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gMS-α Red Gundam

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Spoiler Warning: Spoiler details may follow.

The gMS-α Gundam, aka the "Red Gundam" is a mobile suit that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Red Gundam is the RX-78-02 White Gundam that was modified by the Principality of Zeon after it was captured by Char Aznable and customized to suit Char's specifications. It is identical to the White Gundam, except that it was repainted in Char's colors and equipped with the Alpha-type Psycommu system to interface with six wireless Psycommu-control remote weapons called Bits.[2]

Armaments

  • Vulcan Gun
Mounted in the head, these shell firing weapons have a high-rate of fire but little power and can't damage the thick armor of a mobile suit, though they can damage lightly armored areas such as the sensors. They are ideal for shooting down small, lightly armored targets such as missiles, attack vehicles, etc.
  • Beam Saber
The beam saber is a small device held in the mobile suit's hands when deployed and is powered by a rechargeable energy capacitor. It emits high-energy Minovsky particles to form a blade-shaped I-field (via manipulation of electromagnetic fields), and then fills this I-field shell with superheated Minovsky particle plasma to produce an effective cutting blade.
  • Beam Rifle
A hand carried ranged beam weapon powered by a rechargeable energy cap.
  • Gundam Hammer
A mobile suit sized flail-type weapon with a long chain and anchor-shaped grip attached to a spiked iron ball. The weapon could either be thrown or swung around the mobile suit itself to damage the enemy units.
  • Shield
A basic arm-mounted defense armament for many Federation mobile suits. The shield is a thick sheet of armor designed to take severe punishment that would normally destroy a mobile suit, and is also treated with an anti-beam coating to withstand several beam shots before the coating wears off. Typically, physical shields can only take so much damage before they succumb to the pressure and break.

Special Equipment & Features

  • Core Block System
  • Extenders
The Red Gundam is equipped with various hardpoints, found on its shoulder pauldrons, elbows, and knees, which can be used to mount different types of equipment including weapons and shields. The Red Gundam uses these hardpoints to mount the Bits.
  • "Alpha" Psycommu System
During the One Year War, researchers at the Flanagan Institute discovered that Newtypes emit powerful thought waves - similar to regular brainwaves, but not electrical in nature - which they called "psycho waves". The institute then developed a mind-machine interface called the Psycommu (psyco-communicator) system, which receive these thought waves and translates them into computer commands. Using this interface, a Newtype pilot can directly control remote weapons and operate huge mobile armors by thought alone, even through Minovsky interference. At the insistence of Col. Char Aznable, the Alpha-type psycommu system was retrofitted into the Red Gundam, as the mobile suit was originally developed without it.
  • Bits
Bits are a type of remote weapon equipped with a rocket thruster, verniers and its propellants, a power generator, a single beam gun, and a receptor designed to work with the Psycommu system. Their systems allow the bits to operate, attack and move independently of its carrier for an extended period of time. The Psycommu system allowed the bits to receive commands via psycho waves from the pilot, thus allowing for long-range control uninterrupted by Minovsky particles. When multiple bits attack at once from multiple angles, they can conduct all range attacks. A total of 6 bits mounted to the extenders on the Red Gundam - 1 on each shoulder extenders, 1 on each elbow extenders, and 1 on each knee extenders. During the battle to prevent the fall of Solomon onto Granada, Bit 01 and 02 ran out of fuel, and so Char sent both of them to a defending Salamis as missiles. By the time it reappears in 0085, it only retains 2 of them, both of which was destroyed by Xavier during his attempt to capture the Red Gundam.
When the Bits are mounted on the Red Gundam, they double as thrusters serving as the Red Gundam's main method of long-range propulsion. During launch, all 6 bits are clustered on shoulders for optimized linear thrust, and can be redocked on other extenders for optimized thrust (eg cruising) or manuveurability as need.

History

One Year War

Originally created in UC 0079 by the Earth Federation Forces as the RX-78-02 Gundam, it was captured during the One Year War by the Principality of Zeon's ace mobile suit pilot, Char Aznable. It was repurposed to Char's specifications with the addition of the new Alpha-type Psycommu system and related weapon Bits onto the mobile suit, and is then assigned to the Zeon assault ship Sodon, with the mobile suit becoming Char's personal machine.

The Red Gundam was first deployed near the end of the One Year War to harass the Federation fleet docked at Solomon using its remote-controlled Bits. Later, the Red Gundam would be deployed to recapture Solomon, which had been set on course by the Federation to crash into Granada. Due to extensive combat, four of the Red Gundam's bits would run dangerously low on fuel, leading Char to to kamikaze the Bits onto nearby Federation ships. Inside Solomon, Char would use the Red Gundam to disable the MS-06 Zakus repurposed as bombs to divert Solomon's course, as he was intent on sabotaging Zeon's plans to save Granada. Along the way the Red Gundam is engaged in single combat by a tri-colored RGM-79 Light-Type Guncannon, but before Char lands the killing blow his Newtype senses alert him to the Light Cannon's pilot being his sister Artesia, causing him to hesitate. This allows the Light Cannon to shoot the cavern they're in, causing a cave-in that buries the Red Gundam and allowing the Light Cannon to escape.

After the Red Gundam frees itself from its burial, an inexplicable Newtype reaction causes the Alpha Psycommu to act erratically, causing a massive explosion that knocks Solomon off course and saves Granada. The phenomena, now known as Zeknova, results in both the Red Gundam and Char disappearing into parts unknown.

Izuma Colony

In UC 0085, the Red Gundam is discovered to be active at the Izuma colony at Side 6 by the Sodon, which had been hunting down reports of Red Gundam sightings. The gMS-Ω GQuuuuuuX is sortied from the Sodon to make contact with the Red Gundam, but the Red Gundam attacks, leading to a confrontation that sees both Gundams crashing inside the colony, and in the subsequent fight the Red Gundam loses both its Bits. After the colony's military police forces arrive the Red Gundam uses the ensuing confusion to escape into the colony's interior maintenance tunnels.

The Red Gundam would later resurface when Shuji Itō, who turns out to be the Red Gundam's new pilot, is invited by Amate "Machu" Yuzuriha to participate in a Clan Battle against the Four Snake Eyes. Shuji would pilot the Red Gundam to fight alongside the GQuuuuuuX now piloted by Machu, with their teamwork allowing the pair to win against their more experienced opponents.

The Red Gundam, continued to achieve victories for the Pomeranians in Clan Battles alongside the GQuuuuuuX. Shuji expresses his desire traveling to Earth with the Red Gundam (To go looking for a particular “rose”), hoping to fund this journey through his earnings from Clan Battles. Amate shares this aspiration. Illegal courier, Nyaan, is informed by her handler about a bounty placed on the Red Gundam. Shuji and Amate participate in a battle between them and the CRS clan, against Shiiko Sugai, the CRS's fighter and a former Earth Federation super ace, who is obsessed with taking vengeance on the Red Gundam. Shuji activates a Newtype Flash, bringing Shiiko and Amate into the moment. During this encounter, Shiiko discloses that somebody is communicating to Shuji through the Red Gundam. However, the revelation is short-lived, as Shuji ultimately kills her by destroying her cockpit.

Challia Bull meets with Pomeranians leader Annqi and cuts a deal with her to turn over both the Red Gundam and Shūji to Zeon in exchange for a large bounty. Amate later overhears Annqi discussing with Nabu that they have tracked the location of the Red Gundam and Shūji by placing a tracker on Amate. Amate, realizing that Shūji and the Red Gundam are in danger, reluctantly works with Nyaan to devise a plan for their escape.

As Shūji Itō and Nyaan were hiding from the Side 6 Military Police while they were escaping. Shūji said the Red Gundam told him that the "Rose" was awakening. The Red Gundam suddenly triggers another Zeknova and vanishes, taking Shuji along with it.

Later, after Amate was held in custody by Challia, the Yomagn'tho nears completion, Zeon is focused on final preparations for the grand opening. Challia directs Amate to activate the Rose of Sharon, the main power source for the Yomagn'tho. Amate and Nyaan stumbled upon a tense standoff with Kycilia and Char. In the midst of the confrontation, Char made a swift escape with Amate, leading them into a shaft where they spotted the Red Gundam at the depths of the chamber. Char tells Amate that he first met Shuji when he was known as Shirouzu. He entrusted the Red Gundam to Shūji Itō, seeing him as a powerful Newtype, and hoped he would support his mission. Char boards the Red Gundam to return the Rose of Sharon to its original universe, aiming to stabilize reality. He secretly designed the Yomagn'tho for this purpose.

Amate attempted stopping Char in the GQuuuuuuX, fearing he intends to harm Lalah. Then Shuji intervenes, causing a Zeknova to form and pulling Amate and Char into the Kira Kira. Shuji vows to protect Lalah and reveals he hails from another universe. Shuji then declares his plan to destroy their world as a mobile suit from his universe is summoned.

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Notes & Trivia

  • The unit is likely based off the idea of the RX-78/C.A. Casval's Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam: Gihren's Greed.
  • The bits were originally from a "Large Newtype Mobile Armor" project that was cancelled upon the White Gundam's capture. Based on the looks and size, it is implied to be the MAN-08 Elmeth. Episode 10 would confirm the existence of the Elmeth from another universe. This would explain the early introduction to the bits. As bits weren't introduce until the creation of the Elmeth but in the GQUX universe the Elmeth project was never went into production due to the capture of the White Gundam.
  • The "Red" in "Red Gundam" is written in hiragana (赤い, i.e. "akai") instead of katakana (レッ, i.e. "reddo"), indicating that the color is a visual description and not an official part of the unit's name, and thus in-universe the mobile suit is only officially referred to as "Gundam". The "Red Gundam" name is only used both in-universe and in real-life as a term to differentiate it from the RX-78-02 White Gundam and the original RX-78/C.A. Casval's Gundam.
  • The "Zeknova" phenomenon that pushes away Solomon off course and saves Granada may be referenced from the Axis Shock event in the Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack film, which pushed half of Axis away from the Earth.

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://x.com/ikuto_yamashita
  2. ↑ Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX -Beginning- Pamphlet Deluxe Ver, Pg 06.

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