CB-002 Raphael Gundam (aka Raphael Gundam, Raphael), is the successor unit to the GN-008GNHW/B Seravee Gundam GNHW/B, featured in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie: A wakening of the Trailblazer. The unit is piloted by Tieria Erde.
Technology & Combat Characteristics
Raphael is the product combination between Innovators and Celestial Being MS technology, produced by Tiera Erde for his own personal use [5]. Technical and combat data from GNZ-003 Gadessa and GN-008GNHW/B Seravee Gundam GNHW/B were used as a basis [1][2] , resulting in a hybrid heavy assault unit.
Raphael is a departure from its predecessors as it is the first heavy assault Gundam without heavy body armor. Its overall presentation has been inverted from its lineage. All Gundams piloted by Tieria Erde has been traditionally heavily armored first, with a secondary high mobility unit as a last resort. This inversion allows Raphael greater mobility and flexibility in combat, however, in exchange, its defenses have been reduced.
The MS frame was rebuilt from the Innovators' leftover materials and parts from Seravee. Raphael's head crown still retains the horn-like design from Seravee. Its overall appearance has aesthetic elements from the GNZ-series and Seravee Gundam and its backpack contains a hidden second Gundam. It's second form is the redeveloped variant of Seravee Gundam, GN-008RE Seravee Gundam II. Unlike its predecessors,Seravee II is an unmanned unit which is controled by Tieria's quantam brainwaves.As with its predecessors, the unit only reveals itself as a final measure.Besides the feauture,Tieria can detach the Gundam from the backpack,battle only with Raphael the single unit.
Raphael is much like its predecessors, which were all high particle consuming Gundams. A significant difference is that Raphael is the only Gundam in Celestial Being's possession that doesn't have a true GN Drive. Raphael draws power from 3 GN Drive Taus as its powerplants. One of its drives is built into Raphael, while the other 2 are located on its backpack, within the GN Big Cannons.
The attached drives gives the remote cannons great speed, power, and range. The cannons can fly off to remotely shoot, crush, and push off enemy targets. When greater firepower is needed, Raphael can detach its GN Bazookas for more firepower; however it's not clear whether Raphael can create combos between its cannons and bazookas like Seravee for adaptable firepower. Overall, Raphael is a formidable unit of great firepower, but limited in combat time as it no longer contains its self-perpetual energy system, a true GN Drive.
Armaments
GN Big Cannon/GN Claw
On Raphael's backpack, the unit contains a pair GN Claws with built-in cannons. It's an enhanced version of Virtue's and Seravee's GN Cannons. The GN Big Cannons are hidden underneath the claws. Differing from its lineage though, the cannons have their own GN Drives and are detachable, capable of autonomous movement that gives them an unrestricted field of fire and greater range of movement.
GN Beam Rifle
Raphael's GN Beam Rifle is similar in design to the rifles used by the Plutone and Nadleeh. Its exact power rating is unknown, although the power output and size of the beam is less than that of its GN Cannons [6].
GN Bazooka
A pair of GN Bazookas are attached to the backpack of Raphael. They're derived from the original bazookas of Seravee's GN Bazooka II. Much of the design remains the same, but they have been reconfigured to adapt onto the backpack of Raphael.
System Features
History
The Raphael Gundam was first deployed by Tieria Erde during Celestial Being's first attempted contact with the ELS. During this mission, Setsuna F. Seiei used the 00 Raiser Condenser Type and attempted to make contact with the ELS, but his attempt failed and the ELS attacked, with two ELS hitting the 00 Raiser's left arm and beginning to assimilate. However, Tieria arrived in the Raphael to assist, forcibly ripping off the 00 Raiser's left arm and saving the rest of the machine from assimilation, allowing Celestial Being to escape.
Raphael's second deployment was during Setsuna's second attempt to communicate, this time using a combination of the Raiser System and Trans-Am to produce a Trans-Am Burst-like effect and expand his quantum field of communications. However, the ELS reacted violently and delivered a crippling mind attack to Setsuna, rendering him comatose and leaving the 00 Raiser open to assimilation. In his desparation to save Setsuna, Tieria quickly revealed the true form of Raphael's backpack, GN-008RE Seravee Gundam II. Using his quantum brainwaves, Tieria used the Seravee to forcibly rip the 00 Raiser's cockpit from the rest of the machine. After handing the cockpit to Lockon Stratos in the GN-010 Gundam Zabanya, Tieria took it upon himself to hold off the ELS long enough for Lockon to escape with Setsuna. However, even with his quantum brainwaves, the Seravee, and Raphael's Trans-Am System activated, Tieria was eventually overwhelmed by the ELS and suffered a mind attack of his own, leaving both the Raphael and the Seravee open to attack. Tieria's physical body, the Raphael and the Seravee were assimilated along with the 00 Raiser, forcing Tieria to return to Veda.
Picture Gallery
Notes & Trivia
- Raphael is the name of an archangel of Judaism and Christianity who performs all manner of healing and another one of Islam.
- In the early trailers, Raphael inherited Seravee's GN Drive, but later, as a creative decision, it was decided to have Raphael be the first Gundam of the main team in Celestial Being to be used without one.
- Early drafts of Raphael's backpack form showed a completely different Gundam, but it was ultimately decided to return Seravee.
- In the 2nd trailer for the movie, Raphael performed a move similar in appearance to the Wing Gundam Zero's iconic "Rolling Buster Rifle" maneuver, where the Wing Zero's pilot Heero Yuy would split the twin buster rifle into two rifles, aim them to either side of the mobile suit and fire whilst rotating the mobile suit.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Official 00 Movie Site MS Page Raphael [1]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Gundam 00 Genealogy PG 00 Raiser manual[2]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 HG 1/144 CB-002 Raphael Gundam manual
- ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam 00P File no. 4
- ↑ Tieria Erde Official Profile [3], Translation by Saga_CE on 26/4/10 [4]
- ↑ Gundam 00 Movie Trailer 2
External Links
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