M. Bison

For the Street Fighter character known as "M. Bison" in Japan, see Balrog (Street Fighter).

M. Bison
Street Fighter series character
File:Bison (Super Turbo).PNG M. Bison in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, as illustrated by Bengus.
First game	Street Fighter II

M. Bison, known as Vega (ベガ, Bega) in Japan, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring boss and antagonist of the Street Fighter series of fighting games.

A would-be world dictator, Bison's ambition is to control the world's governments through his covert crime syndicate, Shadaloo (シャドルー, Shadorū, sometimes spelled as "Shadoloo", "Shadowloo" or "Shadowlaw"). He serves as the host of Street Fighter II 's fighting tournament and is the last opponent fought in the game. Several Street Fighter characters — including Guile, T. Hawk, Cammy, Rose and Chun-Li — have their personal vendettas against M. Bison and have entered the tournament in the hope of having a shot at him. M. Bison wields Psycho Power, an evil energy which manifests as blue or purple flames and electricity. The character was named the 30th most diabolical video game villain of all time by PC World.

Conception and creation

In the original Japanese version of Street Fighter II, the single-player mode concludes with a series of matches against four computer-controlled opponents: M. Bison, a former pro boxer; Balrog, a masked Spaniard with a clawed gauntlet; Sagat, a returning character from the original Street Fighter; and Vega, a dictator dressed in red military uniform, the game's very last opponent. As Street Fighter II was being localized for the United States, concerns arose over M. Bison, who resembled an analogue of Mike Tyson to the point of likeness infringement. Believing the character to be a legal liability, Capcom chose to reshuffle the names of its characters. The Spaniard was renamed Vega, the boxer became Balrog, and Vega inherited the name M. Bison. Unlike the original Japanese games, the initial in his name is never given any particular meaning. In the Street Fighter EX games and the Marvel fighting game series, the character is addressed simply as Bison.

History

Street Fighter series

Bison first appears in the original Street Fighter II as the final computer-controlled opponent in the single-player mode, following the player's defeat of the other three Grand Masters. The battle taking place in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand in front of a crowd, where he poses with his cape prior to battle. His special techniques consist of the Psycho Crusher, the Knee Press (aka Scissor Kick) and the Head Press. He was originally a non-playable character in the first edition of Street Fighter II, but became selectable from Champion Edition and onward, while maintaining his position as the final boss until Super Street Fighter II Turbo, in which a hidden character named Akuma defeats Bison and challenges the player as an alternate final boss.

The storyline through the numerous versions of Street Fighter II characterizes Bison as the leader of a terrorist organization called "Shadaloo" who sponsors the World Warrior tournament. A few characters who participate in the tournament have a personal vendetta against Bison. Chun-Li and Guile are both seeking to avenge the deaths of loved ones (Chun-Li's father and Guile's friend respectively), while T. Hawk wants to regain his homeland. Cammy, an amnesiac, believes that Bison is connected to her past and learns in her ending that she was once one of his agents (changed to being lovers in the original English localization of the arcade, although this was changed back in the Game Boy Advance version, Super Turbo Revival).

Capcom later released Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, a prequel to the Street Fighter II games inspired by animated movie that further fleshed out and developed the fictional universe of the series. Bison appears in the first Alpha as the final boss for certain characters and a hidden playable character available via a code. Two characters with ties to Bison were introduced: Rose a fortune teller with spiritual ties to Bison, whose Soul Power is the opposite of Bison's Psycho Power; and Charlie (Nash in Japan), Guile's dead war buddy from Street Fighter II, who seeks to track him down.

Street Fighter Alpha 2, released the following year in 1996, follows the same plot as the original Alpha, but features completely revamped endings. Bison is featured in this game as a regular playable character.

In Street Fighter Alpha 3, released in 1998, a non-playable version of Bison called Final M. Bison serves as the final boss of all the characters (with the exception of Bison himself, who fights Ryu). Several revelations are made in this game, including the fact that Rose is the good half of Bison's soul and the fact that Cammy is a female clone of Bison. In the end of the game (regardless which ending the player gets), Bison's body is destroyed and a new one is built for him by his scientists after the game (an attempt to explain his different appearance between Street Fighter II and the Alpha games).

Bison is featured as a non-playable boss character in the 1997 game Street Fighter EX, the first 3D entry in the series. He becomes a playable character in the upgraded version Street Fighter EX Plus (1997) and its PlayStation port Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha. While Bison was absent in the original version of Street Fighter EX2, he appears in the upgrade Street Fighter EX2 Plus (1999) and its sequel Street Fighter EX3 (Template:Vgy as a regular character, as a modified version known as "Bison 2".

Bison is set to return in Street Fighter IV, a continuation of Street Fighter II set prior to the events of Street Fighter III.

Other games

Bison appears in the Street Fighter: The Movie, a 1995 video game adaptation of the 1994 film. The game plays in a similar way to the Mortal Kombat, with each character represented by digitized sprites of the film's actors. Bison's portrayer, Raúl Juliá, had intended to participate in the project but bowed out due to health problems. Consequently, Bison's fight animations were performed by actor Darko Tuscan. Film clips of Juliá as Bison are included within the game's cut scenes.

In the Marvel vs. Capcom series of crossover fighting games, Bison is frequently included among the ranks of Capcom characters. Both X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (1997) feature Bison as a playable character. Bison's character sprite is identical to that of his Street Fighter Alpha incarnation. He is noticeably absent from Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998), though he appears in several of the game's ending sequences. In Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes (2000), the Alpha version of Bison is once again a playable character, though he must be unlocked before he is made available.

Bison underwent a makeover for his role in the SNK vs. Capcom series, reverting to the slimmer appearance of his Street Fighter II debut. He has regularly appeared in each entry of the series, beginning with SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium (1999) and its sequels, Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 and Capcom vs. SNK 2 (2001). Bison appears at the halfway point of each game as a mid-boss (along with Geese Howard) if the player has accumulated enough points. Most recently, he was included as a playable character in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos (2003).

Bison appeared in Capcom Fighting Jam (2004), which features an assortment of characters from each individual series published by Capcom.

Outside of the fighting game genre, a super deformed version of Bison has also appeared in the handheld collectible card game SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters Clash (1999). He also appears in the Japanese action/tactical RPG hybrid Namco × Capcom.

Characteristics

Bison's attire consists of a red military uniform with metal shoulder plates, wrist bands, and shin guards. On his cap is the skull insignia of Shadaloo. Before a match, Bison is seen sporting a grey cloak around his uniform, which he tosses aside once the fight begins. In all appearances following Street Fighter II , Bison is shown lacking pupils and irises, leaving his eyes ghastly white. Bison's signature move is the Psycho Crusher, which sends him spiraling through the air while wreathed in fiery energy. The resultant damage either immolates or electrocutes his victim. His other famous move is the Double Knee Press (also known as the Scissor Kick), a forward flip which sends him barreling toward his opponent. Some gaming literature has specified Bison's fighting style as Lerdrit, a military variant of Muay Thai.

In the Street Fighter Alpha series, Bison's physical stature is larger and more imposing. He wears a gray-colored cape at all times, including battles. Bison's repertoire of moves was changed to reflect his 'new' appearance: Among his new abilities is the Psycho Shot, a previously-unseen projectile attack. Bison also demonstrates greater mastery over his Psycho Power, able to teleport across the screen and hover in the air.

In the Capcom vs SNK series, Bison's physical appearance is much leaner, one reminiscent of his role in Street Fighter II. As before, he removes his cloak before battle. Also when faced with Geese Howard(SNK's Final Boss), instead of him removing his cloak, it will be disintegrated by Geese's projectile. He gains a move called the "Psycho Banish" which allows him to negate projectiles.

Final M. Bison

A version of M. Bison officially referred to as "Final M. Bison" appears in Street Fighter Alpha 3. This incarnation of M. Bison is him at the height of his psycho power. M. Bison becomes his most powerful incarnation by using a device called the psycho drive. Because of this immense power increase, Final M. Bison seeks a new body, which happens to be that of Ryu's. Eventually, Final M. Bison is defeated by the likes of Chun-Li and Charlie. His body is destroyed along with Shadowlaw's secret base. Final M. Bison does not appear ever again in any of the other street fighter games. Since he had lost his body, M. Bison takes over the body of Rose, his good half, until Shadowlaw scientists can build him a new one (the one that is seen in Street Fighter II). However, by doing this, he weakens his psycho power by having a good side and not being completely evil. This can explan the power difference that is apparent between Final M. Bison and the M. Bison that appears in Street Fighter II. Unlike previous incarnations of M. Bison, the Street Fighter II version cannot teleport or fly, and is visibly thinner.

In terms of gameplay, Final M. Bison is incredibly strong, equal or greater in strength to Shin Akuma. He has his own ism, sometimes referred to by fans as Shadowlaw-ism or Boss-ism. His fierce punches are stronger than his regular form, visibly cutting the wind. Final M. Bison also has a trademark super move, which is essentially a super powered psycho crusher. It covers the entire screen and cannot be blocked in the air. And as expected, it takes off immense damage, almost 3/4 of a normal character's life energy. Final M. Bison is the final boss of every character except Evil Ryu in Street Fighter Alpha 3, and can only be selected by a human player in the console versions of the game.

In other media

Live-action

Street Fighter

Bison is portrayed by Raúl Juliá in the 1994 live-action film Street Fighter. At one point during the film, Bison quotes the video games by saying "Anyone who opposes me will be destroyed", while Van Damme quotes the line "Are you man enough to fight with me?" In the film, General M. Bison is a crazed military commander who plans to mass-produce supersoldiers to take over the world. He is depicted as an average fighter, with no super powers whatsoever (partially due to Juliá's ill health, he was not able to perform the stunts necessary to make Bison an equal match for Guile). Instead, his uniform contains powerful electromagnets which allow him to levitate, as well as shoot lightning from his hands. During the film's climactic fight, Bison challenges, "You come to fight a madman, and instead find a god? Do you still refuse to accept my godhood? Keep your own God! In fact, this time may be a good time to pray to Him! For I beheld Satan as he fell from Heaven like lightning!" (cf. Gospel of Luke 10:18: "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." KJV)

A very arrogant man, Bison adorns his quarters with comically-heroic portraits of himself. Hanging on his wall is an edited version of Jacques-Louis David's painting, 'Napoleon Crossing the Alps'. The original painting depicted Napoleon Bonaparte posing on a white horse; Napoleon's body is replaced by an image of Bison in the same pose.

This version of Bison appears in the arcade and home versions of the Street Fighter: The Movie video game tie-in. Although Julia is credited in the attract sequence of the arcade version, the character portrayed for the game was actually played by Julia's stunt double Darko Tuscan.

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

Main article: Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

Bison is slated to appear in the upcoming movie focusing on Chun-Li. He will be played by Neal McDonough.

Animation

Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie

Bison is featured prominently in the Japanese anime film Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. He is the main antagonist of the film and a shared enemy of several other fighters, mainly Chun-Li and Guile. Bison is voiced by Takeshi Kusaka in the Japanese version, in the English dub he is voiced by Tom Wyner and Antônio Moreno in the Brazilian dub.

Bison's organization, Shadowlaw, is stated as being an international terrorist organization. It employs a great deal of sci-fi technology, including cyborgs (known as "Monitor Cyborgs") which pose as human while broadcasting live images to Bison. The spelling "Shadowlaw" is used on-screen early in the anime.

Intrigued by Ryu's fighting skill, Bison orders a nationwide manhunt to capture and brainwash him to work for Shadowlaw. Ken, Ryu's old friend, is brainwashed by Bisons "Psycho Power" after the terrorist leader easily outmatches him in a fight. With Ryu's help, Ken shakes off Bison's influence, and the two of them destroy Bison's VTOL fighter jet with a combined Hadouken fireball. Though Bison is thought to have perished, he reappears at the helm of a semi truck bearing down on Ryu before the film ends. Ryu leaps towards the truck ready for another battle, and the end credits roll.

Street Fighter: The Animated Series

Bison's portrayal in the US Street Fighter series is considerably close to the portrayal of him in both the live-action film and significant aspects of the video game. His primary nemesis is Guile, as in the movie. In the first season, Bison's attack on Chun-Li's village (referenced in the live-action film), appears in a flashback, revealing how he killed Chun-Li's father, who attacked him in futile defiance. Bison later reveals to a vengeful Chun-Li that he also slayed his own father, and remarks that she doesn't see him whining about it as she does.

The second season explored Bison's relationship with Cammy in the same manner as the games and in the anime movie, with Cammy being triggered as a "sleeper agent" in the opening episodes. She discovers the truth about Bison in the series finale, but not before she reestablishes her romantic bond with him.

Bison seems to worship a Thai deity that instructs him on what to do with his resources, and in the finale, Bison convinces himself he has been told to destroy the Earth through the launching of nuclear missiles. A final battle with Guile, Cammy, Chun-Li, Sagat, and Cammy's former teammates concludes with Bison being eaten alive by his own computers, aborting the launch and seemingly killing him.

Comics

UDON Comics

Bison is heavily featured as the primary antagonist of the UDON-published Street Fighter comic series. His story is greatly unchanged from the official version, portraying him as the dark and sinister leader of Shadaloo. He operates behind a veil of various agents and associates who do his bidding as well as having numerous enemies (such as Chun-Li and Guile). Like the official story, Bison has a great interest in Ryu after watching him defeat Sagat at the last Street Fighter tournament and observing the nature of the Satsui no Hadou. At the end of the first series of comics, Bison is defeated in a battle with his own creation (Charlie, who had been empowered with Shadaloo technology) when Charlie sacrifices himself to plunge Bison into a river. Bison survives the fall and his body rebuilt (again, repeating the events of the official canon), whereupon he resumes his role as Shadaloo dictator.

However, unlike the official story, Bison's background is fully explored in these comics. UDON's story states that Bison was once a pupil of a great spiritualist whose tribe was Rose's place of origin. This spirtualist (who is referred to only as "Master" in the comics) teaches Bison the force known as "Soul Power". Years later, Bison returns to her and lays waste to her and her people using his corrupted form of the energy, now dubbed "Psycho Power". Rose is the only survivor of the genocide.

Shadaloo

Shadaloo is a fictional crime organization which is run by Bison. Its insignia is a winged skull with a lightning bolt—forming an "S" for Shadaloo—etched onto its forehead. The symbol can be seen on Bison's cap, as well as in numerous cut scenes. The Four Devas of Shadaloo include Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and Bison himself. Both Balrog and Vega are fighters who were recruited under the promise of wealth, whereas Sagat was motivated by the prospect of revenging himself on Ryu. In Street Fighter II, Bison ostensibly hosts the game's fighting tournament to seek out new talent for Shadaloo.

Bison and Shadaloo feature more prominently in the Alpha series of games. New Shadaloo henchmen are introduced, including the The Dolls, a group of female fighters who are programmed to serve Bison. Cammy was bred as a member of this group, but eventually regained her senses and fled to England. In Street Fighter Alpha 3, Bison's headquarters is located in the interior of a Thai statue depicting a female deity. During the game over sequence, the face of the statue crumbles away, revealing a skull-like robotic head. The robot's eyes fire a laser into the stratosphere, which is intercepted by Bison's satellite and deflected back toward Earth.

In the 1994 live-action Street Fighter film, Shadaloo (spelled as Ŝadoluo in Esperanto) is a hostile dictatorship. According to maps shown during the film's opening, it is a fictitious country located in a segment of present-day Burma.

Promotion and reception

IGN ranked Bison at number four in their "Top 25 Street Fighter Characters" article, noting his role as a villain in the series that did not leave fighting to his henchmen. GamePro placed him at number thirty in their "47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time" article, stating "This guy had the nerve to look you dead in the face, threaten your very soul and then tell you he represents an organization called Shadoloo. That's brave, man."