Strike of the Serpentine

Strike of the Serpentine, also titled as Ninjago: Strike of the Serpentine, is a Ninjago graphic novel.[5][6]

Official descriptions

Official descriptions[]

Wu and Garmadon are champions of Ninjago, but until now, both Spinjitzu brothers have followed their own paths. When whispers of war with the Serpentine clans emerge, these two must brave unexpected threats and bring together the mighty heroes known as the Elemental Masters!

Summary

Summary[]

Chapter 1: Alliances[]

Wu approached a cloaked Strike, who was admiring a flower in the forest. She expressed her surprise in seeing him, as he expressed his doubt in his own preparation for an unnamed upcoming challenge they'd have to face. She affirmed his doubt's justified existence as he praised her foresight and clarity of purpose. Strike questioned his analysis, expressing her own doubt instilled in her by the Serpentine War.

In the first of flashbacks predating the events of the Serpentine War, a younger Wu walked alongside Mystake toward a wrecked village, as she teased his affections for Misako. Upon their arrival, the two found themself under attack by the remaining villagers, before Wu asserted their allegiances and warded the villagers off using Spinjitzu. Recognizing the help promised to them in investigating the prior attacks on their village, the villagers welcomed the duo and an elder led them to the storehouse their attackers had fully raided. After being interviewed by Wu and Mystake, the elder alluded to his belief that the attacks had been the work of the Serpentine. Elsewhere, Strike attempted to warn humans of the prophecy of the Golden Master, to no avail.

Acting on the reports of raids from numerous villages across Ninjago, Wu decided to form the Elemental Alliance, going with Mystake to appeal to Sono, the Elemental Master of Sound, at the Lost Melody Music Hall. After Sono agreed to join them, the trio traveled to the Road of Many Names to find Leo, the Elemental Master of Form, who revealed himself as having impersonated Mystake yet was willing to join the cause. Together, the Elemental Masters traveled to the Northern Mountain Pass where they recruited Benton, the Elemental Master of Earth, to the Elemental Alliance with the promise of glory through battle.

Meanwhile, Strike was about to give up hope in her warnings to the humans until she was approached by Chen and his apprentice, Clouse. Chen revealed to Strike that mankind retained possession of numerous Serpentine artifacts that potentially had the power to prevent the prophecy from becoming a reality. Curious, Strike formed a plan to request the return of said artifacts.

Elsewhere, the four Elemental Masters traveled to the Emerald Forest to attempt to recruit the Elemental Master of Nature, Brook. However, she asserted her belief that the group's formation was too precautionary, and instead chose to withhold from a conflict that may never come to fruition.

Having assembled the leaders of the Serpentine tribes (exempting the Anacondrai), Strike attempted to overcome their intolerance of one another by suggesting they work together to retrieve the human-held Serpentine artifacts. She recommended starting in Jamanakai Village for its symbolic background as the "home to stories." Strike hoped to start a new chapter by bringing human awareness to the cause of preventing the arrival of the Golden Master. By this time, Wu had also recruited Ray, Maya, Levi, Krux, Acronix, Libber, Hibernus, and Dusk to the Elemental Alliance.

Chapter 2: Fanning the Flames[]

As the march began an indeterminate period of time later, Strike was approached by Pythor, who questioned the feasibility of her plan for peaceful demonstration. He pointed out that she lacked the full support of the Serpentine as she desired, for the Anacondrai craved violence over peace and doubted her plan. Regardless, he promised her that he'd appeal to his tribes' elders to have them follow the march to observe it from a distance.

In the nearby Elemental Alliance camp, the Elemental Masters socialized as Wu tended to Misako, who had recently arrived. He told her about his hopes that Garmadon would join them, and she spoke of the reports of the Serpentine's march on Jamanakai Village. They continued to converse about Wu's desires to prevent a conflict, as their hands inadvertently brushed the other's, with both blushing and turning away. Embarassed, Wu sent a few Elemental Masters to the village to investigate the rumors of the march.

At the village, the Serpentine forces demanded the return of their artifacts, as the humans claimed they didn't possess any. Subsequently, Clouse, magically disguised as a villager, threw a tomato at a Venomari tribesman, provoking Serpentine attack. Their forces pillaged and plundered Jamanakai Village, setting buildings ablaze and assaulting villagers until the arrival of Wu's investigation party, consisting of Ray, Maya, Levi, and Dusk, who fought back against the Serpentine. Strike watched the growing conflict from a distance alongside Pythor in disbelief as he sarcastically mocked her. As a result, the Anacondrai entered the battle after Strike requested for General Arcturus to reinstate the peace - a request that would never be fulfilled. After the Anacondrai arrived, Levi was consumed by an Anacondrai serpent and the remaining Elemental Masters returned to the camp with the bound beast to warn the others of the onslaught. Together, the Alliance worked together to free Levi from the belly of the captured Anacondrai serpent.

That night, Garmadon snuck into the camp, attempting to surprise Wu before the latter detected him. The brothers reunited, and Garmadon shared his hope to obtain great power through an artifact he received upon his departure from Chen's monastery. Reluctant, Wu allowed for Garmadon to depart in pursuit of said power, with the latter promising to return to aid in the conflict.

Chapter 3: Far and Wide[]

Many skirmishes after the Battle of Jamanakai Village, displaced villagers in a soup line located in Sunbreak Valley thank Misako for her assistance in locating new delivery routes, as she speaks of the heroism of the Elemental Masters in the war. Numerous battles are briefly pictured, including Benton and Hibernus' victory over the Hypnobrai and Venomari at the Battle of Headstone Road, Libber, Krux, and Acronix's victory over the Fangpyre and Constrictai in the Battle of Tanaka City, and Sono and Maya's naval victory against the mixed Serpentine forces at the Battle of the Moon Springs. Elsewhere, Wu, Ray, Dusk, and Leo are forced to retreat, defeated by the Anacondrai at the Battle of Black Cliffs.

As the war waged on over an indeterminate period of time, Strike stationed herself at a village where she evaluated seized ceramic goods in hopes of finding Serpentine artifacts. While there, she treated the humans with decency but recognized their fear. Prior to Chen's sudden arrival, Strike questioned Arcturus and the Anacondrai's motives behind the conflict, reminding them that she hoped to work in cooperation with the humans to prevent the coming of the Golden Master. Arcturus shrugged off her warning and dismissed it as a myth, and Pythor took her aside to assert his loyalty to only his own self-interest. When Chen arrived, he explained to Strike that he was on the side of the Serpentine, and led her to a museum of Anacondrai artifacts in the village that he had curated for her study.

Elsewhere, the Elemental Alliance dealt with the aftermath of their implied defeats, noting the absence of the Time Twins and the supposed capture of Leo. Subsequently, an Anacondrai warrior approached the group, revealing himself to be the presumed captured Master of Form and relaying that the Serpentine forces were moving to Birchwood Forest. The Alliance and their forces prepare in the forest ahead of time, where Garmadon reveals himself to have returned, to Wu's excitement. Garmadon alludes to his time in the Wyldness and regrettably informs the Alliance that he found nothing of use to them in the war as he had hoped he would. At that moment, the Anacondrai forces arrived behind General Arcturus, who taunts the brothers and requests their unconditional surrender. Upon their refusal, the battle begins as Clouse watches from the sidelines. He uses Dark Magic to mystically control the distracted Benton, and as Arcturus recovers from a blow dealt by the Spinjitzu Brothers, the mind-controlled Benton sends hunks of earth hurtling at them before flinging them up into the air alongside Ray and then immobilizing them in a crater in the ground.

Chapter 4: Betrayal[]

Disoriented by Benton's supposed betrayal, the Elemental Alliance retreated. Clouse covertly fled as Benton regained control over himself, devastated by what he had done as Arcturus mocked him.

As they approached Jamanakai Village, Garmadon's growing distrust in the Alliance is halted by Wu, who affirmed his faith in the Elemental Masters, as he believed another force was at work in Benton's betrayal. They regrouped in the village, where Garmadon observed a snake charmer using a flute to charm a snake in a basket. He was deep in thought when Strike surprised the alliance, as she opened the door of a nearby building to greet them. Met with resistance, she claimed to be alone and not planning an ambush or trick.

Elsewhere, distraught by his actions while under Clouse's control, Benton hunched over the battlefield of the Battle of Birchwood Forest until a bud broke through the earth in front of him and a flower mystically grew to fruition, as he recognized Brook standing before him. She uplifted his spirit and asserted her belief in things starting anew, essentially pledging herself to the aid of the Elemental Alliance.

Back in Jamanakai Village, after deliberation amongst the Alliance over whether to trust Strike, Wu decided to hear her out. Inside, she explained her disillusionment in the Serpentine cause after she saw only the Anacondrai on the battlefield she snuck into from nearby to observe, and her witnessing of Clouse's dark magic he used covertly to puppeteer Benton. After hearing the Elemental Alliance's side of the events of the war, Strike recognized that both sides had been pitted against each other by Chen. Upon being questioned by Wu about a means to end the war, she went on to explain Jamanakai Village's history as a place of harmony between humans and the Serpentine, and how Sacred Flutes were used to create peaceful communication and empathy. Strike hoped to retrieve the remnants of a Sacred Flute with the expectation of using it to create new flutes and instill understanding between the humans and the Serpentine once more. The Alliance agreed with this plan, committing themselves to obtaining the remnants as Brook and Benton arrived, with the Alliance choosing to forgive the latter. Afterward, Strike revealed to them that they would have to retrieve the remnants from beyond enemy lines.

Chapter 5: Battle Song[]

Outside of Chen's library, Strike led Wu, Garmadon, Sono, and Brook covertly past columns of Anacondrai warriors behind barriers. At the last barrier, she stepped out to reveal only herself to her tribe and announced her desire to see General Arcturus. He emerged to confront her, and they argued about Chen's motives and Strike's idealist views, and he asserted the Anacondrai's intent for domination without mercy. At that moment, the present members of the Elemental Alliance revealed themselves, with Wu sending Brook, Sono, and Strike inside the library as he and Garmadon held the Anacondrai off. Inside, the trio followed the instructions of a scroll that accompanied the Sacred Flute's remains, and Brook used her Nature powers to reconstruct the wooden frames while Sono used his Sound powers to correctly configure their sound. Left with numerous new Sacred Flutes, the trio was approached by Chen and Clouse, the former revealing the true motive beyond his deception being based in drama and enterprise. The trio warded the two off, and the two Elemental Masters rushed outside to relieve Wu and Garmadon using the flutes. Unexpectedly, the Anacondrai were rendered fully immobile as opposed to instilled with empathy as predicted by Strike. Glimpses of the future entombment of the Serpentine tribes at the hands of Elemental Masters with Sacred Flutes are seen before Wu recognized that Strike was exempt from immobilization. Reading from a scroll, Strike realized that she was spared from the effect, for the Sacred Flutes only immobilized Serpentine closed to the possibility of acceptance and understanding and instead delivered increased empathy to those whose hearts were open to it, including her own. She sadly reflected upon the irony that this reality would separate her forevermore from the tribes she hoped to unite.

Days later in the Court of Ninjago, Wu, Garmadon, and Mystake held the trials of the Anacondrai Generals. Reviewing their offenses and alluding to Chen's banishment, the trio refuted Arcturus' request for mercy and banished the generals to the Cursed Realm. Afterward, Strike emerged from the audience to question if she should endure the same fate, but was excused with honor by Wu on the account of her good merits and intentions of unity.

An indeterminate amount of time later, the Elemental Alliance gathered in a meadow where Misako arrived with a letter stamped with a heart, asking to speak privately with Garmadon. Pensive, Wu reflected upon his confidence in the Alliance's bond and duty to protect Ninjago.

An implied decades later, back in the present of Wu and Strike, the two walked through the forest path and Strike questioned if Wu ever saw old members of the Elemental Alliance, to which he alluded to the ninja. She inquired about his doubt in facing the threat he perceived, and he expressed his difficulty in assuring his students that all would be alright. Strike reassured him by questioning if he trusted those who bought beside him to care for others, and his motive to fight. After having answered her first question affirmatively and the latter in the name of peace, respectively, Wu found comfort in his words as Strike concluded that peace is always worth striving for, and that by recognizing this fundamental truth, they too could find peace within themselves.

Appearances

Appearances[]

Characters[]

Visualized[]

Creatures[]

Items[]

Vehicles[]

Events[]

Locations[]

Species[]

Trivia

Trivia[]

  • This novel marks the first physical appearance of the members of the Elemental Alliance since The Hands of Time, which was released almost nine years prior.
  • The novel features all Serpentine characters who were introduced in 2012.
  • The novel was planned simultaneously with Shatterspin.[7]
  • The novel was originally called The Serpentine War.[8]
  • The novel was originally planned to have been released as a comic series right after Shatterspin in 2024.[9]
  • It is the first Ninjago project by Image Comics where Tri Vuong wasn't involved.
    • Due to the art style being slightly different, Garmadon's appearance more closely matches with his design seen in the original show's flashback rather than looking similar to Lloyd's post-movie design.
  • The story retcons the reason why Benton turned against the alliance during the battle at Birchwood Forest. Prior to its release, Tommy Andreasen stated that he turned against the alliance due to Hypnobrai hypnosis in his two novels.[10][11]
  • Aside from the Spinjitzu Brothers, the Time Twins, Ray, and Maya, whose names were known prior to release, Libber is the only member of the Alliance whose name was not revealed in the novel, instead being revealed on LEGO.com.[12]
  • Wu stating that he is anticipating "this latest storm" likely refers to the Coalescence.
  • Tommy Andreasen served as a consultant for the book's editorial team.[13]
Continuity

Continuity[]

  • This novel combines all previous versions and lore drops about the Serpentine War as there were many inconsistencies before:
    • In Season 1: Rise of the Snakes, it was stated that the Serpentine were not united before the war and were fighting each other. Although this is not really the case, it is shown the Serpentine tribes were brought together because of the war and because of Strike's attempts.
    • In Season 1, it was also stated that the Sacred Flutes are as old as the Serpentine themselves and were created to combat them but in Season 4: Tournament of Elements it was implied they were already created beforehand while Garmadon got the idea to use the flutes when he saw one being used on a snake. This novel combines the two as the original flutes were made centuries before the war but they were lost and broken until Brook and Sono repaired them.
    • In Season 3: Rebooted it is stated that the war was caused because the humans did not listen to the Serpentine who tried to warn them about the the curse of the Golden Master. However, in Season 4 this was retconned/ignored as it was Chen who manipulated the Serpentine and the humans to fight each other. This novel again combines the two as Strike was trying to warn the humans about the curse and indirectly caused the war after being manipulated by Chen.
    • Characters from flashbacks from other installments (not just Season 4) also appear in this comic, including Libber, Acronix, and Krux from Season 7: The Hands of Time, Mogra from Garmadon, and Asa from Shatterspin.
  • It is implied that Benton named his daughter Lilly after a lily flower that Brook showed him to encourage him and give him hope.
  • This novel reveals that Pythor is not the only surviving Anacondrai in the present day as Strike was never imprisoned in the Anacondrai Tomb.

Errors[]

  • In the first chapter, present-day Wu wears his Dragon Stone Shrine outfit, most likely due to its inclusion in some releases of the graphic novel. However, he wears his Core suit in the final chapter.
  • The Serpentine who says the line "Turns out the Constrictai and I can agree on something" is erroneously drawn to be Chokun, a Constrictai.
  • Similarly, Clouse is shown saying the line "Seriously? Exile? There's no fun in that. None!" despite it matching Chen's character much more.
  • The attack on Jamanakai Village and the battle in the Birchwood Forest are shown to take place at night, despite them both occurring during the daytime in "Spellbound."
Gallery

Gallery[]

Translations

Translations[]

Language Name
German Angriff der Schlangen[14]
References

References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/DQciqgtkbcX/
  2. ↑ https://www.amazon.de/Lego-Ninjago-Serpentine-Cameron-Chittock/dp/1534333355
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/lego-ninjago-strike-of-the-serpentine-graphic-novel/9781534333352.html
  4. ↑ https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1534333355/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&psc=1
  5. ↑ https://comiccrusaders.com/comic-books/skybound-image-announce-lego-ninjago-strike-of-the-serpentine-graphic-novel/
  6. ↑ https://www.dynamicforces.com/htmlfiles/news.html?showNews=DFN05272572110
  7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sB04dSwFvU&t=1537s
  8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sB04dSwFvU&t=1595s
  9. ↑ https://youtu.be/WLPy42O7ffI?si=w7t_vVcj4DPL2STQ&t=1231
  10. ↑ Way of the Departed, Chapter 9
  11. ↑ The Splinter in the Blind Man's Eye. Chapter 13
  12. ↑ https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/ninjago/article/anniversary
  13. ↑ https://x.com/TommyAndreasen/status/2028071086600950065
  14. ↑ https://www.thalia.de/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1077594132