The Earth Crisis (地球消滅/地球そんぼう Chikyuu Shoumetsu/Chikyuu Sonbou),[1] also known as the Colony Drop Incident,[2] is a historical event of the Maverick Wars, in which the Earth itself was endangered by the fall of space colony Eurasia. The world was saved by the Maverick Hunters, but the resulting damage to the surface forced humanity underground for an indeterminate period. It would take a long time for the Earth to recover, with lingering consequences.
History
Prelude
Several months after the Great Repliforce War,[3] the Maverick Sigma plots the fall of Eurasia in conjunction with an old man in a scheme to awaken Zero's true self: the plan was to spread the Sigma Virus across both the Earth and Eurasia, then combine the two strains to create a new virus in order to infect Zero and make him destroy Mega Man X.[4]
After turning Eurasia into a virus colony, Sigma employs the mysterious Dynamo to drop it from orbit while Sigma himself tricks X and Zero into spreading the virus across the Earth. This results on an unprecedented Maverick epidemic, with countless Reploids infected on a global scale. With only 16 hours before Eurasia crashes on Earth, the Maverick Hunters first attempt to blast the colony with the Enigma cannon. When this plan fails, the Maverick Hunters resort to a more desperate gambit: strike Eurasia with a Space Shuttle. Zero volunteers to pilot the shuttle, taking the Earth's fate on his hands.
Epilogue
The attack is successful: Eurasia is mostly destroyed, and Zero returns safely to Earth. However, the resulting explosion causes major damage to the planet. This event also creates the powerful Zero Virus, and even produces a temporary rift between the Earth and Cyberspace. Sigma himself is defeated, but Zero goes missing in action.
As a result of Sigma's actions, many Hunters are lost during the crisis. In addition, the pollution makes the surface inhospitable, driving humanity underground. The troposphere suffers catastrophic damage, the seas become unfit for life and the remnants of Eurasia create a huge crater on the Earth.[5]
Incidents
With the humans underground, the Reploids begin the recovery efforts with great difficulty. Three weeks later, Gate, an outcast scientist who finds a piece of Zero's body in the wreckage of Eurasia and becomes infected with the Zero Virus,[6] attempts to take advantage of the Earth's weakened state by taking over the Reploids with a new virus created from Zero's DNA, causing the phenomena known as the Nightmare. This scheme is stopped by the Maverick Hunters, who defeat Gate and a returning Sigma.
Recovery
Thanks to the Reploids' work, even the most devastated regions are set on the road to recovery. However, the continuation of the Maverick Wars hinders reconstruction.[7]
After the end of the Elf Wars, the Four Guardians of Neo Arcadia use their abilities to assist in restoring the Earth. They also act as the controls for a weather controlling station called Weather Orbit before being gathered to fight the Resistance.[8]
It is later discovered to much surprise that nature is returning in Eurasia's crash site, providing refuge for a human caravan attempting to escape the tyranny of Neo Arcadia's new leader Dr. Weil. Area Zero is saved from Dr. Weil's Operation Ragnarok by Zero, at the cost of his life (although he was reported as MIA).
The seas are restored after the war, although the Earth's repopulation pollutes them again.[9]
Notes
- The name "Earth Crisis" is coined in Mega Man X6.
References
- ↑ Mega Man X6 introduction, and Isoc's speech
- ↑ Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter's Field Guide.
- ↑ Mega Man X: Official Complete Works (page 48)
- ↑ Sigma: I've conducted thorough research, and produced a tremendous result. I wanted to find out what Zero truly is... and scatter the Virus all over the earth to purify his body... But the amount of the virus was insufficient. So I used the rundown colony......making it a virus colony and let it land on the earth. You know the outcome, don't you?
X: You almost annihilated the Earth for that?! You're sick!
Sigma: Fortunately there are those handy guys called Maverick Hunters, ever ready and able to come to the rescue, and I knew the Earth would be safe and sound. But alas, most of the hunters have also become Mavericks... Hee hee hee hee. That was a close one...ha ha ha ha!
-- Mega Man X5 - ↑ Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero
- ↑ : "Bwah ha ha ha! It's finally done!! I'm going mad and it is so... liberating! ...no. The plan has only just begun... I'm going to bring all low-grade... Reploids into submission! Those too simple to understand my work!! I'll build an ideal world only for Reploids... A wonderful world where I control everything!" - Mega Man X6
- ↑ Mega Man X7 prologue
- ↑ Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works - page 174
- ↑ Thetis: The sea during the war was no place for living creatures. After the war, the sea's beauty was restored. However, as humans repopulated, the sea once again grew filthy.
--Mega Man ZX Advent
| Mega Man Zero series | |
|---|---|
| Main characters | |
| Zero • Ciel • Cerveau • Alouette • X • Elpizo • Crea and Prea • Dark Elf • Neige Sage Harpuia • Fighting Fefnir • Fairy Leviathan • Hidden Phantom • Copy X • Dr. Weil • Omega • Craft Resistance • Caravan • Four Guardians • Eight Gentle Judges • Einherjar Eight Warriors | |
| Games | |
| Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4 • Collection • Legacy Collection | |
| Scripts | |
| Mega Man Zero • 2 • 3 • 4 | |
| Related Items | |
| Zero's weaponry • Chips • Cyber-elf (List) • EX Skill • Energy Crystal • Item Box • Secret Disk Locations (Neo Arcadia • Resistance Base • Area Zero • Ragnarok) • Pantheon (List) • Bosses（Mutos Reploid) • Golem • Armed Phenomenon • Variant Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works • RTRZ-Telos Drama Track Translations • Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero Rockman Zero (manga) • Vile's Incident: Eden dome, its sin and rebirth | |