Scourge is aDecepticon from theRobots in Disguise continuity family.

I see ared truck and I want itpainted black.

One ofMegatron's twisted schemes involved corrupting a stolenAutobotprotoform with Decepticon programming. In the process, the protoform scanned some attributes ofOptimus Prime, but the Decepticon programming held—and Prime's dark doppelgängerScourge was born. Scourge is arguably Megatron's second in command, leading the new Decepticon forces, a much more effective unit thanSky-Byte'sPredacons.

He is a ruthless and cunning warrior who contains all of Optimus Prime's strengths and skill, but none of his compassion and mercy. He's also a veryambitious warrior, with plans to dethrone Megatron!

Scourge's greatest strength is also his weakness—his temper. Fearless and furious, he charges into battle wildly hacking hisbroadsword as histrailer combat deck launches missile barrages overhead. Yet his rage also makes him impatient, petulant, and easily provoked; it also scares the heck out of his subordinates.

Naturally, Sky-Byte sees Scourge as a threat on just about every level. For once, he's right.

Fiction

Cartoon continuity

2001Robots in Disguise cartoon

Voice actor:Barry Stigler (English),Taitem Kusunoki (Japanese),Fabrizio Vidale (Italian),Vladimir Gerasimov (Russian, tillKoji Gets His Wish),Mikhail Tihonov (Russian, fromKoji Gets His Wish),Alfonso Mellado (Latin-American Spanish),Júlio César (Brazilian Portuguese),Kim Tae-woong (Korean)

Duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem. Oh yeah!

The robot who came to be named Scourge was originally one of a crew of sixAutobots sent toEarth to reactivate the legendary Autobot battle station,Fortress Maximus. As leader of the expedition, Scourge was equipped with the ability to detect the unique energy signatures of theO-Parts, theCybertronian components that held the key to reawakening Maximus.Koji Gets His WishA Friendly Contest However, Scourge never had the opportunity to use that ability in the service of the Autobots, when the team's craft malfunctioned and crashed on Earth in the mid-20th century. Having been inprotoform-state withstasis pods for the duration of their voyage, the six Autobots were entombed in their crashed ship.

In the early days of the 21st century, archaeologist and energy expertDoctor Kenneth Onishi's work eventually led him to find the various links in the chain of Fortress Maximus—he located the fortress itself beneathMetro City, mapped the location of the O-Parts, and discovered the location of the crashed Autobot spaceship. However, when the evilMegatron came to Earth with the intent of harnessing Maximus's power, he captured Onishi, and through mental scans, discerned the location of the Autobots' ship. Stealing the six protoforms, Megatron took them to a nearby military base to scanvehicle modes for them, infusing them with a part of his own spark energy to turn them to the side of evil. The first five became theCommandos, but when Megatron targeted a tanker truck to scan as thealternate mode of the final protoform,Optimus Prime leapt into action in order to save the truck'shuman driver, and as a result, the tanker, Primeand the human were all scanned. With an infusion of Megatron's spark energy to complete the concoction, Scourge was born, emerging from his pod as a dark twin of Optimus Prime, who proved that Megatron's programming had over-ridden any Autobot goodness within him. Appointing himself leader of the new "Decepticons", he quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with.The Decepticons

I look more likeOptimus Prime thanOptimus Prime does!

To prove the effectiveness of the new troops, Scourge led them on a mission to attackSherman Dam and made short work of theAutobot Brothers, tossing them into the lake behind the dam. Once the dam was mined with bombs, he attempted to detonate it, only to find that the bombs had been tampered with—Sky-Byte and the Predacons, annoyed at being pushed down in rank by the new arrivals, had taken control of the bombs in order to prove their own effectiveness to Megatron. The arrival of more Autobots in the form of Optimus andTeam Bullet Train caused Megatron to call off the mission with only minor damage to the dam.Commandos

The next mission saw Scourge and the Commandos on guard duty, perhaps as a punishment for their previous failed mission, while the Predacon trio dug under a volcano. Scourge and Sky-Byte both fought Optimus when the Autobot leader arrived with theSpychangers, although the shark appeared to regard Scourge as just as valid a target. When a flow of lava was unleashed, Scourge unleashed a Barrage Attack on the Spychangers who were attempting to stop it, little caring that Sky-Byte and the Predacons were in the blast area. His amusement when the lava soon chased the Predacons into the water was almost palpable.Volcano

AfterMovor was shot into orbit, Scourge grew steadily impatient with the shuttle's hopeless attempts to guide the rest of the Decepticons to the Autobot base and threatened much bodily injury. Movor was tricked by the Autobots into leading the Decepticons into a trap. While Scourge grappled with Optimus, Movor attempted to help by firing on Optimus from space, but only succeeded in hitting Scourge, who promised to turn the shuttle into "metal confetti".Attack from Outer Space

But I always cut the crusts off!

As part of a new ploy, Scourge interrupted Sky-Byte's attack on an oil rig and chased off the Predacon. Seeing this, Optimus Prime believed that the Decepticons had begun to experience a resurgence of their Autobot sparks. Scourge was disgruntled withMega-Octane's plan, believing lies and deceit to be unworthy of a warrior, but went along with it. The Decepticons successfully gave the appearance of changing sides to the Autobots and underwent various tests such as cleaning a forest, with Scourge holding his temper barely in check the whole time. The appearance of Sky-Byte (who'd been kept ignorant of the plan) gave Scourge an opportunity to blow off some steam, but his attack endangered the life of apasserby. When Optimus told him to stand down, Scourge exploded and ended up giving the whole plan away, forcing the Decepticons to retreat under the full force of Optimus' rage.The Test

Scourge presented the increasingly impatient Megatron with a new plan which involved attacking power plants. The Autobots were hampered by the misguided assistance of Sky-Byte, but seemed to repel most of the Decepticon assaults.The Fish Test Scourge and the Decepticons subsequently butted in on one of Sky-Byte's plans, stealing a disk supposedly containing the plans to the Autobots'Global Space Bridge which the Predacons were trying to obtain. Unfortunately it was an Autobot trick, and both the Decepticons and Predacons ended up in a sewer.Wedge's Short Fuse

Annoyed by the Autobots constant escapes through the space bridge, Scourge hadRo-Tor track one of theBuild Team to the space bridge control center. The Decepticons broke in and Scourge sabotaged the controls, resulting in the space bridge sending any Autobots who used it to a random destination. Once chaos was established, Scourge and Megatron attacked the North Energy Research Center, but were unable to achieve much before the Autobots repaired the space bridge and arrived to chase them off.Landfill

Say hello to my leetle friend

Scourge andRuination attempted to intercept Optimus on his way to taking the O-Parts to Sky-Byte, who had taken some humans as hostage. Ruination was swiftly disabled by the Autobot, but Scourge was only wounded and trailed Optimus to the site of theCGA Tower attack. He again fought Optimus in an attempt to take the O-Parts, but his threatened attack on the tower itself was thwarted by the Build Team. Optimus was able to chase Scourge off so that the tower could be saved.Sky-Byte Saves the Day

Do NOT 'step on the gas'.

After a semi-successful attempt to raid an oil refinery, Scourge and Mega-Octane leaked a transmission ordering Sky-Byte to look for O-Parts in order to lead the Autobots into an ambush. However instead of the expected Autobots, they were confronted byUltra Magnus. They attempted to fight the newly arrived Autobot warrior, but retreated after Optimus Prime arrived to lend a hand.Ultra Magnus Back atbase, they watched Movor's surveillance of Ultra Magnus beating down Optimus, and Megatron demanded of Scourge to know why one Autobot had done what the Decepticons had failed to do so many times. They were able to track Sky-Byte to the island on which Optimus was recuperating after the battle and mount an attack, but were chased off once again when Optimus and Ultra Magnus merged intoOmega Prime.Ultra Magnus: Forced Fusion!

Scourge joined Sky-Byte, Megatron, and the Commandos in watching archival footage of Ultra Magnus in order to get a better understanding of their newly arrived enemy.Mystery of the Ultra Magnus The Decepticons interrupted another of Sky-Byte's plans in order to kidnap the Autobot Brothers. With the three brothers as hostages, the Decepticons led Optimus into a trap and fought the Autobot leader savagely. They were again seen off after Magnus rescued the brothers.The Two Faces of Ultra Magnus Sensing an opportunity, Scourge met with Ultra Magnus to try to persuade the Autobot to join him against both Optimus Prime and Megatron. When Magnus turned him down, Scourge and the Commandos turned on him, only to end up fighting the three Autobot Brothers instead.Power to Burn!

I've got the power!

With information extracted from Doctor Onishi, Scourge and the Decepticons were able to find a huge cavern beneath Metro City housing some ruins. Although the Autobots were on hand to try to fight them off, Scourge attempted to approach the ruins, and his proximity caused Fortress Maximus to rise.Fortress Maximus The exposure to the battle station's energies awakened memories of his original Autobot mission to find and reactivate Maximus and, twisted by Megatron's reprogramming, he became determined to take control of the huge Autobot in order to take over leadership of the Decepticon/Predacon forces and eventually the Universe. With Ruination fighting the Autobots as a distraction, Scourge set out to find Maximus, fighting with Optimus Prime and eventually breaking into the cavern to find that Maximus was gone. Upon retreating, Scourge also discovered that Sky-Byte had freed Doctor Onishi, but covered for him with Megatron so that the Predacon would owe him.Koji Gets His Wish

As the race began to locate the remaining O-Parts, Scourge rediscovered his ability to sense them, part of his original mission as an Autobot. The attempts by Scourge and the Decepticons to stop the Autobots finding the O-Part were hampered by Sky-Byte's misguided attempts to find the O-Parts himself, and eventually the Autobots were able to collect them all.A Friendly Contest Movor was soon able to locate the Autobots in theSahara, and Megatron himself led the Predacons and Decepticons there to take theOrb of Sigma from them. With the loss of Megatron, Scourge and the Decepticons retreated.Peril from the Past

Behold my insignias! They are pretty!

With Megatron gone, Scourge took command of theMegastar, much to the Predacons' dismay. They were able to successfully captureCerebros from the Autobots, and Scourge was able to use the Autobot part of his bio-signature to dupe the robot into activating Maximus. However he soon found he was unable to control the giant robot, who ran amok until the Autobots' human ally,Koji, was able to stop it. Additionally the arrival of Galvatron, Megatron's reborn form, during the battle, also meant that Scourge had lost his new leadership.Maximus Emerges Realizing that humans could control Maximus, Scourge then amplified the human part of his bio-signature and succeeded in taking control of the giant, until he was overridden by a large group of human children.The Human Element Seeking to use Koji himself for the process, a case of mistaken identity resulted in the Decepticons capturing his best friend,Carl, instead, but when Carl proved able to activate Fortress Maximus, Scourge dropped his façade of loyalty and ordered Maximus to destroy Galvatron.Mistaken Identity

The revelation of his betrayal brought about a punishment most severe—Scourge and the Decepticons had their autonomy stripped by Galvatron, turned once again into loyal servants so absolutely dedicated to their leaderSurprise Attack! that they continued to do his will even after he attempted to kill them with molten lava as a belated punishment.Galvatron's Revenge With Galvatron's ultimate defeat at the hands of Omega Prime, Scourge was captured and taken aboard Fortress Maximus for imprisonment with the other villains.The Final Battle

Legends/Unite Warriors

Black Convoy escaped from the Autobot prison on Cybertron, modified his body into a new form incorporating anEnergon Matrix stolen fromVector Sigma, and somehow ended up in theLegends World where he attacked theTokyo Toy Show, defeating an actor portrayingan Optimus Prime and takingMinor hostage. He then encountered Gelshark, another visitor to this strange universe, but found his offer to join forces rebuffed when the shark was provoked by his treatment of Minor and challenged him to a fight. After a short battle, Black Convoy defeated Gelshark with his new "Matrix Dead Maser" attack, but was impressed enough by his willingness to fight that he let Minor go and restated his offer, this time explaining that he sought to free Gigatron from prison as his power would be needed if Black Convoy were to truly achieve galactic conquest. This time Gelshark accepted, and the two returned to their home dimension together.Bonus Edition Vol. EX

"I'm the coolest!"

Black Convoy and Gelshark made their way to Cybertron in2021, where they exposed the true identity ofGrand Scourge, who had trickedBaldigus into thinkinghe was Black Convoy. Sensing that Black Convoy possessed a Matrix, Grand Scourge crossed blades with him, but Black Convoy came out on top by calling on Baldigus to blow his enemy away. Following a battle with Grand Scourge's master,Unicron, Black Convoy recruited Baldigus to his cause and traveled to the future era in which Devil Gigatron was imprisoned.Ruination Chapter, Part Two Their journey to rescue their leader was put on hold while the other Combatrons enjoyed their baths, to Black Convoy's annoyance.Strategy Meeting in an Earth Bath?!

Recovering the ship he once arrived on Earth with, Black Convoy led his troops in an attack onNeo Brave Maximus where Devil Gigatron was held, crashing the ship into Maximus and usingDark Ai to hackAi. As he confronted Fire Convoy to demand the release of his leader, Devil Gigatron himself appeared, revealed that he had given up on his evil ambitions and asked Black Convoy to do the same. He refused, having embraced his evil programming as his true self, and instead attempted to absorb Gigatron's power for himself. He was held back by Gelshark, allowing Gigatron to extract the evil he once infused him with, and he reverted to an Autobot protoform.LGEX Scourge Prologue

As the heroic Autobot he had been meant to be, Black Convoy joined the Dimensional Patrol and was placed in command of a squadron of fellow protoforms as well as drones based on his previous body. A mission to capture his fellow Combatrons saw him return to the Legends World, where he andSkids detained the localHeadmasters'transtectors for safety reasons until they got their hands on the final fugitive, Dark Ai. The Autobot Headmasters took this poorly and joined forces with Dark Ai, modifying captured Patrol drones into transtectors as part of a plan to trick Black Convoy into adopting a Headmaster form himself in order to combat them. When he did so, Dark Ai interfaced with his transtector and installed backup data of his previous identity, restoring his evil programming. Black Convoy promptly turned on the Dimensional Patrol and chased them off, then restored the captured Combatrons. As he prepared to return home with his new drone forces in tow, he played with the idea of conquering the Legends World, but was dissuaded by the Autobots and scolded by Dark Ai for considering it.Bonus Edition Vol. EX

Black Convoy and the other Combatrons continued traveling together with Dark Ai, seeking their own destiny.Epiloge

DreamwaveRobots in Disguise comic

What do you think of my breast-reduction surgery?

Sent by Megatron to help Sky-Byte steal an experimental nuclear generator from a facility inArizona, he and the Predacon bickered at length, until the arrival of Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus. After an unsuccessful attempt to engage Magnus in combat, during which he was slammed against the building, he realized that the Autobots' concern for the humans would be their downfall. Threatening the nearest human with his sword, Scourge commanded the two Autobots to surrender.

When Sky-Byte protested that this wasn't part of the mission, Scourge accused him of becoming soft. Magnus and Prime, after a brief discussion, agreed to surrender. Scourge raised his sword to strike them down, however he was interrupted by the Predacons making their escape with the nuclear generator. The distraction allowed Prime and Magnus to simultaneously punch Scourge in the face, and he and his Decepticons set out in pursuit of the Predacons.Ultra Magnus...to the Rescue?

Robots in Disguise toy bios

A no-nonsense field commander, Scourge was created when Megatron scanned both a tanker truck and Optimus Prime; consequently, Scourge especially resented the Autobot leader.Robots in Disguise Super Class Scourge toy bio

Galvatron placedAxer under Scourge's leadership, but Axer resented Scourge.Robots in Disguise Axer toy bio

Shell Game continuity

InViron 704.31 Epsilon, Scourge challenged Megazarak for leadership of the Predacon/Decepticon forces following the death of Megatron. Megazarak appeared to back down only to poison his rival withTox-En. He then recycled Scourge's chassis with a new mind, creatingToxitron.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/07/30

Ask Vector Prime

Confused by his sword-less hand.

InViron 403.0 Beta, theDestructicons, including Scourge,Bludgeon,Dreadwind, andSmokejumper, were the subordinates ofMegazarak, their God Emperor Supreme.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/11 They fought against theDinobots, the sole remaining Autobot resistance in their universe.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/05/29 When Megazarak decided to conquer other universes, Scourge and his comrades accompanied their master toAurex 304.0 Epsilon, where they proceeded to curb-stomp all opposition. The victorious Destructicons were then abducted byUnicron for theUniverse War, but Scourge and Bludgeon's fate is unknown.Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/11

Spychanger continuity

InViron 1103.12 Gamma,Optimus Prime and Scourge were female. After Earth's energon was rendered toxic and the Predacons' stash blown up, only energy-saving Spychangers could stay active. Scourge was the only villain who could convert and unluckily found herself up against thirteen Autobots!Ask Vector Prime, 2015/08/18

Legacy VS500 Collection Special Comic

The Scourge of the "RID Universe" competed in theSpeedia 500 for the chance to become leader ofVelocitron.Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 1 His evil antics, including using his tanker's internal weapons and knockingRoad Hauler aside, forcedMiko Tezuka andClampdown to intervene in the race. Ultimately, it was all for naught asOverride won the race, to Scourge's dismay.Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 2

In the second week of the Speedia 500, the racers were confronted by a trio of new racers; one of which wasShadowstrip, who shot out the lights in the tunnel he and Scourge were travelling through and disorientating the larger Decepticon. Scourge managed to reach the finish line again, but the winner wasGalaxy Shuttle this time around.Velocitron Speedia 500 Part 3

Games

Transformers: Battle Tactics

Thissword is so hard to lug around!

Scourge participated in battles against a variety of opponents, both Autobots and Decepticons. Sometimes there were many of him! He was a Super Rare character who was available in the first Daily Campaign in May and could be recruited after collecting 20 Alpha cores, 20 Beta cores, 20 Omega cores, and 10 cores of this character.Transformers: Battle Tactics

Toys

Robots in Disguise (2001)

Inverted G2 Black Laser Convoy Prime Clone.
(Takara version pictured)

This toy almost makes the black repaint craze worth it.
(Hasbro version pictured)

• Black Convoy (2000)
• Scourge (Super Class, 2002)

• Takara ID number:D-012
• Takara release date: July ??, 2000
• Accessories: "Black Sword/Sword of Fury", "Plasma Gun", 5 discs, 10 small missiles, 2 large missiles
• Known designers:Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)

First released in the fifth wave of Takara'sCar Robots toyline, "Black Convoy" is aredeco of theGeneration 2Laser Optimus Prime mold, transforming into a Western Star 4964EX truck with black and teal paint apps, thick foil stickers, and pink transparent plastic that works exceptionally well forlight-piping. The toy lacks all of Laser Prime's electronics to keep costs down, the entire back of the cab is now covered with a black sticker to hide the empty battery compartment.

The chromed oil-tanker trailer has a top-mounted disc launcher, and opens up into a battle station. In this mode it has the disc launcher, a spring-loaded five-missile launcher (which can also be held in the robot's hand), a large air-pressure rocket launcher, plus the robot's double-barreled Plasma Gun can be mounted at the top of the tower. All of these weapons can be stored inside the trailer mode. Care should be taken when opening the trailer into base mode, as the springs in this version are very strong compared to other releases, and will scratch the chrome sides by slamming them into the ground. The toy also suffers from mild mold wear in that the Plasma Gun's rear clip is somewhat warped and the figure's shoulders have a harder time staying upright than Laser Prime's. Due to theGeneration 2 Autobot symbols sculpted on Black Convoy's launcher discs,Takara made Black Convoy's faction symbol theGeneration 2 Autobot one, but upside down. By extension, this also explains the faction symbol for theCombatrons.

The later HasbroRobots in Disguise release of the toy, under the name "Scourge", was soldexclusively atToys"R"Us in the USA, released in May of 2002. The clear pink plastic has been replaced with blood red, the metallic gray plastics are a darker shade, the stickers are now matte gray with Decepticon logos instead of silver foil with "negative-Autobot" logos, the sword tip is blunted, and the discs areretooled to remove the faction symbol altogether (save the small hole in the crest) with thicker edges. Notable paint changes are that Scourge has Decepticon sigilstampographed on his doors, while lacking Black Convoy's teal stripes along the sides of the cab's nose. The license plate sticker on the tanker now states "SCOURGE D-012" (a reference to Black Convoy's ID Number). The toy lacks electronics like the Takara release, but instead of having a large sticker over the battery compartment, the battery lid is simply glued shut.

Early specimens of Scourge sold via the Toys"R"Us website had the Hasbro stickers and mold changes, but retained the Japanese cabpaint operations and pink plastic. A laterrunning change variant leaves the bottom finger of both hands unpainted for whatever reason.

This toy was later released bySonokong asCar Bot Black Convoy inSouth Korea, with the Hasbro Scourge paint and retooled discs but with Takara Black Convoy's foil stickers and pointy sword.

Scourge's box has one of theworst stock photos ever, depicting the figure about half transformed—his shoulders are folded down oddly and his legs haven't been extended at all, making him hilariously stubby. Considering how simple the figure is and how bad the crude early photoshoppery looks, one can only assume there was a hell of a tight deadline. Similar errors would continue to make their way into other stock images of the toy.

• More information on Black Convoy at TFU.info
• More information on Scourge at TFU.info

Sword-less fury!

• X-Brawn / Scourge (Basic Class, 2002)

Released in the fourth wave ofRobots in Disguise Basic figures, Scourge is a simplifiedSpychanger-styled version of the larger toy, an all-new tooling. The truck mode has through-axle wheels which roll very well across smooth surfaces, though the toy is too light to go all that fast. Scourge was only available in a 2-pack with a similarly-styled version ofX-Brawn.

As with most of the newRobots in Disguise releases, the X-Brawn / Scourge pack was available in Japan as a "USA Edition" mass-released toy.

This mold was later redecoedboth as Generation 1 "Spy Changer"Optimus Prime in theUniverse toyline, and as "Movie"Optimus Prime for a Japanese pack-in DVD exclusive.

This toy wasrepurposed asGeneration 1 Nemesis Prime inRenegade Rhetoric.

• More information on Spychanger Scourge at TFU.info

Not very heroic anymore.

• Destructicon Scourge (Deluxe Class, 2003)

• Takara release date:February 20, 2003
• Accessories: Gun, 2 rockets
• Known designers:Andrew Frankel (Hasbro, deco artist)

Destructicon Scourge is a black redeco ofGeneration 2Hero Optimus Prime, transforming into a sleek longnose Kenworth truck with a very large rocket launcher/bellows assembly on the back end. In either truck orrobot mode, this launcher fires the two large rockets with air power from the bellows; the quicker/harder it's slammed, the further the rocket flies. The launcher is "permanently" affixed to the truck bed/Scourge's right arm. The two rubber-tipped rockets can be stored on clips on the sides of the truck bed, which end up on his back in robot mode.

By the time this toy was released, its tooling had degraded somewhat since Hero Optimus Prime's original production run. As a result, neither robot norvehicle mode hold together very well on many specimens. Keeping his missiles stored can be difficult, as they may pop out from their storage clips involuntarily. Additionally, initial shipments appear to have been missing a certain part that allowed the waist to ratchet, instead letting it spin freely.

Over time, the rubber portions on the missiles and hose degrade also considerably faster than previous versions.

Scourge and his fellow DestructiconBludgeon wereexclusive toKB Toys in the United States, released under theRobots in Disguise banner in May of 2003, long after the series had been replaced withArmada, which explains why they used the same packaging style. Additionally, they were also available at retail in the United Kingdom four months after their release in the United States, complete withEuropean packaging, but instead exclusive toToys"R"Us. Both were also Toys"R"Us Japan exclusives, sold as "USA Editions" in slightly-altered US packaging (basically just some Japanese-language stickers for legal info was applied to them).

• More information on Destructicon Scourge at TFU.info

Timelines

Now with bigger shoulders!

• Scourge (TFSS 1.0, 2013)

• TFSS1 number:1
• Accessories:Sword of Fury

A black and tealredeco ofReveal the Shield Deluxe ClassOptimus Prime,Timelines Scourge transforms into a longnosed "racing" truck cab, adorned with the Japanese-style "Anti-Cybertron" symbols rather than Decepticon branding. He comes with a sword that he can wield with both hands, and is folded up and stored between his legs in truck mode, forming the fifth wheel. Scourge also has a (non-detachable) matrix gimmick in robot mode formed by a relief pattern on the inside of the cab's side windows, and is visible through the windshield/chest in robot mode. He is also very articulated and poseable, even featuring ankles and wrists that are both ball-jointed and hinged.

Scourge was the first of sixTransformers Collectors' Clubexclusive figures to be shipped out via the "Transformers Figure Subscription Service" in 2013. The final version lacks the heat-sensitiverubsign seen in the promotional mockup for the toy, which used a Photoshopped image of the rubsign-having original toy as its base.

This toy was also used to makeBotCon 2012Shattered Glass Optimus Prime, and was retooled intoShattered Glass Ultra Magnus.

• More information onTimelines Scourge at TFU.info

Legends

Now with less SYMBOLISM.

• Black Convoy (2015)

• ID number:LG-EX
• Release date:June 21, 2015
• Accessories:Black Sword

Debuting as aTokyo Toy Show 2015 exclusive,Legends Black Convoy is another redeco ofReveal the Shield Deluxe ClassOptimus Prime. While it broadly resemblesTimelines Scourge, its plastic colors and painted deco more specifically match the originalCar Robots Black Convoy figure, with such details as the teal striping on the truck cab and "Anti-Autobot" Combatron symbols on the robot shoulders.

Interestingly, though this toy was announced to the public less than one month before its release, that was still enough time for a change to the painted deco: the packaging and widespreadstock photographs show silver paint on the robot's inner forearms, but this paint was absent from the final toy.

Unlike all otherLegends releases, both this and the Voyager Class figure below buck the trend of using both the character's Japanese Takara name ("Black Convoy") in katakana and its English Hasbro name ("Scourge") in Latin script by instead using only the Japanese Takara name in both Japanese and English text.

The Return of Dark Laser.

• Black Convoy (2017)

• ID number:LG-EX
• Release date:June 3, 2017
• Accessories:Black Sword, Double-barreled rifle, Headmaster

Debuting as aTokyo Toy Show 2017 exclusive, this Black Convoy is a redeco ofTitans Return Voyager ClassOptimus Prime, transforming from robot to tanker truck to plane and back. His deco is heavily based on hisoriginalCar Robots toy. He comes with aHeadmaster redecoed fromDiac which transforms from a small robot representing his original identity as a heroic Autobot protoform, into his own post-scanning head (but anyTitan Master orLegends Headmaster is compatible) and he has built-in spring-loaded pylons to "bulk up" his noggin, although this step was optional according to the stock photos.

Theincluded mini-manga also depicts a fourth mode the toy can be transformed into, a base mode inspired by theoriginal Black Convoy toy's trailer base. The manga also featuresBlack Convoy Mass Production Type Drones that can be recreated using the toy by repurposing the jet mode engine as a one-eyed head.

Due to unexpectedly high demand, TakaraTomy took the unusual step of producing a second run of this figure, which were made available fromTakaraTomy Mall onNovember 30, 2017.^[1]

This mold was also retooled intoOctone.

Legacy

Scourge of the Universe/Universal Collapse

• Robots in Disguise 2000 Universe Scourge (Leader Class,2022)

• TakaraTomy ID number:TL EX-08
• TakaraTomy release date:February 25,2023
• Accessories: Energon axe, Energon sword, Matrix
• Known designers:Sam Smith (Hasbro)^[2]

Transformers: LegacyVelocitron Speedia 500 Collection "Robots in Disguise 2000 Universe Scourge" (phew!) is aredeco ofLegacy Leader ClassLaser Optimus Prime, transforming into a mid-1990s Western Star 4964EX tanker truck. Though he keeps his Hasbro "Scourge" name, the flipped Autobot symbols are from the TakaraCar Robots Black Convoy deco. In fact, this toy'sshipping case, advance listings on many online dealer sites, andWalmart shelf tags had the name "Black Convoy", suggesting a late-stage name change.

Scourge's tanker trailer can convert into a battle station, complete with adjustable turret. Scourge also has a deep magenta (in contrast to Scourge's usual blood red or Black Convoy's lighter pink) transparent Energon axe and sword, which can store inside his trailer when not used and can combine to create a larger sword. The axe and sword can store either inside the trailer or on the cab, with the sword storing underneath the rear section of the cab like the original and the axe slotting in over the trailer hitch. In tanker mode, the trailer's claw arm can be folded down to act as a jack to allow it to stand freely. He also includes a magenta and silver Matrix, with the casing of the Matrix core left unpainted. The Matrix can be attached to the axe or the combined sword, using the rectangular peg near the axe's haft (normally meant to keep the handle folded neatly for storage). However, it doesn't stand out much due to using mostly the same color scheme. His signature shoulder pylons can open outwards to reveal missile pods. The chest slot where the Matrix plugs in is open in the back, seemingly meant to allow forlight piping in robot mode. Unlike Laser Optimus Prime, Scourge's head light-piping is left intact.

As the sword accessory is designed for this mold's open hands, it cannot be wielded by other figures with closed 5mm hands due to the protruding tab on the handle.

Scourge's robot mode features a new deco compared to previous versions, making almost the entire torso black. This is a deliberate choice, as Hasbro designerSam Smith cited his unfamiliarity with the character, as well as the desire to better match the truck cab's appearance of black framing pink windows.^[3] Moreover,Mark Maher's request to paint the tanker silver meant that they could not afford to paint the shoulders. Scourge's truck mode's usual teal accent lines have also been reimagined as more elaborate pinstriping. The resulting deco coincidentally makes this Scourge reminiscent ofNemesis Prime. Some stock pictures feature his cab mistransformed, not having his gas canisters on the sides flipped out. His instruction booklet uses the G2 Autobot symbol correctly oriented as opposed to upside-down ones the toy has.

TheVelocitron Speedia 500 Collection was exclusive toWalmart in the US, withHasbro Pulse receiving limited quantities of the figure. The series went up for pre-order onJuly 21, 2022, and started arriving in stores byAugust 1. The series was aTakaraTomy Mall exclusive in Japan, and a Farmers department store exclusive in New Zealand.

This mold was also used to makeToxitron.

Notes

• While the honor offirst evil black clone of an heroic leader goes toBlack Lio Convoy, Scourge's snazzy color scheme set the tone for futureblack redecos representing evil doppelgängers that continues to this day.
• An unrealizedWings Universe story would have featured Scourge, based on his TFSS toy, as one ofJhiaxus's clones. A conflicted Scourge would have led Jhiaxus's forces in taking downOptimus Prime andGalvatron.^[4][5]

Foreign names

• Japanese:Black Convoy (ブラックコンボイBurakku Konboi),Scourge (スカージSukāji)
• Korean:Black Convoy (블랙콘보이Beullaek Konboi)

Gallery

References