Ruby-Spears: Bro Bots

Guest Starring: Elec Man, Needle Man, Heat Man, and Bright Man.

Plot Synopsis
If that screenshot doesn't look like a video game set up, I don't know what does. The episode starts with Dr. Light throwing a big robot parade with shoe-in gubernatorial candidate Mr. Deacon. Well Cut Man and Guts Man show up to crash the party, but so does Proto Man, who for some reason is on Mega Man's side this time and helps him out.

They both defeat Cut Man and Guts Man, and Proto Man claims to have turned over a new leaf, but Mega Man is still suspicious. Dr. Light figures Proto Man's ethical programming has finally kicked in and he invites Proto Man to stay with them.

Well it turns out this is all a plot by Dr. Wily to trick everyone into thinking Proto Man is a hero. Proto Man starts getting close to everyone, and even Mega Man starts to lessen his suspicions on him. Mega Man even admits to always wanting a brother relationship with Proto Man, to Proto Man's surprise. Proto Man plants a scrambler chip on Mega Man which causes him to overheat and screws up his circuitry. With Mega Man out of action, Proto Man is appointed chief of security for Mr. Deacon's campaign. Mega Man is watching the election on TV when he spots Guts Man and Cut Man in the background. He gets in his special flying suit (IN STORES NOW!) and heads for the campaign HQ.

Well Proto Man finally shows his true colors here and betrays Dr. Light. Wily shows up and reveals his plan, he's going to use robot clones of all the important people in power to be his puppets. He kidnaps Dr. Light and Deacon and heads back to his robot making facility. Mega Man follows, but when he gets there he collapses. Proto Man reveals to Mega Man about how he placed the scrambler chip on him and gives him one last chance to switch sides, but Mega Man refuses. Mega Man manages to get to Dr. Light who removes the scrambler chip, and Mega Man helps them escape.

At last, Proto Man and Mega Man get into a fight as acid coats the floor they are standing on. Mega Man actually saves Proto Man from getting melted, and Proto Man escapes after one last look at Mega Man.

Critique
This is probably the best episode of the whole cartoon and even though Proto Man goes evil in the end, the play up some ambiguity with his character just a tiny bit. I often wonder if the show had continued on, perhaps even to the point where Bass might have become a major character, if Proto Man would still had stayed with Wily. Proto Man is a great presence on the show even if he's not true to the original character, and an episode built around him is a great way to go.

Rating: Thumbs Up!