Rock Monster

Art of the Rock Monster by Artworld UK

Rock Monsters are a fictional extraterrestrial lifeform introduced in the LEGO Rock Raiders theme. They are large ape-like creatures made of stone that live in caverns deep underground and eat power crystals. In the story of LEGO Rock Raiders, Rock Monsters are one of the many alien species living on a distant planet where the titular Rock Raiders are mining. They serve as an antagonistic force against the Rock Raiders, who require power crystals to refuel their spaceship and return home.

The Rock Monster is the only creature in LEGO Rock Raiders to be released in LEGO construction sets. The Rock Monster figure, featured in two sets in 1999, was the most complex LEGO figure designed at that point, and is sometimes cited as the first example of a LEGO "big fig". Rock Monsters feature prominantly across other Rock Raiders media, and even have counterparts made of ice and lava exclusive to the theme's books and video games. Different Rock Monsters later appeared in the LEGO Power Miners theme in 2009.

Development

Design sketches of the Rock monster figure's body (top) and arm (bottom)

The Rock Monster was designed at LEGO Futura as part of the LEGO Rock Raiders theme. After coming up with the initial concept of an underground world for Rock Raiders, the theme's designers decided that there should be "frightening" monsters living in it. Various designs for the monster were drawn in concept art, all of which were made to be menacing though with variation on how humanoid or animalistic it was. The designers originally wanted the Rock Monster model to be white or grey like many types of stone, but eventually settled on colouring it brown "like a bear." They also worked with people from the LEGO engineering department to decide how the Rock Monster's physical structure and function would work. This led to further redesigns to have more straight edges in it to work better as a plastic figure. The monster's throwing arm proved to be the most challenging element to design, as it was intended to be able to hold both power crystals and minifigures, while also being able to rotate to simulate throwing things. A number of prototype models were created over the course of months before deciding on one that worked. The engineering department drew sketches that were used to create moulds for the factory to cast the figure's parts with. The Rock Monster was considered to be one of the most difficult LEGO figure to have been created at the time.

The Rock Monster figure is cast in three separate external parts. The lower body, legs, left arm, and lower jaw make up the bottom part, which can connect on top of other bricks. The upper body and head make up the top part, which features studs on the left shoulder and abdomen. The throwing arm connects between the other two parts on the right side. The arm uses a ratcheting joint for articulation, keeping it held in place in forward-facing positions. The three parts are built around a hidden internal piece that holds the throwing arm in place. The internal piece uses non-standard colour mixtures, likely made using excess or run-off plastic; every Rock Monster figure has a uniquely-coloured internal piece.

The Rock Monster figure was released in the Loader-Dozer (item number 4950) and the Rock Raiders HQ (4990) sets. The figure was never featured in any later sets, though it continued appearing in books and video games for several years afterward.

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  Concept art featuring two Rock Monsters

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  Concept art with a more humanoid design

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  Concept art in the same pose as the figure

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  Prototype arm pieces

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  Uncoloured figure from a Loader-Dozer prototype

Depiction

Rock Monster art by Roger Harris

In the story of the LEGO Rock Raiders theme, Rock Monsters are one of the alien creatures encountered by the Rock Raiders on the uncharted planet that the LMS Explorer is stranded in orbit around.

The LEGO Rock Raiders video game's instruction manual states that Chief is rumoured to have encountered a Rock Monster in his youth. He has never spoken about his experience to anyone, but has written about it in the Explorer's computer, describing the creature as being twice as tall as him with "fiery" eyes and remembering that it devoured a pile of Energy Crystals and disappeared into the surrounding rock. At the time of the LEGO Rock Raiders story, only a few other people had seen Rock Monsters prior.

In the Rock Raiders puzzle storybook, the Rock Raiders first encounter a Rock Monster shortly after arriving underground from the surface. Docs sees a Rock Monster enter the cave; the Rock Monster breaks open a rock that contains a power crystal and eats the crystal, letting the Rock Raiders know that power crystals can be found inside similar rocks.

Game information

LEGO Rock Raiders (Windows)

In the Windows version of LEGO Rock Raiders, the Rock Monster is one of the creatures that the player can encounter during certain missions. Rock Monsters eat Energy Crystals they find lying around. If there are no accessible Energy Crystals, Rock Monsters will move towards buildings and try to destroy them.

The Rock Monster can travel across land and moves at a speed of 0.6 blocks per second.