Gundam School Part 24

"What is 'Gundam', anyway?" This simple (?) question is answered in our twenty-fourth casual weekly column just for new fans!


　A 24th super-simple column for new Gundam fans is showing up on footage of the open sky!

　 You can see our previous coverage of what makes Gundam Gundam here, and this week we're back with another Gundam standard!

　Over the years there have been many, many different kinds of Gundams, but the "black" Gundam have always been among the most eye-catching and enduringly popular.
　 Why are black Gundams so popular? That powerful, cool image their coloring gives? (So just the paint, really?) Their 'evil twin' chic compared to a standard white Gundam? No, those help, but black Gundams have a long list of charms all their own.
　Here in part 24, we take our first close look at just what makes black Gundams so appealing!


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[Part 1]
What makes a black Gundam? It's big! It's kinda clunky! But it's still totally awesome!


　 The idea of a "black Gundam" was first introduced in the second Gundam series, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, with the very first episode aptly titled "Black Gundam". It immediately exuded an aura of power that the white Gundams didn't. This was the Gundam Mk-II.

　It was soon followed by what's widely considered the granddaddy of all black Gundams, the Psyco Gundam (also from Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam). Developed by the Murasame Labs, a Federation Newtype research facility, the MRX-009 carried the name of "Gundam" even though it was a transforming mobile armor rather than a mobile suit.

　At 40 meters high, and 214.1 tons, it's huge! 　Massive! 　Jumbo! 　And also kinda big! But it's still definitely a Gundam! Equipped with the Psycommu system previously used on the Zeong and Elmeth, (a device used to translate Newtypes' special brainwaves into piloting controls) this (Newtype-only) MA was designed to double the scale of a standard mobile suit in order to accommodate its bulk. This decision was a double-edged sword, leading to extreme difficulties in transport and operation as well and the requirement of a Minovsky Craft (a lifter using the principles of Minovsky physics) for flight... It must have been really hard to get off the ground, in more ways than one.

　Four Murasame, a young ensign trained at Murasame Labs (as well as modified into a "Cyber Newtype" with the same heightened senses as a natural Newtype) was assigned to pilot the Psyco Gundam. She became a test subject for determining how severely a Cyber Newtype would suffer under the stresses of controlling the Psyco Gundam, which would have brought a normal pilot to the brink of death.

　With its (massive!) mobile armor size, status as a transforming mobile armor, and Psycommu system, the Psyco Gundam stands out as the iconic progenitor of future black Gundams.


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[Part 2]
What makes a black Gundam? It's big! It's hard to control! But it's still totally awesome!


　Our next example is the Destroy Gundam ( Mobile Suit Gundam SEED DESTINY). Model number GFAS-X1, it stood 56.30 meters high and weighed in at 404.93 tons.

　 Developed by the Eurasian Federation's Adukurf Mechano-Industry Inc. and put into service by the Earth Alliance as a transforming MS, its double-sized frame packed stem to stern with heavy weaponry let it live up to its name.

　 This walking arsenal, equipped with the custom "G.U.N.D.Am. Fortress" OS, could fire in all directions with beam weapons and positron cannons, all while remaining virtually invulnerable at range due to its defensive positron reflector. By equipping its back-mounted flight unit and tucking its legs up, it could also take to the air as a mobile armor. Powerful enough to tear through enemy squadrons and fleets with impunity, its power was less comparable to a mobile suit's than a strategic weapon. It was capable of destroying entire fortified positions singlehandedly.

　However, its extremely complicated piloting and fire control systems require the talents of "extended soldiers" (artificially-enhanced humans) to be operated to their full potential. Its main pilots were Stella Loussier and Sting Oakley, both of the Earth Alliance's 81st Autonomous Mobile Group "Phantom Pain". The existence of the Destroy Gundam, intended to be used by the shadowy organization Logos and their puppets in both the anti-Coordinator (genetically modified human) group Blue Cosmos and the Earth Alliance to trigger a second war, was leaked to PLANT (a loose alliance of colonies mainly populated by coordinators) Supreme Council chairman Gilbert Durandal...

　Due to its size, it was completely incapable of precise movement. (Making it weak in melee?) There was definitely that one weak point.

　It's a Gundam, but it's huge! (Around 2x the size of a normal MS, transforms into an MA) It uses a pilot who's basically a living CPU, and it can't make precise movements. (Sound familiar?) The Destroy Gundam checks off the entire classic black Gundam list.

　And, that's our first look at black Gundams!
　We've seen two of the most iconic ones so far, and seen how much more they have in common other than just a snappy-but-villainous color scheme.
　Next time we'll be looking at black Gundams from an entirely different angle!

　Oh, isn't Gundam just so fascinating?

　Well, well, well, well, well, well well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, that's it for this week. Next week we'll be taking another laid-back look at what makes Gundam Gundam!