#Gundam Belphagor

[gremoria411]

Alright, so I’m gonna be taking a break from Gundam G Generation Posts for a little bit, since I’ve got other stuff I want to talk about. So, to temporarily cap this off, I’m going to be talking about one of the two suits that directly inspired this series of posts;

The GB-9700 Gundam Belphagor, originating in SD Gundam G Generation F was an anti-Newtype mobile suit constructed by United Nations Earth for Use in the 7th Space War. Newtypes were commonly employed by both the United Nations Earth and Space Revolutionary Army during the war, with their loss in combat greatly effecting the momentum of both sides, since they were typically well equipped, piloting either Gundam’s (for the UNE) or Febral’s/Bertigo’s (for the SRA). As such, the United Nations Earth constructed a suit specifically designed to combat newtypes. Ironically, the best pilot for such a suit was a Newtype themself. Like the preceding Gundam’s Airmaster, Leopard and X; the Belphagor was fitted with a Flash System, essentially a catch-all term for Newtype weaponry, typically used by UNE forces to control G-bits, simplified versions of the “mother” mobile suit, shown below:

However, the Gundam Belphagor’s flash system instead allowed a finer degree of control over the mobile suit, allowing the pilot to more effectively counter remote weaponry. To this end, it was equipped with heat wires in the arms to destroy any funnels or bits the enemy might employ. Additionally it was armed with beam sabers (stored in the hips), a sonic smasher cannon (which would eventually become the mega sonic cannon mounted on the Virsago), a set of atomic scissors on the knees and the arms could fold out into what are termed “strike claws”, which each mounted a beam gun and high-output beam saber.

I like the design, since it still has a lot of the Gundam X-style features, but pushes them in different directions - the X has the long-range Satellite Cannon, the Belphagor has a bunch of CQC grappling equipment. I like how thruster-heavy it is, really sells that it’s supposed to close in and wreck things. The colours are (at least for a Gundam) quite neutral, so you pay more attention to its armament. I like how sleek the chest is (and as an aside, I like how all of After War Gundam’s have a sorta gem on their design). The pointed feet feel like they’re evoking something but I’m not sure what. I really love how built-up the arms are - you can tell that they’re gonna do *something*. The head’s apparently based on Devilman, by Go Nagai, which is pretty rad, and ties into the suit’s purpose as a Newtype-killer.

[gremoria411]

Alrighty, so a little more on that Gundam Belphagor. Part of the reason that I wanted to talk about all the G Generation designs is that they all occupy this weird canon state. All their bio’s say “built, deployment unknown” or “designed, maybe built” or “limited deployment to obscure front”, so they’re all basically “you can’t prove it didn’t happen” which is a nice angle.

(There are a few that are explicitly non-canon, like the monoeye gundams and things original to the games, like the Halphas, above)

But nonetheless it’s interesting seeing what’s been worked in, whether it’s an Axis Prototype that didn’t make the cut, an evil knockoff of the Victory Gundam or a whole new Gundam.

A whole new Gundam, oh my. Wouldn’t it be grand if there was a series that had “gaps” if you will, units we know existed, but don’t know anything about. Units that a brand new Gundam would fit right alongside.

I mean, there might even be a series that already fits with the gundams being named after demons from the Ars Goetia, like the Halphas and Barbatos, that’d be cool.

So yeah, I’m kinda looking forward to seeing what weird thing the next game to get original designs adds.