Dissections of Mega Man X Series

[id Man]

I discovered much of the Mega Man lore late in life. It was only until college that I learned more of the background story behind the games. When I finally learned the backstory for Mega Man X, I was surprised what the story actually was about. I thought that it was about the classic Mega Man waking up in a apocalyptic future where humanity was dying and advanced robot masters based off Wily's design reigned supreme, and that Zero was Mega Man from the deep future serving as his guide. Boy was I wrong. The plot was more complicated than that, yet at the same time kind of absurd.

Things about Mega Max X that intrigued me:

So X was a second prototype of Mega Man, who was a completely different robot than Classic Mega Man, with his own personality, and free-will. We never know what happened to the first Mega Man, or why Dr. Light wanted to make a completely different Mega Man who had no resemblance to the first.

The development of Reploids was the fault of Dr. Cain, an archaeologist who had no business building robots, least of all replicating the work of a robotics expert from the past. Why did he take it upon himself to replicate X when he was not qualified, especially when it seems like he was replicating X's design for quick cash?

All the Reploids and Mavericks, except for X who is not a Reploid, are all pretty much the younger offspring of X because they are replications of his design. Ironically, even though these Reploids are younger than X, the majority of them treat him like a naive kid. They do realize that they all owe their existence to his design, right?

Zero seems like a more advanced version of X, but it turns out that he was the ultimate creation of Dr. Wily. Not only that, but he was the source of the Maverick virus, and presumably still carries the virus even after losing his memories and Maverick thoughts. Zero seems to serve as both a Protoman and Bass figure in the X games. However, Dr. Wily never left any holographic pods like Dr. Light did to explain to Zero why he was created.

The Mavericks are anti-human, yet their reason for being was the result of a virus created by a human (as well as faulty wiring from replicating X). Makes me wonder how the Mavericks would think of Dr. Wily if he somehow miraculously came back to life and try to gain the Mavericks' allegiance.

Sigma is not a scientist. He is a former Maverick Hunter, yet through his contracting of the Maverick Virus he has emerged to become Dr. Wily's successor, though far more dangerous than Dr. Wily. The other MMX games came up with other Maverick villains who served as Reploid equivalents of Dr. Wily, like Serges or Dr. Doppler, but it always Sigma who is the main villain. Sigma does get destroyed multiple, but he always has a backup plan. It's interesting that Sigma usually is blown up at the end of the game yet still survives, while Dr. Wily only still survives because Mega Man was predictably merciful.

The plots of the MMX games usually involve misunderstandings with other Reploids and Sigma being revealed to be the true villain. The Maverick Hunters seems kind of slow to sense Sigma's influence behind the scenes just like Classic Mega Man and friends are slow to determining that Dr. Wily was behind it all.

The Maverick Robot Masters never have "Man" in their names. They're all either animal-based or humanoid-looking Reploids with pun-names. And their not the result of being built by the villain, but were mostly former good guys who have been corrupted. Interesting take on the Mega Man formula.

All in all: Mega Man X is Blade Runner/Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? meets Mega Man.


Anyway, those were things that came to mind when I learned more about MMX's story. What have other fans thought of the story and motifs in the MMX series?

[Ceridran]

Zero was being created far before Megaman X, yet they are highly similar. Perhaps Dr. Wily had died before truly activating Zero, and Dr. Light did THIIIINGS

[NemZ]

We never know what happened to the first Mega Man, or why Dr. Light wanted to make a completely different Mega Man who had no resemblance to the first.

No resemblance?  Get those eyes checked, bro.

X was most likely created in response to Wily's creation of Zero, possibly even based upon Zero in keeping with the protoman dichotomy.  And really, Dynamo is the closest analogue of Bass in the X series... pathetic as that is.

What's that?  "Axel"?  ...Sorry I don't know what you're talking about.  

The development of Reploids was the fault of Dr. Cain, an archaeologist who had no business building robots, least of all replicating the work of a robotics expert from the past. Why did he take it upon himself to replicate X when he was not qualified, especially when it seems like he was replicating X's design for quick cash?

What makes you think he did all the work himself?  Totally possible he found X, called up some robotic engineers he knew and got THEM to study and eventually replicate X's revolutionary features.  It's not like Dr. Cain seems to have much of anything to do with the plot in general other than finding X in the first place, you know?

Ironically, even though these Reploids are younger than X, the majority of them treat him like a naive kid. They do realize that they all owe their existence to his design, right?

Probably because they see him as outdated and also because he's physically smaller and (without armor) much less powerful than nearly all of them.

[id Man]

No resemblance? Get those eyes checked, bro.

X was most likely created in response to Wily's creation of Zero, possibly even based upon Zero in keeping with the protoman dichotomy. And really, Dynamo is the closest analogue of Bass in the X series... pathetic as that is.

What's that? "Axel"? ...Sorry I don't know what you're talking about.

I meant psychological and emotional resemblance, not resemblance by appearance. All I was trying to say is that X is a completely different individual, even if he looks like classic Mega Man.

I don't get the "Axel" joke.  :? Sorry.

What makes you think he did all the work himself? Totally possible he found X, called up some robotic engineers he knew and got THEM to study and eventually replicate X's revolutionary features. It's not like Dr. Cain seems to have much of anything to do with the plot in general other than finding X in the first place, you know?

Of course he had help. I'm just not quite sure if his robotics team were the absolute best to be able to understand Dr. Light's designs. Besides, he is pretty much credited as being the father of the Reploids, and even founded the Maverick hunters. Even if he serves as being a diluted version of Dr. Light, his actions have everything to do with the story. He replicated X's design with quick cash, and the Reploids' weak immunity to the Maverick virus is all his fault.... Okay, maybe not ALL his fault, but one must admit that he is a hack.

On another note, it's interesting that both Wily's Robot Masters and the Reploids were both borrowed from Dr. Light's designs. Wily based his designs on Protoman, Cain based his on X, and those robots were often less than perfect in comparison to their inspiration

[Alpha X]

anybody here thinks that: Serges = Dr.Wily?
i mean, Zero was destroyed in X1, and he reborn in X2 with a few of new features (Z-Saber!!!!) given by this "X-Hunter"...
Zero wasn't an enigma to everyone exept for Dr.wily?

Also, i think that Dr.Light make X because...some day Megaman will be converted in Quint

[Deviddo]

Well that depends on how you view time paradoxes.  The way I see it, if you mess with something in the future, because the future is never set in stone (arguably) then you're not causing any permanent damage.

Confused?  Well, I guess a better way to explain it is from what I understand, the way most media deals with the future is that by going into the future and doing whatever, you're not really setting anything in stone, it's the past that'll do that.

[id Man]

anybody here thinks that: Serges = Dr.Wily?
i mean, Zero was destroyed in X1, and he reborn in X2 with a few of new features (Z-Saber!!!!) given by this "X-Hunter"...
Zero wasn't an enigma to everyone exept for Dr.wily?

Also, i think that Dr.Light make X because...some day Megaman will be converted in Quint

You're not the only one. At the Mega Man wiki, fans have speculated that Serges or Isoc are Dr. Wily in Reploid form. It's interesting that even though the X series always reverts back to Sigma as the main villain, the creators like the players to believe that they're going up against a different villain. Dr. Doppler seemed like he had potential to be his own villain, and X series' equivalent of Dr. Wily.

I was toying with the idea of a SNES-styled fan sequel where Wily is resurrected somehow, revives old Reploid foes to serve him, and even converts some old Robot Master designs into Reploid form. I'd also have Zero come across a hidden holographic pod, the only one Dr. Wily created while alive, which explains to him everything how he came to be and the whole history of his struggle against Classic Mega Man. It would need good writing, and the expertise of someone who know Mega Man lore thoroughly... but that's a discussion for another time.

[*Alice]

Why is Chill Penguin so hilariously weak?

[Alpha X]

Why is Chill Penguin so hilariously weak?

what do you mean with "hilariosly weak"?