The Not-So Secret Origin of the “Blue Bomber”

There is little doubt that anyone reading this probably knows the origin of the Blue Bomber, Mega Man: in fiction, he was a lab assistant to Dr. Light who was converted into a super fighting robot when Dr. Wily decided to form a robot rebellion by reprogramming Light’s Robot Masters. In reality, his was a game created by Capcom especially for the Nintendo Entertainment System as the company chose to increase their focus on the home market, in addition to their long line of arcade hits.
But what about the name “Blue Bomber?” Many use it as an alias for Mega Man, but how many know its origins?

Protodude’s Rockman Corner delves deep into the mystery, turning up a famous toy-game from 1967, “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots:”

The Marx/Tyco/Mattel product named the blue half of its fighting duo the “Blue Bomber,” and the longevity and popularity of the product provides a likely origin for the term that would later be adopted by Capcom.

As for Mega Man, he was not always known by the moniker. But TV Tropes points out that he was dubbed as such in the seventh issue of Nintendo Power magazine, which itself featured Mega Man 2 on the cover. Fans picked up on it, and soon enough, so too did Capcom, as they included it in the dialogue of MegaMan Star Force 2 and as an Xbox LIVE Achievement for Mega Man 9. To say nothing of certain promotional materials which are actually better left forgotten.

So, if Mega Man and his ilk are known as “Blue Bombers,” then what does that leave for his red-hued counterparts, such as Proto Man or Zero? Well, in that same “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots” game, the red robot fighter was known as the “Red Rocker.” Hmm. It has potential, but with Mega Man’s real name of Rock, it might make things a little confusing. What do you think?

A Game Boy Advance game based on the classic plaything introduced other characters which might be applicable to some of the Mega Man cast as well. Does anyone think the “Black Bruiser” sounds like a good nickname for Bass?

Now, if only Capcom and Mattel (who was the license holder for MegaMan NT Warrior) would pick up on this, they might be able to give us some sort of “Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Mega Man” game, and bring everything full circle.

Credit: Protodude’s Rockman Corner

Additional Resources: Wikipedia, TV Tropes