Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans

Advance of Zeta: The Flag of Titans (アドバンス・オブ・Z～ティターンズの旗のもとに～, Advanced of Z: Titans no Hata no Moto ni, 2002—2008) is an original story set in U.C. 0084, and is the story of one of the first Titans' units, the Titans Test Team's Black Otter squad. It is serialized in the monthly publications Dengeki Hobby Magazine and Dengeki Daioh. The Dengeki Hobby serial takes the form of a photo-novel accompanied by mechanical designs, technical information, and model photographs, while the Dengeki Daioh serial is in manga format. The two serials cover many of the same story events, but some characters and events are depicted only in the photo-novel or only in the manga. It is replaced by it's sequel, Advance of Zeta: Rebels Against Time.

Summary
Advance of Zeta is a collaborative project between the staff of Dengeki Hobby Magazine, and the Sunrise animation studio which created Mobile Suit Gundam. The story is by Bin Konno, the mechanical designs by Kenki Fujioka, and the character designs by Takuya Saito. The manga adaptation is by Tatsu Mizuki. The Advance of Zeta side-story has proven to be a popular and long-running installment to the Universal Century storyline. Numerous model kits and figures have been released, and the serialized material has been published in several collected volumes.

Plot Synopsis
Set before Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, The story follows the Titans Test Team, Black Otter Team, on their mission to test new mobile suits for the Titans. It begins with Eliard Hunter, an Earth Federation mobile suit pilot being assigned to the Titans and transferring to the Aswan, an Alexandria class carrier. There he meets Carl Matsubara, another new Titans recruit, Audrey April a skilled pilot and chief of test operations and data gathering, and Wes Murphy, a veteran of the One Year War and the Delaz Conflict. The Black Otter team doesn’t just carry out test runs, it also participates in real combat missions against Zeon Remnants and later, against AEUG.

Titans Test Team (T3)

 * Eliard Hunter: Hero of the story, He test-pilots most of the featured units. He has a strong sense of justice.
 * Carl Matsubara: Rival of Eliard Hunter, He is Half-Japanese.
 * Wes Murphy: Captain of the T3 and veteran of the Delaz Conflict.
 * Audrey April: Heroine of the story, although beautiful and intelligent, she is also a capable soldier.
 * Otto Pedersen: Commander of the T3 and the Aswan.
 * Hendrik: The Aswan's maintenance chief.
 * Pete Shelton: Hendrik's assistant mechanic.
 * Kate Ross: Operator onboard the Aswan, appears in Manga only.

Earth Federation

 * Conrad Morris: An officer who belongs to the Legal Affairs Bureau. Sustained an injury during his time as a soldier as always seen with a crutch.
 * Eddie Southwell: A superior of Conrad in the EFF.
 * Thomas Schroeder: Captain of the Izmir, he is a One Year War veteran and once a Salamis captain.
 * Hammond Erinke: Deputy Commander of the Izmir.
 * Jonathan Cohen: Mechanic on board the Izmir.
 * Rachel Sand: A Mechanic belonging to the Izmir.
 * Georgy Mirukofu: A Military judge who oversaw the trial involving Eliard Hunter.
 * Joanna Paburoa: Conrad's secretary ,would later leak information that would acquit Eliard Hunter of all charges.
 * Teodoro Urbani: Engineer at Konpeitoh (Solomon), Manga only.

AEUG

 * Maxim Gunnar: A soldier who once fought alongside Murphy during the Delaz Conflict.

Zeon Remnants

 * Gabriel Zola: Former captain of Zeon, joins the AEUG.

Other

 * Liu Kirishima: Freelance journalist, provides Joanna with information regarding the "Bunch 30" incident.

Mobile Weapons

 * NRX-044 Prototype Asshimar TR-3 (Kehaar)
 * NRX-044(R) Prototype Asshimar TR-3 (Kehaar)
 * ORX-005 Gaplant
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 (Fiver)
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 (Hrairoo)
 * ORX-005 Gaplant TR-5 (Advanced Hrairoo)
 * RGM-79CR GM Kai High Mobility Type
 * RGM-79EW EWAC GM
 * RGM-79Q GM Quel
 * RGM-79Q GM Quel Konpeitoh Army Specification
 * RGM-79Q Hazel Reserve Unit
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III Cannon Pack Test Type
 * RGM-79SR GM Sniper III High Mobility Type
 * RMS-106C Hizack Cannon w/Armor Unit
 * RMS-117 Galbaldy β High Mobility Type
 * RMS-154 Barzam
 * RMS-179/RGM-79R GM II
 * RX-107 Rosette
 * RX-107 Rosette Enhanced Land Battle Form Prototype
 * RX-107 Rosette Enhanced Land Battle Form
 * RX-107 TR-4 (Dandelion)
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 Hazel
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Full Armor Form
 * RX-121 Gundam TR-1 Hazel High Mobility Form
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Custom
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Custom w/Icarus Unit
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Custom w/Sniper Unit
 * RX-121-1 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Custom w/Sub Arm Unit
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 Hazel-Rah
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 Hazel-Rah Second Form
 * RX-121-1+FF-X29A Gundam TR-1 Hazel-Rah Second Form w/Booster
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 Hazel II Early Type
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 Hazel II
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Owsla
 * RX-121-2 Gundam TR-1 Hazel Owsla w/Gigantic Arm Unit
 * RX-121-2A Gundam TR-1 (Advanced Hazel)
 * RX-121-3C Gundam TR-1 Hyzenthlay
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 Woundwort
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 Woundwort High-Speed Fighter Form
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 Woundwort High-Speed Fighter Form Advanced Version
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Dandelion II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Fiver II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Hrairoo II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 Inle
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 Kehaar II
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Advanced Kehaar II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Woundwort-Rah)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Woundwort) Gigantic Form
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Hi-Zack II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Hazel II)
 * RX-124 Gundam TR-6 (Gaplant II)
 * YRMS-106 Hizack Pre-Production Type
 * YRMS-106+BL-85X Bizack TR-2 (Bigwig)

Vehicles and Support Units

 * Alexandria-class heavy cruiser (Aswan)
 * FF-X29A G-Parts (Hrududu)
 * FF-X29A G-Parts (Hrududu II)
 * Primrose
 * Primrose II
 * Salamis Kai class

Mobile Weapons

 * MS-06F Zaku II (Stutzer)
 * MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai
 * MS-06F2 Zaku II F2 Type
 * MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom
 * MS-07H8 Gouf Flight Type
 * MS-09R Rick Dom (Stutzer)
 * MS-14A Gelgoog
 * MS-14A Gelgoog (Stutzer)
 * MS-14B Gelgoog High Mobility Type
 * MS-14F Gelgoog Marine

Vehicles and Support Units

 * Dodai II
 * Zanzibar-class mobile cruiser

Mobile Weapons

 * MSA-003 Nemo Cannon
 * MSA-099 Rick Dias (Stutzer)
 * NRX-044 Asshimar
 * RMS-179/RGM-79R GM II
 * RMS-117 Galbaldy β High Mobility Type

Trivia

 * Because team leader Wes Murphy is fond of rabbits, all the TR Series machines assigned to the Titans Test Team are given nicknames derived from Watership Down, a novel by Richard Adams which recounts the adventures of a group of rabbits, Hazel, Bigwig, Dandelion, and Fiver are the names of heroic rabbits, Kehaar is a friendly bird who helps them, and Woundwort is a rabbit general who becomes their adversary.


 * The story’s flagship mobile suit, the Gundam TR-1 Hazel, can be glimpsed in one scene from the movie “Zeta Gundam III: Love is the Pulse of the Stars.”

Editions

 * First book ISBN: 978-4-8402-4229-5;DENGEKI HOBBY BOOKS
 * Second volume ISBN: 978-4-8402-4230-1;DENGEKI HOBBY BOOKS