This is a page for WMG and theories about Mega Man X: Command Mission.
Tags have been added, but watch out for spoilers.
This is definitely one of the longest-standing discussions about Command Mission. After Colonel Redips reveals that he infiltrated the party as Spider, the question immediately arises regarding when he did so; was he Spider from the start? Or did he take his place at some point? According to interviews
, it was left ambiguous on purpose. Let's take a look at some of the suspicious behaviors Spider and Redips exhibit throughout the game:
- Redips' communication with X in Air City cuts out just before X runs into Spider for the first time.
- Spider's sudden Heel–Face Turn regarding Aile could be interpreted as too convenient. It's possible that Redips was looking for an excuse to gain X's trust, so he took advantage of the real Spider's past friendship with Aile as an excuse. However, it also could have been a complete fabrication, one which a dead Reploid was unable to confirm or deny.
- Spider never says Aile's name until after Chief R says it. Interesting.
- Once they make it to Tianna Camp, Spider voices his distaste for Chief R and hints at his own goals besides helping the Resistance. Redips possibly disagreed with Chief R's tactics, being a tactical Reploid himself, or was uncomfortable with taking orders when he was normally the one giving them.
- Spider is conveniently absent whenever X and the team receive transmissions from Redips. X even notices this before Chapter 5, asking Spider where he's been when he enters the room late.
- Spider is present when X reunites with Axl, who shows off his copy ability. Spider acts deeply impressed by the technology, playing dumb.
- Additionally, with Axl in the party we discover that Axl's Stealth Mode functions identically to Spider's Trickstar. Definitely foreshadowing a Copy Chip connection.
- What about that name, Trickstar? It's not just a cute reference to being a gambler.
- Furthermore, if you go back to Central Tower with Axl and talk to Spider, he'll say that he's glad Axl is on their side, otherwise someone could infiltrate the Resistance and ruin them from within. Hmmm.
- Additionally, with Axl in the party we discover that Axl's Stealth Mode functions identically to Spider's Trickstar. Definitely foreshadowing a Copy Chip connection.
- If you talk to Prof. Gaudile after Chapter 5, he'll mention that he offered to do maintenance on Spider and was met with a hasty refusal. Seems Redips didn't want a prestigious scientist poking around and finding his Copy Chip.
- The cutscene before Chapter 6 blatantly shows copy ability light around a corner, then Spider emerges and tries to brush it off. This is the latest possible point Redips could have taken Spider's identity, since the cutscene is clearly made to pique the player's suspicion.
- The finale of Chapter 6 is where things get tricky, since Spider blows himself and Incentas up to save the day. It's unclear how Redips survived, since it really looked like Spider exploded. One possibility is that only Incentas exploded while Spider used Trickstar to escape, since it renders him both invisible and invulnerable.
- Then there are posthumous hints, such as Spider's clear reappearance to steal the Supra-Force Metal from Botos in Chapter 8, after which civilians in Air City say they saw Spider around. Plus, Marino mentions before Chapter 10 that she found Spider's data logged in a copy ability research plant.
- One last thing to consider is that Redips name is Spider backwards. There's really no way that could just be a coincidence.
So, it seems pretty likely that Redips was Spider all along. There's evidence for him being Redips from the very beginning and all throughout the game. What probably happened is that Redips got Spider's data from the copy ability research plant and used it to infiltrate the Resistance - however, this does not rule out the possibility that the real Spider is still alive somewhere, nor that the real Spider did have a friendship with Aile.
- It's all but confirmed that Spider was Redips from the very beginning; in the game's official soundtrack, there's a blurb written by the game's scenario writer from Redips' perspective, finding Spider's form and plotting to use it before the events of the game even occur.
If you ask around, you'll find that the Reploids of Giga City already knew about Spider, and that he was fairly popular. He also claimed to have a friendship with Aile, which could have actually been the truth (or at least he knew about him from living in Giga City). Additionally, it's Spider who shows up to kill Botos, not Redips. Couldn't he have used any other form, so as to not risk blowing his cover if the Resistance found him? This enough is solid evidence.
If this is true, then it's also possible that Spider was the Reploid copying the Rebellion members in the boss rush. He would've had ample time to copy their data by fighting them all - notice that Botos, Ferham, and Scarface don't appear as part of the boss rush, which is convenient cause Spider "dies" right before the party meets them.
The possibilities really are endless once you factor in the copy ability. Maybe Redips took Aile's place and faked a Heroic Sacrifice in order to set up Spider's backstory and give him a way to connect with Chief R and the Resistance. Whatever happened to the real Aile is a mystery in this case: maybe he was already killed by the Rebellion, or Redips killed him.
Most theories assume that Redips was the true mastermind, and that he took Spider's place - likely because Spider was a party member and thus had gained the trust of fans, and we could never imagine him being a bad guy. But what if Spider was the real one in charge? Marino says his data was checked into a copy ability research facility, and guesses he was trying to become a shapeshifting bounty hunter. What if he succeeded? What if he did become a shapeshifter, and used this form to infiltrate the Maverick Hunters and take Redips' place to further his own selfish plans? Maybe the real Redips wasn't that bad of a guy.
- At least in X8, Copy Chip Reploids revert to their original appearances before dying. The last we see of Redips, he's still in his Redips form, implying that's his original appearance.
- Counterpoint: the Boss Rush in Far East HQ was allegedly created via Copy Chip Reploids, and yet they all explode while in their respectively copied forms. Maybe the canon of Command Mission is an exception.
Marino is very similar to the Belladonnas, and Rafflesian by extension. They're all voiced by Carol-Anne Day, they share the same hairstyles (Marino's is green and theirs is blue), and the music during the fight with Rafflesian is even Marino's theme. Then there's that one nurse in Giga City who recognizes her as a "model" Reploid, as if her design is not necessarily unique and it was built for fashion or entertainment of some kind. All of this information comes together to imply that she once was a Belladonna, but has since converted her body into that of a thief.
- Something that throws a wrench in this is that Belladonnas only have four fingers on each hand, while Marino has all five. It's possible she got more when she converted her body into a thief though.
- The Belladonnas are actually voiced by Elinor Holt; only Rafflesian is voiced by Carol-Anne Day. Still, Marino could have been a sister model to Rafflesian instead.
Massimo's inherited suit of armor has several animal features, such as a bird-like beak visor and red wings on the back. In concept art, the original Steel Massimo had a tail too. His name even follows the typical two-word Maverick naming convention (ie. Chill Penguin, Burn Rooster). This would make him one of the few animal-type Reploids to not go Maverick. What exact animal is up for debate; he most closely resembles a dragon or gryphon.
After Ferham's self-destruction, there appear to be exactly 8 re-entry trails visible emanating from the blast: it is possible that it was done to leave a window in for a sequel, to power 8 new Mavericks.
