Mathayus (The Scorpion King)
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| Mathayus | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian |
| Last appearance | The Mummy Returns |
| Cause/reason | killed by Richard "Rick" O'Connell |
| Created by | Stephen Sommers |
| Portrayed by | Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Michael Copon |
| Information | |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | Sometime before 3000 B.C. |
| Date of death | 1933 A.D. |
| Title | Scorpion King |
| Spouse(s) | Cassandra |
| Children | none |
Mathayus is the name of the fictional warrior commonly known as the ‘Scorpion King’ in the fictional world of Universal Pictures’ The Mummy remake trilogy. Although he only appears in person in The Mummy Returns (as both a normal man and a human-scorpion monstrosity) and his own spin-off film The Scorpion King, the character was the first lead-starring role for professional wrestler and aspiring actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. A prequel entitled The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian is in development for a tentative 2009 release, and Dwayne Johnson will not be returning to play his younger self; instead, young actor Michael Copon will inherit the role.
[edit] The Scorpion King: Rise of the Akkadian
A new prequel film is now in production for a 2009 release, and will concern a younger Mathayus played by Michael Copon, telling his origins and back-story before becoming an assassin. Dwayne Johnson will not reprise the character, and the film’s villain has been confirmed as being named “Sargon.”
[edit] Characterization
As portrayed by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the film The Scorpion King and The Mummy Returns, Mathayus was once a man who knew only death and murder as his purpose in life, but possessed a soft spot for children and women. He was a sarcastic warrior who enjoyed battle and a greatly humorous person during combat and in dangerous situations, perhaps to give him more confidence in his predicaments. He also has a close friendship with his two brothers, and strongly believes in vengeance and honor, frequently quoting an old Akkadian oath: “Live free…die well.” By the time he and his brethren are introduced, they are purportedly the last of the Akkadians during a time of conflict and bloodshed by the conqueror Memnon. They are tasked in assassinating his sorceress but his brothers perish when they are betrayed. He swore revenge when he escapes Memnon's confinement with a horse thief. He inadvertently rescues the sorceress who saves him from certain death on one occasion by a poisonous scorpion laced weapon, she claims that should he survive, the blood of the Scorpion shall flow within his veins(hence, his title). He later rallies the rebels with Nubian leaders Balthazar and Queen Isis to stand up towards Memnon's tyranny, with Cassandra's help, he ultimately defeats Memnon as a defiance to her vision (where he is depicted as perishing). As the rule of the Legendary City Gomorrah, he is crowned king by the denizens of the latter city after the tyrant's death, establishing his kingship and legend as the Scorpion King.
However, by the time of The Mummy Returns’ prologue, Mathayus is now a ruthless king and general who is in the process of a massive crusade against the known world. When his forces are defeated after a seven-year-long campaign against the Egyptian capital Thebes, Mathayus finds himself stranded in the vast desert, dying of thirst. Then, in his final moments before dying, the Scorpion King made one last attempt to redeem his honor and defeat his enemies, pledging service to the God Anubis in return for using his invincible Army. This displays Mathayus’ Akkadian sense of justice and warped sense of redemption. He succeeds in redeeming his honor, but his soul is taken by the God to be cursed in his unending service and sealed his soul in limbo underneath the pyramid of the Oasis Kingdom of Ahm Shere, originally created as a sanctuary for him. To break his undying curse, Whoever defeats him in fair combat is either granted control of his army of Anubis, or is able to repel and send them to finally rest in the Underworld, an opportunity that Imhotep seeks to exploit in hopes of conquering the world. After five thousand years, the God Anubis grants Mathayus the body of a Scorpion to challenge Imhotep and Rick O'Connell. However, in the skirmish, He is ultimately freed from his curse by Rick O'Connell's bravery when he stabs the Spear of Osiris through him, sending him and Anubis' army back to the Underworld and putting an end to his 5 millenia curse.
In the newly-announced prequel which is now in production with actor Michael Copon now playing a young adult Mathayus, it can be expected that more facets of the great warrior’s personality and shadowy past will be explored and explained.
[edit] Reaction and Legacy
The Scorpion King character was Dwayne Johnson’s first-ever starring role as a leading man, paving the way for him becoming a modern-day action film celebrity. He has appeared and starred in films such as The Rundown, Doom, Walking Tall, Be Cool, and Gridiron Gang.
Reviews for the Scorpion King were mostly negative or mixed, with many critics focusing on the overly stylized concept of history that the film adopted, and the unoriginal, unrealistic story line. However, some, such as noted critic Roger Ebert, sensed potential in Johnson, saying that he had the charisma and coolness to become his own action star in the tradition of action movie actors such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.
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