Makenshi is a member of The Ascendant Androids as Waveman. With the ability to control water, as well as some form of a harpoon-like melee weapon, he is well rounded to fight both on land and underwater. Dr. Wily had originally designed him to pretty much be an improved version of Bubbleman.
Shiken Max, a.k.a. Makenshi[]
Makenshi's first appearance
Makenshi was one of the first of the group that had been captured by Crys and Nick and persuaded to have armors surgically grafted into their bodies. He originally appears as a young boy (about 14) with black hair, blue eyes, and a pale complexion. (okay, so the sprite isn't very accurate with that description, but what are you gonna do about it?)
Personality[]
At first, Makenshi was a shy kid who thought that laughing should be illegal, but eventually he warmed up to his teammates and made friends with them. It was very rare for him to feel hatred towards anyone, even his enemies. He wasn't exactly a pacifist though. In Business of War, it is shown that he feels a connection towards robots even if they couldn't think for themselves, believing that if he had treated them like they were people then they would have been able to break away from their AI limiters. It is unclear whether he had succeeded, but while he was near death he had detected emotion in the voice of one of the SF units.
Abilities circa the Business of War[]
Makenshi currently wields two custom-made pistols titled the Fenrir SM300s. They are much more versatile than your ordinary handgun, as he explains in Scenario F:
"The bullets are actually produced inside of the gun through a process that makes them lasers that are only partially solid. The cartridges I put inside them are more like batteries to power the process as well as being attributed to create different kinds of bullets, but right now you saw the standard armor-piercing battery. Of course, the cartridges don't last forever, and eventually they'll die, and that's when I reload."
Makenshi is equipped with a long brown coat and a shirt that both actually serve as ultrathin body armor. Loosely based off of Dragon Skin, the inside is coated with many thin discs that overlap eachother. It is capable of withstanding most Robot Master attacks, though he would still be able to feel the impact as if he were being punched really hard. Also, as he is hit more and more his armor will be build up kinetic energy that he can unleash, though since his hands are full he'll give some powerful kicks.
His glasses not only serve as a sort of navigational system, but it also emits a force field that protects his head and neck.
He also wears transparent, thin gloves that when worn tighten around his hands and prevents it from moving in unnatural positions. This ensures that he'll always have a trigger finger.
This is a log of the different cartridges used so far:
Standard (black): Rounds that can pierce any armor except LCT and higher. Mainly used against fodder bots, so most likely you won't see him use them against you. 40 bullets per cartridge.
Ice (blue): At the very moment of impact these bullets will cover the target in thick ice for a three-inch radius. A favorite tactic of Makenshi's is targeting the face, weapons, and freezing feet to the ground. 15 bullets per cartridge.
Explosive (red): There are two variants: one that detonates the moment it touches something, and another that detonates once it gets deep inside the body. They go boom for a 4-inch radius. 12 bullets per cartridge.
Virus (gray): The scarcest of all the cartridges so far, but they can be very deadly. The bullet is designed to be painless in the hope that the target doesn't even realize being shot. They bullet decelerates immediately upon impact to make sure it doesn't leave the body. Then, nanobots emerge from the bullet to feast on the target's insides. Once the target feels immense pain, it's over. 3 bullets per cartridge.
Character History[]
In Dawn of Strife
Not much is known about Makenshi's past. Only some of his teammates and certain higher authorities know the details. However, from flashbacks in the Business of War, it can be assumed that he had committed many crimes that he confessed to in an international court. He was found guilty of conspiracy, treason, parricide, and a "crime against humanity." Landing a place in solitary confinement, he stayed to rot for months in the regret of his misdeeds. Pride alleges that Makenshi is his grandfather, and it appears that Makenshi had lover that died while trying to protect him.
In Business of War
Makenshi as he appears in BoW
However, the RPD offered a complete pardon if he fought for them and acted as an adviser. After learning that General Cutman had desecrated the Androids' armors, he accepted the offer. Even after he was released, he still could not bear the sins that he had committed.
In the Business of War, Makenshi is 28, around twice the age that he had appeared to be only 18 months ago. He is a lot taller than before with light brown hair and pale green eyes. He claims that this is his "original body." Wielding twin pistols he carried out his missions under the watchful eye of Supervisors Spiegel and Vatnick.
In the beginning of the war Makenshi happened to find Crys and Nick. They secretly plotted Makenshi's escape from the RPD, and Makenshi chose not to reveal his identity to Vulcan so that he wouldn't get thrown into the mess. In the end, though, he decided not to run away and stayed with the RPD, receiving his new Waveman armor. He revealed himself to Vulcan, though Starman had already figured him out from the start, and they fought alongside each other once more.
As Waveman[]
Early sketch of Waveman's BoW armor
The first armor that Makenshi used looked like the original Waveman with a darker color scheme and a visor. Instead of a harpoon launcher he had a hookshot-type weapon. His water powers were severely limited, requiring him to produce short bursts of it himself or pump it from a nearby source. In Business of War (pictured), his armor was much slimmer with a lighter color scheme, looking more like a cross between Waveman and Neptune. He wielded a giant weapon called Iormungandr, which had a giant spearhead with an adjustable weight for either latching on to objects or slamming into opponents. When fired it can be used like a chain whip to catch enemies in a snare. His water powers are also enhanced, allowing him to manipulate water with a mere wave of his hand and smash it into people with the speed of a bullet.
Known Attacks
Blades of Rain - He conjures many blades made of water high into the air and releases them on a target.
Aqua Javelin - A watery javelin rises from a body of water and shoots as fast as a bullet
Aqua Shotgun - He "shoots" drops of water like shotgun pellets, works well when using rain
Tidal Drake - A tidal wave in the shape of a dragon slams into opponents
Burst - He takes control of any liquid that's trapped in some sort of container and makes it disperse, causing the liquid to burst out of that container (this was used to kill a group of humans by making their veins explode.)
Death[]
Makenshi faced off with his evil counterpart in "Kill Now, For Elysium Awaits" of Business of War. Using both his human and robot forms to attack, he was getting the edge in the battle, destroying SA Waveman's Kraken mechaniloid and attacking his eyes, but ultimately SA Wave delivered a fatal wound to both Makenshi's human and robot form. Now with Makenshi helpless before him, SA Wave activated a particle synthesis machine in an attempt to merge with Makenshi. The process appeared to be succeeding and the two were brought down to an atomic level. Makenshi, realizing that he could now manipulate the atoms he was seeing, arranged fluorine and hydrogen to cause a large explosion, engulfing both him and SA Wave.
Makenshi's death triggered a recording to be transmitted to Vulcan and the old Androids' base, stating how the Androids' armors did not save human users from mortality, and that he had no regrets for not backing up his mind or completely converting himself into a robot. After that he gives his final farewell to his teammates, feeling guilty for not having fulfilled the promises he made and requesting them to finish the job for him.
Scissor Army Waveman[]
Conceptual mugshot of the second SA Wave
There are actually two Wavemen from the Scissor Army , one from Revenge of the Scissor Army (a tale set in an alternate reality), and one from the Business of War (a tale set int he main epilogue continuity). Major Waveman from RotSA had a solid body with terrifying tidal strength. He was very full of himself until he met his demise by the hands of Topman. BoW Waveman takes more after RotSA Aquaman.
The Waveman from Business of War believes himself to be the original Shiken Max, calling Makenshi a phony and wishing to kill him. However, in Predecessor of Business of War it is revealed that he is only a shadow created by General Cutman, an entirely different personality that was built on Makenshi's bad memories.