This ain't your little brother's Fully Charged!
One year after the cancellation of Mega Man: Fully Charged, Boom! Studios announced a 6-part miniseries based on the TV Show, marking the Blue Bomber's return to the world of comic books since the unofficial cancellation of Archie Comics' run of Mega Man back in 2015. This miniseries is written by A. J. Marchisello and Marcus Rinehart, who both wrote several of the episodes of the show, and is significantly Darker and Edgier than the cartoon.
Taking place after the events of the show, the comic deals with Mega Man rescuing Dr. Light from Skull Man with the help of Dr. Wily, all while learning more about his secret past from the Hard Age Wars. The first issue was released on August 29th 2020.
Tropes:
- Affably Evil: Dr. Wily comes across as a pleasant man, letting Mega Man in his house to talk about the Hard Age while freely admitting he wants to support a robot uprising, provided the right robot is in charge. Bert's memories of Dr. Wily are him helping out with science projects and getting the younger Wily interested in robotics.
- Ascended Fridge Horror: The parent series' vague implications of the Hard Age war between robots and humans, with an uneasy peace in the present day, are delved into fully here with the revelation that Dr. Light used to fight fully on the humans' side and Mega Man was once a war drone who had his memories erased.
- The Bus Came Back: After sitting out in the main series, Dr. Wily makes his debut in the Fully Charged continuity here. The second issue reveals that he is, in fact, the grandfather of recurring extra Bert Wily.
- Bittersweet Ending: Dr. Wily escapes and promises that he will return, while threatening to use Mega Man's blueprints to make a Superior Successor. Daini is still unwilling to consider Aki his brother, but no longer seems to want to kill him. And Aki has resolved his issues with Dr. Light and Suna, the three vowing to protect Silicon City from Dr. Wily if he should return.
- Canon Character All Along: Zero makes an appearance at the end of issue 3 and is revealed next issue to be Suna in body armor, dubbing herself as such.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Mega Man used to fight alongside Light in the Hard Age Wars and had his memory erased to become his son. Skull Man reawakening the lost memories drives much of his angst.
- Darker and Edgier: Compared to the TV show which was more light-hearted with some occasional dark episodes. The comic goes in the opposite direction, being much more serious. Exemplified with the art style that make the characters look sharper.
- Disc-One Final Boss: Skull Man is poised as the main big bad of the story, but he gets taken down in issue 4. To which Daini takes over. And then Wily of course in issue 6.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": Namagem tells Mega Man to his face that the name wasn't his idea and he hates it. He insists on being called Daini, which Mega Man doesn't object to.
- Demoted to Extra: Sgt. Night/Lord Obsidian, who's been jailed prior to the events of the comic.
- Expy: Daini always had shades of Bass and Proto Man in his character, but Issue 4 has him willingly being upgraded by Dr. Wily to defeat Mega Man out of a hatred for the latter and a desire to prove himself superior, resembling Bass in all but name.
- I Fight for the Strongest Side!: After initially acting as an independent villain in the show, then working under Lord Obsidian for the fun of it, Chaotique throws her lot in with Skull Man and his robot terrorists. Blasto Woman has also done this, after initially reforming.
- Laser-Guided Amnesia: Skull Man implants memories of Mega Man's role in the Great War onto our hero, as he had his memory wiped once the Hard Age ended.
- Mythology Gag: One of Dr. Wily's lines during his rampage is "Wily always wins!"
- The Quisling: Wily's ultimate hope is that if robots get to be in charge, he'll be the top human working for them.
- Self-Deprecation: Namagem is completely aware of how lame his backwards name sounds, which is why he changes it to Daini.
- Sequel Hook: Two, to be specific. Dr. Wily, while making his escape, proclaims he has the schematics for Mega Man and Daini, and plans to create a Superior Successor. Daini meanwhile, although still unwilling to rejoin the Light family, seems to be rethinking his animosity towards his brother.
- Shoo Out the Clowns: Mega Mini is mostly the comic relief of the show. Here though, with the story moving in a more serious direction, he's quickly knocked out in the opening issue and only recovers in the middle of issue 3.
- Shout-Out: This exchange:Dr. Light: What took you so long?Mega Mini: Tell him we ran into some air traffic. y'know. Birds, planes, Some guy in a cape.
- Taking You with Me: Skull Man does this after the Light family managed to defeat him, pressing a self-destruct button on himself to do so. Aki manages to shield the blast in time.
- Truer to the Text: The miniseries seems to be an attempt to set the status quo of the cartoon back to something more similar to the Classic games, which Fully Charged was based upon, most prominently with Dr. Wily's involvement as the main villain, and Wily's escape at the end, which likely means he'll be a more longterm foe for the Light family. That being said, the series also makes it clear that this is still meant to be a unique continuity, with Suna being Zero, who was a robotic character created by Dr. Wily in the Mega Man X series rather than a human being in Powered Armor.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Daini used to be a true brother to Mega Man and Suna and had fun being together, before Sgt. Night stole him.
- Villains Want Mercy: After being defeated, Dr. Wily does his game counterpart's begging for forgiveness routine before making his escape.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: After Skull Man's defeat, Chaotique, Blasto Woman, and Guts Man disappear from the story with no explanation of what happened to them.
