Having had an opportunity to examine a small selection, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are four distinct variants of the Poisoned HAU NUVA. None of them are truly accurate to the coloration seen in MoL, either pre-KURAHK or post-KURAHK, so which one is best is largely a matter of personal taste. The HUA NUVA mold appears to be set up as a four-cavity mold, and each cavity produces a mostly predictable swirl pattern. Individual KANOHI can be identified as to which cavity they were formed in by looking between the eyes on the back side. There should be a five-digit number (43853, which is the HAU NUVA part number), and underneath that should be a single digit (1-4), a dash, and two more digits (theoretically they should all be “- 01”). The double-digit number identifies the mold unit, and the single digit number identifies which of the various mold cavities it was actually formed in. Visually, this is how they appear to stack up:

Cavity 1: this version has a largely dark green forehead with a very small bright green patch in the middle. Very little to no bright green should be seen on the actual eyebrows. The two center ribs on the chin should be almost entirely red.

Cavity 2: this version has a red forehead that’s almost the same color as a standard TAHU HAU NUVA. The two center ribs on the chin should be half red (front) and half green (back). The upper forehead has a very mottled swirl pattern that’s not present on the C1 and C4 versions.

Cavity 3: this version, while very similar to the C2 version, has a thin green stripe running right down the center of the forehead, extending into the mouth pit.

Cavity 4: the final version is almost indistinguishable from the C1 version, though I find it has a larger bright green splotch that should extend down between the eyes.

If you’re hoping to get your hands on one of these in the US, you might need to resort to buying one at auction, since they will have very limited availability. Brian provided us with details for only one US promotional venue, and you must be a LEGO Club member to take advantage of it. Club members who live near one of the new stores will receive a postcard with their November issue of the Club magazine. The postcard states that if you bring it in to one of the new stores, you can redeem it for a poster, on November 14th or later. What it doesn’t say is that until supplies run out, you will also be given one of these rare Poisoned HAU NUVA when you redeem your postcard. Participating stores are as follows:

Glendale Galleria, Glendale, CA
Northbrook Ct., Northbrook, IL
Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, IL
Solomon Pond Mall, Marlborough, MA
Burlington Mall, Burlington, MA
Paramus Park, Paramus, NJ
Palisades Center, West Nyack, NY

Due to the limitations placed on US availability, I’m really hoping this will not be the only source for these, or there will be a lot of angry collectors.

Now, as far as the storyline goes, Leah shed a little light on just what this would have meant for poor TAHU NUVA: “Lerahk’s poison is not the same as wearing an infected mask because it does not make you Makuta’s pawn. Tahu’s behavior in the film was partly the poison, partly the rage provoked by Kurahk. And untreated it would lead to
death… or worse!”