How is it supposed to work, exactly? Mind you, I mean this in the thematic sense. I get how defeating each foe would make Haka stronger, building confidence and such, but how does he, er, release the power? Moreover, why is it toxic damage? Does he absorb the essences of his fallen opponents, then release it all in a beam of toxic energy? Which honestly would not make sense, because Haka doesn't seem to have powers like that. I really can't think of a way to explain it...
....unless Haka actually DOES eat his victims (Mana is food, yes?) and then-ew-regurgitates them back at the enemy. That would totally count for 'toxic' damage.
Lots of damage types get used pretty loosely ("Sonic Damage" representing monloging on a number of villains is the classic example), and I suspect that's what's going on here. Although, to be fair, even if it's not a spray of acid or somethng, I do suspect that Savage Mana is released as a magical blast. As a superpowered ghost, some kind of building up and releasing of energy from defeated foes can be expected.
Well, thare's one way I can imagine that toxic damage would make sense...
Let me set the scene:
Omnitron-X, having sensed a massive influx of unknown power radiatiing from the Ruins of Atlantis and not able to reach the main team of the Freedom Five; has brought Haka(who was taken from his lunch), Tempest, and the Scholar to aid him in finding the cause of this disturbance. Strange enough they discover that the Matriarch had somehow stumbled upon a portal to the mystical hub of power, and amazingly was able to bring a large flock of fowl into the massive structure. We now join our heroes in mid fight with the matron of aviation.
Matriarch: "Ha ha! You simpletons will never defeat me and my flock of beauties!"
Haka: I've had about enough of these birds for one day! *stomach growl* And I still haven't eaten yet!
Haka's player uses 'Rampage', Destroys all birds and domains on the field. Damage de3alt to teammates blocked/redirected.
Tempest: If I know Terran customs as well as I'd hope, isn't it customary to eat some species of birds?
Haka: ...That's a great idea! *Begins to stuff all birds down his mouth*
Omnitron-X: Warrning: Sutch binge eating is not good for a humans health.
Haka: *Turns green* Ugh...I don't feel so good...
The Scholar: Hmm...That gives me an idea. *Turns Haka torwards the Matriarch* Hey Haka, want this candy bar that's been in my pocket for the last week?
Haka: Ugh...
Matriarch: Wait, what are you-?
And that, my friends, is where I'll leave your imagination to fill in the blanks...
I mean, in the origional art for Savage Mana, Haka's laying his hands on Hippopotumus Man and Hippo man looks like he's about to pass out. Perhaps he's absorbing thier essense with his fists and is laying it down, Fanatic Style on his foes...
Perhaps it has something to do with Lactic acids that build up when you work out. and Haka absorbs it when he crushes his foes, and uses his immortality magic to transfer it to the target...?
That pic, together with the fluff quote at the bottom, makes it seem like Haka is basically draining their life essence or something. No wonder it's toxic if he's doing what seems to be Necromancy (thought you'd think it'd be infernal in that case, I suppose) ;).
I think it looks like he's drawing out the opponent's essence there with the green smoke, not that the green smoke is the damage he puts out because he's buffed up.
Yeah that's what I meant - he's draining out their life essence into himself and when he's built up a whole store of it, then he explodes it at something ;).
The real joke is that it's not "Mana" as in the Polynesian term for magical energy in such common usage these days, it's a typo meant to be "Manna" as in the biblical miracle food which many historians think was actually edible fungus. So, Savage Mana is really just Haka giving you bad shrooms.
(This makes the game I played where Haka was the last man standing against The Ennead and had to take down Shu with a 24-point Savage Mana attack even funnier.)
