Double Punch (G1)
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| This article is about the humanoid Decepticon. For the Predacon Scorponok relative, see Double Punch (ROTB). |
- Double Punch is a Decepticon and Predacon from the Generation 1 continuity family.
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.[1]
| “ | Double the power means double the destruction! | ” |
| —Double Punch's Generation 1 bio quote | ||
Contents |
Fiction
Wings Universe
Double Punch seemingly watched matches of the human sport soccer simply as an excuse to cause chaos and destruction. Krok tended to avoid him for this. Krok's Wings Universe profile
In 2010 under the command of Decepticon Syndicate leader 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
Beast Wars: Uprising
Double Punch was a former Decepticon gladiator from the pits of Kaon who reluctantly fell into administration on Builder-era Cybertron. He served as administrator of Dynamic Energon Distilleries' main factory in Iacon. When an enterprising Predacon named Gnashteeth became deputy administrator, Double Punch noticed he had a knack for the work. Double Punch slowly ceded more and more control to Gnash, and the Iacon plant profited greatly as a result. When DED Chairman Bulletbike was arrested for fraud, Double Punch slid into his position. Gnashteeth continued to support Double Punch behind the scenes, providing him all manner of assessments and practices to improve the entire company. In gratitude, Double Punch took the unprecedented step of naming Gnash administrator of the Iacon plant in his place, a position unheard of for a Predacon to achieve in those days.
Double Punch's meteoric rise reached even the Builder Assembly. His fellow Decepticons Sigil and Halogen lobbied for Double Punch's appointment to the Assembly. However, Sigil privately indicated to Double Punch that his "pet" Predacon had no place in his future. Gnashteeth and Double Punch had long operated under the implied understanding that Gnash would become Chairman of DED once Double Punch moved on to bigger and better things. Instead, Double Punch would have to allow a fellow Builder into that position. Gnash was furious when Double Punch told him he had risen as far as he could, and indeed, even his current position as administrator of the Iacon plant wouldn't be secure under the new chairman.
Although he knew Gnashteeth was furious at the betrayal, Double Punch never accounted for how far the Predacon would go. On the night he returned from his first Assembly meeting, Double Punch found his security system down and his guard dead. Gnashteeth greeted him in the foyer of his mansion and used Double Punch's own Tyrant Spear from his gladiator days to murder his former employer. Identity Politics
Despite being a high-profile case, the identity of Double Punch's murderer remained unsolved to Cybertron at large. Not All Megatrons
Toys
The Transformers
- Double Punch (Action Master Elite, 1991)
- Accessories: Left & right scorpion-leg sets
- Known designers: Andy Couzens (Hasbro), Takio Ejima (TakaraTomy), Masakatsu Saito (concept artist)
- Released in the seventh year of the European-market Transformers toyline (the first year following the end of the US line), Double Punch is an Action Master Elite, the only variety of Action Masters that could actually transform into an (admittedly tenuous) alternate mode; in this case a robotic twin-tailed scorpion. He has a claw-arm-raking action gimmick in both modes, activated by pressing in the gun-shaped plunger on his back. His scorpion-mode legs must be removed and re-positioned for robot mode.
- Like the other Action Master Elites, he was only released in Europe and Australasia. As such, he can command some pretty exorbitant prices for a complete, clean figure, even loose. Of the four, Double Punch is also the one with the most fragile gimmick due to it depending on a single tiny plastic gear that's under heavy pressure, so... good luck?
- Like most of the Action Master Elites, Double Punch appears to be an homage to a pre-existing character. His color scheme, molded detail, and transformation strongly resemble BlackZarak, only with extra eye-searing pastels. He is also the only Action Master based on a Japanese-original character.
Beast Wars
- Double Punch (Mega, 1998)
- Release date: December 12, 1998
- Accessories: "Beeline" drone, 2 missiles
- A BotCon Japan 1998 exclusive limited to 600 pieces, Beast Wars Double Punch is a redeco of Mega Class Scorponok, transforming into a large organic scorpion. His tail features a geared "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 the upper part of the claw wide. Aside from his normal robot-mode head, he also has a "mutant mask".
- While his fellow BotCon Japan 1998 exclusive Grizzly-1 was based on the unused pre-release coloration for that mold, Double Punch was given blood-red colors, rather than the clear-orange of pre-release 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.
Timelines
- Double Punch / Turbomaster (BotCon 2010 souvenir set)
- Accessories: 2 missiles
- A BotCon 2010 exclusive limited to 1500 pieces, Timelines Double Punch is a redeco of Energon Ultra-sized Scorponok, transforming into a scorpion-shaped construction vehicle. His bucket-scoop arms each conceal a spring-loaded missile launcher. His tail/crane features twin flip-out cannons activated by a geared slider mechanism. He also has a third space-jet mode.
- In order to keep costs down, he lacks the electronic sound effects from the original retail versions of this mold. 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. Oddly, this is the only subsequent release of the mold to retain the incorrectly assembled shoulders that the initial run of Energon Scorponoks had, so take special care when transforming it. There is a fix, however!
- Double Punch was only available in a bagged at-show "souvenir" set with the Deluxe-sized "Turbomaster" and Shattered Glass Ravage.
- This mold was later retooled into BotCon 2014 Scorponok.
Notes
- According to his original toy bio, Double Punch's key adaptation to desert warfare is his ability to withstand temperatures all the way up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, he is almost as powerful as an average teaspoon. There were probably supposed to be a few extra zeroes in the original 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.
- While several other characters have multiple BotCon exclusive toys, Double Punch is still notable as his only non-BotCon toy was 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)
References
- ↑ Summary of Generation 1 and Timelines toy bios