Mega Man Issue 23 (Archie Comics)


 * Previous Issue: Mega Man #22 ←—
 * —→ Next Issue: Mega Man #24 (Worlds Collide - Part 1)

Mega Man #23 is the twenty-third issue in the Mega Man comic book series by Archie Comics, released in March 2013.

Publisher's Summary
''‘For the Bot Who Has Everything.’ Happy Birthday, Mega Man! The city celebrates their hero in style and Rock receives the recognition he deserves! What could ruin such a perfect day? How about a vengeful Dr. Wily and the mysterious Break Man?! Don’t miss this issue on the eve of the Sonic/Mega Man crossover!''

For the Bot Who Has Everything
It is Mega Man's birthday, and the city prepares a big celebration to commemorate. When leaving Light Labs, many reports appear to talk with Mega Man. Meanwhile, in the Lanfront Ruins, Dr. Wily watches the news on TV and calls Break Man to see it. Angry, Break Man goes to Mega Man's party, and Wily is happy that no one will disturb the secret plot he and his friend Ivo prepared. In the city, Guts Man, Bomb Man, and Cut Man (the latter of whom Guts Man was forced to have tag along due to Ice Man ignoring his calls) are searching a gift for Mega Man, but as they can't decide what to buy until only 5 minutes are left, they decide to give him a gift card and run to the party.

In the party, everyone present wishes Mega Man a happy birthday, and the mayor Leonard Dorado announces that he will rename the city as Mega City in his honor. When the mayor prepares to give Mega Man the key of the city, the key is destroyed and a tune can be heard. Dr. Light, recognizing the tune, rises from his chair in shock and asks if that's Blues. Mega Man and the others see Break Man above a building, Mega Man asking the "red Sniper Joe" to come down and talk, but as he attacks again, Mega Man uses Rush to go after him and they fight until Rush is hit. While Mega Man takes care of Rush, Cut Man, Guts Man, and Bomb Man appear to help. After some fighting, Break Man dodges Guts Man's punch, making him crush Cut Man. Break Man then takes the two Rolling Cutters Cut Man was holding and uses them to cut Bomb Man's arms, and uses his shield to scoop the dropped Hyper Bombs and throws them on Guts Man's face. After helping Rush teleport away, Mega Man turns around and sees the three Robot Masters defeated, the red robot introducing himself by saying his only line in the issue: "I'm Break Man. I broke them.". Seeing that the red robot doesn't care to anyone, Mega Man decides to stop holding back and fights against him while Bomb Man tries to wake up Cut Man to call for help.

While Mega Man and Break Man fight, Wily laughs and wishes Mega Man an unhappy birthday before entering a strange portal to enact his best plan ever with the help of his new best friend. Mega Man is defeated by a charge shot, and before Break Man attacks, he says that Break Man won and can break him, but asks to not destroy his I.C. chip to avoid breaking his dad's heart. Break Man remembers when he lived with Dr. Light and what he said in the TV, and apparently loses the will to fight. He starts running away, but Mega Man pulls his scarf and says he will not simply leave after all the damage he caused. Knowing Break Man isn't just a Sniper Joe, Mega Man tries to take off his helmet to see his face, but stops and looks around surprised when he notices everything is fading to white.

This is the Genesis Wave rewriting the reality from both Mega Man's world (in this issue) and another world (in Sonic the Hedgehog #247), starting the events from the crossover Sonic &amp; Mega Man: When Worlds Collide.

(The story beyond the crossover continues in Mega Man #28)

Press Pause
In a parody of the fight with Break Man in the story proper, Mega Man must put up with a Union Man approved 15-minute Break Man.

Characters

 * Auto
 * Mega Man
 * Dr. Light
 * Roll
 * Rush
 * Dr. Cossack (Mentioned)
 * Dr. Wily
 * Break Man
 * Ripot and Plum (Cameo)
 * Guts Man
 * Bomb Man
 * Cut Man
 * Ice Man (Mentioned)
 * Leonard Dorado (First appearance)

Locations

 * Mega City
 * Light Labs
 * Lanfront Ruins
 * Temple of the Moon

Events

 * Mega Man encounters Break Man / Proto Man for the first time.
 * Because of Guts Man's earlier actions in Issue 18, Ice Man was unwilling to take calls from him.

Trivia

 * The cover features a logo with countdown number: Worlds Collide crossover in 1 issue.
 * Mega Man jokingly says that if Auto makes him more shiny, he will have to be renamed Bright Man. Dr. Light mentions that Dr. Cossack is designing a Robot Master with the same name.
 * One of the reporters asked Mega Man about the rumors of his love life, an obvious reference to Roll's attempted matchmaking of Mega Man and Quake Woman in the last issue. Another one asks about a "soccer endorsement deal" referencing Mega Man's Soccer.
 * When watching the News Broadcast of Mega Man's birthday, Dr. Wily briefly says "Mother of Tesla, Thomas, does he [Mega Man] run on pure sugar?" This might have been a reference to Mega Man Battle Network 5 boss character Tesla Magnus, or to Nikolai Tesla, the unofficial father of Wi-Fi, and a rival to Thomas Edison regarding developing the output to electricity.
 * Auto's truck from Mega Man 7 game briefly appears in the News Broadcast.
 * It is hinted that Break Man's conscience as Proto Man and morality is still intact and he kept bothering Wily, which is why he showed him the video and made him mad.
 * Dr. Wily mentions that he and Ivo have a "little plan", foreshadowing the crossover event in the next issue.
 * The pet shop that the three Robot Masters visit has animals that resemble Rush, Beat and Tango.

Free Comic Book Day 2013 reprint
In May 2013, part of issue 23 was reprinted for the Free Comic Book Day using two new covers (one on each side) by Ben Bates for this special double-sided flipbook prelude to Sonic / Mega Man: Worlds Collide 1: Kindred Spirits. The double-sized issue also includes part of Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog #247.

Publisher's Summary
''It's TWO Free Comic Books in ONE! Just in time for the start of the epic Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man crossover event, "Worlds Collide," comes a primer issue exclusively for Free Comic Book Day! Witness the journey these two epic heroes from both Sega and Capcom took to finally meet each other—Mega Man's journey chronicled on one side, and Sonic's on the other! This is the must-have primer for the biggest comic book event of 2013—as video game icons Sonic and Mega Man meet for the very first time anywhere—featuring art from both Sonic and Mega Man comic book fame!''