Time Man

"Time's up!"

- Time Man

"Flashy, but hollow words. Listening to such prattle is truly a waste of time!"

- Time Man

Time Man (タイムマン) is one of the two new Robot Masters from the remake of the original Mega Man from NES to the PSP: Mega Man Powered Up.

Time Man is a Robot Master created by Dr. Light for use in time travel experiments. However, since his time travel theory had not yet been perfected at the time, Time Man's functions are not complete, and Time Man is consumed by a crippling inferiority complex. As a consequence, he is very obsessive over unnecessary perfection and takes on an overbearing, bossy attitude. He is known to be irritable - somewhat conceited - and completely obsessed with time and his schedules. He also keeps large track of time, stating Mega Man is 0.3 seconds early when they fight. Because of his strict and domineering personality, he won't put up with any idle or useless activities. He tends not to even speak if he thinks it will waste time. And though he takes others to task for their lateness, he doesn't show any appreciation for Ice Man's timeliness.

It is mentioned by Dr. Wily in Mega Man Powered Up that Time Man is a prototype. Wily may have later perfected the design with his own robot, Flash Man. Further evidence can be found in the fact that Time Man can only slow time down while Flash Man can freeze it completely.

Mega Man Powered Up
As a boss, Time Man is one of the eight robots reprogrammed by Dr. Wily to help him conquer the world. He can slow time with his Time Slow and attacks with arrow-like projectiles that move straight forward. Like the hands of a clock, his projectiles travel in different speeds depending on their size, the "hour" projectile being slower than the "minute" one.

As a playable character, his primary attack is shooting twin projectiles shaped like clock hands at angles, one going upwards, one going downwards, making Time Man an awkward character to control attacks. He is also known to be the second Robot Master - other than Mega Man - to be able to charge, and when he is fully charged, he can release the attack button to use Time Slow, which slows down time more than Mega Man's. He is able to charge again to the fullest while time is slowed, but if he releases it during the time, nothing will happen, and he must charge again for when the Time Slow wears off. He is also the only character capable of breaking a Time-themed Break Container.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)
The first out-of-game appearances Time Man had was in the Archie Comics Mega Man series. He is seen on the final page of issue 4 with Oil Man, but makes his first 'official' appearance in issue 5, in the second story arc, Time Keeps Slipping. Originally, he and Oil Man were to be among Dr. Light's original set of Robot Masters, but Light thought they were too powered up, and decided not to finish them. Unbeknownst to Light, Dr. Wily took the liberty to finish making them. His personality is like that of his game counterpart, as he is still strict and to-the-point, and obsessed with his schedules.

In Issue 5, Time Man led several of Wily's robots to the police escort containing Dr. Wily to free his master. He then used Time Slow on the vehicle to bust Wily out of the vehicle, also dispatching some of Wily's robots, including a Sniper Joe to hold off Mega Man long enough to succeed in his mission. In Issue 6, Time Man, arriving at Wily's new hideout (the workshop that Time Man and Oil Man were created at) gave Wily his old set of clothes to change into from his prison garb, while also apologizing for his lateness due to Oil Man holding them up, resulting in the latter, who heard this just as he arrived with Roll in tow, getting into an argument with him regarding uptightness and arrogance before Wily put them in their place. Wily then explained Time Man's history to Roll. He alongside Oil Man later appeared in Issue 7, where they ambushed the six Robot Masters without drawing attention to themselves by either Krantz or Mega Man. They then did battle with him with the Robot Masters appearing, apparently reprogrammed. However, Elec Man revealed that they had been faking their being reprogrammed due to Dr. Light proofing them from further hacking attempts from Wily by using his Thunder Beam to disrupt Time Man's Time Slow ability. Time Man, alongside Oil Man, then surrendered and joined Light Labs, using their abilities for more noble purposes.

Time Man also appears at the end of issue 11 and issue 12 along with Oil Man and the other Light Robot Masters, helping to save a reprogrammed Mega Man. In the latter issue, Time Man used his Time Slow to buy Elec Man and the other Robot Masters enough time to get into position while pinned down by enemy fire, with Elec Man, Ice Man, Fire Man, Bomb Man, and Oil Man taking out the Sniper Joes guarding the gate and Cut Man and Guts Man arriving at the main gate. They are later pinned down by the Mecha Dragon, and after the remainder of Mega Man's anti virus program was finished uploaded directly, Time Man explained what happened. Time Man, Oil Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man aided Mega Man in infiltrating further into the castle, but took on the Guts Tank. He then narrowly escaped the castle in time when Wily set it to self-destruct alongside his "brothers."

He also made a brief appearance in the beginning of issue 20, where he was evidently overpowered by Dr. Wily and his Mega Man Killers and the Genesis Unit inside the Chronos Institute, where Dr. Wily steals the Time Skimmer. He was mentioned in Sonic the Hedgehog Issue 248 of the Worlds Collide arc, and appears in issue 251 as part of the cavalry among the original Light Robot Masters, holding off the Robot Master army while Light, Proto Man, Rush, and Knuckles the Echidna infiltrate the Wily Egg.

In issue 31, Time Man was revealed to have also been supplied with the EMP coating shielding him temporarily from the effects of Ra Moon's EMP wave, and used his Time Slow ability to slow time down long enough to allow some doctors to complete surgery in light of the disabling of all other technology. He is seen briefly in issue 37, working in the Chronos Institute.

Short Circuits
Time Man also appears in the Mega Man comic's Short Circuits strips, his first appearance taking place in issue five. In it, he awakens a sleeping Dr. Wily by ringing like an alarm clock, but is then silenced by a punch from Guts Man, who is playing the part of "Snooze Man."

Damage Data Chart
Displays the amount of damage in units that Time Man will receive from each Special Weapon in Mega Man Powered Up.

As a Boss
Time Man: You're early for your appointment.

Mega Man: Huh, what "appointment", Timeman?!

Time Man: Oh, joy. By being early, you have given us an extra 0.3 seconds.

Time Man: You're late. I grew tired of waiting.

Roll: Women need time to get ready, you know! If you didn't, then you're just a kid.

Time Man: ...Wasting time as she wills, like a child...

Time Man: Who are you?

Proto Man: Timeman...?! That accursed Light! Allowing another unfinished robot...

Time Man: Hmph. I am perfection.

Time Man: You're late. I grew tired of waiting.

Cut Man: But you did wait for me, right? Then, let's go home together!

Time Man: Do you think you can fool time, you idiot?!

Time Man: You're late. It's out of the question. Go home.

Guts Man: No can do. You're coming back with me.

Time Man: You would waste even more time?

Time Man: Hmph, you're actually on time.

Ice Man: Yes, I am always very aware of the time when I perform my duties, sir.

Time Man: I have no interest in your "duties" or whatever else.

Time Man: You're late. I grew tired of waiting.

Bomb Man: Don't sweat the small stuff! I go by my party clock!

Time Man: Imbecile...

Time Man: Hmph, you're early.

Fire Man: My justice is absolute! It waits for no man! Fiiire!!

Time Man: This will be over earlier than planned...

Time Man: Hmph.

Elec Man: A fight is but a moment; an eternal moment... A moment of mesmerizing beauty...

Time Man: Come on.

Time Man: Look at my watch. You're late. It's out of the question. Go home.

Oil Man: I don't know nothin' about that! You're not the boss of me! I do what I want when I want!

Time Man: It seems you have no use for your remaining time on Earth.

Trivia

 * Oil Man and Time Man appear on Capcom's Chiptuned Rockman, a CD which was released only in Japan. It features their themes from Rockman Rockman (Mega Man Powered Up) in 8-bit.


 * In Issue 8 of the Archie Comics, Time Man expressed his hatred to Cut Man's puns twice, making him the one of the only Robot Masters, along with Bomb Man who referred to his puns the most.


 * Ironically, Time Man as a boss is highly resistant to Hyper Bomb (and clock hands) but not to Super Arm; as the player, however, he is highly resistant to Guts Man's attacks (in addition to his own), but not to Bomb Man's.
 * Time Man's weakness to Super Arm as a boss may be due to the fact that in fiction, people often break their own alarm clocks given the right amount of stress and/or strength.

Coincidentally, the Crazy Cannon enemies found in Flash Man's stage are also found in Time Man's stage.