Black Scorpion (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Black Scorpion


caption = "Black Scorpion" DVD cover
genre = Science Fiction
camera =
picture_format =
audio_format =
runtime =
creator =
developer =
producer = Marta M. Mobley
Craig J. Nevius
executive_producer = Roger Corman
presenter =
starring = Michelle Lintel
Scott Valentine
BT (Brandon Terrell)
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer = David G. Russell
opentheme =
endtheme =
country = United States
location =
language = English
network = Sci Fi
first_aired = January 5, 2001
last_aired = June 30, 2001
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 22
list_episodes =
preceded_by = Black Scorpion

followed_by =
related =
website =

"Black Scorpion" is a short lived action TV series on the Sci-Fi Channel that first aired in 2001. The series is based on two Roger Corman movies, "Black Scorpion", and the sequel "". The show focuses on a female police officer, who, by night, takes to the streets and fights crime as the sexy superheroine, the Black Scorpion. The show contains many references to the old "Batman" TV series, including guest appearances by Adam West and Frank Gorshin.

The complete series was briefly available on DVD in North America, but the set is now out of print.

Identity

Darcy Walker

The Black Scorpion's real name is Darcy Walker, played by Michelle Lintel. She lives in Angel City (a fictionalized version of Los Angeles), where she works as a police detective. Darcy's father was shot by the city's crooked district attorney. The D.A. was arrested, but the charges were suspiciously dropped. That was when Darcy decided to take to the streets as the vigilante, Black Scorpion. In the original Corman films, the role of Darcy was played by Joan Severance. In the series, she is a red-headed enforcer with a badge who enforces the law more efficiently without the badge as her crime-fighting alter-ego, Black Scorpion. She appears to be a big fan of the color black, a fact she made clear during an interview after being asked with such a trivial question which would explain the color of her costume. Whether her favorite animal being a scorpion that serves as the inspiration of her alter-ego's moniker has not been revealed

Black Scorpion

The Black Scorpion is a clear reference to Batman: Apart from being an excellent hand-to-hand fighter and an expert with computers, Black Scorpion has no superpowers. She does, however, have access to a large assortment of weapons and gadgets, her best known weapon being her "Scorpionmobile" a high-tech car that is decked out like the Batmobile with unique features that could be activated via voice command, with a similar disguise capability to the "Defender" from Viper. She also wears a ring that shoots powerful blasts of energy and allows her to change into the Black Scorpion costume by converting "to an atomic level" whatever clothes she's wearing into the said attire.As far as personality goes, Black Scorpion is rather cocky, almost to the point of overconfidence, which often leads to her opponents catching her off-guard and getting the best of her, usually by knocking her out. In fact, there is hardly an episode where the antagonist(s) doesn't knock her out as part of the climax. She apparently dislikes the way she looks on camera, which contradicts her choice of attire when garbed as a crimefighter. She also has a tendency to not hit people if they happen to be wearing glasses. Unless she really thinks they deserve it, like Clockwise.

Other Major Characters

Detective Steve Rafferty

Darcy's partner and love interest. Apart from Darcy, Steve is the best cop on the force. At present, he is on a mission to unmask the Black Scorpion. Darcy wants to tell Steve that she's the Black Scorpion, but whenever she tries, the opportunity slips away. Steve may also have a crush on the Black Scorpion, which visibly upsets Darcy, forming a bizarre love triangle between Steve, herself, and her costumed alter-ego. He is played by Scott Valentine.

Argyle

Darcy's personal mechanic, he is the only person who Darcy allowed to know her identity unconditionally, since he freely gave her most of her more hi-tech equipment. He is somewhat a mentor figure to her at times, but his role is watered down somewhat in the series, only seeming to appear when a new gadget is needed. In one episode, he garbed himself as the "Argyle Avenger", after tipping off Detective Steve Rafferty who couldn't make it in time, in order to aid Darcy (Black Scorpion) foil the antagonist's plot. He is played by Brandon Terrell.

Tender Lovin'/Veronica

Argyle's girlfriend and a former hooker. She's the only other person who knows Black Scorpion's true identity. She and Argyle are constantly arguing about relationship issues. She is played by Enya Flack.

Major Enemies

Aerobicide
* Real Name: Susie Payne
* Powers: Cybernetic implants give her superstrength and agility; exercise-based weaponry
* First appearance: "No Sweat" Episode 1.9
* Portrayed by: Renee Griffin
* Notes: Her sidekicks are Bend and Stretch

Angel of Death
* Real Name: Detective Angela Archer
* Powers: None; uses her poison lipstick to bring death to all criminals
* First Appearance "Kiss of Death" Episode 1.16
* Portrayed by: Nancy Valen

Aftershock
* Real Name: Professor Ursula Undershaft
* Powers: None; uses gauntlets that shoot out shock waves through the city.
* First appearance: "Home Sweet Homeless" Episode 1.4
* Portrayed By Sherrie Rose
* Notes: Was Darcy's main enemy in "Black Scorpion II"

Breathtaker
* Real Name: Dr. Noah Goddard
* Powers: None; hallucinogenic gas dispensers
* First appearance: "Out of Thin Air" Episode 1.6
* Portrayed by: Adam West
* Notes: Breathtaker is handicapped. He has to breathe through a respirator. He was also the original enemy of the film version.

Clockwise
*Real Name: Benjamin Tickerman
*Powers: None, but physically strong enough to KO a time-frozen Black Scorpion; time-related weaponry that can freeze the time localized around Black Scorpion, leaving her defenseless
*First appearance: "Crime Time" Episode 1.8
*Portrayed by: Frank Gorshin
*Notes: His henchmen are the sexy Hourglass, the tall Big Hand, and the dwarfish Little Hand.

FireArm
*Real Name: Jack Aimes
*Powers: None; prosthetic arm is a powerful energy blaster and artificial eye is sophisticated targeting apparatus.
*First appearance: "Armed and Dangerous" Episode 1.1
*Portrayed by: Martin Kove

Flashpoint
*Real Name: Cameron Albright
*Powers: None; light-based weaponry
*First appearance: "Blinded by the Light" Episode 1.3
*Portrayed by: Allen Scotti
*Notes: Flashpoint was blinded by Black Scorpion's energy ring, but his eyesight was restored by advanced laser surgery. Became one of the heroine's most persistent archenemies, and even managed to unmask her in one episode. He has a sexy sidekick named Vision.

Gangster Prankster
*Real Name: Luther Sims
*Powers: None, just terrorizes citizens with his maniacal laughter and his gang of fools. That, and a few novelty weapons, such as an acid-squirting squirt gun
*First appearance: "An officer and a Prankster" Episode 1.10
*Portrayed by Stoney Jackson
*Notes: He's Argyle's brother, and dies in Episode 17.

Greenthumb
*Real Name: Eugene Gardner
*Powers: Plant manipulation
*First appearance: "Roses Are Red, You're Dead" Episode 1.12
*Portrayed by: David Lander
*Notes: He has two sexy sidekicks named Tiger Lily and African Violet.

Hurricane
*Real Name: Dr. Gail Waters
*Powers: Weather manipulation
*First appearance: "Wave Goodbye" Episode 1.2
*Portrayed by: Athena Massey
*Notes: A marine biologist who gains her powers after being mutated by toxic waste. She has two sidekicks who are referred to as "the Squids", they are also marine biologist who are mutated to become half-human, half octopus (with "tentacles in embarrassing places").

Inferno
*Real Name: Adam Burns
*Powers: Pyrokinesis
*First appearance: "Love Burns" Episode 1.5
*Portrayed by: Brent Huff

Medusa
*Real Name: Minerva Stone
*Powers: None; cement gun turns victims to stone
*Portrayed by: Lisa Boyle
*First Appearance: "No Stone Unturned" Episode 1.7
*Notes: Medusa owns her own health and beauty spa. Most of the statues in the spa are her victims. Her sidekicks are Marble and Granite.

Mindbender
*Real Name: Dr. Sarah Bellum
*Powers: None; just uses VR to trap her victims and her technological skills to build bombs.
*First Appearance: "Virtual Vice" Episode 1.14
*Portrayed By: Lana Clarkson
*Notes: Her henchwomen are Giga and Byte.

Polutia
*Real Name: Dr. Ariel Haze
*Powers: Can turn herself into smog, allowing her to outmaneuver Black Scorpion several times before kicking her into unconsciousness when the superheroine least expects to
*First appearance: "Life's a Gas" Episode 1.11
*Portrayed By: Julie McCullough
*Notes: Dr. Ariel Haze is a former student of the Breathtaker, who is desperate to stop pollution.

Slapshot
*Real Name: Ricky Blade
*Powers: None: uses his super metal armor to go after his victims and kill those who he blames for his accident
*First appearance: "Bad Sport" Episode 1.15
*Portrayed By: Greg Kean
*Notes: Ricky Blade is paralyzed so he must wear a metalic armor to overcome his injuries

Vox Populi
*Real Name: Unknown, only referred to by her stage name.
*Powers: None: uses subsonic sounds to turn her lyrics into orders.
*First appearance: "Face the Music" Episode 1.20
*Portrayed By: Shannon Whirry
*Notes: With her sidekicks Screech and Shriek they form the band the Bleeding Eardrums.

A guest appearance was made by Dave Mustaine, who portrayed the pyromaniac Torchy Thompson. During his fight scenes, sound clips of Hangar 18 were played.

External links

* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155425/ Black Scorpion] at Internet Movie Database
* [http://www.misfit.org/views/2001/01/fanslow20010115.htm MISFITS] Mike Fanslow's Black Scorpion Review