History Manga / MegaManMegamix

The fan favorite and oft celebrated adaptation of the classic ''VideoGame/MegaMan'' series by Hitoshi Ariga. Well known inside the fandom but never released in the West, it was originally known only to Japanese and the few Western fans that could afford to import it. Scans and translations of the original stories were available, but only of the first few chapters. A well known petition circulated for years, trying to get someone to pick up the series, but it seemed it was to no avail.

Due to the success of ''Mega Man 9'' and ''Mega Man 10'', a follow-up to the series called ''Rockman Gigamix'' was released alongside a new print of Megamix, which collects the original stories while also adding new material by Ariga. UDON licensed Gigamix, and published all three of the new volumes as of November 2011. They were later [[https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/10/19/megaman-mastermix-1-udon-jan-2018/ reprinted]] in color.

* AdaptationalBadass: One of the series's defining traits. Almost all the combat-capable robots are shown as much more powerful than in the games. The real winners here, though, are the Stardroids. In VideoGame/MegaManV, Dr. Light was able to create a weapon to defeat them after a single encounter, leaving them as basically the same as Robot Masters. In this series, they are on such a different level from Earth's robots that it's not even funny. Case in point, twice Saturn completely no-sells electric attacks from Earth's robots, which is actually his weakness in game.

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The trope runs zigzag with MisanthropeSupreme below in the case of Dr. Wily. In the case of the below trope, a passing willingness of human casualties in the games inflated to a full-on intent to enact them here. However, when it comes to robots, even those not his own, Wily presents as a NobleDemon of sorts. He ''only'' runs away in battle in knowing Mega Man would never go too far to his creations, refusing retreat when it became clear [[spoiler: the [[KnightTemplar White Giant]]]] would take no prisoners, and even in the ''Battle and Chase'' story, he has an explosive planted on Roll's car only insofar as to get Mega Man to join the race, ordering Shadow Man to retrieve it without harming her once they baited him into participation.

* AffablyEvil: Dr. Wily fluctuates between this and actually being intimidating, particularly in the third story of volume 1, ''Metal Heart.'' The same goes for the third and fifth armies, in stark contrast to their predecessors from Mega Man 2.

** Inverted by the VideoGame/MegaMan 5 Wilybots, who are fairly heroic in the amusement park chapter.

* AttackPatternAlpha: In the second volume, Wily [[ASimplePlan goes through a step-by-step]] [[TimeForPlanB Plan B (for "Best")]] for the Fifth Numbers to use to defeat Mega Man... then turns to the already defeated Robot Masters to yell at them for screwing it up. [[{{Foreshadowing}} Later]], as the Hourly Pay Squad Part-Timers, they pull it off to perfection while [[spoiler: defending the amusement park from Bass' rampage.]]

* BadGuysDoTheDirtyWork: The third army try to do this in volume three. Shadow Man succeeds, but [[spoiler: at the cost of killing the toy robot AI that only wanted to see its mother]].

** Also, [[spoiler: Skull Man.]]

* BlackCloak: The Mega Man 2 Robot Masters show up wearing hoods and cloaks at the end of the first chapter. They still have them when making their re-entrance a chapter later.

* BloodSport: Dr. Light disapproves of Battle and Chase because of this, and all Rock can say is that at least it's not as bad as the [[GladiatorGames tournament]] in ''VideoGame/MegaMan 6''. Dr. Light was supposed to give some sort of a speech for the WRO during it: at the end of the chapter we find out that he missed the whole thing because he couldn't find his ties. While Battle & Chase is a less serious chapter than many of the others, he was probably grateful for the excuse.

* BroughtDownToNormal: The only possible purpose of Napalm Man is to blow up and burn down stuff, hence his name. So what does he do when all the Mega Man 5 Robot Masters are assigned by Dr. Wily to work at an amusement park to earn extra money? He's a receptionist. With grenades on his shoulders and missiles for arms.

* CanonForeigner: Not quite this example, but Shadow Man's portrayal in Megamix had a considerable affect on [[VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork Battle Network's]] portrayal of the character, from his role as an assassin to his ability to move through shadows.
** Though there was one in the original game (kind of), the portrayal of [[spoiler: Copy Mega Man]] influenced and led to his inclusion in ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp''.

* CompositeCharacter: Sort of, more along the lines of a particular detail being recursively added in. [[spoiler: The White Giant first emerges from an Asteroid. The original Duo flew around in space under his own power. The Duo of ''Battle Network'', however, used a meteor to travel the universe.]]

* CreepyCrossdresser: [[ItMakesSenseInContext Quick Man in the Mega Man Soccer comics.]]

* DevelopmentGag: [[spoiler: In ''Gigamix Vol. 2'' and ''3'', Duo is rebuilt by Dr. Cossack. Duo was originally going to be one of Dr. Cossack's robots in the games, but this was changed, and he came from space.]]

* EvilKnockoff: [[spoiler:Copy Mega Man, meaning the Mega Man the player was controlling in Mega Man 6 was this]]. Technically, also Bass. The idea behind the all-Roll soccer team in the soccer strips, but it takes Dr. Wily a lot of work to make them anything resembling evil.

* EyesAlwaysShut: Shadow Man almost always keeps his right eye shut as [[spoiler: it streams video data back to Dr. Wily]]. When he doesn't need/wish to do this, he leaves it shut.

* HeroicSacrifice: Roll [[spoiler: overheats in order to keep Kalinka from freezing to death. Fortunately, they're found in time.]] [[spoiler:Copy Mega Man]] does this: not only does he save Mega Man, but he was there in the first place to [[spoiler:die on camera to clear Mega Man's name.]]

* HeroicSecondWind: Ring Man gets one to take down Pluto, courtesy of a pep-talk from [[spoiler: Skull Man's spirit.]]

** [[spoiler:Duo's here to save the day! Until Saturn's black hole warps him into an ambush with all the Stardroids, leaving everyone on Earth vulnerable to Terra's assault]].
** [[spoiler:Mega Man goes down with a blast through the head. Which was faked by Wily, who deliberately disabled (but not destroyed) Mega Man's brain circuitry so that Terra wouldn't stick around to destroy him irreparably. Mega Man will be okay! But then Wily and Light notice that Terra ''did'' in fact discover the ruse and delivered his own small, but fatal, blow, hidden by Wily's blast]].

* IncorruptiblePurePureness: In the Mega Man Soccer comics, Wily installs his Evil Chips on the Copy-Rolls to defeat Mega Man at soccer. She spectacularly fails to become any sort of evil --though she does neglect to separate the recycling from the trash.
** Within the manga's canon, if [[spoiler: Copy Mega Man]] is any indication, Mega Man would be this himself, [[spoiler: if it weren't for Copy's evil chip resulting in AIIsACrapshoot]].

* InterruptedCooldownHug: In "Metal Heart", it seems that the Yellow Devil is finally going to reach [[spoiler: its mother, the Mother Computer]], only for [[spoiler: Shadow Man to impale the Yellow Devil's weakpoint and cause critical damage to both it and the Mother Computer]].

* NotSoDifferentRemark: The reason Dive Man and Drill Man give for [[spoiler: helping Shadow Man escape with Copy Mega Man; much like Skull Man, the Copy hadn't chosen the circumstances of his creation, yet he suffered for them anyway. Though Dive Man acknowledges that the Copy must answer for his crimes, he at least deserves the chance to find his own identity.]]

* PapaWolf: Dr. Light is quite willing to put himself into danger for the sake of his children. Dr. Wily in Gigamix Vol. 2, where, [[spoiler: seeing that the "White Giant" is not the merciful foe Mega Man is, he's so determined to stand by his robots that Shademan has to knock him out to get him to retreat.]]
* PetTheDog: Wily and Reggae, played straight and then subverted with the Yellow Devil. The revelation that Blues was the one who [[spoiler:sent the imprisoned Dr. Light footage of what was going on]] in The Greatest Enemy is one, although he has several KickTheDog moments in that story. Shadow Man rescuing [[spoiler:Copy-Mega Man]] is this: it's something of a HopeSpot for the poor robot, since [[spoiler:he immediately goes and throws his life away.]]
* [[GoKartingWithBowser Playing Soccer With Wilybots]]: Ariga's Mega Man Soccer bonus strips. The Amusement Park visit counts as well (at least pre-Bass 'visit'). The original trope name would fit during the Battle & Chase chapter.[[spoiler:before Wily's ego and desire for fame and money turns it into a DeadlyGame instead, not to mention the antagonists hiding their identities in the beginning.]]

* PoweredByAForsakenChild: A somewhat more benevolent variation occurs when Dr. Wily uses a broken down toy robot as the brain of his new Yellow Devil. It's benevolent in that he took pity on and wanted to help a discarded machine, but it becomes morally ambiguous when you realize he turned it into a war machine and then ordered his robots to capture it or destroy it if they couldn't [[spoiler: even when its revealed that all it wants to do is reach its original creator.]]

* ShownTheirWork: In spades, both in regards to all the detail and the references to both familiar and obscure moments from the games that Ariga throws in. A particularly notable one is in chapter 2, where Heat Man scarfs down on Crash Bombs - a nod to the fact that those weapons ''healed'' him when used against him in Mega Man 2.

* SuperPrototype: Blues, although he wasn't originally constructed as a warbot. Can [[CurbStompBattle defeat several other robot masters at once, in seconds]]. The fact he's a CombatPragmatist helps. [[spoiler: There's an ''actual'' reason for this. Just like in the games, Blues' body is frail as frail could be. However, when Wily found Blues, he gave him a new power supply in the form of the first discovered Hyper Energy Crystal, which effectively made Proto Man an Earth-made ''Stardroid''. Consequently, he's easily as strong as Mega Man and Bass on a good day, and his sheer {{Franchise/Batman}}-grade combat skill and cunning closes certain gaps, but he ''definitely'' needs that shield.]]

** [[spoiler: Roll]] does this for [[spoiler: Rock]] in the Greatest Enemy in History story, much to the horror of everyone present, including the shooter. [[spoiler: Fortunately, Dr. Cossack and Kalinka are on hand to administer life-saving emergency treatment and get her to the robot hospital]].

** In the story based on the sixth game, Wily begs for forgiveness and then pulls a (failed) sneak attack when [[spoiler: Copy]] Mega Man turns around. He then gets shot in the face for his efforts. [[spoiler: Turns out it was a robot double Wily left, but he was still shocked that Mega Man fired.]]
* TomatoInTheMirror: Mega Man and [[spoiler:Copy Mega Man]] duke it out, with Mega Man getting the upper hand in spite of [[spoiler: Copy's PowerCopying.]] Then, [[spoiler: Copy starts to burn up as parts of him fall apart, revealing Dr. Wily's Evil Chip, leaving Copy to deny the fact until he looks at a window reflection.]]

* VillainsOutShopping: In one chapter, the Light family goes to an amusement park, only to find the Mega Man 5 Wilybots working there as part of a BrokeEpisode. [[spoiler:They help protect the park against Bass.]] Also the soccer 4-koma strips included in Volume 2.

* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: A common theme, particularly touched on in chapter 2, Skull Man's story, Wily and Light's reason for teaming up during their youth, and then again in the adaptation of ''Mega Man 9.''

** Dr. Cossack gets this from Dr. Wily of all people [[spoiler:because of Skull Man.]]
** Wily gets to do this again to '''Dr. Light''', of all people, [[spoiler:after Light refuses to fix up the Lightbots if they continue to fight, out of fear of them being destroyed.]]

* TheWorfEffect: Several examples. Quick Man against Elec Man, Bass and Blues at different points vs the Light Bots. In Gigamix, [[spoiler:the "White Giant" against the second, third and seventh numbers. The Stardroids against pretty much any character still standing, including Blues and the 5th and 6th games robot masters.]]
** Especially notable is [[spoiler:Terra,]] who effortlessly slaughters a thousand robots. Ariga hosted open submissions specifically to find robots for him to curbstomp.
** Then there's [[spoiler: Duo]] who within 5 panels of his introduction effortlessly defeats one of the Stardroids in one blow
* WrongGenreSavvy: Once, Wily shows up on Dr. Light's doorstep and Rock ties him up without listening to Wily's lies or evil plans. Except this takes place in the Mega Man Soccer comic strips/4koma and he was only there to invite Rock to a soccer game.

* AnimeOpeningParody: A fan of the series made this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFsp0-l3es animated opening]] based on the famous "Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Brave New World)" from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', with Mega Man, Bass and the Robot Masters staring in this animation against the [[VideoGame/MegaManV Stardroids]], the BigBadEnsemble of the series. This hyped fans for many years about a possible AnimatedAdaptation of the manga. It was originally uploaded to Nico, but after Hitoshi Ariga saw it, he asked for permission to upload the above video to Youtube because he thought it was so well made.

* ManipulativeBastard: One of Proto Man/Blues' [[AdaptationalJerkass less savory traits in this series]] is his willingness to manipulate others and [[BatmanGambit exploit their behavioural patterns]] in a way [[UnscrupulousHero that he figures will result in "the right thing" in the end]]. One of his most extreme acts comes near the third act of "The Greatest Enemy In History", where [[spoiler:he convinces [[EvilKnockoff the Copy Mega Man]] -- [[TomatoInTheMirror who just discovered he was a copy designed for evil things]] and is having [[IdentityBreakdown a moral/existential meltdown]] alongside [[SuperPowerMeltdown an increasingly physical one]] -- to abandon all outside judgement and decide for himself how to do the "right thing". This leads to the Copy choosing to reveal himself to be a fake before the public and [[HeroicSacrifice saving the real Mega Man by self-destructing into Bass]]. During an epilogue, Shadow Man confronts Blues on whether or not he knew the Copy would do such a thing -- Blues simply retorts "[[DeathSeeker He wanted to die]]... that's all." Shadow Man is ''[[EvenEvilHasStandards furious]]'' from [[AccompliceByInaction the implications]].]]

* ManipulativeBastard: Blues, who has Rock and Bass' best interests at heart but has no problem manipulating Bass into attacking an injured Rock, for example. Even worse is the time he [[spoiler:basically set Copy-Mega Man up to commit suicide.]]

* AnimeOpeningParody: A fan of the series made this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFsp0-l3es animated opening]] based on the famous "Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Brave New World)" from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', with Mega Man, Bass and the Robot Masters staring in this animation against the [[VideoGame/MegaManV Stardroids]], the BigBadEnsemble of the series. This hyped fans for many years about a possible AnimatedAdaptation of the manga. It was originally uploaded to Nico, butafter Hitoshi Ariga saw it, he asked for permission to upload the above video to Youtube because he thought it was so well made.

* AnimeOpeningParody: A fan of the series made this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFsp0-l3es animated opening]] based on the famous "Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Brave New World)" from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', with Mega Man, Bass and the Robot Masters staring in this animation against the [[VideoGame/MegaManV Stardroids]], the BigBadEnsemble of the series. This hyped fans for many years about a possible AnimatedAdaptation of the manga. Hitoshi Ariga himself asked for permission to upload it to Youtube after he saw it.

* AnimeOpeningParody: A fan of the series made this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFsp0-l3es animated opening]] based on the famous "Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Brave New World)" from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', with Mega Man, Bass and the Robot Masters staring this animation against the [[VideoGame/MegaManV Stardroids]], which are the BigBadEnsemble of the series, hyping fans for many years about a possible AnimatedAdaptation of the manga. Hitoshi Ariga himself uploaded the video above after seeing it, and asked for permission to upload it to Youtube.

* AnimeOpeningParody: Hitoshi Ariga made his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFsp0-l3es own animated opening]] based on the famous "Subarashiki Shin Sekai (Brave New World)" from ''VideoGame/NamcoXCapcom'', with Mega Man, Bass and the Robot Masters staring this animation against the [[VideoGame/MegaManV Stardroids]], which are the BigBadEnsemble of the series, hyping fans for many years about a possible AnimatedAdaptation of his manga.

* SempaiKohai: Freeze Man sees this as his relationship with Ice Man due to the latter being an older, more experienced "ice-type"- even though Ice Man is [[OneHeadTaller around half his height]].

* ItWasHisSled: The series doesn't even try to tease at who Proto Man is, as the third game gets barely a page of summation in chapter three. On the other hand, Blues' identity may not be very well known in-universe. No one except Dr. Light recognizes him when he first shows up dressed like a human, and Elec Man can't connect the dots even after hearing Dr. Light ask the person who just defeated all of them without even using a weapon (clearly not human strength) if his power source was alright (which implied that Dr. Light had worked on him at some point). Of course, given the fact the original robot masters were nearly destroyed for going rogue while reprogrammed, they're not going to want to tell the world about a robot that went rogue because it felt like it. Especially interesting since the chapter clearly takes place after the fifth game, since the robot masters from it have been around for awhile, same with the Darkmen.

* KillEmAll: [[spoiler:By volume 2 of Gigamix, every Robot Master except the ones from the first game, the fourth game and Shadow Man are killed by either the "White Giant" or the Stardroids.]]

* BigHam: Air Man, the Fifth Numbers (a.k.a. Hourly-Pay Squad Part-Timers), and Shade Man all exhibit some measure of hamminess: Air Man for intimination, the Fifth Numbers for comedy, and Shade Man for personality and style.

* GuileHero / ManipulativeBastard: Blues, who has Rock and Bass' best interests at heart but has no problem manipulating Bass into attacking an injured Rock, for example. Even worse is the time he [[spoiler:basically set Copy-Mega Man up to commit suicide.]]

* NotSoDifferent: The reason Dive Man and Drill Man give for [[spoiler: helping Shadow Man escape with Copy Mega Man; much like Skull Man, the Copy hadn't chosen the circumstances of his creation, yet he suffered for them anyway. Though Dive Man acknowledges that the Copy must answer for his crimes, he at least deserves the chance to find his own identity.]]

* BloodFromTheMouth: [[spoiler:Proto Man]] coughs up blood at one point while fighting Mars, [[FridgeLogic despite being a robot]].
** However, it could be oil.

* YouDontLookLikeYou: FireMan and CrashMan can turn their cannons into hands, BubbleMan and AirMan have their cannon placed on their right arm instead of their left, and Roll tends to wear a shirt and skirt, a sleeved dress, or even outfits with trousers.

Due to the success of ''Mega Man 9'' and ''Mega Man 10'', the series was re-released in Japan as ''Rockman Gigamix'', which collects the original volumes while also adding new material by Ariga. UDON licensed Gigamix, and published all three of the new volumes as of November 2011. They were later [[https://www.bleedingcool.com/2017/10/19/megaman-mastermix-1-udon-jan-2018/ reprinted]] in color.

** While Skull Man was still an antagonist in canon, he never attacked Dr. Cossack as he does here.

* [[spoiler:BloodFromTheMouth: Proto Man coughs up blood at one point while fighting Mars, [[FridgeLogic despite being a robot]].]]

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: The original Robot Masters, as in the original game.
* BroughtDownToNormal: The only possible purpose of Napalm Man is to blow up and burn down stuff, hence his name. So what does he do when all the Mega Man 5 Robot Masters are assigned by Dr. Wily to work at an amusement park to earn extra money? [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments He's a receptionist. With grenades on his shoulders and missiles for arms.]]

* ButtMonkey: Auto easily fulfills this role.

* {{Driven to|Suicide}} HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Copy Mega Man. By Blues.]]

* Expy: The Gigamix version of Dark Moon is, instead of a Yellow Devil variant, a repurposed Ra Moon from ''Super Adventure Rockman''. With its black, spherical body and giant eye, it very closely resembles the Giant Sphere of the ''Manga/GiantRobo'' OVA.

* [[EyesAlwaysShut One Eye Always Shut]]: {{Justified|Trope}} with Shadow Man; when his right eye is open, [[spoiler: it streams video data back to Dr. Wily]]. When he doesn't need/wish to do this, he leaves it shut.
* [[spoiler: EyeScream: Terra rips out and '''''EATS''''' Saturn's eye in Gigamix Vol. 3.]]

* AdaptationalVillainy: Skull Man and the Star Droids.

* AxCrazy: Bass. More so than usual, especially [[spoiler:when he takes in the Hyper Energy Crystals and is overcome with their power]]. The Stardroids, who exist only to destroy. Blues does a very good impression. Heat Man is pretty nuts as well.

* GenericDoomsdayVillain: [[spoiler:The Stardroids have no other motivation other than the annihilation of all life in the universe. Terra even states as much.]]

* Expy: The Stardroid's Dark Moon is a repurposed Ra Moon from ''Super Adventure Rockman''. With its black, spherical body and giant eye, it very closely resembles the Giant Sphere of the ''Manga/GiantRobo'' OVA.

* DramaticElipsis: Air Man in ''R Destruction Order'' is almost compelled to speak with these combined with DramaticPause for maximum hamminess.

[[quoteright:136:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rockmanpostcard1_617.jpg]]

!!Provides Examples Of:

* AdaptationalNiceGuy: The trope runs zigzag with MisanthropeSupreme below in the case of Dr. Wily. In the case of the below trope, a passing willingness of human casualties in the games inflated to a full-on intent to enact them here. However, when it comes to robots, even those not his own, Wily presents as a NobleDemon of sorts. He ''only'' runs away in battle in knowing Mega Man would never go too far to his creations, refusing retreat when it became clear [[spoiler: the [[KnightTemplar White Giant]]]] would take no prisoners, and even in the ''Battle and Chase'' story, he has an explosive planted on Roll's car only insofar as to get Mega Man to join the race, ordering Shadow Man to retrieve it without harming her once they baited him into participation.

* AdaptationalBadass: One of the series's defining traits. Almost all the combat-capable robots are shown as much more powerful than in the games. The real winners here, though, are the Stardroids. In VideoGame/MegaManV, Dr. Light was able to create a weapon to defeat them after a single encounter, leaving them as basically the same as Robot Masters. In this series, they are on such a different level from Earth's robots that it's not even funny. Case in point, twice Saturn completely no-sells electric attacks from Earth's robots, which is actually his weakness in game.