Maverick

The Maverick insignia in Mega Man X.

A Maverick, known as an Irregular (イレギュラー) in Japan, is a classification of robot in the Mega Man series. First appearing in Mega Man X, the term is used extensively throughout the X era, Zero era, and ZX era, coming to generally mean any robot whose behavior is dangerous to others or contrary to the laws of society.

In the Games

X era

Mega Man X

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Launch Octopus		Homing Torpedo	Rolling Shield
Chill Penguin		Shotgun Ice	Fire Wave
Flame Mammoth		Fire Wave	Storm Tornado
Boomer Kuwanger		Boomerang Cutter	Homing Torpedo
Sting Chameleon		Chameleon Sting	Boomerang Cutter
Spark Mandrill		Electric Spark	Shotgun Ice
Storm Eagle		Storm Tornado	Chameleon Sting
Armored Armadillo		Rolling Shield	Electric Spark

The term Maverick was introduced in Mega Man X. The Japanese game manual says the word was originally used for defective Reploids whose behavior threatened to harm humans or fellow Reploids, resulting in them being diagnosed as Mavericks. This begat the formation of the Maverick Hunters, an organization dedicated to controlling Maverick activity. However, the term gained political connotation when Sigma staged his rebellion against humanity, recruiting Maverick Hunters to harm others of their own free will, without any defects or diagnosis. Sigma and all those who followed him, including Vile, eight major Maverick Hunters, and all their Mechaniloid armies, were declared Mavericks. Sigma also branded this army with an insignia shaped like the Greek letter sigma (Σ), which would go on to become the universal symbol for Mavericks.

This game introduced the formula of eight Stage Select bosses, often called the "eight Mavericks". Similar to Robot Masters in the Classic era, X must fight eight animal or plant-inspired Mavericks on the Stage Select screen, gaining their Special Weapons, in order to enter the Last Stages.

These eight Mavericks also return for the game's remake, Mega Man Maverick Hunter X. They all have new redesigns and unique dialogue to better showcase their personalities and motives.

Mega Man X2

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Wire Sponge		Strike Chain	Sonic Slicer
Morph Moth		Silk Shot	Speed Burner
Flame Stag		Speed Burner	Bubble Splash
Magna Centipede		Magnet Mine	Silk Shot
Overdrive Ostrich		Sonic Slicer	Crystal Hunter
Bubble Crab		Bubble Splash	Spin Wheel
Wheel Gator		Spin Wheel	Strike Chain
Crystal Snail		Crystal Hunter	Magnet Mine

In Mega Man X2, there are still remnants of Sigma's Maverick rebellion, now laying low until the new leaders, the X-Hunters, put their new plans into motion. Two major developments occur: first, the Mavericks begin intentionally creating more Mavericks, all bearing Sigma's mark. Second, Magna Centipede spreads the Maverick Virus around the world via the Central Computer Stage, a virus which can force Reploids to go Maverick against their best judgement. These developments would have repercussions for the rest of the X era.

The eight Maverick bosses are five former Maverick Hunters from Sigma's rebellion, plus three new recruits.

Mega Man X3

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Blast Hornet		Parasitic Bomb	Gravity Well
Blizzard Buffalo		Frost Shield	Parasitic Bomb
Gravity Beetle		Gravity Well	Ray Splasher
Toxic Seahorse		Acid Burst	Frost Shield
Volt Catfish		Triad Thunder	Tornado Fang
Crush Crawfish		Spinning Blade	Triad Thunder
Tunnel Rhino		Tornado Fang	Acid Burst
Neon Tiger		Ray Splasher	Spinning Blade

In Mega Man X3, Mavericks are briefly believed to be a thing of the past once Dr. Doppler finds a way to cure Reploids of the Maverick Virus (now called the Sigma Virus). However, the illusion is dashed when Doppler reveals his own evil ambitions, and that the entirety of Dopple Town, including many visitors, are now his Maverick servants. Some unrelated Reploids, such as Gravity Beetle, sympathize with the rebellion and join too. This forms the Doppler Army, a new Maverick force led by Dr. Doppler and his Nightmare Police: Bit and Byte.

The eight Maverick bosses are members of the Doppler Army, of their own free will or due to the Sigma Virus.

Mega Man X4

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Web Spider		Lightning Web Raijingeki	Twin Slasher Shippuuga
Cyber Peacock		Aiming Laser Rakuhouha	Soul Body Ryuenjin
Storm Owl		Double Cyclone Tenkuuha	Aiming Laser Rakuhouha
Magma Dragoon		Rising Fire Ryuenjin	Double Cyclone Raijingeki
Jet Stingray		Ground Hunter Hienkyaku	Frost Tower Hyouretsuzan
Split Mushroom		Soul Body Kuuenzan	Lightning Web Raijingeki
Slash Beast		Twin Slasher Shippuuga	Ground Hunter Raijingeki
Frost Walrus		Frost Tower Hyouretsuzan	Rising Fire Ryuenjin

In Mega Man X4, the term Maverick is further complicated as a political tool. After being blamed for the Sky Lagoon incident, Repliforce stages a coup d'état in order to escape to space and establish their own independent Reploid nation. Despite not outright seeking to destroy humanity, all of their forces are branded as Maverick for their dangerous disobedience and the Maverick Hunters are sent after them. This includes the top brass, General and Colonel, who spearheaded the movement. Additionally, Sigma retains some loyal Maverick agents who work amidst the chaos, such as Double.

The eight Maverick bosses are five members of Repliforce, plus three agents of Sigma. As this game was Zero's fully playable debut, this also offers Techniques for Zero, alongside X's Special Weapons.

Mega Man X5

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Crescent Grizzly		Crescent Shot Crescent Sword	Spike Ball Twin Dream
Volt Kraken		Tri-Thunder Electric Blade	Goo Shaver Frost Splasher
Shining Firefly		Flash Laser Chaos Flasher	Tri-Thunder Electric Blade
Tidal Whale		Goo Shaver Frost Splasher	Crescent Shot Crescent Sword
Spiral Pegasus		Wing Spiral Wind Shredder	Dark Hold
Spike Rosered		Spike Ball Twin Dream	Ground Fire Quake Blazer
Dark Necrobat		Dark Hold	Flash Laser Chaos Flasher
Burn Dinorex		Ground Fire Quake Blazer	Wing Spiral Wind Shredder

In Mega Man X5, Sigma spreads the Sigma Virus across the entire planet. This results in much of the world going Maverick simultaneously, causing a global disaster. While the Maverick Hunters rush to stop the crash of Eurasia, they confront a variety of Reploids — some innocents corrupted by the Sigma Virus, others already engaging in illegal activities — who refuse to cooperate despite the dire circumstances and must be fought. Additionally, Zero may go Maverick if he is exposed to the Zero Virus, restoring him to his Awakened Zero state.

The eight Maverick bosses are Reploids who own objects required for the Enigma and Space Shuttle missions.

Mega Man X6

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Commander Yammark		Yammar Option	Ray Arrow Rekkoha
Rainy Turtloid		Meteor Rain Ensuizan	Ice Burst Hyoroga
Shield Sheldon		Guard Shell	Metal Anchor Rakukojin
Blizzard Wolfang		Ice Burst Hyoroga	Magma Blade Shoenzan
Blaze Heatnix		Magma Blade Shoenzan	Ground Dash Sentsuizan
Infinity Mijinion		Ray Arrow Rekkoha	Guard Shell
Metal Shark Player		Metal Anchor Rakukojin	Meteor Rain Ensuizan
Ground Scaravich		Ground Dash Sentsuizan	Yammar Option

In Mega Man X6, Mavericks are again believed to be a thing of the past, as the Sigma Virus has disappeared and the world is focused on rebuilding from the Earth Crisis. However, wild Mavericks return when the mysterious Nightmare appears. Some Mavericks are manifestations of the Nightmare, while others are Reploids who have been infected by it and converted into zombie-like drones. As X investigates the strange new Mavericks, he comes into conflict with High Max and the Nightmare Investigators. They are secretly loyal to Gate, who plans to conquer the world using the Nightmare; this would classify him and all his followers as Mavericks.

The eight Maverick bosses are the Nightmare Investigators, creations of Gate who previously passed away and were resurrected to help his scheme.

Mega Man X7

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Soldier Stonekong		Gaea Shield Gokumonken	Explosion Hadangeki
Splash Warfly		Splash Laser Suiretsusen	Volt Tornado Raijinshou
Tornado Tonion		Volt Tornado Raijinshou	Gaea Shield Gokumonken
Vanishing Gungaroo		Explosion Hadangeki	Wind Cutter Souenbu
Flame Hyenard		Circle Blaze Bakuenjin	Splash Laser Suiretsusen
Ride Boarski		Moving Wheel Zankourin	Circle Blaze Bakuenjin
Snipe Anteator		Sniper Missile Hieijin	Moving Wheel Zankourin
Wind Crowrang		Wind Cutter Souenbu	Sniper Missile Hieijin

In Mega Man X7, the rebuilt world is susceptible to Maverick crime again. A bounty hunter syndicate called Red Alert arises to combat the rising Maverick presence, competing with the weakened Maverick Hunters. When their member Axl seeks asylum with the Hunters, Red challenges them over his custody. Red then releases Mavericks across the globe, goading the Hunters into a duel to determine which group is superior. By doing so, Red Alert directly endangers the world's peace, making Red Alert Mavericks themselves. It is later revealed that Sigma blackmailed Red into this behavior by controlling the members of Red Alert (it is never directly stated what method Sigma used to control them, though it is widely theorized it was the Sigma Virus).

The eight Maverick bosses are the members of Red Alert.

Mega Man X8

Name	Portrait	Special Weapon	Weakness
Optic Sunflower		Shining Ray Tenshouha Ray Gun	Green Spinner Youdantotsu Blast Launcher
Gravity Antonion		Squeeze Bomb Juuhazan Spiral Magnum	Shadow Runner Rasetsusen Black Arrow
Dark Mantis		Shadow Runner Rasetsusen Black Arrow	Shining Ray Tenshouha Ray Gun
Bamboo Pandamonium		Green Spinner Youdantotsu Blast Launcher	Melt Creeper Enkoujin Flame Burner
Gigabolt Man-O-War		Thunder Dancer Raikousen Plasma Gun	Crystal Wall Rekkyoudan Bound Blaster
Earthrock Trilobyte		Crystal Wall Rekkyoudan Bound Blaster	Squeeze Bomb Juuhazan Spiral Magnum
Avalanche Yeti		Drift Diamond Hyouryuushou Ice Gattling	Thunder Dancer Raikousen Plasma Gun
Burn Rooster		Melt Creeper Enkoujin Flame Burner	Drift Diamond Hyouryuushou Ice Gattling

In Mega Man X8, advanced Reploids called new generation Reploids are put into production to work on the Jakob Project. New generation Reploids are believed to be incapable of going Maverick due to their Copy Chips, which give them total control of their bodies and immunity to viruses. However, they instead choose to go Maverick and organize a rebellion of their own accord, and joining Sigma to destroy the planet and start anew in space. The term Maverick comes into question when Lumine argues the rebellion is a question of natural evolution, not good and evil.

The eight Maverick bosses are rioting new generation Reploids. Additionally, this game introduced new Special Weapons for Axl that take the form of new firearms for him to wield.

Zero era

In the Zero era, the term Maverick maintains its definition, being used to describe dangerous robots. However, it is frequently misused by the dystopic Neo Arcadia to criminalize any Reploids its agenda requires, especially when Copy X begins branding random Reploids as Maverick, planning to execute them to slow an energy crisis. Neo Arcadia also uses the term to demonize rebels such as the Resistance, who sought freedom from the city's tyranny. Zero himself, the protagonist of the story, is called a Maverick by his enemies for fighting to defend fellow Reploids and even humans from the dictatorship. In Mega Man Zero 4, Dr. Weil began branding defiant or disobedient humans as Mavericks as well. His rule completely warped the original definition of the term, merely using it as a tool of fear and control.

The term is also frequently used as a rhetoric tool. Zero once called Weil "just another Maverick", denying his humanity outright. Aware of this, Weil used it ironically against Zero, taunting that he would become a Maverick if he killed him, a human. However, Zero came to disregard this sentiment, declaring that he would fight for those he believed in, regardless of whether he was called a hero or a Maverick.

ZX era

In the ZX era, humans and Reploids became nearly indistinguishable, resulting in usage of the term Maverick shifting slightly. Instead, it was more commonly used to describe the wild Mechaniloids influenced by Model W, which would evolve on their own and terrorize the Outlands. These wild Mavericks would sometimes even attack Innerpeace, as Model W sought negativity from humanity in order to fully awaken. Any servants of Model W, such as Serpent, Prometheus and Pandora, or the rival Mega Men, were also capable of exercising leadership over these Mavericks to further Model W's evolution.

In the final battle of Mega Man ZX, Vent (but not Aile) and Serpent use the term Maverick as an insult to demonize one another. Vent calls Serpent one for callously destroying people's lives, while Serpent uses it against all of humanity, claiming that all who have hatred in their hearts are the true Mavericks.

Trivia

• While most Maverick bosses in the Mega Man X series have descriptive titles (e.g. "Lord of the Snowy Plains" for Chill Penguin), the bosses of Mega Man X6 are the only ones who completely lack this feature.