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Launch Octopus
 Artwork from Mega Man X. | |
   Stage portrait(s). | |
| General Information | |
|---|---|
| Name(s): | Launch Octopus, Launcher Octopuld, Octopardo[1] |
| Designer: | Hayato Kaji[2] |
| Inspiration: | Giant Pacific octopus |
| Voice (JP): | Tetsuharu Ohta |
| Voice (EN): | Jonathan Love |
| Game Information | |
| Group(s): | Maverick Hunters, Mavericks |
| Weapon(s): |   Homing Torpedo Marine Tornado Fish Fang Missiles |
| Weakness(es): |   Rolling Shield Tri-Thunder Armored Armadillo weapons |
| Stage(s): | X1: Ocean Stage XT2: Ocean Base Stage MHX: Subterranean Base |
Launch Octopus, known as Launcher Octopuld (ランチャー・オクトパルド) in Japan, is a Maverick from the X era, first appearing as one of the main bosses in Mega Man X. He is a missile-themed Reploid based on an octopus, with an arsenal of explosives and whirlpools. He was a Maverick Hunter serving in the 6th Naval Unit until he joined Sigma's rebellion.
In the Games
Mega Man X
Launch Octopus debuted in Mega Man X as one of the eight Mavericks on the Stage Select screen. He serves as the boss of Ocean Stage. The Japanese game manual states he is a former Maverick Hunter of the 6th Naval Unit who quickly joined Sigma's rebellion, already holding anti-human feelings of his own. He leads an army of sea creature Mechaniloids to obstruct naval trading routes.[3]
Launch Octopus' relentless barrage of missiles can be overwhelming to dodge, but his tentacles can be severed with Boomerang Cutter to disable his piranhas and his suction attack. Defeating Launch Octopus grants X the Homing Torpedo. His weakness is the Rolling Shield, from Armored Armadillo, which briefly stuns him in place. A boss attack rematch with Launch Octopus later occurs in Sigma Stage 3.
Mega Man Xtreme 2
In Mega Man Xtreme 2, Launch Octopus returns as a resurrected Maverick guardian of Laguz Island. He is one of the four bosses in X Mission, being the boss of Ocean Base Stage. He has new Special Weapons for X and Zero: Marine Tornado and Fish Fang, respectively. He is weak to both Hunters' versions of Tri-Thunder. Launch Octopus is later part of the boss attack in the Sigma Stage in Extreme Mode.
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
In the remake Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, Launch Octopus receives a redesign but plays largely the same role as in Mega Man X, being the boss of Subterranean Base. He is an intellectual narcissist who believes that Sigma is one of the few who sees the true value of his combat prowess and fighting style.
In X Mode, Launch Octopus is still weak to Rolling Shield and yields Homing Torpedo upon his defeat. In Vile Mode, he is weak to certain weapons obtained from Armored Armadillo (Deadstar Hug and Stubborn Crawler) and yields the Missile weapon system. Octopus's boss attack rematch later occurs in Sigma Palace 1, being the first of them all. He is portrayed as a hollow shell that attacks intruders, explaining the return of the eight Maverick bosses.
Other Game Appearances
- In CD versions of Mega Man X3, Launch Octopus fights X in the game's opening, being crushed by an Utuboros.
- In Mega Man X5, Launch Octopus is mentioned by Volt Kraken; this is because the two were comrades during Kraken's time as a Hunter, and he now resents X for Octopus's death.
- In Rockman ✕over, Launch Octopus is one of the four bosses from World 2.
- In TEPPEN, Launch Octopus appears in multiple cards.
- In Zombie Cafe, Launch Octopus appears as an enemy during the Rockman X event.
Other Media
- In the Rockman X manga, Launch Octopus reprises his role from Mega Man X.
- In Rockman X Mega Mission 3, Launch Octopus is revived as Launcher Octopuld HL by the Limited, disguising himself as Blau Launcher of the Masquerades.
- In the manga Irregular Hunter Rockman X, Launch Octopus reprises his role in Mega Man X.
- In Rockman X The Novel: Irregulars Report, Launch Octopus reprises his role from Mega Man X.
- In the Archie Mega Man comic, Launch Octopus appears in the "Worlds Unite" arc as one of the Mavericks resurrected in Sigma's army.
Official Data
| Source | Data | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockman X manual | A Maverick Hunter who is part of the 6th Naval Unit. He always had doubts about working to protect people less powerful than himself. When he heard about Sigma's uprising, he sympathized with his idea of creating a world of only Reploids and joined the rebellion. He leads a fleet of sea creature Mechaniloids such as whales, anglerfish, and eels, to attack maritime cities and cut off sea routes.[JP] | |||
| Mega Man X | Height: 7.80 ft | Weight: 348 lb | Attacks: Homing Torpedo, E. Drain | |
| Kodansha Manga Hyakka #34: Rockman X Chō Hyakka | ...[JP] | |||
| Height: 238 cm | Weight: 182 kg | Max Power: 4000rp | Max Speed: 3200rp | |
| Compendium of Rockman X (X1) | A Reploid from the 6th Naval Unit. He always disliked protecting the humans because of their weakness, and after sympathizing with Sigma he ended up joining the rebellion. He attacks maritime cities and blocks shipping routes.[JP] | |||
| Compendium of Rockman X (XT2) | A Reploid who was in the 6th Naval Unit. Dissatisfied with the idea of protecting the weak humans, he rebelled and joined Sigma for his similar ideals. Appeared in Mega Man X.[JP] | |||
| Mega Man Maverick Hunter X manual | Maverick Hunter formerly of the 6th Armada. With plenty of firepower and the military knowledge to match, this intellectual uses brain over brawn to outwit Mavericks. Seeking to achieve beauty in combat and strategy, he gains the ultimate pleasure from fighting elegantly and gracefully. Having taken over the ocean cities, he is planning to cut off all shipping routes. | |||
| Mega Man X Legacy Collection | Octopus distinguished himself as a Maverick Hunter in the 6th Naval Unit, but secretly always harbored contempt towards the weak humans he was tasked with protecting. Sigma's goals line up with his long-held dream of creating a Reploid nation, so he was among the first to join the uprising. He has deployed his fleet of whale, anglerfish, and eel-shaped Mechaniloids to assault cities built on the ocean and blockade important shipping lanes. | |||
Behind the Scenes
Developer Commentary
- "Inafune did Eagle and Penguin, Kaji designed Mandrill, Octopus, and Chameleon. Mammoth, Armadillo, and Kuwanger were Tazaki's. Even as I watched them work, I could really see each of their distinct flavors coming out in their illustrations." - (Tatsuya Yoshikawa)[2]
- "We were all responsible for doing the dots of the characters we designed. When working on Octopus, I was designing each part of him as its own animation and placing them together. I was under the impression that this would eat up less resources, but I was surprised to find out that my methods could actually eat up as many, if not more resource... (laughs) So I scrapped that." - (Hayato Kaji)[2]
Nomenclature
| Language | Name | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Launcher Octopuld (ランチャー・オクトパルド) | Named after rocket launchers and the octopus. |
| English | Launch Octopus |
References
Publisher: / Developer: Capcom • Console: Game Boy Color | |||||||||
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| Items | Life Energy • Weapon Energy • 1 UP • Life Up • Sub Tank • Ride Armor • Light Capsule (First Armor • Zero Scramble • Shotokan) | ||||||||
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Part of: X era • Robot Timeline | |||||||||
Developer: Capcom • Publisher: Capcom • Console: PlayStation Portable | |||||||||
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Part of: X era • Robot Timeline | |||||||||
