X (Mega Man)

Mega Man X
Mega Man X series character
X Mega Man X as he appears in the Mega Man X series.
First game	Mega Man X
Created by	Keiji Inafune

Mega Man X, or Rockman X (ロックマンエックス, Rokkuman Ekkusu), usually abbreviated to simply "X," in the games' original Japanese, is the main video game character of Capcom's Mega Man X video game series. Introduced in the 1993 SNES video game Mega Man X and created by series creator Keiji Inafune, Mega Man X is a sapient robot who, along with his partner Zero and the rest of the Maverick Hunters, protects humans and intelligent robots known as Reploids by hunting down rogue robots known as Mavericks.

While Mega Man, the protagonist of the original Mega Man series, was largely a personality-less cypher, the Mega Man X series places a greater emphasis on fiction, and casts X as a warrior who desires nothing better than to live in peace, but is forced to fight in order to protect that peace.

The NES system began to fade into obscurity in the face of its successor, the Super Famicom. Along with the improved graphics engine, Keiji developed a darker character design and plot, and according to him, he believes that such designs will continue with each new generation of technology. In line with the new "X" series developed, two characters were created, one being the main character of X, and the inclusion of his partner, Zero.

History

Keiji introduced the design and character for X on December 17th, 1993 in Japan, in his first game, Mega Man X. This game and its iterations received later distribution dates in America, with the first game being released to North America a few days later, on December 28th. Since then, X has appeared in every iteration in the Mega Man X series as the title and main character of the story , which takes place on a fictional Earth.

Keiji Inafune has stated that originally, X's partner in the series, Zero, was meant to become the title character of the next series. However, in an interview conducted in 2004, he has stated that the idea was scrapped and he made Zero into a supporting role, as the similarities were few between his original Mega Man design and for fear fans of the series might not relate to the new character. Also, despite the design, he has stated that X and the original Mega Man are two different entities, although it is unknown how the first Mega Man disappeared in the series due to lack of storyline elements not introduced in late Classic iterations.

Video game history

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X is introduced in Mega Man X. The manual fills in his backstory: X is Dr. Light's final masterwork, a new advanced robot that could think for itself and make its own decisions. Light named him X after the variable "x" which, in algebreic terms, represents limitless possibility, as do X's advanced systems.

Light feared the ramifications of giving robots free will, so he chose to seal X inside a capsule for 30 years to test the integrity and reliability of X's systems. Unfortunately, this was well beyond Dr. Light's predicted life expectancy, and he died before X's diagnostics were complete. X was discovered still in his capsule 100 years later by Dr. Cain, who attempted to replicate X's technology and, with X's help, produced the first Reploids. It should be noted that X himself is not actually a Reploid, as Reploids are instead robots or "replicas" that are based upon his designs. Rather, X and Zero were both highly advanced robots which were capable of sapient thought. When the Reploids began to rebel against humanity (such rebels are termed Mavericks), the Maverick Hunters were formed to combat them, under the leadership of Sigma, the strongest and most advanced Reploid created at that time. This proved to be disastrous when Sigma himself was eventually infected with the Maverick Virus, and goes Maverick himself, taking most of the Maverick Hunters with him as he leads a massive revolt.

Note that the following does not follow the storyline chronologically

Mega Man X

Mega Man X begins with X, expressing guilt because he had a part in creating the Reploids, joining the remaining Hunters, then led by Zero. With Zero's help, X eventually defeated the Mavericks and their head, Sigma, but at the cost of Zero's life.

Mega Man X2

Mega Man X2 picks up where Mega Man X left off, as the Hunters have tracked down the remaining Mavericks. The X-Hunters, a group of Mavericks who wish to destroy X, gather the parts of Zero's corpse, seeking to use them as bait to lure X to his destruction. X destroys the X-Hunters and gathers Zero's parts, eventually discovering that Sigma was behind the plot all along. Even if you recover Zero's parts, a badly built Zero copy confronts X, but is defeated by the real Zero. (The player can choose to ignore the X-Hunters; in this case, a brainwashed Zero confronts X, but is defeated and comes to his senses. This ending is considered non-canonical, as it is not reflected in later games.) X confronts and destroys Sigma once again, while the newly-rebuilt Zero destroys Sigma's central computer.

Mega Man X3

Mega Man X3 reveals that there has been a period of peace after a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler created a supposed cure for the Maverick Virus. This cure turns out to be an ineffectual placebo, however, and the Maverick Hunters find themselves overwhelmed with a massive Maverick uprising. X and Zero enter the fray and discover that the virus and Sigma are one and the same, explaining why Sigma keeps coming back. X and Zero destroy Sigma's new battle body (built by Doppler, who had been infected with the virus.) It is revealed but unbeknownst to X that his ultimate fate to save the human race would be to destroy Zero. This is a mildly misleading translation from the Japanese version, which merely says that X knows in his heart that he is destined to fight Zero.

Mega Man Xtreme and Xtreme 2

Mega Man Xtreme is set between Mega Man X2 and X3. In this game, a hacker named Techno has invaded the Hunters' Mother Computer and is using the data of previous Mavericks against the organization. With the help of Middy, X goes into cyberspace, where he discovers that Sigma had "influenced" Techno. X accidentally destroys Techno, then learns that Middy is Techno's twin brother, and that destroying Techno destroyed Middy as well. X, crushed, challenges Sigma once again and defeats him, extracting a measure of vengeance.

Mega Man Xtreme 2, which takes place sometime after X3, takes X and Zero to Laguz Island, where they battle the Soul Erasers, Berkana and Gareth. X defeats Berkana and Zero defeats Gareth, and the two team up to defeat Sigma.

Mega Man X4

Mega Man X4 reveals that Zero is the origin of the Sigma Virus. The Repliforce War breaks out, because the Maverick Hunters judged a faction of Reploids as Mavericks without good reason. X, though, was led away from the real targets by a spy of Sigma named Double and it was Zero this time who foiled Sigma's plan by hunting down the Repliforce and destroying its top officers and Sigma himself, killing a good friend named Colonel and Iris in the process. X, realizing that he was tricked and discovering that Sigma had set up the entire plan, became very frustrated and swiftly disposed of Double. This time, though, he was beginning to doubt his ability to remain sane, and he told Zero that if he ever were to go Maverick that Zero would have to take care of him.

Mega Man X5

By Mega Man X5, the Repliforce has been completely wiped out. With peace restored, the Hunters hire several new officers, including Alia. Unfortunately, X gets into a confrontation with the Sigma Virus and accidentally spreads it all over Earth. This turns out to be yet another of Sigma's evil schemes. In addition, Sigma attempts to send the space colony Eurasia into the Earth, thus spreading the virus further, in order to awaken Zero's true self. Under one story possibility, X faces off with Zero after he ignored orders to report back to Base for a full physical check on his virus readings. In the other story possibility, the overwhelming amount of the virus becomes a catalyst that exposes Zero's true self. The former is considered to be the canon storyline.

Sigma reveals to X that Zero's true form is the one that emerges when he is powered up with the Maverick Virus (this mechanic is also reflected during gameplay). As it turns out, Zero was the one who had spread the virus to Sigma during their first confrontation, as shown in a cutscene during Mega Man X4. Sigma also speaks of a mysterious new ally who built a body for him. He also says that this person is interested in Zero "as if he was his own father" and claims that he and X know each other well, because they were enemies in the past (obviously referring to the character of Dr. Wily from the Mega Man series). Once beaten, Sigma claims he will take down Zero with him. As X and Zero both lay damaged from Sigma's massive explosion, X stands over Zero's battered body, hoping for signs of life. Sigma's remains then fire a blast straight through X and Zero. Zero revives for just a moment, destroying Sigma's remains and then passes away. X was badly injured, and Dr. Light miraculously repairs him.

Mega Man X6

During the Nightmare Outbreak in Mega Man X6, X is still coping with the loss of his friend, unaware that Zero is still alive. The Zero Nightmare - a clone of Zero created by an infected Reploid researcher named Gate (who was Alia's former colleague) - smears Zero's name and is promptly defeated by X. Upon doing this, Zero reveals himself again to an elated X. Together, they swear to eliminate the evil source of the Nightmares, and do so with Alia's help. Sigma is once again revealed to be a part of the catastrophe, and is defeated by X. X claims that he now has more important things to do, such as rebuilding the Earth, and if Sigma were to come back, he would defeat him again and again, as many times as it takes. After the battle he saves the remains of Gate for Alia to repair, because he knew what it was like to lose a colleague and didn't want to see any more innocent Reploids die. Alia thanks him for this, and they swear to try to rebuild the Earth.

Mega Man X7

Shortly before the events of Mega Man X7, the Maverick Hunters were severely crippled as X retired from active duty to pursue more peaceful means to end the constant fighting. In his absence, a new Maverick-hunting faction known as "Red Alert" began hunting Mavericks, often with questionable tactics. Zero was summoned to the scene of a rampage in the city and found a young Reploid named Axl trying to flee Red Alert. He rescued Axl, and what ensued resulted in a harsh custody battle between the Hunters and Red Alert. X eventually returned to the Hunters and fought alongside Axl and Zero, eventually discovering Sigma back at it again, manipulating the whole fiasco from behind the scenes. The trio confronted the maniacal Reploid and defeated him once more.

Mega Man X8

File:X mmx8.jpg

X as he appears in Mega Man X8.

During the Jakob elevator incident in Mega Man X8, X is back once again investigating a crab-like Maverick in a forest. This time, he seems to have much more resolve for fighting, although there are times where he contemplates the need for peaceful resolutions. Along with Zero and Axl, he was able to travel to the Moon and stop Sigma and a new villain known as Lumine. This entailed plans to replace every Reploid with "New generation Reploids," which have a built in copy chip and are claimed to "go Maverick at will." However, the battle with Lumine left X dejected as his companion Axl was left comatose and the fact that the Reploid race would always be Mavericks. However with Zero's words, X is somewhat comforted and the duo returned to the Maverick Hunter base.

Other Games in the X Series

• Mega Man X Command Mission (PlayStation 2 and GameCube, Released in 2004)
• Mega Man X Collection (GameCube and PlayStation 2, Released on January 10, 2006)
• Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (PSP, Released on January 31, 2006)

Mega Man Zero series

File:X mmz.jpg

Mega Man X (aka "Cyber Elf X") as he appears in the Mega Man Zero series.

In the Mega Man Zero series, X plays a supporting role, similar to that of Dr. Light in the Mega Man X series. He was originally responsible for ending the Maverick Wars by using the Sigma Anti-Body program known as the Mother Elf to erase the Maverick Virus remnants in all Reploids. Following this, the rise of Cyber-Elves and the ambitions of human scientist Dr. Weil led to another genocidal war that lasted for four years called the "Elf Wars." X and Zero worked together to defeat Weil's ambitions and end the Elf Wars, but Zero eventually sealed himself away and left X alone to deal with the remains. A century passed, and sometime during this period, X used his physical body to seal the Dark Elf. His consciousness then continued to exist separately as a Cyber Elf.

During the course of the Zero games, even though his body is not available to help Zero, he still has incredible power and can aid Zero information-wise. X's powers as a Cyber Elf are revealed a few times in the games, such as in Mega Man Zero 3 when Dr. Weil used the power of Omega and the Dark Elf to take control of all Reploids on Earth: X used his powers to protect the entire Resistance Base from being controlled as well (apparently, X and Zero were not affected by Omega or the Dark Elf, as they are not Reploids, but original robots). It is said, though, that his only reason for existing as an elf outside his body was due to the fact that his original body was intact. Elpizo later destroyed this body and X now claims that he has only a little time left. In the booklet Vile's Incident, Cyber Elf X and Cyber Elf Phantom, are seen alongside the other guardians, watching Ragnarok fall apart. However, according to "Rockman Zero Complete Works," this is purely fan service, as the three Guardians died at the end of the third game when Omega exploded. X's lines during said ending imply that he "expired" after this. However, X's soul was sealed in Biometal X in order to live on, just as Zero did with his.

Mega Man ZX and ZX Advent

In ZX, it is implied that X reappears in the form of Biometal X which can be used by protagonists Vent and Aile to form Model X. X is the first Biometal found by the protagonists and always encourages them to fight for justice and assures them that what they are doing is right. Possibly because of its origins the other Biometals seem to know and show loyalty to it. Later on X is used as a template to combine with a second Biometal, which allows the protagonists to use the other Biometals. In Zx Advent, Biometal X returns again, with Vent/Aile teaming up with Grey/Ashe, the new protagonists to destroy Model W and Ouroboros.

Weapons and abilities

X is a powerful robot equipped with various abilities and powers to aid in his persucution of Mavericks and their threat to the peace and stability of the Earth. His most distinguished ability is the X-Buster, an arm cannon, that is able to transform from Mega Man X's arms to attack.

• Super strength

Like most robots, X has strength well above the normal human capacity. He can lift in the proximity of several thousand pounds, although the exact maximum is never revealed in the games.

• X-Buster

X's primary weapon is the X-Buster, described as Mega Buster Mark 17 in the first game. The X-Buster focuses energy from X's fusion reactor into a plasma bullet that causes physical damage upon impact. Like the Mega Buster form the original Megaman, the X-Buster can be charged up to a subsequent second and third level to shoot bigger and more powerful plasma blasts.

• Weapon Copy

Like Mega Man before him, X has the ability to adapt the weapons systems of powerful Reploids that he has defeated into weapons he can use. These weapons come in many varieties, often providing additional mobility as well as offense. Of course, the Mega Man series convention of janken applies, and each boss character is weak to a different boss character's copied weapon.

• Wall kick

X has the ability to cling to vertical surfaces (e.g. walls). On a wall, X normally slides downward slowly, but by kicking off the surface of the wall he can gain height, and even rebound back to the wall to climb it. In the manga this technique is called the "Triangular Jump".

• Emergency Acceleration System (Dash)

This ability is similar to Mega Man's slide maneuver in that it increases his speed, but unlike the slide, X is capable of using the ability to leap further than normal in a "dash jump," as well as dash from objects to which he is clinging. X first got the ability from the only mandatory capsule in the X series, in X1. He has apparently internalized the upgrade.

Some armor upgrades allow X to air dash, which is usually only used for puzzles, but can still be used as an evasive maneuver. In Mega Man X3, X is granted a choice of choosing one of four special upgrade chips, with one of the choices improving his dash, granting him the ability to air dash twice during a jump. In Mega Man X7 and X8, X can also air dash from the beginning, indicating that he has internalized this upgrade too.

Armor systems

In each Mega Man X game, X can find upgrade capsules made by Dr. Light before he died. Each of these tanks contains a helmet part, arm armor, body armor, or leg armor. A hologram of Dr. Light greets X and explains the capabilities of the part in question before granting it to him. Until Mega Man X5, each of these four parts was part of a single suit of upgraded armor; in X5, X6 and X8, however, there are multiple different suits of upgraded armor, each with different abilities. For example, the Shadow armor allows X to stick to walls and not get hurt by spikes, and the Blade armor allows X to dash greater distances.

In other media

A number of games in the Mega Man X series have been adapted in manga form.

Additionally X made a single-episode appearance in the 1994 Mega Man cartoon by Ruby-Spears alongside Vile and Spark Mandrill. His appearance was vastly different from the games, where the trim on his helm is white, his neck is exposed, he is extremely tall, his armor is relatively less detailed, his forehead gem is larger, and his voice is deeper (his voice provided by Ian James Corlett, Mega Man's voice-actor). In this incarnation he is portrayed very differently from his game's counterpart, destroying anything to get rid of Mavericks, no matter what the cost, and is easily quite the opposite of a pacifist. He is also obscenely powerful, easily eclipsing every other robot to have ever appeared in the series, including Mega Man himself. The scene in which X is introduced is more or less a showcase of his abilities (he is shown destroying entire sections of the landscape with a single blaster shot, moving so fast he can't be seen, leaping dozens of meters through the air, and shrugging off hits that would have otherwise destroyed other robots).