History Recap / WarriorCatsTheRiseOfScourge

''The Rise of Scourge'' is a standalone manga, starting during the events of ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsBluestarsProphecy Bluestar's Prophecy]]'' about a half generation before the main series, and ending during the events of ''[[Recap/WarriorCatsTheDarkestHour The Darkest Hour]]''.

''The Rise of Scourge'' is narrated by the eponymous character, but he wasn't always the feared leader of [=BloodClan=] - he starts his life as a runt named Tiny, bullied by his brother and sister, Socks and Ruby. Their mother, Quince, insists that the two bigger kits should play with him, but they only do so reluctantly - if they do at all. And she never says it or tries to make it obvious, but Tiny thinks that she likes his littermates better.

After this, Scourge is treated as a bit of a leader. Cats bring him food, and come to him with their problems. One day, Bone and Brick bring him to where a group of forest cats are terrorizing the city cats. Scourge hopes to see Tigerpaw so that he can get revenge, but it's not Tigerpaw - it's a group of [=ShadowClan=] cats led by Brokentail (as the reader will recognize by his tabby pelt and bent tail). The warriors laugh at the thought of a kit challenging them, but then Scourge attacks one [[PintSizedPowerhouse and rips his throat with one blow]]. He realizes that killing the cat gave him a cold feeling in his veins, but he welcomes it, and as he grows up, it just becomes [[EvilIsCold colder and colder]]. No matter what, though, he still remembers Tigerpaw, and still hungers for revenge...

* BackStory: This manga serves as Scourge's backstory.

* {{Colorization}}: ''The Rise of Scourge'' was originally drawn and released in black-and-white. It was colorized for a 2024 re-release, sixteen years after the original came out.

* DrowningUnwantedPets: Tiny's bully siblings tell him that Twolegs throw unwanted kittens into rivers. Tiny was so scared that he [[APetIntoTheWild ran away from home]], which ultimately led to his StartOfDarkness.

* FreudianExcuse: Scourge was bullied by his siblings, Ruby and Socks. They told him he would be drowned in the river if he wasn't adopted by Twolegs, so he ran away, only to be attacked almost to death by Tigerstar.

* FromNobodyToNightmare: Scourge - starting as a small kitten named Tiny, bullied by his siblings, he manages to become leader of [=BloodClan=] with sheer ruthlessness and [[PintsizedPowerhouse one of most deadly cats]] in the series.

* LaserGuidedKarma: For as long as he can remember, Socks and Ruby bullied their younger brother for being small, often excluding him from their games. Ruby even goes as far as to taunt him with a cruel story about how the Twolegs will drown him if they don't want him. Karma eventually catches up with them when their own Twoleg owners abandon ''them'', and Scourge (who has grown beyond needing a Twoleg owner) refuses to take them into [=BloodClan=].

* OldDog: An old dog called Sam is sleeping in an alley. Tiny is afraid it'll eat him, but it's too old to chase him, and it loses a tooth as it gets up. As Tiny tries to use the tooth to get his collar off, it gets stuck, and then he claims he got it by ''killing'' a dog. So it's thanks to Sam the OldDog that Tiny became Scourge, leader of [=BloodClan=].
* OriginsEpisode: This book serves as Scourge's.

* ProtagonistJourneyToVillain: ''The Rise of Scourge'' is about how a cute little kitten named Tiny became Scourge, ruler of [=BloodClan=] and EvilCounterpart to TheHero Firestar.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: In the colorized reprint, Tiny's story about fighting a dog shows the dog with evil red eyes.

* SmallRoleBigImpact: Socks and Ruby. Both were mean to Tiny, causing him to run away and become [[MadeOfEvil Scourge]]. Also Tigerclaw, but his role is [[BigBad only small in the manga.]]
* SpikesOfVillainy:

** The first tooth in Scourge's collar is an accident, getting stuck when trying to use it to take the collar off. He uses it to invent a new persona for himself as a fierce fighter that can kill dogs, and once he becomes the feared ruler of the city, his collar is lined with teeth.
* StartOfDarkness: This volume is Scourge's.

* VillainEpisode: Focuses on how the villain Scourge became what he is.
* VillainProtagonist: Scourge.

* YoungAndInCharge: Scourge takes over the city cats when he's only a kit, simply because of his reputed [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority fighting skill]] and being the most bloodthirsty cat.

* NotSoDifferent: The author's note at the beginning talks about how they wanted to take a character born with the same gifts as Firestar and give him a more negative upbringing.

* ButForMeItWasTuesday: Reconstructed. Scourge still remembers his one encounter with Tigerstar, but Tigerstar doesn't know him. Though this would normally be a blow to someone's ego, Scourge uses this to his advantage so he can get close enough to his enemy to exact his vengeance.

* YoungAndInCharge: Scourge takes over the city cats when he's only a kit, simply because of his reputed [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority fighting skill]] and being the most bloodthirsty cat.

* KidsAreCruel: Socks and Ruby bullied Tiny, believing he was too weak to fend for himself. Karma catches up with them when their Twoleg owners abandon them and Scourge refuses to take them into [=BloodClan=].

* PetTheDog: Zigzagged. When Ruby and Socks come to Scourge some time after he forms [=BloodClan=], they ask him for food, since they've been starving ever since their owners abandoned them. Scourge initially refuses their plea, saying the only "[[ThickerThanWater blood]]" he cares about are that which he spills from his enemies. When they desperately help themselves to food anyway, he lets them have their fill on a whim rather than kill them for such insubordination. But once they've eaten, he banishes them from [=BloodClan=] territory, and that's it.

* VillainProtagonist: Scourge.

* VillainEpisode: Focuses on how the villain Scourge became what he is.