Mega Man Issue 37 (Archie Comics)


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Mega Man #37 is the thirty-seventh issue in the Mega Man comic book series by Archie Comics, planned to be released in May 2014. It will be the first part of a four-part Mega Man/Mega Man X crossover arc called "Dawn of X." It will feature three variant covers: The first being the standard variant, the second a villains variant featuring Sigma and Vile, and a third variant, exclusive at a currently-unspecified convention, featuring X and Mega Man in modern video game graphics.

Publisher's Summary
THE MEGA MAN / MEGA MAN X Crossover is here! The next big video game event from Archie Comics has at last arrived in DAWN OF X Part One! It's a brand new adventure so MEGA-EPIC that it would be impossible to contain it in just one time period! Witness a struggle that spans across time as both the original Mega Man AND Mega Man X battle a long-lost Wily weapon for the safety of all mankind! Featuring heroes and villains from both hit Capcom franchises, plus the surprise return of a character that will affect the very course of time and space as we know it! Get in on the ground floor of this century-spanning special event that features a cover and variant from Mega Man art legend Patrick 'SPAZ' Spaziante, as well as a special 'Villain Variant' cover featuring SIGMA and VILE by painter Erik Ly! 'X' Marks the spot!

Dawn of X - Part 1: Secrets in the Deep
On 21XX, in Arcadia City, two Emerald Spears members recognize Mega Man X as being the first Reploid and the demon template, with one of them firing a launcher round at X on his partner's orders. However, he missed and ended up hitting a car instead. X then proceeded to Dash towards them as the black-haired Emerald Spears member told off his purple haired partner for missing despite being in close range while the purple haired human apologized. X then proceeded to yank the launcher from the black-haired human and chewed him out for endangering people. However, the purple haired member was about to fire at X with his launcher at point blank range. Zero, an elite Maverick Hunter, managed to teleport in from behind and grab him, telling him to cut it out. X then tried to tell Zero to be careful as while they are dangerous, they were still humans. Zero then assuaded X's fears by telling him that he wasn't going to come close to becoming Maverick, before preemptively returning the thanks.

X then apologized and thanked Zero for saving him, and decided to turn them in to the police. However, the black-haired human proceeded to loudly declare that they can kill him and his partner, but the cause of the Emerald Spears will not be broken, and declared loudly that humanity revolt against the machines. X then tried to tell him that no one is aiming to harm them, while Zero corrected him and stated that X and Zero won't, and implied that the owner of the car that the two humans destroyed might hurt them in revenge for destroying the car. X then asked what the Emerald Spears were, with Zero explaining that they were an ancient cult of robophobes, and their human-exclusive membership meant the Maverick Hunters generally don't get involved in their crimes, although the explosion caused by them required Zero to investigate while he was in the area, as they usually meant trouble.

Zero then commented to the soldier that he had good shooting skills for someone so opposed to advanced technology, and the soldier nervously retorted that they fight fire with fire. X then proceeded to tell Zero to be merciful as the guy wasn't well. X, however, was privately disturbed at his learning about the Emerald Spears and their history, as while he could understand why humans were nervous about Reploids going Maverick, the implications of the Emerald Spears' existence and motives would suggest something similar happened long in the past.

Meanwhile, in the badlands a century before, Mega Man, Bright Man, and Pharaoh Man teleported onto a mesa, with Mega Man reporting to the doctors that he arrived at the coordinates Dr. Wily gave them before remarking that everything seemed quiet. Mega Man then mentioned the entrance should be within the mesa, so far as what Wily remembers at least. Pharaoh Man then asked Mega Man whether Mega Man should let him go first this time around and complimenting his adaptive learning program is functioning well, especially when the last time Mega Man led them on a mission, he managed to shoot anything that moved in a site full of priceless relics, with Mega Man sheepishly acknowledging it.

After locating the door to the abandoned Wily Lab and opening it, Mega Man asked Wily whether there were any defenses in the lab. Wily stated that there shouldn't be any more, as they should be either broken or disabled. Mega Man then gave the all-clear, but then Pharaoh Man revealed that Wily is either becoming senile, or is lying as he rips out a panel that had a gun inside. Bright Man, after some shock, then commented that it may have had its power system drained, before Pharaoh Man confirmed that it actually had a backup generator, and that it had enough of a caliber to penetrate even the Robot Masters' armor. Mega Man then asked Wily if he heard this. Wily then claimed that the long period of time had caused him to forget. After signing off, Bright Man asked Mega Man if he is entirely sure that Wily's on their side. Mega Man then proceeded to state that they found plenty of evidence to back up his claims, and the judge had acquitted him, plus Wily was the one who revealed the location of the lab to them in the first place, meaning there was reason to trust him, and that if it was indeed one of Wily's tricks, Mega Man would get rid of the trap and deal with Wily himself. Suddenly, Pharaoh Man stops the other Robot Masters, as ahead of them was a trap floor and he starts to disable it. Bright Man then eyed Mega Man suspiciously, as if to say "I told you so!".

At Light Labs, Dr. Light tells the three to take it slow. He then turns to Dr. Wily and asks if the current lab was the only location that the "rogue" Robot Masters could be hiding, which Wily responds by saying it's the only place he can think of, as all of his other assets were impounded, and this was the only one untouched. He backs up his reasoning with the fact that Ra Moon had access to all of his files, and the new Robot Masters were built by him, so the remaining lab could have potentially been programmed as a fall-back position. While Roll hands the doctors some coffee, he explains that it was too dangerous to disassemble, as this was the lab that got him banned for the "unethical robotic experiments". Dr. Cossack says that it was due to Wily building weapons of mass destruction, and the two glare each other. Dr. Light says that they all made some mistakes in the past, but right now they need to focus on the Robot Masters hiding in a dangerous stronghold. Wily says that it is only potentially dangerous, as the place is old and Mega Man can probably handle it, but he actually hopes that Mega Man is destroyed in his trap. Regardless, if Mega Man and Cossack's robots survive his Wily Walker, it will give his Robot Masters time to finish his new base and prepare a back-up plan. In the background, Auto can be seen working on Eddie.

Dr. Light thanks Cossack for lending his robots again, and Cossack says that not only is it a pleasure, it also gives exposure for the Stravinsky Science Academy, saying "Cossack-built Robot Masters--helping Mega Man clean up Dr. Wily's messes in 20XX." while looking to Wily. Dr. Wily says he is funny, and asks if Kalinka no longer having nightmares now that he helped destroy Ra Moon. The handle of Cossack's mug suddenly breaks as if it was a bad omen, but Roll takes it before it hits floor and says she will take another. Cossack thanks Roll and says he doesn't want more coffee, and tells Wily that she is sleeping better now that she doesn't have to worry about monsters or mad scientists.

In the Chronos Institute, Dr. Shou Kouin called agents Roslyn Krantz and Gilbert D. Stern about a fugitive hiding in a lab. While taking them to the room, he explains that they research time, how it works, how it affects others, and how it can be manipulated. Gil jokingly says to call him if he discovers how to stop it, as he has a backlog of paperwork. Dr. Kouin also notes that they are nearing completing a prototype "Time Skimmer", which allows one to move through time. He took in a man named Mr. Wells as his assistant, who said he lost everything after the blackout, but after seeing the news, he discovered that Mr. Wells is actually the terrorist leader Xander Payne. Surprised, Xander enters a firefight with the agents. He successfully managed to graze Gil in the arm, and then proceeded to rant about how he only wished to stem the tide of the robot revolution and prevent humanity's extinction, but he now realizes that they are already caught in the current, so he intends to go back before "the tide even rose." He then acknowledged that they most likely won't even know his sacrifice, and forgives them for not realizing it before stating he'll "see them in the history books," and goes into the temporal energies of the time machine.

Back in the hidden mesa lab, Mega Man, Pharaoh Man, and Bright Man are attacked by a few Battons, but besides them, they didn't found any other robots. After passing by a chasm,, they find a room with a large robot that is on stand-by. Wily says that's the Wily Walker, a walking weapons platform he created to get sponsorship from the military and got him sanctioned. When Wily explains what it can do, Cossack screams with Wily for adding chemical weapons to it. Wily says he only wanted to show its versatility and was going to disarm it for the final checks, but got arrested before he could. Wily gives the shutdown code, but instead it enables the robots, and he blames Cossack for distracting him. None of their weapons work on the Wily Walker, and when Bright Man is about to get crushed by it, Mega Man sacrifices himself to save him.

A century later, in the same mesa, X goes to the area by Dr. Cain's request. Cain's team discovered a hidden chasm with something that appears to be from X's period. X is surprised to see a giant machine (the Wily Walker) partially buried under rubble, and Cain can't wait to discover what is it. Beneath the Wily Walker, Mega Man's helmet is broken under its leg, suggesting that he was destroyed by it.

Short Circuits
Dr. Cain has fun by dressing as a pirate and making X mark the spot of a treasure.

Trivia

 * Xander Payne's alias, "Mr. Wells", is most likely a reference to the science fiction author "H.G. Wells", who was famous for the Sci-Fi novel "The Time Machine".
 * The coffee mugs for Dr. Light, Dr. Wily, and Dr. Cossack were, respectively, an Energy Tank, a skull, and Cossack's emblem from Mega Man 4.
 * The passcode given by Dr. Wily, 6853-5646-1241-7515, is from Mega Man 7 for starting with full power in the last level.
 * Time Man can be seen in the background inside the Chronos Institute.