#dside

Main Backstory Info

Up-and-coming robotics prodigies, Dr. Thomas Light and Dr. Albert Wily, are making their first forays into the field of robotics together.  Despite their camaraderie, however, the two have never exactly agreed on how to improve the standing of robots among humans—Dr. Light believes that robots will only be fully accepted by humans when they become their equals, and diverts much of his research into artificial intelligence accordingly; while the more pragmatic Dr. Wily believes humans will accept robots that prove their usefulness firsthand.  To this end, he devises a peripheral known as the Double Gear System, which could divert a robot’s power to extremes, granting them superhero-like strength and speed on demand.

Early prototypes of the Double Gear System prove strenuous, however, with many of the robots Dr. Wily tested on suffering intensive damage.  A council is held to discuss the merits and flaws of each doctor’s approach and ultimately decide which of them will receive funding to continue their research.

At this point, the story is consubstantial with the original Mega Man timeline, per the prologue given in Mega Man 11.  Where things begin to diverge in this D-Side version of the story, however, is where Wily wins over the council, and they opt to continue supporting his Double Gear initiative in favor of Dr. Light's artificial intelligence research.  While this puts some strain on their partnership, it hardly destroys it, and the two continue to work together on developing robots.

To accommodate the Double Gear System's demands, the two work on developing a new prototype robot codenamed "Project Blue" that will set the hardware standards for the industry.  However, mistakenly considering this an excellent opportunity to stress-test both of their work, Light goes behind Wily's back and installs an artificial intelligence into the project.  The consequences are quick to make themselves known, as Blue quickly deserts the twosome's workshop.  Light is deeply guilty about these events, but keeps them a secret from his research partner, for fear that telling him now would jeopardize their work and their relationship.

So despite the major setback, the two work together to maintain their good standing; they eventually produce a "Project Green" and, a bit later, a "Project Red," which make good on Project Blue's original promise (And receive the nicknames “Rock” and “Roll,” a bit incidentally).  The doctors quickly garner good publicity from their new machines, and before long, production on the new breed of industrial robots begins.

All seems well for a time, until reports surface of a streak of robots suddenly turning up missing.  One by one, the designs created by the doctors disappear until they're left with just Green and Red again, but the cause doesn't make itself known until then—at this point, Blue reveals himself as the perpetrator, having given the other robots his "gift of enlightenment" and encouraging them to stand with him, as he believes that any robot at all not being sentient is morally wrong.

Backed into a corner with the government now breathing down their necks, the doctors have no choice but to put their money where their mouth is and prove Wily’s initial claims that the Double Gear System could grant superhero-like abilities.  They upgrade Rock and Roll for the express purpose of taking down Blue and his Robot Sovereigns, most notably granting them the ability to download information on weaponry and fighting style from those they defeat.  As the two fight, reporters documenting the events of the robot riots would witness this flashy color-changing, weapon-emulating ability, and christen Projects Green and Red with the sensationalistic name of the Rainbow Warriors—and the rest is history.

Factoids and General Tidbits

Although Project Blue has taken over as the series’ main antagonist, he has not swapped places with Dr. Wily to any capacity.  …This might go without saying, but I’m gonna say it anyway.

The “Mega Man/Proto Man” monikers do not exist in this continuity.  Blue is only ever known as Blue; similarly, Rock is known as Rock to those who work closely with him, “Project Green” (Or simply “Green”) to the general public, and “a Rainbow Warrior” for his heroic feats (And the same for Roll/”Project Red”).

Only robots that have received artificial intelligence are classifiable as sapient—meaning Rock and Roll would not be sapient, at least at series’ outset.  There would likely be an event at some point in the series, towards the end of a specific game (Maybe Mega Man 3?), where Blue grants Rock and Roll sapience in an attempt to sway them to his side and rid him of his greatest enemies in one fell swoop—and is surprised when they continue to fight him anyway because they genuinely believe what he’s doing is wrong.  This would have a lot of consequences, namely the invention of Rock and Roll’s “civilian” designs as seen above, as they would have no reason to exist before this point.