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Robert Scorpio
File:Gh robertscorpio abcpromo.png
Tristan Rogers as Robert Scorpio.
General Hospital
Portrayed by Tristan Rogers
First appearance December 1980
Last appearance December 2008
Spin-off appearances GH: Night Shift
Profile
Nickname(s) Robby[1]
Gender Male
Occupation Espionage
WSB agent
MRA containment specialist
Commissioner, Port Charles Police Department


Robert Xavier Scorpio is a fictional character on the ABC soap opera General Hospital, played by actor Tristan Rogers.

Appearances[]

Rogers originally played the role from December 1980 through June 1992, the popularity and longevity of the character coming as a result of his involvement with the monumentally popular "supercouple" Luke and Laura, whose 1981 wedding brought in 30 million viewers and remains the highest-rated hour in American soap opera history.[2][3]

While Rogers' Scorpio had been "killed with no body found" when he left the series in 1992, Rogers returned briefly in 1995 as Scorpio's spirit to comfort the character's daughter Robin Scorpio (Kimberly McCullough), who is dealing with the loss of her boyfriend to AIDS-related illness and is herself HIV-positive.[4] He returned again in January 2006 for six weeks, this time with Scorpio being very much alive. Rogers reappeared in April 2006 and left again that November.

From August 5, 2008 through October 21, 2008, Rogers reprised the role of Robert Scorpio on the second season of SOAPnet's General Hospital: Night Shift, a prime time spin-off of General Hospital which stars Scorpio's daughter Robin.[5][6] He was featured in 12 of the season's 14 episodes, and Soap Opera Digest named the appearance their "Best Return" of 2008.[7] Rogers later reappeared on General Hospital for four episodes starting December 22, 2008 as Scorpio attends Robin's wedding.[8][9]

Character history[]

Between, while in the WSB, Robert fell in love with his new partner, Anna Devane, and secretly wed her. When their bosses, Sean Donely and Cesar Faison, learn of their marriage, the two arrange for the union to be broken up by having Robert discover Anna was a double agent. He divorced her and kept the secret of their marriage and her past, and it isn't until 13 years later that Robert and Anna learn of the duplicity.

Life in Port Charles[]

In 1981, to get over Anna, Robert threw himself into his WSB work, getting an assignment to defeat the evil Cassadine family. Arriving in Port Charles pretending to be wealthy, Robert flirts with Laura Webber and clashes with her beau, Luke Spenser. After many rough starts, including Robert knocking Luke unconscious, the two join forces. Robert is heartbroken when one of his partners, O'Reilly, is killed, and the handsome Aussie vows revenge. Along with Laura, he and Luke manage to infiltrate the underground Cassadine compound and meet Victor Cassadine's lover, Tiffany Hill, who helps them defeat the Cassadines before they can freeze the world.

In 1983, Robert meets the con-artist [Holly Sutton] while she's involved with his best friend, Luke. After Luke is supposedly killed in an avalanche, on February 6, 1987 Robert marries the pregnant Holly to prevent her from being deported. She miscarries the baby, but she and Robert later end up falling in love. When Luke reappears and learns of their marriage, he furiously rejects them, though the trio later work out their differences and become close friends again.

In 1984, when Luke calls for help, Robert goes to Mexico to help clear Luke of murder charges. The two hook up with Robert's former WSB boss, Sean, not realizing the sly ex-spy is secretly after the Aztec Treasure. Bored with retirement, Sean relished the idea of going up against the one agent, Robert, he considered his equal. Anna joins in on the adventure and becomes stuck between the two who are bent on beating the other. When Sean thinks he's killed Robert during a fight on a tram, he breaks down and decides to turn over the jewels, but Robert, dressed up as Mr. Wu, catches Sean and puts him in jail. Robert's thrown by Sean's happiness at Robert being alive and refuses to forgive Sean until several months later after Sean helps him bring down Wu, who's threatened and held hostage both Robin and Anna.

In 1987, best friends Robert, Sean and Anna became partners in the PI firm set up by Anna. This was a unique relationship in that all three saw themselves as equals and as family- Sean was also a godfather to Robert and Anna's only child, Robin.

In 1991, Robert recovers Cheryl Stansbery's missing child, Lucas, only to have his ex proclaim the baby is his. A paternity test proves otherwise but not before he's confronted by an angry Robin and Anna. A huge blowout with Anna results in her seducing her ex on Valentine's Day, tieing him up and telling him off. The duo reconcile as Robert's baby brother, Mac, shows up in town. Robert's friends and family are surprised to learn that he has a younger brother named Malcolm. As children, the brothers were very close, but Mac grew up in the shadow of his perfect older brother. While trying to impress his family with his flying maneuvers, Mac accidently caused a plane to crash, injurying his brother and killing their parents and Robert's fiancee. Mistakenly thinking Mac had left him for dead, Robert takes off and the two brothers are estranged until Mac shows up in Port Charles in 1991.

The bad blood between the brothers cause them to come to blows before the two realize they're being played off one another by The Cartel. With the help of Anna, Sean, Bill Eckert and Paul Hornsby, the brothers help bring down The Cartel and save Port Charles. The brothers finally call a truce and make up in time for Mac to serve as Robert's best man in his remarriage to Anna on June 28, 1991. That same naight, Anna is kidnapped by Faison, and Robert is shocked to discover his supposedly dead second wife Holly very much alive and using an assumed name.

In 1992, refusing to be distracted by Faison's use of Holly as his pawn, Robert leaves town in pursuit of Anna. Mac is left as Robin's legal guardian after Anna and Robert are declared dead, having been blown up in an explosion trying to escape Faison. Faison and Anna are later both discovered to be alive.


In 2006, Luke's little vacation in the Markaam Islands resulted in him bringing home a virus that brings Port Charles citizens to the hospital in swarms. As the virus begins to get out of control, a familar face, Robert, returns home in the hopes of quarantining it. Robert's reunion with his only child is anything but warm and fuzzy as his explanations only anger her. Robin refuses to forgive him and Mac decks him when they run into each other. Robert becomes desperate after Robin falls ill to the virus. His life gets even more complicated when he and Luke team up together to catch the crook extorting cures for the virus, only to discover the crook is Robert's ex-wife, Holly. She explains she did it to get back at him for pretending to be dead. Robin recovers but is devastated when her father leaves town again.

However, Robert returns a few months later, determined to reestablish his relationship with Robin. When he and Luke take off to rescue Holly from prison, Robin and pals follow. There, in the Markaam Islands, Robert is reunited with his very pissed off ex-wife, Anna. The duo halt their sparring match to comfort their upset daughter and reassure her that they did indeed love each other. Individually, the three return to Port Charles. Robert convinces Luke's new wife, Tracy Quartermaine to hire him at the Haunted Star to keep an eye on Luke. He also manages to convince Robin that he wants to be a part of her life.

In July, Robert warns Skye Quartermaine that her boyfriend, Lorenzo Alcazar's still heavily involved in the mob and agrees to help her leave town so she can safely deliver her baby. Lorenzo doesn't take Robert's interference well, threatening both Robert and his daughter. Months later, Lorenzo has Robert beaten up because he still won't reveal Skye's location. Robert allows Robin to patch him up then takes off with Luke to rescue Skye from Lorenzo's clutches.

General Hospital: Night Shift[]

Robert Scorpio returned to General Hospital when his plane crashed near Port Charles. Jagger Cates rescued him and brought him to General Hospital where it was revealed that he has a brain tumor. During an MRI, Patrick Drake told Robert that the brain tumor was the result of another tumor. Sadly, Robert learned that he has colon cancer and has fallen into a coma. He came out of the coma October 14, 2008 after being confronted by Luke, Sean, Tiffany and his family when he was in the coma.

References[]

  1. That's what Robin called him when she was a child before she knew he was her father.
  2. Wolf, Buck. "Luke and Laura: Still the Ultimate TV Wedding." ABC.com November 16, 2006.
  3. West, Abby. "Luke and Laura: 17 Great Soap Supercouples". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20174499_9,00.html. Retrieved 2008-01-29. 
  4. Matheson, Whitney. "Recalling some of TV's dearly departed." USAToday.com August 31, 2005.
  5. Logan, Michael. "Soaps News: Tristan Rogers Checks Back into GH." TVGuide.com June 18, 2008.
  6. Nordyke, Kimberly. "SoapNet renews Night Shift." The Hollywood Reporter. May 27, 2008.
  7. "The Best & Worst of 2008". Soap Opera Digest. December 16, 2008 (Vol. 33, No. 51). pp. 73. 
  8. "Scorpio Returns to GH". Soap Opera Digest. December 16, 2008 (Vol. 33, No. 51). pp. 4. 
  9. "Comings and Goings: Tristan Rogers (Robert Scorpio)". Soap Opera Digest. December 16, 2008 (Vol. 33, No. 51). pp. 16. 
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