Makuta

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Makuta is a fictional character in Bionicle, a story and toy line created by Lego. Makuta is the primary villain of the Bionicle universe. He is the "brother of the Great Spirit Mata Nui"

It turns out that "Makuta" is not a name but a title, given to members of the Brotherhood of Makuta; it is also considered the name of the species.^[1] This Makuta watches over the city of Metru Nui, and is considered "the most experienced and powerful of all the Brotherhood".^[2] He has been the leader of the Brotherhood since at least the Great Cataclysm, as it was his plan and the other members followed willingly.^[3]

Contents 1 History 1.1 The Great Shadow 1.2 The Thousand Years of Darkness 1.3 The Coming of the Toa Mata 1.4 Shadow versus Light 1.5 Ignition 2 Personality 3 Powers 3.1 Known Forms 4 Takutanuva 5 References 6 External link

[edit] History

Makuta was once a protector of the Matoran people under the Great Spirit Mata Nui, and the two were so close that they were considered brothers. However, Makuta and the rest of his Brotherhood eventually became corrupted and began oppressing Matoran. The reasons for this are not completely clear; though it is said that the Brotherhood was jealous of the high regard that Mata Nui was given by the Matoran, and it is also possible that the Brotherhood sincerely believed that they could protect the Matoran best by ruling them with an iron fist. In any case, Makuta and the Brotherhood's betrayal was not widely known and they were still considered by many to be guardians.

[edit] The Great Shadow

Eventually, Makuta set into motion a plan to put Mata Nui to sleep, intending to take his place in the minds of the Matoran as their savior. He was probably not aware that doing so could lead to the Great Spirit's death - and with it, the death of the universe - but if he was, he saw some sort of advantage in the possibility.^[4] In any case, Makuta attacked and left Mata Nui to slowly succumb to his injures for three hundred years.

When Mata Nui was about a year and a half from lapsing into unconsciousness, Makuta kidnapped Turaga Dume, the leader of the city of Metru Nui, and posing as Dume began sending the Toa that guarded the city on missions from which they never returned. To aid in this, he hired three Dark Hunters: Nidhiki and Krekka would help inside the city, while the Hunter codenamed "Eliminator" would stay outside and kill the Toa sent out on missions. He also brought in a predatory pet bird named Nivawk to act as a spy. Eventually, only Toa Lhikan was left. "Dume" also requested that the city's best maskmaker, Vakama, try to make a Vahi Mask of Time that would help in his plans.

After the Morbuzakh plant was unleashed to drive the Matoran to the city's center, Lhikan began to get suspicious and decided it was time to choose Matoran to become new Toa. Makuta tried to subtly influence this decision so that Lhikan would choose Toa who would not be able to stop him; but Mata Nui, knowing the danger, influenced Makuta so the Toa chosen were the ones destined to succeed.

While these new Toa Metru - which included Vakama - were able to destroy the Morbuzakh, Makuta went forward and had the city's Vahki enforcers continue the job that the Morbuzakh had started: kidnapping Matoran and putting them into spheres that would erase their memory, allowing Makuta to "save" them from their imprisonment. By the time the Toa Metru discovered his plot, it was too late and the entire population of Metru Nui had been put into the spheres. Even worse, Mata Nui had finally fallen into a coma, bringing on the Great Cataclysm.

The Toa tried to escape the city with a few spheres, intending to return for the rest, but Makuta gave chase (absorbing and killing Nidhiki, Krekka, and Nivawk to boost his own power). Vakama went to face him alone and tried to use the Vahi that he had made against him; Makuta was impressed that he was able to make a Vahi and offered him membership in his Brotherhood, but Vakama refused. Unfortunately, Vakama's inexperience led to both of them getting caught in the mask's slow-motion effect. Makuta had fired an inescapable, deadly blast when Lhikan, now a Turaga, jumped in the way and took the brunt of the blast for Vakama, and he soon died from the wound. Inspired by Lhikan's sacrifice, Vakama began to truly challenge Makuta, and with the help of the other Toa Metru sealed Makuta in a prison of solid protodermis.

[edit] The Thousand Years of Darkness

But even imprisoned, Makuta was not helpless. He telepathically summoned two of the Brotherhood's lieutenants, Sidorak and Roodaka, to bring their Visorak armies to Metru Nui. Once there, Roodaka painfully cut away a small shard of the prison, intending to absorb the Toa's elemental powers and use them to break the seal. However, things did not go as planned and Roodaka was instead attacked with blasts of elemental power, but the effect was the same: the seal was broken and Makuta was free again. The prison shard was claimed by the Toa Metru, who later used it to represent Makuta when telling their tales.

A short time later, Makuta began searching for the Vahi, which fell into the sea during his fight with Vakama. But Vakama was also looking for the mask, as was a mutant named Voporak who searched on behalf of the Dark Hunters. Makuta found Vakama and trapped him in an illusion, hoping to trick Vakama into giving him the Vahi - but Vakama broke free of the illusion, and Makuta was furious to learn that Voporak had taken the mask. He offered Vakama a truce until they got the Vahi back, and he kept his word - until Voporak's boss, the Shadowed One showed up, hunting the Toa that he was sure was responsible for Nidhiki and Krekka's deaths. Makuta started bartering with the Shadowed One over the Vahi, but Vakama cut negotiations short when he pointed out that it was Makuta who had killed Nidhiki and Krekka. Enraged, the two Hunters attacked Makuta, breaching his armor; but Makuta was able to knock Voporak out and make the Shadowed One age prematurely in Voporak's defensive field; because of this incident, the Shadowed One declared war on the Brotherhood of Makuta. In the confusion, Vakama snatched the Vahi and began flying away.

Makuta soon tracked down Vakama and demanded the Vahi, but Vakama threatened to destroy the mask - and with it, the entire space-time continuum. Extremely reluctantly, Makuta agreed to give the now-free Matoran a year of peace and to leave Vakama's allies in Metru Nui alone.

In that year, Vakama and the other Toa Metru brought the Matoran to the Island of Mata Nui, became Turaga, and led them in constructing villages. Makuta, meanwhile, located a lost Matoran named Ahkmou and used seductive lies to make him an ally.

Once the year was up, he began to harass the Matoran by creating Kraata and using them to enslave the local Rahi wildlife; forcing them to attack the villages. His aim was hopefully to intimidate the Matoran into surrendering, but more importantly to keep the Matoran away from Metru Nui. But the Matoran fought back, driving off the Rahi and freeing some from Makuta's control. However, Makuta would keep on enslaving more, and the stalemate would continue for nearly a thousand years...

[edit] The Coming of the Toa Mata

Finally, a wanderer named Takua was able to find six Toa Stones that were scattered around the island, created and hidden back when the Turaga were the Toa Metru. Bringing these together at the Kini-Nui Temple summoned the Toa Mata to Mata Nui. At first, Makuta tested these beings to make sure they were real Toa; including using Ahkmou's help to spread an epidemic among the Po-Matoran. He even went so far as to fight them directly. Once he was convinced, he retreated and awakened the Bohrok swarms for the Toa to deal with. He held no illusions that the Bohrok would be able to defeat the Toa, but they would keep the heroes busy; and once the swarms failed there was the chance that the elite Bohrok-Kal could be a threat to the Toa.

But the Toa prevailed against the Bohrok threats, transforming into more powerful Toa Nuva in the process. Whatever schemes Makuta was plotting in this time were abandoned a short while later, when Takua found the legendary Avohkii Mask of Light. Legends stated that the mask's wearer, the Toa of Light, would appear in a time of darkness; and Makuta quickly sent out Rahkshi to keep the prophecy from coming true. He also appeared to Takua, warning him that the consequences could be fatal for his friend Jaller if he didn't give Makuta the mask. But these attempts failed, as Takua realized his destiny to become the Toa of Light, renaming himself "Takanuva" - though Makuta's warning rang true, as Jaller did indeed die in the last battle with the Rahkshi.

[edit] Shadow versus Light

The next day, Takanuva went to challenge Makuta alone; though once he got there he told his friend Hahli (who had stowed away on his vehicle) to go back and bring all the Matoran. While she was doing this, Makuta challenged Takanuva in the Matoran sport of kolhii, and the ensuing "game" damaged much of the lair. When the Matoran arrived, Makuta took out the lair's last remaining pillar, causing a cave-in and cutting off the Matorans' escape route. Takanuva then tried to rip Makuta's Mask of Shadows off of his face, causing the two to fall into a pool of energized protodermis and emerge as a single being, Takutanuva (see Takutanuva section below). Takutanuva opened the way to Metru Nui, and the Makuta side of him even helped bring Jaller back to life; but the energy spent on the resurrection made Takutanuva too weak and the gate he was holding fell and crushed him. Takanuva was quickly restored from his mask, but Makuta is believed by the world to be dead.

Despite the apparent victory, Takanuva has some suspicions that Makuta let the Matoran win to further some grander plan. According to series writer Greg Farshtey, "My feeling has always been that Makuta knew that the Toa and Matoran would make it back to Metru Nui eventually -- so he intentionally lost the fight to Takanuva, allowing them to go back there thinking they had won. (Granted, he didn't expect to be crushed by a door, but hey, stuff happens.) This way, they would be a -- occupied with rebuilding for some time and b -- convinced the danger from Makuta was largely over, and thus ignore what he was REALLY up to."^[5]

[edit] Ignition

Unknown to all, Makuta still clung to life as a mass of energy, though the loss of his physical body severely weakened him. A few weeks later, a gang of thieves calling themselves Piraka heard rumors of Makuta's death and went to investigate. They found his crushed armor and one, Reidak, tried to claim his mask but it hit him with energy pulses until he let go, ending up throwing it into the sea. Seeing them as perfect pawns, Makuta used his telepathy to plant knowledge of the powerful, cursed Ignika Mask of Life in their heads; Makuta hoped to gain control over the Ignika, which would give him control over when and if Mata Nui's life gets saved as well as the ability to take life from enemies. He also specifically influenced Zaktan's behavior, as he was the Piraka leader and had some authority over the others.^[6]

On Voya Nui, the Piraka constructed a vat centered around a crystal that collected Makuta's substance, in the form of a virus called "antidermis".^[7] Only Zaktan knows the antidermis' secret, that it is really a form of Makuta; and he is the only Piraka that can approach the virus collection vat without becoming physically ill. While the vat keeps Makuta's energy collected so that he doesn't dissipate, the Piraka have also infected the island's Matoran with small amounts of the antidermis, enslaving them to the Piraka's will. Brutaka has also absorbed some antidermis into his system, which gives him a temporary boost in strength and agressiveness.

In Brutaka's last fight with his ex-friend Axonn, he tries to get to the antidermis vat so he can become stronger. However, Axonn destroys the vat before he can get there - and and as the virus dissipates he swears he hears a second scream besides Brutaka's.

Makuta does not seem to be dead at this point but he is still extremely vulnerable, and some of "his most bitter enemies" - a group of warlords called the Barraki - will appear next year and almost surely try to take advantage of it.^[8] It also appears he will have to ward off a new enemy, the ancient despot Karzahni.^[9]

[edit] Personality

Makuta is arrogant and proud, desiring praise and devotion and becoming jealous when others get it instead of him. At the same time, believes himself one of the good guys, justifying his actions as taken for the good of the universe. Upon being called a monster for his actions in the Great Cataclysm, he asked "I, a monster? For knowing my spirit brother, Mata Nui, required a good, long rest after his many labors? For offering my benevolent leadership to the Matoran in his absence? For saving Metru Nui from the threat of Nidhiki and Krekka?"^[10] - never mind that Mata Nui had not agreed to rest and that the Dark Hunters were only in the city at Makuta's invitation. Series writer Greg Farshtey has described Makuta as a sociopath: "He has no conscience, he has no ability to feel remorse, and he feels no emotional connection to any other living thing. He would [notice Greg Farshtey was speaking about the "Makuta rulling the world" hypothesis] have been benevolent to the Matoran if he needed something from them, and then the next moment, he might have killed half a dozen just to break up the day."^[11]

Speaking to Vakama while pretending to be Nokama, Makuta revealed his perspective when he said, "We [Matoran] have to trust that those with more power know what is right for us all." When Vakama questioned whether wisdom came to Toa along with power, "Nokama" continued: "I was talking about real power, Vakama. Not the raindrops and wisps of breeze Toa produce. The power to shape the future ... the power to rule ... the power to change the lives of others for all time ... that is what I mean. ... It makes no difference what [those others] want. They will live in whatever world their superiors create for them, because it's all they know how to do. If Mata Nui had not wanted them herded, he would not have made them so easily led."^[12]

Greg has also said: "I think there was a time when Makuta was inspired and truly did want to help others -- but for the wrong reasons. I think that, just as Matau intitially saw being a Toa as all about the fame and the glory, Makuta saw what he was doing as something that would earn him the gratitude and devotion of Matoran. And it did, to a point, but nowhere near what they felt for Mata Nui. And that sparked jealousy and resentment in him that only grew worse as time went on."^[13]

[edit] Powers

Although once biomechanical, like most every other Bionicle lifeform, Makuta has since evolved into a form that's, as Thok put it, "just armor and energy - no organics, not anymore."^[14] Makuta needs his armor in order to hold his energy together; if the armor is damaged then greenish-black energy will leak out and weaken him. Since his armor was completely destroyed, Makuta now exists merely as a mass of energy; but should too much time pass this energy will dissipate and he will die.^[15]

Makuta's most commonly-used power is his ability to shapeshift, allowing him to shape his armor to any form he desires. The only limitation on this power is that when changing into a bigger, stronger form, he cannot do it quickly unless he absorbs power and mass from somewhere. If what he absorbs is a living being, then their body is incorporated into his and their mind and spirit utterly destroyed (though not immediately - Makuta blamed his defeat in Metru Nui on having to suppress the minds of Nidhiki, Krekka, and Nivawk at the same time: "I disagreed with something I ate"^[16]). In his energy form, Makuta still has some limited shapeshifting power; he can make his energy liquid, gaseous, or even viral.^[17]

He controls the element of shadows, allowing him to manipulate shadow energy into different shapes such as spheres, beams, or hands. This power is strengthened by his Kanohi Kraahkan, the Mask of Shadows, which can fill others with fear and anger. However, due to the fact that his powers are based in shadow; light-based attacks against him prove to be especially effective.

Like all members of the Brotherhood of Makuta, Makuta is capable of creating slug-like beings from his essence called Kraata, which can infect Kanohi Masks and enslave those who wear the masks to his will. When exposed to energized protodermis, Kraata transform into Rahkshi armor that another Kraata can control.

In addition to the powers described above, he also has forty more abilities. See Kraata for details on these powers, though the strength of a stage-six Kraata should be considered the bare minimum when compared to Makuta's strength.

Accuracy Adaptation Anger Chain Lightning Chameleon Confusion Cyclone Density Control Disintegration Dodge

Elasticity Electricity Fear Fire Resistance Gravity Heat Vision Hunger Ice Resistance Illusion Insect Control

Invulnerability Laser Vision Magnetism Mind Reading Molecular Disruption Plant Control Plasma Poison Power Scream Quick Healing

Rahi (Animal) Control Shattering Silence Sleep Slowness Sonics Stasis Field Teleportation Vacuum Weather Control

Of these abilities, Makuta can only use the mental ones (like illusion or telepathy) when in his energy form; he needs to have a physical shell to access the rest.^[18]

[edit] Known Forms

Due to his shapeshifting power, Makuta has fought against Toa in several forms. Here are the ones we know about, in chronological order:

Turaga Dume: Makuta secretly kidnapped Metru Nui's leader, Turaga Dume, and impersonated him for about a year and a half. This deception was not discovered until the Great Cataclysm.

"Ultimate Dume": When the Toa Metru confronted the false Dume, Makuta changed into this monstrosity by absorbing Nidhiki, Krekka, Nivawk and Metru Nui's power supply into his body. It is a giant, skeletal form with a humongous fanged mouth, giant claws, and wings. In the movie Bionicle 2: Legends of Metru Nui, this form is portrayed as his shadow titan form with Nivawk's wings. Its name comes from toy advertisements, as Lego did not want to reveal "Dume's" true identity before the movie was released.

Matoran: When first confronting the Toa Mata, he took the form of an infected Matoran. He did this to confuse the Toa, claiming that he was "that which the Toa had sworn to protect." He quickly switched into a more formidable form (see "Vortex form", below).

Vortex form: A swirling mass of mechanical pieces that used shadowy tentacles to attack. The "face" of this form was the infected Great Hau mask that Makuta had worn in his previous guise as a Matoran (also supposed to be the Kraahkan shiffted).

Shadow Titan form: This is Makuta's best known form, from when he challenged Toa Takanuva to a mock kolhii match. It is that of a large, armored being equipped with a two-bladed staff, and this is the only form so far which features the Kanohi Kraahkan in its true shape.

"Makuta Nui": A beastly form that was never seen in the storyline; the toy model is built by combining the "Makuta" (Shadow Titan), "Jaller & Gukko", and "Takua & Pewku" toy sets. It is often mistakenly labeled as "Graalok ash bear".^[19]

Antidermis: After his body was destroyed in the battle with Takanuva, Makuta existed only as energy. After telepathically influencing a gang of thieving Piraka who were raiding his lair, he shifted his energy to a viral form that the Piraka collected and called "antidermis" (though most of the Piraka are unaware of the virus' true nature). Matoran infected by antidermis are enslaved to the Piraka's will, similar to how infected Kanohi Masks once enslaved their wearers; while Brutaka temporarily becomes stronger and fiercer when he absorbs he virus. Antidermis has two notable weaknesses: infected Matoran can be cured with energized protodermis, and the Toa Inika's innate electrical energies protect them from infection.

[edit] Takutanuva

In the final battle between Makuta and Toa Takanuva, Takanuva attempted to tear the mask off of Makuta's face and the two ended up falling into a pool of energized protodermis. They ended up merging into a single being - Takutanuva.

Takutanuva's benevolent personality was mainly influenced by Takanuva rather than Makuta, for a few reasons. The first was that Makuta was not wearing his mask at the time, putting him at a slight disadvantage to Takanuva mentally. The second reason was that fusing with Takanuva and/or his Mask of Light had "enlightened" Makuta, giving him a clarity of thought that pierced the many lies he had told himself over the centuries.

Takutanuva immediately saw the will of the Great Spirit; that the Matoran were supposed to return to the city of Metru Nui. To that end, he went over to a huge stone gate in Makuta's lair and forced it open, allowing the Matoran to go through. As they did, Takutanuva stopped Hahli, who was carrying the mask of her recently-deceased friend, Jaller; and he (specifically, the "Makuta" half of him) infused the mask with his own lifeforce, bringing Jaller back to life. Unfortunately, this drain of power proved too much for Takutanuva; he could no longer hold the gate open and it came down and crushed him.

But the Mask of Light was thrown clear of the impact, and Takanuva's body was quickly restored in a beam of light. However, Makuta was reduced to his energy form, becoming Antidermis.

Takutanuva was one of the most powerful beings ever to exist (the most powerful ever seen in the storyline, if you except Great Beings cameo), having light and shadow in perfect balance. He presumably had not only the powers of those two elements, but also the extensive list of powers that Makuta possesses. In the short time that he existed, Takutanuva demonstrated two abilities:

• Immense strength: Takutanuva could, with effort, lift a stone gate so heavy that not even Makuta could move it.
• Resurrection: Takutanuva can give up a good deal of his own lifeforce to restore life to the recently-dead; this is something that not even the frighteningly powerful Ignika Mask of Life has the power to do.

[edit] References

[edit] External link

• Makuta article at Bionicle Sector 01 Wiki