Absolutely Gorgeous, Really Puts The Devil In White Devil.

Absolutely gorgeous, really puts the “Devil” in White Devil.

I love how it’s drawn similarly to the nuclear bomber in Gundam: The Origin, as this near-formless thing.

How Flanagan Boone sees the white devil.

Alright, so given that I accidentally deleted the original prior to posting (call it queued posts or call it scheduled posts, not both), I might as well do this again

Given that I’ve been talking about it a lot lately, what do I think of the Gundam Gusion’s designs?

First up, the “original” Gundam Gusion, as it appears when being used by the space pirate organisation Brewers. Honestly, I love this thing. It’s one of two High Grades (the other being the Kimaris) that I bought when season 1 was coming out (a practice that I regrettably didn’t have the opportunity to repeat with G-Witch). But yeah, a big chunky, round, frog-looking Gundam, it really stands out in a lineup, but without being too flashy. Another part of it will be my preference for specialised suits over generalists - the original Gusion’s armed with a hammer, submachine gun and grenades (and an axe if you read the manga) in addition to the built-in anchor cannons. I really like how tight it’s loadout is - it can carry it all, and still retain its mobility for fighting in the debris zones. It’s a superheavy raid suit designed for very-short range anti-ms and anti-ship combat - tailor made for a space pirate outfit. All that said though, I think it’s good that it’s essentially just a brief foe to Tekkadan and doesn’t outstay it’s welcome - it’s a unit based on Kudal’s style of excess, so once he’s dead, it shouldn’t hang around long enough for it’s flaws to become apparent and it’s a memorable foe nonetheless.

Next up, the Gundam Gusion Rebake. Honestly, I didn’t like this one so much when it first appeared. Partially because there’s so little fanfare, but I thought it looked too similar to the Barbatos (especially compared to its predecessor and the Kimaris). Not helping matters is my understanding that both Gusion Rebakes were shafted from a High Grade perspective (The Axe is in an option set, and they both contain a lot of white wraparound colour correcting stickers in addition to requiring further colour correction - I try to paint instead of using wraparound stickers, but white can be a struggle). With the reveal of the Gusion Rebake Full City, I went back and reevaluated it. I came to appreciate the smoother form, the rounded lines. I like how it clearly retains some elements of the original Gusion (the shield and the backpack being made from Gusion’s back and legs, respectively), while taking some from the Barbatos (along with some spare armour). It makes a nice halfway house between the two designs, while still having its own unique elements. I do like its head very much, it’s sleek and rounded and the long-range emphasis helps it considerably. I’m quite fond of the rounded legs too, they remind me of the Gundam Ground type, another unit that was equally comfortable at range or close-quarters.

Finally, the Gundam Gusion Rebake Full City. Given that I said that this caused me to reevaluate the Gusion Rebake, I mustn’t like this one so much? Not so! The Gusion Rebake Full City has a wonderfully blocky design that lends it much more weight than the original, even though it’s overall mass doesn’t increase that much. The aforementioned unique elements of the Gusion Rebake have blossomed wonderfully, fully divorcing it from the Gusion and Barbatos. It’s new, more inhuman design plays into Tekkadan’s reputation as “the devils of Mars” and this is very apparent during its fight with Galan Mossa (the bearded gentleman). Armament-wise, it’s not too much over the Gusion Rebake. I do like it’s arm rockets, but the Variable Scissor rear armour….. okay, yes it is silly, because I alway think Akihiro should get shot in the middle of using it. However a) if any suit can multitask it’s probably the Gusion Rebake Full City b) it’s typically only used against single/armoured enemies. And c) it is essentially the last word in anti-armour weaponry, so it being unwieldy is perhaps an acceptable trade-off. I have a habit of considering a lot of IBO’s weaponry as silly until I actually consider the setting (Mobile suits have a *slightly* different origin in IBO when compared to other settings), so I’m perhaps lenient on it. The Gusion Rebake Full City also has the distinction of being in one of my favourite scenes in Iron-Blooded Orphans, which gives it brownie points (though to be fair it’s hardly unique in that regard, with Flauros and Bael also having similar honours).

Gonna quickly skim over Astaroth and Vual first;

While Astaroth’s Ars Goetia entry relating to the Warren Family’s (and thus its own) fall, it’s interesting that a large part of IBO Gekko is the revelation of how other elements of Gjallarhorn fell, with Astaroth playing a significant part in revealing that (Nadira and Zalmfort). Even it’s initial fighting against Rosario Leone could be taken as evidence of this, since it reveals his “fall” from being an ally of Tanto Tempo.

“Wherefore the Magician must hold the Magical Ring near his face, and that will defend him. He giveth true answers of things Past, Present, and to Come, and can discover all Secrets. He will declare wittingly how the Spirits fell, if desired, and the reason of his own fall”.

I’d also like to call out the line regarding holding the magical ring near his face to defend him.

Argi Mirage is stated to be able to form a neural link with the Astaroth through his prosthetic arm, though it’s not nearly as strong as Alaya Vijinana. Given how Alaya Vijinana is shown to affect people, and given that Argi seems to be shown holding his hand in front of his face a lot, it’s possible that Argi’s prosthetic is meant to substitute for a ring, with Argi being the Gundam’s “summoner”.

Next, the Vual;

“His Office is to Procure the Love of Women, and to tell Things Past, Present, and to Come”.

Tell of things past, present, and to come - fairly straightforward, Vual is of the past and it’s defeat ties up exactly what went down with Daddy Ted’s assassination - IE why Argi was hired in the first place, whereas Leone exists as a foe to essentially tip off Volco that Ville Klassen has something to do with his family’s demise - explaining the past, setting up a fight to come. Rosario’s a starter villain, is what I’m getting at. It’s possible that has the series gone on, it would have eventually led to a reveal relating to the Gundam Seere, thus acting as a harbinger of Argi finally understanding the events of the past (though I confess that’s utter supposition).

Secondly, to procure the love of women. Rosario is backed up by Nanao Narolina, a very seductive character who ultimately betrays him.

So, while Vual might procure the love of women as allies, it’s ultimately only a temporary boon, as these sorts of demonic pacts often are. (I’m not considering the other kind of “procurement”, but Nanao’s sexual personality coupled with Vual’s “office” is what made the connection)

Right, the Gundam Haagenti

I confess annoyance that I hadn’t caught the feminine design prior (or, rather, that I had but without considering the wider context of it). Then again, I do have a fondness for heeled suits, so it’s perhaps excusable I didn’t make the connection.

It’s possible the reason for the wires on the throwing fans is just that the fans themselves are difficult to manufacture, so retrieval is a priority. It’s also possible that the fans are representative of the “gryphon’s wings” mentioned in the Ars Goetia listing. The multiple mentions of transmutation may refer to Rustal Elion, since he changes the current governing system into another one.

Hm. Japanese property though it is, apparently somebody on the Gjallarhorn design team had a thing for Katanas, since the Barbatos, Vidar, Haagenti and Waltraute all use them (then again I’m no expert, so perhaps they’re different kinds of Katanas).

IBO reference notes on . . . the Gundams (part 2)

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3]

The way I've broken this down, the different Gundams group nicely into vague categories, with this set of middle-sequence machines showcasing a variety of additional enhancements compared to the more straightforward early-sequence entries from the last post.

It appears the engineers became increasingly creative as the ID numbers escalated. At first blush, that makes sense, since presumably the mobile armours didn't take the appearance of a new fighting force lying down. An arms race of sorts might well have been a natural outcome. However, with both Bael and Gamigin right at the start of the list, we have to conclude that pilot ability was of paramount importance when it came to racking up kills.

Again, spoilers for everything.

ASW-G-29 Astaroth

Astaroth seems to have been intended for independent aerial operations in atmosphere. As such it was equipped with wings that deploy from the shoulders and an elongated backpack that can flip-up to act as a stabiliser (seen below in an official promotional shot of the HG kit).

Basically, it came with its own in-built Base Jabber/Tickbalang. This afforded it much greater range than a standard Gundam. Interestingly, the wings are sufficiently tough they could be repurposed as shields/blades for close-quarters combat, presumably because they were manufactured using the same techniques as the rest of the armour.

I should note that while we can take the red colour scheme as original, the Warren Family crest on the chest and wings is explicitly a later addition. The Warrens gained status in Gjallarhorn by digging up Astaroth on the Moon after the Calamity War was over; we know nothing about its first pilot beyond where they left their machine.

The additional gimmick here is the sword, which uses Ahab particles in combination with a special nanolaminate coating to disrupt standard nanolaminate armour. This is probably the nearest IBO gets to a beam saber-like weapon and while we haven't seen it in action at any point in canon, it required hooking the sword direct into the 'suit's reactor via a connector plug built into Astaroth's arm. According to the kit manual, this technology was not especially stable, hence why it didn't see wider deployment.

When not in use, the sword sheathes inside a giant club, which continues a trend for Gundams to be armed with either piercing or smashing weapons as the primary means of attack. This is not to say they eschew guns completely; you can see here Astaroth came with a shotgun and obviously there's Gamigin's Gatling gun. But these are likely meant mainly for dealing with plumas, which we see in Season 2 are relatively vulnerable to normal bullets -- unlike a mobile armour, which requires something capable of breaching its defences and destroying its central processor as quickly as possible.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Twenty-ninth Spirit is Astaroth. He is a Mighty, Strong Duke, and appeareth in the form of an hurtful Angel riding on an Infernal Beast like a Dragon, and carrying in his right hand a Viper. Thou must in no wise let him approach too near unto thee, lest he do thee damage by his Noisome Breath. Wherefore the Magician must hold the Magical Ring near his face, and that will defend him. He giveth true answers of things Past, Present, and to Come, and can discover all Secrets. He will declare wittingly how the Spirits fell, if desired, and the reason of his own fall. He can make men wonderfully knowing in all Liberal Sciences. He ruleth 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, which wear thou as a Lamen before thee, or else he will not appear nor yet obey thee, etc.

'Riding a dragon' certainly fits the self-propelled flight option quite well, as the winged form does with Astaroth appearing as an angel, and we might interpret the γ nanolaminate sword as a viper if we squint -- or possibly this is the 'noisome breath'. Additionally, the idea of declaring how a spirit fell sits interestingly in the context of Gundam Astaroth's modern history, with it having been the prized possession of the Warren Family until they were framed for embezzlement and disgraced, and subsequently becoming involved in the mafia-like internal strife of the Tanto Tempo shipping company.

ASW-G-32 Asmoday

Found mint-in-box, Asmoday seems to have never actually been deployed in battle. Indeed, it is discovered repurposed as a secondary power supply for an Ariadne Network relay station. This is a unique case, since every other Gundam frame we know about either definitely saw combat or is heavily implied to have done so.

With respect to the previous comment about armaments, Asmoday comes equipped with giant tonfas that can extend to a frankly ludicrous length and are designed to act as armour-breaching pile-drivers. It also has claws built into its feet, allowing it to grab on to targets, marking a further development in how weapons are integrated into the 'suits. This feature is similar to one found on the Hugo mobile suit, which was developed in the middle of the Calamity War for space-combat. Possibly this means Asmoday was intended for the same purpose.

Its hand-held weapons are a sword/javelin combination that can shoot out on a cable and a mid-range rifle. Both are relatively uninteresting in their own right, but fit the standard pattern of the setting for mobile suits to carry both a melee weapon and a gun. It also carries smoke-screen grenades.

Asmoday's status when found provides a rare glimpse into the Calamity War's immediate aftermath. The Ariadne route leading to its location was long abandoned by the present and passed through the middle of a debris zone. The space station in which Asmoday was stored bore the Falk Family coat of arms; indeed, Kalf Falk, a Seven Star, was its administrator. This suggests that by the point Asmoday was plugged into the power grid, the Seven Stars were already established as ranking members of Gjallarhorn, placing that development right at the end of the War or perhaps even before it was over.

That they would need to use Asmoday in this manner also implies power sources were thin on the ground at the time. Given the sheer scope of the War, that's not an unlikely outcome. The artificial gravity effects of Ahab reactors continue to hold debris zones together three hundred years later, so we know a great many of them were lost in battle. Furthermore, in the present day, Gjallarhorn has come to completely monopolise the manufacture of Ahab reactors. A contributing factor to this may have been the destruction of the infrastructure that previously existed to produce them. This is pure speculation on my part, but it would gel with someone so highly placed in their organisation needing to deploy a Gundam as a glorified back-up generator.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Thirty-second Spirit is Asmoday, or Asmodai. He is a Great King, Strong, and Powerful. He appeareth with Three Heads, whereof the first is like a Bull, the second like a Man, and the third like a Ram; he hath also the tail of a Serpent, and from his mouth issue Flames of Fire. His Feet are webbed like those of a Goose. He sitteth upon an Infernal Dragon, and beareth in his hand a Lance with a Banner. He is first and choicest under the power of Amaymon, he goeth before all other. When the Exorcist hath a mind to call him, let it be abroad, and let him stand on his feet all the time of action, with his Cap or Head-dress off; for if it be on, Amaymon will deceive him and cause all his actions to be bewrayed.* But as soon as the Exorcist seeth Asmoday in the shape aforesaid, he shall call him by his Name, saying: “Art thou Asmoday?” and he will not deny it, and by-and-by he will bow down unto the ground. He given the Ring of Virtues; he teacheth the Arts of Arithmetic, Astronomy, Geometry, and all handicrafts absolutely. He giveth true and full answers unto thy demands. He maketh one Invincible**. He showeth the place where Treasures lie, and guardeth it. He, amongst the Legions of Amaymon, governeth 72 Legions of Spirits Inferior. His Seal is this which thou must wear as a Lamen upon thy breast, etc.

*This sentence was apparently badly translated and should more accurately run: "When the exorcist employs his [Asmodai’s] offices, let him [the exorcist] be strong, wary [lit. “warned”], standing on his feet, for should he be overwhelmed, he will be exposed in everything: but if the exorcist does not do this he will be deceived in everything by Amaymon." Just in case any of you were going to attempt the invocation.

**copyist's error, apparently: should be 'invisible'.

Head of a ram? Check. Lance? Eh, a tonfa that big is basically a blunt lance. Webbed feet? Kind of. And the bit about guarding the place where treasures lie does fit with where Gundam Asmoday was found.

[Note: I am aware the Japanese materials use the more common spelling 'Asmodeus', making this the only instance where the name of a Gundam varies between languages. But the official English text all uses Asmoday so I'm sticking with that.]

ASW-G-35 Marchosias

And then there's this thing. Do you like swords? How about some more swords on your swords? Well, Marchosias has you covered!

Oh, and we know at least one thing about its original pilot: she took duelling etiquette to heart. Or just thought zooming around like Zorro on steroids looked incredibly cool.

Like Astaroth, Marchosias' main sword stows in a sheath that could be used as a club. But it was also equipped with extra arms for better slicing/dicing action. The result is a one-mecha army that can take down a mobile armour with incredible efficiency.

We already knew from the Gusion refits that Gundam frames can support additional sets of limbs. That this should be the case is worth pausing over. Gundams are designed to allow people to surpass their limits. Marchosias gives us a view into just how far they could go beyond the human-like starting point.

What effect would this have on the pilot? Did this set-up place a higher load upon them during battle? We see nothing similar among the other Calamity War Gundam configurations. Only Kimaris' trooper form comes close and that seems more about increasing stability than adding extra offensive options. Perhaps therefore this approach was deemed too risky or too complicated to pursue further.

Moreover, Mikazuki starts to miss his tail when outside Barbatos Lupus Rex; was it the same for Marchosias's pilot? Having four additional limbs to keep track of must have done some wacky things to her sense of self. And how was that seen by her comrades? In light of later attempts to dehumanise augmented people, it's hard not to suspect this Gundam would be excellent propaganda for that cause.

Perhaps this explains why she retreated to Venus after the War was over. I've been saying 'she' because the current leading candidate for the identity of Marchosias's pilot is Erda Afam, great-grandmother to Wistario Afam, protagonist of the Urdr Hunt game. Marchosias -- in its rebuilt form as Hajiroboshi -- was not abandoned like Asmoday but deliberately hidden in the depths of the Radonitsa Colony. While we have yet to learn the full story, the details so far point to at least one Gundam pilot who didn't want to be part of the Seven Stars' post-war reorganisation of the world.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Thirty-fifth Spirit is Marchosias. He is a Great and Mighty Marquis, appearing at first in the form of a Wolf having Gryphon’s Wings, and a Serpent’s Tail, and Vomiting Fire out of his mouth. But after a time, at the command of the Exorcist he putteth on the Shape of a Man. And he is a strong fighter. He was of the Order of Dominations. He governeth 30 Legions of Spirits. He told his Chief, who was Solomon, that after 1,200 years he had hopes to return unto the Seventh Throne. And his Seal is this, to be made and worn as a Lamen, etc.

Following its rebuild into Hajiroboshi, we get a glimpse of the underlying operating system, so we can see that again, the IBO sigil has been reworked from the original seal.

'Strong fighter' might well be an understatement here! The griffon elements described also find expression in the winged appearance of the 'suit.

ASW-G-47 Vual

Vual is the odd Gundam out. By which I mean, it adds absolutely nothing to our understanding of them whatsoever. Like Gusion, we have no hints as to what its original configuration was. Unlike Gusion, this is explicitly stated to be because it was discovered without any armour. The above is a hodge-podge of Astaroth components and other elements of unknown provenance. Indeed, while you can't see it in this shot, its left arm is basically naked.

Of the parts seen here, the torso, right arm, waist armour, thighs, left shin, feet, and backpack are all from Astaroth. The rest, it seems, comes from Tanto Tempo's stores as a more complete set of the armour can be seen on the rebuild, Vual Yuhana.

But yes. We know zilch about the original Vual, what it was designed for, or what happened to it during the War. Which itself speaks to the ways in which the past can be erased over the course of three hundred years. As significant as the Gundams were, only people invested in that long-gone history (McGillis Fareed, Uso Mendou, Cyclase Meyer etc.) care to look into the details. To a businessman like Rosario Leone, this is merely a particularly powerful mobile frame that can be repurposed for his use.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Forty-Seventh Spirit is Uvall, or Vual, or Voval. He is a Duke, Great, Mighty, and Strong; and appeareth in the form of a Mighty Dromedary at the first, but after a while at the Command of the Exorcist he putteth on Human Shape, and speaketh the Egyptian Tongue, but not perfectly. His Office is to Procure the Love of Women, and to tell Things Past, Present, and to Come. He also procureth Friendship between Friends and Foes. He was in the Order of Potestates or Powers. He governeth 37 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is this, to be made and worn before thee, etc.

I'd probably do use the first seal as the basis for the IBO equivalent. The angle on the offset cross is more interesting and aligning the middle pair looks nicer. The promotion of friendship between foes in the Ars Goetia text works nicely for Vual being rebuilt and deployed to help the protagonists of the Moon Steel manga, piloted by on-again, off-again foe-turned-ally Sampo Hakuri.

ASW-G-48 Haagenti

To get this out of the way: yes, they gave the only confirmed lady in the original Seven Stars a mobile suit with a dainty, curving aesthetic and inbuilt stiletto heels (they look somewhat more practical from the back but even so).

However, to give it its due, Haagenti is actually a really cool and unique design. First we've got frankly over-sized thrusters on an otherwise light-weight machine, implying this is an exceptionally nippy fighter. Then we have the twin swords which are noted to be heavier than they appear, allowing it to deal a lot of damage. And finally, there are the fan-blades built into its forearms.

I'm sorry, allow me to rephrase that. There are the RAZOR DOOM YO-YOS built into its forearms.

I, personally, would not question Angelica Elion's aesthetic choices to her face, even if I genuinely dislike that much salmon pink on a war robot (I stress the problem is it being *salmon* pink. Urgh).

Its official bio mentions it used a large-bore gun as well, but oddly not the yo-yos, so given the gun hasn't been shown, I wonder if there was a mix-up there. In any case, this is a rare case of bladed ranged weaponry on a Gundam frame. The only equivalent I can think of are the disc-launchers on Kimaris, which are clearly not as reusable.

Going back to Asmoday's implementation of something seen on another mobile suit, Hugos are also equipped with grappling hooks, so cable-mounted weapons have precedent. Whether Haagenti employed the kind of smart-cables seen on mobile armours, however, is an open question. The animation from Iron-Blooded Orphans G suggests not, but I wonder if something like these yo-yos would be practical without the ability to control them more precisely.

Indeed, given how effective Barbatos Lupus Rex is in battle, it's curious we don't see any Calamity War Gundams explicitly using a technology that would have been available at the time. Hashmal's tail and Harael's claws represent the closest the Post Disaster setting comes to implementing the 'funnel' drone technology found in other Gundam shows (plumas being more autonomous than funnels/bits are usually depicted). Yet Haagenti is the only Gundam we can even hypothesise as using something similar.

Were smart cable-mounted weapons less effective against mobile armours and pluma swarms than they proved against individual mobile suits? Was the technology less available than its existence aboard the armours implies? Or was it too closely associated with the enemy to use, either out of principle or because the armours were intimately familiar with how it worked? So far, no clues are available.

What we can be certain of is that Haagenti's dainty appearance belies an incredibly strong showing during the War. The Elions wound up becoming an immensely powerful member of the Seven Stars, commanding Gjallarhorn's single biggest fleet. Their Gundam itself, however, was consigned to storage in the vaults on Vingolf, a relic of a by-gone age.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Forty-eighth Spirit is Haagenti. He is a President, appearing in the Form of a Mighty Bull with Gryphon’s Wings. This is at first, but after, at the Command of the Exorcist he putteth on Human Shape. His Office is to make Men wise, and to instruct them in divers things; also to Transmute all Metals into Gold; and to change Wine into Water, and Water into Wine. He governeth 33 Legions of Spirits, and his Seal is this, etc.

It's certainly got the bull horns, though no wings to speak of. Beyond that, this seems to be another case where the Gundam doesn't inherit much from the demon.

And that's where we'll leave it for this instalment. Not sure if I will have the third part up tomorrow but I will try to post it soon in any case.

Other reference posts include:

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 1)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 2)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (corrigendum) [mainly covering my inability to recognise mythical wolves]

IBO reference notes on … three key Yamagi scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Shino scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Eugene scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Ride scenes

IBO reference notes on … the tone of the setting

IBO reference notes on … character parallels and counterpoints

IBO reference notes on … a perfect villain

IBO reference notes on … Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko

IBO reference notes on … an act of unspeakable cruelty

IBO reference notes on … original(ish) characters [this one is mainly fanfic]

IBO reference notes on … Kudelia’s decisions

IBO reference notes on … assorted head-canons

IBO reference notes on … actual, proper original characters [explicit fanfic – as in, actually fanfic. None of them have turned up in the smut yet]

IBO reference notes on … the aesthetics of the mobile frame

IBO reference notes on … mobile suit designations

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 1)

Was originally going to comment this until it became too long

Hm. Looking over the Ars Goetia listings again, Of Barbatos; “He breaketh the Hidden Treasures open that have been laid by the Enchantments of Magicians”.

I confess I have little knowledge of demonology or alchemy, however I think there’s more symbolism here. Barbatos (of course) ends up breaking a great many things throughout the series, but it’s the emphasis on hidden treasures that has me thinking. Barbatos’ appearance, and use by tekkadan, directly leads to numerous “hidden treasures” being unearthed over the course of the series. Barbatos’ entrance into battle is it bursting from the underground entrance, being unearthed. It’s battle with Gaelio leads to him taking the Gundam Kimaris out of storage, “unearthing” it for the first time in nearly 300 years. McGillis’ sees it in action, sees tekkadan in action, and while I’m sure he already had plans to move against Iznario (IE Montag Company), this leads to an “unearthment” of his motivations, of his ambitions. And from there, Bael.

While Barbatos isn’t directly involved in their discovery, it’s “Summoner” Tekkadan does unearth both Flauros and Hashmal at the Half-Metal Mine in Chryse. And what happens to both of these hidden treasures of the calamity war? They get broken.

(Though there’s a point, if Tekkadan is being read as their “summoner”, I wonder if that would make Mikazuki a willing sacrifice? There’s probably a read there, since as a child soldier his lot was likely “to be sacrificed on the altar of war”)

“He is of the Order of Virtues, of which some part he retaineth still;”

While to my understanding the Virtues were a classification of Angel (see Gundam Virtue from 00), Barbatos was previously part of a “Virtuous Order” - Gjallarhorn. If we take form 4 to be it’s Calamity War form, then it retains its Katana and possibly a spectre of its pilot from those days. However, I want to point out “of which some part he retainers still”. As Barbatos is upgraded it becomes more and more inhuman, more and more demonic, casting off its “Virtue” is exchange for more power. It’s still recognisable as a Gundam, retaining some aspect of itself, but becoming more demonic in service of Tekkadan. It’s interesting to note that this is directly in response to Mikazuki’s piloting data, the man driving the demon ever forward, making ever more pacts with it.

“and he knoweth all things Past, and to Come, and conciliateth Friends and those that be in Power”

Barbatos conciliateth friends and those that be in power - it’s directly Barbatos’ strength (or rather, the strength it grants Tekkadan) that leads to the Turbines recognising Tekkadan as equals. And it’s that strength that Mcgillis recognises, conciliating him and Tekkadan, and leading to their alliance.

Really stellar analysis, by the way, looking forward to part 3!

IBO reference notes on … the Gundams (part 1)

[Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3]

Or: a spotter’s guide to the Calamity War.

[Note: I tried to post this twice today before figuring out that one of the images was causing it to be consigned to Tumblr oblivion. Apparently a shot of Lt. Crank's gloved hand was too racy for this site. Yeah.]

I said at the time that the fanfic Of Obsessions and Erotemes was written as an alternative to writing an essay expanding on my thoughts regarding the Gundams in Iron-Blooded Orphans. This is probably not strictly accurate, however, and I've been struck by the urge to take a figurative walk through the canonical examples out of the 72 Gundam frame type mobile suits.

I want to focus on the Gundams as they started out during the Calamity War, as far as that is possible, and what this says about the nature of the conflict. I will probably follow up at some point with notes on the mobile armours too, since they are the flip-side of this narrative. As I’ve had cause to mention before, I’m generally content with not knowing too much about the historical event that serves as the basis for IBO’s world-building. I think that adds rather than subtracts from the story. Still, it is fun to play with what we get and piece together an impression of what happened three hundred years prior to the series’ beginning.

For the purposes of not writing a post ten thousand words long, I’ve split the Gundams into three groups based on numerical position in the master list, which is of course taken from the Ars Goetia. Here, I will be drawing on Crowley’s edition.

All images shown here are either borrowed from the Gundam Wiki or are my own screenshots.

As with all my posts like this, spoilers are present for everything.

The Gundam frame

Let’s start with what is under the hood, to whit: the Gundam mobile suit frame.

I covered some of this in my post on the aesthetics of the mobile frame concept, but the most important detail about the Gundam type is how human-like its proportions are, in both limb structure and eye placement. Unlike other frames, this is intended from the start to be used with an Alaya-Vijana system, so designing it to more closely approximate the human form makes a great deal of sense.

At the same time, there is something fittingly demonic about the skeleton, down to the claw-like fingers. However it must be noted that this is specifically Barbatos’ frame; the talons on on the feet are not reflected on the others. Indeed, based on the design work for Kimaris and Flauros, the feet are the part that varies the most from machine to machine.

A Gundam’s power – both in the sense of motive force and superior strength – comes from the twin Ahab reactors making up its torso. It’s the only mobile weapon in Iron-Blooded Orphans confirmed to have multiple reactors, with the implication that this boosts the output beyond simply adding the two together. Indeed, when operating at full capacity against a mobile armour, Barbatos seems barely able to contain its own energies.

Ancillary material states Ahab reactors are made ‘on a plant near a fixed star’, implying a difficult process to begin with (or at least a factory in orbit of the sun). Synchronising the reactors so they run in parallel is adding extra complexity on top of that, which is one of the reasons Gundam construction is a lost art. These things are the peak of mobile suit design and have never been equalled since they quite literally saved the world.

A Gundam, then, is not merely another weapon. It is the maximisation of human capacity, allowing a pilot to exceed their bodily limitations to destroy an inhuman enemy. We don’t know for sure the Calamity War pilots ended up in the same sorry state as Mikazuki (though the taleof Agnika Kaieru’s spirit residing inside Bael carries some interesting implications). But we do know the Alaya-Vijnana places extraordinary pressure on human physiology by its very nature, and the Gundams themselves come with competing limiters as a result. One that disengages in proximity to a mobile armour, allowing the full force of the reactors to be unleashed; another that switches on at that point, to stop this burst of power immediately overwhelming the operator. Only by accepting the danger can the pilot proceed with their attack.

It’s a duality of ultimate strength and ultimate risk that makes the Gundam frames seem like suitably desperate creations. They are the demons that prevented total apocalypse, while consuming their pilots body and soul.

ASW-G-01 Bael

The first king of the Hell, and therefore presumably the first Gundam to have been constructed. From latter machines, there is the suggestion that deployment order did not match the numerical codes, so it isn’t entirely clear if we can solidly say they are numbered in the order they were built. But it seems reasonable to assume that this represents the start of Gundam operational history.

If we can take Bael to exist in the present exactly as it did in the War, it is a relatively simple affair, sporting nothing more flashy than a pair of wing-like boosters (I say wing-like purely because they are not functionally wings; they’re more an elaborate jet-pack). From a design point of view, Bael otherwise matches exactly to the template set by the series’ hero machine, Barbatos: the armour and thruster placement is identical and we may take this to be the default.

The combat philosophy behind this machine appears to be the same too: strike fast and strike sharp. It follows that Agnika Kaieru was the kind to lead from the front. Indeed, kit manual text makes it clear he was self-sufficient in battle, taking down mobile armours solely with his twin swords. Given McGillis holds his own against an entire fleet for a while, this doesn’t feel like a stretch and it certainly explains why the man became such a legend.

The symbol on Bael’s left shoulder is the original Gjallarhorn logo, which more directly presents the source of the organisation’s name: the horn that sounds Ragnarök. This would later be elaborated into the flag used in the present while remaining as a some sort of badge/pin or medal on officers’ uniforms. I find that fitting, that something simple would be built up over time into a grander image, disguising the root truth. In many ways, that sums up Bael’s place in history.

From the Ars Goetia:

The first Principal Spirit is a King ruling in the East, called Bael. He maketh thee to go Invisible. He ruleth over 66 Legions of Infernal Spirits. He appeareth in divers shapes, sometimes like a Cat, sometimes like a Toad, and sometimes like a Man, and sometimes all these forms at once. He speaketh hoarsely. This is his character which is used to be worn as a Lamen before him who calleth him forth, or else he will not do thee homage.

Notably, the sigil used for Gundam Bael’s interface does not simply replicate the 'canonical’ seal from the Ars Goetia but rather reinterprets it.

Clearly OG Gjallarhorn had graphic designers on staff. Also, Bael’s main console screen is of a uniquely narrow design, in a rather elaborate housing. It would seem the cockpits were refined for later models, simplifying things towards a standard pattern seen in Kimaris and Gusion that would itself go on to become the standard for Gjallarhorn 'suits.

ASW-G-04 Gamigin

Pretty much all we know about Gamigin is that it exists, it was originally piloted by Kalf Falk and it made it out of the Calamity War in one piece. Oh and someone in the armoury department was having a laugh the day they issued this Gundam its weapons.

Seriously though, if Bael is the default, this is a heavy-duty model. Gamigin looks a hell of a lot less manoeuvrable, even accounting for the extra thrusters built into its skirt, and its standard-sized arms appear positively weedy compared to the heft of the body and legs. Clearly though, that was a trade-off deemed acceptable for the sake of destructive capacity.

The giant Gatling gun speaks for itself, but the revolver axe is the more interesting item here. As silly as it looks, it’s represents the (presumed) earliest incorporation of Dàinsleif weaponry into a Gundam frame mobile suit.

'Dàinsleif’ is a term used to refer to anything that launches javelin-like projectiles at high speed with the intent of puncturing nano-laminate armour. It’s unclear if the present ban on their use extends to smaller-scale versions like this, which is a point-blank deployment of the technology.

The blunt side of that axe is designed to strike an enemy and fire a spike straight through it. Crude but effective. Or so we can assume given this machine was piloted by one of the first Seven Stars and therefore must have destroyed a great many mobile armours.

From the Ars Goetia (Samigina/Gamigin):

The Fourth Spirit is Samigina, a Great Marquis. He appeareth in the form of a little Horse or Ass, and then into Human shape doth he change himself at the Request of the Master. He speaketh with a hoarse voice. He ruleth over 30 Legions of Inferiors. He teaches all Liberal Sciences, and giveth account of Dead Souls that died in sin. And his Seal is this, which is to be worn before the Magician when he is Invocator, etc.

This is one of several demons with multiple names listed in the Ars Goetia. There doesn’t appear to be any pattern to which was picked as the ID for the corresponding Gundam.

ASW-G-08 Barbatos

Teiwaz are stated to have restored Barbatos to its original state so we can assume the 4th form represents the version that fought in the Calamity War. Given this, it likely used a katana in battle, as the sword Teiwaz provides bears the same logo as the 'suit and we know from their work on Flauros that Gundams store information about their own weaponry (see also Mikazuki’s sudden competence with it when he connects deeper to Barbatos).

Intriguingly, with the retroactive introduction of predecessor designs, it appears Barbatos takes cues from both Bael and Gamigin, which ties these three low-numbered models together nicely. It is also relatively unspecialised in comparison, lacking the features that mark out the previous two. When found, it had a small buckler shield built into a gauntlet on its left forearm, similar to those the 5th form in the series would use. However, there’s no indication if this was used as a mount for mortars like the later version, leaving us with a machine that appears to have been a simple melee combatant.

The absence of gimmicks showcases just how powerful Gundams are in comparison to other mobile suits, at a baseline. In any given fight during Season 1, Barbatos is faster, stronger, and more adaptable than its opposition, and while we see it built up with add-ons over the course of the series, those often seem to get in the way or provide only passing advantages.

Since my focus is on the Calamity War, I’m not going to go into any detail regarding the Lupus and Lupus Rex forms. But I will posit the idea Barbatos’ original pilot was of a different temperament to Mikazuki. If it is indeed their 'ghost’ who comes to his aid in Edmonton – some trace left behind in the system that allows him to understand the katana in the nick of time – they seem to have been a master of that weapon, favouring lethal precision, in stark contrast to Mikazuki’s gradual transformation into an animalistic, living weapon.

(The mace that Mikazuki leads with seems to have been something Maruba bought for possible use if he could ever get Barbatos running, rather than a relic of it previous operations.)

From the Ars Goetia:

The Eighth Spirit is Barbatos. He is a Great Duke, and appeareth when the Sun is in Sagittary, with four noble Kings and their companies of great troops. He giveth understanding of the singing of Birds, and of the Voices of other creatures, such as the barking of Dogs. He breaketh the Hidden Treasures open that have been laid by the Enchantments of Magicians. He is of the Order of Virtues, of which some part he retaineth still; and he knoweth all things Past, and to Come, and conciliateth Friends and those that be in Power. He ruleth over 30 Legions of Spirits. His Seal of Obedience is this, the which wear before thee as aforesaid.

Again, we see a redesign of the seal for Gundam Barbatos’ start-up sigil.

I like the choice to make the lines more dynamic.

ASW-G-11 Gusion

We don’t know if this is what Gusion started out looking like. Gusion was found in a debris zone and passed through various hands before it reached the Brewers, and we know the Brewers’ Man Rodis are custom jobs, more heavily armoured than standard Rodi frame models. On balance, this is probably something they cooked up to fit their requirements.

But gives us an idea of the limits of a Gundam frame’s flexibility. The arms and legs have been stretched outwards from the main body to accommodate the armour load-out. You can see a glimpse of the piston that operates the hip joint under the skirt in the image above, providing a sense of where the legs have been moved. Quite how this works is unclear since we only see the head exposed when the Turbines start deconstructing this form. The fact it does work emphasises just how far the Gundams can be reconfigured. The Turbines even go so far as installing extra arms into the Rebake version given to Akihiro, seemingly with no issues at all.

Gusion also provides an example of the fate suffered by quite a number of the Gundam frames: that of being lost and forgotten after battles during the Calamity War. The figure provided for how many frames are known to have survived is 26, but it’s unclear where that sits in the timeline of IBO canon, throughout which several Gundams are uncovered from previously hidden resting places. Certainly it appears only a minority of such 'suits remain in Gjallarhorn’s custody. While some have most likely been destroyed outright, many may still be drifting among debris fields or buried at the sites of battles from three hundred years ago.

It’s a neat conceit, leaving fertile ground for fanfiction or spin-offs to play on, and underscores that these machines belong to a bygone era most have forgotten about.

From the Ars Goetia:

The Eleventh Spirit in order is a great and strong Duke, called Gusion. He appeareth like a Xenopilus. He telleth all things, Past, Present and to Come, and showeth the meaning and resolution of all questions thou mayest ask. He conciliateth and reconcileth friendships, and giveth Honour and Dignity unto any. He ruleth over 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, the which wear as aforesaid.

The connection between the machine or pilot and the Ars Goetia descriptions is somewhat variable throughout this list. In some instances there’s nothing obvious at all. However, I love that Gusion bestows honour and dignity because of how beautifully it ties into Akihiro’s arc. This said … I don’t actually know what a 'Xenopilus’ is. My first thought was 'Xenopus’ and a frog motif certainly would explain Gundam Gusion’s appearance. But I don’t think that’s right? Answers on a postcard, please.

That’s where we’ll leave things for today. I will probably post the next instalment sometime tomorrow.

Other reference posts include:

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 1)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (Part 2)

IBO reference notes on … Gjallarhorn (corrigendum) [mainly covering my inability to recognise mythical wolves]

IBO reference notes on … three key Yamagi scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Shino scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Eugene scenes

IBO reference notes on … three key Ride scenes

IBO reference notes on … the tone of the setting

IBO reference notes on … character parallels and counterpoints

IBO reference notes on … a perfect villain

IBO reference notes on … Iron-Blooded Orphans: Gekko

IBO reference notes on … an act of unspeakable cruelty

IBO reference notes on … original(ish) characters [this one is mainly fanfic]

IBO reference notes on … Kudelia’s decisions

IBO reference notes on … assorted head-canons

IBO reference notes on … actual, proper original characters [explicit fanfic – as in, actually fanfic. None of them have turned up in the smut yet]

IBO reference notes on … the aesthetics of the mobile frame

IBO reference notes on … mobile suit designations

I just found out that if you beat Code Fairy on Hard you unlock the Efreet Jager and GM Spartan (RG) in GB02, two suits that I really want to repaint.

But if I do then that means I have to fight the Big Tray, and Pixy (LA) all over again……..

Moebius