Mega Man X (series)

The Mega Man X series, known as Rockman X (ロックマンX) in Japan, made its debut in December 1993 on the Super Famicom and Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

Story
The series is set in the 22nd century, almost one-hundred years after the events of the first Mega Man series. The story revolves around Mega Man X, the final and ultimate creation of Dr. Thomas Light, who is discovered by world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Cain and used to create an advanced race of robots known as "Reploids" (called so because they are literally replicas based on the design of X). However, not long after their creation, some of the Reploids begin to go "Maverick" and attack humans. Because of this, Dr. Cain is asked by the council to put a stop to this, and as such, forms a special unit to stop these "Mavericks" known as the "Maverick Hunters". However, the leader of the Hunters and Dr. Cain's creation, Sigma, goes Maverick himself, taking many of the Hunters with him. Thus, the "Maverick Wars" begin to take shape...

Mega Man X games
The list of games in order of the events that happen in them.


 * Mega Man X (began in June/July 4, 21XX, according to the Journal of Dr. Cain)
 * Mega Man Maverick Hunter X (remake of the first game)
 * Mega Man X2 (six months after the first game, as shown in the opening scene)
 * Mega Man Xtreme
 * Mega Man X3 (several months after Mega Man X2, as shown in the opening scene)
 * Mega Man Xtreme 2
 * Mega Man X4 (after Mega Man Xtreme 2)
 * Mega Man X5 (several months after Mega Man X4)
 * Mega Man X6 (three weeks after Mega Man X5, as shown in the opening scene)
 * Mega Man X7 (a long time after Mega Man X6)
 * Mega Man X8
 * Mega Man X: Command Mission (22XX, a side story set outside of the main storyline)

Series Backstory
The following timeline events take place between the end of the original Mega Man series and the events leading up to the first Mega Man X game.

September 18, AD 20XX: Dr. Thomas Light completes his work on X and seals him away for approximately 30 years of diagnostic testing, believing that the world is not yet ready for a robot that can fully make his own decisions. Light leaves a video message for whomever finds X.

AD 20XX:
 * Dr. Wily seals his final creation, Zero, away without completing him to his final specifications.
 * Dr. Light crafts a holographic artificial intelligence template that resembles him as a younger man. (Light Capsule)
 * Dr. Cain is born.
 * Dr. Light and Dr. Wily pass away.

''{ Approximately 100 years pass during which time X and Zero are both still sealed away. }''

April 8, AD 21XX: (Dr. Cain's journal) Dr. Cain embarks on an expedition to research a fossil record of Mesozoic plant life that he estimates will take approximately one month to complete.

April 9, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain sets up his camp and draws out the preliminary groundwork for his dig. He notices an odd metallic reading at location "E-46", and resolves to investigate the following day.

April 10, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain uncovers the remnants of Dr. Light's Laboratory. He examines some papers that keep referring to "the capsule".

April 13, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain locates the capsule. He notes in his journal the specifications (14 meters tall by 8 meters wide ) and that it was found under a collapsed ceiling. Dr. Cain clears the dust from part of capsule to find a large letter "X", and he activates the message left by Dr. Light. He notes that the indicators on the capsule all appear green, and that he plans to open it the next day.

April 14, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain succeeds in opening the capsule and activates X.

April 15, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain examines the design notes and specifications for X left by Dr. Light and realizes that X is a quantum leap above anything the world has ever seen.

April 16, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain abandons his digging expedition and begins transporting X and the rest of Light's materials to his own laboratory.

November 22, AD 21XX: After making minor modifications to Dr. Light's original designs, Dr. Cain (with X's help) succeeds in creating what he dubs his first Reploid. Dr. Cain engages in an argument with his Reploid and is highly intrigued.

May 3, AD 21XX: Dr. Cain reports that the Reploids have been running off the assembly lines for several weeks, and that the general populace seems happy to accept the new robots.

AD 21XX: The first recorded instance of irregular behavior is reported. Sometime between the first and third instance, the term Maverick is coined and applied to Reploids who disobey orders and/or injure humans.

AD 21XX: A second instance of Maverick behavior occurs.

July 16, AD 21XX: The third Maverick instance occurs, this time with 2 people injured after 3 Reploids went Maverick. Dr. Cain reports that the council is debating halting the assembly of Reploids, but he doubts it will come to pass.

November 20, AD 21XX: The council forms the Maverick Hunters organization. Dr. Cain designates Sigma, who contains his latest circuit designs, as Commander.

December 10, AD 21XX: (Possibly in a different year from November 20) With the Maverick Hunters maintaining an admirable efficiency rate, Dr. Cain takes note of how X seems rather unsure of his place in the world, and what Dr. Light intended for him to be.

AD 21XX: Zero awakens. He is found, classified as Maverick, and engaged by a squadron of Maverick Hunters led by Gamma. Gamma's unit is decimated, and Commander Sigma goes to investigate. Sigma battles Zero, is damaged and infected with a virus, but subdues Zero. Zero is taken to Dr. Cain, repaired, and trained as a Hunter under Sigma's wing.

AD 21XX: X joins the 17th Battalion of Maverick Hunters under the command of Sigma.

After Sigma's Battle with Zero, AD 21XX: Sigma slowly succumbs to the virus, but keeps his infection and Maverick thoughts a secret.

AD 21XX: Sigma secretly approaches his strongest warriors and talks them into joining his cause. Chill Penguin, operating with the 13th Battalion, agrees to help and is summoned from the South Pole to operate with the 17th Battalion until Sigma declares his revolt. Vile is arrested and imprisoned for being too reckless on Hunter operations.

July 4, AD 21XX (The Day of Σ): Sigma openly revolts, calling all Reploids to join his rebellion. Both Storm Eagle (leader of the 6th Air Cavalry Battalion) and Sting Chameleon (a Hunter in the 9th Special Ops Battalion), disagree, but they are both defeated by Sigma and forced into subordination. Sigma frees Vile to help him prior to his launching missiles at Abel City.

AD 21XX: Zero becomes Commander of the Maverick Hunters. Sigma's forces attack the city again, and X resolves to go after him.

Mega Man X-Mega Man X4
AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X / Mega Man Maverick Hunter X occur. Zero sacrifices himself during a battle with Vile, and Sigma is destroyed by X.

AD 21XX: X becomes the Commander of the 17th Battalion.

AD 21XX: Serges, a Reploid who followed Sigma, revives him and begins the X-Hunters' plan to rebuild Zero and use him as a weapon against X.

Six months after Sigma's defeat, 21XX: The events of Mega Man X2 occur. X takes a squadron of Hunters to an abandoned Reploid production factory, and discovers evidence of a new Maverick plot.

True Scenario:

X fights the X-Hunters, recovers Zero's parts, and he is rebuilt at Hunter Base. X encounters Sigma, who uses a fake clone of Zero, but the real Zero shows up and defeats the clone. X fights Sigma while Zero takes down the main computer, and Sigma is defeated once again.

Alternate Scenario:

X fights the X-Hunters, but does not recover Zero's parts. Zero is rebuilt and used against X by the resurrected Sigma, but X battles and defeats Zero, who comes to his senses. X fights Sigma while Zero takes down the main computer, and Sigma is defeated once again.

AD 21XX: Zero is appointed Commander of the special 0th Battal​ion.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man Xtreme (Rockman X: Cyber Mission) occur. X and Zero employ the help of Middy to stop the hacking into the Hunter Base's Mother Computer, and defeat Sigma once again.

Prior to Mega Man X3, AD 21XX: Dr. Doppler is created, and uses his keen intellect to examine retired Mavericks. He discovers that there is a computer virus causing Reploids to go Maverick, and constructs his "Neuro Computer" to combat the "Maverick Virus". Dopple Town is founded as a heaven for Reploids. Through his research of the virus, Dr. Doppler becomes infected.

AD 21XX: Doppler releases an antidote for the Maverick Virus, but it is revealed to be a placebo. Maverick riots break out in Dopple Town.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X3 occur. Doppler's Army attacks the Hunter Base as X and Zero are battling the armies in Doppel Town. X and Zero repel the invasion and go after Doppler's Mavericks, while Doppler finishes upgrading the revived Vile. Doppler commissions the Nightmare Police to hunt X, and completes work on a new body for Sigma.

Scenario 1:

X battles the Mavericks with Zero's help and defeats Dr. Doppler. While X fights Sigma, Zero visits Doppler and receives an anti-virus program that can be adapted for his Z-Saber. X is trapped by Sigma in his virus form, but Zero rescues him by defeating Sigma with the anti-virus program.

Scenario 2:

X battles the Mavericks with Zero's help but Zero is damaged and returns to Maverick Hunter HQ for repairs. X defeats Dr. Doppler and Sigma, but is trapped by Sigma in his virus form. Doppler aids X by showing up with the true antidote for the Sigma Virus. Doppler sacrifices himself to destroy the Sigma Virus.

''{ An undetermined amount of time passes. }''

AD 21XX: Cain Labs initiates Repliforce v3 program to aid Maverick Hunters (MHv3) in maintaining order.

January 1, AD 21XX: Cain Labs issues a directive officially forming Repliforce.

AD 21XX: Iris trains with the Maverick Hunters and operates on a temporary basis in a Navigator capacity.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man Xtreme 2 (Rockman X2: Soul Eraser) occur. X and Zero are dispatched to Laguz Island to investigate the mysterious Erasure Incidents. They defeat the resurrected Mavericks and put a stop to Sigma's scheme involving the Reploids Gareth and Berkana.

June 1, AD 21XX: Cain Labs issues a directive deeming Repliforce ineffective, and mobilizes Maverick Hunter Battalions #0 and #17 to deal with riots at the Sky Lagoon. This directive marks the last time Dr. Cain is seen in the series continuity (barring rewrites from Maverick Hunter X).

AD 21XX: A resurrected Sigma meets with General of the Repliforce and encourages him to revolt against the Maverick Hunters. General dismisses him, and Sigma threatens that this is not the end.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X4 occur. Eregion wreaks havoc on the Sky Lagoon colony.

Combined Scenario w/ X and Zero:
 * Magma Dragoon makes Sky Lagoon fall, making it look as if the Repliforce army was responsible.
 * Zero saves Iris from Eregion.
 * With the assistance of Double and Iris, X and Zero tackle the Repliforce officers, including the three Mavericks who have infiltrated their ranks.
 * Zero fights Colonel at the spaceport and travels to the Final Weapon.
 * X and Zero arrive on the Final Weapon; X meets Double, who is revealed as a mole and a traitor working for Sigma, while Zero fights and defeats Iris, who is enraged over her brother's death. X confronts and defeats General; though severely damaged, General does not die, and when the Final Weapon starts activating he tells X that someone besides himself is controlling it and needs to be stopped.
 * Zero finds Sigma and learns of his past as a Maverick. The Maverick Hunters confront Sigma and return to Hunter Base. General sacrifices himself to stop the Final Weapon.
 * X contacts Zero on his way home and expresses his concerns that he might go Maverick. Zero calls it ridiculous and does not wish to speak of the subject. Zero fears himself as he remembers Iris, and ponders whether or not all Reploids are destined to become Mavericks.

Mega Man X5-Mega Man X8
Prior Mega Man X5, AD 21XX: Alia and Gate, two prominent research Reploids, work at the Reploid Research Center. Gate's research into DNA Resurrection techniques lead to censure from his colleagues. Alia is tasked with assisting in the disposal of Gate's creations, and Gate is forced into exile.

Prior Mega Man X5, AD 21XX: Alia is reassigned from the Reploid Research Center to serve as a Navigator for the Maverick Hunters because of her top-class knowledge, her design skills, and her excellence in program analysis and data processing.

AD 21XX: The Commander of the Maverick Hunters retires out of guilt over the events of the Great Repliforce War. A new Reploid named Signas, who was designed with the most precise CPU in existence, is appointed as the new Commander because of his calm judgment and quick thinking.

AD 21XX: Alia analyzes the data for the Fourth Armor and manages to create a near-duplicate. Alia is unable to fully replicate the design because some parts of X's armors, like his design, cannot be analyzed.

After the Great Repliforce War, AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X5 occur. Sigma hires a mercenary named Dynamo to scatter a virus in the Eurasia space colony and set it out of orbit on a collision course towards Earth. Later, Sigma attacks a city. X and Zero battle him, and his ensuing explosion spreads the Sigma Virus across the Earth, turning several Repolids into Mavericks as a result. With this and the special virus strain from the Eurasia colony, Sigma hopes to corrupt Zero enough that his true self is awakened. The attempt at stopping the Colony with the Enigma Cannon fails. A fallback mission involving piloting a shuttle filled with explosives partially succeeds, although fragments of the colony still slam into the Earth, ruining the landscape.

Accepted Ending (combined X and Zero scenarios):

X defeats Sigma, who threatens to take Zero with him. Zero's lower body is vaporized in the resulting explosion. X picks him up, and Sigma's remains fire a blast which cuts through both X and Zero. Zero wakes up long enough to finish Sigma off, and his life flashes before his eyes. He realizes what he is, ponders who this old man in his dreams is, and decides that at this point, he can finally die. He loses consciousness as he remembers Iris. Zero explodes again and destroys most of X's body as well. Dr. Light's hologram appears and repairs X's body. In memory of his friend, X carries the Z-Saber with him.

Alternate Event (non-canon):

X is shown three years later leading a group of Maverick Hunters into battle. The Hunters recall that X's battle with Sigma and the loss of Zero have changed X, and he is now a sharper Hunter. In memory of his friend, X wields the Z-Saber.

Alternate Ending (as X with Maverick Zero):

The ubiquity of the Maverick Virus overcomes Zero and he becomes Awakened, vowing to destroy X. Hoping to save his friend, X fights Zero and defeats him. As Sigma prepares to destroy both of them, Zero regains consciousness and leaps in front of the blast. X is revived and goes to confront Sigma. X is grievously wounded after Sigma's explosion, but Dr. Light's hologram appears and repairs X. Back at the Hunter Base, Alia remarks that it is strange how X was repaired, and how his memories of Zero have been erased. In fact, he cannot even accept new input related to Zero. X works with the Hunters to repair the damage from the crash and speaks of his dream to create a world, Elysium, where Reploids and humans can finally live in peace.

''{ Three weeks pass. }''

AD 21XX: The Maverick Hunters work to repair the damage wrought by Sigma during the Earth Crisis. Humans are forced underground due to the acid rain and polluted atmosphere. X continues to battle the Mavericks left over from Sigma's war, while he continues to search for any trace of Zero.

The exiled Gate explores the crash site and finds fragments of Zero's body that are laden with remnants of the Colony and Sigma viruses. Gate becomes a Maverick and uses the DNA fragments to create High Max, the Zero Nightmare, and the Nightmare drones. Further, he begins to revive Sigma's consciousness, and rebuilds his reploids that were disposed of by the Reploid Research Center.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X6 occur. Gate decides to take revenge from his earlier exile from the Reploid Research Center, and employs the Nightmare virus. During this, Gate and Isoc both work to unite reploids against the Zero Nightmare—an artificial creation utilizing remnants of Zero to create a false clone in his likeness—for the sole purpose of giving credibility to the new virus while slandering Zero's name. A Mechaniloid attack near the crash site prompts X to investigate and eventually encounter the Zero Nightmare, presumably a setup by Gate to encounter High Max to associate X with the virus. Alia eventually concludes through research that Gate is the perpetrator of recent occurrences. After defeating Gate's eight reploids, the source of the Nightmare, the Nightmare Mother, is then destroyed, as well as High Max as he is confronted again, followed by Gate. Upon his defeat, Gate utilizes the broken down and barely functioning Sigma, who is promptly defeated after losing his sanity.

Accepted Ending (X defeats Zero Nightmare, Zero returns):

X defeats the Zero Nightmare and discovers Zero fully repaired. X works with Zero to defeat Gate and his Mavericks and the semi-revived Sigma, and Zero is present with X in the end as they ponder Gate's fate and the future of the Earth. Alia promises to try and create a program that is resistant to all viruses, and all agree to start working towards the future and repairing the devastated Earth.

Alternate Ending (X never defeats Zero Nightmare, split in the timeline):

X never defeats the Zero Nightmare, but manages to destroy High Max, Gate and Sigma alone. Zero is shown to be alive, but he refrains from revealing his presence to X. X and Alia sense Zero's presence, and Zero remarks that he has something he needs to take care of and will leave the fighting to him for a while. This leads to the events which happen in the final scene of Zero's ending.

Zero's Ending: 

X defeats the Zero Nightmare, and discovers Zero fully repaired. X works with Zero to defeat Gate, and Zero finishes off the half-functioning Sigma. An unknown amount of time passes, as Zero meets with an unidentified individual to discuss sealing Zero away. Fearing that he could possibly go maverick and wreak havoc, Zero decides to seal himself away for 102 years, presumably leading to the events of the Mega Man Zero series.

''{ An undetermined amount of time passes. }''

AD 21XX: X retires as the commander of the 17th Battalion and chooses to search for more peaceful resolutions. He helps with the restoration of Earth, and Red, a former Repliforce officer, creates the Red Alert Syndicate to fill the void.

AD 21XX: Two renegades, Aluce and Cedar, obtain the "Virus Program Σ-02", and are hunted down by Red and Axl. The success of this hunt attracts the attention of Sigma, who has been revived again and has been mentally restored.

''{ An undetermined amount of time passes. }''

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X7 occur. X returns to active duty. Sigma plots to use Axl's copy ability to his advantage and coerces Red into following him, but the plan backfires when Sigma is defeated and blasted out of a window by Axl, who has assumed the form of Red.

AD 21XX: Axl joins the Maverick Hunters and begins hunting alongside X and Zero.

AD 21XX: Zero retires as Commander of the 0th Battalion but remains in his capacity as a Maverick Hunter.

AD 21XX: The government begins colonization plans for the moon, and codenames the effort the Jakob Project. New Generation Reploids that possess special Copy abilities and viral immunity are developed, and the Jakob Orbital Elevator is built at Point Galapagos. A New-Gen Reploid, Lumine, is assigned as the project's director.

AD 21XX: Sigma attempts to manipulate the project to suit his desires by having his DNA programmed into the Copy Chips of all the New-Gen Reploids, thus allowing them to go Maverick at will.

AD 21XX: The events of Mega Man X8 occur. X, Zero, and Axl defeat a resurrected Vile and put a stop to Sigma's plans. Sigma is destroyed for good, and Lumine is revealed as the chief architect behind the whole villainous plot before being defeated as well.

AD 21XX: The government orders all Copy Chip production and use cancelled due to the inherent dangers involved. However, production is resumed after some time.

AD 21XX: The Maverick Wars continue...

Unknown (Mega Man X6?): Zero seals himself and is analyzed by scientists.

Unknown: The Maverick Wars end thanks to the Mother Elf.

Unknown: Zero's original body is given to Dr. Weil by the government for his proposed Project Elpis in order to create a Reploid to be the perfect ruler, by using the Mother Elf's program rewriting ability to control all Reploids in the world, avoiding them becoming Mavericks. The Elf Wars start.

Out-of-Continuity Events
AD 21XX: The events depicted in the Mega Mission card series occur between the events of Mega Man X2 and Mega Man X3.

AD 21XX: The events depicted in the Mega Mission 2 card series occur after Mega Man X3.

21XX: The events depicted in the Mega Mission 3 card series occur after Mega Mission 2.

AD 22XX: The Federation Government secretly resumes Copy Chip production in the vicinity of Giga City, which may or may not be under construction at this point in time.

AD 21XX-22XX: X, Zero, and Axl all become S-Class Maverick Hunters. A New-Gen Reploid named Colonel Redips becomes the commander of the Eastern Division Maverick Hunter base. His transformation ability isn't revealed to others.

AD 22XX: A meteor landed in the Pacific Ocean. Its fragments yielded Force Metal, a mysterious mineral that does not exist on Earth naturally and which has the power to strengthen Reploids and amplify their intellect-pulses.

AD 22XX: Giga City is created for the purpose of mining the Force Metal.

AD 22XX: The Federation secretly begins conducting Force Metal research, and the subjects soon rebel and form the Rebellion Army. Epsilon commands the army, and he banishes humans from Giga City.

AD 22XX: The Federation sends Eastern Division Maverick Hunter operatives to handle the Rebellion Army. Some are killed, while other Force Metal-imbued Reploids turn Maverick and join the Army.

AD 22XX: The remaining citizens of Giga City take matters into their own hands and form the Resistance to counter the Rebellion Army.

AD 22XX: The Federation determines that Epsilon is behind the uprising, and they request that X and Zero be sent to handle the threat once they realize the need for non-Force Metal-enhanced Reploids.

AD 22XX: The events of Mega Man X: Command Mission occur. X and Zero battle the Rebellion Army, meet up with Axl while amassing a group of Resistance fighters, and they learn that Redips has been manipulating the entire incident to get his hands on the Supra-Force Metal. Redips is defeated by X, Zero and Axl, and the Supra-Force Metal is destroyed.

AD 22XX: The Federation deems Redips a Maverick and defers determination of Epsilon's Maverick status.

AD 22XX: The Maverick Wars continue for an unknown amount of time and take their toll...

Animation
The popularity of the series prompted a crossover into the Mega Man cartoon from Ruby-Spears, in which X travels back in time in pursuit of several Mavericks and teams up with the original Mega Man.

Print
The storylines of several of the X series games were adapted into manga form.

Archie Comics included characters and elements of the X series in its Mega Man comic, beginning with the adaptation "The X Factor" and continuing in an original story entitled "Dawn of X" that switched back and forth between X's timeline and that of the original Mega Man during the early stages of the Mega Man 3 adaptation. Shortly thereafter, the series would be incorporated in the series' second crossover with the Sonic the Hedgehog comic lines from Archie, Worlds Unite. The plot of this crossover centers around Sigma forming an alliance with various other villains-including the Deadly Six from Sonic Lost World from different dimensions in a bid to take control of the multiverse. This prompts the Maverick Hunters, whose membership includes X, Zero, and Axl due to the story being set between the events of Mega Man X7 and Mega Man X8 to join forces with Mega Man and the Robot Masters shortly after the conclusion of the Mega Man 3 adaptation and other heroes, including Sonic the Hedgehog and his various allies. The crossover includes not only the classic Mega Man, Mega Man X and the new Sonic series Sonic Boom, but also includes various other Capcom and Sega video game properties. These included, but are not limited to Ōkami, Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg, Viewtiful Joe, Nights into Dreams..., Ghosts 'n Goblins, and Alex Kidd.

Trivia

 * The Mega Man X series was the first spin-off based on the original Mega Man series. The X series is perhaps the closest series to the original in terms of characters and gameplay, featuring some characters from the original series such as Dr. Light. Many enemies from the classic series also make appearances here, albeit mostly in new forms.
 * It is highly debated among fans that both the Megamission and the Command Mission events are inside the main canon, since the Mega Man Zero events start at an unknown point in time, although it's explained that the events start 100 years after the events of the last Mega Man X game, it could have been started after 22XX.
 * The  Mega Man X  series has a more mature and darker storyline and compared to the original Mega Man series. There are various scenes throughout the Mega Man X series that are quite violent, especially in Mega Man X4.
 * Coincidentally, there is one consistent trait throughout the series is that if 2 or more arthropod based Mavericks appear, one will have a weakness to another. (e.g. Morph Moth's Silk Shot is Manga Centipede's weakness, Gravity Beetle's Gravity Well is Blast Hornet's weakness, Infinity Mijinion's Ray Arrow is Commander Yammark's weakness and Yammark Option is Ground Scaravitch's weakness, and Dark Mantis' Shadow Runner is Gravity Antonion's weakness)