Fans of the Mega Man series of games may be surprised to learn that the ultimate story featuring the blue bomber doesn’t exist within the games or any of his past television iterations. The title of greatest Mega Man story ever told goes to The Protomen, a Nashville-based rock band that has been performing their rock opera around the world for almost a decade and a half. One of their songs, “Light Up The Night” was even included in the standard track list for Rock Band 4). The story they’ve crafted uses the basic plot points and characters of the games to build something that is wholly unique but remains fully faithful to the spirit of the series.
Thus far The Protomen have released two full-length albums that tell their story. The plot within their Mega Man universe spans many years and is full of tragedy. There are also cool robots and rebellious street punks, as there should be. The setting shares more with something like George Orwell’s 1984 than the highly glossy robotic future of the games, but feels more realistic for it. These are just a few of the reasons that this Mega Man story is the best around.
Typically when it comes to a rock opera, the listener is told a story through the songs on the album. The Protomen take this a step further and their entire packaging helps to tell the story. Each lyric booklet includes art and additional text on top of the lyrics of each song. This additional text adds context to the story and also helps to flesh out the interactions between characters.
The story can still be enjoyed and followed pretty easily by just listening to the songs, but the band themselves even recommend that listeners use a physical copy of their albums in order to receive the full experience. It’s clear from taking a closer look at the story how perfect it would work as a television series though.
Act 1:
The Protomen start out their tale with Dr. Light living within a future where Dr. Wiley has taken control as a totalitarian ruler, whose Robot Masters keep a watchful eye over the people of the city. Dr. Light works tirelessly to create a perfect machine, Proto Man. Proto Man takes the fight to the Robot Masters, but is eventually overpowered. As the people of the city watch Proto Man get killed in front of them, nobody tries to stand to help him. Dr. Light is forced to bury his son and mourn.
Years later, Dr. Light builds a new robot, Mega Man. He builds him as his new son and after some time reveals the story of Mega’s older brother Proto Man. Dr. Light is very adamant that Mega Man not try and avenge his brother, saying, “You are not him, this fight’s not yours. You can not win.” Mega Man, wanting to know more about the city he’s spent years watching from afar takes to the streets. He goes to the grave of Proto Man and sees the words “Hope Rides Alone” written on the tombstone. Enraged, Mega Man decides to take the fight to Wiley’s army.
The following song from Act 1, “Vengeance” shows a side of Mega Man that fans have never seen. He literally rages through Wiley’s ranks, taunting them by saying, “All you wounded! Those of you who can, hurry back! Tell your leader you need more men! Is this the best you’ve got? Is this your strongest machine?” His path of revenge is halted when he sees what he least expected, a rebuilt Proto Man fighting for the side of Wiley’s army. Proto Man was rebuilt and having been abandoned by the people he once tried to save decided to take part in ruling them.
Mega Man pleads with Proto Man to still see the good in men and to honor their father’s wishes. However, Proto Man will not listen and attacks Mega Man. In the ensuing battle, the people once again gather around Mega Man and Proto Man and encourage Mega Man to deal the final blow to a defeated Proto Man. “He could not save himself, how could he save us?” Mega Man kills his brother, but abandons the city afterward.
Act 2:
Act 2 takes things back in the timeline of our story. Starting before the events of Act 1, there is a shift in style from a more punk rock style of music (Act 1 also includes genre shifts like Western) to a Meatloaf-esque 80’s glam rock sound. We see the story open on a young Dr. Light and Wiley. Light’s father dies working in the mines and wants to build robot workers to prevent human death in dangerous occupations. His partner Wiley has other plans, as well as his eyes set on Dr. Light’s girlfriend, Emily.
Wiley eventually makes his move, betraying Wiley and trying to have Emily run away with him and leave Light behind. She refuses, and Wiley has one of his and Light’s newly created robots murder her. He then leaves and falsely reports that Light is the one who murdered Emily. A mob forms and takes Light away, and he is barely able to avoid the death penalty during his following trial. Now a social outcast, Light leaves the city to live alone on the outskirts. He received a letter from Emily just before her death, but can not bring himself to read it at this time.
Years later Wiley and his robots now run the city, with the people dependent upon them to complete many basic jobs. Though this new generation of people knows a greater level of leisure, anyone who speaks out against Wiley or his creations is promptly removed from society. A young man, Joe, wants to leave this controlled existence and tries to escape. He realizes he is being followed once he reaches the outskirts of the city, and must fight for his life against the same robot that killed Emily years ago and has since patrolled the city. He is helped by the surprise appearance of an aged Dr. Light who kills the robot.
Joe and Light decide to try and take Wiley down together. Dr. Light gives Joe a bomb and Joe heads to the control tower that transmits Wiley’s messages to the city and signal to his robots. He is able to reach the tower and plants the bomb, but the bomb detonates prematurely and Joe is killed. Dr. Light realizes this is due to Wiley having anticipated the attack and built a transmitter to detonate the bomb. Wiley also tells the people that the city is being attacked by insurgents, and uses the hysteria to obtain even greater levels of control over the public.
Light is devastated and decides to take his own life. Before doing so he reads the letter Emily left him, and moved by her words decides to live to fight another day. He looks to the sky and tells Joe he’ll need Emily to wait for him a bit longer, as he “Still has work to do.”
The Protomen have yet to finish their epic saga. Two singles from Act 3 have been released. Act 2 released in 2009, and their releases since then have either been for soundtracks, live albums, or cover albums. It’s clear the band is taking their time to give this story the conclusion it deserves, but the bones of what will surely go down as one of the greatest Mega Man stories ever are here. It would also be incredibly simple given the structure of the story to adapt this for television. The first season could cover Act 1 and 2, with a second season serving to explore Act 3.
Romance, tragedy, rebellion, and action are all present here, with the sci-fi and philosophical questions about human dependency on technology also providing food for thought. The upcoming Hollywood adaptation is probably too far along for that film to adapt any part of this story, but if ever there was a perfect starting point for a Mega Man television series, this is it.
Act 1 and Act 2 by The Protomen can be streamed on Spotify.
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