User blog:BobTheDoctor27/Zero Hour - Launch Platform



Gee, it's been a long while since I posted one of these.

Zero Hour Launch
Well, the countdown has begun. In a few short days the first installment of Zero Hour will be available for you all to gaze upon. Currently I haven't exactly finished filming it but I feel confident about meeting the release date of June 22nd. It should go well enough. I guess we'll see.

I figured that, since there is going to be so much content coming soon, it would be useful to have some kind of discussion hub going on CBW itself. People are more likely to comment on actual stories here than they are on the forums. I will most likely make a new thread for debate and comment on each individual installment when it is posted. But this is just a nice little platform that is easily accessible for people who might have difficulty navigating the forums or for the rare breed of people who actually read CBW stories but do not comment or have accounts. A navigational starting zone to spring off of. A steady platform to direct you to all the new information that will come up.

So what is Zero Hour?
Zero Hour is a graphic novel story that I have been working on for some time now. It was originally thought up in late 2012 when I had the flu and was totally obsessed with the Uprising comic that Vorred had produced for us. It was bright, summery, colorful and nostalgic, with simple builds and a rich sense of BIONICLE tradition. It awakened within me a desire to produce a story of similar nostalgic value that would mean something to hardcore fans of the franchise in its earliest days.

So I set about with my note paper and parts bins, building Matoran and Toa Nuva and Turaga till my fingers were sore. Before too long I had a basic plot in mind and lots of ideas for ways to tie the comic in with my current storyline. There are a couple of good, strong cameos that enrich the back-stories of my lesser-seen characters, particularly Matoran like Carnac and Sarnii, as well as providing a place for new characters to sprout out of without seeming out of the blue, like Pofia and Salaak.

Thus, Zero Hour was born. An opportunity to deepen some under-utilized characters and come up with a sub-plot that runs parallel to Judgment Day, as well as establishing a fully fanon character rostrum as opposed to the mix of fanon and canon character seen previously.

Setting/Context
The overwhelming majority of the story takes place 90 years ago, in the fortress village of Marlott, a mountain base held by the Order of Mata Nui on the Northern Continent. The Destiny War of the Fractures Universe has been raging for roughly 210 years and, following the death of Toa Takanuva, the Avohkii has been left in the care of the Order operatives in this desolate outpost.

However, having spent nearly a century waiting for enemies who are clearly not coming, the Matoran have surrendered to the charm of the countryside and are little-knowing of what lies beyond their region. With summer coming around they are vulnerable, an opportunity that the newly-formed Cult of Darkness seeks to take advantage of...

Like many Shakespearean texts, the setting of this story is deeply symbolic in nature. Often the natural world is depicted as bright and lush, truly unique in its capacity to revitalize the world of its troubles. The fortress, however, is a harsher place of business, power struggle, tension, and court culture.

Additional Resources

 * Full character roster
 * Fractures Universe