Comic 26: Hanging by a Thread

"This is the absolutely last time I listen to one of your ideas, Matau." "You said that after the last idea." "This time I mean it."

- Toa Hordika Nokama and Matau

Hanging by a Thread was the twenty-sixth issue of the original BIONICLE comic series, and the eleventh issue in the Metru Nui sub-series. It was originally shipped with the September/October 2005 edition of the LEGO Club Magazine, and was later collected in BIONICLE 4: Trial by Fire. This issue saw Toa Hordika Nokama and Matau attempt to infiltrate a Visorak stronghold.

Opening
''The Toa Hordika have been forced to stay one step ahead of the Visorak for weeks as they search for a means to rescue the Matoran from the Coliseum. Now they are ready to take the battle to the horde, beginning with the watch towers used by the Visorak to monitor the city.''

''While Nuju and Vakama travel to the Archives to rescue missing friends, Nokama and Matau have been dispatched to scout Visorak defenses. But in a city overrun by vicious Visorak hunters, can they hope to remain undetected for long?''

Plot
Onewa and Vakama dig out the buried Toa Hordika and Rahaga. Dazed, Nuju wonders where the other Toa are. Cynically, the Toa Hordika of Stone replies that they "always find a way to keep busy." Elsewhere, Nokama and Matau hang from a web, hundreds of feet above the deserted city. Surrounded by oncoming Visorak, Matau convinces Nokama to make the questionable decision of simply let go of the web. Thankfully, the two land on a web and bounce out of the spiders' range. Nokama reminds the Toa of Air that they are supposed to scout ahead for the others, but Matau is confident they will succeed. However, the Toa of Water points out a looming watch tower ahead of them. Matau is still confident in their success, but Nokama is much less sure. Seeing a lone Visorak, Matau rushes ahead, only to stop short when he suddenly realizes that it's actually part of a whole patrol.

Nokama rushes in as well, using her Water Rhotuka to wash the spiders away. Continuing on their investigation, the two Toa spy a group of Visorak transporting a giant battering ram. Seizing the opportunity, the heroes run forward and conceal themselves under the ram's framework, allowing them to dive far deeper into enemy territory. Within the tower, Roodaka rages at the series of setbacks the army has endured, and even executes the messenger spider which brought the bad news to her. Investigating the battering ram, the viceroy notices a large crack in the base of the war machine. She orders the new-useless ram to be burned in the furnace--with the two Toa still inside!

Credits

 * Greg Farshtey - Writer
 * Randy Elliott - Artist
 * Pete Pantazis - Colorist
 * Nick J. Napolitano - Letterer
 * Jaye Gardner - Editor
 * Toby Dutkiewicz - Art Director/Design

Characters

 * Bomonga
 * Kualus
 * Matau
 * Nokama
 * Nuju
 * Onewa
 * Roodaka
 * Sidorak - Mentioned only
 * Vakama
 * Whenua

Locations

 * Metru Nui
 * Archives
 * Coliseum - Mentioned only
 * Tower of Toa

Objects

 * Catcher Claw
 * Kanohi
 * Great Huna - Mutated
 * Great Komau - Mutated
 * Great Mahiki - Mutated
 * Great Matatu - Mutated
 * Great Rau - Mutated
 * Great Ruru - Mutated
 * Rhotuka
 * Toa Tools
 * Thumpers
 * Visorak Battle Ram - First appearance

Organizations

 * Matoran - Mentioned only
 * Rahi
 * Krahka - Indirectly mentioned only
 * Tahtorak - Mentioned only
 * Visorak
 * Kahgarak - Mentioned only
 * Vohtarak
 * Toa
 * Toa of Air
 * Toa of Earth
 * Toa of Fire
 * Toa of Ice
 * Toa of Stone
 * Toa of Water
 * Toa Teams
 * Toa Hagah/Rahaga
 * Toa Metru/Toa Hordika

Miscellanea

 * Chutespeak
 * Elements/Elemental Powers
 * Water

Quotes
"Let's get out of here before they start drooling. I hate it when they drool."

- Nokama

"So? We came, we scouted, we all-conquered. Nothing can keep us from the Coliseum!"

- Matau

"We lost a Kahgarak...the Toa Hordika and Rahaga have eluded capture again...and Sidorak says I shouldn't worry?? Well, take heart--do you know the old saying about bad news, "Don't kill the messenger"? Too bad--I always kill the messenger."

- Roodaka

Extra Features

 * Comic middle: War of the Titans! section discusses sets 8755 Keetongu, 8756 Sidorak, and 8761 Roodaka.
 * Comic end: Advertisements for the BIONICLE 3: Web of Shadows movie, BIONICLE: Maze of Shadows game, upcoming BIONICLE.com updates, and BIONICLE merchandise.
 * Rear cover: Air Power advertisement for Toa Hagah Iruini.

Continuity

 * This comic picks up after the events of Comic 24: Shadow Play, resolving the cliffhanger there: the other Toa dig out their buried allies.
 * This issue marks the first appearance of the Tower of Toa, after first appearing in the parallel novel Challenge of the Hordika. Here it is revealed that the Tower is one of a series of lookouts built across the city.
 * Here we are also introduced to another of the year's playsets: the Visorak Battle Ram. While not a form of transportation, the Battle Ram is a powerful weapon in the Visorak horde's arsenal.