Mega Man (comics)

A Comic Book series based on the Classic Mega Man series (though there are plans to cover the latter series as well), produced by Archie Comics and written by Ian Flynn, current writer of Archies Sonic the Hedgehog. Unlike the Sonic adaptation, this one will stick to the source material, adapting the series as closely as possible. It's even planned to incorporate elements from the obscure Game Boy titles.

In a similar vein to Sonic's Off Panel, this series features Short Circuits in the back, which is a short, comic strip style gag based on the events on the issue.

Not to be confused with the So Bad It's Good Brazilian Mega Man comic, Novas Aventuras de Mega Man. Nor would you want to confuse it with the recently localized Manga, Mega Man Megamix.

The first issue was released in May 2011.

Tropes exclusive to the comic:

• Actually a Doombot: Twice.
  • After Time Man & Oil Man are dealt with and Dr. Wily is cornered, Rosalyn reveals that the latter is really a hologram placed by the real one.
  • The pilot of the third Wily Machine turns out to be this, as the real Wily pilots Gamma.
• Adaptation Expansion: Given that the original games were largely Excuse Plots, this was inevitable.
• Adapted Out: The Pico-Pico Kun that was fought during the second stage of Wily Castle in Rockman 2: The Secret of Doctor Wily!! and the Boss Rematches from both that game and Rockman 3: The End of Doctor Wily!? do not make an appearance.
• Ambiguously Brown: Rosalyn Krantz.
• Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: See Ascended Meme, below. During his fight, Air Man claims to be unbeatable. Think again when Rock fires a Leaf Shield, Fan Face!
• Art Shift / Off-Model: Happens when Chad Thomas pens the artwork, as his art style is noticeably different from Spaz's and Bates's in some ways.
• Ascended Meme: Air Man's line "You can't beat me." Air Man finds this biting his a## when Rock fires a Leaf Shield.
• As You Know: The first issue uses of this.
• Awesome but Impractical: The third issue's Short Circuit begins when Roll goes into a dirty room. She promptly morphs both hands into Busters to blast the fire, even though she could use just one... or just sweet it up with a broom.
• Bag of Spilling: This justifies why Rock loses every power he gets except the Rock Buster. In the third issue, Rock tries to convince Doctor Right to take his powers away from him, only for the good doctor to tell him that he is not evil. Regardless, Rock discards every power he gets when he is winding down (except the Rock Buster and weapon-copying system; he needs them) to prevent a power trip from happening again.
• Berserk Button: Crash Man hates being mocked for his handlessness.
• Big Damn Heroes: The first Robot Masters
• Coincidental Broadcast
• Computer Virus: This is why the Blue Bomber turns to the dark side during the third story arc: as he downloads weapon data, he gets hit by trojan malware that turns him into a monster. Doctor Right tries to help him by transmitting an antivirus, but the virus is completely downloaded before then. Rock is restored to his old self when his brethren break into Wily Castle.
• Continuity Cameo: Along with the robot reporters from Battle and Chase, Neige is present at Dr. Light's speech.
  • Likewise, the Kattelox police and KTOX news reporter from Mega Man Legends show up in issues #5 and #1 respectively.
  • As Mega Man downloads Heat Man's weapon data, there's a picture of circuitry in the shape of Mr. Match's emblem. For those who do not know, Mr. Match was HeatMan.EXE's operator.
• Dangerously Genre Savvy: Dr. Wily manages to display this in the third story arc. He deliberately installed bits of malware in his Robot Masters' weapon data, in order to slowly corrupt Mega Man. By the time he reaches Wily's castle, Mega Man will have fallen under his control.
• Deconstruction: Surprisingly enough, this adaptation takes a more realistic approach to the Classic series' events and shows its consequences. For example, what would really happen when the pure-hearted, peace-loving Rock wants to fight for justice and gets into a combat situation for the first time...?
• Do Not Adjust Your Set: Dr. Wily, demanding for the world's leaders to surrender and to be recognized as the genius he is.
• Don't Explain the Joke: Issue #1's Short Circuits explains the origins of Mega Man's "upgrade" in a footnote. This footnote was removed from the paperback editions of the first arc.
• Drives Like Crazy: During one Short Circuit, Crash Man drives badly, crashing the car that he was driving into a tree.
• Drunk on the Dark Side: In the first arc as Mega Man continues on to Elec Man, Ice Man and Fire Man. He begins to grow overconfident, thinking no robot can oppose him, and he mercilessly fights the remaining three robot masters. When Roll isn't too happy about this, Mega Man breaks down in tears.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Short Circuits #4 has Bass, Treble, Rush, and Proto Man demanding their turn in the comic.
  • In issue 2, Dr Light mentions a name, "Blues", when he sees a Sniper Joe. We later see Blues'/ Proto Man's face when Light gives a "story" in issue 3.
• Emotionless Girl: Tempo/Quakewoman, in stark contrast to every other robot featured thus far.
• Exact Words: The Robot Masters taking down the Copy Robot instead of the real Mega Man in issue #4, with Elec Man explaining that they were "ordered to destroy one Mega Man".
• Expy: Hey, Detective Gumshoe's in 200X! Well, maybe his dad, he's looking a little old.
• Face Heel Turn: Several characters have become evil:
  • Doctor Wily and Doctor Light were friends, but Doctor Wily turned evil and started plotting to bring the world under his control.
  • Blues is turned into Break Man due to being gaslit by Wily over his past after his discovery that Rock and his sister Roll have taken Blues' place. It is undone after Blues and Doctor Lalinde and Tempo/Quake Woman talk.
  • The Blue Bomber himself is forced to do this when he absorbs the eight Wily Numbers' weapon data. Thanks, Wily.
  • Trio became evil due to his discovery of the Ra Moon's power; Quartet gets handed his a## due to this.
• Fair Cop: The federal agent Rosalyn "Rosie" Krantz is both this and a Reasonable Authority Figure.
• Foreshadowing: As Dr Light explains to Mega Man how the prison system works, he tells him that, unfortunately, neither Mega Man nor any other robots from his generation have true free will. He hopes to one day capture that X Factor...
  • On top of that, as he says this, his reflection in the window beside him is seen. One day, a transparent image will be all that remains of him...
  • Pharaoh Man comments in issue #13 that he's not sure what he'd do if Wily reprogrammed him.
• Gaslighting: How Blues became a bad guy.
• Genki Girl: Quake Woman started as this, doing her jobs with energy (much to her mother's chagrin though Quake Woman still got them done). She is forced to invert this trope after she gets caught in a landslide and Doctor Lalinde rescues her.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: All the Robot Masters at the end of issue #3.
• Hair-Trigger Temper: Crash Man.
• How We Got Here: The first issue opens with Mega Man about to storm Dr. Wily's fortress, then goes into a flashback on how it happened.
• "I Know You're in There Somewhere" Fight: Mega Man does this on the first Robot Masters. It works on half of them, who begin fighting the other half. Then they all get free thanks to some Loophole Abuse.
• Imagine Spot: Short Circuits issue #3.
• Incredibly Lame Pun: Cut Man makes these as his defining personality trait here. Before they fight, after all of Cut Man's puns, Mega Man makes one himself, then immediately notes it was lame.
• Loophole Abuse: The first Robot Masters manage to overcome Wily's programming to "Destroy Mega Man" by following it...by destroying the Mega Man Clone.
• Mondegreen: Prior to his fight, Bubble Man threatens to send the Blue Bomber to Davey Jones' Locker. Rock calls Bubble Man Davey Jones Man, much to DWN-011's annoyance.
• Mundane Utility: Issue 2's Short Circuits has Dr. Wily using Cut Man for various unimpressive purposes, to his annoyance.
  • Issue 7: Time Man as an alarm clock and Guts Man as the snooze button.
  • Issue 10: Air Man as a fan and Wood Man as a post to tie his hammock to.
• Mythology Gag: The first Short Circuits has Mega Man being upgraded into the infamous image from the cover of the first game.
  • He also asks if he's now a super fighting robot.
  • A news reporter covering the Robot Masters' attack wears blue and part of her name is Li.
  • Oil Man and Time Man are described as Powered Up.
• Oh Crap: Mega Man's reaction to teleporting into the first game's Boss Rush.
• Only in It For the Money: Dr. Light mentions he designed several combat robots strictly for the money and notoriety to start Light Labs.
• Original Character: Gil and Krantz, Tempo/Quake Woman, and Dr. Lalinde.
• Pungeon Master: Cut Man has a fetish for puns, much to many of his siblings' chagrin.
• Punny Name/Shout-Out/To Shakespeare: Rosalyn Krantz and Gil D. Stern.
• Pyromaniac: Issue #3's Short Circuits. FIRE IS THE ULTIMATE CLEANSER!!!
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Wily attempts to give one to Mega Man in issue 4. The Blue Bomber responds by shooting another one back at Wily.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: The Mega Man Clone and Mega Man during issues #9-#10.
  • The real Mega Man after downloading weapons data from Wily's robot masters.
• Remember the New Guy?: Apparently, Auto has been under Dr. Light's employ since before Rock and Roll were created. He does not appear or is mentioned at all in issues #1-#4.
• Self-Restraint: When Stern accuses Dr. Light of being allied with Dr. Wily and helping with his escape, the latter willingly turns himself in to prove his innocence.
• Shout-Out: To The Protomen, with Sniper Joes being the first robots Light and Wily created. In the game, these robots were based off of Protoman's design, as he came first.
  • In issue 3, Dr. Light quotes the chorus from "The Message From Dr. Light".
  • Going by Flynn's track record in the Sonic comic, expect a lot of these to memes and more obscure titles.
  • In Cutman's first appearance, he rattles off an entire page of puns, not unlike his cartoon counterpart.
  • You can see an inverse of Hyadain's Mega Man songs. So far, only Heat Man was unwilling to really fight (he did, but complained about being too hot instead), where for Hyadain, Heat Man is seemingly the only one not after Mega Man's affection.
  • In reference to the Japanese song 'Airman ga Taosenai' ("Can't beat Airman"), Airman tells Megaman that he can't beat him.
  • Wily gets his cover blown during the 12th issue after Rock blasts a projector showing an alien. This leads the mad doctor to drop this gem as a shoutout to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: "Pay no attention to that man behind the hologram!" This is a reference to when the so-called titular wizard got his cover blown, prompting him to shout, "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"
• Slouch of Villainy: Wily near the end of the third issue.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Shadow Man was declared deceased following his fight in Super Adventure Rockman, with, according to Wood Man, his Personality Chip being trashed. Here, he manages to survive.
• Spell My Name with an "S": Referenced, Dr. Wily sarcastically suggests that "Light" makes "Right".
• Spotlight-Stealing Squad: Once again, the first Robot Masters.
• Swiss Cheese Security: Dr. Wily manages to break into Light Labs and reprogram the Robot Masters pretty easily. Probably justified, seeing as how Light and Wily were coworkers and friends at the time.
  • Justified again when we take into account that Dr Wily could also disarm the security anyway; it is partially his lab, after all.
• That Man Is Dead: Rock starts to refuse to go by his real name after having to blow up the other bots. Fortunately, Roll manages to snap him out of it.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Mega Man saves Wily from the wreckage of his machine in issue #4. The moment he's sees the Robot Masters, he orders them to kill Mega Man.
• Villain Exit Stage Left: Subverted. Wily attempts this in issue 4, but Mega Man's too quick for him. Played straight starting from issue 12, where Wily makes his getaway upon being caught.
  • Averted in issue 8. Wily simply stands on top of his saucer with confidence, even as Mega Man shoots at it before he can use it. But then, it turns out that he's a hologram and not the real Wily (who had already left).
• Villains Out Shopping: Issue 2's Short Circuits features Dr. Wily lounging by the pool and getting a haircut.
• Visual Pun: Issue 8's Short Circuits shows Crash Man having crashed a go-kart into a tree, and working at a computer whose server just crashed. The last panel shows him walking into a stock-exchange building while Wily snickers.
• Voodoo Shark: Lampshaded for the second Generation of robots, but un-Handwaved.

Mega Man: So if you're so advanced, where are your hands? Crash Man: Where are my...? Why would I need...? (Looks at the drills replacing his hands.) ...A pretty astute question, actually.

• Waxing Lyrical: An unusual example, as Dr. Light does this in issue 3...to a song by The Megas that's supposed to be sung by him.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human?: The Spiritus Ex Machina arc is all about this, including a fairly straw-free debate on the morality of machine sentience.
• With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: After Rock trashes the Robot Masters, he has a power trip and starts going mad. When Roll runs off in fear, Rock realises that his power has corrupted him, and asks his father to strip him of his power. The good doctor refuses, stating that Rock had not been evil just because he got great power. Regardless, Rock decides to discard the powers that he has gotten in order to prevent this after each adventure.
• Yank the Dog's Chain: Played for laughs in Short Circuits #5, which has Proto Man believing that he's making his debut in the current issues, only to have his hopes repeatedly crushed: first, a Sniper Joe appears, then Oil Man robs him of a supposed invite.
• You Don't Look Like You: Downplayed. When Oil Man debuted, he was shown with a visible mouth. Here, Oil Man has a scarf covering his mouth. This was likely done to prevent him from looking like a Blackface.