(no subject)
I have a dirty not-really-secret: I like stupid "what character from [series] are you like?" quizzes. Even though they're often stupid, and easy to cheat on, and written with all the grammatical and spelling talents of a monkey on crack, I still like them.
So I'm bored, poking around Quizilla, looking for a quick distraction. I search for Megaman X quizzes...
...and I get this.
So seriously, I have to wonder: Where do people get this whole Axl = Perpetual Sugar High thing from?
Let's start with a little bit of background. The Megaman X series takes place in a future where humans exist alongside Reploids--robots programmed to think and feel emotions and make their own decisions. (The series focuses on the Reploids; the only human in the cast is Dr. Cain, who created the Reploids, and he hasn't shown up since a brief mention in the instruction manual for Megaman X4.) Some of the Reploids, however, go "Maverick" and attack humans, leading to the formation of an organization known as the Maverick Hunters, who exist to (surprise, surprise) hunt down the Mavericks and eliminate them. The series has a fairly dark tone, with lots of innocent victims getting entangled in the hunts and often killed, and the heroes are often left questioning whether all of those they hunted were really Mavericks to begin with.
Initially, the series focused on X, the robot upon whom the Reploid design was based, and his missions in battling the Mavericks, who are in every game invariably traced back to Sigma, a former Hunter and really damned persistent sonofabitch. In X4, a second playable character was added, X's best friend Zero, who had appeared in every game in some fashion (X2 revolved entirely around repairing him after he was blown up in X1), and was a fan favorite.
But along comes X7, and a brand new character named Axl is brought in, and...well.
By the time X7 rolls around, X has finally left the Hunters, due to his inner opposition with violence. Zero continues fighting with the Hunters, although their effective power has been greatly diminished. And a new organization, the Red Alert Syndicate, has sprung up to hunt Mavericks in their own, somewhat more distasteful fashion. At the beginning of the story, a teenage Reploid named Axl decides that he doesn't like the direction Red Alert is moving in, so he seeks sanctuary with the Hunters. Red Alert won't let him defect without a fight, however, because Axl is one hell of a prize: He has a prototype piece of technology that (as of yet) doesn't seem to exist with any other Reploid--the Copy Chip, which allows him to take on the forms and abilities of other Reploids.
The game then forces the player to use Axl and Zero--X spends half of the game on the sidelines, still refusing to fight. X also seems (to me) somewhat OOC in his dealings with Axl; he's not the nice, dedicated, determined hero I'm used to. X seems really...abrasive towards Axl. Axl, however, doesn't seem too bothered that X wants him to get lost and Zero prefers to work alone--he hero-worships both of them, and seems to be quite excited just to have the chance to work with them.
We eventually learn that Axl was found on the streets by Red (the leader of Red Alert) and raised in the Syndicate. He has strong loyalty to Red, but even so, he found the changes too much for his sense of justice, hence his defection to the Hunters. Eventually, we learn that Sigma has been manipulating Red Alert, blackmailing Red with threats to other members of the organization. Red is lost in the crisis, but with some quick thinking and good use of his Copy Chip, Axl gets close enough to deliver the final blow that puts Sigma out of commission (at least until the next sequel), and the game ends with him still struggling to prove to X that he's worthy of being a Hunter.
Throughout all of his appearances in the series, Axl remains fairly constant in his behavior--he's energetic, determined, and maybe a little bit cocky sometimes (understandable; he does have the emotional programming of a typical teenage boy). He's easygoing and optimistic, while still recognizing the seriousness of the situations the trio find themselves in. He doesn't seem to take things too personally, he's quick and resourceful in using his abilities to keep his friends alive, and despite the initial rough start in X7, the three characters really seem to settle into their roles and become a solid team.
So will someone please tell me how this smart, tough, emotionally resilient, cheerful kid translates into "OBSESSED WITH SUGAR!!!!!1111"? I've seen fanfics where Axl is down until Zero mentions ice cream, at which point he immediately PERKS RIGHT UP!!!111, and I'm left scratching my head wondering, where is the Axl I know and love, and why the hell do robots care about ice cream when they can't eat it to begin with?
So I'm bored, poking around Quizilla, looking for a quick distraction. I search for Megaman X quizzes...
...and I get this.
So seriously, I have to wonder: Where do people get this whole Axl = Perpetual Sugar High thing from?
Let's start with a little bit of background. The Megaman X series takes place in a future where humans exist alongside Reploids--robots programmed to think and feel emotions and make their own decisions. (The series focuses on the Reploids; the only human in the cast is Dr. Cain, who created the Reploids, and he hasn't shown up since a brief mention in the instruction manual for Megaman X4.) Some of the Reploids, however, go "Maverick" and attack humans, leading to the formation of an organization known as the Maverick Hunters, who exist to (surprise, surprise) hunt down the Mavericks and eliminate them. The series has a fairly dark tone, with lots of innocent victims getting entangled in the hunts and often killed, and the heroes are often left questioning whether all of those they hunted were really Mavericks to begin with.
Initially, the series focused on X, the robot upon whom the Reploid design was based, and his missions in battling the Mavericks, who are in every game invariably traced back to Sigma, a former Hunter and really damned persistent sonofabitch. In X4, a second playable character was added, X's best friend Zero, who had appeared in every game in some fashion (X2 revolved entirely around repairing him after he was blown up in X1), and was a fan favorite.
But along comes X7, and a brand new character named Axl is brought in, and...well.
By the time X7 rolls around, X has finally left the Hunters, due to his inner opposition with violence. Zero continues fighting with the Hunters, although their effective power has been greatly diminished. And a new organization, the Red Alert Syndicate, has sprung up to hunt Mavericks in their own, somewhat more distasteful fashion. At the beginning of the story, a teenage Reploid named Axl decides that he doesn't like the direction Red Alert is moving in, so he seeks sanctuary with the Hunters. Red Alert won't let him defect without a fight, however, because Axl is one hell of a prize: He has a prototype piece of technology that (as of yet) doesn't seem to exist with any other Reploid--the Copy Chip, which allows him to take on the forms and abilities of other Reploids.
The game then forces the player to use Axl and Zero--X spends half of the game on the sidelines, still refusing to fight. X also seems (to me) somewhat OOC in his dealings with Axl; he's not the nice, dedicated, determined hero I'm used to. X seems really...abrasive towards Axl. Axl, however, doesn't seem too bothered that X wants him to get lost and Zero prefers to work alone--he hero-worships both of them, and seems to be quite excited just to have the chance to work with them.
We eventually learn that Axl was found on the streets by Red (the leader of Red Alert) and raised in the Syndicate. He has strong loyalty to Red, but even so, he found the changes too much for his sense of justice, hence his defection to the Hunters. Eventually, we learn that Sigma has been manipulating Red Alert, blackmailing Red with threats to other members of the organization. Red is lost in the crisis, but with some quick thinking and good use of his Copy Chip, Axl gets close enough to deliver the final blow that puts Sigma out of commission (at least until the next sequel), and the game ends with him still struggling to prove to X that he's worthy of being a Hunter.
Throughout all of his appearances in the series, Axl remains fairly constant in his behavior--he's energetic, determined, and maybe a little bit cocky sometimes (understandable; he does have the emotional programming of a typical teenage boy). He's easygoing and optimistic, while still recognizing the seriousness of the situations the trio find themselves in. He doesn't seem to take things too personally, he's quick and resourceful in using his abilities to keep his friends alive, and despite the initial rough start in X7, the three characters really seem to settle into their roles and become a solid team.
So will someone please tell me how this smart, tough, emotionally resilient, cheerful kid translates into "OBSESSED WITH SUGAR!!!!!1111"? I've seen fanfics where Axl is down until Zero mentions ice cream, at which point he immediately PERKS RIGHT UP!!!111, and I'm left scratching my head wondering, where is the Axl I know and love, and why the hell do robots care about ice cream when they can't eat it to begin with?