Launch Octopus/Maverick Hunter X

Launch Octopus
Military General of the Deep
In-Game Information
HP:	32
Attack Damage:	4 (contact) 2 (Homing Torpedo) 2 (Piranha) 1-15 (Energy Drain)
Weapon X gains:	Homing Torpedo
Weapon Vile gains:	Humerus Crush, Spoiled Brat, Necro Burst, Two Headed Slash, Splash Hit
Weakness:	X: Rolling Shield Vile: Deadstar Hug, Stubborn Crawler
Main Stage:	Subterranean Base
Misc. Information
Japanese Name:	Launcher Octopuld
Script:	ランチャー・オクトパルド
Rōmaji:	Ranchā Okutoparudo
Gender:	Male
Eye Color:	Blue
Series Information
In-game Appearances:	Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Japanese VA:	Tetsuharu Ohta
English VA:	Jonathan Love
Theme Music

"I am an artist, you see, X. An artist of underwater combat! But no one has recognized that fact. Not until now."

―Launch Octopus, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

Launch Octopus, known as Launcher Octopuld (ランチャー・オクトパルド, Ranchā Okutoparudo) in Japan, is one of the eight Mavericks in Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.

Overview

MILITARY GENERAL OF THE DEEP

Maverick Hunter formerly of the 6th Armada. With the plenty of firepower and military knowledge to match, this intellectual uses brain over brawn to outwit Mavericks. Seeking to achieve beauty in combat and strategy, he gains the ultimate pleasure from fighting elegantly and gracefully. Having taken over the ocean cities, he is planning to cut off all shipping routes.

Homing Torpedo

Fires a Torpedo capable of tracking enemies. As it picks up speed, it homes in on closest enemy and pursues it.

Design

Launch Octopus received a design overhaul, with Tatsuya Yoshikawa doing the concept art of the eight bosses and the game's design team refining it. He largely retains most of the design from his original version, but his head and shoulders are flatter, and the four lower tentacles are connected to a ring around his waist. The vent below his eyes has been redesigned to look like a funnel and another vent has been added on top of his head. His lower legs are now blue, and his feet red.

History

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

Launch Octopus was a Maverick Hunter who was part of the 6th Armada. Sigma swayed him to join the rebellion via flattery, putting him in charge of an ocean base to cut off trade routes between cities.

When confronted by X, Launch Octopus told off the Maverick Hunter that he only takes orders from Sigma, after the former Maverick Hunter commander has recognized Launch Octopus's "artistic" fighting style and vowed for the world to recognize it as well, while being offended by X calling him a "Maverick" before the two battle, only for X to come victorious. When infiltrating Sigma's headquarters, a revived but monotonic-speaking Launch Octopus attacked X, revealing that Sigma had reconstructed his body (and the other seven Maverick lieutenants as well) with a rudimentary AI.

When meeting Vile, Launch Octopus claimed to have expected Vile's betrayal and complimented his ambition. Vile vaguely confirmed his suspicion and shrugged off the compliment before their battle.

Strategy

Launch Octopus using his piranha attack in Maverick Hunter X.

Launch Octopus' battle remains similar to his original counterpart in Mega Man X. His missile attacks are all somewhat slower, and he is thus easier to fight. He also gets stunned for a longer time when hit by his weaknesses. Launch Octopus' weaknesses are the Rolling Shield for X, and Deadstar Hug and Stubborn Crawler for Vile. Additionally, he cannot grab the player with a charged Rolling Shield deployed, and the shield also blocks his missile attacks.

If the player uses the Boomerang Cutter or any of Vile's Cutters against Launch Octopus three times, he loses his tentacles, and thus cannot use Piranha or Whirlpool. In Hard difficulty, Launch Octopus does not gain any new attacks, though he tends to use the Whirlpool attack more frequently.

• Homing Torpedo - Launch Octopus fires two waves of three torpedoes from his shoulders (each torpedo at different angles), either while standing still or jumping towards the player. Contrary to the name, these do not home in on the player.
• Piranha - Launch Octopus fires four piranha-shaped homing torpedoes from within his tentacles.
• Whirlpool - Launch Octopus spins to create a whirlpool, pulling the player in his direction. If they make contact with him, he will catch them and use Energy Drain, draining their health through his tentacles until they mash buttons to break free.

Quotes

Dialogues

• X (Normal Mode)
• X (Free Play/Hard Mode)
• X (Sigma Palace 1)
• Vile

X: Your antics stop here, Launch Octopus!
Launch Octopus: I only take orders from Sigma. There's no way I'll let you boss me around!
X: Face it... You've gone Maverick!

Launch Octopus: Maverick? How dare you call my artistic battle style by that name!

X: Launch Octopus... How could you do something like this?
Launch Octopus: I am an artist, you see, X. An artist of underwater combat! But no one has recognized that fact. Not until now.
X: But Sigma recognizes that?

Launch Octopus: That's right. And now I'm fighting to create an entire world that does, too! This is a very important battle for me.

X: Launch Octopus!?
Launch Octopus: I am Launch Octopus. I am under orders to deal with any intruders.
X: Sigma must have brought his body back to life!

Launch Octopus: I have been ordered to fight.

Launch Octopus: Well, well, well... Look what the catfish dragged in. You plan on betraying Sigma, do you?
Vile: I'll tell you one thing... I don't like working for others.
Launch Octopus: A tough guy, hm? Ha ha ha! You're not half bad. I like you.

Vile: I don't care if a pitiful fool like you likes me or not!

In-battle quotes

Action	Romaji	Japanese	English
Pre-battle	Hajimemasu yo!	はじめますよ！	Here we go!
Pre-battle (Ocean Stage)	Geijutsu-tekina chikara wo misete agemasu yo. (I'll let you see the power of an artist)	芸術的な力を見せてあげますよ。	I'll show you how an artiste fights.
Homing Torpedo, jumping	Ikimasu yo!	いきますよ！	Here it comes!
Homing Torpedo, standing	Kore de dou desu ka? (How's this?)	これでどうですか？	Try this on for size!
Whirlpool	Koko desu ka!	ここですか！	Over here!
Whirlpool	Ekuserento! (Excellent!)	エクセレント！	Over here!
Energy Drain	Kakarimashita ne!	掛かりましたね！	I got you!
Defeated (Ocean Stage)	Geijutsu wa bakuhatsuna no desu! (The artist's explosion...!)	芸術は爆発なのです！	Even my explosion is beautiful!
Pre-Battle Sigma Palace	Ikinasai. (Go.)	行きなさい	I'll show you how an artiste fights!
Homing Torpedo Sigma Palace	Ha...	ハ...	Here it comes!
Defeated Sigma Palace	Utsukushii... (Beautiful...)	美しい	Even my explosion is beautiful!

Gallery

Concept art of Launch Octopus.

Bust of Launch Octopus.

Launch Octopus' dialogue portrait.

Launch Octopus' mindless dialogue portrait.

Launch Octopus as a shell in the Sigma Palace.

Launch Octopus render.

Trivia

• Launch Octopus is the only Maverick with dialogue before his rematch in the Sigma Palace, though only in X Mode.
  • Unlike other Mavericks, however, Octopus' in-battle lines are unchanged for the rematch in the English localization. In the Japanese script, Launch Octopus is the only Maverick that still says actual words in their rematch as all others will only grunt.
• Octopus has a slightly different motive in Maverick Hunter X for joining Sigma's rebellion compared to the original game. Originally he joined as an excuse to embrace his secret misanthropic views, while in the remake he joined when he felt truly appreciated by Sigma for his artistic and combative potential.
• In the Japanese version of the game, Octopus speaks in a somewhat flamboyant manner. This is localized in the English version as him having a slight flamboyant lisp to his voice.