Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is seeing its release date move closer and closer. To get you prepped for the film and help you identify which characters are in the movie not named Optimus Prime, Brandon and Tedd will be bringing you Autobot and Decepticon profiles each week up to the film's release. Expect one Autobot and one Decepticon each week. And the good thing about these profiles is that they will be Baysplosion free.
Name: Scorponok
Original Debut: Transformers: Headmasters (Marvel comics), July 1987
Transformed vehicle: I think Scorponok has to be in the top ten transformers whose form and characterization has been revised excessively. Originally, however, Scorponok was a triple-changer- his alternate modes included a big-ass scorpion, complete with steel-bending pinchers and a tail-mounted turret, and a Metroplex-esque (You remember him? I had him. It was awesome.) fortress/base, loaded up with repair bays, radar equipment, guns, lawyers, money…you name it.
In addition, Scorponok had a detachable patrol-bot named Fasttrack, which turned into an armored vehicle. It’s important to bear in mind that the scale of the original incarnation of Scorponok and these alternate modes was huge compared to his one-form depiction in the movie.
Character Description: The following is taken from Scorponok’s “tech readout”…you know, the stuff on the back of the toy box? I use to collect them and I have a special place in my heart for these (Please don’t sue us for reprinting it).
“Despair and isolation are all that remain in his wake. Believes the poor should be exploited, the weak oppressed, and the noble corrupted. Others' pain is his sole pleasure.”
Pretty standard Decepticon-fare. But still, Scorponok was meant to be b-a-d, bad. In fact, Scorponok was sort of introduced as a sort of rival/replacement for Megatron. The character was meant to sort of ‘launch’ the new headmaster line, and instead of Megatron vs. Optimus Prime, TV commercials were suddenly all about Scorponok vs. Fortress Maximus.
In the comics, Scorponok was a particularly ruthless Decepticon who was just one of many who had emerged to lead a large following of his fractitious brethren after Megatron’s ‘disappearance’ on Cybertron.
Scorponok’s war-band gets summoned to the planet Nebulos by a treacherous opportunist named Zarak (who goes on to become Scorponok’s ‘head’ interface). A group of Autobots had settled Zarak’s planet and had begun to live in harmony with its human-like population, eventually developing technology that allowed them to combine mental resources- a human…er, Nebulonian…whatever…would become ‘binary bonded’ to a transformer. The bonded transformer than detaches their head, which the human user can wear as a modular outfit. When attached to the transformer, the human’s personality, thoughts, and skills kind of ‘fuse’ with that transformer.
Actually, if you stop and think about it in terms of one life-form detaching their head for another to wear…well, let’s just say Michael Bay may have done the right thing by putting this baby to rest, in the movies.
Anyway, Zarak forms an alliance with Scorponok to get rid of the Autobots. Eventually, however, Zarak comes to believe that the Decepticon-Autobot conflict will wipe out his planet’s civilization. Through careful planning, Zarak manipulates both sides into moving the conflict to Earth- where, inevitably, the two factions end up running into all those other Transformers that end up stranded on our mudball. Note that Zarak’s motivations here aren’t exactly benevolent- Zarak wants his planet to survive, but doesn’t care if Scorponok and his Decepticons roast every human being on Earth alive to get to the Autobots.
STILL, interestingly enough- Scorponok’s binding with Zarak actually brings out a somewhat more human streak that most Decepticons ever have. The end result is that while Scorponok is a powerful and brutal warrior, he tends to rely on deception and psychological warfare. Debatably, however, this makes him among the least effective Decepticon leaders (since they mostly value fighting, fighting, and more fighting)- and in the comics, Scorponok seems to find it harder and harder to rally forces to his banner.
In a surprising moment of redemption in the comics, however, Scorponok actually is destroyed fighting Unicron. He rushes into a suicidal battle fearing for his life, but knowing that this is one enemy that every Transformer has to unite against. Just before he (and Zarak) dies, Prime tells him that he has “done good.”
Bayparison: In the Michael-bay-verse, Scorponok bears similarities with Decepticons like Ravage and Lazerbeak. That is, he is depicted in a smaller-scale animal form that detaches from a larger Transformer (in this case, Blackout- another Transformer with a very retconned past, by the way). Overtly, this Scorponok appears to behave as an actual Scorpion, reacting more like an aggressive animal than some of its human-like allies. Scorponok tunnels through sand (and, presumably, other terrain) with ease, often springing out of the ground to surprise opponents. While he never transforms, an array of modular weapons are loaded onto his body- including missiles, energy weapons, pincers, and, of course, a stinger.
Quote (from tech readout): “Kindness is no virtue... and cruelty is no vice.”
Check out the other profiles from the Autobots and Decpticons featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. And be sure to check out the film in theaters and IMAX June 24.
Arcee
Bumblebee
Demolishor
Devastator
Ironhide
Jetfire
Megatron
Optimus Prime
Ravage
Sideswipe
Soundwave
Starscream
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is seeing its release date move closer and closer. To get you prepped for the film and help you identify which characters are in the movie not named Optimus Prime, Brandon and Tedd will be bringing you Autobot and Decepticon profiles each week up to the film's release. Expect one Autobot and one Decepticon each week. And the good thing about these profiles is that they will be Baysplosion free.
Name: Scorponok
Original Debut: Transformers: Headmasters (Marvel comics), July 1987
Transformed vehicle: I think Scorponok has to be in the top ten transformers whose form and characterization has been revised excessively. Originally, however, Scorponok was a triple-changer- his alternate modes included a big-ass scorpion, complete with steel-bending pinchers and a tail-mounted turret, and a Metroplex-esque (You remember him? I had him. It was awesome.) fortress/base, loaded up with repair bays, radar equipment, guns, lawyers, money…you name it.
In addition, Scorponok had a detachable patrol-bot named Fasttrack, which turned into an armored vehicle. It’s important to bear in mind that the scale of the original incarnation of Scorponok and these alternate modes was huge compared to his one-form depiction in the movie.
Character Description: The following is taken from Scorponok’s “tech readout”…you know, the stuff on the back of the toy box? I use to collect them and I have a special place in my heart for these (Please don’t sue us for reprinting it).
“Despair and isolation are all that remain in his wake. Believes the poor should be exploited, the weak oppressed, and the noble corrupted. Others' pain is his sole pleasure.”
Pretty standard Decepticon-fare. But still, Scorponok was meant to be b-a-d, bad. In fact, Scorponok was sort of introduced as a sort of rival/replacement for Megatron. The character was meant to sort of ‘launch’ the new headmaster line, and instead of Megatron vs. Optimus Prime, TV commercials were suddenly all about Scorponok vs. Fortress Maximus.
In the comics, Scorponok was a particularly ruthless Decepticon who was just one of many who had emerged to lead a large following of his fractitious brethren after Megatron’s ‘disappearance’ on Cybertron.
Scorponok’s war-band gets summoned to the planet Nebulos by a treacherous opportunist named Zarak (who goes on to become Scorponok’s ‘head’ interface). A group of Autobots had settled Zarak’s planet and had begun to live in harmony with its human-like population, eventually developing technology that allowed them to combine mental resources- a human…er, Nebulonian…whatever…would become ‘binary bonded’ to a transformer. The bonded transformer than detaches their head, which the human user can wear as a modular outfit. When attached to the transformer, the human’s personality, thoughts, and skills kind of ‘fuse’ with that transformer.
Actually, if you stop and think about it in terms of one life-form detaching their head for another to wear…well, let’s just say Michael Bay may have done the right thing by putting this baby to rest, in the movies.
Anyway, Zarak forms an alliance with Scorponok to get rid of the Autobots. Eventually, however, Zarak comes to believe that the Decepticon-Autobot conflict will wipe out his planet’s civilization. Through careful planning, Zarak manipulates both sides into moving the conflict to Earth- where, inevitably, the two factions end up running into all those other Transformers that end up stranded on our mudball. Note that Zarak’s motivations here aren’t exactly benevolent- Zarak wants his planet to survive, but doesn’t care if Scorponok and his Decepticons roast every human being on Earth alive to get to the Autobots.
STILL, interestingly enough- Scorponok’s binding with Zarak actually brings out a somewhat more human streak that most Decepticons ever have. The end result is that while Scorponok is a powerful and brutal warrior, he tends to rely on deception and psychological warfare. Debatably, however, this makes him among the least effective Decepticon leaders (since they mostly value fighting, fighting, and more fighting)- and in the comics, Scorponok seems to find it harder and harder to rally forces to his banner.
In a surprising moment of redemption in the comics, however, Scorponok actually is destroyed fighting Unicron. He rushes into a suicidal battle fearing for his life, but knowing that this is one enemy that every Transformer has to unite against. Just before he (and Zarak) dies, Prime tells him that he has “done good.”
Bayparison: In the Michael-bay-verse, Scorponok bears similarities with Decepticons like Ravage and Lazerbeak. That is, he is depicted in a smaller-scale animal form that detaches from a larger Transformer (in this case, Blackout- another Transformer with a very retconned past, by the way). Overtly, this Scorponok appears to behave as an actual Scorpion, reacting more like an aggressive animal than some of its human-like allies. Scorponok tunnels through sand (and, presumably, other terrain) with ease, often springing out of the ground to surprise opponents. While he never transforms, an array of modular weapons are loaded onto his body- including missiles, energy weapons, pincers, and, of course, a stinger.
Quote (from tech readout): “Kindness is no virtue... and cruelty is no vice.”
Check out the other profiles from the Autobots and Decpticons featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. And be sure to check out the film in theaters and IMAX June 24.
Arcee
Bumblebee
Demolishor
Devastator
Ironhide
Jetfire
Megatron
Optimus Prime
Ravage
Sideswipe
Soundwave
Starscream
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