Isoc

"Ah ha ha ha! I can't help it! X was no match for High Max, but you... Ha hah. I can't stop laughing!"

- Isoc

Isoc (アイゾック) is an enigmatic character from Mega Man X6. He first appears after the Opening Stage, warning the populace of the threat of the Zero Nightmare, and encouraging Reploids to join in the cause to obliterate the new Nightmare virus. In reality, however, Isoc is actually working as a subordinate of Gate, the scientist responsible for the Nightmares.

Characteristics
Isoc is a Reploid with an elderly appearance. His beard and hair are both cylindrical in shape, and he has sharp eyebrows that point upwards. His eyes are completely red with black outlines. He has black and brown armor, and he wears a long lab coat similar to Gate's but with grey metal shoulder pads.

Isoc is a confident researcher and a skilled public speaker. He assisted Gate in decrypting Zero's DNA program and manipulating public perception of the events of the Nightmare Phenomenon to blame them on Zero. He held great hatred for X and an odd fascination with Zero, claiming that he knew him "inside and out."

Mega Man X6
After X's first encounter with High Max, Isoc gives a speech directed at all Reploids on Earth, in place of Gate. He blames the Nightmare Phenomenon on the "ghost of Zero" and announces that eight Reploids known as the Nightmare Investigators will be deployed to research the areas most affected by the phenomenon. X is infuriated that Isoc blames the chaos on Zero despite his valiant sacrifice, and the Maverick Hunters begin their own investigation of the situation.

After the first Investigator is destroyed by the Maverick Hunters, Isoc notifies his boss, Gate. Isoc advises that they look further into Zero's sudden reappearance, but Gate dismisses it, saying he is no longer interested in Zero's data and that High Max will defeat them soon enough. He also accuses Isoc of being too obsessed with Zero.

If X or Zero defeats High Max in one of the Nightmare areas, a cutscene will show of Isoc's reaction. For X, Isoc shows his hatred and frustration, threatening to destroy X himself before retreating. For Zero, Isoc is enthralled by Zero's superiority and laughs maniacally; Zero then tries to attack Isoc, but he stops him with an energy barrier before taunting and retreating. Following this development, Gate personally contacts the Maverick Hunters and invites them to storm his laboratory.

After X or Zero defeats Gate, they discover Isoc's body further within the laboratory. Mysteriously, his Reploid soul seems to have left his body entirely, leaving him a husk, similar to the Erasure incident. If Zero is present, he hears a mysterious voice calling him the ultimate robot, which he brushes off with little thought. The Maverick Hunters realize they have no time to check on Isoc, and they immediately leave to go after Sigma. Isoc is not seen again for the rest of the game, and his ultimate fate is unknown.

Isoc's Speech
"Attention all Reploids on Earth! As you all know, these are chaotic, disturbing times. The "Nightmare" is upon us. It shows Reploids a kind of "dream" for human beings... no. It's a "Nightmare". The Nightmare makes Reploids confused. In the worst case, they may malfunction or delete themselves. Due to the Colony incident, there are few Reploids or humans are left on the Earth... We won't accept sacrifice anymore! This would bring us to the Earth Crisis. Taking the matter seriously, we have sent investigators to the 8 suspected areas to uncover the mystery of this Nightmare phenomena. It's said that the Nightmare phenomena are cause by... a ghost of Zero... known as an ace Maverick Hunter..."

"Now, I'd like to call on volunteers! Unite with us, and help our cause! Work for these eight investigators!! Our goal is to wipe out the Nightmare... and to delete the Zero's ghost! Come together for our future!! This High Max will lead the mission. We guarantee your safety if you join us. Both Maverick Hunters and Reploids now suffer. Let's preserve our future together! We're waiting for you! Everyone!"



After defeating High Max in a secret area as Zero
Isoc: Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Zero: What makes you laugh?

Isoc: Ah ha ha ha! I can't help it! X was no match for High Max, but you... Ha hah. I can't stop laughing!

Zero: ... Are you out of your mind? I just destroyed one of your own... What is so funny? Anyway, you're the last one... I'll crush you now!

(Zero charges and Isoc counters by firing a purple beam of energy, freezing him in place)

Isoc: Nuh ha ha ha ha! ... Did you say something, boy?

Zero: Guhwaaaaah!! Wh... what!? I... I... can't move... Kugh.

Isoc: Zero... I know you inside out... Hmm. Since I found out you're alive, I can capture you at any time. But first I must bring High Max back.

Zero: W... wait! You're... escaping? Da... Darn M... My body...

Isoc: Hmm. What can you do as you are now? I won't escape. I'll see you soon. I promise!

Signas: Are you all right? Zero! We'll send a rescue team immediately! High Max won't be a threat for a while. So you can come back to the Hunter Base at once!

Alia: It's some kind of force field. It seems to take time to release it. Can you move if it isn't released?

Zero: I hate to admit it, but I can't...

Alia: Aw? The force field... It seems to have a timing device. It might be released in due course. But it's strange... Why did he try so hard to trap Zero? What was his intention?

After defeating High Max in a secret area as X
(High Max stands in Isoc's lab, injured.)

High Max: No! I can't believe this. I'm superior to him in every respect, the speed, the power and the body... An old robot like you can't beat me... This can't be true!!

Isoc: Ummmm. High Max is down... Kugh! We'd better withdraw for now!

X: Wait! You can't escape!

Isoc: You ancient piece of junk, it's not over! I'll destroy you myself! For the time being, farewell!

Signas: X! Cool down! We don't want to lose you. You may be damaged in the battle. Return to the Hunter Base, now!

X: Darn! So close... But I must be cautious... Roger that! I'll be back.

Other appearances

 * Isoc appeared as a major antagonist in the Carddass series Rockman X Giga Mission. He studied Dr. Doppler's work on the Limited parasite and upgraded it into a new creature called the Extreme parasite, and also created a new force of the Nightmare Police called Saktira CC and Pranara DD to search for Zero.
 * Isoc appeared in the trailer from the cancelled game Rockman Online. His role in the game is unknown.
 * Isoc is an unit card in TEPPEN.

Production Notes
Designer Comments

"I was thinking about a certain scientist while designing this character. The horizontal piece on his head is supposed to be hair. I also gave him a beard and something that looks like a necktie." - Haruki Suetsugu

Etymology

 * The name "Isoc" (アイゾック) appears to be a variation of "Isaac (アイザック), which means "laugh" in Hebrew.

Trivia

 * Like Serges in Mega Man X2, there is a prominent theory that Isoc is a robotic avatar of Dr. Wily. This is made evident by how Isoc is interested in Zero and hates X. In addition if Zero defeats High Max, Isoc will be pleased that Zero was able to defeat a robot X could not, and says he knows Zero inside out. Also, when Zero finds his dead body, he hears a voice telling him he is the strongest robot. The evidence is particularly strong in Isoc's case in contrast to Serges because, whereas Serges is not given any more importance than the equally mysterious other X-Hunters featured in Mega Man X2, Isoc works directly alongside Gate and is implied to have been working alongside Sigma in Mega Man X5.
 * Additionally, Isoc's Japanese voice actor, Takeshi Aono, is the same actor that voiced Dr. Wily in Mega Man 8, Mega Man X4, and other games. Haruki Suetsugu's comment on how he was thinking about a [certain] scientist while designing him also supports this theory.
 * It should be noted that Isoc was capable of incapacitating Zero with little to no effort during the encounter that occurs after High Max's optional defeat. This is peculiar because Isoc's claim of knowing "Zero inside out", has massive merit. Never once did Isoc obtain Zero and analyze his anatomical structure, yet Isoc developed a method to easily subdue Zero and essentially paralyze his movement. To perform such a maneuver with no experience with Zero raises many questions, in addition to the fact that Zero still remained unanalyzable during this time.
 * This could explain Zero's comeback, since Zero's vague explanation to X claimed that he "hid himself while he was repairing himself". However, when Zero finds the Light Capsule from Infinity Mijinion's stage, he asks Dr. Light if he was the one who saved him, who says his survival was a "miracle". The actual explanation could be that Isoc is the one who actually found Zero and repaired him.
 * Another prominent theory that exists suggests that Wily may have made himself into a stream of consciousness that transfers bodies as a host after his death, or is a being similar to the Sigma Virus and Cyber-elves. If Wily exists in a similar state and has lent assistance to the villains of the Mega Man X series, it would explain how Serges was able to build a new body for Zero despite remaining unanalyzable, how Wily possibly built Sigma a body, and how Isoc possesses such knowledge of Zero as to achieve immobilization. It should be noted that upon defeating Gate with Zero, a voice coming from Isoc's shell of a body labeled as "??" proceeds to call him the strongest robot. Isoc's body is clearly inactive, giving credibility to the idea that he was in reality Wily's consciousness.
 * Assisting the theory, is that Dr. Light has done something similar to himself as well, as in X5, Dr. Light is shown to essentially have uploaded/recreated his consciousness to become an AI (as opposed to being presented as pre-recorded messages in X1-X4 and X7), and it is plausible Wily could have done something very similar.
 * Countering the theory of "Wily = Isoc", it is also possible that Isoc was obsessed with Zero because he was impressed with the DNA data he and Gate managed to analyze. As he had never seen data so powerful before he began developing this specific obsession for Zero. However, this might have been an act to hide his true identity.
 * Isoc is one of a handful of Mavericks not to be featured in the Worlds Unite crossover event from Archie Comics. His absence makes somewhat more sense than that of High Max, given that Isoc was never shown to be a combatant.