  |
This article's content is marked as Mature Mathayus I contains mature content that may include coarse language, sexual references, and/or graphic violent images which may be disturbing to some. Mature articles are recommended for those who are 18 years of age and older. If you are 18 years or older or are comfortable with graphic material, you are free to view this page. Otherwise, you should close this page and view another page. |
Mathayus I, better known as the Scorpion King, is the titular main protagonist of the film series of the same name of The Mummy franchise.
He is an Akkadian warrior who would become a grandfather to an ancient evil that was stopped from decimating Earth by Rick O'Connell.
He was portrayed by Dwayne Johnson (The Scorpion King and Rise of the Akkadian), Michael Copon (TSK 2), Pierre Marais (TSK 2 as a child), Victor Webster (TSK 3 and TSK 4), and Zach McGowan (TSK 5).
Biography[]
Mercenary[]
Mathayus was hired by King Urmhet to assassinate the lord of Khemet, who killed a concubine, when it turns out that Magus, a sorcerer, killed both the lord and his concubine. Mathayus was taken to Magus' dungeon, where he met a prisoner named Hammet. Once he went back to his half-brothers' village, it was pillaged and Urmhet was left to die. He decided to go into the Underworld and found the Sword of Osiris. Once he arrive to the tower of Babel, Magus revealed that he took his half-brothers as sacrifice victims to be impaled by the Sword of Osiris, which was all of Magus' manipulation, including taking the form of Hammet. Mathayus attacked Magus, to the latter's joy, where he became a vessel for the chaos god Set. Mathayus defeated Set and rescued his half-brothers.
The Scorpion King[]
Mathayus wanted to dispose of Memnon and his regime. Most of his race was killed by Memnon. After Memnon's death, Mathayus became the Scorpion King. However, his grandson, who shared both his name and appearance, became corrupt like Memnon.
Trivia[]
- Mathayus is based on Scorpion II.
- The Scorpion King takes place in 3177 B.C., whilst the prologue for The Mummy Returns takes place in 3067 B.C. - a hundred years afterwards.
- It was initially assumed when The Scorpion King premiered that Mathayus and the Scorpion King seen in The Mummy Returns were the same character, given their identical appearance and how both were portrayed by Dwayne Johnson. However, The Mummy director/writer Stephen Sommers would go to state that the Scorpion King isn't Mathayus, but Mathayus' grandson, given how he feels that there's no way Mathayus could have become the bloodthirsty warrior the Scorpion King is seen to be in the opening sequence of The Mummy Returns.
- To further drive this point, sequels of The Scorpion King showcased Mathayus' perservere in ordeals which would potentially put him into a dark path like his grandson or Memnon, remaining true to who he is.
- Dwayne Johnson took acting classes by director Chuck Russell for this role.
- The filmmakers did 15 takes of the 30 minute mark because Dwayne Johnson wanted to get the knife throw right.
- The scene where Mathayus first rides on a camel was done 30 times because Dwayne Johnson's riding double fell back in the bushes.
- Dwayne Johnson improvised where Mathayus crushes a fire ant with his chin and eats another one.
- Dwayne Johnson and Steven Brand worked on the final battle for months to make sure the payoff is worth the wait.
- The scene where Mathayus and Cassandra emerge from the coin pool was shot during the middle of principal photography.
- A puff of fire in the climax singed Dwayne Johnson's eyebrows and stopped him filming for a couple of hours.
- Mathayus’ whistle originally sounded like a bad whistle.
- The filmmakers added in the love scene between Cassandra and Mathayus to please female fans of Dwayne Johnson.
- Dwayne Johnson reprised his role in a Saturday Night Live sketch called “The Scorpion Prince” and a video game called “Rise of the Akkadian”.
- Mathayus I's feat of surviving a poisoned arrow on the back at the climax the first film was subtly foreshadowed by the source of the venom the projectile laced with; emperor scorpion. To elaborate, the bigger a scorpion species, the less dangerous their venom. With this logic, the venom of emperor scorpion wasn't the best choice to kill a human, especially the one who reached peak-human level like Mathayus I. While the first time Mathayus I getting struck in the leg with the poisoned arrow in earlier part of the film showed him severely weakened at best thus must receive immediate medical treatment, he fared better in the second time during the decisive fight against Menmon, even using the very poisoned arrow sticking on his back to kill the tyrant.
External links[]
[]
 Heroes
| ||
|
Movies Video Games | ||