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"Axis" refers to the asteroid base. For the group based there, see "Axis Zeon".

Axis, sometimes spelt Axcis[1], is the name of an asteroid base built by the Principality of Zeon and used by several factions thereafter.

Overview[]

The massive asteroid is probably best described as being vaguely star-shaped. The majority of its body is a wide flat plane that is somewhat circular when viewed from above. From this plane sprouts three triangular "mountains" or "spires"; two jutting from the bottom and one arising from the top. It is not clarified if these formations were always part of the asteroid's natural appearance or if mining operations carved them into those shapes, though one can presume so, as there are specific sections around the bottom "mountains" where artificial cutouts are clearly made. In Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, the tips of the "mountains" would sometimes be depicted with the rock eroded away, exposing the metal rebar and framework underneath. The rearmost end of the body is chopped open and made a flat surface, where four enormous thermonuclear pulse thrusters are installed rather unevenly, with the rightmost thruster's placement being more noticeably drooped down than the other three. Surrounding this area is a huge metal mesh or net, haphazardly made out of struts and beams.

Starting life as a mining operations base and a mobile station for vessels passing between the asteroid belt, Axis would later make the slow journey towards Earth and become involved in some of the most turbulent events at the final two decades of early Universal Century, ultimately becoming a focal part of the climaxes of the Neo Zeon wars.

History[]

Construction[]

The Axis base was built by the Principality of Zeon in UC 0072. It was used, like many other asteroids, as a resource mining base. Given its position in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, it was also used as a stopping point for the Jupiter Energy Fleet during its trips between Earth and Jupiter.

One Year War[]

Due to its remote location, Axis did not play a large role in the fighting of the One Year War. However, it remains important to the conflict as a refuge for renegade Zeon soldiers. After the Battle of A Baoa Qu, the Principality of Zeon officially surrendered to the Earth Federation; however, many soldiers in the Zeon military refused to accept this outcome. Some, such as the Delaz Fleet, chose to remain hidden in the Earth Sphere. Most, however, fled the Earth Sphere and traveled to Axis, often with their families and dependents in tow and the influx population grew to 30,000. Many of the people who escaped to Axis were also Zeon engineers, and the development of new mobile weapons and space vessels continued there.

During this period, the living conditions on Axis were poor; overcrowding caused major problems, such as shortages and disease. This was eventually remedied when the asteroid Moussa was attached to the surface of Axis. Moussa, fitted with extra living space as well as manufacturing facilities and even a one-kilometer diameter gravity block, helped alleviate the conditions on Axis.

Gryps Conflict[]

At some point, Axis was fitted with large thermonuclear pulse thrusters for propulsion. On February 6, UC 0086, these thrusters were activated, and Axis began to travel toward the Earth Sphere. The trip took nearly two years; twenty months after it began to move, Axis arrived in the Earth Sphere, finding itself in the middle of the Gryps Conflict. Haman Karn used Axis as a mobile base and headquarters for her forces in the battle against both the AEUG and the Titans. At one point in the conflict, Axis itself was used as a weapon, ramming the Titans' base the Gate of Zedan and destroying it, though Axis suffered only minor damage.[2]

First Neo Zeon War[]

When Haman Karn declared herself the leader of the First Neo Zeon on UC 0088, she continued to use Axis as a mobile headquarters and base. It was infiltrated several times by the AEUG, specifically Judau Ashta, but continued to be used throughout the conflict. Towards the end of the civil war between Haman and Glemy Toto's forces, Glemy takes control of Axis and uses the asteroid and its satellite, Moussa, to crash into and destroy Haman's colony, Core 3. After Neo Zeon was defeated, the base was abandoned for some time.[3]

Second Neo Zeon War[]

During Char Aznable's Second Neo Zeon movement in UC 0093, the Earth Federation sold Axis to Char as part of a peace offering. However, he planned to drop Axis onto Earth, with the intent of causing a nuclear winter that would force Earthnoids to migrate to space. During his attempt, the Earth Federation Space Force taskforce Londo Bell tried to destroy Axis with nuclear weapons. The missiles were intercepted by Neo Zeon forces before they could damage the asteroid. However, Londo Bell was eventually successful in destroying Axis with a large amount of conventional nuclear explosives placed in the interior of the structure by petite mobile suits. The detonation ripped the asteroid in half; however, the acceleration from the explosion caused one half to continue on its course toward Earth. Mobile suits from both sides attempted to push the piece away from Earth, but to no avail. It was then that Char's long-time rival, Amuro Ray, stopped this piece from hitting Earth through the occurrence of the mysterious Psycho-Field phenomenon in an event that came to be known as Axis Shock.[4]

U.C. 0096[]

Months after the revelations of Laplace's Box, the Earth Federation Forces, regarding the existence of the "psycho-frame" as a threat, dispatched the Mastema special forces team to enter and investigate part of the shattered asteroid Axis, the remains of which are currently drifting in and around the Earth Sphere.

Gallery[]

Lineart[]

Anime[]

Illustrations & Artwork[]

Manga[]

Notes & Trivia[]

  • The asteroid is likely named after the Axis powers of World War II, furthering the Nazi Germany analogies in Mobile Suit Gundam.
  • Though no official measurement estimate was ever given for the asteroid, Axis was comparable to A Baoa Qu's size, prior to the former splitting the latter in half.
  • The term "Axis Shock" was first introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Prior official media did not have a name for the psycho-frame resonance that pushed the Axis away, though Super Robot Wars Alpha series gave it the name "Light of Human Heart" (人の心の光), after a quote by Amuro.
  • An Axis-like asteroid appeared in the movie Saji Crossroad was watching at the beginning of Mobile Suit Gundam 00 The Movie -A wakening of the Trailblazer- where it served as a base of Katharon under siege by the A-Laws.
  • As the MSN-04 Sazabi's Burst Attack in the Extreme Vs. series, Char will drop Axis on a targeted area to create a large explosion.
  • In Around Thirty Office Worker Haman-sama, "Axis" is instead treated as a condominium building where Haman lives in. Later in the story, Elpeo Ple and Ple Two also move in next to Haman.

Appearances[]

References[]

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