supposed to be a few extra zeroes in the G1 profile writeup, but if that's the case, what excuse does Fun Publications have?

• The bio profiles for all three Double Punch toys reiterate his cynical cunning and penchant for playing both sides of an argument.

• Double Punch is one of only a few characters to receive multiple BotCon exclusive toys, sharing the distinction with Breakdown, Sideswipe, Apelinq, Tigatron, and Shattered Glass Megatron/Galvatron. With his only non-BotCon toy having been released only in Europe and Australasia, he may be unique in the history of the Transformers brand in having gotten so many toy releases where each one was of such limited availability.

Foreign names

• Japanese: Double Punch (ダブルパンチ Daburu Panchi)