Mantax

"I have no friends ... only enemies I haven't killed yet."
— Barraki Mantax, Prisoners of the Pit

Mantax
Mantax's mutated form
Barraki
Powers	Paralyzing venom Electroreception (both formerly)
Tools	Squid Launcher Pincer (both formerly)
Status	Alive Mutations reversed Amphibious
Location	Spherus Magna
Pronunciation	MAN-tacks
Set number	8919 Mantax (instructions)

Mantax is a secretive and distrustful Barraki warlord, and a former member of the League of Six Kingdoms.

Biography

League of Six Kingdoms

Mantax was once a member of the League of Six Kingdoms, and dominated the central part of the Matoran Universe. He was secretive and rarely shared any information regarding the conditions of his realm with others. He even made separate trade deals with Metru Nui and Xia without notifying the other members of the league. He was present for a meeting between the Barraki and Makuta where the Makuta were coerced into helping the League. Along with Pridak and the other Barraki, Mantax attempted to overthrow Mata Nui, but the coup was foiled by a surprise attack by the Brotherhood of Makuta. Moments before their impending execution was to be carried out by Teridax, Botar arrived, and transported them to the Pit. The Barraki's armies were disbanded, and their name stricken from the records.

The Pit

Mantax searching the remains of the inner Pit for a Tablet of Transit

Mantax remained in his cell for tens of thousands of years, eventually drawing the conclusion that their team had been betrayed by one of their number. 80,000 years after their imprisonment, an earthquake struck the dome containing the prison, breaking it apart and flooding it with sea water. Their jailer was killed in the ensuing commotion, allowing them to escape. The prisoners escaped into the Black Water surrounding the Pit, where they were mutated into water breathing forms by the Pit Mutagen.

After the Barraki asserted themselves as the dominant creatures under the sea, Mantax began searching the remains of the inner Pit, convinced that there was proof that one of their number had betrayed them. Mantax once ate half the brood of Sea Squids that Kalmah was breeding. Because of this, Kalmah refused anyone other than himself entry into the Octo Cave.

One thousand years later, a powerful mask, the Kanohi Ignika, drifted beneath the ocean. Under Pridak's orders, Mantax and the other Barraki went in search of the Ignika, which would be able to reverse their mutations. Mantax again went to the remains of their old cell to look for the proof he desired. Takadox and Kalmah trailed him in, and were trapped in with him when a boulder sealed off their entrance. They managed to escape the Zyglak hiding within the pit when Nocturn freed them.

Later on, Mantax followed the other Barraki when they saw a Po-Matoran taking the Mask of Life to a cave to destroy it. In retaliation, the Mask of Life enlarged a Venom Eel, which then went to attack Mahri Nui. When Pridak succeeded in wresting it from Dekar, the Ignika responded with a bright flash of light that knocked the Barraki away.

After waking up, the Barraki went to the Fields of Air, where they met the Toa Mahri, whom they took prisoner. The Barraki then decided to give the mask to Nocturn, as they did not trust each other. Later, as the Barraki looked for the Mask of Life, which Nocturn had lost, the Toa Mahri escaped, making the Barraki think they had the mask. Mantax located and stalked Hahli, eventually attacking her. After their battle, the two reached a deal, and he made her lieutenant of his army of rays.

Mantax in possession of the Mask of Life

The two later encountered Mantax's long-dead jailer, Hydraxon, alive and well (though he was in-fact Hydraxon's replica), attempting to destroy the Ignika. Hahli deflected his attack, and in the aftermath, the Ignika wound up in the possession of Mantax, whose curse leeched energy from his surroundings, keeping Hahli and Hydraxon from challenging him. Mantax issued a demand for the other Barraki to meet him at Razor Whale's Teeth.

The Barraki showed up, as per request, and Mantax revealed the Tablet of Transit, exposing one of them as a traitor. Their meeting was interrupted by an avalanche caused by Teridax, and Takadox attacked Mantax, revealing his nature as the Brotherhood informant. The Mask of Life was forced out of Mantax's possession by Jaller, who struck the Barraki, separating him from physical contact with the mask. When Mantax tried to retrieve it, the Toa of Fire boiled the water around Mantax, knocking him unconscious.

Jaller boiling the water around Mantax

Mantax later joined with the other Barraki when confronting the Maxilos robot, who was quickly revealed to be Teridax. Mantax and his fellow warlords pretended to be defeated to trick the Makuta, and recovered quickly, having amassed their armies. The sea creatures launched a massive assault on Teridax, breaking the Maxilos robot beyond repair.

The warlords then focused their attentions on the Mahri, who possessed the Ignika. After the Mahri shattered the Cord, the Barraki followed the Toa, hoping to acquire the Mask of Life. He and his armies fought the Mahri in an attempt to retrieve the Ignika from their possession, however, it was taken away by Matoro. The Mahri were teleported away as a part of Matoro's last act, robbing the Barraki of their chance at escape.

Mantax later gave Pridak the helmet of the original Hydraxon, which he had found in the ruins of the Pit.

Ehlek and Kalmah were soon re-captured by Hydraxon, forcing Mantax to go on the evasive. He was eventually captured as well, and jailed.

Order of Mata Nui

The Order of Mata Nui later tasked Hydraxon with offering the Barraki the opportunity to serve in their war against the Brotherhood of Makuta, or face worse punishment. Acting on behalf of the other Barraki, Pridak accepted the offer. Mantax accompanied Kalmah to Xia on Pridak's orders, where they proposed an alliance between the Barraki and the Dark Hunters to the Shadowed One. Soon after the alliance formed, Mantax rebuilt his legions, and they were poised to strike Metru Nui after the Shadowed One had unleashed his viruses. However, the Shadowed One disappeared, and their bargain remained unfulfilled.

Mantax escaped the failing universe after Teridax's death onto Spherus Magna, where his mutations were undone when Mata Nui was using the Ignika to restore the world.

Abilities and Traits

Mantax in Mahri Nui

Mantax is secretive and isolated from the other Barraki. Though the other Barraki do not trust him, they tolerate his presence due to his effectiveness as a hunter. He rarely speaks to anybody, though he is always aware of his surroundings. He would often bury himself in the sand to hunt his prey. Mantax's greatest enemy among the other Barraki was Carapar, for his claws were stronger.

The tail-like tentacle on his back could conduct lightning and he had a pair of massive pincers for his right hand, as well as thick shoulder plates which protected his body. The spikes coating his body contained a powerful venom. He also had electroreception, the natural ability to sense electrical fields. When his mutations were reversed, Mantax lost all these abilities.

While possessing the Ignika, Mantax was cursed to leech energy from beings in his immediate vicinity. However, Mantax enjoyed the curse, reveling in its parasitic nature.

Tools

Mantax wielded one of the Squid Launchers crafted by Kalmah, though it was taken from him by the Order.

Army

With the help of the tentacles on his head, Mantax commanded an army of Underwater Rays native to the Matoran Universe. This army was abandoned when Mantax was captured by Hydraxon and imprisoned in the Pit.

BIONICLE.com Stats

STRENGTH: 11	AGILITY: 10
TOUGHNESS: 12	MIND: 10

Set Information

Mantax Set

8919 Mantax

Mantax as a minifigure

Mantax as a set

8919 Mantax was released as a fifty-eight piece canister set in the first half of 2007. The set includes a Squid Launcher, as well as two Sea Squids which can be attached to clips, one of which is found on each of his shoulders. The two tentacles on the back of his head and the silver portions on the front are made of soft, rubbery plastic while the rest of the head is made of hard plastic. Squeezing the pincer on his right hand or his mandibles would cause either to pinch together.

Mantax can be combined with Carapar and Ehlek to create the Pit War Tortoise. Mantax can also be combined with Carapar, Matoro Mahri, and Nuparu Mahri in order to create the Manutri.

Two Mantax minifigures were released in 2007. One featuring a dark silver torso appeared in the Barraki Deepsea Patrol playset, and one featuring a gold torso appeared in the Toa Terrain Crawler playset.

Mantax was also part of McDonald's BIONICLE "Happy Meal" promotion in 2007.

Quotes

"It would be just like Mantax to get his claws on a treasure and keep it from the rest of us."
— Kalmah, Mask of Life, Mask of Doom

"The first time I followed Pridak, I got condemned to the Pit. The second time, my dwelling got crushed by a Matoran city. How will he destroy my life now, I wonder?"
— Mantax, City of the Lost

"Some call this mask a curse... but it weakens my enemies and makes me stronger. Now no one can take it from me."
— Mantax, The Death of Mata Nui

"You want to share in the power of the Mask of Life. I want the traitor. One of you will confess now, and face punishment — or none of you will ever see this mask again!"
— Mantax to the other Barraki, Downfall

Trivia

• When he was mutated, Mantax was sometimes referred to as "The Stingray."

Appearances

Mantax in Command Toa Hahli

Books	Comics	Online	Multimedia
Novels BIONICLE Legends 6: City of the Lost BIONICLE Legends 7: Prisoners of the Pit BIONICLE Legends 8: Downfall Guides BIONICLE: Encyclopedia Updated BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe	Ignition BIONICLE Ignition 6 BIONICLE Ignition 7: Mask of Life, Mask of Doom BIONICLE Ignition 8: Sea of Darkness BIONICLE Ignition 10: The Death of Mata Nui BIONICLE Ignition 11: Death of a Hero Graphic Novels Hydraxon's Tale (M)	Story Destiny War Reign of Shadows (M) Animations Barraki: Creeps From the Deep	Online Games Creeps from the Deep (NC) Sea Survival (NC) Barraki Platform Game (NC) BIONICLE Mahri: Hewkii (NC) Command Toa Hahli (NC) Command Toa Kongu (NC) Command Toa Jaller (NC) Command The Toa Mahri - The Final Challenge (SC)

See also

• Gallery:Barraki § Mantax