Comic 6: Into the Nest

"Nightmares and impossibilities...words that mean nothing to the Bahrag--the rulers of the Bohrok swarms. For they do not dream...and their power makes all things possible. They dwell only a short distance away from where the Toa are trapped...but the heroes of Mata Nui may never find them now."

- Narration

Into the Nest was the sixth issue of the original BIONICLE comic series and the third part of The Bohrok Saga sub-series. It was initially mailed with the May/June 2002 edition of LEGO Mania Magazine, and was later collected in BIONICLE: Volume 1 and BIONICLE 1: Rise of the Toa Nuva. This comic saw the Toa venture underground in order to confront the Bohrok swarms directly.

Opening
''As the struggle against the Bohrok continues, the Toa discover that everything they thought they knew about the swarms may have been wrong. Kopaka leads Tahu to the lair of the strange creatures--the one place not Toa would ever have dreamed of looking. Meanwhile, the Matoran have made a startling discovery of their own about the true nature of the Bohrok. Will this knowledge help them to defend their villages from the swarms?''

''With the krana collected, the heroes of Mata Nui are at leas ready to learn the secret of stopping the swarms. New dangers, new mysteries, and new challenges are waiting... but can anything prepare them for what lurks below?''

''The truth is beginning to hatch... and nothing will ever be the same.''

Plot
Kopaka shows Tahu the secret he has uncovered: the Bohrok are not some type of foreign adversary, but come from Mata Nui itself! Tahu is eager to confront the swarms at their source, but Kopaka talks him down. Charging in will not defeat the swarm; only the krana will help them. Elsewhere, Onua has found Lewa, but things are not as easy as he had hoped. Lewa is controlled by a krana, and assaults his fellow Toa. Onua manages to talk down his friend, and after an encouraging speech, Lewa finds the strength to rip off his krana. Onua returns Lewa's Golden Kanohi to him, and introduces him to the Boxor. In Po-Wahi, Gali and Pohatu confront a swarm of Tahnok. The Toa of Stone throws up a wall of stone in front of the advancing Bohrok, while Gali summons a flood with her Water powers.

The Toa gather together and plan to confront the Bohrok in their nest. The other Toa are uncertain about whether they should trust Lewa, but agree to keep him close. Pohatu notices that the tunnel they are walking through is too smooth to have been carved by either Matoran or Bohrok. Tahu discovers a side-chamber and investigates. He discovers another Bohrok Nest. The nest begins to wake up. Behind Tahu, a door slams shut, separating him from the others. Lewa has a momentary vision of a powerful suit of armor. The rest of the Toa are trapped, with a wave of molten lava approaching them. Only a short distance away, the Bahrag, rulers of the swarm discuss recent events, confident that nothing remains to interfere in their mission.

Credits

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

Characters

 * Cahdok - First full appearance
 * Gahdok - First full appearance
 * Gahlok - Cover only
 * Gahlok Va
 * Gali
 * Kohrak Va
 * Kopaka
 * Lehvak
 * Lehvak Va
 * Lewa
 * Nuparu - First appearance
 * Onua
 * Pahrak - Cover only
 * Pahrak Va
 * Pohatu
 * Tahnok
 * Tahnok Va
 * Tahu
 * Vakama - Mentioned only

Locations

 * Mata Nui
 * Bohrok Nest
 * Le-Wahi
 * Le-Koro - Mentioned only
 * Po-Wahi

Objects

 * Bohrok Shields
 * Acid Shields
 * Fire Shields
 * Stone Shields - Cover only
 * Water Shields - Cover only
 * Bohrok Va Tools
 * Firestaff
 * Boxor
 * Exo-Toa - First appearance; in vision
 * Kanohi
 * Golden Kanohi
 * Great Akaku
 * Great Hau
 * Great Kakama
 * Great Kaukau
 * Great Miru
 * Great Pakari
 * Powerless Pakari
 * Krana
 * Krana Za
 * Rope
 * Toa Tools
 * Air Axe
 * Earth Claws
 * Feet Additions
 * Fire Sword
 * Ice Shield
 * Ice Sword
 * Water Hooks

Organizations

 * Bohrok Swarms
 * Bahrag - First appearance
 * Bohrok
 * Bohrok Va
 * Matoran
 * Le-Matoran - Mentioned only
 * Onu-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
 * Turaga - Mentioned only

Miscellanea

 * Elements/Elemental Powers
 * Acid
 * Air
 * Earth
 * Fire
 * Ice
 * Stone
 * Water

Quotes
"No wonder Vakama knew so much about the Bohrok. They are not creatures from some other land-- They come from WITHIN MATA NUI ITSELF!"

- Tahu

"When I went looking for Lewa, I did not think-- NNNGMM! --success would be quite so painful...!"

- Onua's thoughts

"I know. The krana controls your body, Lewa. But not your will. If it is so strong that it can make you harm a friend...then go ahead--I will not defend myself. But I know you, Lewa. I have fought beside you...and I know you are stronger than this parasite. You are a Toa--prove yourself worthy of the name! My energies are yours, Toa of Air! Be free!"

- Onua

Extra Features

 * Comic middle: The Final Confrontation is about to Begin section discusses sets 8557 Exo-Toa and 8558 Cahdok and Gahdok.
 * Comic end: Advertisement for BIONICLE: Bohrok Swarm trading card game; reveal of the Search for the Gold Mask contest winners. Advertisements for BIONICLE collectables and What's New at www.BIONICLE.com section.
 * Rear cover: Advertisement for BIONICLE: The Bohrok Awake trading card game and three mini-comics available only at McDonald's with purchase of Mighty Kid's Meal.

Continuity

 * Kopaka here reveals to Tahu that the Bohrok actually come from underneath Mata Nui, resolving the plot twist from the previous issue.
 * Onua tracks down Lewa and successfully frees him from the influence of the parasitic krana. Despite this, the other Toa--especially Tahu--are wary of trusting Lewa, something which will be further explored in BIONICLE Chronicles 4: Tales of the Masks. How the Le-Matoran and Turaga Matau are freed is explained in the Bohrok Online Animations.
 * The Toa have completed their mission of collecting the krana from the past two issues, and now prepare to confront the swarms at their source.
 * The Bahrag make their first full appearance, after a voice-over tease in the previous issue. Their powers and motivations will be explored in the next two issues.