Originally created by Tiamat during the War of Chaos, the first Aqrabuamelu served as shock troops against the Igigi gods. Endowed with a portion of their creator's deadly venom, swarms of these fearsome scorpion-men brought many Igigi low before the Anunnaki were forced to intervene. With Marduk's victory over Tiamat, many of the forces of Chaos fled into hiding, but the fate of the remaining Aqrabuamelu fell to the Assembly of the Gods, with many of the Anunnaki-most notably Nergal- demanding that they be destroyed.

Shamash, god of light and brother of Nergal, impressed by the Aqrabuamelu's ferocity in battle and by their willingness to stand before the Assembly of the Gods, offered a proposal: if they swore to serve the Anunnaki and hunt down the remaining forces of Chaos, he would take personal responsibility for them and their lives would be spared. To this day, the gates of Kur are protected by the Aqrabuamelu, with a retinue of the scorpion-men serving Shamash directly in his never-ending crusade against the forces of Chaos.