During the entire, I thought it was Doctor Light traveling to Wilys Fortress, and it coincides with Gamma going out of control. Gamma is destroying The Fortress, and thus the explosion.

Wily may have to kill people, but he's killing in the name of freedom. Light just wants to make robots to serve man.

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Dr. Light wants to make robots to help people, not just serve them. I'm pretty sure Dr. Light cares for robots; just look at the ones he uses. I'm sure many industrial grade robots enjoy what they do.

And though this song seems dark, it's because it's a sense of despair for Dr. Light. Dr. Wily has just activated Gamma and basically let him decide to destroy the humans. That's a powerful betrayal from someone who appeared reformed. Dr. Light says this is it. The only way to end the destruction is to catch Wily, dead or alive. Dr. Light still has justice on his side, even in light of To Watch You Die.

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Actually I think the last straw for Light was seeing Protoman as a war machine. Light loves all his creations, if he could I'm sure he would've rather saved the original six then destroy them. So seeing Protoman, who Light saw as his first son and a tragic lost when he ran away, perverted into a weapon, it really struck a cord with him. It was one thing that he was forced to turn Rock into Mega Man, but to see Wily turn another of his robots, mainly one he had invested and I would assume loved, turned into a weapon, it really pissed him over.

It would be like if someone kidnapped your child and raised them to destroy everything you've ever tried to do for that child and the world. It would send anyone over the edge. Sadly I don't think Mega Man is able to sympathize as much since he never knew Protoman even existed prior to the events of Gamma's construction.

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"I want to be the one to fight against you, Dr. Wily~

Of course, that too. The combination of the two things is even more terrible; Gamma and Protoman's perversions.

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For me, I don't think it's necessarily the fact that Proto was turned into a weapon that bothers him. After all, Wily didn't fuck with Proto's programming. He didn't turn him against Light. He just gave him an armament. Big deal.

I think the real issue is that he gave Proto the power to pursue his vengeance, likely feeding his hatred and stoking the fire, if you will. I think the "you sent my firstborn back to me / you put a gun in his dead hand" is slightly more metaphorical than it seems on the surface.

Call me crazy, but that explosion at the end? I've always pictured it as Megaman dying, either at the hands of Wily, Protoman or Gamma.
Now bear with me for a second, because I can explain this. See, I've always seen the albums as linear stories, with each song taking place after the other in their own little timelines. The song before this one has Gamma activating and beginning to run amok, despite the fact that Megaman has barely beaten half of the robot masters. Naturally, he goes to try and stop him before he can wreak too much havoc. Light, meanwhile, finally realizes that Wiley has crossed the line and become irredeemable by using Gamma and Protoman as war machines. He gives Megaman the order to kill Wiley and end all of this before it can happen again.
Megaman tries his best, but at the end of the song actually fails and is actually killed. After all, the next song is Continue, which the player only hears if they die. In the story, I've always pictured it as Megaman booting back up and repairing after his 'death'.
Still, I don't disagree with the theories that say that the song ends with Protoman blowing up Light's lab. Were this a visual medium, I'd probably expect to see the shot of the lab exploding juxtaposed with Megaman... also exploding. I don't know, I guess explosions are a theme now.
Anyway, just my theory. Thought I'd share.

Hmm, I like it. Need to think on this one some more.

CUE EXPLOSION!

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Rest in peace Trevor

Actually, between this song, Bombman's and Crashman's, I think explosions actually are a running theme now.
*is shot for over-analyzing jokes again*

Micheal Bay presents The Megas

na na na naaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

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"Divide by Sharpedo? Pft, more like devoured by Sharpedo!" - Jay C; MAGfest 8

This song is definitely Dr Light snapping and finally ready to end Dr Wily once and for all. However the explosion at the end is not the fortress but Mega Man being destroyed by Protoman (I would assume). It ties perfectly into Continue where Dr Light is rebuilding him knowing Mega Man would want to carry on the fight.

Hmm, I kinda like "Continue" being a more symbolic thing. Obviously, it might be an actual game over. But I much prefer (stylisticly) thinking it is retconing the "game over" theme (where you always choose continue) to represent Mega Man's broken will in his eternal struggle. It represents Mega Man's despair and someone's support of him through that. Ultimately, though, Mega Man himself decides to continue the fight, despite the moral ambiguity.

I don't think that requires him to be near dead, but I suppose it works either way. I just love the image of a perfectly fine (if a little worn) Mega Man that is only broken on the inside (mentally) choosing to continue on to a game over tune.

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I have my own little theory about this song, and if it's been stated before I apologize in advance.

In the canon for Mega Man 3, Wily convinced Light that he had changed and was willing to return to benefitting man-kind. This is expressed in the song "Gamma Unchained" which delves in deeper into Wilys personality. In Megas canon, Wily isn't just a heartless evil son of a bitch, he's sympathetic in a way because he wishes to unlock a robots true potential, and to him, that's conquering the earth.

Gamma was built as a peace-keeping robot, but the definition of peace and how it could be obtained was different to both the scientists. Dr. Wilys vision of peace was extermination and power, "the end has to justify the means." He truly believed that unlocking a robots "true potential" would bring peace...to robots. In laymans terms,Wily wired Gamma to his own will:



The first verse of "To Watch You Die" lampshades this:



Not only does this allude to the events of the first game, but it also has a double meaning. It's meant to represent thier different ideas. There thoughts diverged upon a road (robotics and what their potential is) Wily chose a darker fate to sow (this is self-explanatory).

"To Watch You Die" takes place when Light learns about Wilys betrayal, he'd been duped, tricked, drawn into a fantasy. The second half of the first verse, as well as the chorus, lampshades this.



This was the last straw for Light, and when this happened, when he was ripped out of his "failing dream" he had it. He was pissed, angry beyond all belief. This is the songs origin, he's done being pacifistic, he want to see him suffer, to watch him die.

But wait! There's more, I need to throw Proto Man into the mix.

Theres a bit of debate on whether Proto was there to help hijack Gamma, and if he was then more fuel is added to Lights fire. "Not only do you betray us, you bring back Blues, our first creation, the one we thought had perished for so many years and you weaponize him?!" In both canons it's alluded that Light is usually against all war and is docile so imagine his shame, his regret, the pain he feels when he sees his first son still alive, and that Wily turned him into a monster, the thing he protested against so much, a weapon of war. This adds on to the origin of the song. He snapped at this point and asked Rock to end this war once and for all, for it's "gone on much longer then any of them could've guessed."

As for the explosion at the end, I'm not sure, and I won't untill RED- ...uh, I mean, MAUVE comes out. I dunno, just dabbling down a little thoughts.

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