RX-178 Gundam Mk-II

The RX-178 Gundam Mark-II is a fictional weapon from the Universal Century Gundam anime series, built by the Earth Federation and later used by the AEUG.

RX-178 Gundam Mk-II
The RX-178 Gundam Mk-II are three prototype mobile suits developed by the Titans in UC 0087. Generally patterned after the original RX-78-2 Gundam, the Gundam Mk-II featured a "movable frame" - wherein weaponry are designed along with the frame of the mobile suit, rather than the mobile suit being only a weapon-carrier. The Gundam Mk-II's design effectively traded armor and weaponry in favor of increased mobility - a very large factor in melee combat common in mobile suit deployment.

When word of these black-and-blue painted Gundams reached the Anti-Earth Union Group, Quattro Bagina - (Principality of Zeon's infamous "Red Comet") - lead a team which infiltrated the Titans' Gryps space colony. With the help of a young boy, Kamille Bidan - son of the Gundam Mk-II's principal designer Franklin Bidan, Quattro managed to steal all three mobile suits.

Following the theft of the Gundams, two were sent to Anaheim Electronics to be dismantled and studied, while the AEUG kept the last one in its service, painting over the dark Titans' color and giving it a blue-on-white color-scheme.

The Gundam Mk-II was given to many of the AEUG's best pilots, including the young rookie Kamille Bidan and later former Titans officer Emma Sheen. The Gundam Mk-II, with its antiquated titanium and ceramic composition, limited mobility and weaponry, soon proved ineffective against many of the Titans' new and transformable mobile suits.

RX-178 + FXA-05D "Super" Gundam


Anaheim Electronics later developed several upgrade items to improve Gundam Mk-II's effectiveness. First is the Flying Armor a sub-flight system based on the waverider mode of MSZ-006 Zeta Gundam. It allows Gundam Mk-II to enter the Earth's atmosphere and increase its mobility in atmospheric combat.

The second item is a Full Armor part: removable Gundarium armor that could greatly increase protection on FA-178 Full Armor Gundam Mk-II. But similar to Earth Federation's unbuilt FA-78-1 Gundam Full Armor Type, the increased weight would reduce Gundam Mk-II's maneuverability too much.

As result, the plan of Full Armor part was replaced by the more versatile FXA-05D G-Defenser - a fighter that can dock with the Gundam Mk-II - aptly nicknamed "Super" Gundam. In this form, the Gundam Mk-II can control most of the G-Defenser's weapons. It also featured additional acceleration and Gundarium alloy composition which in effect increased the Gundam Mk-II's mobility and armor. The pilot of the G-Defenser can then detach the core-fighter-like cockpit from the Super Gundam, though has only small laser guns for weapons.

The G-Defenser was destroyed at the end of the Gryps War, although the Gundam Mk-II would serve until its destruction in the First Neo-Zeon War.

RX-178 Gundam Mark II
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces (Titans) Operator: Anti-Earth Union Group; Titans Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit Dimensions: overall height 19.6 meters; head height 18.5 meters Weight: empty 33.4 metric tons; max gross 54.1 metric tons Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1930 kW Armament: 2 x XB-G-1048L (Titans) / A*E-Br*G-Sc-L (AEUG) beam saber, power rated at 0.45 MW, stored in recharge racks on backpack, hand-carried in use; VCU-505EX-Gry/Ver.009 (Titans) / VCU-505EX-V*B/Ver.012 (AEUG) 60 mm 2-barrel vulcan pod, 1400 rounds total, mounted on head; RX*M-Sh-VT/S-00018 (Titans) / RX*M-Sh-VT/S-001 (AEUG) shield, mounted on either forearm; BOWA*XBR-M-86-C2 (Titans) / A*E-Br*XBR-87-C (AEUG) beam rifle, power rated at 2.6 MW, powered by replaceable e-pac, 2 spare e-pacs stored in shield; H-Baz-85-Gry/Ver.045 (Titans) / H-Baz-87-A*E/Ver.004 (AEUG) 360 mm hyper bazooka, clip-fed, 7 rounds per clip plus 1 round in chamber, can be stored on rear skirt armor storage rack; clay bazooka, clip-fed, 7 rounds per clip plus 1 round in chamber, can be stored on rear skirt armor storage rack Pilot: Kamille Bidan, Emma Sheen, Char Aznable (aka Quattro Bajeena), Katz Kobayashi, Jerid Messa, Kacricon Cacooler, Franklin Bidan, Elle Vianno, Mondo Agake, Chara Soon, Beecha Oleg, Elpe Ple



FA-178 Full Armor Gundam Mark II
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces/Titans (Gundam Mark II); Anaheim Electronics Company (External Armor) Operator: Anti-Earth Union Group Unit type: prototype general purpose increased armor equipment mobile suit Dimensions: head height 18.5 meters Weight: empty 53.2 metric tons; max gross 74.3 metric tons Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1930 kW Armaments: 2-barrel beam cannon w/grenade launcher, mounted on right forearm; vulcan pod gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x grenade launcher

RX-178+FXA-05D Super Gundam
Manufacturer: Earth Federation Forces/Titans (Gundam Mark II); Anaheim Electronics Company (G-Defenser) Operator: Anti-Earth Union Group Unit type: RX-178 Gundam Mark II and FXA-05D G-Defenser combined mobile suit Dimensions: unknown Weight: empty weight unknown; max gross 94.0 metric tons Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactors, total output unknown Armament: 2 x A*E-Br*G-Sc-L beam saber, power rated at 0.45 MW, stored in recharge racks on Gundam Mark II backpack, hand-carried in use; 2 x 14-tube missile pod, mounted in binders on G-Defenser main body/backpack; 4 x vulcan gun, mounted in pairs in missile pod binders, each pair fire-linked; long beam rifle, power rated at 6.8 MW, mounted on right side of G-Defenser's main body, hand-operated by Gundam Mark II; VCU-505EX-V*B/Ver.021 60 mm 2-barrel vulcan pod, 1400 rounds total, mounted on head; RX*M-Sh-VT/S-008 shield, mounted on left forearm; A*E-Br*XBR-87-D beam rifle, power rated at 2.6 MW, powered by replaceable e-pac, 2 spare e-pacs stored in shield; H-Baz-87-A*E/Ver.009 360 mm hyper bazooka, clip-fed, 7 rounds per Pilot: Emma Sheen

Trivia

 * The Mk-II was used as a commercial bumper for Late Night with the face of Conan O'Brien replacing the traditional Gundam head.

ガンダムMk-II RX-178系列机动战士