Comic 3: Triumph of the Toa

"I am the shape in the shadows. I am the darkness in the heart of Mata Nui. I live in the dread stories told by the Turaga around the village fires. The dark creatures -- the Manas, the Rahi -- are my servants. I am Makuta."

- Makuta

Triumph of the Toa was the third issue of the original BIONICLE comic series and part three of the series' initial storyline. It was originally mailed with the November/December 2001 edition of LEGO Mania Magazine, and was later collected in BIONICLE: Volume 1 and BIONICLE 1: Rise of the Toa Nuva. The comic's story revolved around the Toa continuing their quest for the Masks of Power and confronting Makuta.

Opening
''The quest for the Masks of Power has grown more dangerous with every day. The amazing feats of the Toa have drawn the attention of Makuta, who is preparing to unleash the power of the Rahi--and the natural forces of the island itself--against the six heroes.''

The fate of Mata Nui and all who dwell upon it may be decided this day...

Plot
Makuta observes as his Rahi close in on the Toa. Gali is surrounded by infected Rahi, and Lewa is plummeting to meet his demise at the hands (or rather mouth) of the Muaka. The Toa of Air manages to save himself for the moment by grabbing onto a vine, swinging to reclaim his lost Kanohi. Despite this, Makuta is confident the Rahi will succeed in its mission of death. Suddenly, Onua intervenes, dragging the animal underground with his claws. Elsewhere, a pair of Nui-Jaga close in on Gali, when a wall of fire cuts them off. Despite the Toa of Fire's warning, Tahu is unable to alert Gali in time for her to avoid a devastating punch from the Tarakava. Unconscious, the Toa of Water plunges into the sea, where she finds herself confronted by a pair of mysterious beings. These two introduce themselves as Akamai and Wairuha, Toa Kaita who represent what the Toa will become after they finish collecting the Masks of Power. After stressing the importance of working together, the visionary Kaita fade away... When Gali awakes, she finds herself on a beach with Tahu protecting her. He explains to her that Onua has called for a meeting of the team. At the gathering, Makuta attempts to eliminate the entire group of heroes at once by detonating a volcano. Thinking quickly, Onua asks Lewa to use his Mask of Speed to carry him to the volcano. Once there, the Toa of Earth digs a trench to catch the lava, keeping it from running across the island.


 * This section is a work in progress. Please be patient.

Credits

 * Greg Farshtey - Writer
 * Carlos D'Anda - Penciller
 * Randy Elliott - Inker
 * Peter Pantazis - Colorist

Characters

 * Akamai - Vision only; first appearance
 * Gali
 * Kopaka
 * Lewa
 * Makuta - Voice only; first appearance
 * Onua
 * Pohatu
 * Tahu
 * Wairuha - Vision only; first appearance

Locations

 * Mata Nui
 * Mangai Volcano
 * Onu-Wahi

Objects

 * Kanohi
 * Great Aki - In vision; first appearance
 * Golden Kanohi - In vision; first appearance
 * Great Akaku
 * Great Hau
 * Great Kakama
 * Great Kaukau
 * Great Miru
 * Great Pakari
 * Great Rua - In vision; first appearance
 * Infected Kanohi
 * Toa Tools
 * Air Axe
 * Earth Claws
 * Feet Additions
 * Fire Sword
 * Ice Sword
 * Ice Shield
 * Water Hooks

Organizations

 * Great Beings - Mentioned only
 * Makuta
 * Rahi
 * Kane-Ra - First appearance
 * Muaka
 * Nui-Jaga
 * Nui-Rama
 * Tarakava
 * Toa
 * Toa of Air
 * Toa of Earth
 * Toa of Fire
 * Toa of Ice
 * Toa of Stone
 * Toa of Water
 * Toa Kaita - In vision; first appearance
 * Toa Teams
 * Toa Mata/Toa Nuva

Miscellanea

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

Quotes
"Those who dare to challenge me...as the Toa have done...will be defeated. Lewa's safety is an illusion. One the jaws of Muaka will dispel. Lewa will be the first to fall, and then--but what is this?? No! Rahi cannot be defeated!"

- Makuta underestimates his foes

"Welcome, Toa of Water. Do not be afraid-- your body is safe in the ocean's embrace. Only your mind has journeyed here to behold your future. [...] We are what you and the other Toa shall become. When each of you has found all the Great Masks of Power, then shall you be ready to join together and defeat Makuta."

- Toa Kaita Wairuha and Akamai

"We need to learn to work together. Our future depends on it." "I don't know. I'm still not much for teaming up." BARRUMMMBLE "Then again, there's nothing like a little togetherness."

- Gali and Lewa

"Then let Makuta tremble this day-- We stand together, until Mata Nui is free!"

- Tahu

Extra Features

 * Comic middle: Challenge the Might of the Manas! section discusses the Manas set.
 * Comic end: Advertisement for BIONICLE.com, Collect the Ultimate Kanohi! section discusses special Kanohi, such as the Vahi, Gold Masks, an Infected Mask, and the Copper Mask of Victory.
 * Rear cover: Teaser for the upcoming Bohrok sets.

Continuity

 * Makuta makes his first appearance here, albeit in voice-over. He won't go on to make his first full appearance until Comic 12: Absolute Power, some two years later.
 * This issue also sees the Kane-Ra and the Manas make their comic debut, after earlier appearances in other media like the Mata Nui Online Game.
 * After last issue's Gali and Lewa-centric story, Tahu, Kopaka, Pohatu, and Onua all reappear. And their return is suitably grand, resolving the cliffhanger from the previous comic.
 * This issue sees the first appearance of the Toa Kaita Akamai and Wairuha. Apart from a quick shot in the mini-comic Tale of the Toa, this issue marks their only appearance in the main comic series. The two would reappear in other media, however, such as the Mata Nui Online Game and BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa. Of note is that the duo appears here without their gold and silver Kaita masks, respectively.
 * Onua asks Lewa to use his Mask of Speed, which the Toa of Air retrieved last issue.
 * While this issue doesn't end on a cliffhanger, it does leave the central conflict of Toa vs. Makuta unresolved. The showdown between the Toa and Makuta would be explored in Mata Nui Online Game, and later revisited in 2003's BIONICLE Chronicles 1: Tale of the Toa.