Proto Man

"I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."

- Proto Man

"Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a machine that doesn't, so what does that make me?"

- Proto Man

"It's always been on my mind... what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."

- Proto Man

Proto Man, known as Blues (ブルース) in Japan, is the first Robot Master created by Dr. Light and is considered the "brother" to Mega Man and Roll. He first appeared in Mega Man 3 training him to see if he could beat Wily, aiding Mega Man in his fight against evil.

Origin
Proto Man was intended to become the first humanoid robot capable of independent thought and reasoning.

Being a prototype robot, Proto Man's design was not complete. Although he greatly exceeded Dr. Light's expectations on several levels, it was later discovered that Proto Man's energy core had a critical problem that would eventually make him stop functioning. Dr. Light planned to repair him. However, being created too independent, Proto Man feared the modification would change his character. Proto Man refused to have Dr. Light meddle with his systems and fled to protect his sense of identity.

Dr. Light had presumed Proto Man to have died and regrettably gave up on him. Learning from his mistakes, he perfected the energy core and created sibling units Rock and Roll. Proto Man's design became the basis of the Sniper Joe series of robots. In Mega Man Powered Up, it is revealed that Proto Man despises the Sniper Joe series due to this.

Proto Man wandered the world alone. Before his energy reactor was completely depleted, the scientist Dr. Wily found him collapsed and dying. Dr. Wily managed to temporarily repair Proto Man by altering his power reactor from a solar to a nuclear one, as well as making other modifications, turning him into a combat robot. He also gave Proto Man the Proto Shield, his helmet and his now-trademark visor in an attempt to hide his identity from Dr. Light. Working on Proto Man's systems gave Wily greater knowledge in creating robots at the same level as Dr. Light, helping his plans for world domination along.

Indebted to Wily, Proto Man served him under the alias of Break Man. He did this until his encounters with Mega Man in Mega Man 3 made him realize the true nature of Dr. Wily. Proto Man saved Mega Man in the end of Mega Man 3, and officially turned against Wily in Mega Man 4, when he rescued Kalinka Cossack. However, he still refused help from Dr. Light, still holding onto his feelings. Mega Man doesn't know that Proto Man is his brother. The only plothole is that he referred to Mega Man as brother in the English version of Mega Man 7, but this is countered by the fact that he said no such thing in the Japanese version.

Proto Man's signature whistle is a staple of the character and almost always plays before his appearance.

Mega Man Powered Up
Although Proto Man has no involvement in the story, he is an unlockable playable character that is unlocked after beating all challenges, or downloading him. He uses his Proto Shield to block attacks like Mega Man in Mega Man 7. His shield can also be knocked off by enemies, although it can fall off in extreme circumstances. All Proto Man has to do is pick it back up. In this game, he has advanced jumping and mobility, but cannot slide, copy weapons or charge his buster like in other games. However, instead of the Proto Buster, he has a new skill - Proto Strike, which is virtually the same as Mega Man's charge shot and can be shot rapidly.

Mega Man 3
Proto Man fights Mega Man in Magnet Man's, Hard Man's and Shadow Man's stages, as well as appearing in Gemini Man's stage. After the defeat of the Doc Robot(s), Proto Man will fight Mega Man one last time disguised as Break Man. After Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily, Proto Man saves Mega Man and brings him back to Dr. Light's laboratory. Dr. Light hears Proto Man's whistle and appears to recognize him. Based on Proto Man's words while rescuing Mega Man, he also planned to rescue Dr. Wily as well, but believed that he arrived too late.

In the version of Mega Man 3 that was featured in Mega Man: Anniversary Collection and Rockman Complete Works, Proto Man plays the role of Mega Man's navigator, even though for most of Mega Man 3 he is seen as the villain.

Hits Data Chart
Amount of shots/hits from Special Weapons it takes to defeat Proto Man. Despite the fact he has as much health as a boss, he is considered a mini-boss, and so damage can be inflicted more rapidly upon him as he does not have an invulnerability period after being hit.

Mega Man 4
Proto Man rescues the kidnapped Kalinka and brings her to Mega Man and her father, Dr. Cossack, after Mega Man defeats him, to let her tell Mega Man that her father was forced to work for Dr. Wily. Based on Wily's reaction to Proto Man's deed, it can be presumed that he was still working for Wily until that point. There is some speculation that he was also the one who kidnapped Kalinka in the first place, as he was the only functioning robot under Wily's control after the events of Mega Man 3.

Mega Man 5
Proto Man was framed for a robot attack and kidnapping Dr. Light. Mega Man later finds out that Dr. Wily created a robot called Dark Man to impersonate Proto Man. Proto Man appears to reveal the deception and later helps Mega Man near the end of the game by helping lift the roof of Dr. Wily's castle when Mega Man saved Dr. Light.

Mega Man 6
Proto Man appears in Tomahawk Man's stage to give Mega Man the Energy Balancer upgrade. With it, when Mega Man collects weapons energy with the Mega Buster equipped, it restores the weapon with the least energy in it.

Mega Man 7
Proto Man appears in Cloud Man and Turbo Man's stage, giving him hints to certain secrets. After Mega Man visits him in those areas, he will appear in Shade Man's stage hidden in the wall behind the Sniper Joe 01 after the sub-boss VAN Pookin. He will challenge Mega Man to a fight and if he takes enough damage, he will give his Proto Shield to Mega Man.

Mega Man 8
After Mega Man's battle with Duo, Proto Man tells him that Dr. Wily's new fortress, called "Wily Tower," lies just ahead. Then, after Wily's defeat and Mega Man's rescue at the hands of Duo, Mega Man returns to the area near the wreckage of Wily Tower to find Proto Man standing on a tree. Proto Man tells him that Duo left to return to space but had a message for him - "Thank you."

Mega Man & Bass
Proto Man appears in the opening stage, trying to stop King, but is sliced in half, Mega Man shows concern and tells him to go to Dr. Light for repairs, whilst Bass ignores him and claims he's the most powerful robot.

He reappears in the third King Stage and uses his Big Bang Blast to destroy King's shield, but he falls unconscious because he used nearly all of his power on that attack. King promptly teleports Proto Man out of the castle so that he can be repaired. He then appears in Bass's ending where he eavesdrops on Wily explaining his reasons to Bass of creating King to test Bass' abilities after he failed to destroy Mega Man. Wily then shows Bass new plans for a King II, promising that Bass will become stronger. Eventually, Proto Man comes out and destroys the plans, swearing that he won't let Wily's plan come to fruition. Angered, Wily commands Bass to destroy Proto Man, telling him to prove his point of being the most powerful robot in the universe. However, due to the dilemma regarding his loyalties, Bass is unsure about this. Proto Man then tells Bass that even though he agrees with Wily that Bass is a strong and powerful robot, he'll never defeat Mega Man because he has nothing to fight for. Angered, Bass tells Proto Man to leave, which he does.

Mega Man 9
Proto Man appears after Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily and warns him about Wily's trap, but Mega Man tells him he can't risk it not being a trap. Disappointed, Proto Man disappears, but soon returns to save the unconscious Mega Man from being crushed by the collapsing Wily Castle.

Proto Man is also available as a downloadable playable character for 200 Wii points/160 Microsoft points/ $1.99. He plays the same as Mega Man except he can slide and charge his Proto Buster, receives double damage from attacks and is knocked back twice as far when hit. Proto Man can only fire two shots at a time, as opposed to Mega Man's three. He can deflect bullets with his Proto Shield (but only while jumping), and rather than Rush, he has the Proto Coil and Proto Jet, which somewhat resemble the transport items from Mega Man 2.

Proto Man has no story cutscenes, and he cannot use the shop.

Mega Man 10
Proto Man is a playable character from the start of the game, with all of his features from Mega Man 9. However, Proto Man can now use a store, even though there are less items in it, and the remaining items cost more (for example, an E-Tank costs 40 screws instead of 30 screws). He aids Mega Man to help find the parts for a vaccine-making device to fight the Roboenza virus, which causes robots to overheat and go crazy. While inside the Wily Castle, he is infected with the virus and collapses. However, Mega Man had a prototype cure with him that Dr. Light had built earlier in the game, and the two were able to go on and defeat Wily. In his ending, Proto Man decided to leave Wily behind, deducing his coming down with influenza was "poetic justice," although it is implied that Mega Man still took him to the hospital. On a related note, Proto Man is the only one of the three playable characters who doesn't mistake Wily's influenza for Roboenza.

Mega Man's Soccer
Proto Man is a balanced player with high speed, being the fourth fastest player in the game. His team is the penultimate one to be confronted in the Capcom Championship mode, his field being in the Wily Castle. After defeat, one of the eight Proto Mans join Mega Man's team. His team in Tournament mode is made of three Proto Mans, Ice Man, Air Man, Bubble Man, Top Man, and Snake Man. In the cut endings for both Tournament mode and Championship mode, Proto Man is watching the sea from atop a cliff, and then teleports out.

Mega Man: Battle & Chase
Sensing that Dr. Wily might try to steal the large amount of money that was offered as prize in this year's Battle & Chase competition, Proto Man decided to participate to make sure nothing bad would happen. As he guessed, Dr. Wily appears to steal the money, but he is defeated. In his ending, Proto Man becomes famous after winning the competition, and every restaurant that he visits adds a sign outside saying "Proto Man's favorite place!".

Super Adventure Rockman
In Super Adventure Rockman, Proto Man assists Mega Man. Proto Man appears to be the one responsible for defeating either Bubble Man or Heat Man (depending on the path taken by the player) offscreen in episode 1, the defeated robot being found by Guts Man. In episode 2, he saves Mega Man from Sniper Joes, dropping his shield while doing it, which can be found and used by the player after the scene. If the player chooses to not fight against Wood Man or loses to him, Proto Man will rescue Mega Man and says he has to fight with all his strength against Wily's robots. After the fight against Crash Man, Mega Man reaches an area monitored by several robots, having the choice to proceed now as there is no time to lose, or wait to get dark to pass unnoticed. If the player choose to continue, Proto Man appears and says Mega Man should be cautious and wait to get dark, going to the scene where he chooses to get dark. In episode 3, Proto Man saves Mega Man from Spark Man if he is defeated, and appears with Light's other robots in the ending.

Mega Man: The Power Battle
He is a playable character in the fighting game Mega Man: The Power Battle, alongside Mega Man and Bass.

Upon completing the game with Proto Man, Proto Man will oversee Wily's fortress's destruction from a cliff. It then cuts to a cityscape where Proto Man is watching from atop a building, with the narration mentioning Proto Man's backstory as Light's first creation before disappearing while incomplete, with it being unknown whether he is an ally or an enemy of Mega Man.

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Like the previous installment, he is also a playable character in the sequel, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. He had been summoned by Dr. Light to retrieve parts that Dr. Wily stole in a raid at Dr. Light's lab as well as locate Roll. In addition to selecting as him, he can also work with Mega Man, Bass, or Duo. Upon finding Dr. Wily, Proto Man deduced that Wily used a decoy and shoots its head off. In addition, Proto Man located Roll.

In the ending to his own story, Dr. Light requests he try to complete repairs on his unstable core given the peace of Wily being defeated, but Proto Man politely declines, feeling he's well aware of his own body, and that living in peace with other people was not his style.

In the ending of the Mega Man/Proto Man story, Proto Man, alongside Roll, Auto, and Dr. Light, comfort Mega Man after Dr. Wily told the blue bomber that he was no different than himself by smashing robots.

In the ending of the Bass/Proto Man story, Proto Man told Bass that, while he accepts that Bass will want to defeat Mega Man and himself, he can't beat Mega Man due to their having two different goals: while Bass fought for the petty reason of proving himself to be the strongest, Mega Man fought for the future of robots and mankind, also leaving Bass to mull it over.

In the ending of the Duo/Proto Man story, as Duo is about to leave, Proto Man, when questioned about his relationship to Mega Man, denies there being any relation due to his loner nature (with Duo implying that he might actually have some sort of relation), but nonetheless requests he return to Earth if he has the opportunity.

Other appearances

 * Proto Man has minor appearances in some of the Game Boy games, where he gives recovery items to Mega Man.


 * Proto Man appears as a card in Wily & Right's RockBoard: That's Paradise and the three games from the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series.


 * Proto Man appears as an enemy in Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2


 * Proto Man has a cameo appearance in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, in Nova's ending along with Mega Man, Roll, Beat and Zero as members of the Mega Nova Corps.


 * Proto Man has cameo appearances in Dead Rising 2 and its predecessor, Dead Rising 2: Case 0, as cardboard stands advertising "Proto Man The Movie".
 * In Dead Rising 2: Off The Record, players can collect parts for a "Protoman costume" that Frank West can wear.

Mega Man (cartoon)
In the American Mega Man TV series from Ruby-Spears, both Dr. Light and Dr. Wily created a red robot prototype. When the robot malfunctioned, Light asked Wily to destroy the plans and start over, but Wily stole the plans and used them to create Proto Man. Because of this, Proto Man is an evil robot that works for him. He has an intense rivalry with his "brother" Mega Man, wanting to be the one to defeat him, even if that means ruining Wily's plans to make sure he will be the one to get Mega Man. He considers Roll his sister as well, but although Mega Man agrees they are brothers and has admitted to wanting a friendship with him, Roll doesn't consider him her brother.

Curiously, despite this incarnation of Protoman being programmed for evil, an undisguised Dark Man 2 appears alongside him in two episodes, implying the decision to make him an enemy was intentional rather than a writing mistake.

In the cartoon, Proto Man has the appearance of an adult instead of a kid, and he doesn't have the Proto Shield. Proto Man's main weapon is a plasma cannon in his left arm. Like the games, he is able to get weapons from other robots, but he only used this ability once in the first episode to fight against Mega Man with the Super Arm. He was voiced by Scott McNeil, who also voiced Dr. Wily.

Mega Man: Upon a Star
In the three episode OVA Mega Man: Upon a Star, the characters from the Mega Man series (including Proto Man) are video game characters. In the first episode, Yuuta forgot to turn off his video game and fell asleep. Wily took the chance to escape into the real world, and Mega Man goes after him. When Mega Man was in trouble, Yuuta's sister called for characters in his video game to help him. Proto Man and Beat heard her and helped Mega Man defeat Wily's robots, and they later return to the video game world. In the second episode, Proto Man, Rush and Beat help Mega Man stop the meteorites being launched by Wily in space. In the last episode, Proto Man helps Mega Man stop the typhoons created by Wily, and they defeat the Typhoon Robot.

Mega Man Megamix
Proto Man is a recurring character in Hitoshi Ariga's Mega Man Megamix manga series. This incarnation of Proto Man wears casual clothing and a trenchcoat while not in battle, although unlike Ring Man and Shadow Man he does not wear these over his armor, swapping between the two when necessary.

With the development of robots who were capable of logical thought (albeit limited by their programming) inevitably came situations where those same robots started to act on accord of their own judgment rather than blindly following the orders of humans as their predecessors did. Recognizing the potential danger presented by a prototype with such advanced abilities, Dr. Light included a failsafe feature in Proto Man's design that would prevent him from breaking the Three Laws of Robotics. It was this unfinished failsafe that would later have an unexpected effect on his power generator. Eventually, his "free will" led Proto Man to leave Dr. Light's side, disappearing without a trace. The next time he showed up, he was a combat robot working for Wily.

Chronologically, Proto Man first appeared in the story "Asteroid Blues" from Mega Man Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man 3. He is disguised as Break Man and fights against Mega Man. In the end, his mask breaks and Dr. Light recognizes him. After Asteroid Blues, Proto Man leaves Dr. Wily and lives on his own.

Proto Man appeared briefly in the story "Metal Heart", where the events of Mega Man 3 are shown in a flashback. He is later introduced in "Holiday of Soldiers", where he defeats Dark Men 1 and 2 with a single attack, and fights against Bass. He is also present in the battle against the Copy Mega Man.

Proto Man also appeared as a racer in the story "Burning Wheel" from Rockman Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man Battle & Chase, though it was later revealed it was Dark Man 4 impersonating him again.

The real Protoman reappears in the story "Moon of Darkness", By the time of the Stardroids' arrival, Protoman's insistence on living alone had begun to take its toll. With the condition of his parts degrading further and further, he estimated his time was growing short. Unfortunately he was caught off-guard by Terra during self-maintenance and savagely beaten. Thanks to the efforts of Tango however, he managed to survive. Proto Man later goes to space to challenge the Stardroids. He is found damaged in a nearby satellite by Shadow Man, who tends to his wounds. Proto Man returns to the battle soon after, knowing his prototype body won't last much longer anyway. After defeating Mars, Proto Man drifts in space, heavily damaged, contemplating what he was always fighting for, finally realizing he fought for justice and the light.

Dr. Wily later sends Proto Man's battered helmet, which Star Man retrieved from space when the heroes return from the battle, to Dr. Light who sadly accepts Proto Man's fate.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)
In the comic book series by Archie Comics, Proto Man's original name is Blues, much like Mega Man's original name is Rock.

Early appearances
Before Proto Man's actual appearance in the comic, he is mentioned in the second issue, Dr. Light saying "Blues?!" when a Sniper Joe appears in front of Mega Man, mistaking him for Proto Man. In issue 3, while Dr. Light is comforting a sobbing Mega Man, he states that he built Rock in his image and loves him dearly, and that "he didn't want to lose another one of his beloved creations," with a panel (flashback) of him glancing at Proto Man.

In the eighth issue of the comic, Proto Man is seen watching Rock, Roll, and Dr. Light from the window. He was not wearing his helmet or visor, and his brown hair was covering his eyes. He makes his first, brief appearance in issue #15 when he is shut down by Ra Moon when near the Lanfront Ruins. In issue #16, Dr. Wily repairs and upgrades him. Proto Man agrees to work with Wily out of debt, but uncomfortable with his previous name of Blues or Wily's suggestion of Proto Man, the two compromise and he goes by Break Man. Rock also uncovers Blues' name in Light's database, prompting Light to reluctantly inform him about Blues' past and possible demise, leading to the Proto-Type arc below.

Proto-Type
The story arc Proto-Type shows that Blues is an advanced fighting robot created by Dr. Light (with Dr. Wily's assistance) as part of a military contract. Dr. Light created Blues to be human-like and intended to keep him, while the future Robot Masters line would be used as weapons. Dr. Light was enthusiastic with his creation and took him to several places of the city, including a museum and a park, to give him culture, and he gave Blues a yellow scarf and shades during these days. One night, Dr. Light heard Blues whistling a tune he made himself.

When Dr. Light had to show the results of his research to the military, Blues is taken to a live-fire exercise to show his combat abilities. At first Blues goes well, but suddenly something wrong happens with him and he is damaged. Dr. Light panics and asks to stop the test. When analyzing Blues, Dr. Light discovers that there is an imbalance in his power generator. He has never been put under this kind of strain, and as everything about him is unique and experimental, he requires a tremendous amount of power, and the output demand was pushed. The military sees potential in Dr. Light's work, and they decide to continue funding his research, asking him to create a simpler model that would require less power. This leads to the creation of the Sniper Joe series.

Back in Light Labs, Blues' recharge finishes and he awakens hearing Dr. Light and Wily discussing. He enters the room and they say Blues' power generator is flawed and the imbalance will eventually destroy him if it is not fixed. Dr. Light must redesign his core to save him, but by doing it there is a chance that his personal coding will be erased, making him lose all his personality traits. Later in the same night, Blues listens Dr. Light talking with Dr. Lalinde in a computer about him and hears Dr. Light say "Honestly, it would be easier if I did rewrite that rebellious streak out of him...". However, Dr. Light didn't mean it and planned to repair him the next day, but Blues is sad with what he heard and leaves Light Labs carrying a bag full of E Tanks. Dr. Light never heard of Blues again, and as time passed he believed that he perished because of his flaw.

Blues decided to live what is left of his life on his own terms, and would rather die tomorrow as Blues than live forever as someone else. He has no regrets, but he feels lonely as he doesn't get along with other robots because their programming isn't as human as his, and he has no place with humans due to being a combat robot. While wandering the world, Blues always used his powers to help those in need, even if it reduced his lifespan due to the energy used. As the years passed he ran out of E Tanks and his power reserves receive less energy each time he recharges by "napping". Realizing his time is running out, he decides to return to Light Labs hoping that Dr. Light still loves him and will forgive him. When he arrives, he sees Dr. Light hugging Rock and Roll (the scene from issue 8), and leaves crying, thinking he was a fool to return. His time almost up, Blues stops sulking and decides to find a place to perish, this being his last choice. In a TV news he sees the Lanfront Ruins in the Amazon Rainforest and decides to go there. With his remaining power he goes as close as he can to the Temple of the Moon while thinking of the choices he made, and passes away while whistling his tune. Blues is found by Dr. Wily's Robot Masters and is repaired by Dr. Wily, awakening inside the Temple of the Moon and leading to his name change to Break Man shown in issue #16.

As Break Man
In Mega Man's birthday, Wily incites Break Man to fight against Mega Man in issue #23 and uses the opportunity to continue his and Doctor Eggman's scheme. (He didn't want him around when he finished his plan because Blues kept bothering Wily because of his conscience.) After the Genesis Wave was dispelled, Break Man continued his fight with Mega Man, and eventually (albeit accidentially) shot Roll when she intercepted one of his attacks meant for Mega Man, when she temporarily stopped the fight to tell Mega Man that Break Man's true identity is Blues.

Worlds Collide
In the modified reality caused by the Genesis Wave, Proto Man is a hero. When the bank is attacked by the four Roboticized Masters, Proto Man fights against them alone until Mega Man appears to help him. Proto Man returns heavily damaged, although he does report to Dr. Light his readings on the Warp Ring used by the Roboticized Masters upon returning to Light Labs, resulting in Light creating a copy with help from Duo, also teleporting Mega Man and Sonic to the former's world. Because of his distrust of Dr. Light, he insists that Roll repair him. He later aided Sonic, Mega Man, Rush and Tails (the last having reasserted his identity upon being defeated as Tails Man) in entering the Skull Egg Zone to locate Dr. Light, who had been abducted by Bass and Metal Sonic during Sonic and Mega Man's duel. Proto Man then scouted ahead and dragged several of the Roboticized Masters in pursuit to locate Dr. Light, as well as to divert the Roboticized Masters from fighting the others, leaving only the Roboticized Masters Vector Man, Espio Man, and Charmy Man to fight against them. He eventually joined up with the reformatted identities of the aforementioned Roboticized Masters (Vector the Crocodile, Espio the Chameleon, and Charmy Bee, respectively) to investigate the entrance to the Skull Egg Zone, only to end up ambushed by the two remaining Roboticized Masters, Rose Woman and Knuckles Man. After they were restored, Proto Man alongside the Chaotix then informed Mega Man of finding the entrance, although they required the password to access it. Despite not cracking the password to the teleport system before the time-cloned Robot Master army, commanded by Rouge Woman's arrival, Proto Man nonetheless fought off the Robot Masters, also staying behind to hold them back while Mega Man and Sonic rushed to save Dr. Light. After Shadow saved Dr. Light from a near-fatal fall from the Wily Egg, Proto-Man, after making sure Light was alright, then lent Light his helmet to communicate with Mega Man, although he told him to "make it quick" as they were in the middle of a war zone. Proto Man and Knuckles later accompanied Dr. Light to save Sonic and Mega Man when they ended up captured by Eggman and Wily, with Knuckles and Proto Man proceeded to fight the two doctors in their mech, the Egg-Wily Machine X. They managed to trash the machine to a large degree, in large part due to Wily and Eggman's backstabbing sabotages to each other's defensive systems, although they were eventually brought down by Wily and Eggman doing a full system restore via the Chaos Emeralds. Nonetheless, they managed to back out of the fight when Sonic and Mega Man, in Super forms, proceeded to fight the mech. They then watched the fight. Presumably, Proto Man got sucked into the vortex when Super Mega Man undid the Genesis Wave with Chaos Control.

Short Circuits
Proto Man appeared in some of the Short Circuits mini comics present in the end of Archie's Mega Man comic. In issue 4 he has a short appearance with Rush, Bass and Treble. In issue 5 he reads the script of issue 2 and gets happy that it mentions a robot with shield will appear, believing that will be him. He is disappointed when he discovers the robot was a Sniper Joe. Later he reads the script of issue 5, which has a robot with scarf, but it is revealed to be Oil Man. In issue 9, Dr. Light is introducing his newest 'robotic breakthrough', a hamster that can recharge its own battery by running on a wheel. Rock questions the intelligence behind the invention while Blues stands there and states that it's the reason he doesn't want Dr. Light messing with his power supply. He also appeared in issue 18, where he told Bass that he'd better get comfortable and motions to an E-tank machine to Bass's right when Bass discovers that at least a full year passed of the Mega Man comics, and they are just barely past Mega Man 2. Besides his appearances as Proto Man, he also appeared in issues 23 and 28 as Break Man, the former taking a Union Man-approved 15 minute break (to Mega Man's irritation, as it happened just as he was supposed to fight him) and the latter comically implying that his Proto Buster had "broken" the storyline for four months.

Mega Man (Dreamwave Productions)
Proto Man first appeared in the end of issue 1, where he watched Mega Man's battle against Express Man. In issue 3, Proto Man appears to help Mega Man fight against Multi Man. After a long battle, Multi Man leaves, and so does Proto Man. Mega Man wonders who he is, telling him what happened to Dr. Light. The next day, Mega Man sees Dr. Light's house on fire when he was returning from school. While searching the house in issue 4, Mega Man sees Proto Man outside and believes he attacked the house, going after him. Proto Man says he only wanted to check the house, and after solving the misunderstanding they team up to search for Dr. Light and the others.

When looking at "Dr. Wiley Robotics", Dr. Wily's building transformed into a giant Yellow Devil-like robot that was going to attack the city. Mega Man and Proto Man try to stop the robot, but it is immune to their attacks. When Mega Man asks who Proto Man is and why he has the same powers as him, he only says that he is a friend and can't tell anything about himself at the moment, saying that Mega Man can call him "Proto Man", shortly after changing his mind and saying to simply call him "Jack". The two split up, Mega Man going after Dr. Light while Proto Man cuts the giant robot's power and makes it explode. After Mega Man and Dr. Light are safe, Proto Man leaves, and Mega Man asks Dr. Light if he knows him.

Other appearances
Proto Man appeared in Shigeto Ikehara's Rockman manga series (one of them having an evil copy of him), the manga Rockman 8, Rockman & Forte, Rockman 10 -Extra F-, Rockman 4Koma Dai Koushin and Rockman Battle & Chase.

Appearance
Proto Man appears similar to his younger brother, Mega Man, having a similar frame and build although the differences are immediate. Proto Man wears vibrant red armor that sharply contrasts that of Mega Man's blue shades as well as having a dark gray body suit. He wears a stylized helmet that features a distinct white trim that points upward. Along with his trademark flowing yellow scarf and thick black shades makes Proto Man fit the mysterious dashing lone wolf archetype quite well. Like Mega Man, Proto Man has been seen without his helmet, his hair having inconsistent depictions within and outside of canon.

In Mega Man 3 and the Rockman Complete Works version of Mega Man 5, Proto Man is depicted with short hair. However, in Mega Man 8, his hair is longer, featuring a distinct, long fringe that stretches forward and curves slightly upward, and in the Megamix manga, he is given exactly the same hairstyle as Mega Man. Archie comics gave him the Rockman 8 hair style and left it there, although one of the Short Circuits comics (specifically, Mariachi, the one taking place in Issue 9), taking place before Blues' formal debut, depicted him with the short hairstyle from Mega Man 3 and the Rockman Complete Works' version of Mega Man 5.

Personality
Proto Man is calm, cool, and collected in any situation and greatly independent. He plays an older brother role with Mega Man by helping him out and giving advice, and even saves his life on a few occasions. He is a loner who, like his brother, has a strong sense of justice and helps those who need it. He is also a grateful person as shown by how he repays Wily's debt for temporarily fixing him. (Although in Powered Up, he was angrier quick to resort to violence.)

Abilities
Proto Man is a playable character in Mega Man 9 and 10. He is useful in some areas, but playing as him has some cons too. When he jumps, he raises his shield, blocking shots. Proto Man also fires slightly lower than Mega Man in Mega Man 10, letting him hit landmines, which Mega Man can not. But, unlike Mega Man when he gets hit, he takes twice the recoil and twice the damage, which is a great reason to utilize his shield.


 * Proto Buster (ブルースバスター): A powerful arm cannon like the Mega Buster. Proto Man can charge energy to make the shot stronger.


 * Proto Shield (ブルースシールド): A strong shield that can deflect most attacks, he also dashes while holding it, using it as a battering ram.


 * Proto Strike (ブルースストライク): A powerful short range charge shot used by Proto Man in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. An attack with the same name is used in Mega Man: Battle & Chase and Mega Man Powered Up. This is also the name of his Special Power in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS, which was mistranslated as "Bruce Strikes Back" in North America.


 * Big Bang Strike (ビッグバンストライク): An energy blast of tremendous power. This attack is very dangerous to Proto Man, however, as it severely drains his energy. It's used in Mega Man & Bass to destroy King's strong shield.


 * Variable Weapon System: Proto Man can copy Special Weapons from other robots and use them to his own advantage.

Rockman Complete Works data
Rockman 3: ライトはかせしさくロボット１号. エネルギーそうちにミスがあり、スクラップ前にゆくえふめいに. はたして敵か、みかたか...

Rockman 5: ライト博士の人型試作ロボット１号機. ロックマンにとっては兄に当たる存在. 完成後、エネルギー動力装置に欠陥が発見され、自分の死期を知ったブルースはその後、行方をくらます...動力停止寸前にＤｒ．ワイリーに回収され、何らかの改造を受けたらしいが...

Rockman Battle & Fighters data
ワシのひとがたしさくロボット１ごうきでロックマンはしらないがロックマンのあににあたる. こどくをあいし、みずからのしんねんにもとづいてこうどうする.

Mega Man: Powered Up

 * "I'll help you this time...but remember this, Light! I haven't forgiven you!"
 * "EXPLODE!"
 * "PROTO STRIKE!"
 * "Sorry, it had to be."
 * "Cut Man... I'm sorry, but this ends here."
 * "Stop. This isn't your site anyway."
 * "Ice Man... This might be a little painful, but hang in there..."
 * "As you are now, you are a threat to everyone. I must neutralize you."
 * "Yes, that's the spirit, Fire Man. Just use it the right way next time you awaken."
 * "Elec Man... I'm sorry, but I can't go easy on you..."
 * "Time Man...?! That accursed Light! Allowing another unfinished robot..."
 * "Oil Man?! This being our first meeting, brother, I'll make this short, so hang on."
 * "When you attack me, watch out for my unstable nuclear core... One big shot and we're both vapor, I'd say."
 * "Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a machine that doesn't, so what does that make me?"
 * "That madman. Even worse than those Joe robots, to think he'd make something like this!"
 * "It's always been on my mind...what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."

Mega Man 3

 * "Where's Dr. Wily?... Oh no, too late."

Mega Man 7

 * "It's been a while, Mega Man. Here is a little information. Your weapons can be used to discover hidden areas. Try using the flame weapon in the woods."
 * "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Collect all the plates and Dr. Light will create new equipment for you. Good luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you didn't take the Super Adapter
 * "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Cool but remember, the super megaman Armor is too bulky to allow you to slide. Good Luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you already took the Super Adapter
 * "So Brother, you are not as weak as I thought. Let's see which of us Father made stronger!"
 * "Maybe you are the superior model, Mega Man. Here, take this with you."
 * "It's OK. Take it. And... watch your back..."

Mega Man 8

 * "Are you okay?"
 * "Who was that?"
 * "He may be connected to Dr. Wily."
 * "'Wily Tower' is just ahead of here."

Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters

 * "Wily, did you truly believe you could fool me?"
 * "Don't worry about my problems. I know my own body better than anybody else. And remember, I'm unbeatable! No matter what."
 * "That's not my style. I'll do it myself. I don't need anybody! Nice chatting with you, Doc, but I've got things to do. Later."
 * "You have a good soul, but sometimes you're too naïve. Believe in yourself, Mega Man! Your way is not wrong, it is the righteous path."
 * "...... I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."
 * "That's fine by me, but you can't defeat Mega Man."
 * "You and Mega Man have completely different goals."
 * "You only care about petty things like fighting to be the best. But Mega Man is different. He cares about the future."
 * "Yes! He keeps fighting for the future of robots and humans."
 * "Think about it, Bass. Think about who you really need to fight against."
 * "So you're leaving, Duo?"
 * "There's no relation. I like to be alone."
 * "Duo."
 * "Come and visit Earth again."
 * "Come and visit Earth again."

Mega Man & Bass

 * "Stop it right there, King! First, Dr. Wily's lab, now the museum?"
 * "You're not going anywhere, King!"
 * "No, you're gonna face ME first!"
 * "Ugh... Looks like I have no choice but to use this..."
 * "Mega Man/Bass, get back! I'm going to channel all my energy into this blast!"
 * "It's time to end this! Big Bang Strike!!"
 * "Y-You idiot! Are you going to waste this chance I just gave you!? Fight, damn it, fight...!" (translation of the SNES version)
 * "Bass, you're underestimating him! He's... still alive...!"
 * "You never learn, Wily!"
 * "I won't let this happen!"
 * "Bass, you don't need to hesitate, do you? You are not a slave to Wily, are you? You are acting on your own, aren't you? Not with a partner, nor under someone's order..."
 * "You are strong. That is true. But you can't defeat Mega Man. Do you know why? It is because you have nothing to fight for... What have you been fighting for, Bass? You don't have anything or anybody to fight for, do you? You have fought only for yourself, right?"
 * "Farewell."

Mega Man 9

 * "You're a fool, Mega Man! It's a trap! That's the fake Dr. Light robot Wily used to make that fake video!"
 * "Naïve as always... Do what you want, then!"
 * "Looks like you need my help - again..."

Mega Man 10

 * "I don't think you'll be able to do this alone."
 * "Forget about me... I've caught that Roboenza Virus."
 * "I guess I owe you one now..."
 * "And now another of your schemes ends in failure."
 * "Hmm? What's wrong with you? You've got a fever... I guess that's what they call poetic justice."
 * "I should just leave you here..."

Trivia

 * The name Blues (Proto Man's Japanese name) comes from the musical genre. The musical genre is considered a precursor to rock. Just like how the robot Blues is a precursor to the robot Rock.


 * Proto Man's character is very reminiscent of Racer X from Speed Racer. Keiji Inafune commented the idea was inspired by many mysterious characters from classic animes of his generation, since the team wanted people to be unsure of whether Proto Man was friend or foe. He was given a scarf for coolness, and a shield to make him seem tougher than Mega Man. - Mega Man Official Complete Works Page 17


 * In Mega Man Powered Up, he couldn't copy weapons like Mega Man, but in other games, he can.


 * Proto Man is slightly taller than Mega Man in most appearances, being mistaken as roughly equivalent due to the shape of Mega Man's helmet. However, in Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Proto Man was not redrawn to size, ending up as shorter than even Ice Man.


 * Unlike Mega Man, Proto Man's buster is usually depicted built into his left arm.


 * Proto Man's Red Striker from Mega Man: Battle & Chase appears as a toy in Mega Man ZX in Area C, belonging to one of two twins. The other twin is in possession of Mega Man's Rush Roadster.


 * Proto Man has rarely ever been depicted without his trademark shades, and as such, his eyes have never been revealed. Even in his origin story in the Archie Comics as shown above, his hair conceals his eyes.


 * Despite having been the lead antagonist in Mega Man 5 (until it was revealed that Wily was in fact the true enemy), Proto Man is the only major foe not to have his own logo in game or on the Stage Select (while others such as Wily, Cossack and Mr. X did). However, he was given a logo in the Navi Mode of the Rockman Complete Works and Mega Man Anniversary Collection, which sits at the base of the life bars for all main bosses until the end of his fortress, after which it changes to Wily's logo.


 * In the Rockman 3 commercial Proto Man is seen without his helmet and has dark grey hair, a different hairstyle than seen in any other media, different shades, and a red scarf.


 * Proto Man's voice actor in the animated series (Scott McNeil) also voiced Ken Masters from the animated Street Fighter cartoon series. This is somewhat mirrored by his Japanese voice actor (Ryotaro Okiayu) who also did the voice acting for Zero in the Mega Man X series.


 * Viewtiful Joe, the main protagonist from another Capcom game was once referred to as "some kind of Mega Man or something" when he and Hulk Davidson first meet. This is a reference to Joe's resemblance to Proto Man as both have similar color schemes.


 * Luste Teuber, a character from the Japanese dōjin soft series, Rosenkreuzstilette, bears a striking resemblance to Proto Man in the sequel, Rosenkreuzstilette ~Freudenstachel~. Her first appearance in which she masquerades Proto Man was seen in [erka:es] April Fool's site, as Luste puts on a visor and a yellow scarf similar to Proto Man's. Her final design in the sequel, however, still bears to Proto Man as she wears a pair of orange goggles and a black scarf reminiscent to Proto Man.


 * Proto Man is one of the main characters in the live-action fan film.


 * Proto Man's story from the animated series and Mega Man 5 together inspired his role in the rock opera by The Protomen.


 * "Protoboy", a character from the TV show Robotboy, appears to be based on Proto Man.