Double

"...Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! The Mavericks, Hunters and Repliforce... Idiots, all of them. They're making my job too easy!"

- Double

Double (ダブル) was a supporting character, as well as a secondary antagonist for X in Mega Man X4. Posing as a rookie Maverick Hunter that is a little hasty and clumsy, he quickly gained X's trust by acting as his operator during his missions. But as X began infiltrating the Final Weapon, Double revealed his true purpose: a spy sent by Sigma to infiltrate the Maverick Hunters. After slaughtering several Hunters of X's own 17th Unit on Sigma's command, Double then followed X to the Final Weapon and, after ranting maniacally about how he was using the Maverick Hunters and the Repliforce, revealed his true self to him and attacked. He lost the ensuing battle, but before dying, he insulted X for his naivety and confessed to his own infilitration.

Characteristics
Double is initially presented as a bumbling but earnest member of the Maverick Hunters, who serves as an aide on the stage select screen if X is chosen. In this form, he is presented as a small, round, innocuous reploid, resembling an overweight man. However, this is later revealed to be a ruse to conceal the fact that he is a murderous psychopath, whose true form is so vastly different that his color scheme is the only commonality between them. His true form is much taller and slimmer, with spike fixtures at various points and energy blades on each wrist. Most of his body is translucent, and appears to be filled with a gelatinous substance, which may have some connection to his ability to shapeshift.

Although he is initially shown to be harmless, awkward, and mild-mannered, this is a part of his ploy as a double agent. His true nature is shown to be sadistic, violent, and chaotic, somewhat like that of Vile. In spite of this, he is shown to have some degree of patience and discipline, as he was able to maintain his cover within the Hunters for as long as he did. He is also shown to be loyal to Sigma, as he was willing to pose as a spy within the Hunters until Sigma called on him.

Powers and abilities
Double's body is made of a fluid metal that allows him to change his shape alongside his different personalities: a fat, bumbling but friendly teenage-like Reploid and a tall, well-built, red-eyed, brutal Maverick. His voice tone also changes slightly. When transformed, he possesses incredible agility and uses plasma cutters to perform fast thrusting hits.

Double's weakness is, ironically, the Double Cyclone. However, using Double Cyclone on him will cause small blobs of his body to break off and attack. Unlike nearly every other boss in Mega Man history, using his weakness against him will actually make the battle harder, as the already small room can become clustered by drones and offers little space to maneuver, unless the player uses it slowly.


 * Evil Slash - Double jumps up to the ceiling and then slash down towards X, usually near the center of the room, and immediately makes a second slightly-diagonal dash at the closest wall. Double often uses this move.
 * Light Projectile - Double throws a large spinning energy disc at X. He throws them in sets of two after losing half of his life energy.
 * Wave Projectile - After losing half of his energy, Double releases a glowing orb from his abdomen that changes into a large crescent-shaped projectile. He releases two projectiles, one high and one low.
 * Separated Attack Cutter - When hit by Double Cyclone, small blobs will come out from his body and become either a spinning bladed disc that bounce around the room or a bat-like flying drone that can shoot energy beams downward.

Dialogues
(Hunter H.Q..)

X: ...Who are you?

Double: Call me Double, the rookie hunter. My liege, the Repliforce has begun it's coup!

X: ... Wait! ... Colonel, you're jumping to conclusions here!

Double: Sir, you've been given the order to scramble!

X: Right. I'm leaving right now! (After defeating 4 Mavericks.)

Double: Sir, it's a message from the Colonel!

Colonel: X, I'll wait for you at Memorial Hall. Make sure you show up on time!

Double: Sir, this must be a trap!

X: ...Perhaps. But I won't run this time! (Hunter H.Q..)

Double: The Repliforce has begun assembling!

X: Where are they?

Double: The space port! They plan to take off into space!

X: Hurry! We have to stop the Colonel! (Hunter H.Q..)

Double: Repliforce has flown off into space...

X: Double, watch the ship for me. I'll go after them!

Double: Sir! Reconsider what you're doing, it's far too dangerous!

X: We don't have any other option! I'm leaving you in charge here, Double!

(Cutscene: Maverick Hunter Hangar Bay.)

(A crashing sound is heard.)

Double: Oh, not again!

Hunter: Hey, watch it!

Double: I'm terribly sorry...

(Something beeps from within Double, and he presses on a panel on his chest. A mysterious voice is then heard.)

Mysterious Voice (Sigma): It's me! Those hunters must not be allowed in here! Terminate them!!

Double: Roger... (turns back to the Hunters)

Hunter: What a freak!

(The Hunters begin to laugh at Double until they see him glowing.)

Hunter: Hey, Double, what's the matter?

(Double transforms, revealing his true form, and then begins killing the other Reploids. One rushes over to the communication computer and issues a distress call to X.)

Hunter: This is the Maverick Hunters 17th unit! Commander X, please respond!

(Double sneaks up on the Hunter and kills him. The Hunter drops the receiver just as X's voice is heard.)

X: This is X! What happened?! Report!

Double: Nothing to worry about...

X: No further transmissions unless necessary to carry out the operation!

Double: Understood...

X: I'm breaking contact.

(X ends the communication and Double drops the receiver.)

Double: ...And now, X will be my next target! Hee hee hee hee! (Pre-battle: Final Weapon)

X: Double! What... Why are you here!?

Double: ...Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha ha ha ha! The Mavericks, Hunters and Repliforce... Idiots, all of them. They're making my job too easy!

X: ...W... What are you talking about? Double, what are you saying?!

Double: Think it over in heaven! Die, X! X: Double!

Double: ...Damn! ...How could I lose to a weakling like you...

X: Double, tell me! Why did you do this?

Double: Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha! You're so naive, X! I was sent as a spy from the very beginning to keep an eye on you!

X: ...Double! I... I trusted you!

Double: Ha ha ha ha! That naiveness may be your fatal flaw! Good bye, X! See you in the after life!

X: Double!!

In-battle lines for Double

 * "I'm so anxious to rip you apart!" (Pre-battle line)


 * "I'm gonna recycle you!" (Pre-battle line)


 * "Ha ha ha... You're gonna get hurt, X!" (Pre-battle line)


 * "Evil Slash!" (body blow)


 * "Destroy!" (spinning energy disk)


 * "HRRRRR... Here!" (giant energy wave)

Rockman X4
Double appeared in the Rockman X4 manga. Like the game, he is a spy sent by Sigma to keep an eye on the Maverick Hunters and pretends to be a fan of X, but is defeated by X in the Final Weapon, but he also had some interaction with Zero and was responsible for Split Mushroom's demise. After X managed to incapacitate Split Mushroom without destroying him, Double appears and stabs Split Mushroom, following by quickly slicing him into tiny pieces while mocking X.

Archie Comics
Double was one of numerous Mavericks duplicated by Sigma-1 using the power of the Genesis Portals to form an army to battle Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man's team of allies. However, he and his fellow Mavericks were then attacked by the arriving Street Fighters, with Guile giving Double a taste of his Sonic Boom technique (Sonic not being particularly impressed by the ability's name) and finishing him with a Dragon Suplex.

Trivia

 * Double has a short cameo appearance in the opening scene of Mega Man X5.
 * Double appears alongside Iris the last X Challenge battle from Mega Man X Legacy Collection.
 * In his short form, Double ends his sentences with "deshi" (デシ) in the Japanese version.
 * Although Double says to X that "the Mavericks, Hunters and Repliforce" were all idiots who made his job easier, this is a mistranslation of the original text, and is supposed to read "the Maverick Hunters and Repliforce".
 * Double's sword-arm and an evil grin upon showing his true nature is similar to that of another double agent/traitor that served with X and Zero later on.
 * Double's goo-like composition and shapeshifting abilities strongly resemble that of the Devil series of bosses from the classic Mega Man series, although no direct link has ever been made between the two.