Biometal

Biometal (ライブメタル), is a substance that stores the data (eg. personality or battle data) of a Reploid or human, and can be created by more than one process. The first Biometal, titled Model W (モデルV), originated from the remains of Weil when he fused with Ragnarok, after his defeat by Zero in the epilogue of the Mega Man Zero series. Models X, Z, H, F, L, and P were created through artificial means, by Prairie's "big sister" (presumed to be Ciel). Model A was another artificial Biometal, instead created by Master Albert as the key to his backup self Grey. Considered as another Biometal, Model O is a mysterious stone included in Mega Man ZX as a bonus.

Biometal uses the M.E.G.A. (Meta-Encapsulated Granule Awareness) System (R.O.C.Kシステム), and can Megamerge (ロックオン) with a Chosen One (also referred to as a Biomatch). In a Megamerge, the Biometal becomes the user's living armor, and gives its user the abilities of whom it is based upon, becoming a Mega Man (ロックマン). Biometals are generally referred to using an initial, eg. Model Z (Zero), and generally titled as Mega Man Model _ (Model initial here) during Megamerge.

Biomatches are individuals destined for a particular Biometal. Most Biomatches tend to have similar personalities to the Biometals they are destined to use, aside from Models O and W, whom have shown no visible consciousness. Only a few of the Biometal have shown to be compatible with more than one individual, as in the case with Models Z, X, A and W, yet Vent and Aile are able to utilize other Biometals through Model X while Grey and Ashe can copy their Mega Man forms using Model A's A-Trans ability.

Mega Man ZX
The Biometals collected in Mega Man ZX are Models X, Z, H, F, L and P, as well as the bonus Model O. After Girouette is killed by Serpent, Model X combines with Model Z into Model ZX for the rest of the game; Model X cannot be used again past this point, until the player finishes the game with both characters (Vent/Aile) and starts a third game afterward. The other Biometals (H, F, L, P) are obtained by defeating Mavericks who possess them, reclaimed by the player in halves. The Model W Biometal is not obtainable and is only used by Serpent during the final confrontation of the game.

Mega Man ZX Advent
Biometal Model A is the only Biometal that can be obtained in Mega Man ZX Advent. Using Model A's A-Trans, Models ZX, H, F, L, and P can be copied for use of their abilities.

Trivia

 * Interestingly, the only "pure" Biometals that the player ever controls are Biometal X in ZX and Biometal A in ZX Advent. It is very likely that the power of Biometal X (the ability to assimilate powers from defeated enemies) allowed Vent/Aile to combine with others. Thus the ZX, HX, FX, LX, PX, and OX do not represent the full powers of the other Biometals, but a kind of fusion of X and another. The pure Biometal is used, however, in ZX Advent by the four new Megamen who hold the H, F, L, and P biometals. Similarly, Biometal A "copies" the form and abilities of Pseudoroids and other Biometals, but does not have the full abilities of the defeated enemy. As such, it can be assumed that the combination of various Biometals with Model X is reminiscent of X's Variable weapons system, while Model A's ability to transform into others directly is reminiscent of Axl's Copy shot. This is probably to stick with the theme that the player's Mega Man can take abilities from other fighters.


 * If examined closely, the Biometals A and W are upside-down shapes of each other. However, while Model A's shape is that of an outlined W shape, Model W is that of an A outline, which further hints to Model A's connection to Albert, despite popular belief of the Biometal's implied connection to Axl.


 * All the Biometals have a sort of facial pattern to their design, with the exception of Model W, which is patterned more on Dr. Weil's original cyborg body.


 * Models A, ZX, X,and OX are the only models to show official game art for both playable characters.


 * It seems the "good" Biometals (A, X, Z, L, H, P, F) can cooperate and communicate with each other in special ways, and that they possess special knowledge about each other, as Model Z said "I know more about Biometals than any of [the Mega Men] do." This would explain Model Z's paralyzing the "evil" Mega Men with no complaints from the other Biometals, and the fact that Model X can always Double MegaMerge with them.
 * It is worth noting that certain biometals (X,Z,H,F,L, and P) all have similar appearances, regardless of who uses them. They share the same boots, jacket, and black spandex, as well as similar arrangements of plating along the legs and arms. Furthermore these are traits shared by the original X's body from Mega Man Zero. These Biometals are alike in that they were all created by Prairie's older sister (presumably Ciel). Thus it can be assumed that Prairie's sister first created Model X, and then using it as a basis, Crafted the rest in Model X's image, similar to how Reploids were created. Further evidence comes in the form of Models W, A, and O, which weren't created by Prairie's sister and all look vastly different from the ones mentioned above.


 * For every game in the series so far, there has always been an extra, optional Biometal that the player can obtain. Said forms are usually a tribute to a preceding series.


 * It appears that the Biometals can be split in two parts as seen in the first game in the series.


 * Seen here, Model P's form of A-Trans uses an unedited Model PX sprite.


 * In Mega Man ZX, it seems that originally, Model OX was going to be available for all modes, but this was seemingly dropped.


 * Sprite ripping has revealed unused sprites for Model O.
 * As seen with a simple Action Replay code, the unused sprites were to be used in Easy mode, where the player is saved when falling into a bottomless pit by the current Biometal. This may also prove that Model O was to be unlocked in every mode.