MSN-02 Zeong

Template:Infobox/Mobile Weapon Ver.2 The MSN-02 Zeong (ジオング, Jiongu^?) is a prototype mobile suit developed by the Principality of Zeon at the A Baoa Qu space fortress during the One Year War of the anime Mobile Suit Gundam, the Zeong was built especially for Newtype pilots and was first piloted by the "Red Comet" Char Aznable.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The final product of the MS-16X "Bishop Plan", the Zeong was a mobile suit in the fact that it features a roughly humanoid shape. However, it lacked legs, which first surprised its pilot. Although it was only 80% complete, it didn't matter in gravity-lacking space, since the legs aided in the AMBAC System. Because of that factor, it was at 100% combat capacity when first used.

The Zeong was the first mobile suit to use Psycommu system. This let it effectively use its wire-guided, remote-controlled arms, each built with 5-mega particle gun fingers. Two additional beam guns were built into the torso. Lastly, there was a single beam cannon inside the head. Unlike the mobile suits of the time, the Zeong had its cockpit built in the head, which could detach from the body and act as an escape pod for the pilot.

Armaments

• Wire-guided 5-barrel Mega Particle Gun

The forearms of the MSN-02 Zeong can be detached from the main body and remotely maneuvered with micro thrusters built into their base. The forearms are guided by thick wires that communicate the Newtype pilot's thoughts via the psycommu system. Each of the Zeong's forearms are in essence powerful mega particle guns with five barrels each built into the fingers. The five barrels on both arms are fire-linked, so each time one of the arm weapons fire a total of five beams are emitted, ten if both mega particle guns fire. This large amount of beams, combined with the remote weapons' ability to create all-range attacks, creates a powerful spread of beams that is nearly impossible to avoid and can destroy multiple machines.

• Mega Particle Gun

There are two fire-linked mega particle guns mounted in the torso of the mobile suit.

• Mega Particle Gun

Mounted in the head of the mobile suit is a single mega particle gun. This mega particle gun can fire at least one shot while the head is detached, indicating that there is some sort of energy capacitor that holds a limited charge so that the Zeong's head can use attacks while retreating.

Special Equipment

• Psycommu System

During the One Year War, the researchers of the Flanagan Institute discover that Newtypes emit powerful thoughtwaves - similar to regular brainwaves, but not electrical in nature - which they call psycowaves. The Flanagan Institute goes on to develop a mind-machine interface called the psycommu (psycho-communicator) system, which receives these thoughtwaves and translates them into computer commands. Using this interface a Newtype pilot can direct remote weapons, and operate huge mobile armors, by thought alone.

• Detachable Head

The head of the Zeong was its cockpit, the head can detach from the main body and be used as an escape pod.

History

The MSN-02 Zeong was deployed during the final battle of the One Year War at A Baoa Qu as part of the Principality of Zeon's last line of defense against the attacking Earth Federation Forces. With its advanced psycommu technology and high number of mega particle guns the MSN-02 Zeong proved to be a powerful opponent that destroyed many Earth Federation RGM-79 GM mobile suits, RB-79 Ball mobile pods, and at least one Magellan-class battleship. The power of the Zeong, and Char's Newtype thoughtwaves would attract Amuro Ray in the RX-78-2 Gundam. The two machines would duel, systematically blasting parts off the other. When it appeared that the Zeong was about to be destroyed, the head detached, revealing that it could be flown independently as an escape craft, and entered the asteroid fortress. The headless and one-armed Gundam followed. Both machines were set to automatic pilot, with the pilots escaping, before the two fired their last beam shots and destroyed each other.

Variants

• MSN-02 Perfect Zeong
• MSN-02-2 Zeong Unit 2
• MSN-02R Zeong High Mobility Type
• MSN-03-2 Great Zeong
• OMAX-02 Zeong II
• Perfect Zeong Mark II
• Grand Zeong
• ZM-GE-03 Zong
• Hell Zeong Marine
• Hell Zeong Galaxy

Picture Gallery

Internal composition

Zeong vs. Gundam art by Naochika Morishita

SD MSN-02 Zeong as it appears in SD Gundam G Generation Wars

Zeong - Mechanic File

Zeong (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin)

Gunpla & Toys

Original 1/144 MSN-02 Zeong (1981) - box art

HGUC 1/144 MSN-02 Zeong (2001) - box art

MG 1/100 MSN-02 Zeong (2002) - box art

Original 1/250 "Space Fortress A Baoa Qu" diorama set (1981) - box art

Custom 1/144 "Zeong with legs" (non-canon) model conversion based on HGUC 1/144 MSN-02 Zeong model kit. Modeled by Reichi Itoh.

Zeong's Portrait in Gundam Battle Assault

Notes & Trivia

• One notable trait about the Zeong is that it is one of only two mobile suits piloted by Char Aznable not painted red (the other being the MSN-00100 Hyaku Shiki). It did however receive a red color scheme as an alternate pallette in Gundam: The Battle Master/Battle Assault series of video games.
• In Gundam Vs Gundam Next Plus, the Zeong is unlockable. It has also special ability to revive itself once (only the head). The ability activates when the cost gauge is at 2000 or below and when Hp drops to zero/0.
• In Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3, the Zeong can be used in atmosphereric ground-level battlegrounds, something its incomplete state would not allow for. This is largely due to game mechanics as a result of removing the previous game's space-based levels while retaining the Zeong as a playable mobile suit.

External links

• MSN-02 Zeong on MAHQ.net
• MSN-02 Zeong on Wikipedia.org