Time Travel and Predestination

[Mavrickindigo]

Since this series has a heavy focus of Time Travel in the past year or so, I want to talk about what we all think of the facts that are presented to us in various stories and how they will affect the future of the comic. As the Sonic the Hedgehog series has shown us, things are liable to change at a moment's notice, but is that the case in Mega Man? What would happen to the canonicity of "Rock of Ages" if Capcom decides to reject a story where Wily has all three mega man killers AND the Genesis Unit attack the time institute? Does the fact that Doctor Light is working on Bond Man in "Worlds Collide" mean that we won't see the character until after a hypothetical Mega Man 10 adaptation? How would you feel, as a reader, if events in the comic start to contradict each other? What if Ian Flynn moves on to other projects, and whoever replaces him doesn't care to fact-check the timeline as it has been bounced around?

I'm interested in the use of Time travel as a plot mechanic, and Mega Man has done it very well thus far. But as the comic gets longer and longer, the chances of the timeline making a mess of itself gets more and more likely, and how would you react once the ball drops?

[Zan]

Rock of Ages in itself is already somewhat odd. It's indicative of three or four whole games having been condensed into one, what with Ballade, Punk and the Genesis Unit existing before Quint. The rest of the timeline adds up, however, aside from Super Adventure Rockman of course.

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

Just curious: Should this be merged with this topic? Or is it separate enough to stand on its own?

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[ClareSilver47]

Just curious: Should this be merged with this topic? Or is it separate enough to stand on its own?

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

I think it would be fine to separate the two topics seeing as this topic is mostly focusing on a discussion of the introduction of Mega Man video game time travel mechanics into the comic books and how it will affect the comic.

The other discussion is mostly about time travel in the Mega Man video games, but if we muddle the two conversations together, it might become hard to follow as they are two completely different things, not to mention time travel in the Mega Man games is convoluted as heck

[LBD_Nytetrayn]

Okay, just checking.

--LBD "Nytetrayn"

[Penguin God]

Worlds Collide is so weird time-wise that it shouldn't really be seen as an indication of anything, and honestly I'd like to say the same for Rock of Ages. All Rock of Ages really showed us was a preview of game arcs, and outside of some ordering it's all stuff we can assume anyway (like "Cossack isn't actually evil.") For the most part, the timeline is fairly easy to figure out and contradictions shouldn't be a problem to worry about. After all, it's not like we know everything that's going to happen, and details in this case (such as exact dialog) can easily be fudged without anybody having a problem.

[Mavrickindigo]

Worlds Collide is so weird time-wise that it shouldn't really be seen as an indication of anything, and honestly I'd like to say the same for Rock of Ages. All Rock of Ages really showed us was a preview of game arcs, and outside of some ordering it's all stuff we can assume anyway (like "Cossack isn't actually evil.") For the most part, the timeline is fairly easy to figure out and contradictions shouldn't be a problem to worry about. After all, it's not like we know everything that's going to happen, and details in this case (such as exact dialog) can easily be fudged without anybody having a problem.

There seem to be some very key points that are important, such as Super Adventure rockman taking place at a different time than at the games, and apparently there being two Mega Men present at the MM6 robot tournament, as well as the first 3 or 4 "Mega Man World" games being condensed into a "Wily Tower" adaptation. These facts could easily be changed if there was somethign to majorly shake up Ian's plans, like a mandate or a new head writer.

[Sonicpolo]

I think I've said this before, but with Rock of Ages I've always thought that it was comparable to the Sonic Comic's game tie in. The issues took place in a another place In another time. That being said, I would think that the future that is stated in that issue will be different from the comic's timeline.

[Zan]

Should this be merged with this topic? Or is it separate enough to stand on its own?

They've a distinctly different focus.

Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages involved a Mega Man from World2 flung into the past and future. His diverging memories between the time travel and actual events allow us to handwave any and all possible discrepancies, especially since he's seen his future self.

Worlds Collide

Worlds Collide occurred at the same time as the Super Adventure arc. It's just that the nature of the special zone caused further time shenanigans, importing characters in their latest known incarnations.

[Astrobot7000]

I would be happy to see Rock of Ages discarded. I want Ian to have as much flexibility as possible when it comes to his writing, especially because we already know the game plots and events so its difficult to surpirse us during the game arcs.

[Sunwalker]

If "Rock of Ages" causes some problem with the continuity, it wouldn't be too hard to say that it was just a possible future, or that seeing your own future can change it.

Regardless, the story was a celebration of 25 years of the franchise rather anything else, I do not think it were meant to fit at a very specific point of the continuity.

[LilacDownDeep]

If "Rock of Ages" causes some problem with the continuity, it wouldn't be too hard to say that it was just a possible future, or that seeing your own future can change it.

Regardless, the story was a celebration of 25 years of the franchise rather anything else, I do not think it were meant to fit at a very specific point of the continuity.

Yeah that's my theory. After all in Doctor Who, "time can be rewritten." But Rock of Ages was a 25th Anniversary special, so for all we know things might change. It's just a rough foreshadowing of what is to come game-wise.

[Mavrickindigo]

I think I've said this before, but with Rock of Ages I've always thought that it was comparable to the Sonic Comic's game tie in. The issues took place in a another place In another time. That being said, I would think that the future that is stated in that issue will be different from the comic's timeline.

There really seems to be no reason to believe this, especially since it fits in with the timeline presented in the comics. If it was following the game timeline, Mega Man should have encountered Ra Moon after fighting Cossack and before being at the robot tournament.

Worlds Collide occurred at the same time as the Super Adventure arc. It's just that the nature of the special zone caused further time shenanigans, importing characters in their latest known incarnations.

There's enough evidence in the arc itself to believe that the Mega Man world was literally thrust into the future, instead of being altered like the Sonic world. I am sure he will never explain the exact nature of what the Genesis wave did to the timeline. This is because he has previously taken a "It's a crossover, you're not supposed to think about it" approach when previous questions about it were asked. In the comics themselves, there were references to the Blackout Arc as well as events that only happened in the comic continuity, which leads me to believe that the planet was literally shoved into the future, unless something later contradicts this.

[Zan]

There's enough evidence in the arc itself to believe that the Mega Man world was literally thrust into the future

True that. From the Super Adventure prelude, the Genesis Wave shifted the whole world into the future. Although I also seem to recall the special zone allowing Wily access to his complete fighting force, including those who've previously been destroyed.

[Mavrickindigo]

There's enough evidence in the arc itself to believe that the Mega Man world was literally thrust into the future

True that. From the Super Adventure prelude, the Genesis Wave shifted the whole world into the future. Although I also seem to recall the special zone allowing Wily access to his complete fighting force, including those who've previously been destroyed.

The genesis wave gave him the "knowledge" from teh future, because he became the wily from the future, effectively moving the story to take place in post MM10 time

The zone itself can quickly rebuild Robot Masters