Bass Cross MegaMan

Bass Cross MegaMan, known as Forte Cross Rockman (フォルテクロスロックマン) in Japan, is the name for the Cross transformation of MegaMan.EXE based on Bass.EXE. There are currently two variations known.

Characteristic
In the Game Boy Advance version of Mega Man Battle Network 5, Bass Cross MegaMan was made available in two different forms: a gold form only available in Team ProtoMan, and a silver form only available in Team Colonel. The two could only be acquired legally in the Japanese versions of the game by the use of a special e-Reader card only given out during Rockman.EXE/Duel Masters promotional double feature movies, but can still be obtained internationally through the use of a cheating device.

In the Double Team DS version of Mega Man Battle Network 5, Bass Cross is acquired instead by having a Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Colonel or Team ProtoMan cartridge with the Bass icon in the main menu (which appears after defeating Bass SP) in Slot-2 to unlock it.

In the Wii U Virtual Console version, Bass Cross is silently given to the player early on in the game, along with all exclusive battle chips unobtainable in the version being played. While the player is given all battle chips exclusive to the other version, they are not given both versions of Bass Cross. Team Protoman is given Gold and Team Colonel is given Silver.

Appearance
Both versions inherit Bass' unique features, such as cobra-like dual crests, the torn scarf and imitation of Bass' scar on the emblem point. A green gem is placed on the forehead, and the mask now covers the whole face by default. Disc-like extensions are placed along the joints and shoulders, with purple lines run across the body.

The main appearance difference is their inner colors, gold for Team Protoman and silver for Team Colonel, along with respective specialized abilities.

Power and Abilities
As stated by Colonel in the manga, the combination between Mega Man and Bass is extremely disastrous with unpredictable consequences, and it must be stopped at all costs, even his own life. Those words were completely not exaggerated. The cross in the anime exhausts power from both very quickly, nearly deleted both in the end, as no such body can contain such a great amount of power. This is explained in the manga more, as it shows that from using the incredible power, Bass Cross MegaMan ended up having self-inflicted harm from the massive power inside him. This can be considered a catalyst between both programs, overridden all the circuits to its maximized capacity, making it the most catastrophic combination in the whole game. In actual uses, the cross's power is limited to gameplay's concept, but still capable of drawing out powerful attacks with no known drawbacks.

In the anime, Bass Cross MegaMan's two versions seems to affect how it attacks. The Golden version seemed to possess incredible raw physical power and speed, displayed by how he charged at Regal at high speeds, destroying several parts of Regal's "vessel," and breaking out of Nebula Grey's hand. The Silver version seems to possess speed, durability, and the special attacks of Hells Rolling, Buster Rake, and Darkness Overload, which he used to defeat Nebula Grey.



Golden Version
Available on Team ProtoMan, this version focuses on fast and dominating attacks.
 * Null element
 * No weakness
 * Mega Folder -2
 * Triple Buster
 * HP +200
 * Super Armor
 * Charge Shot: Buster Rake

Silver Version
Available on Team Colonel, this version focuses on raw and powerful strikes.
 * Null element
 * No weakness
 * Mega Folder -2
 * Triple Buster
 * HP +20%
 * Float Shoes
 * Charge Shot: Hell's Rolling

Anime
Bass Cross MegaMan appears in the anime during the Japan-exclusive movie Rockman EXE: Program of Light and Dark. During their confrontation with Dr. Regal in the bowels of an abandoned Ameropan (Netopian) military base, Lan and MegaMan are joined suddenly by Bass, who practically screams at the doctor in rage and humiliation (having earlier been brainwashed by Nebula Grey to serve the doctor, in clear confrontation with his abhorrence of humans). Regal mocks them and rises into his "vessel" (the massive red core of Nebula Grey) above, quickly followed by Bass and MegaMan, both using a hole Bass had blown in the side of the core.

Inside, MegaMan and Bass find themselves beset by a flurry of strange, animate wires, and are quickly preoccupied trying to hack their way towards Regal. Floating above them, Regal mocks the two NetNavis, suggesting that if they want to get to him, they might as well let themselves get absorbed. In an instant, he summons Nebula Grey to capture them - after each has been snatched, the two individual hands disappear, leaving the pair caught in a great tangle of the wires. Unable to do anything, MegaMan and Bass watch as individual wires plug into their bodies, draining both their data and will, which seemed to make them seem like they were being some form of petrification or possibly becoming like the protoplasmatic that Regal controlled.

Faced with this absolutely hopeless situation, MegaMan turns to Bass, begging him to take his Ultimate Program - he remembers how Bass had once sought that program that he might become stronger, and now MegaMan was willing to offer it to him to defeat Nebula Grey and stop Spectrum. As Lan hears this, he begins to plead that Bass not do it, though MegaMan still pleads that Bass take it, as it was the only hope they had left. As stunned as he was when MegaMan first suggested it, Bass was only too happy to oblige; he reaches out and seizes MegaMan's insignia just as the latter is beginning to fully succumb to the assimilation.

The next moments are filled with light and power: the wires and the petrification taking over them are suddenly blasted away, leaving MegaMan and his core in Bass's death grip. In spite of Lan's screams, Bass finally rips the core free - in a moment, MegaMan is converted into a shining mass of blue energy that is promptly absorbed by Bass. The instant of his final victory, however, is also one of great confusion - in the chaos of the moment, Bass realizes how great the power is, and the final moments of the absorption are filled with the confusion of MegaMan and Bass's personalities and a scream: "You can't control my ultimate program!"

There is a great explosion of power - and then, in the ensuing silence, a shining ball of light lowers into view, hovering for a moment before bursting apart, revealing a new figure. As though he had just been born from an egg, this figure, appearing to be a cross between MegaMan and Bass, straightens and waits solemnly as Regal lowers from the core to meet him. Curious, Regal demands the identity of the figure. (Bass Cross MegaMan is never named as such in the film).

Rather than answer with words, Golden Bass Cross MegaMan surges forward faster than the blink of an eye - only at the last moment is a shocked Regal able to react and shield himself. Without the slightest change in speed, Bass Cross MegaMan merely ricochets off and disappears upwards into the vessel - in the next moment, there are a series of explosions seen along the outermost layer of the core, and a sudden deluge of the mysterious, silvery grey fluid that made up the vessel's lifeblood. Regal is stunned for a moment, slowly bringing himself to realize that his vessel - and his ambitions - are crumbling. In a roar of fury, Regal hurls an oath at Bass Cross MegaMan and transforms into Nebula Grey.

Nebula Grey's size and power do nothing to aid it, however - it seizes the warrior only to have its hand blown apart into more of the fluid. Nebula Grey hurls fireballs at him, only for Bass Cross MegaMan to turn into its Silver version to dodge, before the flames manage to consume him, only to reveal that it does absolutely nothing to harm him, before Silver Bass Cross MegaMan quickly unleashes an assault of Hells Rolling, ripping more of the fluid from Nebula Grey's body, and following that, unleashes a Buster Rake. Finally, Bass Cross MegaMan lands and unleashes a powerful Darkness Overload, obliterating Nebula Grey's head. The monstrous corpse lands and reverts to the silvery fluid, leaving Bass Cross MegaMan to collapse in exhaustion.

In his final escape, Dr. Regal summons a strange portal with some characteristics of a black hole. Try as he might, Lan can't get MegaMan to Plug Out (Jack Out) of the computer, though as Bass Cross MegaMan is caught up in the suction, there's a flash of light and Bass separates from MegaMan. The former touches the latter's shoulder, before firing a blast that blasts the latter away, allowing Lan to retrieve him, before Bass laughs madly as he disappears into the vortex.

Bass would later reappear in Rockman EXE Stream, having absorbed Nebula Grey's powers, which he would wield against Slur. Bass Cross MegaMan would never reappear. As Django and Otenko do not exist in the anime, Sol Cross Rockman makes no appearance, either.

Manga
Bass Cross MegaMan first appears in the manga during the final battle against Nebula Gray and infamously known as Legendary Berserker. When everyone except MegaMan, Bass, and Colonel were defeated by Nebula Grey, MegaMan asks Bass to perform Double Soul with him. At the request, Bass punches MegaMan, reminding him that they are enemies and it's impossible for them to work together since they can only understand each other through fighting. Despite MegaMan telling him that they need to work together in order their battle to not end, Bass remained adamant with his pride and attack Nebula Grey alone while Colonel warns MegaMan that fusing with Bass will resulting MegaMan's soul being consumed by darkness. MegaMan insists that Bass' heart is not only consisted of anger and hatred, but Colonel still won't allow his decision and tells Lan to forcefully jack him out. However, Lan accepts MegaMan's decision under condition that MegaMan never loses himself, much to MegaMan's gratitude. Just as Nebula Grey's attack hit Bass, MegaMan pushes him out of the way and got hit by the attack instead, causing him to be fatally injured. To save MegaMan's life from deletion, Bass absorbed him with his Get Ability Program, fusing into Bass Cross MegaMan.

Bass Cross MegaMan easily overpowers Nebula Grey until he received damages from his own body due to his body's inability to withstand the burden of both Bass and MegaMan's power that everyone considers too strong. Bass Cross MegaMan decides to finish Nebula Grey with one last attack, but Cosmoman reveals ProtoMan, Tomahawkman, and Gyroman from Nebula Grey's stomach and threatens that they will be destroyed if he attacks before Nebula Grey proceeds to attack him. Unexpected by Baryl and Colonel, Bass Cross MegaMan defends himself from the attack instead of continue attacking, since MegaMan refuses to let his friends die and resolves to Bass that they will defeat Nebula Grey once they found an opening. Finally able to trust Bass Cross MegaMan and to pay his failure to trust him, Colonel defends him and open a path with Screen Divide, allowing Bass Cross MegaMan to attack Nebula Grey.

However, it turns out that Nebula Grey is able to survive the attack by fusing with Cosmoman. Bass, sensing the attack, pushes MegaMan away and get captured by Nebula Grey who slowly regain his form and power by absorbing Bass's power. MegaMan, who doesn't have any power to fight left, try to find another power that able to defeat Nebula Grey after encouragement from Bass and Lan. MegaMan then finds a Cyber Beast that grants him power to become Beast Out MegaMan and defeat Nebula Grey for good.

Bass Cross MegaMan appears again in a special chapter that takes place four years after the battle against Nebula Grey. This time, mankind once again facing great danger known as the Devil Virus. MegaMan is part of the special Navis that ordered to delete the virus. The only ones remaining to fight amongst them are MegaMan, Colonel, Tomahawkman, Numberman, and Shadowman. As they proceed, Colonel and MegaMan reminisces the battle against Nebula Grey four years ago when Bass Cross MegaMan, known as Legendary Berserker, saved them. MegaMan states that the Legendary Berserker won't appear again. On their way to face the virus, MegaMan sacrificed himself to protect Numberman from a virus' attack, much to the others' dismay, but they continue their way to where the virus is.

While MegaMan was floating as his data started to disperse, Bass appears and absorbs him. Just before the virus destroy the last defense line after it defeated Colonel and the others, Bass Cross MegaMan arrives in the nick of time and effortlessly destroy the virus, much to everyone's shock. Bass then diffused with MegaMan and leaves the scene as Colonel commented how the world is once again saved by Bass Cross MegaMan, or rather by the one that hates the world more than anyone (Bass). Lan and the other operators calls them back, having been waiting for their return as MegaMan and the others go back to their respective operators.

Trivia

 * Bass/Forte Cross is not available in the US version of the sixth game, but in the Japanese version, players can obtain the abilities of the cross with e-Readers or cheating. In the Falzar version, the player gains the same Forte Cross abilities from 5 Team Colonel, and in the Gregar version, players can obtain the same abilities from Team ProtoMan. However, MegaMan's appearance does not change.
 * Also, should one cheat to gain the Cross via emulation or a cheat device, it's possible to have the special Charge Shots not activate and have them only work like MegaMan.EXE's default charge shot (with the usual effects of the NaviCust boosting its charge time, damage etc.).