Vultraz

"I don’t need to kill you now, I’ve beaten you. Every breath you take from now on is only because I allow it. No matter where you go, who you fight, how many battles you win – you’ll know you’re only walking, talking, living because of me. I just saved your life, Mazeka … I think that rates a thank you, don’t you?"

- Vultraz to Mazeka, Brothers In Arms

Vultraz is a former Ta-Matoran from a village on the Tren Krom Peninsula. He became a Shadow Matoran and a servant of the Brotherhood of Makuta. He piloted the Skyfighter.

History
Vultraz once lived on the Tren Krom Peninsula. Here, he gained the status of a criminal. At one point during this time, he killed Mazeka's mentor in order to steal tablets documenting the myths of the universe, causing Mazeka to pursue him and bring him to justice.

Five years before the awakening of Mata Nui, Vultraz discovered a lava-gem in the hands of a Matoran village, who believed it appeased the volcano nearby. After using a device to trigger an explosion from the volcano, destroying the village and killing its inhabitants, he took possession of the gem. However, afterward, Vultraz encountered Mazeka and they clashed once more.

During their conflict though, Vultraz initially held the upper hand against Mazeka, but the Ko-Matoran soon sent him over a cliff lined with razor crystals, falling seemingly to his death. However, Vultraz survived, and was rescued by Rahi under Makuta Gorast's control. Gorast told Vultraz that the Rahi had altered his armor to make him appear unrecognizable to anyone, and that Mazeka had spread word of his death. This made him now useful to carry out a mission for her in finding a De-Matoran named Krakua, and proceeded to tell Vultraz what to do with him.

Brotherhood of Makuta
Now a Brotherhood of Makuta servant to Gorast, he headed to De-Koro on the Tren Krom Peninsula. There, he used a device amplifying sound to beyond what De-Matoran could withstand, knocking them all unconscious. Unfortunately for him, Mazeka had arrived to protect Krakua from the sound and sent him away to safety while he clashed with Vultraz to hold him off. In this fight, Mazeka realized the Ta-Matoran was Vultraz, who knocked Mazeka's Kanohi off his head. Before killing him, Vultraz decided to spare Mazeka, as he beat him and Mazeka would have to live with the fact that he was alive because of him. With that, Vultraz ran off into the jungles outside of De-Koro to pursue Krakua and kill him, not realizing Jerbraz, who was accompanying Mazeka, had already sent him into Order custody.

For the five years until Mata Nui awakened, Vultraz served Gorast as a spy against any Matoran who had the potential to rebel against the Brotherhood. When the Shadow Leeches were invented, he was the second Matoran transformed into a Shadow Matoran, and on a mission, discovered a western entrance into the cavern of Karda Nui. Vultraz saw that it could benefit him somehow, and therefore kept the information secret from the Brotherhood. Gorast eventually discovered his treachery, and punished him by sending him through a wall in Mutran's laboratory on Destral. Gorast would have killed Vultraz, if it were not for Icarax, who saw use in the Matoran and enlisted him as a servant.

Karda Nui and Beyond
During the Makuta invasion of Karda Nui, Icarax dispatched a weak telepathic summonings to Vultraz, ordering him to the Core and to bring the tablets he stole from Mazeka's mentor, which also had a theory on the origin of the Makuta. From the weak message, he knew the Makuta was injured heavily, so he first tracked down the place where he had hidden his stolen tablets and verified its information. From there, he proceeded to Stelt, where he had a rogue Nynrah Ghost modify his Skyfighter. Armed with a Midak Skyblaster, the vehicle was outfitted to launch spheres of Shadow instead of the standard spheres of Light. He used the vehicle to raid an island off Stelt, killing two Matoran and injuring twelve.

Vultraz headed for Karda Nui, and following Icarax's mental telepathy, banked to the left where he saw Mazeka, who had discovered how to enter Karda Nui through Tobduk. Unable to resist, he made a power dive at Mazeka, both firing their skyblasters as a head-on collision was inevitable. Before they collided however, a portal opened and they landed inside a parallel universe. Vultraz escaped his Skyfighter just before he saw what looked like a lake transforming his vehicle into sheer energy. Vultraz and Mazeka then saw a Toa of Water emerge and a Ga-Matoran. The Matoran revealed herself as Toa Macku, who told them they were on the planet of Spherus Magna and that the Toa with her was her villager. She greeted them as heroes of the Melding. Vultraz urged Mazeka to stay saying, "Give me a month and I will be ruler." Vultraz and Mazeka were then given to Teridax, who then turned them over to the Great Beings. The Great Beings then decided that they would keep Vultraz, who was captured by Vamprah and Chirox for future examination.

Powers and Traits
As a Ta-Matoran, Vultraz possessed inaccessible Elemental Fire powers; this manifested in the form of a natural resistance to heat and fire. When he was transformed into a Shadow Matoran, Vultraz lost his Fire powers completely, instead gaining access to his moral darkness. He is able to channel his darkness into Shadow blasts.

Personality
Vultraz is an excellent engineer and after making his skyfighter, he armed it with stolen weaponry. His specialty is to capture Matoran for the Brotherhood, but usually he thought it was just fine to kill them instead, having been responsible for many of their deaths already.

Set Information

 * The set was released in 2008.
 * The set contained 133 pieces, of which 12 is used to build Vultraz.
 * The set number was 8698.

Appearances

 * The Mutran Chronicles - First appearance
 * Brothers In Arms
 * Reign of Shadows
 * Makuta's Guide to the Universe - Mentioned only