Comic 15: Mata Nui Rising

"One year ago, a team of Toa washed up ashore on a tropical island. They were six heroes with one destiny--to awaken the Great Spirit Mata Nui. Today, that destiny has been achieved. For the first time in a millennium--Mata Nui rises!"

- Narration

Mata Nui Rising was the fifteenth issue in the relaunched BIONICLE: Ignition comic series, and the fourth and final comic in the Battle for Power sub-series. It was originally mailed with the November/December 2008 edition of the LEGO Club Magazine, and was later collected in the graphic novel BIONICLE 7: Realm of Fear. It was jointly published by DC Comics and LEGO. It features the defeat of the Makuta and the awakening of Mata Nui by the Toa Nuva, fulfilling their destiny.

Plot
Takanuva subjects a struggling Kirop to the scream of a Klakk animal; the Shadow Matoran reverts into an Av-Matoran. Takanuva explains that he needs to turn all the other Shadow Matoran back and escape. Tanma protests that he can't leave his home, but Takanuva warns him that Karda Nui will soon be a home suited for nothing.

Makuta Antroz, cornered in the stolen Jetrax T6, teleports away. Kopaka stops the vehicles from ramming each other and he reclaims the jet. Antroz, meanwhile, warns the other Makuta that the final stages of the Plan are about to begin.

Back in the Codrex, Gali convinces Toa Ignika to sacrifice himself so that Mata Nui can live again. The Ignika agrees to this, and transforms into pure energy--awakening the Great Spirit and igniting the Energy Storms. Mutran tries to escape, but just as he realizes how to contain the immense energy, he is disintegrated by lightning. The other Makuta notice the storms. Gorast cracks, and cannot believe that Teridax has betrayed the Brotherhood of Makuta to let them die. Antroz tries to persuade Bitil to lead them out of Karda Nui. Bitil refuses and escapes, muttering about how Teridax will promote him to top lieutenant. Bitil reaches the end of Karda Nui and tries to teleport, but is destroyed by the lightning as well.

The Toa Nuva escape using their three vehicles and reach Metru Nui. Then, Mata Nui rises at last. There is a celebration in Metru Nui; during Turaga Dume's speech, the stars realign themselves, forming the shape of the Kanohi Kraahkan. The Toa, shocked, realize the truth: Teridax slipped into Mata Nui's body before Matoro could return Mata Nui's spirit from death, and now Teridax controls the entire Matoran Universe. He says that he has trapped Mata Nui's spirit in the Ignika and banished the Mask of Life from the universe, and promises them an eternity of his reign.

The Ignika is blasted out of Teridax and into space. Mata Nui, trapped in the Ignika, makes a vow: "I will return."

Credits

 * Greg Farshtey - Writer
 * Leigh Gallagher - Artist
 * Sal Cipriano - Letterer
 * Ulises Arreola - Colorist
 * Toby Dutkiewicz - Art Director/Design
 * Jessica Numsuwankijkul - Editor

Characters

 * Antroz
 * Bitil
 * Dume
 * Gali Nuva
 * Gorast
 * Kirop
 * Kopaka Nuva
 * Lewa Nuva
 * Mata Nui - First appearance
 * Matoro - Mentioned only
 * Mutran
 * Onua Nuva
 * Pohatu Nuva
 * Tahu Nuva
 * Takanuva
 * Tanma
 * Teridax
 * Toa Ignika
 * Vican - Mentioned only

Locations

 * Karda Nui
 * Swamp of Secrets
 * Codrex
 * Metru Nui
 * Coliseum

Objects

 * Adaptive Armor
 * Keystone
 * Kanohi
 * Great Avohkii
 * Great Felnas
 * Great Jutlin
 * Great Mohtrek
 * Great Shelek
 * Legendary Mask of Life
 * Noble Kiril
 * Powerless Avsa
 * Powerless Jutlin
 * Powerless Miru
 * Powerless Shelek
 * Kanohi Nuva
 * Akaku Nuva
 * Hau Nuva
 * Kakama Nuva
 * Kaukau Nuva
 * Miru Nuva
 * Pakari Nuva
 * Nynrah Ghostblaster
 * Power Swords
 * Toa Tools
 * Air Saber
 * Blizzard Blade
 * High-Speed Rotating Blade
 * Laser Sight
 * Lifeblade
 * Midak Skyblaster
 * Multi-Resistance Shield
 * Power Lance
 * Twin Propellers
 * Tridax Pod

Organizations

 * Brotherhood of Makuta
 * Great Beings - Mentioned only
 * Great Spirit - First appearance
 * Makuta
 * Matoran
 * Av-Matoran
 * Shadow Matoran
 * Mistika
 * Phantoka
 * Rahi
 * Klakk
 * Toa
 * Toa of Air
 * Toa of Earth
 * Toa of Fire
 * Toa of Ice
 * "Toa of Life"
 * Toa of Light
 * Toa of Stone
 * Toa of Water
 * Toa Teams
 * Toa Mata/Toa Nuva
 * Turaga

Miscellancea

 * Codrex Vehicles
 * Axalara T9
 * Jetrax T6
 * Rockoh T3
 * Energy Storm - First appearance
 * Elements/Elemental Powers
 * Air
 * Earth
 * Fire
 * Ice
 * Life
 * Light
 * Shadow
 * Stone
 * Water
 * Lightstones
 * The Plan - Mentioned only
 * Protosteel
 * Treespeak
 * Wall of History

Continuity

 * This comic and the previous one cover the events of BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle.
 * This issue picks up from the cliffhanger of the previous one, where the Toa Nuva are about to ram their vehicles into Makuta Antroz's stolen jet.
 * The grand plan of the Makuta is finally revealed after years of foreshadowing: the Brotherhood of Makuta intended to allow Mata Nui's awakening all along. Makuta Teridax entered into Mata Nui's body during the events of last year's Comic 11: Death of a Hero.
 * Turaga Dume re-appears in this comic for the first time since 2004, in Comic 21: Dreams of Darkness.

Errors

 * On the second page when the Toa are chasing Antroz, the talk bubble saying "Ride's over Antroz, everyone out!" is pointing to Antroz, when it was Lewa who said that line.

Trivia

 * This was the last comic that artist Leigh Gallagher did for the BIONICLE comic series.
 * When Mata Nui awakes, his eyes are red, indicating that it is not actually Mata Nui that has awakened, but Makuta Teridax in Mata Nui's body.
 * In the panel Turaga Dume is shown in, you can see actual hands, instead of the connector piece that sets at the time had.