"The endless Reploid rebellions continue. Humans, however, have begun migrations to the Moon, thanks to new technology. This plan is called the "Jakob Project", and an Orbital Elevator was built as part of it. Highly advanced new generation Reploids have been brought to the Moon's surface to work."

—Narration in the beginning of Mega Man X8.

The Jakob Project (ヤコブ計画, Yakobu Keikaku) is the project that involved the Jakob Orbital Elevator's creation and is an important subject in Mega Man X8.

Origin and Use[]

The Jakob Project started prior to the events of Mega Man X8. Due to the devastation of the Earth caused by the Maverick Wars, which showed no signs of ceasing, humans began looking to space to ensure their survival. New Generation Reploids were mass-produced and sent to the Moon to set up a central base, and they were tasked to create and use the Jakob Tower to transport materials for the construction of buildings suitable for human habitation, with immigration to the Moon soon becoming a reality with the completion of the orbital elevator.^[1][2]

The most common type of reploid working on the project are Guardroids. Gateway was also constructed as an orbital bridge between the top of the tower and the moon. At an unknown point, Sigma's DNA was put into the database for the New Generation Reploids' copy chips.^[3] As of the start of the storyline, the project is still ongoing. Lumine is the director in charge of the Jakob Project and has full control over the elevator's functions.

Mega Man X8[]

While on patrol, X comes upon a scene where one of the elevators had malfunctioned and was sent crashing down to Earth. He witnesses the elevator doors being ripped open, revealing seemingly dozens of Sigmas. He stands in shock before the Sigmas stand aside to reveal a purple-haired Reploid, who introduces himself as Lumine, the director of the Jakob Project. Later, X, Zero and Axl, who is now a full-time Maverick Hunter, are sent to investigate inside Point Galapagos where they encounter Vile, who reveals he has captured Lumine, before escaping.

From there, New Generation Reploids all around the world begin rampaging. Some of these Reploids were tied to the Jakob Project, Earthrock Trilobyte operates a mine to gather minerals for the project,^[4] while Bamboo Pandamonium managed space development research.^[5] As the Hunters continue to defeat the Mavericks, they research the nature of the New Generation Reploids and the Jakob Project, which (alongside Sigma's own transmission) reveal that the New Generation Reploids are under the influence of Sigma despite their immunity to viruses, and that he has hijacked the Jakob Project in order to create a new world for the New Generation Reploids to live in, with him as their ruler.

The Hunters pursue Sigma, ascending the Jakob Orbital Elevator, now filled with Mavericks, and defeat Vile again once they get to the top. As the Hunters proceed through Sigma Palace on the moon, they find Sigma at the end, who tells them that the New Generation Reploids working for the Jakob Project are his “children”, and that he plans to create a new world for them on the moon before he is seemingly defeated for good. Lumine then appears in front of the trio and is reveals he is Maverick himself and had been manipulating Sigma, declaring that the New Generation Reploids have awakened and that new world is at hand before attacking.^[6] The Hunters fight Lumine and defeat him, and Axl is badly wounded before the trio use the elevator to go back down to Earth. Lumine's status as a Maverick and his demise halted the production of New Generation Reploids and their Copy Chips, but space development would still continue afterwards, and their production would resume several years later.^[7]

References[]