The Energon Pub

Now I posted something like this in the toy forum but I didn't get too much feedback. What I'm wondering is what part of Blackout is Scorpinok when not transformed into Scorpion mode? Obviously, Scorpy ejects out of Blackout's back, but where is Scorpy when Blackout's just a chopper? The Scorponok toy has a lot of markings on it like "explosive" and "keep back" and I beleive there's another mentioning fuel-almost like he would or should turn into his own military vehicle, but we all know that's not the case. I wonder if Scorpy is just a part of Blackout's interior hull when he's in helicopter mode, or some part of the exterior, something near Blackout's fuel storage from the looks and detailing on the figure.
Just curious what you guys thought about it.

I honestly dont know and i always ask my self what actually scorponok is... before i thought he's a military vehicle or some but that's quite impossible and i really dont get what he is... maybe he is part of blackout... darn!!! i hate plotholes!!!

The rumours & theories I've heard all suggest he is one of the following;
1- Blackout's engine - however he can still fly without Scorpie??? Hrrm... don't like that one.
2- a fuel canister - But big cans of fuel aren't really complex enough to be a transformer...
3- Just a thing living inside him, like Blackout is his kennel.

Three is my favourite & my way of thinking. He doesn't seem to transform out of Blackout, he just jumps out.

well according to the 2-pack he was mentioned as blackout pet...

Given where he dropped from, I'd have to say that wherever the heck Scorponok goes when Blackout is in helicopter form is right behind the main set of helicopter blades.

Justicity wrote:Blackout's engine - however he can still fly without Scorpie??? Hrrm... don't like that one.

Blackout is an alien creature who can shape himself into a form which looks like a human flying vehicle. It doesn't matter if he actually has an engine inside. He flies on his own alien power and the rotors are just part of the disguise. Or perhaps he does fly depending on the rotors but they are powered by his own strenght, not by human machinery. He doesn't need Scorponok to fly, Scorpy just transforms into whatever the heck he transforms into and becomes a convenient extra part inside Blackout. Not something that adds anything to Blackout himself, just a means of storing.

Skorponok isn't part of Blackout. He just fits inside Blackout's cargo hold. Even though we never see it in the movie, Skorponok does have a robot mode according to Hasbro. He just prefers his beast mode.

Well even though it looks like it should be a joke, the figure does have a "robot" mode :) I'm just wondering what all of the writing and labeling on Skorponok is when he's not the "engine" of destruction we all know and love. Where on a helicopter do those markings (on Skorponok) belong...hmmm, very strange.

Unicron's Head wrote:Well even though it looks like it should be a joke, the figure does have a "robot" mode I'm just wondering what all of the writing and labeling on Skorponok is when he's not the "engine" of destruction we all know and love. Where on a helicopter do those markings (on Skorponok) belong...hmmm, very strange.

They put that kind of labeling on cargo, as well as around certain parts of an aircraft, so that people don't step where they shouldn't. When Skorponok ejects from Blackout. He comes out of Blackout's cargo bay hatch, which his helocopter mode does have in the back. you can see this on the toy version of Blackout as well. The Pavelow is a cargo helocopter as well as a gunship.

When you look at his closeups in the movie you can see compressor blades moving. Thus I would assume he is part of Blackouts engine... The bigger question is whether they need human technology for locomotion.

Consider this, would blackout risk the ability to fly by using his rotor blade as a weapon if he was dependant on it for mobility?

More questions than answers as usual..

nugget wrote:When you look at his closeups in the movie you can see compressor blades moving. Thus I would assume he is part of Blackouts engine... The bigger question is whether they need human technology for locomotion.

Consider this, would blackout risk the ability to fly by using his rotor blade as a weapon if he was dependant on it for mobility?

More questions than answers as usual..

He isn't part of the engine. secondly, Blackout uses his rear rotor as a weapon, not his main one, and even then, there are numerous examples of Transformers who turned into helocopters that used their rotors for weapons in robot mode. In fact, most of them did. THeir rotors were still their form of flight ion vehicle mode though. G1 Springer used his rotors as a sword, Blades routinely used his to slice his opponents apart, Cybertron Evac uses his as a weapon in robot mode. On top of that, all three use their main rotor as a weapon, not their secondary one. Secondly, the turbine that powers the blades of the Pavelow are on the top of the helocopter, Skorponko comes out of the back end, from the cargo hold. He doesn't come out of the engiine. We see Blackout's engine as he transforms into robot mode. The turbine is right behind his head. Skorponok is not Blackout's engine. He is a completely separate entity, not a part of Blackout himself. He's just a passenger in the cargo hold.

nugget wrote:When you look at his closeups in the movie you can see compressor blades moving. Thus I would assume he is part of Blackouts engine... The bigger question is whether they need human technology for locomotion.

Consider this, would blackout risk the ability to fly by using his rotor blade as a weapon if he was dependant on it for mobility?

More questions than answers as usual..

I can understand Blackout not neading to power his rotors for flight*, however you just suggested he doesn't even NEED them to stay in the air. How the HECK does that work? What, he can float?

*instead using his own spark energy (maybe?) to rotate his propellers.

Justicity is correct. When in vehicle mode, the Transformers' engines and such are fully functional, and the rotors on Blackout are indeed what keep him aloft. When they transform, they are literally formed out of all of the vehilce's various parts. The movie designers went to great care to make the robots literally built out of every little part of their vehicle mode. That is why they have so many moving parts. They are literally built out of their vehicle parts.

Tramp wrote:Justicity is correct. When in vehicle mode, the Transformers' engines and such are fully functional, and the rotors on Blackout are indeed what keep him aloft. When they transform, they are literally formed out of all of the vehilce's various parts. The movie designers went to great care to make the robots literally built out of every little part of their vehicle mode. That is why they have so many moving parts. They are literally built out of their vehicle parts.

Oh yea! Who's logic rules!
Eh... sorry...

So yes, it is very likely that Blackout's engine WAS needed, even if he powered it himself. Same goes for his rotors, they are essential for him staying in the air as they push surrounding air down to gain altitude. So using his rotor blades for weapons is kinda stupid unless they are, like the rest of his outer armour, self repairing. Nuggets point, argued against, evidence provided, defeated. ^^

Yes, the blades are self-repoairing just like all of the components that make him up, not just the outer armor.

Tramp wrote:Yes, the blades are self-repoairing just like all of the components that make him up, not just the outer armor.

Oh, I thought it was outer shell= regenerating & a self repair unit for inner "organs", for lack of a better name.

So where exactly is the point where something can't repair for them? Say a limb got detached, could they just hold it in place & after a while all the pieces would reform?
(That's how I used to explain it to myself when I was a little 7 year old, blasting Dinobot's arms of & putting him back together while Primal & Rhinox took care of Tripedicus & Waspinator... My little self invented explanations might actually make sense!)

Justicity wrote:

Tramp wrote:Yes, the blades are self-repoairing just like all of the components that make him up, not just the outer armor.

Oh, I thought it was outer shell= regenerating & a self repair unit for inner "organs", for lack of a better name.

So where exactly is the point where something can't repair for them? Say a limb got detached, could they just hold it in place & after a while all the pieces would reform?
(That's how I used to explain it to myself when I was a little 7 year old, blasting Dinobot's arms of & putting him back together while Primal & Rhinox took care of Tripedicus & Waspinator... My little self invented explanations might actually make sense!)

Almost any amount of damage can eventually heal, Even according to G1, though not impossible, it takes a sustained and immence amount of damage to permanently extinguish a spark. Damage to the neuro-circuitry can possibly permanently kill a Cybertronian, and destruction of the brain case is universally fatal.

As for limbs being detatched? They would have to perfome surgery to re-attach it, but them their own regenerative systems would take over. It is a little more complicated than simply hodiong it in place. A CR chamber would help speed the process as well.

Nice, thanks for clearing that up for me.

Just got back from the movie again, I noticed that, during Blackout's transformation at the base, you can clearly see Scorponok's pinchers coming out of the front of the copter, but they are only visibly for a split second before the rest of the chopper transforms.

Look for the front of the copter while the camera pans between two of the army vehicles, you can see Scorponoks claws sticking out. At least, I did. I hope my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

Skowl wrote:Just got back from the movie again, I noticed that, during Blackout's transformation at the base, you can clearly see Scorponok's pinchers coming out of the front of the copter, but they are only visibly for a split second before the rest of the chopper transforms.

Look for the front of the copter while the camera pans between two of the army vehicles, you can see Scorponoks claws sticking out. At least, I did. I hope my eyes weren't playing tricks on me.

Could that not just be any other part of Blackout?

Surely Blackout wouldn't risk his "spy unit" being seen while he's transforming? It would give away an element of surprise when fighting?

edit: AH! I disagreed with a member of staff!!! Epp, don't hurt me!

Yeah, your eyes were playing tricks with you. IT was just Blackout's nose splitting in two and the intakes folding into place as he trasnformed. It wasn't Skorponok.

I think of Skorponok as a minion or a symbiote of Blackout, kind of like Laserbeak or Ravage. Maybe he was built by Blackout himself, to help do his bidding and be a spy. At least that's what I tell myself.

Well, he is a minion, but not a symbiote.

Justicity wrote:

nugget wrote:When you look at his closeups in the movie you can see compressor blades moving. Thus I would assume he is part of Blackouts engine... The bigger question is whether they need human technology for locomotion.

Consider this, would blackout risk the ability to fly by using his rotor blade as a weapon if he was dependant on it for mobility?

More questions than answers as usual..

I can understand Blackout not neading to power his rotors for flight*, however you just suggested he doesn't even NEED them to stay in the air. How the HECK does that work? What, he can float?

*instead using his own spark energy (maybe?) to rotate his propellers.

I didn't suggest $hit, I asked a question numbnuts.

Tramp wrote:Well, he is a minion, but not a symbiote.

He was a symbiote. Since his initial character detail release it's been said the two have a symbiotic relationship, meaning he's a symbiote...