Comic 7: What Lurks Below

"You are an obstacle. You do not belong. You will be removed." "Beware, monster...This "obstacle" has a sting!"

- Cahdok and Tahu

What Lurks Below was the seventh issue of the original BIONICLE comic series and the fourth part of The Bohrok Saga storyline. It was initially mailed together with the July/August 2003 edition of LEGO Club Magazine, and was later collected in BIONICLE: Volume 1 and BIONICLE 1: Rise of the Toa Nuva. This comic centered around the Toa beginning to battle the Bahrag queens.

Opening
''The Toa descended beneath the surface of Mata Nui in search of the true power of the Bohrok. What they have found is danger in the form of a Tahnok swarm and a tidal wave of molten lava...''

''If the Toa survive these perils, they will discover at last the ancient mystery unlocked by the krana... a source of power greater than any the heroes of Mata Nui have ever known. But will even that power be enough to stop Cahdok and Gahdok, the twin rulers of the swarms?''

''The final hours are counting down... and the ultimate struggle for the fate of Mata Nui is about to begin.''

Plot
The Toa have descended into the Bohrok Nest to confront the swarms at their source. Challenges and difficulties plague them. Tahu is confronting a swarm of Tahnok alone, while the rest of the team are trapped between an unbreakable wall and a wave of lava. Despite the odds, the heroes refuse to give up. Kopaka momentarily freezes the lava, while Onua and Pohatu cannot break the stone wall. Lewa experiences an epiphany: if the strongest Toa cannot crack the wall, then the wall cannot be real! The Toa of Air simply walks through the illusionary wall. Gali is amazed, but Kopaka urges everyone through. The chamber around them explodes, and Tahu leaps into the room. He explains that he used his fire power to superheat the air until the increased pressure tore apart the nest where he was cornered. Before the Toa can strategize, the floor beneath them gives way into a larger subterranean chamber. Kopaka notices a series of carvings in the floor which match the appearance of the krana the team carry. Fitting their collected krana unlocks six large doors, each leading away into darkness. Journeying into the chambers, the heroes of Mata Nui discover a powerful new weapon.

Equipped with the Exo-Toa armor, the Toa prepare for battle. Above ground the Matoran ready themselves against a swarm of oncoming Lehvak. Deep underground, Tahu hears a voice inside his head. He demands the unknown threat to reveal itself, only to be met with a slashing attack. A giant blue creature appears before him. Tahu attacks, and drives the monster backwards into the central chamber. Together, the Toa attack, only to find their blows powerless. By bringing the two Bahrag together, they have merely made them stronger. The tables are turned, and the Bahrag prepare to unleash their powers!

Credits

 * Greg Farshtey - Writer
 * Carlos D'Anda - Penciller
 * Randy Elliott - Inker
 * Ken Lopez - Letterer
 * Peter Pantazis - Colorist and Separator

Characters

 * Cahdok
 * Gahdok
 * Gali
 * Kopaka
 * Lehvak
 * Lewa
 * Onua
 * Pohatu
 * Tahnok
 * Tahu
 * Various Ta-Matoran

Locations

 * Mata Nui
 * Bohrok Nest
 * Ta-Wahi
 * Ta-Koro - Mentioned only

Objects

 * Bohrok Shields
 * Acid Shields
 * Fire Shields
 * Boxor
 * Exo-Toa - First full appearance
 * Kanohi
 * Golden Kanohi
 * Great Akaku
 * Great Hau
 * Great Kakama
 * Great Kaukau
 * Great Miru
 * Great Pakari
 * Krana
 * Krana Ca
 * Toa Tools
 * Air Axe
 * Earth Claws
 * Feet Additions
 * Fire Sword
 * Kopaka
 * Ice Shield
 * Water Hooks

Organizations

 * Bohrok Swarms
 * Bahrag
 * Bohrok
 * Matoran
 * Toa
 * Toa of Air
 * Toa of Earth
 * Toa of Fire
 * Toa of Ice
 * Toa of Stone
 * Toa of Water
 * Toa Teams
 * Toa Mata/Toa Nuva

Miscellanea

 * Duty - Mentioned only
 * Destiny - Mentioned only
 * Elements/Elemental Powers
 * Acid
 * Air
 * Earth
 * Fire
 * Ice
 * Stone
 * Water

Quotes
"I am Gali, Toa of Water. My friends and I traveled below the surface of Mata Nui to try to save our island home. But, caught between molten lava and an unbreakable wall of stone...we may not be able to save ourselves."

- Toa Gali's thoughts

"I see something up ahead--a hatch opening. More Bohrok? No. Something far mightier than any Bohrok could be. This island suffered much at the hands of the Bohrok...Its rivers frozen, its mountains crumbled, its jungles reduced to ruin...but by all the power that is mine, I swear-- '''Mata Nui shall be FREE!!"

- Tahu, upon discovering the Exo-Toa armor

"Fools! By bringing us together, you increase our power! Now Mata Nui will be as it was in the before-time! All that does not belong will be removed...beginning with you!"

- Gahdok

Extra Features

 * Comic middle: Power Has a New Name: Toa Nuva section teasing the defeat of the Bahrag and the upcoming Toa Nuva canister sets.
 * Comic end: Tips and tricks for the BIONICLE: Bohrok Swarms trading card game; advertisement for LEGO Club, New at BIONICLE.com section, and advertisement for BIONICLE Power Lies Beneath Tour 2002.
 * Rear cover: Advertisement for the upcoming music BIONICLE: The Album.

Continuity

 * This issue picks up where the previous comic left off, resolving the cliffhangers featured there.
 * It is during this time where Tahu is alone in the Bohrok Nest that he is briefly controlled by a Krana, as explained in BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks.
 * This comic marks the first full appearance of the Exo-Toa armor, after Lewa glimpsed it in a vision last issue. The reason for collecting all the types of Krana is now made clear: this serves as the means of unlocking the armor.
 * This issue also marks the first full appearance of the Bahrag queens, after their cameo last issue and their telepathic voice-over in the issue before that.
 * The Boxor mech units reappear in this issue, after their comic debut last issue. Here a Boxor Squad is manned by Ta-Matoran to protect Ta-Koro.