| MORTAR Suit Model 8 | |
| |
| Characteristics | |
| Aliases | MORTAR, Big Red |
| Tools | Thornax Rotary Cannons, Plasma Launcher, Zamor Missile Pod, Utility Arms, Big Arm |
| Status | |
| Affiliation | Property of Aegis |
| Status | In use |
| Location | Spherus Magna |
The MORTAR Exoskeleton Suit was a machine made by the Agori Aegis on the planet of Bara Magna. While originally designed to allow Aegis to face against Glatorian in the arena, it is now used as Aegis' combat harness, seeing use in various Order of Mata Nui missions.
History[]
MK I[]
The MORTAR suit's history began when Aegis uncovered blueprints for a war machine by the Great Beings in a hidden cave on Bara Magna. The blueprints were highly complex and sophisticated. To make things even more incomprehensible, any written descriptions were written in the Matoran language, which none of the Glatorian or Agori knew.
Transcribing what he could, Aegis soon had the plans for a machine of his own, the MORTAR MK I.
Compared to what would later be unveiled about the blueprints, the MK I was crude and primitive. The machine was constructed using the salvaged wreck of the Tusker, as well as pieces from many other vehicles.
The end result was a suit stiff and packed. Mobility was sluggish and limited. However, it still impressed those who did see it. It was armed with a flamethrower and used oil as its fuel. It was common to see the smoke byproduct emanating from the back of the machine, creating an imposing image. While the suit saw some victories, the weaknesses of the first model were easily exploitable by more experienced warriors. Despite this, it earned Aegis respect as a warrior and fighter, validation he had looked for his whole life.
MK II[]
MORTAR MK II, with Aegis inside
Unsatisfied with what he had initially concocted, Aegis went back to the drawing board and came out with the Mark Two. Using the winnings Aegis received from his bouts in the arena, he upped the size of the suit considerably, which meant more armor and more armaments, the most notable of which being the Thornax cannons mounted on the shoulders. The suit was an overall success in the arena, with Aegis earning a much more positive Win/Loss ratio. However, the added weight and size of the machine had an impact on fuel usage, so experienced warriors were able to last until the machine ran out of fuel, leaving Aegis helpless.
MK III[]
The Mark Three came into being shortly after the Skrall invasion of the Grand Tournament, the start of the Skrall War. The MK II saw action in that battle, but Aegis was able to successfully retreat with the suit. Upon returning to Vulcanus, Aegis retrofitted the MK II into a war machine. The MK III was significantly more armored and the Thornax cannons were removed in favor of vastly expanded fuel reserves.
The MK III first saw usage during the Bone Hunter raids on Vulcanus, where it performed admirably. Once again, the MK III participated in the Battle of Roxtus, towering over many of the other combatants. In the aftermath that followed, the MK III served to help the construction of the Agori mega-village and the Prototype Robot.
The MK III's last moments were during the Battle of Bara Magna. Aegis was cornered by a group of heat-vision Rahkshi, who threatened to melt through the suit's armor and either kill Aegis directly or rupture the fuel tanks. Aegis, piloting the doomed machine, rank into the group of Rahkshi and ejected, their heat-vision igniting the fuel. The following catastrophic explosion decimated the Rahkshi, but at the cost of MORTAR.
MK IV[]
After the Reformation of Spherus Magna, Aegis was left with almost nothing. With MORTAR completely gone, Aegis quit his career as an arena fighter and utilized his engineering knowledge to help rebuild and innovate. He eventually did end up constructing another suit, although it differed from previous versions tremendously. It was more of an exoskeleton, as the suit assembled around the pilot. When in the suit, Aegis was about the height of a Glatorian. The MK IV was equipped with a robotic hand and a welding torch that could double as a flamethrower if need be. The MK IV was used almost exclusively for construction and repair purposes; the only conflict it would see would be versus the occasional Rahi that got too aggressive.
MK V[]
Aegis greatly saw the cons of the MK IV, and made a deal with Helryx, the leader of the Order of Mata Nui, to hunt down dangerous targets in return for more protosteel alloy. He was given some up front during the deal.
The legs were revamped from the original, providing more protection to the pilot's legs. The axe-saw was added back, albeit being downgraded. The torso armor received more armor. The arms were no longer attached to the pilot's arms, but were rather controlled from controls located in the torso. The flamethrower was replaced with a shotgun. It is the current model in use by Aegis.
MK VI[]
MK VII[]
MK VIII[]
