- “Hey Milo, you got something sporty? You know, like a tuna?”
- ―Vincenzo Santorini
The Martag is a stone vehicle, carved into the shape of a piranha, that is powered by the energy components possessed with the crystal shards from the Heart of Atlantis. They, along with Aktirak and the Leviathan, are the primarily combat machines used during the height of Atlantis to dominate other civilizations. While the Ketak's inscription pad shapes like an octagon, the Martag's has a different shape with instructions carved on three sides. By utilizing the crystal shard's power, Martags are able to launch electrical lasers.
Overview[]
Design for the Martag with notes by production designer Mike Mignola.
Following the events of the Great Flood, King Kashekim Nedakh had all knowledge of the Heart of Atlantis erased and hid it in the Crystal Chamber below his own residence. Over time, the Atlanteans would come to forget not only the purpose for the flying stone fish, but also how to operate them. Soon enough, they would forget about them all together.
When the Whitmore Expedition arrived in Atlantis, Milo Thatch was able to read the instructions on a Ketak to activate it. Milo would teach the Atlanteans this knowledge when they are needed to stop Lyle Rourke from escaping with the Heart of Atlantis. During a battle over a dormant volcano, Vinny Santorini would accidentally discover how to discharge an energy blast to contend with the previously superior firearms of Rourke's men. Since the return of the Heart of Atlantis, Martags and other stone fish are now in regular use by the Atlanteans once more.
Trivia[]
- The Martag is not mentioned by name at any point in the film and like most of the other vehicles in the film, is named within the film's guidebooks and merchandising.
- Vinny refers the word "tuna" to the Martag.
- The final shot of the film (a zoom out of a restored Atlantis under the rule of Milo Thatch and Queen Kida) is actually a 1500-foot long painting stitched together using a computer. The reason for all of the stone fish to be seen flying over this shot was to make viewers of the film think that this is all just one drawing.
