Zarak
Zarak is a fictional character from the Transformers series. He is the Nebulan Headmaster partner of Scorponok.
Contents
Transformers: Generation 1
Fictional biography
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. In scorpion Mode, tail shoots 100,000 volt electric bursts, has twin pulse blasters, claws can crush mountains. In defense base Mode, has over-the-horizon radar, communications center, anti-aircraft sonic cannon, repair bay, construction bay; semi-autonomous armored interceptor with dual photon cannons that patrols the base perimeter. In robot Mode, has fusion-powered anti-gravity gun. Binary-bonded to Lord Zarak, leader of the evil Nebulans.
Books
Corgi Books
Zarak appeared in the 1987 Corgi Book story Swamp of the Scorpion.[1]
Comics
Marvel Comics
In the US Marvel Comics Transformers comics, Zarak first appeared in the four-issue Headmasters mini-series, which introduced the new breed of warrior to the Transformers universe. In this series Scorponok was leader of a troop of Decepticons who were summoned to the planet Nebulos by Lord Zarak, a corrupt politician who was intent on removing Fortress Maximus and other Autobots who had previously settled on the planet.
Scorponok was among the Decepticon troops who first met with the Nebulans led by Zarak in the Transformers UK Annual 1998 story Doomsday for Nebulos.
As the Headmaster and Targetmaster processes escalated the Transformers' conflict on Nebulos, Zarak realized that their war threatened to destroy the planet and its peaceful inhabitants. To that end, he orchestrated events leading to both Autobot and Decepticon forces travelling to Earth.
Upon their arrival, (in issue #38 of the main Transformers series) Scorponok's group continued its rivalry with the Autobots led by Fortress Maximus and Zarak's former political rival, Galen. After succeeding in killing Galen (Maximus's Nebulan partner), he was shocked to see the Autobot commander controlled by Spike Witwicky, the human he tortured hours earlier.
Scorponok appeared in a story called "Pretender to the Throne", where he created the first six Decepticon Pretenders. [2]
In issue #49 (part 3 of "The Underbase Saga"), Scorponok met up with the Earthbound Decepticons controlled by Ratbat. The meeting was arranged by Starscream, privately in the hopes of playing the two groups against one another. According to his wishes, the alliance between Scorponok and Ratbat broke down after Scorponok's disapproval of Ratbat's specist beliefs about humans (as Scorponok was now partially human himself) and witnessing the capture and torture of Buster Witwicky (ironically, the brother of the human he earlier harassed). When Scorponok's attempt to leave was met with an assault by the Predacons, that was all his troops needed to wage a civil war against their fellow Decepticons. The battle came to a close as Autobots responded to a distress signal (attached to a freed Buster) left by Starscream and again as Starscream's Underbase-powered fury was waged against them all.
Scorponok added the Earthbound Decepticons to his own forces after he destroyed Ratbat. His ship now destroyed, he quickly set up a new base of operations beneath the New Jersey swamps. Morale was low due to their recent failures. It only worsened when he accepted Starscream back into their ranks, after the recently rebuilt Decepticon had again assaulted them (this time being controlled by Megatron). In issue #69, "Eye of the Storm", Mindwipe and Triggerhappy (key members of Scorponok's inner circle) abandoned him after his re-inclusion of Starscream—a final straw for the two, injured by Starscream's previous assaults. They were then forcibly recruited by Shockwave, Starscream and Ravage to take part in an attempted coup.
The coup came to a close when Scorponok attained the surrender of Optimus Prime just prior to the climactic battle with Unicron. During that battle, Zarak's courage wavered and he began to flee until realizing that honor demanded him to stand and fight.
He was destroyed by Unicron during one final attack, after which he was told by Optimus Prime that he had "done good".
While that would be the last the US comics saw of Scorponok, he put in one additional appearance in the UK comics. In a possible future (told from the perspective of an aged Rodimus Prime) Scorponok battled against Shockwave and Megatron for leadership of the Decepticons. Losing, and attacked by the Micromaster Air Strike Patrol, Scorponok surrendered to Hot Rod – only to manipulate him and his comrades into defending a human settlement from the Decepticons while he escaped. This would be his last appearance in the Marvel timeline.[3]
Other media
Zarak is mentioned in the biography for Headrobots Toxin and Stronghold. Zarak turned to Toxin when he needed someone to copy Stronghold's technology.
References
- ↑ Morris, Dave (1987). Swamp of the Scorpion. Corgi Books. ISBN 0552525014.
- ↑ "Transformers" #40 (May 1988)
- ↑ Marvel U.K. #223
External links
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