Special Weapon

Special Weapons (特殊武器) are the weapons that some playable characters from the Mega Man series can obtain, generally by using the Weapon Copy System, also known as the Variable Weapon System. This Special Weapons use weapon energy.

Mega Man and Mega Man X series
Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass, Duo, Mega Man X, and Axl can obtain Special Weapons by defeating Robot Masters or Maverick Reploids in most games from the series. Roll also uses Special Weapons in Marvel vs. Capcom, and Mega Man was shown using the weapon from the Wily Machine in Mega Man II, Onslaught's Magnetic Shockwave in Marvel vs. Capcom, and use more than one Special Weapon at the same time in other media. With the exception of Axl and Roll (alongside Mega Man, Proto Man, and Mega Man X in some media), the armor of all characters change color when equipped with a Special Weapon.

In Super Adventure Rockman, Mega Man is shown to obtain Special Weapons by taking a chip with data of the weapon from the defeated boss.

Although Zero obtains techniques instead of Special Weapons, a few abilities like Dark Hold and Guard Shell are identical to X's version. The only instance Zero actually uses Special Weapons is in Rockman X Mega Mission 2. Zero upgraded his buster into the Neo Buster by combining it with broken parts of the X-Buster, which was still infected by the Limited and allowed Zero to use weapons from X had obtained in the first three games. When using weapons, Zero's normal armor doesn't change color, but the Neo Buster and the Energy Armor change.

Mega Man Legends series
Roll Caskett can create Special Weapons for Mega Man Volnutt by using objects he find in his adventures.

Other media
In Archie's Mega Man comic, Mega Man Megamix, Ruby-Spears' Mega Man animated series, and Mega Man: Upon a Star, Mega Man, Proto Man and X obtain Special Weapons by touching the target to download data of his weapon. In the Rockman X manga, X obtains weapons by taking weapon chips from the defeated bosses.

Mega Man (cartoon)
Mega Man has a internal weapons converter that allows him to copy a Robot Master's weapon by touching him. Proto Man and Mega Man X also used this ability once to obtain the Super Arm and Search Snake. Mega Man and the others can steal the weapon from the Robot Master by touching the target, making the Robot Master unable to use his weapon. Their armor don't change color when using a Special Weapon. Mega Man was shown to be also able to obtain data from other things besides weapons, like Robo-Spider's web.

Besides the weapons that can be obtained in the games, Mega Man also used the weapons from Dark Man and the Mummy Bot, and once he used two Special Weapons (Gyro Attack and Spark Shock) at the same time.



Mega Man (Archie Comics)
Mega Man's Weapon Copy System allows him to take information found within other robots' data chips, and emulate their special abilities. However, as the system works to adapt them to Mega Man's own limitations, not all weapon emulation is a perfect reproduction of the original abilities. A side-effect appears when Mega Man emulates a weapon. The specialized radiation emitted from the weapons provides a strange reaction with the Light Ceramical Titanium armor, leading to it appearing to change color.

Others
In the Rockman 5 manga, Mega Man uses a multi weapon attack.

Other main weapons

 * Zero's weaponry
 * Vile's weaponry
 * Biometal
 * Battle Chip
 * Battle Card

Misc

 * Classic Special Weapon Strength