Black Scorpion (TV series)
| Black Scorpion | |
|---|---|
 Black Scorpion TV series DVD cover | |
| Genre | Science Fiction |
| Starring |
Michelle Lintel Scott Valentine BT (Brandon Terrell) Enya Flack |
| Theme music composer | David G. Russell |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 22 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Roger Corman |
| Producer(s) |
Marta M. Mobley Craig J. Nevius |
| Release | |
| Original network | Sci Fi |
| Original release | January 5 – June 30, 2001 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by |
Black Scorpion Black Scorpion II |
Black Scorpion is an action-crime TV series that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2001. It aired in Canada on Space. The series is based on two Roger Corman Showtime TV-movies: Black Scorpion (1995) and its sequel Black Scorpion II: Aftershock (1997). The show focuses on a female police officer who, by night, takes to the streets and fights crime as the superhero the Black Scorpion.
Episode 1.1, 1.3 and 1.8 were combined into a 2002 straight to video movie called Sting of the Black Scorpion.
The series was available on DVD in North America.
Lead character
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. However, as shown in the first episode, her choice of the scorpion relates to an old fable about a scorpion trying to cross a river, which her father told her.
Black Scorpion
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 with unique features activated via voice command and with a disguise capability similar 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.
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. Of special note, Scott Valentine played a cameo in the second Black Scorpion film as minor thug.
- Specs and Slugger: A pair of incompetent cops that work with Darcy and Steve. Often the pair get into car crashes while chasing Black Scorpion. They are played by Shane Powers and Steven Kravitz respectively. Of note they are the only characters, save Gangster Prankster and Aftershock, to return for the series with their original actors.
- Argyle Sims: Darcy's personal mechanic, he is the only person whom 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 (listed as BT in the credits).
- Tender Lovin' (Veronica): Argyle's girlfriend and a former hooker. She and Argyle are constantly arguing about relationship issues. She is played by Enya Flack.
- Arthur "Artie" Worth: Angel City's extremely corrupt Mayor. Often involved in various shady deals either to fund his campaign for reelection or his extravagant lifestyle. Many criminals in the city are created because of this, including his own Deputy mayor. He is played by Robert Pine.
- Dr. Phineas Phoenix: A scientist who deals in reanimating the dead, and creating clones. His goal is to take a criminal and reform him into a productive member of society. As a result, several of Black Scorpion's enemies return from fatal defeats at her hand (Breathtaker, Inferno and Gangster Prankster). He is played by Raye Birk.
- Capt. Henry Strickland: Played by Guy Boyd.
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
- Notes: A Punisher-like vigilante who like Darcy was a cop.
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. Footage from the movie was edited into the episode.
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
- Notes: Once a cop, Jack Aimes was forced into retirement when General Stryker cost him his arm. Replacing it with a prosthetic gun, he waged a one-man war on the city, in the hopes of forcing the mayor to repeal Prop. 357, which would stipulate the waiting period for weapon purchasing.
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: Was an enemy in Black Scorpion II. He's Argyle's brother, and dies in Episode 17.
Greenthumb
- Real Name: Eugene Gardner
- Powers: Specializes in breeding plant with special and unique properties
- 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
- Notes: A fireman who, while chasing an arsonist, got blasted by an experimental device and gained his powers.
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.
Pollutia
- 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.
Professor Prophet
- Real Name: Sonny Dey
- Powers: None Uses a device to control Inferno, Aftershock, Hurricane, and Breathtaker.
- First Appearance:Zodiak Attack - Part 1 Episode 1.21
- Portrayed by: Soupy Sales.
- Notes: Professor Prophet is a washed up psychic who uses the super villains to carry out his evil deeds so he can make his predictions come true. His sidekick is Celeste McCloud. He appeared earlier as a weatherman in "Wave Goodbye".
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 metallic armor to overcome his injuries
Stunner
- Real Name: Edwina Watts
- Powers: Can shoot Electricity Through her hands.
- First Appearance: Power Play Episode 1.18
- Portrayed By: Alison Armitage
- Notes: Formerly the Mayor's Deputy, whom he used as a scapegoat for all his mistakes. Was electrocuted in an attempt to save the mayor and gained her powers.
Vox Populi
- Real Name: Unknown, only referred to by her stage name.
- Powers: None: uses subsonic sounds to turn her lyrics into orders. Also wields an electric guitar that sends out dangerous sonic waves.
- 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. Used by the Mayor in an attempt to ensure his reelection.
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.
Charles Fleischer makes a guest appearance in Episode 1.15 "Bad Sport" as Dr. Cairo Praktus, a mad scientist who uses his genius to create artificially enhanced super villains.
Lou Ferrigno makes a cameo appearance in Episode 1.14 "Virtual Vice".
Ben McCain appeared in 16 episodes as anchor/reporter Don MacDonald.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Featured villain(s) | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Armed and Dangerous" | FireArm | 5 January 2001 |
| 2 | "Wave Goodbye" | Hurricane | 12 January 2001 |
| 3 | "Blinded by the Light" | Flashpoint | 19 January 2001 |
| 4 | "Home Sweet Homeless" | Aftershock | 26 January 2001 |
| 5 | "Love Burns" | Inferno | 2 February 2001 |
| 6 | "Out of Thin Air" | Breathtaker | 9 February 2001 |
| 7 | "No Stone Unturned" | Medusa | 16 February 2001 |
| 8 | "Crime Time" | Clockwise | 23 February 2001 |
| 9 | "No Sweat" | Aerobicide | 2 March 2001 |
| 10 | "An Officer and a Prankster" | Gangster Prankster | 9 March 2001 |
| 11 | "Life's a Gas" | Pollutia | 24 March 2001 |
| 12 | "Roses Are Red, You're Dead" | Greenthumb | 31 March 2001 |
| 13 | "Fire and Brimstone" | Inferno & Medusa | 7 April 2001 |
| 14 | "Virtual Vice" | Mindbender | 14 April 2001 |
| 15 | "Bad Sport" | Slapshot | 21 April 2001 |
| 16 | "Kiss of Death" | Angel of Death | 28 April 2001 |
| 17 | "He Who Laughs Last" | Gangster Prankster | 5 May 2001 |
| 18 | "Power Play" | Stunner | 12 May 2001 |
| 19 | "Photo Finish" | Flashpoint | 19 May 2001 |
| 20 | "Face the Music" | Vox Populi | 16 June 2001 |
| 21 | "Zodiak Attack - Part 1" | Professor Prophet, Aftershock, Hurricane, Inferno and Breathtaker | 23 June 2001 |
| 22 | "Zodiak Attack - Part 2" | Professor Prophet, Aftershock, Hurricane, Inferno and Breathtaker | 30 June 2001 |