Random set of the day: Malum
Posted by Huwbot,
Today's random set is 8979 Malum, released in 2009. It's one of 30 Bionicle sets produced that year. It contains 59 pieces, and its retail price was US$12.99/£8.79.
It's owned by 1824 Brickset members. If you want to add it to your collection you might find it for sale at BrickLink or eBay.
Help me come to life! If you like the set I've chosen for you today, please pledge your support for me on LEGO Ideas so I have a chance of becoming an official LEGO set!
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24 comments on this article
Wow, this dude looks terrifying.
@Zordboy said:
"Wow, this dude looks terrifying."
Only surpassed by his cameo in The Legend Reborn when a bunch of Scarabax Beetles form a gigantic version of him to scare off the Skrall Army.
Yeah, that was weird...
Who are you, and what have you done to Huwbot?
So much Bionicle, so little Clikits.
What the heck?
From the "Description" tab on the set page:
Exiled from his fire tribe for crimes in the arena, Malum wanders the wastes, challenging other Glatorian for his own gain. Armed with flame claws and a spiked Thornax launcher, he is the last being a Glatorian wants to meet! Includes one Life Counter for the new BIONICLE battle game! Fully articulated limbs allow you to pose your Glatorian Bionicle for work, battle or display! Battle fiercely with his flame-claws, fire mask, shoulder armor and functional Thornax launcher! Member of the Fire Tribe allied with 8973 Raanu! Includes life counter for action figure game! Measures over 6" (15cm) tall!
Maybe his crimes were scaring away all the Clikits?
Is that chrome I see?
@AustinPowers said:
"Who are you, and what have you done to Huwbot?
So much Bionicle, so little Clikits.
What the heck? "
No sets in 3 months now, last was 8/3, longest since the RSOTD started. Still 61 left to go (unless it gets revived somehow).
Very interesting character thanks to the Raid On Vulcanus book. His savagery was only matched by his mystery. I always wondered just how much about the Skrall/Bone Hunter invasions he knew.
Malum, as a set, didn't appeal to me. He looked too stocky, his weird claws looked too garish, and just the posing of the character on the canister wasn't the best. In fact, he sort of looks like a recycled Barraki design from two years prior, save for the head and the Thornax launcher. Like a weird fusion of Carapar and Kalmah. I saved my money for Ackar, the prime Glatorian of the village of Vulcanus. Malum was only the Secondary.
Speaking of roles, while I disliked the set, the story behind Malum was certainly interesting. I only had the comics to go by at first, but in 2010, I purchased a Papercutz graphic novel of BIONICLE Glatorian stories from the time before the events of 2009 and I got to see what Malum was like before his exile. The story painted a picture of a grim, nihilistic warrior who didn't care about what he did in the arena, just the results. Although warned by Agori authorities and Glatorian alike, Malum went down his dark path until he finally attempted straight-up murder in the arena. This earned him permanent exile from Vulcanus.
In the deserts of Bara Magna, survival alone was a dim prospect. But Malum came across the savage Vorox tribe and ingratiated himself among them, battling their pack leaders to assert dominance and become the effective leader of the Vorox. At this point, however, fall of Atero to the Skrall army and the arrival of a mysterious mask on the planet heralded new adventures, ones that didn't involve Malum or the Vorox.
As mentioned above, Malum made a "cameo" of sorts during these events when a horde of Scarabax beetles united to form a threatening mass that took the shape of Malum in order to rout the Skrall army. This helped save the lives of Ackar, Kiina, Gresh, and the "Toa" Mata Nui as they fought their way out of Roxtus.
More Bionicle!
Malum means "bad" in Latin, so you can tell he's a bad guy.
These later years of Bionicle G1 I never followed closely, so while I knew bits of Malum's story I appreciate the refresher. Honestly the only 2009 characters that really stuck with me were Ackar, Kiina, Gresh, Mata-Nui and the various Skrall. I never had any of the original sets, but I have my own MOC revamps for most of them using the sturdier CCBS joints mixed with bits of 09 like parts.
I like the flame details in the parts and the coloring.
I actually got two copies of this set, one I took apart for pieces, and the other I kept built. Very cool set, I really love the elemental fire parts.
I think I can predict my nightmares tonight...
I'd love to here the equivalent Clikits backstory. How the evil "Stars" battled the hero "Hearts" for dominance in the treasure chests and jewelry boxes on planet Gurlyrooom...
Etc. etc. bla bla bla
;-)
I... I was just about to ask why the Kalmah foot pieces he was using for shoulder armour were the opposite way up on each shoulder; and then I realised it's just the posing, his left arm is back behind him, so it tilts the shoulder armour at an odd angle.
Still, that looks like kind of a confusing way to set up the pose, in my opinion.
I didn't get any of the first wave of Glatorian; I'm sure the Bara Magna (Bara Manga? I can never remember which is the right spelling xD) world was fascinating, it was just so far removed from the world we'd been in for the past eight years of the story, and with no link immediately obvious back to what we'd known, that I couldn't get into it. All the same, the sets were definitely more stand-outish than the previous year's, both in terms of colour scheme and, in certain cases, innovative variations on the otherwise-standard character build (looking at 8982 Strakk in particular), so that was cool ^^
@Studio_Brickton said:
"Is that chrome I see?"
No, pearl silver.
I have a hard time understanding why they put the thornax shooter on the elbow. Wouldn't it make more sense having it on the wrist or over the shoulder?
Random Bionicle of the Day
@AustinPowers:
They did that. It was called The LEGO Movie 2.
@BionicleJedi:
Bara Magna. If it was Bara Manga, they’d all have spiky clown hair.
I always liked the direction of this one, the scale was too small for me though. If he could still have that bulky look but be taller, that would that would have done more for his imposing nature the descriptions tried to sell him as.
@Norikins said:
"Malum means "bad" in Latin, so you can tell he's a bad guy."
Malum isn’t actually that bad. He’s not really aligned with either side and goes around doing his own thing.
So, I assume this is one of the good guys? :)
@Monopoly said:
" @Norikins said:
"Malum means "bad" in Latin, so you can tell he's a bad guy."
Malum isn’t actually that bad. He’s not really aligned with either side and goes around doing his own thing."
I imagine his tribe of Zesk and Vorox he was allied with could have become secondary antagonists if the series wasn't cancelled and rushed to a finale so fast.