- "I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."
- ―Proto Man, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
- "Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a robot that doesn't, so what does that make me? "
- ―Proto Man, Mega Man Powered Up
- "It's always been on my mind...what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."
- ―Proto Man, Mega Man Powered Up
Proto Man, known as Blues (ブルース Burūsu) in Japan, is the first Robot Master created by Dr. Light and is considered the "brother" to Mega Man and Roll. He first appeared in Mega Man 3 training him to see if he could beat Wily, aiding Mega Man in his fight against evil.
History
Origin
Proto Man was intended to become the first humanoid robot capable of independent thought and reasoning. Being a prototype robot, Proto Man's design was not complete. It was later discovered by Dr. Light that Proto Man had a dangerous imbalance in his energy core that would eventually kill him. However, being created too independent, not having another of his kind to interact with and severely troubled by his incomplete status, Proto Man had begun growing distrust for the good doctor. Fearing Light would change his character, Proto Man refused to have Dr. Light meddle with his systems and went missing.
Dr. Light had presumed Proto Man to have died and regrettably gave up on him. Learning from his mistakes, he perfected the energy core and created sibling units Rock and Roll. Proto Man's design became the basis of the Sniper Joe series of robots. In Mega Man Powered Up, it is revealed that Proto Man despises the Sniper Joe series due to this.
Knowing the time of his demise, Proto Man wandered the world alone. Before his energy reactor was completely depleted, he was found by the exiled scientist Dr. Wily. Dr. Wily managed to temporarily repair Proto Man by altering his energy core from a solar to a nuclear one, as well as making other modifications, turning him into a combat robot. He also gave Proto Man the Proto Shield, his helmet and his now-trademark visor in an attempt to hide his identity from Dr. Light.[1][2] Presumably, working on Proto Man's systems gave Wily greater knowledge in creating robots, helping his plans for world domination along.
Indebted to Wily, Proto Man served him under the alias of Break Man. He did this until his encounters with Mega Man in Mega Man 3 made him realize the true nature of Dr. Wily. Proto Man turned on Dr. Wily, aiding Mega Man but refusing help from Dr. Light, still holding onto his feelings of distrust.
Proto Man's signature whistle is a staple of the character and almost always plays before his appearance.
Mega Man Powered Up
Although Proto Man has no involvement in the story, he is a unlockable playable character that is unlocked after beating all mission modes, or downloading him. He uses his Proto Shield to block attacks like Mega Man in Mega Man 7. His shield can also be knocked off by enemies, although it can fall off in extreme circumstances. All Proto Man has to do is pick it back up. In this game, he has advanced jumping and mobility, but cannot slide, copy weapons or charge his buster like in other games. However, instead of the Proto Buster, he has a new skill - Proto Strike, which is virtually the same as Mega Man's charge shot and can be shot rapidly.
Mega Man 3
Proto Man fights Mega Man in Magnet Man's, Hard Man's and Shadow Man's stages, as well as appearing in Gemini Man's stage. After the defeat of the Doc Robot(s), Proto Man will fight Mega Man one last time disguised as Break Man. After Mega Man defeats Dr. Wily, Proto Man saves Mega Man and brings him back to Dr. Light's lab.
In the version of Mega Man 3 that was featured in Mega Man: Anniversary Collection and Rockman Complete Works, Proto Man plays the role of Mega Man's navigator, even though for most of Mega Man 3 he is seen as the villain.
Mega Man 4
Proto Man rescues the kidnapped Kalinka and brings her to Mega Man and her father, Dr. Cossack, after Mega Man defeats him, to let her tell Mega Man that her father was forced to build the eight Robot Masters for Dr. Wily.
Mega Man 5
Proto Man was framed for a robot attack and kidnapping Dr. Light. Mega Man later finds out that Dr. Wily created a robot called Dark Man to impersonate Proto Man. Proto Man appears to reveal the deception and later helps Mega Man near the end of the game by helping lift the roof of Dr. Wily's castle when Mega Man saved Dr. Light.
Mega Man 6
Proto Man appears in Tomahawk Man's stage to give him the Energy Balancer upgrade. With it, when Mega Man collects weapons energy with the Mega Buster equipped, it restores the weapon with the least energy in it.
Mega Man 7
Proto Man appears in Cloud Man and Turbo Man's stage, giving him hints to certain secrets. After Mega Man visits him in those areas, he will appear in Shade Man's stage hidden in the wall behind the Sniper Joe 01 after the mini-boss VAN Pookin. He will challenge Mega Man to a fight and if he takes enough damage, he will give his Proto Shield to Mega Man.
Mega Man 8
After Mega Man's battle with Duo, Proto Man tells him that Dr. Wily's new fortress, called "Wily Tower," lies just ahead. Then, after Wily's defeat and Mega Man's rescue at the hands of Duo, Mega Man returns to the area near the wreckage of Wily Tower to find Proto Man standing on a tree. Proto Man tells him that Duo left to return to space but had a message for him - "Thank you."
Mega Man & Bass
Proto Man appears in the intro stage, trying to shoot King, but is sliced in half, Mega Man shows concern and tells him to go to Dr Light for repairs, whilst Bass ignores him and claims he's the most powerful robot.
He reappears in the 3rd Castle Stage and uses his Big Bang Blast to destroy King's shield but he falls unconscious because he used nearly all of his power on that attack. King promptly teleports Proto Man out of the castle so that he can be repaired. He then appears in Bass's ending to destroy the data for King Mk II that Wily made.
Mega Man 9
He appears after Mega Man defeats Wily and warns him about Wily's trap. Mega Man says he can't risk it not being a trap. So he disappeared, but he soon returns to save the unconscious Mega Man from being crushed by the collapsing fortress.
He is also available as a downloadable playable character for 200 Wii points/160 Microsoft points/ $1.99. He plays the same as Mega Man except he can Slide and charge his Arm Cannon, receives twice damage from attacks and is knocked back twice as far when hit. He can only fire two shots at a time, as opposed to Mega Man's three. He can deflect bullets with his Proto Shield while jumping, and rather than Rush, he has the Proto Coil and Proto Jet, which somewhat resemble the transport items from Mega Man 2.
He has no story cutscenes, and he cannot use the shop.
Mega Man 10
Proto Man is a playable character from the start of the game, with all of his features from Mega Man 9. However, Proto Man can now use a store, even though there are less items in it, and the remaining items cost more (for example, an E-Tank costs 40 screws instead of 30 screws). He aids Mega Man to help find the parts for a vaccine-making device to fight the Roboenza virus, which causes robots to overheat and go crazy. In the middle of Wily Castle, he is infected with the virus and collapses. However, Mega Man had a prototype cure with him that Dr. Light had built earlier in the game, and the two were able to go on and defeat Wily.
Other games
Super Adventure Rockman
Proto Man in Super Adventure Rockman
In Super Adventure Rockman, Proto Man assists Mega Man. Depending of the path taken by the player, he defeats either Bubble Man or Heat Man offscreen in episode 1. In episode 2, he saves Mega Man from Sniper Joes, dropping his shield while doing it, which can be found and used by the player after the scene. If the player choose to not fight against Wood Man or lose to him, Proto Man will rescue Mega Man and says he has to fight will all his strength against Wily's robots. After the fight against Crash Man, Mega Man reaches a area monitored by several robots, having the choice to proceed now as there is no time to lose, or wait to get dark to pass unnoticed. If the player choose to continue, Proto Man appears and says Mega Man should be cautious and wait to get dark, going to the scene where he chooses to get dark. In episode 3, Proto Man saves Mega Man from Spark Man if he is defeated, and appears with Light's other robots in the ending.
Other appearances
- Proto Man has minor appearances in some of the Game Boy games, where he gives recovery items to Mega Man.
- He is a playable character in the games Mega Man's Soccer, Mega Man: The Power Battle, Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, and Mega Man: Battle & Chase.
- Proto Man has a cameo appearance in Capcom World 2, and appears as a card in Wily and Right's RockBoard: That's Paradise and the three games from the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series.
Other media
Mega Man
Proto Man in the cartoon show
In the American Mega Man TV show from Ruby-Spears, Proto Man is a robot prototype created by both Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. When the robot malfunctioned, Light asked Wily to destroy the plans and start over, but Wily stole the plans and used them to create Proto Man. Because of this, Proto Man is an evil robot that works for him. He has an intense rivalry with his "brother" Mega Man, wanting to be the one to defeat him, even if that means ruining Wily's plans to make sure he will be the one to get Mega Man. He considers Roll his sister as well, but although Mega Man agrees they are brothers and has admitted to wanting a relationship with him, Roll doesn't consider him her brother.
In the cartoon, Proto Man has the appearance of a teenager instead of a kid, and he doesn't have the Proto Shield. Proto Man's main weapon is a plasma cannon in his left arm. Like the games, he is able to get weapons from other robots, but he only used this ability once in the first episode to fight against Mega Man with the Super Arm.
Mega Man Megamix
Proto Man is a recurring character in Hitoshi Ariga's Mega Man Megamix manga series.
With the development of robots who were capable of logical thought (albeit limited by their programming) inevitably came situations where those same robots started to act on accord of their own judgement rather than blindly following the orders of humans as their predecessors did. Recognizing the potential danger presented by a prototype with such advanced abilities, Dr. Light included a failsafe feature in Proto Man's design that would prevent him from breaking the Three Laws of Robotics. It was this unfinished failsafe that would later have an unexpected effect on his power generator. Eventually, his "free will" led Proto Man to leave Dr. Light's side, disappearing without a trace. The next time he showed up, he was a combat robot working for Wily.
Chronologically, Proto Man first appeared in the story Asteroid Blues from Rockman Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man 3. He is disguised as Break Man and fights against Mega Man. In the end, his mask breaks and Dr. Light recognizes him. After Asteroid Blues, Proto Man leaves Dr. Wily and lives on his own.
Proto Man appeared briefly in the story Metal Heart, where the events of Mega Man 3 are shown in a flashback. He is later introduced in Holiday of Soldiers, where he defeats Dark Men 1 and 2 with a single attack, and fights against Bass. He is also present in the battle against the Copy Mega Man.
Proto Man also appeared as a racer in the story Burning Wheel from Rockman Gigamix, which is based on Mega Man Battle & Chase, and appears to be ill in the story Moon of Darkness, leaving Tango worried.
Mega Man: Upon a Star
In the three episode OVA Mega Man: Upon a Star, the characters from the Mega Man series (including Proto Man) are video game characters. In the first episode, Yuuta forgot to turn off his video game and felt asleep. Wily took the chance to escape into the real world, and Mega Man goes after him. When Mega Man was in trouble, Yuuta called for characters in his video game to help him. Proto Man and Beat heard him and helped Mega Man defeat Wily's robots, and they later return to the video game world. In the second episode, Proto Man, Rush and Beat help Mega Man stop the meteorites being launched by Wily in space. In the last episode, Proto Man helps Mega Man stop the typhoons created by Wily, and they defeat the Typhoon Robot.
Other appearances
Proto Man appeared in Shigeto Ikehara's Rockman manga series (with one manga featuring him), the manga Rockman 8, Rockman & Forte, Rockman 10 -Extra F-, Rockman 4Koma Great March and Rockman Battle & Chase.
Appearance
Proto Man appears somewhat identical to his younger brother, Mega Man, having a similar frame and build although the differences are immediate. Proto Man wears vibrant red armor that sharply contrasts that of Mega Man's blue shades as well as having a dark gray body suit. He wears a stylized helmet that features a distinct white trim that points upward. Along with his trademark flowing yellow scarf and thick black shades makes Proto Man fit the mysterious dashing lone wolf archetype quite well. Like Mega Man, Proto Man has been seen without his helmet, showing him to be identical to Mega Man, albeit, his hair having inconsistent depictions within and outside of canon. In Mega Man 3 and the Rockman Complete Works version of Mega Man 5, Proto Man is depicted with short hair. However, in Mega Man 8, his hair is longer, featuring a distinct, long fringe that stretches forward and curves slightly upward, and in the Megamix manga, he is given the exact same hairstyle as Mega Man.
Abilities
Proto Man is a playable character in Mega Man 9 and 10. He is useful in some areas, but playing as him has some cons too. When he jumps he raises his shield, blocking shots. Proto Man also fires slightly lower than Mega Man in Mega Man 10, letting him hit landmines, which Mega Man can not. But, unlike Mega Man when he gets hit, he takes twice the recoil and twice the damage, which is reason to utilize his shield.
- Proto Buster: (ブルースバスター) A powerful arm cannon like the Mega Buster but unlike the Mega Buster, the Proto Buster is unable to change freely into the form of an arm.[3] Proto Man can also charge energy to make the shot stronger.
- Proto Shield: (ブルースシールド) A strong shield that can deflect most attacks, he also dashes while holding it, using it as a battering ram.
- Proto Strike: (ブルースストライク) A powerful short range charge shot used by Proto Man in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters. An attack with the same name is used in Mega Man: Battle & Chase and Mega Man Powered Up.
- Big Bang Strike: (ビッグバンストライク) An energy blast of tremendous power. This attack is very dangerous to Proto Man, however, as it severely drains his energy. It's used in Mega Man & Bass to destroy King's shield.
- Variable Weapon System: Proto Man can copy weapons from other robots and use them to his own advantage.
Data
Mega Man: Battle and Chase
Red Striker
- Vehicle: Red Striker
- Body: Shield Body ("Mach Shield Body" in Japan)
- Engine: L-Blow Engine (Last Blow Engine)
- Wing: Hi-Speed Wing
- Tire: Sharp Tire ("Sharp Steer Tire" in Japan)
Mega Man & Bass CD data
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Rockman Battle & Fighters data
ワシのひとがたしさくロボット１ごうきでロックマンはしらないがロックマンのあににあたる。こどくをあいし、みずからのしんねんにもとづいてこうどうする。
Quotes
Mega Man: Powered Up
- "I'll help you this time...but remember this, Light! I haven't forgiven you!"
- "EXPLODE!"
- "PROTO STRIKE!"
- "Sorry, it had to be."
- "Cut Man... I'm sorry, but this ends here."
- "Stop. This isn't your site anyway."
- "Ice Man... This might be a little painful, but hang in there..."
- "As you are now, you are a threat to everyone. I must neutralize you."
- "Yes, that's the spirit, Fire Man. Just use it the right way next time you awaken."
- "Elec Man... I'm sorry, but I can't go easy on you..."
- "Time Man...?! That accursed Light! Allowing another unfinished robot..."
- "Oil Man?! This being our first meeting, brother, I'll make this short, so hang on."
- "When you attack me, watch out for my unstable nuclear core... One big shot and we're both vapor, I'd say."
- "Robots are machines that follow orders. I'm a machine that doesn't, so what does that make me?"
- "That madman. Even worse than those Joe robots, to think he'd make something like this!"
- "It's always been on my mind...what it means to be born with weapons in our hands. I haven't found the answer yet, but with the powers you've given me, I will crush your villainy."
Mega Man 3
- "Where's Dr. Wily? Oh, no... Too late..."
Mega Man 7
- "It's been a while, Mega Man. Here is a little information. Your weapons can be used to discover hidden areas. Try using the flame weapon in the woods."
- "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Collect all the plates and Dr. Light will create new equipment for you. Good luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you didn't take the Super Adapter
- "Mega Man, have you collected the R, U, S, and H circuit plates? Cool but remember, the super megaman Armor is too bulky to allow you to slide. Good Luck, Mega Man! I'll see you later. If you survive..."-if you already took the Super Adapter
- "So Brother, you are not as weak as I thought. Let's see which of us Father made stronger!"
- "Maybe you are the superior model, Mega Man. Here, take this with you."
- "It's OK. Take it. And... watch your back..."
Mega Man 8
- "Are you okay?"
- "Who was that?"
- "He may be connected to Dr. Wily."
- "'Wily Tower' is just ahead of here."
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
- "Wily, did you truly believe you could fool me?"
- "....."
- "Don't worry about my problems. I know my own body better than anybody else. And remember, I'm unbeatable! No matter what."
- "That's not my style. I'll do it myself. I don't need anybody! Nice chatting with you, Doc, but I've got things to do. Later."
- "You have a good soul, but sometimes you're too naïve. Believe in yourself, Mega Man! Your way is not wrong, it is the righteous path."
- "...... I live as I wish. That is all. My life is none of your business."
- "That's fine by me, but you can't defeat Mega Man."
- "You and Mega Man have completely different goals."
- "You only care about petty things like fighting to be the best. But Mega Man is different. He cares about the future."
- "Yes! He keeps fighting for the future of robots and humans."
- "Think about it, Bass. Think about who you really need to fight against."
- "So you're leaving, Duo?"
- "There's no relation. I like to be alone."
- "Duo."
- "Come and visit Earth again."
Mega Man & Bass
- "Stop it right there, King! First, Dr. Wily's lab, now the museum?"
- "You're not going anywhere, King!"
- "No, you're gonna face ME first!"
- "Ugh... Looks like I have no choice but to use this..."
- "Mega Man/Bass, get back! I'm going to channel all my energy into this blast!"
- "It's time to end this! Big Bang Strike!!"
- "Y-You idiot! Are you doing to waste this chance I just gave you!? Fight, damn it, fight...!" (translation of the SNES version)
- "Bass, you're underestimating him! He's... still alive...!"
- "You never learn, Wily!"
- "I won't let this happen!"
- "Bass, you don't need to hesitate, do you? You are not a slave to Wily, are you? You are acting on your own, aren't you? Not with a partner, nor under someone's order..."
- "You are strong. That is true. But you can't defeat Mega Man. Do you know why? It is because you have nothing to fight for... What have you been fighing for, Bass? You don't have anything or anybody to fight for, do you? You have fought only for yourself, right?"
- "Farewell."
Mega Man 9
- "You're a fool, Mega Man! It's a trap! That's the fake Dr. Light robot Wily used to make that fake video!"
- "Naïve as always... Do what you want, then!"
- "Looks like you need my help - again..."
Mega Man 10
- "I don't think you'll be able to do this alone."
- "Forget about me... I've caught that Roboenza Virus."
- "I guess I owe you one now..."
- "And now another of your schemes ends in failure."
- "Hmm? What's wrong with you? You've got a fever... I guess that's what they call poetic justice."
- "I should just leave you here..."
Gallery
Artwork
Sprites
Video
Proto Man gameplay in Mega Man 9
Trivia
Luste Teuber, a character from the dōjin soft series, Rosenkreuzstilette, masquerading as Proto Man on [erka:es] April Fool's site.
- Although Proto Man is Mega Man's prototype and "brother", Mega Man does not know this. The only plothole is that he referred to them sharing a "Father" in Mega Man 7, but this is countered by the fact that he said no such thing in the Japanese version.
- In Mega Man: Powered Up, he couldn't copy weapons like Mega Man, but in other games, he can.
- Proto Man is slightly taller than Mega Man in most appearances, being mistaken as roughly equivalent due to the shape of Mega Man's helmet. However, in Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Proto Man was not redrawn to size, ending up as shorter than even Ice Man.
- Proto Man's story from the animated series and Mega Man 5 together inspired his role in the rock opera by The Protomen.
- Proto Man's Red Striker from Mega Man: Battle & Chase appears as a toy in Mega Man ZX in Innerpeace belonging to one of two twins. The other twin is possession of Mega Man's Rush Roadster.
- Proto Man is one of the main characters in the live-action fan film.
- Viewtiful Joe, the main protagonist from another Capcom game, is most likely modeled after Proto Man since he has a visor, a red color scheme, a cape similar to Proto Man's scarf, and a similar design. On a related note, Hulk Davidson once referred to Viewtiful Joe as "some kind of Mega Man or something" when they first meet.
- Luste Teuber, a character from the Japanese dōjin soft series, Rosenkreuzstilette, bears a striking resemblance to Proto Man in the sequel, Rosenkreuzstilette ~Freudenstachel~. Her first appearance in which she masquerades Proto Man was seen in [erka:es] April Fool's site, as Luste puts on a visor and a yellow scarf similar to Proto Man's. Her final design in the sequel, however, still bears to Proto Man as she wears a pair of orange goggles and a black scarf reminiscent to Proto Man.
- The name Blues (Proto Man's Japanese name) comes from the musical genre.
- Blues is considered a kind of predecessor to rock, much how like Proto Man is a predecessor to Mega Man.
- The F-Zero character Captain Falcon bears a passing resemblance to Proto Man.
- Proto Man's design appears to be heavily influenced by the anime/manga "Cyborg 009".
- Proto Man makes cameo appearances in Dead Rising 2 and its predecessor, Dead Rising 2: Case 0, as cardboard stands advertising "Proto Man The Movie".
- Proto Man bears some similarities to the character Racer X from the 1970's anime Speed Racer (Mach Go go go! in Japan). They both are the brother to the main protagonist (and they do not know this either) They have similar personalities, wear some sort of mask covering their eyes (Racer X's mask; Proto Mans visor) and have a cape.
- Proto Man also shares some similarities to the anime character Tuxedo Mask, from the 1990's anime titled Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon. They both know the main protagonist somehow before they meet (Tuxedo Mask was Sailor Moon's fiance on the Moon Kingdom; Proto Man is Mega Man's "Brother."), they were both on the antagonists' side (Tuxedo Mask temporarily joined the Dark Kingdom; Proto Man sided with Wily), they both have something covering their eyes, they show up just in the nick of time, they both have capes, and they both make their prescence known in a well known way. (Tuxedo Mask throws a rose onto the battlefield; Proto Man whistles)
In Megaman 2 The Power Fighters, Protoman´voice actor is Jin Yamanoi.
References
- ↑ The Reploid Research Lavatory-Blues
- ↑ Proto Man's description from SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS
- ↑ The Reploid Research Lavatory-Blues