Roger Corman is the name that launched a “thousand” masters into the world of filmmaking. He has worked with the most imaginative budding writers, directors, actors, art directors and composers. His productions may have been made on low budgets, but with rich symbolism woven into all the scenes. Black Scorpion is no less, because it stings you into paying close attention with its very first spoken line: “Once upon a time, there was a scorpion...”
Stan Walker, a cop with Dirty Harry vibes, is the one telling his little daughter, Darcy, this fable of the scorpion and the frog. She would much rather hear the fairytale of Cinderella, but he proceeds to tell the other story, for they live in Angel City, where crime is rampant.
Though it is unclear in the original fable whether the scorpion is male or female, Lt. Walker goes ahead with using the “she” pronoun.
After telling the story, Walker has to rush out to stop a couple of suspects. But before that, he thinks of letting a married woman babysit her. Darcy opposes the idea, declaring that she can take care of herself. This is the first sign of Darcy Walker wanting to be independent – a girl who is approaching womanhood is seeking independence.
Meanwhile, Walker’s police tactics put the suspects in hospital, and a medical practitioner, named Dr. Noah Goddard, rushes to their aid. The doctor wishes to conduct a scientific experiment on the suspect who is in a more critical condition. But the less severely injured suspect triggers a shootout during which Walker shoots Dr. Goddard.
The story takes an eighteen-year-leap here. Darcy, now working as a police officer, goes undercover as a prostitute. Her target is a pimp named E-Z Street, and she needs the help of Tender Lovin, another prostitute, to get him.
Darcy’s colleague, Michael Russo, monitors her movements from a distance, and does not approve of her revealing outfit. Even Darcy feels uncomfortable in it. Tender Lovin tells Darcy there must be another part of her that she is not consciously aware of.
E-Z Street finally shows up, and takes Darcy to a private place. This development puts Michael in a position of discomfort. He dismounts his noble steed, in this case a van, and nabs E-Z Street, prematurely. This disappoints Darcy, and she gets even more upset when E-Z Street is released immediately. At this point, Darcy is aware of her outfit, and covers up with a coat – the negative feedback reminds her to resort to modesty.
Michael insists that he had intervened to protect Darcy, and she says she is tired of him trying to protect her. Just then, another cop passes a borderline lewd comment on Darcy’s figure. The chivalrous man within Michael intervenes again, annoying Darcy.
Darcy meets with her father, Walker – it is evident that his actions from eighteen years ago had led to his dismissal from his job as a cop.
He brings up the scorpion and the frog fable again, comparing it to the nature of his life.
When Walker and Darcy discuss marriage, it is clear that a wedding doesn’t guarantee a happily ever after. The situation is reinforced when an authority figure, who is under the influence of a ‘mysterious spell’, steps forward and shoots Walker to death.
It is at this stage that Darcy needs everything to make sense. And yet, the turning point is yet to come.
Darcy faces accusations on the lines of police brutality, and gets suspended from service, for assaulting the authority figure who had murdered her father. She makes a statement that men cross the line every day with the full support of the higher-ups.
Her position lost, Darcy declines to save Tender Lovin from E-Z Street. Later, Darcy sees Tender Lovin’s face all bruised from an encounter with E-Z Street, and is held responsible for the attack. Soon after, Darcy sees her father’s gift – a ring with a scorpion designed on it, and starts understanding her true nature, her true self.
Darcy goes, disguised as the vigilante Black Scorpion, and confronts E-Z Street. He claims he is the romantic type, but she states that she is not – making it clear that Black Scorpion can overpower a dragon-like pimp by herself. She kills him, and empowers herself.
During another night patrol, Black Scorpion saves Tender Lovin from a robbery. And finally, Tender Lovin gets a voice, when she gets interviewed by reporter Leslie Vance.
Darcy also feels emboldened to upgrade her crime-fighting technology.
Two women wrestlers become Black Scorpion’s next Herculean challenge. The so-called arena is a jewellery store – a place which sells precious items for women.
Over here, Black Scorpion encounters Michael. During their fight, they roll on the ground, till she gets on top of him. This time, it is the woman who gets to force a kiss on the man.
Michael and Darcy finally try to give their romance a fighting chance. He insists on picking her up from her doorstep. She says she saved him all the extra effort by coming over to his car. He takes her home, and surprises her with a nice home-cooked meal. In a fit of passion, Darcy pins him against the kitchen shelf and kisses him.
While their lips are locked with one another’s, the TV is on. Reporter Leslie Vance announces the Women’s Assertive Movement (WAM) candidate for Woman of the Year – the Black Scorpion. The WAM respects her independent spirit, but has reservations about her costume.
Michael is unable to go through with kissing Darcy. Michael admits that the Black Scorpion can handle herself – he is unsure whether Darcy can. This revelation confuses Darcy, especially because she had kissed him in her Black Scorpion attire.
When Darcy returns home, she sees a new-improved version of her car, courtesy of an acquaintance named Argyle. The vehicle can now change its make and colours, symbolic of Darcy needing to balance her dual identity.
During Michael’s investigation into a shady corporation, he gets into trouble, and the Black Scorpion saves his life. Later that night, she visits his house, and compels him to have sex with her. In the morning, she leaves before he wakes up. Before going, she brands him with a scorpion-shaped image.
It remains unexplained why Darcy dumps her Black Scorpion costume and identity soon after this.
She visits Michael and tells him about her father. Walker had sacrificed everything – especially his marriage – in favour of his career in law enforcement. One day, Darcy’s mother left home. Darcy does not desire the lonely life that her father once did. She is about to tell Michael something important, when an emergency requires Black Scorpion’s attention. She rushes to reclaim her costume.
The movie’s antagonist, called the Breathtaker, is steadily poisoning people with a gas that makes them do the exact opposite of what they are expected to do. The Black Scorpion and her ally, Argyle, find out that Dr. Goddard is the Breathtaker.
While Dr. Goddard traps Black Scorpion, Michael is headed to that location. Yet it is she, using her handy electrified scorpion ring, who frees herself, not Michael. It is when she liberates herself that she is truly revealed to Michael – he sees her for who she truly is. Even though she offers an explanation, he arrests her.
Darcy requests Michael for one hour so that she can find Dr. Goddard – and then she will surrender herself to Michael.
By hitching a ride with the Black Scorpion, Michael enters her world, and sees things from her perspective. It is now that Michael is ready to accept back-up (read support). They work together in the end. Michael combats the armed henchmen, while the Black Scorpion tackles Dr. Goddard.
Once the battle is won, Michael sees Black Scorpion’s vehicle change its make and colour. When the authority figures arrive, Michael is ready to let Darcy take the credit for saving the day.
After the entire ordeal, Michael requests a transfer, and he asks Darcy why she had taken the law into her hands. Her answer is that it is in her nature – an allusion to the scorpion and frog fable that her father had once told her.
Michael insists that he will forever remember what she did, but she finds a way to make him forget his troubles. She commits an act similar to the sting mentioned in the scorpion and frog fable – but is it fair to limit Darcy Walker’s worthiness to Cinderella’s shoe?
