Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts - Who Is Scourge And What Are His Powers?
Contains spoilers for "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts"
From Westeros to Cybertron — who would've thought we'd see Peter Dinklage in a "Transformers" film? The "Game of Thrones" actor is just another in a long line of celebrated thespians — including no less than Hugo Weaving and Orson Welles — to lend their voices to the franchise's recognizable characters. In "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," Dinklage voices Scourge, the deadly Terrorcon leader.
Scourge first appeared in the 1986 animated film "The Transformers: The Movie," in which he was voiced by "Little Shop of Horrors" narrator Stanley Jones. During the Battle of Autobot City — a near-pyrrhic conflict between the city's eponymous defenders and the dastardly Decepticons, which would see devastating casualties on both sides including leaders Megatron and Optimus Prime — a longtime "Transformers" adversary named Thundercrack met his demise. From his corpse, the planet-sized Unicron created the superpowered Scourge.
Scourge served alongside Galvatron (formerly Megatron) underneath their new master, until Galvatron ultimately stayed true to his former ways and rebelled against Unicron. Afterward, Scourge became a regular antagonist in the "Transformers" animated series, wherein he was portrayed as an unparalleled hunter with a legion of subordinates called "Sweeps." He has appeared in many different comics, films, and television shows, most notably (in regards to "Rise of the Beasts") the comic series "Beast Wars: Uprising" and two different "G.I. Joe" crossover stories.
Scourge was clearly chosen for "Rise of the Beast" because of his richly intertwined history with the film's key players, though he also boasts a powerset that makes him one of the most dangerous "Transformers" villains yet.
What makes Scourge so powerful?
In both "The Transformers: The Movie" and "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," Scourge's connection to Unicron grants him capabilities that surpass even Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen). Though his speed seems comparably lumberous to the rest of the colossal robots on screen (and maybe even a bit slower than nimble players like Mirage or Arcee), his strength and durability are greatly enhanced. The latter physical attribute seems especially overpowered, making him almost invulnerable to blaster fire and blunt weaponry.
One of Scourge's more unique powers seen exclusively in "Rise of the Beasts" is a corrosive weapon he uses about halfway through the film against Michelle Yeoh's Airazor. The disk-like projectile it fires latches onto her metal exterior, rusts her armor, and seemingly overrides her natural instincts to ally her with Unicron's forces. Though what it does exactly is never explained explicitly, it irreversibly turns Airazor into such a dangerous threat that Optimus Primal (Ron Pearlman) is forced to kill her.
While Scourge also possesses the natural transformative powers of any "Transformers" character, it's mainly these gifts that keep him ahead of the Autobots and Maximals for a majority of the film. It's almost a shame that Optimus Prime destroys him during the final battle, as he's significantly more threatening than other foes in the franchise's recent history.