Shining Firefly

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Walkthrough

Quotes

Maverick Infobox

Artwork from Mega Man X5.
Stage portrait(s).
Appearances
Game(s):	Mega Man X5
Character Details
Name(s):	Shining Firefly, Izzy Glow, Shining Hotarunicus
Title(s):	Spark of Intelligence
Affiliation(s):	None
Weapon(s):	F-Laser C-Flasher
Weakness(es):	Tri-Thunder E-Blade
Stage(s):	Laser Institute Stage
Behind the Scenes
Inspiration(s):	Firefly
Designer(s):	Haruki Suetsugu

Shining Firefly, also known as Izzy Glow, or as Shining Hotarunicus (シャイニング・ホタルニクス) in Japan, is a Maverick from the X era, appearing as one of the main bosses in Mega Man X5. He is a light-themed Reploid based on a firefly, who attacks by flying in the dark and firing lasers. He is a laser scientist who owns the Laser Device required for the Enigma project.

In the Games

Mega Man X5

Sprite from Mega Man X5.

Shining Firefly debuted in Mega Man X5 as one of the eight Mavericks on the Stage Select screen. He holds the Laser Device for the Enigma project, serving as the boss of Laser Institute Stage. The game's Japanese manual states he is a laser technology scientist who holes himself up in a laboratory, so his results rarely see the light of day.

Shining Firefly's laser attacks aren't particularly difficult to dodge at first, but he moves faster as the battle goes on. Defeating Shining Firefly grants F-Laser to X and C-Flasher to Zero. His weakness is the Tri-Thunder or E-Blade from Volt Kraken, which shocks him and resets his pattern. A boss attack rematch with Shining Firefly later occurs in Zero Space Stage 4: Birth.

Other Game Appearances

• In TEPPEN, Shining Firefly appears as a Unit Card.

Other Media

• In the Rockman X5 manhua, Shining Firefly reprises his role from Mega Man X5.
• In the Archie Mega Man comic, Shining Firefly appears in the "Worlds Unite" arc as one of the Mavericks resurrected in Sigma's army.

Official Data

Mega Man X5

Spark of Intelligence Shining Firefly

A stubborn firefly Reploid who is the leading authority on laser engineering. Fearing his research will be used for destruction, he and his results stay hidden inside his laser laboratory. He is not very fast, but makes up for it with powerful laser attacks like the guided Flash Laser, which can remotely control firefly units. He possesses the Laser Device which can be used in the Enigma.

Compendium of Rockman X

	Super-Electromagnetic Lab Stage	Volt Kraken
	Weapon:	F-Laser/C-Flasher	Weakness:	Tri-Thunder/E-Blade
	Profile:	He is always airborne and his shooting systems are very accurate. Although his teleportation can make him unpredictable, there are still opportunities to attack him.
	Attack:	Effect:
	Flash Laser	A shot that pursues the player.
	Prism Laser	Fires a laser either vertically or horizontally.
	Prism Shot	Fire eight shots across the floor, then pulls them back.
	{{{attack4}}}	{{{effect4}}}
	{{{attack5}}}	{{{effect5}}}
	{{{attack6}}}	{{{effect6}}}
	{{{attack7}}}	{{{effect7}}}

Mega Man X Legacy Collection Gallery

	Shining Firefly
	Firefly is the foremost authority on laser technology, but he is so paranoid about his inventions being turned into weapons that they rarely see the light of day. His firefly-shaped remote laser emitters are highly mobile, to compensate for his own lack of agility.

Behind the Scenes

Developer Commentary

"This boss was settled on from the start. He's not plain evil, he's an intelligent and stubborn professor. I think he got a design that nicely echoes my mental image of him. However, there is one mistake... I screwed up his coloring while designing him. There were two versions, red and yellow, and I'd decided on yellow, but things got crazy and I had pixel art made with the unaccepted red. I noticed this towards the end of development, but by then it was too late." - (Developer Comments)

"The majority of a real firefly's body is black-ish, so I designed him that way, but I didn't want people to think, "Is this a cockroach?" So I considered red, yellow, or white (like a labcoat) schemes, ultimately choosing red. He's a red-faced old man. His white mustache and glasses convey his scientist feel." - (SENSEI, Designer Comments)

"I was told that Firefly would be a sort of professor like character, so that could only mean two things: glasses and distinguished facial hair! The red stripe I put along the top of his head is supposed to be a sort of bald look." - (Haruki Suetsugu)

Nomenclature

Language	Name	Origin
Japanese	Shining Hotarunicus (シャイニング・ホタルニクス)	"Hotarunicus" is derived from "hotaru" (ホタル), the Japanese word for firefly.
English	Shining Firefly / Izzy Glow	"Izzy Glow", his name in the initial English release of Mega Man X5, was inspired by Izzy Stradlin, a former rhythm guitarist of the rock band Guns N' Roses. In the game's Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 re-release, his name was changed to "Shining Firefly" to better reflect his original Japanese name.