Now calling himself Return iX, with his power increased, he defeated the Mavericks so nothing would disturb his fight against X, claiming that he will defeat X himself.
IX makes his comeback suddenly as X and Zero fight the four Hyper Limited Mavericks wreaking havoc in the Maverick Hunter HQ. Rockman X Mega Mission 3: Versus Hyper Limited Struggling against the influence of Limited, the original engages the copy in a final attack, both firing their busters at each other's chests when it seemed that mutual destruction was assured, X allows the copy's attack to obliterate the Clear Armor (and thus the Limited in his body) before escaping at the last second. Claiming to be the strongest, iX nearly overwhelms the original, even as the Limited leaked in the fight produces the Clear Armor around X's body. However, the Mother Limited instead absorbs Schmitt and absorbing data from the bodies of the Reploids defeated by X and Zero, uses all the data gathered on Mega Man X to create the Limited copy. The Limited version of X is born when a defeated Schmitt retreats in the hopes of having his body regenerated by the Mother Limited. This form gives iX more alien-like features, some parts of his armor are transluscent, legs and arms are thinner, while his helmet has a more prominent shape, resembling less from that of the original X's. He is completely obsessed with defeating the original X, to the point of turning against the Hyper Limited Mavericks and even lend his power to X and Zero to destroy the opposition.Īfter reviving, Return iX equipped the Σ Chip on his body and used a Power Up Capsule to increase his power, becoming Grow iX. Return iX has grown much more determined after his defeat, being able to resurrect himself by sheer force of will. He also has the ability to regenerate as long as his core remains intact. He is also shown to have the power of shapeshifting, as he can liquify his form and even split himself in two, taking the form of powerful armor upon merging with the two Hunters. He is shown using his regular arm to chop enemies apart, akin to the same ability of Schmitt, the Reploid who's body the Limited parasite took over, turning into iX. In his new form, known as Return iX, is shown to be extremely powerful, as he is capable of single-handedly repelling the Hyper Limited Mavericks that X and Zero struggled against in the story. In the Bandai Mega Armor series, Return iX is shown to have a large round red gem on his back, with four spike-like marks surrounding it. IX experienced drastic physical changes since his defeat against X his armor now has a more snakelike appearance, with long and curved surfaces complemented by intricate detailing on his arms and chest, the latter vaguely resembling a sinister face with red crystals resembling eyes. He may be single-minded in his original directive to evolve beyond and destroy X, but his desire to fulfill the goal on his own terms causes iX to act in more complex ways, including self sacrifice. While the Limited have displayed fear and self-preservation instincts, iX's birth is referred to as when they gained a will of their own. Whereas X uses an informal, masculine Japanese speech style, iX speech style is gender neutral and formal to show he does not share the original's personality quirks. The cards convey him as an aggressive and ruthless fighter, going all out against the real X from the start. In his introduction, iX claims to be Doppler's strongest warrior, indicating a bold and confident personality with no association to Sigma. IX appears to have the same abilities as the original, albeit significantly enhanced by the Limited in his body has the techniques of all Reploids revived by the Limited, he is shown to be an extremely tough opponent for the real X, who only manages to fight back due to the Clear Armor generated by the Limited he had absorbed. In the Rockman X Mega Mission manga, iX also features a spiked collar and two spikes on his back. The decorations on his helmet and chest plate are dark purple as opposed to light blue, and his eyes are red. Thunderbolt streaks running down from his eyes and extending down his cheeks, spiked guards around his wrists and ankles as well as steel joints with a red stripe for his elbows and knees. He also stands out for the round gem on his helmet surrounded by four spike-like marks, a common feature on various Limited Reploids. However, he is easily distinguished by the different color scheme, having a green body instead of blue.
In his original form, iX bears a strong resemblance to the original X.