Are unresolved things in Hero Factory annoying?

[Lenny7092]

Hi, guys. We noticed that there are some unresolved things, such as cliffhangers, in the Hero Factory story. I find them annoying when they aren't resolved, so I can list several of them, and they are:

1. Von Nebula's fate after the orb part of his black hole staff was destroyed by Voltix in the Breakout TV episodes. I find it annoying because Von Nebula was in the part, so I don't know what happened to him after it was destroyed.

2. The mysterious guy with Von Nebula's hand that got the Hero Factory plans from Black Phantom in a laptop at the end of Episode 9: Breakout Part 2. I find it annoying when I still don't know who that guy is and when will he start using the plans to create a villain factory.

3. The mysterious guy that sent the Brain parasites to the Hero Factory organization's home planet or planetoid in the beginning of the Brain Attack episode. I find it annoying because I don't know who he is, either.

4. The fates of other villains that escaped from jail in Episode 8: Breakout Part 1 (including the Von Nebula Gang henchmen, the Fire Villains, Voltix, and Core Hunter). I find it annoying because I don't know what happened to them nowadays. Are they still on the loose or some other thing?

5. The anti-Hero-Factory conspiracy government in the Secret Mission books, 4 and 5. I find it annoying because I don't know what are they doing nowadays.

6. Does Hero Factory live in planetoid or planet? I find it annoying because it is confusing, and I can show how. In a 2010 Hero Factory magazine, they live in a planetoid, but in the Brain Attack episode, Zib called it their planet. So, which is it?

7. The unresolved cliffhanger in the end of the Brain Attack episode where two workers got attacked by a hidden swarm of Brains in a hole that Dragon Bolt created in the episode. I find it annoying because I don't know what happened after that. I mean, if the Brains controlled the two workers to destroy Hero Factory right now, Hero Factory wouldn't be able to fight the monsters in the Invasion From Below storyline. I mean, what's taking them so long?

8. What happened to Stringer and Nex nowadays? I find it annoying because I don't know what are they doing nowadays. It doesn't feel natural that they did not appear in the Brain Attack and Invasion From Below storylines and episodes (for Nex, he did not appear in the main Breakout episodes, either). I mean, Stringer is one of the founding members of the Alpha 1 Team and Nex is like Evo's best friend and twin brother and Breez's only known lover. So, why aren't they there for the team?

9. In the unresolved cliffhanger in the end of the Invasion From Below episode where a cocoon was shown in the Alpha 1 Team's dropship. I find it annoying because there is a question that I am thinking about the cocoon: how did it get into the dropship?

 

So, these are the unresolved things that I can find. It's strange that these questions are not answered for some reason, and I don't know why.

 

Also so, what do you guys think?

[fishers64]

I agree with you: numbers 1-3 and 9 bother me the most. 
 
@ #6: I thought it was confirmed that Makuhero city was on an asteroid. 
 

Makuhero City is a main location in the universe, a large, modern city, located on a small planet in the Makuhero Belt. Millions of sentient robots live in the city.

Makuhero Belt sounds like an asteroid belt, but the wording could be clearer. 

[Lenny7092]

I agree with you: numbers 1-3 and 9 bother me the most. 

 

@ #6: I thought it was confirmed that Makuhero city was on an asteroid. 

 

 

Makuhero City is a main location in the universe, a large, modern city, located on a small planet in the Makuhero Belt. Millions of sentient robots live in the city.

 

Makuhero Belt sounds like an asteroid belt, but the wording could be clearer.

I can see what you mean. It is a bit confusing. So, I think that Zib might be right about calling the place a planet, even though that HS01 hadn't been updated or edited the information for a long time and the TV series can have some goofs in it, like how Furno called Jawblade's home planet Seeba instead of Scylla in the first Breakout episode, which I find it annoying, too.

[Aanchir]

It sort of depends. The only one of the cliffhanger endings that seriously seemed like it was going to lead somewhere was the theft of the Hero Factory plans — the other two cliffhangers basically were just "The end... OR IS IT?" endings like you'd associate with the particular genres those episodes were trying to emulate.

 

As for what happened to the other villains who escaped in the Breakout, I don't see why that would bother anybody. We already know other teams were sent to capture the other villains, so presumably all those teams were eventually successful.

 

The unresolved conspiracy plotline from the books is a bit frustrating, but unavoidable, really. After the books were cancelled, there would have been no way to properly resolve that plotline. But those were side-stories from the beginning, so the lack of a resolution there didn't bother me much more than the flailing loose ends left behind by the BIONICLE story serials when those ended.

[Lenny7092]

It sort of depends. The only one of the cliffhanger endings that seriously seemed like it was going to lead somewhere was the theft of the Hero Factory plans — the other two cliffhangers basically were just "The end... OR IS IT?" endings like you'd associate with the particular genres those episodes were trying to emulate.As for what happened to the other villains who escaped in the Breakout, I don't see why that would bother anybody. We already know other teams were sent to capture the other villains, so presumably all those teams were eventually successful.The unresolved conspiracy plotline from the books is a bit frustrating, but unavoidable, really. After the books were cancelled, there would have been no way to properly resolve that plotline. But those were side-stories from the beginning, so the lack of a resolution there didn't bother me much more than the flailing loose ends left behind by the BIONICLE story serials when those ended.

I can see that.

 

Anyway, I accidently forgot to mention two more annoying unresolved things, and they are:

10. How did Voltix create the Von Nebula ghost in the first Breakout episode? This has never been explained, so I find it annoying.

11. Why Evo changed personalities? At first, in the Ordeal of Fire episode, he was a clam ninja that mediates, but, from Episodes 8-now, he is acting like an unsure and panicking person who had a difficult time fighting Toxic Reapa. How ironic. I also find that annoying because again, this is not explained why he did that.

[Aanchir]

 

It sort of depends. The only one of the cliffhanger endings that seriously seemed like it was going to lead somewhere was the theft of the Hero Factory plans — the other two cliffhangers basically were just "The end... OR IS IT?" endings like you'd associate with the particular genres those episodes were trying to emulate.As for what happened to the other villains who escaped in the Breakout, I don't see why that would bother anybody. We already know other teams were sent to capture the other villains, so presumably all those teams were eventually successful.The unresolved conspiracy plotline from the books is a bit frustrating, but unavoidable, really. After the books were cancelled, there would have been no way to properly resolve that plotline. But those were side-stories from the beginning, so the lack of a resolution there didn't bother me much more than the flailing loose ends left behind by the BIONICLE story serials when those ended.

I can see that.

 

Anyway, I accidently forgot to mention two more annoying unresolved things, and they are:

10. How did Voltix create the Von Nebula ghost in the first Breakout episode? This has never been explained, so I find it annoying.

11. Why Evo changed personalities? At first, in the Ordeal of Fire episode, he was a clam ninja that mediates, but, from Episodes 8-now, he is acting like an unsure and panicking person who had a difficult time fighting Toxic Reapa. How ironic. I also find that annoying because again, this is not explained why he did that.

 

To #10, one of the Hero Factory readers explained that Voltix has the power to create and control electrical projections, which seems to be what was happening in that episode. I agree that it was vague in the episode itself.

 

To #11, the Hero Factory: Face-Off guide book says that after his victory in Ordeal of Fire, Evo was placed on the rookie team rather than the Alpha Team, and this was a huge blow to his confidence. This is why he felt such an extreme need to turn to his teammates for advice, rather than being as calm and collected as he had been in his first mission.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Aanchir

[TERIDAX941]

 

 

It sort of depends. The only one of the cliffhanger endings that seriously seemed like it was going to lead somewhere was the theft of the Hero Factory plans — the other two cliffhangers basically were just "The end... OR IS IT?" endings like you'd associate with the particular genres those episodes were trying to emulate.As for what happened to the other villains who escaped in the Breakout, I don't see why that would bother anybody. We already know other teams were sent to capture the other villains, so presumably all those teams were eventually successful.The unresolved conspiracy plotline from the books is a bit frustrating, but unavoidable, really. After the books were cancelled, there would have been no way to properly resolve that plotline. But those were side-stories from the beginning, so the lack of a resolution there didn't bother me much more than the flailing loose ends left behind by the BIONICLE story serials when those ended.

I can see that.

 

Anyway, I accidently forgot to mention two more annoying unresolved things, and they are:

10. How did Voltix create the Von Nebula ghost in the first Breakout episode? This has never been explained, so I find it annoying.

11. Why Evo changed personalities? At first, in the Ordeal of Fire episode, he was a clam ninja that mediates, but, from Episodes 8-now, he is acting like an unsure and panicking person who had a difficult time fighting Toxic Reapa. How ironic. I also find that annoying because again, this is not explained why he did that.

 

To #10, one of the Hero Factory readers explained that Voltix has the power to create and control electrical projections, which seems to be what was happening in that episode. I agree that it was vague in the episode itself.

 

To #11, the Hero Factory: Face-Off guide book says that after his victory in Ordeal of Fire, Evo was placed on the rookie team rather than the Alpha Team, and this was a huge blow to his confidence. This is why he felt such an extreme need to turn to his teammates for advice, rather than being as calm and collected as he had been in his first mission.

 

To #10, then why make the projection look like Von Nebula? Doesn't make a lot of sense...

[Akavakaku]

12: What happens when they try to handcuff XT4? Won't he still have 2 very dangerous arms free?

[fishers64]

12: What happens when they try to handcuff XT4? Won't he still have 2 very dangerous arms free?

I think the Hero sent after him can be outfitted with two sets of handcuffs.

[Tahu3.0]

8. What happened to Stringer and Nex nowadays? I find it annoying because I don't know what are they doing nowadays. It doesn't feel natural that they did not appear in the Brain Attack and Invasion From Below storylines and episodes (for Nex, he did not appear in the main Breakout episodes, either). I mean, Stringer is one of the founding members of the Alpha 1 Team and Nex is like Evo's best friend and twin brother and Breez's only known lover. So, why aren't they there for the team? 

 

i find that annoying also 

[Aanchir]

8. What happened to Stringer and Nex nowadays? I find it annoying because I don't know what are they doing nowadays. It doesn't feel natural that they did not appear in the Brain Attack and Invasion From Below storylines and episodes (for Nex, he did not appear in the main Breakout episodes, either). I mean, Stringer is one of the founding members of the Alpha 1 Team and Nex is like Evo's best friend and twin brother and Breez's only known lover. So, why aren't they there for the team? 

 

i find that annoying also

Let's not call Nex "Breez's only known lover". It's not clear whether he was serious with the "give Surge my game system, and tell Breez I love her" line (after all, he could have been trying to use humor to brighten what seemed like a dire situation), and

 

I didn't find Nex and Stringer's absence all that unusual, myself. At least, no weirder than Bulk and Stringer's absence from Mission: Ordeal of Fire or Surge and Breez's absence from Mission: Savage Planet. It's already established that not all heroes on a team participate on all missions, and that not all heroes exclusively work with their own team. So they could have been on other missions during while Alpha 1 Team was fighting the brains in Makuhero City or the beasts in Antropolis City. The Breakout mission was an exception because it was such a dire and wide-reaching emergency that all heroes on all teams were dispatched.

 

Now, as for the out-of-universe reason, it doesn't seem too unusual. After all, the Breakout TV special showed that the story couldn't really effectively focus on nine different heroes in a single story arc (in fact, I think it's conventional wisdom in filmmaking that seven is the most a typical audience will be able to keep track of, though there are some exceptions). And it's also possible that the theme's sales were not strong enough to support eighteen sets in a year. So chances are two heroes had to be cut from Brain Attack — and I guess either sales or focus groups told the LEGO Group that Stringer and Nex would be the ones to go. It's unfortunate, but having all nine heroes in a single year's sets seemed pretty extraordinary to begin with when it happened in the Breakout series. So it's not a huge surprise if that wasn't sustainable in the long run.

[Lenny7092]

 

8. What happened to Stringer and Nex nowadays? I find it annoying because I don't know what are they doing nowadays. It doesn't feel natural that they did not appear in the Brain Attack and Invasion From Below storylines and episodes (for Nex, he did not appear in the main Breakout episodes, either). I mean, Stringer is one of the founding members of the Alpha 1 Team and Nex is like Evo's best friend and twin brother and Breez's only known lover. So, why aren't they there for the team?

 

i find that annoying also

Let's not call Nex "Breez's only known lover". It's not clear whether he was serious with the "give Surge my game system, and tell Breez I love her" line (after all, he could have been trying to use humor to brighten what seemed like a dire situation), and

 

I didn't find Nex and Stringer's absence all that unusual, myself. At least, no weirder than Bulk and Stringer's absence from Mission: Ordeal of Fire or Surge and Breez's absence from Mission: Savage Planet. It's already established that not all heroes on a team participate on all missions, and that not all heroes exclusively work with their own team. So they could have been on other missions during while Alpha 1 Team was fighting the brains in Makuhero City or the beasts in Antropolis City. The Breakout mission was an exception because it was such a dire and wide-reaching emergency that all heroes on all teams were dispatched.

 

Now, as for the out-of-universe reason, it doesn't seem too unusual. After all, the Breakout TV special showed that the story couldn't really effectively focus on nine different heroes in a single story arc (in fact, I think it's conventional wisdom in filmmaking that seven is the most a typical audience will be able to keep track of, though there are some exceptions). And it's also possible that the theme's sales were not strong enough to support eighteen sets in a year. So chances are two heroes had to be cut from Brain Attack — and I guess either sales or focus groups told the LEGO Group that Stringer and Nex would be the ones to go. It's unfortunate, but having all nine heroes in a single year's sets seemed pretty extraordinary to begin with when it happened in the Breakout series. So it's not a huge surprise if that wasn't sustainable in the long run.

But aren't they main protagonist characters, like the rest of the team, too? I feel that it is not natural for them to be absent like this.

Edited September 16, 2014 by Lenny7092

[Aanchir]

But aren't they main protagonist characters, like the rest of the team, too? I feel that it is not natural for them to be absent like this.

Well, think of it this way. Tahu is a main protagonist of BIONICLE and he was only present in one of the four BIONICLE movies. Aang, Katara, and Sokka are all main protagonists of Avatar: The Last Airbender but they're all entirely absent in the episode "Zuko Alone". You don't always have to know what everybody is up to during a story or even a story arc. Particularly in a storyline like Hero Factory which established in the very the beginning that heroes don't always have their entire team with them on missions.

[Sumiki]

Hero Factory is a much looser, episodic style of storytelling, and as such a lot of things that might be considered plot holes in another canon would simply be areas for one's own stories and headcanons to gap-fill. In that regard, I can't find things that lack resolution in Hero Factory to be annoying.

[UnderscoreChronix]

Rip in Peace Nex and Stringer

[Lenny7092]

Rip in Peace Nex and Stringer

Poor guys. They never appeared again.

[Friend of Fire]

Nex and Stringer's absents during the Brains Attack can easily be explained as they're off helping capture other villains. (Daniela Capricorn asks the Heroes who are in Makuhero City about the still escaped villains in the begin of the Brain Attack episode.)

 

As for everything else, it did kind of bother me, too, that potential stories seemed to form, and then were cut off. Even in other episodic series, story arcs or multi-part stories happen and they create character development. It seemed here that whoever was behind telling the story for Hero Factory didn't want a full story to occur because they didn't want to hammer out any details.

 

I will say this though, I always thought the Brain Attack was a continuation of the Breakout storyline. It seemed like a natural flow. Accquire the plans of Hero Factory, "shut down" Hero Factory so they can't make more or equip themselves to fight off a hoard of Hero-like Villains. It's the supposed "reboot" of the series that got me so confused.

Edited October 3, 2014 by Friend of Fire

[Lenny7092]

Nex and Stringer's absents during the Brains Attack can easily be explained as they're off helping capture other villains. (Daniela Capricorn asks the Heroes who are in Makuhero City about the still escaped villains in the begin of the Brain Attack episode.)

 

As for everything else, it did kind of bother me, too, that potential stories seemed to form, and then were cut off. Even in other episodic series, story arcs or multi-part stories happen and they create character development. It seemed here that whoever was behind telling the story for Hero Factory didn't want a full story to occur because they didn't want to hammer out any details.

 

I will say this though, I always thought the Brain Attack was a continuation of the Breakout storyline. It seemed like a natural flow. Accquire the plans of Hero Factory, "shut down" Hero Factory so they can't make more or equip themselves to fight off a hoard of Hero-like Villains. It's the supposed "reboot" of the series that got me so confused.

I can see that, but what do you mean the "supposed reboot," and how does it confuse you?

[Zeb]

 

Nex and Stringer's absents during the Brains Attack can easily be explained as they're off helping capture other villains. (Daniela Capricorn asks the Heroes who are in Makuhero City about the still escaped villains in the begin of the Brain Attack episode.)

 

As for everything else, it did kind of bother me, too, that potential stories seemed to form, and then were cut off. Even in other episodic series, story arcs or multi-part stories happen and they create character development. It seemed here that whoever was behind telling the story for Hero Factory didn't want a full story to occur because they didn't want to hammer out any details.

 

I will say this though, I always thought the Brain Attack was a continuation of the Breakout storyline. It seemed like a natural flow. Accquire the plans of Hero Factory, "shut down" Hero Factory so they can't make more or equip themselves to fight off a hoard of Hero-like Villains. It's the supposed "reboot" of the series that got me so confused.

I can see that, but what do you mean the "supposed reboot," and how does it confuse you?

 

I think he is referring to 2014's Invasion From Below, which was made by a different animation company than Tinseltown Toons. It was made by Ghost & ADVANCE. And due to the change of voice actors, animation company, and even theme of the sets that year, a lot changed. Everyone's voices changed drastically except Stormer & Breez whose voices managed to resemble their old ones close enough. It was also the first time we saw heroes take off their helmets to reveal Glatorian heads underneath.

[Friend of Fire]

 

 

Nex and Stringer's absents during the Brains Attack can easily be explained as they're off helping capture other villains. (Daniela Capricorn asks the Heroes who are in Makuhero City about the still escaped villains in the begin of the Brain Attack episode.)

 

As for everything else, it did kind of bother me, too, that potential stories seemed to form, and then were cut off. Even in other episodic series, story arcs or multi-part stories happen and they create character development. It seemed here that whoever was behind telling the story for Hero Factory didn't want a full story to occur because they didn't want to hammer out any details.

 

I will say this though, I always thought the Brain Attack was a continuation of the Breakout storyline. It seemed like a natural flow. Accquire the plans of Hero Factory, "shut down" Hero Factory so they can't make more or equip themselves to fight off a hoard of Hero-like Villains. It's the supposed "reboot" of the series that got me so confused.

I can see that, but what do you mean the "supposed reboot," and how does it confuse you?

 

I think he is referring to 2014's Invasion From Below, which was made by a different animation company than Tinseltown Toons. It was made by Ghost & ADVANCE. And due to the change of voice actors, animation company, and even theme of the sets that year, a lot changed. Everyone's voices changed drastically except Stormer & Breez whose voices managed to resemble their old ones close enough. It was also the first time we saw heroes take off their helmets to reveal Glatorian heads underneath.

 

HEROsector01 says that this year was suppose to be a reboot of the series for some reason, and doesn't give the reason, hence the new voice actors. Even other info sites like this say so, so I don't really know. I just think someone was lazy and didn't want to create a flowing story, but one in which fans would create their own stories.

[Boidoh]

I only ever saw the first 2 HF shows. The one with Von Nebula and the other with that fire theme... I had no idea we never found out what happened to Von Nebula after being sealed in whatever weapon....

[Lenny7092]

 

 

 

 

 

Nex and Stringer's absents during the Brains Attack can easily be explained as they're off helping capture other villains. (Daniela Capricorn asks the Heroes who are in Makuhero City about the still escaped villains in the begin of the Brain Attack episode.)

 

As for everything else, it did kind of bother me, too, that potential stories seemed to form, and then were cut off. Even in other episodic series, story arcs or multi-part stories happen and they create character development. It seemed here that whoever was behind telling the story for Hero Factory didn't want a full story to occur because they didn't want to hammer out any details.

 

I will say this though, I always thought the Brain Attack was a continuation of the Breakout storyline. It seemed like a natural flow. Accquire the plans of Hero Factory, "shut down" Hero Factory so they can't make more or equip themselves to fight off a hoard of Hero-like Villains. It's the supposed "reboot" of the series that got me so confused.

I can see that, but what do you mean the "supposed reboot," and how does it confuse you?

I think he is referring to 2014's Invasion From Below, which was made by a different animation company than Tinseltown Toons. It was made by Ghost & ADVANCE. And due to the change of voice actors, animation company, and even theme of the sets that year, a lot changed. Everyone's voices changed drastically except Stormer & Breez whose voices managed to resemble their old ones close enough. It was also the first time we saw heroes take off their helmets to reveal Glatorian heads underneath.

HEROsector01 says that this year was suppose to be a reboot of the series for some reason, and doesn't give the reason, hence the new voice actors. Even other info sites like this say so, so I don't really know. I just think someone was lazy and didn't want to create a flowing story, but one in which fans would create their own stories.

Why would Lego make a reboot about Hero Factory right after last year? I don't think it should be that quick. It may usually a long time for anything to make a reboot. I think the story before the IFB episode is a lot better than the one in the episode. Speaking of which, the pre-IFB story seems to be flowing with the Villain Factory and the brains, but why stop there? It doesn't make any sense. Bionicle did a great flow, but Hero Factory stopped its own flow? Hmm...

Edited October 7, 2014 by Lenny7092

[fishers64]

I think they tried too hard to excise HF of continuity, much to their determent. That's probably what caused all of the annoying unresolved stuff.  

Edited October 7, 2014 by fishers64