These Bionicle vehicles look awesome! And fun to play with. That shooting function must have been a bit of fun.

@Rabrickzel said:
"this is the era of brittle socket parts and sets started to go downhill too until Glatorian."

So could it be said that the Vultrazzes were circling?

Hey, I own this one!

Vultraz was a Ta-Matoran who lacked the courage and honor usually associated with that tribe. A native of the Tren Akron Peninsula, he eventually developed a willingness to kill in order to gain what he wanted. This eventually led him to clash with Mazeka, a Ko-Matoran whose mentor he murdered. Though Vultraz had no respect for his acquaintance, Mazeka was able to send Vultraz to his seeming demise.

However, Makuta Gorast saw potential in Vultraz and had him rescued, rebuilt, and sent after the De-Matoran Krakua. While in pursuit of the future Toa, Vultraz once again met Mazeka. Thwarted in his goal, Vultraz allowed Mazeka to live as a measure of revenge, thinking it would torment his foe to know that he owed Vultraz his life. Mazeka responded by appealing to the Order of Mata Nui for training he could use to one day take down Vultraz.

Vultraz would become one of the first Shadow Matoran, though the change made little difference to a being already so corrupt. Vultraz wore a powerless version of the Mask of Vulture, also known as the Mask of Scavenging. He also seems to have gravitated toward Icarax, a Makuta with a working version of this mask. Unfortunately, Vultraz made the mistake of trying to hide information from his old “benefactor” Gorast, who punished him for this.

In spite of this, Vultraz would again betray Gorast by seeking to aid Icarax. Traveling to Karda Nui on his Skyfighter, he unexpectedly came across Mazeka on the Ko-Matoran’s Swamp Strider. Just as the pair were about to clash, a dimensional gate opened between them. Both found themselves in an alternate Spherus Magna where Toa were Matoran-sized and Matoran were Toa-sized.

Vultraz anticipated taking over this world, but was unprepared when he met the Great Beings who ruled it. Having seen into Vultraz’s mind and heart, these Great Beings opted to study him. Though Maxeka was unwilling to leave his foe behind, he had no choice in the matter. He was allowed to depart for his own dimension with an alternate Makuta Teridax, leaving Vultraz to an unknown-and likely unpleasant-fate.

Man every night I don't turn up is a night one of these gets posted huh.

Vultraz and Mazeka were once friends from a village on the Southern Continent. Vultraz eventually took up a life a crime and destroyed an entire village, so Mazeka swore to stop him. Mazeka ended up throwing Vultraz off a cliff and he was presumed dead. For his heroism, Mazeka was allowed into the Order of Mata Nui (basically the BIONICLE secret service.)

But Vultraz survived. He was rescued by Maktua Gorast who augmented his body with monstrous features to hide his identity. He joined the Brotherhood of Makuta and assisted them with their crimes.

Mazeka learned Vultraz was alive when both agents were sent to retrieve a Matoran of Sonics destined to become a Toa. The destined Matoran was saved and recruited by the Order.

Eventually Vultraz was summoned to Karda Nui to save Makuta Icarax from grievous wounds. Mazeka learned of the Vultraz's mission and tried to intercept him. As the two prepared to fight on their vehicles they were sucked into a Dimensional Gate (long story, see Vezon) and ended up in an alternate reality.

In this reality the Makuta had purged themselves of inner darkness and became beings of light, and as a result never became evil. These Makuta were fascinated by how Vultraz had become so vile and wicked. They offered to return Mazeka home on the conditions of a trade. They'd keep Vultraz to study, and he could bring one of them to cleanse his own world of darkness. Mazeka chose the light version of Makuta Teridax (who was the main big bad of the regular universe) and Vultraz was left behind for dissection.