Mutran

"You know, I have discovered a way to force a being to shapeshift and then lock him permanently into just one form. Grab me again, and you will spend eternity as a very angry frost beetle ... with a broken arm."

- Makuta Mutran to Vamprah, Shadows in the Sky

Mutran was the Makuta overseer of the Central Region of the Southern Continent.

Biography
Approximately 100,000 years ago, the Great Spirit Mata Nui created Mutran from a pool of the substance known as Antidermis on an island in the south of the Matoran Universe. Mutran became a member of the Brotherhood of Makuta, an organization tasked with maintaining order in the universe and serving the will of Mata Nui. Mutran was responsible for the creation of several Rahi breeds to populate the universe, one of which was the Klakk.

Shortly after the completion of the fortress on Destral, Mutran and Chirox, at the time best friends, were attempting to salvage something useful from one of Spiriah's Rahi experiments when they were approached by Miserix, who asked for one of them to go to Xia and make the Vortixx stop charging excessively high prices for their goods. Mutran ended up going with Icarax and Pridak on the successful mission, and while there, accidentally left behind an experimental Rahi that he kept as a pet: a sentient rock. This rock later grew into The Mountain.

Mutran was also present at a meeting with the League of Six Kingdoms, along with Miserix, Chirox, Icarax, and Teridax. While the League ruled, Mutran supplied Rahi for their armies, along with other Makuta, but never sent Kalmah anything that he expected to last more than three days. One such species of Rahi he created were the Blade Burrowers. After Teridax's battle with the League, Mutran and Gorast were sent to Kalmah's fortress in order to "clean up." While Gorast hunted down the few survivors of Kalmah's army, Mutran noticed that the Blade Burrowers had not only survived, but were building a map. After that day, he attempted to discern the significance of the map but never succeeded, confessing to be frightened by its implications.

Later, Mutran was assigned by Miserix to meet Tren Krom on his island. When Mutran found him, he pulled Mutran into his cave and started searching through his mind. When Mutran woke up after his encounter, he realized that he had the knowledge Teridax needed to overthrow the Great Spirit.

After the Matoran Civil War in Metru Nui, the Makuta were assigned regions by Miserix to watch over. Mutran was assigned to the center of the Southern Continent, which he did not pay much attention to.

When Teridax called a meeting between the Brotherhood, Miserix and Teridax had a fight. The majority of the Makuta, including Mutran, sided with Teridax rather than Miserix, resulting in the latter being deposed. Mutran discussed with Teridax and Chirox how to strike at Mata Nui best.

Mutran and Bitil were discussing Kojol's involvement in Teridax's plan to overthrow Mata Nui when they discovered they could no longer move their armor. After Chirox examined a sample of the gas that came out of Kojol's armor, they learned that the Makuta had evolved to a state where they no longer could feel pain, or needed to breathe, eat, or sleep. Chirox also learned that they can inhabit robot bodies, and took control of an Exo-Toa to surprise Mutran. Annoyed that Chirox had discovered these things before he had, he planned to get back at Chirox by introducing him to the Lohrak he had just created, for Chirox had been attempting to create such a Rahi but failing.

Shortly after Kojol led the raid on Artakha, two squads of Rahkshi that had participated in the attack went missing in a remote area of the Southern Continent, and when Mutran found them, they had been completely destroyed. When the Exo-Toa that had been in the raid disappeared overnight, he realized that somebody was taking revenge for the attack on Artakha, and that Kojol would be the next to be eliminated. However, he did not inform Teridax of this, as he had never been fond of Kojol and was happy to see him gone. He later regretted not forcing the location of Artakha from Kojol before he died, as it soon became apparent that everyone who knew of its location had also been killed.

Before the Brotherhood was discovered to have turned into a malevolent organization, Mutran had a squad of Toa Hagah assigned to him. These Toa were killed during the rebellion of Teridax's Toa Hagah.

Shortly after Teridax left for Metru Nui to take it over, Chirox confronted Mutran about his new variation of Lohrak, which Chirox had created millennia before. As the two argued over the use of the name, the Great Cataclysm struck the Matoran Universe, bringing the argument to an end as the fortress around them was reduced to rubble from the earthquake, though the two were relatively unharmed, Mutran having shapeshifted a pair of claws for support.

Mutran spent much of the next millennium contending with Chirox in Rahi creation, resulting in mutual dislike.

Karda Nui
One thousand years after the Great Cataclysm, Mutran and Tridax invented the Shadow Leeches. While they experimented, they used a Kanohi Olmak to dispose of their failures. To test the leeches, Mutran traveled to a village in search of a "willing" Matoran as a test subject. He then found Vican, whom he transformed into a Shadow Matoran and made his assistant. Later, while in his laboratory, Mutran witnessed Vultraz being thrown through his lab by Gorast, who was beating him up for keeping information to himself. After Gorast learned from Vultraz Karda Nui's location, she informed Teridax, who was in The Pit at the time and ordered a strike force to be assembled to invade Karda Nui. Mutran was part of the strike force, along with Antroz, Krika, Vamprah, Chirox, Gorast, and Bitil. However, Icarax refused to go with the strike force, and Antroz eventually gave up on him. Upon entering Karda Nui, Mutran and Vican constructed a hive in which they created more Shadow Leeches. He busied himself creating more leeches and altering the appearances of the transformed Matoran while his partners terrorized the remaining Av-Matoran. While in Karda Nui, he started writing down a history of himself and the Brotherhood of Makuta. Shortly after finishing the chronicle, he noticed a flash of light from outside (Matoro using the Ignika), but promptly ignored it.

Mutran was ordering Vican to kick a failed experiment out of a window and working on the third batch of a group of experimental Shadow Leeches that were supposed to have a greater light capacity when Vamprah interrupted him. He then proceeded to the main lair of the Makuta in Karda Nui, where he and Chirox were ordered by Antroz to create a creature for Vican to ride on in order to summon Makuta Icarax to Karda Nui. Mutran attempted to make such a creature, while Chirox was critical of his efforts and simply tossed a Shadow Matoran into a pit of Energized Protodermis. While Mutran protested about it, Antroz found it appropriate.

Later, when the Toa Nuva discovered the location of the Shadow Leech Hive, Mutran attempted to drive the invaders away by casting Lewa, Pohatu, Tanma, and Photok into a vision, causing them to think the hive was a series of long tunnels and the Ignika was a monstrous creature. Mutran then fought against Kopaka and Solek. During the fight, he knocked Solek unconscious and then battled against Kopaka using his mind powers, causing the Toa to hesitate, doubt and fear his own Ice powers. The Makuta increased his mental assault until the Toa collapsed onto the ground. After a moment of jeering, the Makuta prepared to fire a bolt of Shadow to finish the Toa when Solek ran to the Toa and created a shield of Light, reflecting the attack. Kopaka, who had faked his defeat, quickly rose and bound the Makuta in ice and snow. However, the other three Makuta then entered the hive immediately following Mutran's defeat and quickly defeated the Toa and Matoran, leaving Mutran to work himself free.

Later, after he was freed, Mutran and Antroz attempted to turn Lewa into a Toa Nuva of Shadow. However, Pohatu managed to save the Toa of Air and the others and destroy the Shadow Leech Hive by using the Kakama Nuva, Mask of Speed. Angered by the destruction of his creations, Mutran blamed Kirop for unintentionally leading the Toa to the hive, and attempted to punish him, but was stopped by Antroz.

Icarax arrived shortly afterwards, and all five Makuta assaulted the final standing Av-Matoran village, where they believed the Toa and Matoran were hiding. To their dismay, the Toa and Matoran were actually in the lair of the Makuta retrieving a Keystone, and they began a raging battle soon afterwards. During the battle, Mutran unleashed an enormous blast of Shadow, and then ordered the other Makuta to retreat down to the Swamp of Secrets, seeing they were losing. As he was retreating, the Toa surrounded him and forced him to tell them where the other Makuta were heading.

After retreating to the swamp and joining the battle there, Mutran relocated his laboratory to an isolated island into the swamp, though he complained about it. When he created a Klakk, Vican showed an interest in his creation, and, though surprised, Mutran showed it to the Matoran. When the Klakk escaped it attacked Vican and caused him to be turned back into a Le-Matoran. Unaware of this, Mutran sent Vican after the Rahi.

When Antroz escaped the attack on the Jetrax T6, he teleported to Mutran's island. There he sent the Makuta on his way to retrieve Radiak for him and then to aid Gorast and Vamprah in their attack on Icarax, who was crushing the Codrex. Mutran followed this order, although he didn't wish to assist in attacking Icarax, and thus flew off slowly.

As Mutran arrived, Gorast spotted him and ordered Mutran to send a babble of thought into Icarax's head to distract him. Creating a plan and tricking Icarax, Gorast and Vamprah then proceeded to kill the Makuta by disrupting his teleportation power and blasting him with energy.

Sometime later, the Toa Nuva succeeded in awakening Mata Nui and unleashing the Energy Storms. Mutran attempted to study the storm at its edges and thought he had found a way control them, but was incinerated by a bolt of lightning immediately upon doing so.

Abilities and Traits
Mutran specialized in mutations that tend to be extremely destructive in nature. Chirox, a fellow mutation specialist, thought very little of his work, however.

The nature of Mutran's work left him very eccentric, near insane, which was worsened by his encounter with Tren Krom.

Mutran was a skilled scientist, and created many different breeds of Rahi such as the Klakk, the Blade Burrowers, or the later version of the Lohrak.

Like other Makuta, Mutran wielded several different powers. These powers included elemental Shadow powers, shape-shifting, the ability to make Kraata, as well as the many different Kraata/Rahkshi powers.

Mask and Tools
Mutran wielded a Shadow Spear, a Shadow Blade, a Tridax Pod, and wore the Kanohi Shelek.

Set Information
Mutran was officially released as a set in April 2008 as a Wal*Mart exclusive titan set, packaged with the Shadow Matoran Vican. Altogether the Mutran and Vican set consists of 90 pieces, 69 of which were used to build Mutran. Pressing a button on Mutran's back deploys a Tridax pod, releasing up to four Shadow Leeches also included in the set. Like most Makuta sets seen so far, Mutran's mask features a blend of two colors of plastic: lime green and black.

Quotes
"The invasion of the universe core is proceeding well, my newest creations are spreading darkness and corruption, and in general, it is good to be alive."

- Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

"As usual, you design Rahi that are a bludgeon rather than a dagger. I, on the other hand, put some subtlety into my work. It's as if I signed my name to them."

- Mutran to Chirox, The Mutran Chronicles

"Karda Nui – how to describe its glory, its wonder, its sheer beauty? How to capture the feeling one gets at the first sight of it? It isn't easy, but let me try. It's a big cave. With a swamp in it."

- Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

"Vican! I told you to kick that last experiment over the ledge and into the swamp. I can't have it screaming and melting all over the cave. I keep slipping in it."

- Mutran, Shadows in the Sky

"In the interests of writing a complete record, I should include every detail of my time there. In the interests of the sanity of everyone reading this, I will not."

- Mutran, The Mutran Chronicles

"What just happened? And that was repulsive so how could we make it happen again?"

- Mutran, The Final Battle

"It's so absurdly simple! I can control this storm! All I have to do is--"

- Mutran's final words, The Final Battle

Trivia

 * Mutran's name is derived from the English words "mutate" and "transform".
 * Mutran was Greg Farshtey's favorite Phantoka to write about.
 * Originally, Mutran was going to wear the Kanohi "Artidax, the Mask of Mutation." However, the idea was scrapped after Greg Farshtey saw that the set wore a Shelek. The name is now the name of the island where Miserix was held.

Appearances

 * Into the Darkness (Mentioned Only)
 * The Mutran Chronicles (First Appearance)
 * BIONICLE Legends 9: Shadows in the Sky
 * Federation of Fear (Mentioned Only)
 * Takanuva's Blog
 * Destiny War (Mentioned Only)
 * Comic 15: Mata Nui Rising
 * BIONICLE Legends 11: The Final Battle
 * BIONICLE: Makuta's Guide to the Universe