Shadowy Author

The Instigator

The Shadowy Author (Shador for short) is a villain in Bob and George (according to the official Cast Page). He proclaims himself to be the "caretaker" of several versions of the Rockman Universe. Every once in a while, he visits one or two of the characters, "manipulating events towards [his] own shadowy ends." [1] Because of his powers and his name, it is generally assumed that he is an Author.

The Shadowy Author is so named because of his powers and his sprite, which is a dark gray, cloaked, semitransparent Mega Man edit.

Debut: July 13, 2002: Ooh! Mystery!

Backstory

Little is revealed about the Shadowy Author except for what directly affects the course of the comic. In his first appearance, he expects the Author to recognize him; however, this doesn't happen, and he lets it go, saying that he's just a "mysterious character for the fans to speculate about." [2]

In one of the commentaries, Anez revealed that Shadowy Author is in fact the Author, after undergoing a transformation ('a penance') after causing the Cataclysm to go even worse than it was going to naturally and becoming partially responsible for the death of Dr. Light. The Author fails to recognize that the Shadowy Author is in fact a future version of himself.

The Shadowy Author's life in the comic

The Cataclysm Flashback

The Shadowy Author first appeared as the Author's guide to the Cataclysm. Just when the Author teleports to the site of the Cataclysm in his own search, the Shadowy Author intercepts him and offers to show him around. Why? Because he "must." [3] When

Tales From a Parallel Universe 5

The next time we see the Shadowy Author, he has teleported the Author onto a rooftop, and they have only come as far as the comic's present. (This is the future from the Author's point of view, since they departed in the comic of June 17 and arrived in the comic of November 25.) [4] This is because the Shadowy Author needs to make a stop at the Rockman Universe, where Bob is currently causing havoc. [5] [6] He tells Bob that he is, "for all intents and purposes, this universe's Author" [7]. He then explains that the corruption of the Rockman Universe was in fact due to the Author's presence [8] and that Bob will soon have vengeance against the Author [9]. Then, he calls upon a plot device from Excel Saga (the Great Will of the Macrocosm) to repair the effects of Bob's massacre. He weakly discourages Bob from doing it again, and leaves to meet back up with the Author.

Story Time

After almost a year, we hear from the Shadowy Author again. Apparently, he works behind the scenes with the spirits of X and Zero, and when George is in his first drug-induced coma, the Shadowy Author has X distract George for long enough that Dr. Light is able to stick George in the time suit and send him back to The Attack of Mega Man/Another Bad Time. [10] [11]

He has not abandoned the Author, however. We briefly break from George's storyline (much to the Author's dismay) to see that the Shadowy Author and the Author are still on their way to the Cataclysm. [12] The Author asks how the Shadowy Author can be in two storylines at once ("Magical Shadowy Author powers"), and the comic once again shifts its focus away from the pair.

Tales From a Parallel Universe 5½, Part 1

After a few storylines, it returns to find them in the Rockman Universe (on the alternate of the same rooftop as before), where two of the Author's characters, Alternate Mega Man and Alternate Bass, accidentally explode Bob's blaster in an attempt to prevent him from using it to endanger the multiverse. The explosion destroys the whole city. The Shadowy Author explains that the explosion of Bob's blaster is this universe's Cataclysm; that "this is only one of many universes, and that was only one of many Cataclysms"; and that "[j]ust as [the Author] is the Author of several versions of the Megaman Universe, [the Shadowy Author cares] for several versions of the Rockman Universe." He also explains that this Cataclysm would ironically turn out to be a good thing for this universe in the long run. [13] [14] [15] While this isn't quite what the Author expected to see, it was enough, so he went home. The Shadowy Author, on the other hand, stuck around and helped Alternate Mega Man and Alternate Bass to their own dimension. Interestingly, the pair recognizes and fears him. [16]

The Fifth Party

He appears briefly at the Fifth Anniversary Party, hovering overhead. [17]

The Introduction of X

It is then revealed that he is currently on the ethereal plane with the souls of Zero and X, talking to them about "destiny," much to their annoyance. [18] Presently, the Shadowy Author discovers that the reason X's body is missing is that Zero's soul is absconding with it. He threatens the two with the Rehabilitator, and X's soul goes to enlist George's help in returning his body. [19] Once X is activated, Zero wants to be activated, too, but The Shadowy Author reminds him that "[he is] going to kill everyone when [he is] activated." [20]

The Attack of X

The Shadowy Author makes an appearance at the 2005 Fourth of July Special. At some point after this, his appearance drastically changes: His speech bubbles now have tails (just like the other characters), and his eyes are now blue instead of red.

Prelude to the Worst Time

He gets Bass to suggest to Dr. Wily that somebody else program Zero. This inspires Dr. Wily to go get Bob. [21]

Meanwhile, he checks in on George (who doesn't recognize him, but guesses that he's his mom) in order to cease George's fit of insanity and inform him that Bob is still alive. [22] George thinks that the Shadowy Author's appearance to him is "a little anti-climactic," to which the Shadowy Author responds, "That's only because you have no idea what's really going on here." [23] Then the Shadowy Author tells George to help Dr. Light clean the lab, which almost directly leads to George's discovery of the Bob's presence at the First Annual Robot Tournament. [24]

The Worst Time

He stays for the 2006 New Years' Special, but he goes back to Dr. Wily's Laboratory in order to help Bob program Zero. [25] With the Shadowy Author's help, Bob uses X's code as a starting point to program Zero. [26] In return, Bob does two things for the Shadowy Author: He erases X's memories, and he changes X's ethical simulations to something "fun." [27] [28] Interestingly, we have seen not only that these are exactly the things George wants Dr. Light to do, but also that Bob is exactly the person George thinks can do them. However, the Shadowy Author is excited about Bob's help because they are filling plotholes, while paradoxes have not historically been one of George's primary concerns. When Bob asks whether he knows "all about the plot and the future and everything," the Shadowy Author responds with a "Pretty much." [29] Proto Man catches the two in the act, but he just nonchalantly makes small talk. [30]

All Good Things

When George shifting through time, it is revealed during a Flashback (so that Bob can't listen.) that this is Shador's doing. He explains that Bob has been traveling through time and dimensions and giving Ned's Ninjas to loyal minions to help them disrupt events in three different timelines, the ones that Shador has been sending George to. After telling George to find out who's in control of the Ninjas in each time-period, Shador returns George to the Present. After George goes through another cycle of time-shifting, he arrives back at the Present and, after interrogating Mynd, discovers that the Author has been captured by Bob, and Shador appears again. After George exclaims that it's a stupid plan, Shador sends him to the future.

The Last Strips

However, the Shadowy Author would return for one last appearance before the end of the comic to prevent Bob from destroying the Earth with a supernova. Bob soon rips off Shador's mask, revealing him to be George.

It was explained that when George left, he disquised himself as Shador and went back in time to aid himself in figuring out Bob's plan. This explains what Shador ment when he appeared during George's flashback and said that he was there originally but only in a reminiscant since. Bob states that he knew it was George because the real Shador's eyes are red and his text boxes don't touch him.

The Epilogue

Soon after The Author stopped making comics, and left the universe to itself when the cataclysm arrived, the chose NOT to intervene for once, and as a result blamed himself for the cast's deaths. After this he took up his shadowy and mysterious mantle. or at least that is how the events would have transpired had Zero not revealed future information to Dr. Wily [31], as a result the events were retconned and instead The Author now lives with the rest of the cast in Acapulco.

Personality

Because of the Shadowy Authors's calm response when Bob caused a Cataclysm, it is apparent that the Shadowy Author values great ideals over individual lives. He is quite reckless with Bass in the 2005 Fourth of July Special, suggesting that he isn't all serious all the time. In fact, he is incredibly nonchalant throughout the whole comic, perhaps knowing that even if things go wrong and he can't reset them, it's only one universe out of many. He has a great passion for destiny, and he appears to spend his life shaping coherent, powerful plots—plots with very few plotholes.

What is known of the Megaman Universe's 32-bit future is incredibly bleak. The Shadowy Author's plothole-filling influence threatens to seal that fate. Many main characters would have to be killed or eliminated in order to make that future a reality, so the Shadowy Author's "helpfulness" may very well be what qualifies him as a villain.

Powers

Some of the Shadowy Author's powers seem to surpass even the Author's. Of course, that may be because the Author is secretly letting it happen. Here are the magical Shadowy Author powers we have seen in the comic:

• speaking in a mysteriously detached speech bubble
• being semitransparent (perhaps unwillingly)
• teleporting across time and space and between universes
• teleporting others
• teleporting the Author without his permission
• using the Great Will of the Macrocosm to "reset everything"
• talking with robot souls
• cutting the comic to another scene without the Author's permission
• using the Rehabilitator (purportedly)
• knowing "pretty much" all about the plot and the future and everything (purportedly)

Possible Secret Identities

Almost any of the characters can be favorably compared with the Shadowy Author, especially if said character is a Mega Man edit or a Proto Man edit. The Author and George have noticed his resemblance to the title characters' mother, but David Anez has made it clear that the Shadowy Author is male. We also know that the Shadowy Author expected the Author to recognize him on April 14, 2002, so he was probably in the Author's (or Dave's) life before that time. However, it is possible that Shador is his own individual, and not someone else.

In alphabetical order, here are a few of the possibilities for the Shadowy Author's identity, with some pros and cons:

The Author

Pros

• is male
• is a Mega Man edit
• has powers
• teleports with a "pfoof"
• was seen during the telling of The Author's future in The Epilogue

Cons

• This is kinda cheating....
• Has appeared side-by-side with the Shadowy Author.
• Has purple eyes

Bob

Pros

• is male
• is a Proto Man edit
• has superpowers
• has a dark grey suit
• is familiar with Excel Saga

Cons

• doesn't have much respect for sprite comic authors
• likes burning things himself
• Has appeared side-by-side with the Shadowy Author.

Dad

Pros

• is male
• looks like Mom
• doesn't not look like the Shadowy Author
• would facilitate cool "I am your father" jokes

Cons

• hasn't otherwise appeared in the comic
• would necessitate terrible "I am your father" jokes
• Bob and George are demi-gods and his mother is a god, requiring Dad to be a human.

David Anez

Pros

• is male
• is similar to but slightly distinct from the Author
• has an extremely good idea about where the comic is going

Cons

• is already portrayed by the Author
• is permanently residing in the same universe as you are (as far as we know)

Fistandantilus

Pros

• is male
• is a Mega Man edit
• has powers
• has red eyes
• has a dark gray suit
• has been in disguise

Cons

• was banished from the comic
• teleports with a "foopf"

George

Pros

• is male
• is a Mega Man edit
• has been semitransparent
• wants X to be innocent and fun-loving
• has superpowers
• has "ka-" prefixing many of his sound effects
• was posing as the Shadowy Author

Cons

• doesn't care about causing paradoxes
• often goes insane
• has "kracka" prefixing most of his sound effects
• Has appeared side-by-side with the Shadowy Author.
• has blue eyes

The Helmeted Author

Pros

• is male
• is a Mega Man edit
• has red eyes
• is emotional about plotholes
• appears in the comic as a running gag
• may have a secret identity

Cons

• is prone to insult people
• may have a different secret identity
• may only teleport with a "foopf"

Shadow Man

Pros

• is male
• has "Shadow" in his name
• can become semitransparent
• is dark [32]
• is mysterious [33]
• often makes no sense whatsoever [34]
• doesn't like the 16-bit Shadow Man sprite [35]

Cons

• uses very blatant nonsense
• has a much taller sprite
• doesn't think he could have a major role in the comic [36]

The Shadowy Author

Pros

• is male
• is a Mega Man edit
• has red eyes
• has powers
• is called "the Shadowy Author"
• may have a secret identity

Cons

• is too obvious

Mom

Pros

• is quite amorphous
• is solid black
• has red eyes
• has superpowers
• is mysterious

Cons

• is female
• is quite large
• is seen in angel form quite different from the Shadowy Author