System-∀99 ∀ Gundam

This article is about the mobile suit. For the anime series this unit is named after, see ∀ Gundam.

System-∀99 ∀ Gundam
System-∀99 ∀ Gundam (SYSTEM ∀-99~Original, WD-M01~Inglessa Militia, ∀ガンダム)
Unit Type
Prototype Interstellar Warfare Mobile Suit
Profile
Developed from	CONCEPT-X 6-1-2 Turn X
Developed Into	WD-M01 ∀ Gundam TAKU Custom WD-M01MS ∀ Gundam Shin
First Seen	0001 C.C. (Pre)
Last Seen	2345 C.C.
Manufacturer	Unknown Human Civilization
Known Pilots	Loran Cehack Sochie Heim Teteth Halleh Merrybell Gadget Joseph Yaht
General Characteristics
Head Height	20.0 meters65.617 ft <br />787.402 in <br />
Max Weight	28.6 metric tons
Empty Weight	17.5 metric tons
Power-plant	DHGCP Type
Power Output	27000 kW36,207.594 hp <br /> (±5000)
Pilot Accommodations	Pilot only (in Core Fighter cockpit in pelvis)
Armor	FE Type
Movement
Propulsion	I-Field Beam Drive System
Equipment
Standard	Core Block System VR Head I-Field Barrier Moonlight Butterfly System Nanomachine Regeneration System
Standard Armaments
Fixed	2 x Beam Cannon 2 x Beam Saber 6 x Multi-Purpose Silo
Handheld	Beam Rifle Shield
Optional Armaments
Handheld	Gundam Hammer Minchi Drill
Real World
Mechanical Designer	Syd Mead (draft) Atsushi Shigeta (cleanup)
Appearances*
Television	Turn A GBF: First Seen in Episode #1
Movie	∀ Gundam I: Earth Light ∀ Gundam II: Moonlight Butterfly Gundam: Beyond
OVA	30th Gundam Perfect Mission GSLCU.C.
Manga	∀ (M2) Turn A M EX A
Novel	∀ Gundam: Episodes ∀ Gundam ∀ Gundam
Game	Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 Dynasty Warriors Gundam 3 Dynasty Warriors Gundam Reborn

The SYSTEM ∀-99 ∀ Gundam (pronounced as "Turn A Gundam", aka "∀", "White Doll" or "Mustache") is the titular mobile suit of Turn A Gundam. It is piloted primarily by Loran Cehack.

Technology & Combat Characteristics

The Turn A Gundam was originally designed for interstellar warfare. Unlike other mobile suits (even those that predate the Turn A itself), the Turn A is powered by a DHGCP power plant (Discontinuous Hyperoscillation Gauge Collapsing Pile) which is essentially an artificial black hole. This is used in conjuction with an innovative reactionless I-Field Beam Drive system to move the suit's limbs and provide thrust. As a result, the unit's chest is almost entirely hollow and can equip various weapons inside, such as missiles or beam cannons. The legs too are hollow due to the use of the I-Field Beam Drive, and contain an array of thruster vanes which are used to power the suit's jumps and flight. This leaves the back of the unit free to store more weapons and equipment if desired.

The Turn A features a standard set of armaments consisting of a beam rifle, two beam cannons, two beam sabers and a shield. It can also mount various weapons (such as missiles) in the chest to compliment it's basic weaponry. It can also use a powerful I-Field capable of covering a large area and affecting matter. To further enhance its combat power, the Turn A has support areas called DOC Bases (Device Operation Control) which hold various armaments for the Turn A. These DOC bases allow the Turn A to adapt to the situation at hand by equipping a variety of weapons. One of these DOC Bases was discovered in C.C. (Correct Century) 2345 by Loran Cehack. However, the discovered base had been sealed and not maintained by any nanomachines during the thousands of years the Turn A was buried, so almost all its weapons crumbled upon exposure to air. The only weapon still usable was a hyper hammer that was simple and thick enough to remain intact for a short while after millennia without maintenance.

The Turn A's on-board nanomachines are capable of a devastating attack known as the "Moonlight Butterfly" (named after the visual appearance of the attack). The Turn A's nanomachines have the ability to disintegrate all artificial matter, and can merge with weather systems to create large ionic storms capable of covering a much wider area. These nanomachines can be used offensively or defensively for all range attack and defense. The nanomachines are capable not only of destroying technology however, but of maintaining and repairing it too. This ability is not instantaneous though, and it requires a considerable amount of time. Additionally, the Turn A is capable of bending light through an unknown method and cloaking itself from the sensors of most mobile suits.

Armaments

• Beam Cannon

By default, the Turn A has two beam cannons in its abdomen, but they can switched out for other equipment. These beam cannons create a cone of particles several times the Turn A's own size in front of them and are more comparable to a shotgun than a cannon.

• Beam Saber

The Turn A is armed with two beam sabers, stored on the Turn A's shoulders and have a adjustable power output and range. The two beam sabers can also be held side by side to generate a longer saber blade. The beam sabers can also be used as a defensive armament when the Turn A rotates its manipulators in a 360 degree motion while holding them, creating make-shift beam shields. 

• Multi-Purpose Silo

The Turn A's Multi-Purpose Silos were originally used to store various weapons, including missiles. Two of these silos were used to store nuclear warheads in C.C. 2345 for a short period of time. The Amerian milita also provided missiles of an unknown type after some research with Moonrace engineer Niven Horace.

• Beam Rifle

The Turn A's primary weapon for medium and long-range combat, the beam rifle fires high energy beams at sublight speed. Since the Turn A was designed to combat massive space warships, its beam rifle has a high output. A round dial on the stock is used to adjust the rifle's output. Firing at maximum output without adjusting the dial first can damage the rifle's beam condenser, and in the worst case, cause the barrel to explode. The beam rifle can be stored on the back when not in use.

• Hyper Hammer

The Hyper Hammer was a large spiked ball attached to a chain with four rockets built in to the spherical body, and is similar to a flail in use. The Turn A could either throw or swing the hammer around itself in order to impact and damage its target through the sheer mass of the hammer. It can also be used as a chain to restrict enemy movement or spun quickly to create an impromptu shield.

• Minchi Drill

The Minchi Drill is a unique mace-like close combat weapon that is first seen used on the TAF-M9 Eagail. It is based on a shield machine (tunnel boring machine) used for excavations. This weapon can pulverize or even cut through mobile suits.

• Shield

The Turn A mounts a shield to block both beam and physical attacks. The shield can be stored on the back when not in use.

Special Equipment & Features

• Core Block System

The Turn A features a Core Block System like some other Gundam type mobile suits. The Core Block System allows the Turn A's Core Fighter (which is also its cockpit and front skirts) to detach from the main body of the mobile suit. This core fighter can also equip several missiles for offensive purposes.

• Spine Pulse Sensor

A system integrated into the pilot seat, the Spine Pulse Sensor allows the pilot to control the Turn A through thoughts.

• VR Head

Installed in the Turn A's cockpit was a retractable virtual reality helmet which connects to the mobile suit's camera sensors and can be used to aim as well as to view distant objects.

• I-Field Barrier

The I-Field forms an invisible barrier around the Turn A, protecting it from incoming energy attacks. The Turn A's I-Field is notable not just because it is used to power the machine's movements as part of a reactionless drive but it also has a bio-feedback system of some kind. When the pilot sits inside the cockpit they become part of the I-Field's loop and the strength of any shield it uses is depedent on the willpower of the pilot as well as the power of the Turn A itself. It shares this system with the SUMO, and using it can tax the pilot because it's driven by their own energy and willpower. The Turn A's cockpit seat has a serious of studs that connect to the pilot suit, and which were used as marks of worship by the people of Inglessa and it is possible the pilot connects to the I-Field through these studs.

• Moonlight Butterfly System

Both the Turn A and Turn X are capable of a devastating attack called the "Moonlight Butterfly", where numerous nanomachines are stretched along an I-Field protruding from the back section of the Turn units, creating large, iridescent butterfly wings. This attack can merge with weather systems when inside an atmosphere, multiplying its power by creating ionic storms that can cover a much wider area. The nanomachines can be used for defensive purposes as well as for offensive, such as disintegrating artificial matter and absorbing energy from incoming attacks.

• Nanomachine Regeneration System

The Turn A's Nanomachine Regeneration System allows it to "regenerate" any damaged areas on the mobile suit. It is said that with its full capabilities the Turn A can also regenerate its pilot. However, it is notable that this feature is impractical in battle as the Nanomachine Regeneration System requires a considerable amount of time. The Turn units can also use the nanomachines to bury any technology they desire, maintaining it indefinitely as if it were new. This is what formed the "mountain cycles" both Ameria and the Moonrace seek out for pockets of lost technology during the show. The nanomachines that bury such technology cover it in a thin "nanoskin" that maintains anything inside in a pristine condition, while merging with the Earth around them to create a loose sandy soil. In the Fukui novelization, the nanomachines are said to be capable of regenerating the entirety of the Turn A even after being destroyed by the Keilas Guilie, over the course of hundreds to thousands of years.

• Teleportation

By swinging the two beam sabers around itself, the Turn A can achieve teleportation along distances.

• Seventh Generation Minovsky Physical Theory (7th-GMPT)

A weapon system suggested to be able to, when activated, disable Minovsky particle-based technology. However, its exact capabilities are not known.

History

The Turn A Gundam is first found by Loran Cehack and Sochie Heim in C.C. 2345 during their coming of age ritual, outside the city of Nocis, the capital city of Inglessa. The Turn A was called the "White Doll" (most of the characters referred to it as the White Doll). At first the White Doll appeared to be a statue of sorts and was used in the coming of age ritual by teenagers. However the Turn A became active and revealed itself to be an operational mobile suit when the forces of Dianna Counter attacked Nocis. The Turn A would take the side of the Inglessa Militia in their struggle against the invading Moonrace in C.C. 2345, piloted primarily by Loran. It would serve as the Inglessa Militia's trump card against the more advanced mobile suit forces of the Moonrace.

Eventually, after accompanying the Willgem to the Moon, Loran finally learned the dark truth about the Turn A's past. It was revealed by the data of the "Black History" that the Turn A was responsible for the destruction of Earth's civilization by unleashing its "Moonlight Butterfly" attack, spreading nanomachines across the Earth's surface and turning all of mankind's technology into sand. After learning of this truth Loran also discovered several features of the Turn A that he was unaware of, most notably that the cockpit was a Core Fighter capable of separating from the Turn A; also Loran discovered the ability to make the Turn A vanish from sight through bending lightwaves.

It is revealed that the Turn A is a reversed engineered Turn X. The Turn A was created due to the discovery of the Turn X, which was found before the Correct Century started, drifting in space. The Turn X outclassed all other mobile weapons at the time of its discovery. The Earthlings at that time were horrified by the fact that such advance technology existed and far surpassed their own capabilities. The Earthlings figured that if such a technologically advanced civilization were to attack them, they would stand no chance. Thus the Turn A was created. However after the creation of the Turn A, the Earth was divided into 2 factions, one possessing the Turn X and one possessing the Turn A Gundam, and a war between both sides began. At some point during this great conflict the Turn X was defeated in battle by the Turn A and received the X-shaped scar that it continued to bear on its chest throughout the rest of its history. Following the Turn X's defeat, the Turn A proceeded to terminate Earth's civilization using its Moonlight Butterfly, wiping out all traces of technology on the surface of the planet. These events are assumed to have led to the beginning of C.C. 0001.

During the Turn A's second and final battle with the Turn X, both machines unleashed their Moonlight Butterflys and engaged in single combat. Both Turn units fought each other to a stalemate until both units managed to heavily damage each other in close combat. Both pilots, Loran Cehack and Gym Ghingham, escaped unharmed and subsequently engaged in a short sword duel. However, both machines were encased in a large cocoon as the Moonlight Butterfly from both machines were of equal strength and thus both suits were unable destroy each other. Eventually, both the Turn units and Gym Ghingham were encased in the cocoon created by the two Moonlight Butterflys for an unknown amount of time (presumably for a long time).

Variants

• Black History Turn A

The original version of the Turn A used during the Black History. This unit is featured in various novels and games, and was originally created for Harutoshi Fukui's novelization. A Newtype pilot is required to unlock the full powers of this Turn A, and this includes several abilities not seen in the show, such as teleportation (the furthest distance being from the Earth to the Moon in the Fukui noveliation) of itself, its weapons, and even the beams from its rifle; it's also revealed to have a Psycommu System that is capable of concentrating the wills of numerous people and lifeforms, with the Light of Life Chronicle UC special implying the system is capable of generating miracles like Axis Shock.

• WD-M01 ∀ Gundam TAKU Custom

A custom Gunpla version built and piloted by TAKU.

• SYSTEM ∀-98 Prototype ∀ Gundam
• SYSTEM ∀-98 with System Sky Step
• Enhancement ∀ Gundam
• Perfect ∀ Gundam

Gallery

Head of the White Doll statue

Illustration by Syd Mead

Original design by Syd Mead

Illustration by Syd Mead

Head Illustration

Illustration by Atsushi Shigeta

Illustration by Masami Gotou

Illustration by Atsushi Shigeta

Illustration by Atsushi Shigeta

Illustration by Kaji Sugiura

Illustration by Junya Ishigaki

Illustration by Naochika Morishita

Illustration by Yuji Kaida

Illustration by Kenji Tsuruta

Illustration by Kanetake Ebikawa

Tony Takezaki illustration

∀ Gundam vs Turn X Illustration

∀ Gundam's Core Fighter

Redesign by Hajime Katoki

Redesign By Katoki Hajime

Redesign by Kunio Okawara, full body version

Redesign by Kunio Okawara.

Redesign by Takayuki Nanase (a.k.a. Windfall)

Fan-art of ∀ Gundam compared with original design

Earlier ∀ Gundam design which was eventually incorporated into the MRC-F20 SUMO

Early design of ∀ Gundam head, later adapted into the SUMO's

Syd Mead's weapon system draft

Moonlight Butterfly activated

∀ Gundam Art Works cover

∀ Gundam and ∀ Gundam Mass Production Types as seen in ∀ Gundam: Wind of the Moon

∀ Gundam Mass Production Type

∀ Gundam Shin comparison with other customs

Masuo ∀ custom

SYSTEM ∀-98 Prototype ∀ Gundam (TEST-BED ∀)

Using Moonlight Butterfly as seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga)

Using hyper hammer as seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga)

Using Moonlight Butterfly as seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga)

As seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga 2)

As seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga 2)

∀ Gundam vs. Turn X as seen in ∀ Gundam (Manga 2)

Perfect ∀ Gundam as seen in Gunpla Koshien

Enhancement ∀ Gundam seen on Gunpla Koshien

SYSTEM ∀-98 with System Sky Step as seen in the June 2000 issue of Hobby Japan Magazine.

Sitting within a cavern

Charges at Gendarme

Beam saber drawn

Wielding two Gundam Hammers

Disguised with foliage and straw hut roof

Stabbing Mahiroo

Firing Chest Missiles

Fighting Gavane's Borjarnon

Clashing with Turn X

Turn A and Turn X using Moonlight Butterfly

Head colliding with Turn X's

From SD Gundam Ultimate Encyclopedia

Games

∀ Gundam (Moonlight Butterfly) Gundam War Card

In Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2

On Gundam Musou 3

Lost Heroes 2 SD artwork

In Mobile Suit Gundam: Extreme VS. 2

In Gundam Versus

As seen in the game Gundam Diorama Front 3rd

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in Super Gundam Royale game

As seen in SD Gundam G Generation RE game

As seen in Super Robot Wars Z3 Tengoku Hen

Gunpla

Original 1/144 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (1999): box art

HGUC 1/144 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (2014): box art

Original 1/100 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (1999): box art

Original 1/100 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam Limited Edition Clear Ver. (2002): box art

MG 1/100 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (2007): box art

MG 1/100 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (Moonlight Butterfly Ver.) (Syd Mead: Progressions TYO 2019 exhibition exclusive; 2019): box art

MG 1/100 WD-M01 ∀ Gundam / CONCEPT-X 6-1-2 Turn X [Nano Skin Image] (P-Bandai exclusive; 2019): box art

SDGG WD-M01 ∀ Gundam (2000): box art

∀ Gundam Master Grade Design Information

∀ Gundam Master Grade Design Information

Early Design Model by Hiroaki Kumata

Action Figures

Mobile Suit in Action (MSiA / MIA) "∀ Gundam" (1999): package front view.

MSiA / MIA "∀ Gundam (Colored Crystal "Stealth" version" (Kodansha ∀ Gundam Film Comics special limited prize draw release; 2000): package front view.

Robot Damashii "SYSTEM ∀-99 ∀ Gundam" (2009): package front view

Robot Damashii "SYSTEM ∀-99 ∀ Gundam (Nano Skin Finish Ver.)" (2010): package front view

Robot Damashii "Turn A/Turn X use Moonlight Butterfly Effect Parts and Stand Set" (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2010): package front view

Robot Damashii "Turn A/Turn X use Moonlight Butterfly Effect Parts and Stand Set" (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2010): product sample combined with Robot Damashii "Turn A Gundam" (sold separately)

Robot Damashii "Turn A Gundam vs. Turn X Moonlight Butterfly Duel Set" double set (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2010): package front view

Robot Damashii "Turn A Gundam vs. Turn X Moonlight Butterfly Duel Set" double set (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2010): package front view

Robot Damashii "Turn A Gundam vs. Turn X Moonlight Butterfly Duel Set" double set (Tamashii Web exclusive; 2010): product samples

Gashapon

Moonlight Butterfly activated

Notes & Trivia

• The ∀ Gundam was chosen to be the 100th Master Grade Gunpla model kit and at around the same time, the first release of the ∀ Gundam DVD box set was announced.
• The Hajime Katoki redesign of the ∀ Gundam sports a different design as well as a redesigned mouth-piece, which more closely resembles that of a standard Gundam.
  • Although Katoki did a different design for his own version of the ∀ Gundam, the Master Grade model kit, which he designed, is the same as the anime version.
• The chest of the ∀ Gundam has sometimes been depicted as bearing a white cross instead of being completely blue.
  • The Master Grade of the ∀ Gundam has the option of swapping the blue cross-shaped piece of the chest with a white one.

References

Technical Summary

Technical Design

Core Fighter Details

Shield Details

Head and Back Details

Back, Foot, Arm and Hand Details

Core Fighter, Cockpit, VR Head, Shoulder and Manual Details

Weapons System Details

Syd Mead Illustration

Syd Mead side and back Illustration

Syd Mead Illustration Front

Syd Mead Chest study

Syd Mead Earlier Turn Gundam

External links

• SYSTEM ∀-99 (WD-M01) ∀ Gundam "Turn A Gundam" on MAHQ.net