Flame Stag, known as Flame Stagger (フレイム・スタッガー) in Japan, is a Maverick from the X era, first appearing as one of the main bosses in Mega Man X2. He is a fire-themed Reploid based on a deer, who runs at high speeds and blitzes enemies with flame. He is an SA-Class Maverick who was formerly a Maverick Hunter in the 17th Unit, the same unit as X.
Flame Stag debuted in Mega Man X2 as one of the eight Mavericks on the Stage Select screen. He serves as the boss of Volcanic Zone Stage. The Japanese game manual explains that he is a former Maverick Hunter of the 17th Elite Unit who joined Sigma's rebellion alongside Boomer Kuwanger, and had gone missing until now. He attacks a volcanic belt in an attempt to trigger volcanic eruptions to blot out the sun and throw the world into another ice age.[2]
Flame Stag's attacks are fast and dangerous, and he gains a power-up when his health is low, but he can easily be manipulated into wasting time jumping up the walls. Defeating Flame Stag grants X the Speed Burner. His weakness is the Bubble Splash, from Bubble Crab, which briefly stuns him in place. A boss attack rematch with Flame Stag later occurs in X-Hunter Stage 4.
Mega Man Xtreme
Sprite from Mega Man Xtreme.
In Mega Man Xtreme, Flame Stag returns as a digitized Maverick in the Mother Computer. He is one of the four bosses in Normal Mode, being the boss of Volcanic Zone Stage. He again yields Speed Burner to X, but because Bubble Crab is not in the game, Stag's weakness is changed to Storm Eagle's Storm Tornado. Flame Stag is later part of the boss attack in Sigma Stage 3.
Other Game Appearances
In Mega Man Xtreme 2, Flame Stag returns for the Boss Attack mode alongside the other Mega Man Xtreme bosses. His weakness is adjusted to Marine Tornado/Fish Fang.
This former member of the 17th Unit defected along with Boomer Kuwanger, but vanished soon after joining Sigma. A hot-tempered braggart, he has been using his fiery piston-like punches to set off a string of eruptions across a volcanic mountain range. His plan is to block out the sun with volcanic ash and trigger a new ice age.[3]
He was a soldier in the 17th Unit who joined Sigma's rebellion with Boomer Kuwanger, one of the eight main bosses in the previous game, but went missing. He hates losing and has great confidence in his boxing skills. He is good at wall-kicking, jumping, and dashing at the enemy. He is trying to cause an eruption, block out the sun with volcanic ash, and plunge the world into an ice age.[JP]
A former colleague of X's from the 17th Unit. He is currently working on a plan to take control of volcanoes, cover the Earth with volcanic ash to block out the sun, and plunge the world into an ice age.[JP]
"Stagger" is a corruption of the word stag, meaning a male deer.
English
Flame Stag
Trivia
Flame Stag's goal, to block out the sun with volcanic ash to start an ice age, is likely inspired by the real-world phenomenon of the volcanic winter, and most famously the Little Ice Age.
References
↑MM25: Mega Man & Mega Man X Official Complete Works. 2013.
