Energized Protodermis
"I am creation and destruction. I am the power to transform and to destroy. I am every drop of Energized Protodermis that exists, and every drop is me. I am as far beyond you, creature of armor and tissue, as you are beyond an insect."
— Energized Protodermis to Toa Helryx, Destiny War
| Energized Protodermis | |
| |
| Substance | |
| Function | Destiny-linked transformation or destruction Power stabilization |
| Known states | Liquid Frozen |
| Primary location | Matoran Universe Red Star Spherus Magna |
| Pronunciation | Pro-toe-DERR-miss |
Energized Protodermis is a mysterious, sapient substance which originated from the planet Spherus Magna.
History
Energized Protodermis was once located in the core of Spherus Magna, the home world of the Great Beings. Kept in the core for some time, it eventually leaked to the surface of the planet in a spring. When the Element Lords of the planet discovered its ability to transform or destroy, the Core War broke out. After noticing that Energized Protodermis was destroying the planet, the Great Beings began constructing the Mata Nui robot.[1] They placed some Energized Protodermis inside, using it to stabilize the power source of the robot.[2] They also placed some inside the Red Star, which ran on a similar power source.[3] After a major effort by the Fire Tribe to collect the Energized Protodermis for their own usage, the planet eventually shattered.[4] The remaining Energized Protodermis in the planet eventually drifted away and froze in space.[5][6]
In the Matoran Universe, the Bahrag used Energized Protodermis to transform an unknown substance into the mutagen they used to create the Bohrok-Kal.[7]
The substance eventually began to experiment on things around it, and offered its powers to those who it believed had intriguing intentions. It worked with the Makuta on their experiments, and to create Rahkshi, as it was interested in their work.[8] Teridax constructed a pool of Energized Protodermis in his lair, and it often communicated with Teridax in one of his lairs to assist him with his experiments with various Rahi.[9]
During their journey back to Metru Nui after the Great Cataclysm, the Toa Metru were blackmailed into retrieving a vial of Energized Protodermis for the Karzahni. They were informed of the pool of Energized Protodermis in one of Teridax's lairs, but when the Toa eventually arrived there the Energized Protodermis spoke to them. Instead of allowing the Toa to take some of itself, the substance demonstrated its power by mutating a tiny Rock Worm into a 200-foot monster. It then watched the Toa defend themselves against the beast, and when it tired of the fight it destroyed the worm. This led the Toa to attack the substance, which had made itself a physical form, and in response it began mutating a number of creatures into fierce monsters. After the Toa defeated the creatures, they began taunting and angering the substance, eventually luring it into destroying the pillars supporting the chamber. The Toa then attacked from all sides. Desperate to protect the pool, the substance was at a loss as to where to direct its attacks, since attacking one Toa would leave the pool open to damage from the others. With only one pillar remaining, the Toa halted and offered to leave the lair standing if they were allowed to take the Protodermis they came for and leave safely. The substance reluctantly agreed to let them take what they needed, but tried to attack them with a tidal wave of itself after they had collected the substance. The Toa quickly shattered the last pillar and collapsed the chamber, destroying the pool and escaping.[9]
A variant of Energized Protodermis was used by the Nynrah Ghosts to transform Phantom.[10]
After a fight with the Bahrag, the Toa Mata descended into tubes filled with Energized Protodermis and were transformed into the Toa Nuva: more powerful versions of themselves with enhanced weapons, masks, armor and powers.[11]
During the battle between Takanuva and Makuta Teridax, both beings fell into the pool of Energized Protodermis in Mangaia, which fused them into one entity, Takutanuva.[12]
On Voya Nui, Velika discovered a pool of Energized Protodermis. He filled Zamors with the liquid and put the Zamors in Zamor Launchers used by the Toa Inika. Hahli and Jaller freed the Matoran enslaved by Antidermis with the Energized Protodermis.[13]
During their war with the Brotherhood, the Order of Mata Nui began seeking out and destroying all known sources of Energized Protodermis in the Matoran Universe, including the pool in Mangaia.[14]
As part of this effort, Helryx and Keetongu arrived on an island to investigate the origins of several Rahkshi. They found the substance forming its physical form in the center of a giant lake of Energized Protodermis, and Helryx questioned the substance of its purpose and the destruction it had brought. When Helryx threatened that the entity would be destroyed, the entity replied by rousing a tidal wave of Energized Protodermis and rushing it towards the two beings.[8] They escaped through a portal created by Vezon as the latter took their place.[15] Vezon was then washed with Energized Protodermis, causing the Kanohi Olmak he was wearing to be absorbed into his body, and granting him the ability to create dimensional gates.[16]
The Order successfully destroyed many pools of Energized Protodermis, but did not eradicate the substance from the universe.[17] When Teridax took over the Matoran Universe, he began to use the Energized Protodermis pool on Daxia to create new Rahkshi.[18] However, Tahu led a resistance group to Daxia and destroyed the pool.[19]
On Zakaz, a rebellious legion of Skakdi created a new lifeform with Energized Protodermis by fusing a captured Vortixx, a Zyglak, a being from the workers of Stelt, the five mutated Piraka, and a strange green cloud.[20]
Abilities and Traits
Energized Protodermis will transform or destroy almost any substance or creature it comes into contact with. Whether or not something changes and what it changes into depends on its destiny; objects or creatures that are destined will be transformed, while those that are not destined will be destroyed.[9] Beings and objects with the destiny to do so can transform multiple times.[21] The transformations it causes vary: for example, the Toa Nuva were given new powers and slightly different bodies, armor, and tools, without actually changing what they were,[22] while the Protocairns were rumored to have been completely transformed into something radically different from the Matoran they were before.[23][24] In most cases, when multiple destined entities are immersed in a single vat of Energized Protodermis, they tend to fuse together.[12][20]
When Energized Protodermis is heated it expands, something Vakama took advantage of in order to explode a vial of Energized Protodermis to render Sentrakh unconscious during the Battle for the Kanohi Vahi.[25] Energized Protodermis can also be frozen, losing the ability to transform or destroy.[5][6][26]
Energized Protodermis has a fully sapient and sentient intelligence hosted in the substance itself. It can manifest a bipedal form in any source of the substance in the universe, and the only way to kill it is to destroy every trace of Energized Protodermis that exists. The substance has the ability to form itself into a physical form of any shape it chooses, and is capable of thinking and speaking through the form. It can channel itself through jets or into a tidal wave. It seems that it also has the limited ability to sense whether or not a being is destined to be transformed by Energized Protodermis, but not exactly how it will transform. The substance also has a very enigmatic and arrogant personality. It only allowed the Makuta use its pools as it saw their projects interesting enough to warrant its attention, and was also willing to assist those who wish to use Energized Protodermis if it deemed their intentions worthy of its focus. The substance views itself as the supreme life form, referring derisively to tissue-based organisms like Toa.[8] The Energized Protodermis entity cannot form itself when the substance is in a frozen state.[27]
The Great Beings were able to develop a material involving Exsidian that is resistant to the effects of the liquid, which they used in certain parts of the Matoran Universe to contain it.[citation needed] The Ga-Matoran of Metru Nui independently developed a substance capable of holding Energized Protodermis without noticeably changing or being destroyed.[24] This material is similar to that which makes up Zamor spheres.[28] The Order of Mata Nui found a counter-agent able to destroy Energized Protodermis.[8]
Creations
Energized Protodermis has led to the creation of several life forms. All plant life on Mata Nui was created by a massive Energized Protodermis leak.[29] The Vatuka were also created by Energized Protodermis.[30] According to legend, a group of Matoran exposed themselves to Energized Protodermis and were transformed into Protocairns, beasts that destroy everything they come across.[23][24]
Energized Protodermis can also create fusions when multiple beings are immersed in its substance. Both Takutanuva and the Golden Being were created in this way.[12][20]
Energized Protodermis was capable of expelling Teridax's Antidermis from a living being.[13] Since Teridax was not destined to transform, the Energized Protodermis destroyed his energies.[citation needed]
Quotes
"Some villagers discovered a silvery liquid leaking out of a fissure and went to see what it was. They touched it and - poof! – no more villagers. Later on, someone else tried to scoop a little up and their tool turned into a trident. Weird."
— Alternate Macku, Brothers In Arms
"I have met your kind before. So confident in your power to contain me, control me, or destroy me. You are no more than Stone Apes reaching for the stars, believing you could extinguish them if only you could get them in your grasp. Transformation, or destruction. Which will be your fate? Let us find out, together."
— Energized Protodermis, Destiny War
"With this substance, one could do... anything."
"Perhaps even rival the Great Beings."
"Rival? You think too small, brother. With this substance, one could dwarf the Great Beings with ease."
— The Element Lords of Fire, Rock, and Ice, All Our Sins Remembered
Trivia
- Despite their experiments with Energized Protodermis, the Great Beings did not discover its sentience, as it never assumed its physical form on Spherus Magna.
- While it was described in Maze of Shadows as resembling a Toa Metru, in BIONICLE: Maze of Shadows, the substance appeared to have the upper-half of Teridax's 2003 set incarnation, with a pillar of Energized Protodermis from the waist down. However, the Toa Metru form described in the book is considered the canonical form the entity took during the encounter.
- Had anyone destroyed all the Energized Protodermis in the Matoran Universe, the Mata Nui Robot would have become too unstable and would have exploded.[31]
Appearances
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|---|---|---|---|
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Novels
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Animations |
Movies Online Games Video Games
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References
See also
| Substances/Energies | ||
| Spherus Magna (Aqua Magna) |
Energized Protodermis | Exsidian | Pit Mutagen | |
| Matoran Universe |
Antidermis | Energized Protodermis | Hordika Venom | Protodermis | Protosteel | Toa Power | Toa Seal | Virus | |
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