Tag Archives: Alex Mertens

One strange Bionicle bunny

Well not quite a bunny, but actually an evil servant of Makuta! Alex Mertens has created this impressive version of Lariska from the Bionicle lore; a Dark Hunter who never got an official set. Presented in a mainly turquoise colour scheme, the character has a slim, agile looking design, fitting with the descriptions of her acrobatic combat style. A variety of pieces from the Clikits theme have been added to create pink highlights across the build. A panel piece, featured in a classic Rock Raiders set, forms part of the front section of the head. Minifigure helmets are cleverly used to cover connecting joints at the shoulders and upper thighs. Long skis represent the feet, with the implication that Lariska uses these to spring into the air for devastating aerial attacks.

Lariska

This voodoo panther is no bonehead. Or is it?

The LEGO Bionicle line may have ended in 2016, but that hasn’t stopped fans from expanding on the theme. Case in point: Alex Mertens brings us a sleek version of the Rahi beast Muaka, inspired by a deep cut of Bionicle lore. I’m a fan of the smooth curves that give this model a sense of feline grace. The splash of color from the orange hose and lime green claws adds visual interest against the blue of the Hero Factory armor and Bionicle shoulder armor plating.

Voodoo Panther

Speaking of that armor, we recently featured another re-imagining of Muaka that kept the yellow highlights from the Muaka & Kane-Ra set from 2001. Alex has gone one step further, taking the blue color from a Bone-Heads of Voodoo Island prototype that likely lead to Muaka! This early prototype can be seen in Christian Faber’s demo footage.