Master Albert

"I don't think I'm a god---I AM a god!"

- Albert as he Megamerges

"I wanted to know what it was like to be the ultimate...To be at evolution's extreme...as one of the Sage Trinity, but of above all, as a scientist. At evolution's extreme, there is emptiness and misery."

- Albert

Master Albert (マスター・アルバート), also known as Doctor Albert and called Mr. Albert by Hedgeshock the Erinaceroid, is the main antagonist of Mega Man ZX Advent. He was formerly one of the Sage Trinity, the proclaimed masters of the world in charge of the most powerful corporation, Legion, but betrayed them as he begun to speed up his centuries-long plan by collecting all of the fragments of Biometal Model W to "reset the world".

What appears to be a member of the Sage Trinity is actually a decoy, as revealed when Pandora and Prometheus turn on him and destroy his body.

It is possible that he has a connection to Serpent and, indirectly, Ciel or Dr. Weil, considering the numerous Model W are actually pieces of Ragnarok infused with the evil soul of Weil, the fact that it was Ciel who found Model W and created Models Z and X to counter it, and also the fact that Serpent was not only the first victim of Model W's evil influence but also its nature (as well as the fact that Aeolus's cipher stated a little-known code made by Albert that Maverick survivors were to report to Legion to get a blood donation from him, which also implies that Serpent was a Maverick survivor, as he was seen in the cipher).

Personality
Albert usually tends to be gentle, mature, and relaxed, but desired to make a world in which humans and Reploids may reach "evolution's extreme"; however, he comes to understand that humans and Reploids are incurably flawed, leading to "emptiness and misery" and evolutionary stagnation. So he decides to take it upon himself as the creator of the current iteration of the world and self-proclaimed "supreme being" to cleanse it of its deficiencies by destroying both, causing the world to "reset" in order to restore balance to its imperfect state. After this, Albert plans "to bring new life into the world" to replace humanoids and "protect its future."

He is a smart, calm, and intelligent man, but at the same time, insane. He was the "certain man who created Model W" that Prairie mentioned. He acts rather indifferent to his "son" Grey, constantly calling him a "defective," whilst he is more sympathetic towards Ashe, showing her far more respect (even expressing some regret towards having to kill Ashe prior to their battle as she was his flesh and blood). In addition, he also possessed delusions of godhood, as evidenced by his statements shortly before fighting Ashe and Grey for the final time. However, he does acknowledge their abilities after his defeat, but at same time curses them to "rot" in their earned peace.

History
It is unknown when Albert was born, but it was most likely that he may have been born during or after the Ragnarok incident. At some point in his life he met up with two other revolutionary scientists, Thomas and Mikhail, and formed the Sage Trinity and had their bodies enhanced with cybernetic implants to further increase their lifespans; however, he may have sealed himself away and used an older, taller-looking version of himself in his place. It was revealed by Thomas that Albert had already been creating Model W when the Trinity was just formed. Albert most likely created Model W for the sole purpose of bringing flesh and machine together to reach a higher existence as had Weil did when he fused himself with the core of Ragnarok, and thus influenced him into his villainous role. However Ciel discovered the existence of Model W and thus created six Biometals to counteract against it. Albert may have predicted this and infused his blood with 8 Reploids and Humans as part of his planned 'Game of Destiny'. To ensure that his Game of Destiny would be played out, he created the Reploid siblings Prometheus and Pandora in order to identify the strongest Mega Man and drag them into the fight as their one commandment. This probably means that there were either past Biometals that were created or Pseudoroids created before the 16 seen in the games. Based on a comment made by Prometheus later on, Albert spent his time communicating them remotely via a video monitor. According to the Death and Witch track of ZX Gigamix, the two appeared to have been trying to escape Albert's control for a while until their bodies were supposedly permanently fused with Model W. In order to ensue that his plan wouldn't fail, he created a spare Ultimate Mega Man: Grey, whom he refers to him as the "other him". As another contingency plan, a Raider by the name of Ashe, was descended from his family line and could serve as a pure biological match. Either one was suitable for an additional Biometal he created called Model A which possessed powers similar to Model W but were supposedly incomplete or inferior in comparison. As they would fight the other Mega Men, they would unlock hidden ciphers programmed to release data upon their defeat that reveals his plans.

In Mega Man ZX, Albert is not named or seen though in Aile's storyline, but Serpent mentions that all Mega Men are infused with his blood. In addition, in both storylines, Prometheus, after being defeated for a final time alongside Pandora, indirectly referenced Albert and his Game of Destiny when hinting that they are all pawns in "his game."

In Mega Man ZX Advent, Albert first appears to Grey/Ashe early in the game alongside his fellow Sage Trinity members, Thomas and Mikhail. However, after Grey/Ashe were accessing his ciphers far sooner than even he anticipated, as well as not even being able to kill (Grey) or even stall (Ashe) before then, Albert was forced to accelerate his plans. Though appearing the most benevolent and concerned for Grey/Ashe, his true nature is first revealed to Thomas and Mikhail when he reveals his plan to create a new world based on the doctrine of the Sage Trinity, opting for a do-or-die situation. Before either can respond, Grey/Ashe appears and tries to apprehend him, but he brushes off their attacks with four Model W fragments and escapes, but not before assuring they will meet again, giving them the vague but morbid hint that they 'were made in his image'. He goes into hiding, ordering his Mega Men, Atlas, Thetis, Aeolus and Siarnaq to gather the rest of the Model W fragments scattered across the world. Grey and Ashe eventually find his hideout and prepares to confront them, but gets an unexpected visit from Prometheus and Pandora. Prometheus mocks him before striking him down. After the two Reploid siblings fight Grey/Ashe, their negative energies are suddenly extracted from their bodies, rendering them unconscious as the real Albert appears to Grey and Ashe, and promptly absorbs the data from Prometheus and Pandora. All of the fragments resonate together as they begin their final transformation into the ultimate Biometal, Ouroboros, shaped after the creature of legend that symbolizes the cycle of life and death and bearing a striking resemblance to Ragnarok.

As Grey/Ashe make their way through the Ouroboros, Albert appears in front of them and demonstrates to them the real A-Trans and the true power of Model W and leaves them to fight the regenerated Pseudoroids. He appears again in, supposedly outdoors in an Eden-style garden, sitting on his throne as he reveals to Grey/Ashe of their true lineage and connection to him. Grey was created by Albert as the 'spare Ultimate Mega Man' while Ashe is the only unaltered descendant of his bloodline (meaning, her genetic ties to Albert were legitimate, and not due to genetic tampering). His throne transforms to attack them but is destroyed after, citing to Grey that he no longer served any purpose and also claiming that he's both sad and glad at having to destroy Ashe, sad because it meant eliminating his genetic legacy, yet glad because it would ensure only one of them (himself) existed. Albert claims that he wants to create a new world by resetting everything and protect its future dismissing Grey/Ashe's claim that he wants to be a ruler (and in Ashe's case, her implication that Model W was controlling Albert.) before announcing himself as a god, Megamerging into Mega Man Model W as the garden around them literally shatters. Though possessing incredible and fearsome powers, Albert is soundly defeated once and for all, claiming that his research was correct, as well as asking Grey if what he just told him is what his non-amnesic self would have said. He berates the two, telling them to "[leisurely] rot" in the peace they claimed for themselves before his body explodes. The Ouroboros soon follows, ending the Model W threat, possibly once and for all.

Although he as well as Model W may be destroyed, his legacy hasn't, since it is revealed in the completion of Expert Mode that Master Thomas intends to continue Albert's work to ensure the destiny of resetting the world (even though he didn't necessarily agree with how Albert tried to destroy existence). His reasonings are yet unknown.

Forms and Abilities

 * Note: Names of forms are not official.

Decoy body: The dummy body that Albert uses for his role as one of the Sage Trinity. In this form, Albert's hair is blue and he wears the Sage Trinity uniform, holding what appears to be a digital lexicon/book. His eyes are constantly closed until his true nature is revealed (this one seems to be the "real" Albert, but just in another body, as both act exactly the same and Albert implies he remembered what happened in his dummy body). His body also demonstrated the ability to levitate, as evidenced by his escape from Legion HQ and Grey/Ashe, although it is not specified if this was one of his body's own abilities or the result of his using the Model W fragments. In addition, the dummy body seems to be tall, towering over Grey/Ashe, and also taller than his original body.

Human
Original body: Also known as DAN-000, this is Albert's original body modified with cybernetics and the ability to use Model W. This form appears to be about Grey/Ashe's size and has red hair instead of blue. Like his decoy body he has black eyes with red irises, but with the addition of a monocle-like device covering his right eye. He constantly wears a restraining jacket which he only removes upon Megamerging (which even then, it's debatable if he actually was Megamerging though all Mega Men with the exception of Ashe, Aeolus, and Serpent either wear boots or other equipment that resembles their Megamerged forms. (See Mega Man Model W below for more details.)


 * MegaMerge: Albert is compatible with Model W, which comes as no surprise being that he is the creator of the original Biometal.
 * A-Trans: Albert is able to change his forms through the power of Model W using 'the real A-Trans' (Shin Trans-On in the Japanese version). In addition, he can also reincarnate/revive those who were absorbed into Model W. Albert can change himself into the forms of those whose souls and negative emotions were absorbed by Model W:
 * The 8 Pseudoroids, who were brought back by Model W's power.
 * Presumably Prometheus and Pandora since he copied them after Grey/Ashe defeated them.
 * Presumably Serpent, as Model W did absorb him as well.
 * Presumably Gerry the Raider, as he was absorbed into Model W.

Throne Form
Not a form he takes, but rather his throne transforms into a three-headed dragon Mechaniloid. In this form, Albert attacks with a predominately ranged strategy. When the dragon has taken enough damage, all three heads will separate from the body and attack. while the headless necks fire homing missiles.

Phase 1

 * Death Scythe - The middle head extends across the screen, lowers, and drags back along the ground by the horn. The player can dodge this attack by continuously shooting the horn, which will cause the head to reel back so the Grey/Ashe can dash under the horn.
 * Attraction Beam - The left head fires a ground-ripping energy sphere that lifts boulders from the ground and hurls them into the air. If the player is struck by the electrical pulse, they will also be flung into the air while taking heavy damage. Both the beam and debris deal damage. The debris can be destroyed, having 6 HP.
 * Spread Shot - The right head (from the background) fires napalm rounds that only damage the enemy once making contact with the floor. The dragon will specifically aim the second round at the player's position.
 * Black Hole - The left and right heads create a black hole between their mouths, and a white hole appears in the other side of the area. The central head attacks with shots that move a bit forward before being pulled into the black hole, moving in an arc. After a while, the white hole returns anything that was pulled into the black hole before closing, firing the central head's projectiles diagonally. If the player shoots any projectile through the black hole, it'll be added to the white hole's projectiles. The player takes damage when pulled into the black hole.

Quotes

 * "Give it up!" (During the Death Scythe attack)
 * "Enough!" (During the Attraction Beam attack)
 * "Go!" (During the Spread Shot attack)
 * "Be Lost!" (During the Black Hole attack)
 * "Not Bad!" (Said shortly after Phase 1 ends)

Phase 2

 * Missile - All three headless necks aim and launch homing missiles. They can be destroyed before they are launched.
 * Shot - All three separated heads fire multiple shots. They are mainly shot diagonally.

Model W
It is debated that Albert may have already been in this form since the boots are the same in his normal form; though most Mega Men, with the exception of Ashe and Aeolus, wear similar boots both in and out of their Megamerged forms. Here, he dons yellow-colored armor (sharply contrasting Model A's navy-blue), large elf-like boots, and wears an inverted version of Model A's jumpsuit. Over his face is a blue semi-transparent helmet with piercing yellow eyes glowing from within.

An array of ten "bits" form around Albert, six of them forming the wings, two forming a halo, and two side by side forming a long blade-like 'tail', giving the impression of a Seraph. The bits also generate a protective force field around his body to shield him from damage. In addition to this, Albert uses the bits in varying formations to perform a wide variety of attacks. Many of these are derivatives of the other Mega Men's signature attacks, during which the bits glow with the corresponding color. When the force field is down, he is free to use all ten bits to perform his other more devastating attacks.

It should be noted that Albert can perform all of his attacks, both copied and original, in his own transformed state, whereas Mega Man Model A must take the form of the attack's original user. In this regard, Albert's abilities are more similar to those of Mega Man X, which gives another kind of significance to the title of "Ultimate Mega Man".

Shielded Phase

 * Lock On Laser - Locking targets and fires with homing shot many times, with increasing density and lastly can decimate the enemy. It is taken from Model A.
 * Plasma Cyclone - Albert summons two massive Plasma Cyclones of Model H that trap the player between them. They also spawn mini tornadoes to further hinder the player.
 * Cross Shuriken - The top and bottom bits form in the shape of Model P's Cross Star that spins at the lowest line. Can be dodged by dashing under them (with timing), using the Model H upward dash or using Chronoforce's A-Trans.
 * Judgment Sword - Extends his tail and flies towards the player, heavily scratching the ground, and flies back up after going across the whole screen. His tail then slams onto the ground. It is taken from Prometheus.

Quotes

 * "Absolute Light!" (During the Lock On Laser attack)
 * "A Perfect Storm!" (During the Plasma Cyclone attack)
 * "Blade of Darkness!" (During the Cross Shuriken attack)
 * "Blade of Judgment!" (During the Judgment Sword attack)

Shieldless Phase



 * Double Charge Buster - The bits form two ring-shaped circles that shoot sweeping laser symmetrically, taken from Model X. The lasers can be repelled by rapid fire buster attacks.
 * Charge Saber - The ten bits form a giant V-shaped Model Z-like saber that slashes with extreme force down to the player, causing three pieces of debris to fall.
 * Ground Break - The bits form a 'press' and hits the ground that results in constantly sprouting flames from the ground. The shockwave knocks the player off-balance, making them vulnerable. It is taken from Model F.
 * Ice Dragon - The bits form two to three frozen dragons that travel up and down in Falcon Armor's Giga Attack manner. It is taken from Model L.
 * Punish - The bits form a 'clock' and freeze time, albeit only in order to cancel the effect if the player uses it against him. It is taken from Chronoforce.
 * Also, similar to Pandora, Albert can disappear and reappears at any location on the battlefield in any situation.

Quotes

 * "Grant of Destiny!" (During the Double Charge Buster attack)
 * "No Use!" (During the Ice Dragon attack)
 * "No Escape!" (During the Ice Dragon attack)
 * "Go!" (During the Ground Break attack)
 * "Why?!" (Upon the final blow being delivered)

Mega Man a
Besides his appearance in the main game, Albert is also the main antagonist in the minigame Mega Man a, featuring Model A in 8-bit form. He fights with his Model W form and its bits, flinging them before sending them back to himself. Defeating him the first two times has him teleporting away, The final battle has him piloting a hovercraft similar to the Wily Capsule that fires orbs of light to the ground or across from it. Upon being defeated for the final time, Master Albert kneels down and humorously starts pleading for mercy in the same way Dr. Wily does.

Attacks:
 * Bit Shot A - Used in the first and second battle.
 * Bit Shot B - Used in the second battle.
 * Electric Shot - Used in the third battle.
 * Faint Shot - Used in the third battle.

Trivia

 * Albert has the same first name as Dr. Wily. Like the other Sage Trinity members, this is most likely a homage to the classic series. However, several personality traits also mirror the Resident Evil villain Albert Wesker (which was also made by Capcom), of whom he also shares the same first name. Also, Wesker and Wily share the initials A.W.
 * Coincidentally, his English voice actor, Jack Merlouzzi, had previously voiced Zero in Mega Man X7, who was the final creation of Dr. Wily. In a further form of irony, Albert's Reploid "son", Grey, is voiced by Peter Von Gomm, who voiced X in the same game.
 * Master Albert's goal of utilizing Ouroborous to forcibly invoke evolution and rule over the resultant world as its god mirrored Albert Wesker's goal in Resident Evil 5. Mega Man ZX Advent preceded the latter game by about two years, with both games also being developed by Capcom. Coincidentally, both characters in those games also at one point declare that they were gods.
 * Similarly, Master Albert as well as Albert Wesker were also involved in a program to embue people with superhuman elements as part of their overall plans, although the main difference was that Master Albert was the direct instigator of the program, while Albert Wesker was one of the byproducts of Project W.
 * Albert manipulates machinery in battle to attack his opponent, much like Dr. Wily, whereas most other Mega Men rely heavily on direct physical combat and more conventional weaponry like swords and guns.
 * Albert also has a serial number for his creations and himself, DAN-000, which is similar to Dr. Wily's robot codes, "DWN."
 * Albert is the creator of Prometheus, Pandora and Grey. Because of this he could be considered the "Father" of the three Reploids.
 * Albert is said to have been using Serpent during the first Mega Man ZX game. This gives further reference to Dr. Wily, who started off the running plotline of using another person to keep the main protagonist off his back. This also marks the first time in the robots continuity of the Mega Man franchise that a main villain who directly manipulates the events of the series doesn't appear in the game the fake villain appears in (as he was directly responsible for Serpent's conversion into a Mega Man, as well as the creation of Model W, which was a focus on the new era).
 * Albert has the highest amount of health when combining all the health bars of all his forms for any final boss in any Mega Man game. Albert has a total of 486 units of health for just his first form; while this is not official information, it was calculated by firing single buster shots at him repeatedly while recording the amount fired. Combined with another 2 life bars for his final form (32 units each), he has a total of 550 units of health throughout all his forms. Omega has the second highest amount of health, having 9 life bars (3 for each of his forms), having 32 health units each, this amounts to a total of 288 units of health, or 384 if Omega's Ghost, which has three life bars, is included.
 * He is one of the few main villains whose final death is that of a typical boss explosion instead of a cinematic death.
 * Albert is the second final boss to not have a health bar in one of his forms, the first being Sigma's viral form in Mega Man X2.
 * Albert is one of the few final bosses to have his own theme for both forms instead of just his final form (specifically, "Souls Ablaze" for the first form, and "Divine Hammer" for the second form). Both Weil and Serpent before him had the usual boss music as their first form and only had their own exclusive theme music (Falling Down and Pallida Mors, respectively) in their final forms. Although in all of the X games the final bosses (Sigma [X6 notwithstanding], Lumine, Redips), and to a lesser extent Mega Man Zero (Elpizo, Omega) do have this.
 * Master Albert is the second villain to have megalomaniacal designs (or at the very least come close to it), the first being Colonel Redips. Unlike Redips, however, Albert has not shown any interest in taking over any worlds beyond Earth.