that equation is pretty crappy. Start with scorpion. Take off the the 's' and the letters that represent the found number, then add an 'a' to what remains

each row contains one letter of the answer, from bottom to top

There's a familiar number in the gap

Look closely at the image.

don't apply to the image directly - but what it represents

I'm missing something dumb again I know the objective, and I think I know the combination to do it (although order is potentially vague on the first one), but the string of letters that result from my answer isn't accepted. I even printed and cut out the shapes to verify my moves.

Very few people have been so deeply associated with both

doh. yeah, i was just coming back to say i had gotten it now. it was a fine hint, i was just thinking about it wrong, then it clicked.

a large rectangle, divided into 3 fields...looks familiar

Each of the three numbers follows a different pattern. This is closer to 3 small puzzles than a single one.