Origin
To provide leverage against the Decepticons, Autobot Commander Optimus Prime, sent his former mentor to spy on them. Scavenger is considered perhaps the greatest Cybertronian hand-to-hand combatant.
(For the Decepticon Constructicon see Scavenger)
Major Story Arcs
Dreamwave Publications
Armada
A group of renegade Cybertronians calling themselves “Decepticons” were attacking Mini-Con villages and capturing the inhabitants. While sifting through the rubble of Village C-52, Scavenger stated that it looks like the diminutive Mini-Cons tried to put up a fight, but didn’t stand a chance. Soon afterwards, Megatron, the Decepticon leader, attacked Cyber City, with his captured Mini-Cons re-engineered to powerlink, providing them great power. The Autobots were beaten up and forced to retreat.
After arriving on Earth, Smokescreen and Scavanger destroyed public property, to simply smash their way across the planet to find the Mini-Cons. This callous attitude earned them both a sharp, furious rebuke from Optimus Prime, who refused to stoop down to the level of the Decepticons. Scavenger apologized for being out of line, suggesting that his logic chip was damaged. Prime and Scavenger arrived to smash Starscream and Cyclonus out of the sky. While Optimus Prime kept Megatron distracted, Smokescreen demolished the cliff face Megatron was onto his own head. Scavenger noted that at least Smokescreen didn’t injure anything important.
Soon after establishing their base, Optimus detected unusually high energy readings in the vicinity of Death Valley in California, and sent Smokescreen and Scavenger to investigate. After some time, they reported back that the Decepticons were readying to launch some sort of rocket. Unfortunately, the Autobots were occupied with a Mini-Con rescue operation in Alaska, so Laserbeak brought them orders to do whatever was necessary to stop the Decepticons, unfortunately about twenty minutes after the rocket had been launched.
After arriving back from Death Valley, Smokescreen and Scavenger found an extensively damaged Optimus Prime inside Autobase and rushed him to the medical bay.
When the Decepticons detected the Autobots searching the multiverse for Optimus Prime, Megatron launched an attack on Autobase. During the battle, Smokescreen and Scavenger were the front-line defense sent to buy time. Scavenger, despite being a bulldozer, swerved out of the way of the approaching tank-mode Demolishor and fell down a hill.
He survived the battle, but Smokescreen was seriously damaged by Megatron. Scavenger and the others took Smokescreen to the Autobase on Cybertron for extensive repairs, though there was a fear he might never recover. During the final battle against Unicron, Scavenger, Hot Shot and Red Alert blasted Megatron into the Chaos Bringer to avenge Smokescreen.
Energon
During the peaceful times that followed Unicron‘s defeat, Scavenger was seen driving around in Cyber City. As the peace didn’t last, Scavenger soon returned to Earth to defend it from the Terrorcons.
To provide leverage against the Decepticons, Autobot Commander Optimus Prime, sent his former mentor to spy on them,
In Other Media
Television
Transformers: Armada (2002)
Scavenger was hired by Megatron for his skills as a mercenary and a bounty hunter for Mini-Cons, due to the troubles Megatron was having with the troops under his command. Later, it was revealed that Scavenger was in fact an Autobot spy working on the behalf of Optimus Prime.
Scavenger is considered perhaps the greatest Cybertronian hand-to-hand combatant (and while undercover let Hot Shot know it). Despite Hot Shot having the nigh-unstoppable Star Saber, Scavenger still easily took him down in hand-to-hand combat. He later returned to the Autobots to report to Optimus.
Scavenger performed his spy duties so well, that he surprised most of the Autobots when he turned over an important member of the Skyboom shield to Megatron. Scavenger continued to serve Megatron until abruptly turning on the Decepticons and aiding Optimus Prime. Scavenger revealed his past with Prime as a teacher and fellow soldier before taking Hot Shot under his wing.
When Optimus died (albeit temporarily) to protect the Earth from the Hydra Cannon (Megatron’s ultimate weapon), Scavenger took measures in ensuring that Hot Shot would make an adequate leader.
He’s trained both Optimus Prime and Hot Shot in the Cybertronian martial arts.