Spark Mandrill

"I'm not the smartest guy around, X. But I have a feeling that Sigma is right."

- Spark Mandrill

Spark Mandrill, known in Japan as Spark Mandriller (スパーク・マンドリラー), is a mandrill-type Reploid from Mega Man X. He was a Maverick Hunter that served in the 17th Elite Unit alongside X, which was under Sigma's command. When Sigma started his rebellion, Mandrill blindly followed his orders and joined him in the destruction, being considered a Maverick. He took over a power station to secure an energy source for Sigma's forces and cut off power to the city. Because there was only light resistance, Mandrill leaves most of the fighting to his underlings, spending his time gorging himself on pure electricity, fresh from the generator.

In Rockman ×over, Spark Mandrill is one of the four bosses from World 1.

Strategy
As his name implies, he has an Electric weapon, known as Electric Spark. Mandrill's weakness is the Shotgun Ice; in fact, it can freeze Mandrill, forcing a repeat of his action cycle. This exploit makes Mandrill an infamously easy Maverick to defeat, as players can simply freeze him, wait, and repeat. This is known to many fans as "Spark Mandrill Syndrome", a nickname seemingly created by Jirard Khalil aka "The Completionist".

Design and movement patterns are different between the classic version and its PSP remake. In the classic version, Mandrill's attacks are much faster, such as his close-range punches, dash punches and Electric Spark moves. In Maverick Hunter X, however, most if not all of his moves are either executed at a slower pace (such as Electric Spark) or have him perform a charging move before executing them (dash punch and moving across the ceiling). His dash punches will have his knuckle transformed into a drill head before execution which has two levels, the latter being when he has less than half his health left.

Powers and Abilities
Just when X enters his room, the lights are off. Spark Mandrill then turns on the multi colored lights on his body, producing a light show just before he turns on the lights for the battle. This has no offensive or defensive value.
 * Electric Spark (エレクトリックスパーク) - Spark Mandrill sits still, charges himself, then sends the spark shock at X. The main difference between his weapon and the weapon X gets is that his is more powerful, having the spark shocks being larger
 * Clinging to the Ceiling (天井にしがみつく) - Spark Mandrill would jump up at the ceiling, which has pipes for him to hold on to. He then uses the pipes like monkey bars to move towards X, then drop down on X.
 * Punch (パンチ) - If X is close to Spark Mandrill, he will punch X.
 * Dash Punch (ダッシュパンチ) - If X is far from Spark Mandrill, he dashes and punches at X.
 * Drill Fist (unofficial name) - In the game remake Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, Spark Mandrill's right fist turns into a drill when he's below 50% health. This increases the attack power of his Dash Punch.

Mega Man X stats:
Spark Mandrill (Spark Mandriller)

Height: 305 cm (10.0 ft)

Weight: 294 kg (648 lbs, mistakenly show as 646 lbs in-game)

Attacks: Electric Spark, Dash Punch

Maverick Hunter X bio
LIGHTNING KING OF THE BULLET FISTS

Comes from the same 17th Battalion as X. Possesses immense strength and a powerful electrical shock attack, but doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed. He has obediently followed Sigma, his superior, into the rebellion. He has attacked the city's electrical power stations, bringing the city to a halt, and has already taken control. He wreaks whatever damage he feels like, and leaves it to his subordinates to clean up the mess.

Electric Spark

Creates high-pressure voltage within the Buster and fires it. If the electric spark hits an enemy or a hard surface it splits in half, ricocheting up and down in opposite directions.

Stage names:

 * Power Plant Stage (発電所ステージ, from Mega Man X credits, Rockman X: Cyber Mission and Irregular Hunter X on Capcom's site, and Compendium of Rockman X)
 * Electromagnetic Power Plant (from Mega Man Maverick Hunter X stage select screen)

Stage enemies
Enemies in Spark Mandrill's stage:
 * Sub-boss: Thunder Slimer
 * Ball de Voux
 * Flammingle
 * Gun Volt
 * Hotarion
 * Mega Tortoise
 * Rush Roader
 * Turn Cannon

* Ball De Voux doesn't appear in his stage in Mega Man Xtreme.

Dialogues from Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X
Spark Mandrill: X... You showed up.

X: Spark Mandrill. Do us both a favor and surrender peacefully.

Spark Mandrill: I don't think so, X. Oppose me and I'll crush you!

X: Sounds like you've gone Maverick. Your time has come, Spark Mandrill!

Spark Mandrill: I'm not the smartest guy around, X. But I have a feeling that Sigma is right. 

Spark Mandrill: Do you think Commander Sigma is insane, X?

X: He's no commander. Not anymore. He's nothing but a Maverick now!

Spark Mandrill: Now, X... You never thought that maybe Sigma was right and you were wrong?

X: ...

Spark Mandrill: I don't like thinking either... Maybe we can find the answer together... In battle!

Spark Mandrill: Vile? What are you doing here?

Vile: I should ask you the same question. What are you accomplishing by acting as Sigma's cheerleader?

Spark Mandrill: His plan's not wrong. At least... I don't think so...

Vile: Any plan involving X is wrong! I'll put a stop to it! 

Mega Man (Ruby-Spears)
Spark Mandrill appeared with Vile in the "Mega X" episode from the Mega Man animated series. He only speaks three lines in the whole episode, so he doesn't get much personality. When he does speak, he uses a Russian accent. Like Vile, he's depicted as being more than a match for every robot in the present, with Mega Man being unable to even damage him. He was however, no match for Mega Man X. Spark Mandrill was also shown to be able to paralyze both Mega Man and Roll.

Mega Man (Archie Comics)
Spark Mandrill has a brief cameo in issue #35, seen among Sigma's group of Maverick Hunters. He was later cloned by Sigma using the power of the Genesis Portals and Unity Engines to become part of a massive army of Mavericks during Worlds Unite. After briefly facing Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man, X and their allies, he and most of his comrades were dispatched to invade other worlds by Sigma.

Rockman X (manga)
Spark Mandrill also appears in the Rockman X manga, where he is the second Maverick fought by X, and Sigma used a holographic machine to kill him after his defeat.

Rockman X Mega Mission
In the carddas, Mega Mission 2, he is revived as "Spark Mandriller L". He is now dark blue with black, red and yellow details, his shoulders have drills instead of lights, and he has spikes in the back of his hands, which seems to have joints to move forward.

Trivia

 * Coincidentally, Spark Mandrill's seiyū in Rockman: Irregular Hunter X has also provided the voice of another ape character in video games: Donkey Kong.


 * Among fans, the term "Spark Mandrill Syndrome" refers to a boss that is very easy to defeat with his weakness, as Spark Mandrill becomes unable to move when hit with Shotgun Ice, getting stuck in a loop and becoming harmless. The term appears to have been created in 2012 by The Completionist during his Mega Man X4 review, noting that Jet Stingray suffers from "Spark Mandrill Syndrome". Its usage is not limited to the Mega Man X series, being used to any game with similar bosses.
 * Spark Mandrill bears a striking resemblance to the robotic creature on the cover of the 1984 Judas Priestalbum, Defenders of the Faith.

Spark Mandrill