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It is the year 21XX. The Reploid rebellions across the past years continue, seemingly with no possible solution despite the Maverick Hunters' best efforts.

Seeing this as a completely unnecessary worry, mankind has begun the next generation of research and development by constructing an orbital elevator able to take equipment and handwork to the moon where they seek to expand their horizons to space. This operation is labeled as "Jakob Project", with the orbital elevator bearing its name.

As another part of the project, a highly advanced new generation of Reploids is dispatched to the moon surface in order to work on the plans of the project. Everything seems to be running smoothly until one of the personnel transport carts explodes off the spiral track of the elevator and crashes down near the elevator site.

X, who was tracking around the area, is the first to arrive. After requesting a rescue squad, a rising figure from the debris draws his attention. As the many bog bodies come out of the fire, X's face changes into one of deep shock and fear. A vision of a nightmare appears in front of his very own eyes: an army of Sigmas climbing out of the crimson fire.

A single young Reploid who was being protected by the Sigmas is revealed, as he explains the situation. The Sigmas within the transport are really some of the New Generation Reploids, able to use DNA data to change their shapes. They are the perfect workers because they can change their shape according to a task. Claiming that their new systems makes them immune to all viruses, X relaxes as he asks the identity of the young Reploid. He introduces himself as Lumine, the director in charge of the Orbital Elevator, and the Jakob Project itself.

A few hours after the crash, a Maverick riot near the elevator site in the Galapagos calls for X, Axl, and Zero in order to stop a unique crab-like Mechaniloid. They manage to defeat it, but are then interrupted by a hail of missiles from Vile, who has apparently been resurrected from his earlier defeat in Mega Man X3. Vile has kidnapped Lumine for unknown reasons, and it becomes the Maverick Hunters' mission to rescue him.

However, what the Hunters do not know is that Sigma has returned once again, this time with his most ambitious plot yet. In Mega Man X7, it was revealed that Axl is the first of his kind, a prototype next-generation Reploid that has the ability to copy other reploids' DNA via a copy chip. In addition, these new Reploids have subroutines built in to prevent them from going Maverick. In X8, these next-generation robots have begun rolling off the assembly lines to work on the Jakob Project because they can copy strong Reploids, presumably at a lower cost than building the stronger Reploid itself.

Sigma's plan is simple. Contained on every single copy chip in these robots is Sigma's own DNA, meaning that the next-generation 'Maverick-Proof' reploids are in fact able to go Maverick at will. He seeks to scorch Earth to remove the "old generation" and repopulate it with his "children," a much more efficient method of domination than his previous attempts. What he did not count on was Lumine. When Sigma is defeated in his palace, Lumine steps in to take the entire operation over and kill the Maverick Hunters (it can be assumed he would have eventually tried this without the Maverick Hunters anyway). Lumine gloats to the Hunters that, in order for evolution to take its course, he and his fellow new-generation Reploids must destroy all that remains of the old world, both humans and "obsolete" Reploids alike. After a massive struggle, Lumine is defeated. When Axl walks up to Lumine's empty shell of a body, however, he is shocked as a tentacle springs from it and damages the crystal on his head.

As the three different characters ride back down the Jakob Elevator, Zero wonders if he no longer has to fight now that Sigma is dead for good, while X ponders Lumine's words on evolution. Axl is borderline conscious, but his shattered crystal can be seen glowing eerily with a tiny fragment of a mysterious purple crystal shard.

X

Unlike his sharp character deviation in X7, X seems to have a much stronger resolve for fighting when it needs to be done. He also trusts Axl on a personal level now, and maintains a solid relationship with Zero as well. He retains his strong will to fight the enemy for the sake of peace, and to accomplish the mission through non-violent matters if possible. Just like his two friends, he is a Class S Hunter. His physical design has been modified somewhat for X8— his helmet now shoots straight backwards after slanting upwards, and his X-Buster and legs have been slimmed down, possibly to give him a more human appearance. X is voiced by Mark Gatha in the English version and by Takahiro Sakurai in the Japanese version.

                       

Zero

Zero's character has taken a cocky turn in X8. His rationale for fighting is that it simply needs to be done. He also gains the ability to use different weapons besides his beam saber - fans, knuckles, a hammer, a spear, and even Sigma's blade (normal and hard difficulties only). Now with a more trusting attitude towards Axl, he also maintains the solid and unbreakable relationship with his best friend X. His new attitude is partially caused by the angst he suffers from recent events, especially his involvement as a tool to spawn a lethal virus during the events of Mega Man X5. Zero's appearance has also changed somewhat as his ponytail is now slimmer and the peaks of his helmet are considerably smaller in X8. Zero is voiced by Lucas Gilbertson in the English version and Ryotaro Okiayu in the Japanese version.

Axl

Axl returns in X8 with his abilities heavily modified. He can now store enemy DNA for future use, aim while firing (but he cannot move), and gets a new gun with infinite weapon ammo upon the defeat of a boss (with this though, his attacks do less damage than X's or Zero's would). With the new rise of the New Generation Reploids, Axl is branded as a traitor by them, being a New Generation Prototype who sides with Old Generation Reploids. Amidst all this, his promise to X and his duty as a Maverick Hunter keep him from siding with others of his kind. Axl is voiced by Jeffrey Watson in the English version and by Minami Takayama in the Japanese version.

Lumine

Leader of the new-generation Reploids and director of the Jakob space elevator, Lumine is a new generation-type Reploid like Axl, but far more advanced. Part of the New-Generation Reploid model line, he is the penultimate version with very powerful shape-changing abilities and the power to copy Reploids' most powerful attacks. He is kidnapped by Vile in the initial mission and is unseen (though often referenced) until the later stages of the game, when he steps out from the shadows and reveals his intent to rule in Sigma's place. When defeated, he explains that the New-Generation Reploids can go Maverick at will because of Sigma's data, and that it is not an infection but a choice (however is never explained if he was influenced by the time held captive by Vile). Lumine is defeated and ultimately destroyed, but not before he strikes a critical blow to Axl.

Sigma

Sigma makes his tenth appearance as the leader of eight Mavericks guarding key points for the successful building of the Jakob tower. The first fight with Sigma seemingly takes place after the traditional teleporter room, but it is quickly revealed to be a New Generation Reploid copying his D.N.A. The real Sigma is found later on the moon, in a body seemingly composed of nothing more than scraps of metal held together by his viral form. Once again, Sigma is defeated, but Lumine surprises the Hunters by revealing that, this time, Sigma's death is permanent. Given the actions of Lumine and the lack of traditional Reploids on Luna to infect with his Virus, it seems very unlikely that Sigma will return in any future installment (chronologically) of the X series.

Vile

Vile (Vava in the Japanese version), who was first seen in the first Mega Man X game and has not been seen since X3, returns in X8. He is once again in Sigma's employ, and his character serves as little more than a lackey this time around. He will fight you as a miniboss in some stages, as the main boss at the top of Jakob, and once more with his ride armor at Sigma's Palace. His fighting style is reminiscent of his appearances in previous X games. His body is green now.

แหล่งอ้างอิง http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_X8