Lord of Skull Spiders

The Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. was a large Skull SpiderSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. that guarded the City of the Mask MakersCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. on the island of OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. It led the remainder of the Skull Spider population through telepathic control, exerted via the Golden Mask of the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. it wore. It was killed during the opening engagements of the Toa's mission to recover the Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto..

Identity and Domain#

The Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. was substantially larger than the standard members of its species and held command over them through the Golden Mask of the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa.. The mask granted it telepathic control over other Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa., allowing it to direct their movements and tactics.

Its domain was the City of the Mask MakersCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below., the ancient settlement where EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. had been laid in his comatose state long before the Toa were summoned to OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. By the time the Toa arrived, the city had become the residence of several agents of MakutaMakuta (Species)Shadowy Antidermis beings and the Brotherhood's elite, Makuta commanded darkness and shaped the Matoran Universe's fate., including KultaKultaKulta was the leader of the Skull Creatures, a group native to the island of Okoto, and operated from the City of the Mask Makers. Armed with a Mask Stealer Staff and Hook Blade, he possessed the ability to drain masks of their Elemental Powers and once held both the powerless Skull Mask and the Mask of Creation. and the Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa.. The Mask of CreationThe Mask of CreationThe signature Kanohi of Ekimu the Mask Maker, capable of bringing into being whatever its wearer envisioned. Stolen by Kulta the Skull Grinder, reclaimed at the Mask Makers' forge, and worn again in the final defence of Okoto. rested on the bridge outside the city, and any approach to the city required passing through the Lord's territory.

The Bridge Engagement#

The six Toa entered the City of the Mask MakersCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. and were intercepted on the bridge by the Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa.. According to PohatuPohatuPohatu was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, guardian of Po-Wahi, whose speed and steady humour anchored the team through every era of the Matoran Universe., the Lord moved so quickly that the Toa themselves could not outrun it.

The ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe. initially engaged the Lord one at a time. TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. struck first with his Fire BladesFire BladesTahu's dual weapons upon arrival at Okoto in the 2015 reboot, serving both in combat and as a means of traversal., which the Lord knocked aside, after which TahuTahu, Master of Fire: Leader of the Toa of OkotoTahu of Okoto was the Master of Fire summoned by the Protectors, the hot-tempered would-be leader of the Toa who opened the Labyrinth of Control and held the line at the Black Volcano. fell back to his Golden Swords. GaliGali, Master of Water: The Toa Who Closed the RiftGali of Okoto was the Master of Water of the Toa, the team's mediator at the Ancient City, and the Toa drawn into the Shadow Realm at the Black Volcano who returned with the means of the second banishment. struck with her Elemental Trident, disorienting the creature. LewaLewa, Master of Jungle: The Daredevil Toa of OkotoLewa of Okoto was the Master of Jungle summoned by the Protectors, the rebellious flier who quested for the Mask of Jungle in the Region of Jungle and bonded with Uxar in the second wave. followed with the Battle AxesBattle AxesLewa's transforming Jungle weapon that shifts between combat axes, an aerial glider, and swords., contributing further disorientation. KopakaKopaka, Master of Ice: The Chivalrous Toa of OkotoKopaka of Okoto was the Master of Ice summoned by the Protectors, the cold perfectionist who shielded the Protector of Ice from the Skull Spiders and disputed leadership of the team with Tahu at the Ancient City. used his Frost Shield to block a web projectile fired from the Lord's mouth.

The decisive blow came from OnuaOnua, Master of Earth: The Sage Toa of OkotoOnua of Okoto was the Master of Earth summoned by the Protectors, the quiet sage who separated Tahu and Kopaka at the Ancient City and felled the Lord of Skull Spiders with his Earthquake Hammer., who struck the bridge with the Earthquake Hammer. The impact sent the Lord falling from the bridge.

Survival and Death#

The Lord survived the fall. Other Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. under its command recovered it and carried it into a nearby cave, where it regained consciousness. The Lord was then killed when the Protectors of OkotoProtectorsThe six elders of Okoto's villages, each wielding elemental powers and guarding their regions before the Toa arrived. collapsed the cave roof on top of it. Its death is recorded as presumed rather than confirmed.

Powers and Equipment#

The Lord's principal asset was the Golden Mask of the Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa., which provided its telepathic command of the broader Skull Spider population. The mask was the basis of its leadership role; without it, the Lord would have been merely a larger member of the species rather than its commander.

Its physical capabilities consisted of its legs, fangs, and the ability to fire web projectiles from its mouth. The web attack was demonstrated once during the bridge engagement, when KopakaKopaka, Master of Ice: The Chivalrous Toa of OkotoKopaka of Okoto was the Master of Ice summoned by the Protectors, the cold perfectionist who shielded the Protector of Ice from the Skull Spiders and disputed leadership of the team with Tahu at the Ancient City.'s Frost Shield intercepted it. The web served a trapping function rather than a direct offensive one, in line with the broader behaviour of the Skull SpiderSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. species, though the Lord did not deploy the snap-on infection masks that standard Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. used on OkotansOkotanThe Okotans were the villager population of Okoto, six regional groups corresponding to the island's six elemental regions, who lived through the Battle of the Mask Makers, the long retreat into the lesser villages, and the recovery of the Ancient City after the defeat of Kulta and the revival of Ekimu..

The most notable claim recorded about the Lord was its speed. PohatuPohatuPohatu was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, guardian of Po-Wahi, whose speed and steady humour anchored the team through every era of the Matoran Universe.'s assessment that the Toa could not outrun it placed the Lord at a velocity exceeding that of a Toa, an unusual capability for a creature of its mass.

Significance#

The Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. was the first significant adversary the newly summoned Toa faced on OkotoOkotoOkoto is a world whose known inhabitants include the Toa, the Mask makers, and the Protectors.. Prior to the engagement, the six Toa had been disputing leadership of the team. PohatuPohatuPohatu was the Toa Mata and Toa Nuva of Stone, guardian of Po-Wahi, whose speed and steady humour anchored the team through every era of the Matoran Universe. silenced the dispute when he sensed an approaching threat, and the Lord appeared before any resolution had been reached. The ToaThe Toa: Heroes of the Matoran UniverseThe Toa were biomechanical guardians sworn to protect the Matoran, bound by a strict code and defined by sacrifice across every age of the universe.'s failure to defeat the Lord through individual attacks, followed by their success through coordinated action, established the team-based combat doctrine that they relied on through the remainder of their campaign.

Immediately following the Lord's defeat, EkimuEkimu the Mask MakerEkimu was the legendary Mask Maker of Okoto, brother of Makuta, and bearer of the Mask of Creation who struck down his brother's tyranny at the cost of his own consciousness. communicated with the Toa through their Golden Masks for the first time, directing them to find his resting place. The Lord of Skull SpidersSkull SpidersThe arachnid swarm that raided the villages of Okoto, clamped infection masks onto its captives, guarded the City of the Mask Makers under the Lord of Skull Spiders, and broke against the arrival of the Toa. therefore guarded not only the City of the Mask MakersCapital CityThe former main city of Okoto, drawn into the Shadow Realm by the destruction of the Mask of Ultimate Power, leaving the Black Crater on the surface and a ruined court for Makuta in the dark below. but the broader mission to revive the Mask Maker.