Rock of Ages

Rock of Ages is the fifth story arc in Mega Man Vol. 1. The arc runs from issue 17 to 20.

Summary
Breaking the mold of the previous sixteen issues, this TPB does not comprise a single four-issue story arc. Instead, it is comprised of several stand-alone stories with little relation between them. While these stories do deliver elements from the games not yet seen, they are wholly original stories that were not told in the games. (Interestingly enough, out of the six stories included, only one places Mega Man in the starring role.)

"Father and Son" and "The Lonely Road" are two parts of the "Proto-Type" story arc that tells the origin of Blues, Rock and Roll's estranged older brother and the first Robot Master creation by Dr. Light. The story overlaps with several events of the previous stories, including "Spiritus Ex Machina", and shows how Blues goes from a happy robot, to a run-away enigma, and finally to a soldier of Dr. Wily.

"Construction Derby" and "Cold Feat" are two short stories starring Guts Man alongside Concrete Man and Ice Man.

"Roll With It" is a story starring Roll and Quake Woman as they work together to rescue passengers from a sinking cruise ship. This story also introduces Splash Woman and brings back several characters from previous stories, including Kalinka, Oil Man, and Dr. LaLinde.

Finally, "Rock of Ages" is a time-traveling adventure in which a time anomaly created by Dr. Wily sends Mega Man spiraling through his past and future. Serving as a celebration of the Mega Man franchise's 25th anniversary, we see quite literally a ton of references to the games, including characters, settings, and stories not yet told.