Media

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Hero Factory utilizes various forms of multimedia in order to disseminate the story and promote the sets, like BIONICLE.

Digital Media

Mission: Von Nebula, the first online game

Websites

HeroFactory.com

A website was developed for the toy line, and serves as the main hub for interactive story material.

  • HeroPad - The HeroPad allows users to enter codes obtained from sets, and access rewards.
  • Animations - There is a number of animations available on the site, which either serve as introductions to the storyline or promote the various sets.
  • Online Games - Multiple online games are available to play, either as characters from the Hero Factory story, or as the player's own custom hero. There are also app games, three of them being versions of the online games in HeroFactory.com.
  • Hero Factory FM - A podcast in that tells about minor events in the Hero Factory story.

Hero Recon Team

The Hero Recon Team website has story information regarding the Hero Recon Team in addition to its main feature, an online application that allows users to design and purchase custom-designed sets representing Recon Team agents.

Microsites

There are multiple non-LEGO websites that advertise and contain Hero Factory content.

  • YTV Microsite - YTV, a Canadian youth television station, constructed a microsite for the Hero Factory line, featuring online versions of the comics (as well as the exclusive copy of Comic 3: The Enemy Within), games, and other activities and information about Hero Factory.
  • Toys "R" Us Hong Kong Microsite - A site hosted by Toys "R" Us, a popular toy store chain. The site displays online versions of Hero Factory comics, and advertises several links to HeroFactory.com. There is also a leaflet for the late-2011 sets.
  • Argos Microsite - Argos is a large general-goods retailer in the United Kingdom. As part of their "Kids World" section, they had a microsite for the Hero Factory line. The site featured character bios for all of the sets released in Winter of 2011, as well as stats for them, and links to various downloads, such as screensavers.
  • Cartoon Network United Kingdom Microsite - The UK site of the television channel Cartoon Network has several microsites for various shows that it airs, including Hero Factory. The site advertises the Heroes and villains of the Breakout line, featuring various wallpapers as well as the online game Breakout.
  • Nickelodeon Australia Microsite - The AU site of television channel Nickelodeon (who also broadcasts the Hero Factory TV specials in the US) has a microsite up featuring the winter wave of 2013 sets.

LEGO Club Inside Scoops

There are four online stories that were published in the Inside Scoop section of the LEGO Club section of LEGO.com, called "Inside LEGO Club Inside Scoops", similar to the BIONICLE online stories in BIONICLE.com and BIONICLEstory.com. These stories provide minor details to the Hero Factory story. Each of them has a first-person perspective.

Television Episodes

The title screen of Episode 1: Trials of Furno, the first television episode

The television episodes are the bulk of the story media used by Hero Factory. There are eleven episodes. The first 10 episodes have appeared on Nickelodeon networks in the United States, and on Cartoon Network in European countries, each being about 22 to 23 minutes long. The final episode, Episode 11: Invasion From Below, only aired in the Hero Factory website and the online game of the same name.

Music

The television episodes' music score has not been released.

The end credits of television episodes Episode 8: Breakout: Part 1 and Episode 9: Breakout: Part 2 featured the song Breakout by the band Cryoshell, who had previously contributed to BIONICLE music videos in 2007-2009. On December 9, 2012, the song was released as a single for digital download, with artwork designed by Christian Faber and inspired by the Hero Factory visual direction for that year.

"Canceled" Movie

In May 23, 2012, Universal Studios were in talks to create a live action Hero Factory movie. Since Hero Factory's cancellation after 2014 however, these plans seemed to fall through, but it is uncertain. No new word happened since the announcement of the movie.[The Hollywood Reporter]

Print Media

Comics

The Hero Factory story has also been presented through comics. Seven of the comics in the main series are based off of the first seven television episodes. Other comics in general not connected to the main storyline have also been released.

Magazines

Magazines have been an important medium for promoting the Hero Factory story. Many Hero Factory features are included in the official LEGO Club Magazine and LEGO BrickMaster Magazine. Additional magazines include the Hero Factory Promotional Magazine, the Makuhero Star and also the Makuhero Times, published as bonus material for subscribers to the LEGO Club or LEGO BrickMaster magazines.

List of LEGO Club Magazines

  • May-June 2010 - Big Problems call for Big Solutions - A one-page teaser for Hero Factory where you use the Hero Factory's phone number, 1-888-4-HEROFACTORY, or visit HeroFactory.com to tell your emergency.
  • July-August 2010
    • 1-888-4-HEROFACTORY - A two-page advertisement where you use the Hero Factory's phone number to tell your emergency. It is on pages 8 and 9. Page 8 has the Club Code STORMER.
    • Included the Hero Factory Promotional Magazine.
    • UK version - Hero Factory Super Showdown! - A two-page section where the Alpha 1 Team battles Von Nebula, XPlode, Meltdown, Corroder, Thunder, and Rotor. It is on pages 4 and 5. Page 5 has Hero Factory Trivia, which asks the reader 10 questions about the Hero Factory lore.
  • September-October 2010
    • Has a copy of Comic 2: Core Crisis as some of its pages. The last page of this version of the comic erroneously says "William Stormer". This was corrected in HeroFactory.com, where it says "Preston Stormer" instead.
    • Wake up with Mak in the Morning! Only on Hero Factory Radio! - Promotes Hero Factory FM. It was on page 30.
    • Crack the Code! - A letter from Akiyama Makuro. It was made in the same format as the one in the Hero Factory Promotional Magazine. It is on page 31 and has the Club Code FURNO.
    • A page that advertises the first four television episodes and states their release dates.
    • UK version - Makuhero Star.
    • LEGO Club Brickmaster version - Includes building instructions for Lucas Valor.
    • LEGO Club Jr. version - Includes Stuck On A Problem!
  • November-December 2010
    • Showdown! - It is on pages 12 and 13. Page 13 has the Club Code SURGE.
    • Challenge the new "Mission: Von Nebula" online game! - Promotes the online game Mission Von Nebula. It is on pages 14 and 15.
    • Enter the LEGO Hero Factory Building Challenge - It is on page 34.
    • The top half of a page advertises the DVD compilation of the four episodes, Rise of the Rookies. The bottom half tells that the episodes will be aired on November 25, 2010, on NickToons at 9:00 pm.
  • January-February 2011
    • Hero Factory's Most Wanted - A section with two pages that feature details on the Fire Villains. There is a game on the pages where you find Julius Nex and Nathan Evo, who are spying on the villains.
    • It has a picture of four 1.0 Heroes, Preston Stormer, William Furno, Natalie Breez, and Mark Surge, having the 2.0 Upgrade. It continues to the next page, where the newly upgraded Heroes, along with Nex and Evo, are going to fight the Fire Villains.
  • March-April 2011
    • Includes Comic 5: Ordeal of Fire, which is a separate comic book issue from the magazine issue this time, like the BIONICLE comics in 2001-2010.
    • Time to Put Out the Fire! - A two-page section that tells the premise of the Ordeal of Fire story arc and details about the Heroes' upgrade. There is a fill-in-the-blank word game where you match the Heroes' names to their profiles. It is on pages 4 and 5. While the American version uses Fire Lord behind the Heroes' description, the Issue 2/March-April-May version in UK and Netherlands uses Furno 2.0 instead.
    • Play the Hero Factory "Creep Crushers" games! - Promotes Creep Crushers and provides tips for the online games. It is on page 23.
    • Hero Recon Team needs your help - Previews the Hero Recon Team website.
    • LEGO Club Brickmaster - Includes building structions for a villain called Makuro X-1.
    • LEGO Club Jr. - Mission: Hero Factory Hunt - features a two-page non-canon story where the 2.0 Heroes are cleaning their headquarters. There is also a fill-in-the-blank word game on the right page when one would fill words into the empty white boxes.
  • May-June 2011
    • Page 15 shows the list of five winners from the LEGO Hero Factory Building Challenge.
    • Build Your Own Hero! - Page 21 promotes the Hero Recon Team website.
  • July-August 2011
    • Includes Comic 6: Savage Planet, which is a separate comic book issue.
    • Ready for a Savage Planet! - A two-page section that details the 3.0 Heroes. It tells the reader to "collect all six Animal Power Helmets", meaning that the reader has to collect the Heroes' animal-based helmets from the sets.
  • Edition 3 2011/June-July-August 2011 issue in UK and Netherlands - Page 17 shows a picture of the Witch Doctor and his possessed animals. It also includes Breez 2.0 and a maze.
  • September-October 2011
    • The Trap is Set! - A two-page section that details the Witch Doctor and his possessed Quatros animals. The second page includes a crossword puzzle.
    • The back cover of the magazine features Rocka 3.0 transforming into Rocka XL.
  • November-December 2011
    • Includes Comic 7: Savage Planet 2, which is a separate comic book issue.
    • Battle for a Savage Planet! - A two-page wallpaper for the Savage Planet wave, where the 3.0 Heroes battle the Witch Doctor and his possessed animals. The reader has to spot a picture that is not in the wallpaper.
    • Hero Factory comes to life on your TV! - features an stabled pamphlet that has the 2011 LEGO Club DVD, which has excerpts from Episodes 1-6.
  • January-February 2012
    • The first half of Breakout: Issue 1 being two of the magazine's pages.
    • Battles of the Century! - tells the plot sypnosis of the Breakout story arc. It shows four battles between the eight winter wave sets that were released on early 2012 in the North America and South America. It is on pages 32 and 33. The top part of page 32 features Evo vs Toxic Reapa. The bottom part of the page features Rocka vs Black Phantom. The top part of page 33 features Surge vs Splitface. The bottom part of the page features Furno vs Jawblade. Page 32 promotes the online game Breakout.
  • March-April 2012
    • Includes a glued separate guide for four of the first five levels of the Breakout game.
    • A one-page non-canon comic of a LEGO mini-figure character and the Magazine's mascot, Max, in his 3.0 Hero-like form, trying to be upgraded to "Max 2.0". Max ends up being a bear-like creature, much to his chagrin.
    • Bringing in the Bad Guys! - a two-page section that features two battles between two Alpha 1 Team Heroes and their Breakout villains. It includes informations on the characters and the Heroes' recapturing missions. On the top parts of the pages is William Furno fighting Jawblade in planet Scylla. On the bottom parts is Mark Surge fighting Splitface in the Sigma Sigma Communications Satellite. It is on Pages 4 and 5.
    • Get your Game on! - promotes the Breakout game. It also tells the reader how to use the 2012 sets' Hero Cores to gain points in the game. The page also features Furno and the points his set provides.
  • May-June 2012
    • Build your own Hero Factory Heroes & Villains! - features a two-page picture of a battle between a new Alpha 1 Team rookie and a mutated industrial robotic villain in an underwater environment that is probably the planet Scylla. It also features 18 combo models made of Evo, Furno, Surge, Toxic Reapa, Jawblade, and Splitface. It features Club Codes, HERO, VILLAIN, and FACTORY, to unlock the Hero and villain's building instuctions and details for the LEGO Hero Factory Building Challenge, respectively.
    • UK version - Makuhero Times.
  • July-August 2012 - The first half of Breakout: Issue 2 being two of the magazine's pages.
  • September-October 2012 - Ride at the Speed of Vengeance! - a two-page section that features a battle between Speeda Demon and Stormer XL. It also details the two fighters' equipment. It is on pages 10 and 11.
  • January-February 2013 - Trouble Ready to Hatch - features a preview of the 2013 story arc, as it has Brains in tanks.
  • March-April 2013 - Beware the Brain Attack! - features a picture where Furno XL is studying a Brain that he captured. It details the Brain.
  • May-June 2013 - A different version of the issue of the magazine has a special teaser for the summer 2013 sets online.
  • July-August 2013
    • Page 2 shows a premise of the Heroes fighting the Brains.
    • Page 3 promotes Dangerous Dimensions.
    • Pages 4 and 5 show a picture of a battle between Dragon Bolt and Jet Rocka, and details both characters.
    • Page 6 shows a contest where fans build Brain Attack MOCs.
  • September-October 2013
    • The Fury of Laval! - features a picture of the set combiner of Furno XL and CHI Laval from LEGO's Legends of Chima. The LEGO Club Team asked LEGO model designers to the two action figure sets into the combiner. The combiner is a larger version of CHI LAVAL, and he wears Furno's cape. He is said to have the "power of flame", which belongs to Furno. The page provides a Club Code, SWORD, that can unlock the model's building instructions. The building instructions have been lost.
    • LEGO Hero Factory Game - a section in one of the pages of the issue promotes the online game Brain Attack.
  • November-December 2013
    • The first half of Double Dragon Danger!.
    • Page 19 shows the list of five winners from the Hero Factory Brain Attack contest.
  • March-April 2014 -
    • The Battle has Begun - features a two-page picture of a battle between the Alpha 1 Team Heroes in Battle Machines and the Jumpers, both normal and mutated, in Antropolis City. It is on pages 26 and 27.
    • Ultra Evo XL Machine to the Rescue! - features shows a picture of the set combiner of Evo XL Machine and four other Battle Machines in the early 2014 set wave.
  • July-August 2014
    • Battle in the Underground Cavern of Fear! - features a two-page picture of the Heroes fighting against the Queen Beast. Surge and Rocka use their Battle Machine called the Surge & Rocka Combat Machine to fight the Queen Beast. It is on pages 36 and 37. Page 37 features a crossward puzzle.
    • Can You Stop the Invasion? - features a two-page picture of Furno, Evo, and Stormer using their Battle Machines to fight against a Splitter Beast. It also shows tips for the online game Invasion From Below. It is on pages 38 and 39.
  • September-October 2014 - Showdown Beneath the Surface! - features a two-page picture of the Heroes fighting the set combiner of the summer Beast sets. Natalie Breez and Rocka use the set combiner of the three of the summer Battle Machine sets to fight the beast while having the back of the Battle Machine's back face the front. The Battle Machine and beast each have their statistics, which tell about its fightning skill, strength, toughness, and intelligence. It is on pages 34 and 35.

The LEGO Club website featured interactive online versions of the magazine issues in 2012-2013. Only the early 2012 issues were preserved in Web Archives.

2010's edition of Lego's annual The Brick magazine features a four-page spread on the making of Hero Factory. An interview with Jes Vestergaard on pages 44 through 47 revealed many bits information, among them how long Hero Factory has been in the pipeline for two years, what playtesting involves, and a tidbit where Verstergaard and his fellow designers lurked on BIONICLE fan-forums to see what BIONICLE enthusiasts liked and wanted. They then tried to tailor-make Hero Factory to please the BIONICLE fanbase. Quoth Vestergaard said in the magazine, "We found that plasma is a big hit, and the leader of the Heroes, Preston Stormer, actually has an ice‑plasma weapon."[BZPower - The Making of Heroes (March 13, 2010)][The Brick]

Club Codes

From 2010 to 2013, LEGO used digital codes called Club Codes that can be entered in the Magazine section of LEGO.com to unlock exclusive content for Hero Factory, which are promotional posters, halves of the main Breakout comics, codes for the Breakout game, instructions for two combi models, instructions for a contest, and three guides for the Breakout game's summer levels. Club Codes could be found in LEGO Magazines. After Hero Factory got canceled and the Lego website got drastically changed, some of the content is lost, but the rest has been preserved in this wiki.

Books

2010

Hero Factory: To Serve and to Protect

Two activity books were released to promote the Hero Factory story in 2010. These books, translated into Polish language, were published by the AMEET publishing company. They were written by Greg Farshtey. Each one has much content, including a story by Farshtey and a comic.[BZPower - Two Hero Factory Books Inbound (November 13, 2010)] Each of the books has 32 pages. Each of the stories is split into two. One has a third-person perspective and the other had a first-person perspective. Both stories and both comics have minor events that are not referenced by other media. The books are:

  • Hero Factory: To Serve and Protect/Hero Factory: To Serve and to Protect (also known as Hero Factory: In Service of the Galaxy)
  • Hero Factory: Galaxy's Most Wanted (also known as Hero Factory: Galactic Villains)

To Serve and to Protect includes:

Galaxy's Most Wanted includes:

  • A story that is split into two, Bad to the Bone and Evil to the Core:
    • Bad to the Bone.(To be written)
    • Evil to the Core is a first-person perspective from XPlode, and takes place before the events of Episode 1. He and Rotor go to the sixth planet of the Taygeta system to prepare to use a device called an energy drainer to drain Heroes' Hero Cores' energy. When Jimi Stringer and Dunkan Bulk come to the planet to arrest the villains, the villains use the device to drain the Heroes' cores to weaken them while pretending to be defeated by them. However, Rotor unintentionally ruins the plan, allowing the Heroes to break the device and defeat the villains. The Heroes take away the device, and the villains are arrested and put in prison. XPlode thinks about Von Nebula sending Thunder to get XPlode and Rotor out.[Translation in BioSector01]
  • A comic called A Narrow Escape.(To be written)
  • Descriptions of Von Nebula's Gang.
  • Quizzes and puzzles.
  • A board game called Race for Hope, with action cards.[Hero Factory: Galaxy's Most Wanted (archived)]

2011

An English language activity book was made available on the LEGO Shop in 2011:

  • 853083 Hero Factory Mission Log Book
The Hero Factory Mission Log Book

2012

Starting a new series devoted to untold minor aspects of the Hero Factory story, two chapter books were released in 2012. These were written by Greg Farshtey and published by Scholastic. Each chapter book was released every two months. The two chapter books take place after the events of Episode 9: Breakout Part 2, though the second book is primarily about a mission that happened before Mission: Von Nebula happened. The books are:

Additionally, two Hero Factory DK Readers books were written by Shari Last and published by Dorling Kindersley. Both of the books have the characters from Hero Factory's 2012 story arc and summarize the plots of Episode 8: Breakout Part 1 and Episode 9. The DK Readers books are:

2013

The Secret Mission book series continued in 2013 with three other chapter books. These were also written by Greg Farshtey and published by Scholastic. The three chapter books take place after the events of Episode 10: Brain Attack. They are:

Two more Hero Factory DK Readers books that were written by Catherine Saunders and published by Dorling Kindersley were released in July. These books have the characters from the 2013 sets and tell the plot of Episode 10. The DK Readers books are:

The first (and only) sticker activity book for Hero Factory was published (and possibly written) by DK Publishing and released in July 15, 2013:

  • Ultimate Sticker Collection
The Hero Factory Ultimate Sticker Collection

The book has 96 pages and more than reusable 1000 stickers. Its reading level is ages 5 and up. Here is the description of the sticker book: "Young fans can meet all of their favorite heroes and villains of LEGO Hero Factory in this Ultimate Sticker Collection from DK. With more than 1,000 reusable stickers featuring the characters, vehicles, and more, this collection is a must-have for every LEGO fan."

The first (and only) guidebook for Hero Factory was written by Greg Farshtey and released in August 2013:

The reason why the events of the Secret Mission books are not acknowledged by most media that were released after them is unknown, but it is probably because the events are minor and secret missions. Dangerous Dimensions and Face Off: Makuro's Secret Guidebook did mention the events of the Secret Mission books, though. The Hero Factory corporation does not want to attract attention from people of the galaxy about the secret missions, as evidenced in Secret Mission 2: Legion of Darkness and the guidebook.

The Secret Mission books, DK Readers books, and the guidebook have some errors, most of them contradicting some aspects in the Hero Factory story. It is said that Kelly McKiernan, known as "Binkmeister" in BZPower and who worked on BIONICLE and Hero Factory's websites, said that the Secret Mission books are not canon, but Dangerous Dimensions and Face Off: Makuro's Secret Guidebook reference to them, which makes this fact disputable, so it can be assumed that the books are semi-canon.[Hero Factory 2014 Dissussion]

Fan Contributions

The Silver model

For BIONICLE fansite BZPower's 53rd BIONICLE-Based Creations contest, entrants were asked to build a robot creation, which instead of being voted upon by the members, was to be judged by LEGO. Member Varderan created the winning entry, which he called Silver. The robot later appeared in the Hero Factory television episodes as a robotic menace from Preston Stormer's past.

Contests

Lego Magazines

In Lego Magazines, there were many contests that encouraged Lego builders to build Hero Factory creations to win various prizes. These contests are:

  • November-December 2010 issue of the LEGO Magazine - LEGO Hero Factory Building Challenge - Five winners received Lego Gift Cards each worth up to $100. They were due January 15, 2011. The winners were announced in the May-June 2011 issue of the LEGO Magazine.
  • May-June 2012 issue of the LEGO Magazine - LEGO Hero Factory Building Challenge - The challenge's full details and rules were held in LEGOclub.com, and they could only be accessed through the Club Code, FACTORY. The winners were due June 7, 2012.
  • July-August 2013 issue of the Lego Club Magazine - LEGO Hero Factory Brain Attack Building Contest - Five winners received Lego Gift Cards each worth up to $100. They were due August 7, 2013. The winners were revealed in the November-December 2013 issue of the LEGO Magazine.

Other

Mural

On February 17, 2011, a Hero Factory-themed attraction was opened in LEGOLAND California. Fans were told to use LEGO bricks to build a large mural of the Hero Factory logo.[LEGO Hero Factory Launch at LEGOLAND California (YouTube)] After the mural was finished, the attraction had a grand opening that featured the unveiling of the mural in May 17, 2011.[BZPower - Hero Factory Comes to LEGOLAND California (May 17, 2011)][LEGO Club Inside Scoop - HERO FACTORY...Californian style!]

Fox Sports Crossover

In September 2012, crowdsourcing website Tongal announced a crossover project between Fox Sports and LEGO, featuring Hero Factory characters. The winner of the contest designed a three-episode web series featuring Hero Factory and the Fox NFL Sunday mascot, Cleatus, who plays football for the Hero Factory.

Lego Club Inside Scoop Pages

Pages that were made by Lego Club Inside Scoop. The pages are:

  • Build a Hero and Defeat the Evil Brains! - An event where you had to build a Hero or villain. The contest went from June 10, 2013 to July 28, 2013.[Build a Hero and Defeat the Evil Brains!]
  • INVASION FROM BELOW! WHO WINS? YOU DECIDE! - A page where you use an instruction manual called "Hero Factory Story Maker" to make your own Hero Factory comic or story. The page was released on September 21, 2014.[INVASION FROM BELOW! WHO WINS? YOU DECIDE!]

Trivia

See also

External links

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