RX-78-2 Gundam
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| Gundam | |
|---|---|
| RX-78 Gundam | |
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| Fast Facts | |
| Model Number | RX-78 |
| Ship Type | Prototype Close-Combat Mobile Suit |
| Launched | September 18, U.C. 0079 |
| Manufacturer | Earth Federation Forces "Project V" |
| Operator | Earth Federation Forces |
| Known Pilots | Amuro Ray |
| General Characteristics | |
| Head Height | 18.0 meters |
| Weight | 60.0 metric tons |
| Powerplant | Minovsky Ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 1380 kW |
| Accommodation | Pilot in cockpit |
| Armor: | Luna titanium alloy on Semi-Monocoque frame |
| Armaments | |
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The RX-78-2 Gundam is the titular Mobile Suit from the series Mobile Suit Gundam. Part of the RX-78 Gundam series and built in secret on Side 7, the Gundam would come to be the secret weapon which helped turn the tide of war in favor of the Earth Federation during the One Year War.
Contents |
Background
The RX-78-2 was the second of three Gundam prototype units constructed on Side 7 in UC 0079, as part of the Earth Federation's V Project. Built to complement the long-range unit Guntank and mid-range support unit Guncannon, the Gundam was designed to be a highly mobile, close range machine with advanced weaponry beyond that used by Zeon's machines.
A raid by Zeon forces on Side 7 in September of UC 0079 resulted in heavy damage to the other two RX-78 units built on the colony. However, thanks to the unexpected interference of V Project head Tem Ray's son Amuro inside the RX-78-2, the Zeon intruders were repelled. Though they had caused significant damage to the colony, the Gundam and its brother machines were spared. The three machines acted as the defense force for the Pegasus-class battleship White Base and protected the ship in its push to Earth and travels over North America and Asia.
The RX-78-2 would see use in the defense of the Federation's headquarters in Jaburo and the pivotal raids on Zeon's asteroid bases Solomon and A Baoa Qu. In that final battle of the One Year War, the Gundam engaged an unfinished Zeon prototype, the MSN-02 Zeong in battle. The two machines were destroyed in battle within the corridors of the Zeon stronghold. The Gundam's pilot escaped in the Core Fighter after the Zeong's escape-pod head severely damaged Gundam (the Gundam also destoyed the Zeong's head at the same time) ; the Zeong's pilot Char Aznable, however, was presumed missing in action...
Technical Data
The Gundam was incredibly advanced for its time. Built from lightweight Luna Titanium, its frame was both lighter than that of Zeon's mass-produced Mobile Suits and much sturdier, able to shrug off a Zaku's machinegun fire with little to no damage. Its offensive power was similarly beyond that of Zeon's: with its beam rifle it was the first Mobile Suit to have firepower equivalent to a battleship's; in addition, it made use of two beam sabers, a blade of extremely hot plasma which could cut through any metal with ease. Those beam sabers could be extended into a spear-like beam javelin, which could be used to stab into an enemy from a longer distance than the blade of the saber would allow.
The Gundam also used more conventional weaponry: it could be launched with a Hyper Bazooka, the Federation's answer to the bazookas used by Zeon's Zakus; in addition, its head was outfitted with a pair of small vulcan cannons, providing it with a last resort weapon as well as a way of attacking light-armored aircraft and vehicles without wasting ammo or energy from its more powerful armaments. It also made use of a very unconventional close-range weapon known as the Gundam Hammer -- a large weapon similar to a morning star which could be swung at enemies to deal crushing damage. The Gundam Hammer was eventually upgraded for use in space and outfitted with a number of verniers on the ball, and renamed to be the Hyper Hammer. Lastly, it wielded a large shield which would offer it a defense against enemy attacks that not even its Luna Titanium body could withstand without damage. Gundam pilot Amuro Ray would make use of the shield as a decoy in many battles, taking advantage of its size to fool the enemy into thinking he was charging at them, then attacking the enemy through the shield.
The Gundam was equipped with a sophisticated Learning Computer which would collect pilot and enemy data during skirmishes and allow the Gundam to operate more effectively. The data from the computer was used by the Federation to improve the controls of the Gundam's mass-produced form, the RGM-79 GM. In addition, it was upgraded by Federation technician Mosque Han shortly before the Battle of Solomon: to improve its reaction times, the joints of the Gundam were given a Magnetic Coating, based on the experimental procedure performed on the RX-78-3 Gundam G-3.
The Gundam makes use of the Core Block System implemented in the other V Project units. The torso of the Gundam is mostly hollow so that an FF-X7 Core Fighter may dock with it. This allows the pilot to jettison the legs and torso of the Gundam should the Gundam be too heavily damaged and gives the pilot a chance to escape from battle.
Variations
- RX-78/C.A. Casval Rem Daikun-use Gundam: This machine only appears in one of the what-if scenarios seen in Mobile Suit Gundam: Giren no Yabou as a gift of goodwill from the Earth Federation to Casval Rem Daikun (Char Aznable). It is tuned up to Char's specifications and painted in his custom colors of rose pink and wine red.
Concepts and development
The RX-78's initial concept was that of a powered armor, the primary design for Yoshiyuki Tomino's proposed series Freedom Fighter Gunboy. The series later changed its name to Mobile Suit Gundam and Kunio Okawara was given Tomino's concept to shape into a finalized design for the anime. Okawara did various designs, including the original design on the top right picture, before settling on the current, more samurai-styled design on the lower right picture for the anime in 1979. One of the common questions asked is why did the enemies in the series keep referring to the RX-78-2 as White while it is a mix of blue, red, and white. Tomino's response in the novel version of Gundam is that the original design was to be a grayscale machine, made up of mostly white and light gray coloring. However, Sunrise disapproved of the coloring and insisted the unit to be painted in brighter colors to attract attention like other Super Robot anime at that time. As a side note, Katoki Hajime stated in the Gundam Sentinel special edition that, the MSA-0011 S Gundam also went through a similar process but the reason for it is because Bandai authorities thinking the S Gundam did not give a Gundam-ish look until he painted it in the colour scheme of RX-78-2.
RX-78-2 later received various variations including a preceding model RX-78-1 and later models RX-78-3~8 by Okawara during 1980~1983 for Mobile Suit Variation. Other mechnical designers also add in to design units like Yutaka Izubuchi's RX-78-NT-1 in 1989 for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080, and Shoji Kawamori's and Katoki Hajime's Gundam Development Project designs in 1992 for Gundam 0083. It has also been redesigned for several times by other artists; in particular, the Katoki Hajime version of the Gundam (referred to by Gundam fans and Bandai themselves as Ver. Ka) has become popular enough to be made into both injection plastic model kits sold by Bandai and resin-based garage kits sold by their B-Club subsidiary.
The continuing popularity in Japan of this mobile suit has led Bandai to build a 1.5m tall model version which will go on sale in Japan in 2007.[1]
Gundam Expo (Hong Kong) uses RX-78 last shooting scene in its logo's X.[2]
Pop culture
The appearance of the unit is not limited to Gundam series. RX-78-2 Gundam is one of the basic units that appear in the Super Robot Wars series, ever since the first game for the Game Boy.[3] The RX-78-2 also receives multiple cameo appearances in the anime Sgt. Frog.[4] The current Bandai models' label classification also uses the head of the Gundam as its icon.
Later series keep referencing the RX-78's proficiency in combat having a white Mobile Suit appearing in the middle of the battle field, and anything white is mistaken as a Gundam type Mobile Suit along with the famous cry of "It's a Gundam!". For example, in episode 9 of The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, the phrase is overheard while Tsuruya is searching for Mikuru.
The RX-78 is a pop culture icon in Japan, to the point where Pepsi released several series of Pepsi bottles with special-edition bottle caps featuring miniature statues of various Mobile Suits from the many Gundam anime released over the years.[5][6] The RX-78 was one of three of these designs (the other two being both the normal Zaku and Char's red Zaku) to get multiple miniatures during the first promotional campaign, including both a full-body sculpture and a sculpture of its bust.
Real life events
- This mobile suit was recognized as a culturally significant subject by the nation of Japan on October 23, 2000, by becoming part of the 20th Century Stamp Series.[7]
- In MHI Jobcon 2005(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Job convention 2005), a recruiting event of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Seminars was held in 6 Japan cities with the topic of Mobile Suit Gundam Development Story, similating the events of If a Gundam is to be built, what the process will be in MHI.[8]
Trivia
- The Gundam was portrayed as having another weapon, the Super Napalm. Seen only in the second episode of the original series, it was a projectile fired from the beam rifle that caused whatever it hit to be engulfed in flames. The weapon did not appear in any other episode and is in many cases simply not mentioned in sourcebooks; however, it has since appeared as a weapon in the Playstation game SD Gundam G-Generation F (used by the RX-78-1 Prototype Gundam) and the Game Boy Advance game Super Robot Wars A.
- The 0 Gundam in Mobile Suit Gundam 00 largely resembles the RX-78-2 Gundam, and in the final battle of the 0 Gundam, it's repainted that it is almost identical to the RX-78-2. Another considerable in-joke is that the 0-Gundam's pilot, Ribbons Almark, shares the same voice actor with Amuro Ray.
