The Tears of Time: A Look at the Gaza-C and Axis Zeon
The smothering silence of space has been shattered for ages. In the Universal Century, the cacophony of war is a constant that ensures the vast emptiness surrounding Earth will never be calm.
In the Year 0087, yet another war is being waged. A lone assault carrier called the "Argama" drifts through the abyssal darkness of space toward an asteroid belt. After fighting battle after battle against the rival Titans, the crew of the Argama are hoping to make contact with the newly introduced Axis Zeon so they can form an alliance. Despite much dispute among the crewmates for aligning with a group that has a history of bloodshed and opposing ideology, those in command steer the vessel further in hopes of making contact.
Much like opening Pandora's Box, the crew is met with a swarm of emotions as they get closer; Only made worse by the swarm of pink mobile suits. Fitted with gleaming mono-eye cameras that fix their emerald optics toward the carrier, these suits called the "Gaza-C", are the first introduction to Axis Zeon. I believe they reveal a myriad of interesting things about the group based on their design and presence in the story that this post will try to explain.
Hello there! ૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡
I haven't written anything in...an embarrassingly long time, but over the last few months I've been indulging myself in Mobile Suit Gundam. From the original '79 series through Gundam ZZ and Char's Counter Attack, I've been fully submerged in the space opera drama, politics, and cool robots. While the nearly 150 episodes of classic mecha anime have definitely given me a lot to think about, I haven't felt comfortable or well read enough to fully approach any of the topics the series deals with; At least until now. The Gaza-C is a mobile suit that I find extremely fascinating, so please bare with me for however long this text ends up being so I can explain my infatuation with this flamboyantly colored mech.
Firstly, a warning for the uninitiated.
I'll be discussing the Gaza-C, and by extension, Axis Zeon; Both of these are elements that appear in the later half of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam and are prominently featured throughout the entirety of ZZ Gundam. Expect spoilers for both! ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝
How Did We Get Here?
Before the Gaza-C can be properly savored, I believe a spoonful of context and a dash of history are needed to bring out the best qualities of this particular mobile suit.
After the One Year War depicted in the original Mobile Suit Gundam, The Principality of Zeon was completely and utterly broken. Those that remained came together on a small mining base called Axis and declared it their new home, but it was a mere shadow of what used to be. Axis Zeon would struggle to have resources and even survive properly, and those who lived there were in constant fear that the Earth Federation would one day wipe them off the map. While they were able to keep functioning and even replicate a life similar to the Earth Colonies, they would only have a fraction of the military power and technology that Zeon once did.
Haman Karn is a woman that would have grown up under this threat, and the struggle to survive mixed with paranoia and abandonment from characters like Char Aznable would lead her to becoming the radicalized tyrant set on wrenching every shred of power she can out of Axis in order to assert her Zeonic beliefs and prove her strength.
She's killed a lot of people, but she was slaying while she did it.
A Ghost of Zeon's Lingering Past
When Char departs from the Argama and meets her for the first time in years he refers to Haman as, "The Ghost of Zeon." Much to Char's horror, it's revealed that she's been protecting and raising Mineva Zabi; A young woman that is said to be the last carrier of Zeon's royal blood. Unfortunately this tutelage also meant she was taught much of the regal and selfish beliefs of the old Zabi family; The same people that were responsible for the corruption of Zeon.
I quite like the title of Ghost, because it implies this sort of belief of something that should be gone but still clings to the world. The terrible ideology of the Zabi family is something Haman clings to and wants to force on others, and this ideology encourages her to see people as nothing but tools and actors for her own personal goals. With Haman and the context of Axis Zeon in mind, we can finally get to the Gaza-C proper; A suit that manages to symbolically represent these different aspects of the faction.
The Zabi family are low-key boomers, for real-for real.
It All Culminates In The Gaza-C
Many of the mobile suits used before this point typically have a humanoid design, especially the other mass produced suits like Zeon's Zaku and The Earth Federation's GM units from the original series. Those specific suits call back to soldiers from historic wars, and fit in perfectly as a depiction of this new type of warfare.
Axis Zeon's Gaza-C units don't share this trait despite having a similar purpose. A rifle juts out from the torso of the suit, with thick tubes connecting it to the main body. The "head" (if that's even a good word for it) is fitted with a singular eye that's reminiscent of a scope. The Gaza may have arms and legs like the other suits, but the structure of feet, head, chest, and the various exposed tubes seen throughout the suit give it a much more inhuman vibe than other suits seen up until this point. If anything, the Gaza-C feel like they're on life support. The mix of purples and pinks brings to mind organs and body parts, with the various tubes keeping the struggling things alive. Struggling would be a key word, as these suits are made from salvaged parts and quickly mass produced.
One of these things is not like the others...
Every mobile suit in the series is a weapon for war and destruction, but the inhuman Gaza units feel much more distinctly like weapons. The alt modes the units can change to support this further: A bipedal turret, and a more compact flight mode. Featured prominently in every mode is a very distinct rifle that is permanently attached to the suit. Taken together, it delivers a clear message; These suits exist exclusively to be used as a weapon without any form of humanity.
Our first encounter with these suits definitely displays this feature, where they're seen showering a Titan mobile suit with a rain of beam rifle shots. While the initial scene shows an impressive number of Gaza units to begin with, a quick pan out shows that the Argama is surrounded by them. Like flies, they jet around and peer into the glass of the vessel, making sure that the crew is fully aware of their presence.
The initial scene depicting them is off putting, and it definitely gives this feeling that Axis Zeon should be feared. But, I used the word flies for a reason. Much like those insects, the Gaza-C are rarely shown to be worth concern even in high numbers. Their introduction depicted a team of them taking shots at an enemy mobile suit, but the damage seemed negligible. While the suit did flee due to orders, it was less out of concern for their safety and more of a strategic decision.
I, personally, would be a little more concerned if a large mech stared at my viewport.
Even with that kind of pathetic opening display aside, the suits are commonly shot down without much trouble as well. While there certainly are a large number of them, the actual threat they pose seems minimal...and it definitely seems like the Argama crew feel the same way. Comparing them to what the AEUG's Argama carrier or Titan vessels have at their disposal feels sadistic, since suits like the Zeta Gundam (and ZZ Gundam later on) or The O are practically walking fortresses that are more then capable of wiping out a Gaza fleet on their own.
Ultimately, I think the Gaza-C are mass produced, barely cobbled together units produced en masse purely to give the façade of power; Something that would make sense for Axis Zeon current situation. Haman Karn would want to be taken seriously as a threat, and meeting her competition with a full army of suits definitely leaves a strong impression.
Fragile Beliefs and Even Weaker Armor
Turning things into an army of emotionless, disposable, weapons wouldn't be something Haman is a stranger to either. During the events of ZZ Gundam, the Neo Zeon forces led by Haman are filled out with an assortment of lighthearted characters with quirks and personality. However, many of these characters end up being reprogrammed as Cyber New types and lose bits of themselves in the process; They become less human for the sake of acting like a better weapon for Haman's personal use.
Not only did they rob his personality, but his drip too.
Despite how devoted to Zeonic ideals Haman and members of Axis and Neo Zeon might seem, I believe this devotion is extremely flimsy. Many high ranking members of Neo Zeon seem far more interested in appealing to Haman herself as opposed to any pride or devotion for their faction. The Princess that is meant to be the lynchpin of their whole faction is revealed to have disappeared before the events of ZZ Gundam, and...no one actually seems to mind this that much. Haman herself doesn't seem to want to restore the Zabi family to power either and even seems to be convinced that she was wrong for even trying; This leads to her taking her life during the finale of ZZ Gundam. These fragile beliefs seem to be perfectly represented by the fragile Gaza-C, which is completely eliminated by single blasts from the Zeta and ZZ Gundam suits.
Shockingly, this is one of the least gruesome Gaza trashings.
That's not to say there are no Zeon loyalists, as Glemy Toto was extremely devoted to the point of being sick of Haman Karn and staging a coup. However, most of Neo Zeon comes off as a group of quirky individuals simping for an unhinged woman with abandonment issues.
Justifying Atrocity
With all these things in mind, I feel like Haman Karn wanted to give off the illusion of strength so she could gain power for herself, and used Axis Zeon as a way to do it. The fleet of Gaza-C units and the Axis warship would definitely give an impression of strength, but the impression is all it is. Neither the AEUG or Titans seem to have any proper estimate of the groups military strength, with the Titans instead using the possible threat of a Zeon revolt as justification for their fascist policies. Besides Haman's own personal Quebley unit, the Gaza-C is all they have and it doesn't pose any major threat; Definitely not enough to justify the Titan's attempts to control Earth and Space.
These dorks are what the average queer friend group looks like.
I think that's the perfect explanation of Axis Zeon as a whole, much like the Gaza-C they both look scary and can be used to strike fear, but both are fragile things that can be easily dismissed when the curtain is pulled back. The threat of an "Axis uprising" or "Zeon Revolution" was used primarily as an excuse for the Titans to force more control over colonies.
Even in the events of ZZ Gundam where a power vacuum allowed Axis Zeon to advance and gain more military strength, The newly renamed Neo Zeon was ultimately stopped by...children. They might have been extremely weird children, but the only real strength Neo Zeon had came from aligning themselves with other groups and taking advantage of the Earth Federation's negligence.
This small child fought the CEO of war crimes and WON.
To wrap everything together, I believe that Axis and Zeon is merely an illusory symbol of hate and regressive ideas that was used by the Titans and Haman to gain their own power. While Haman and Axis/Neo Zeon definitely existed, the actual threat they posed both ideologically and through sheer military strength was horribly diminished and downright miniscule compared to the might of the Titans or even the AEUG. The Gaza-C units are a perfect example of this; though their sheer numbers and design can appear threatening, in reality they're all barely finished suits crafted from salvaged parts that can't withstand any sort of real fight. If Haman Karn is the Ghost of Zeon, the Gaza-C are the corpse, dragged out as a display of power in hopes to hide the decaying state of the faction they represent.
The little asteroid Axis that could...(it actually failed.)
Bonus Section: Woah! Cool Robot!
Story relevance aside, I do genuinely adore the sheer aesthetic and want to rave about the Gaza-C model kit. The starkly distinct pink and deep purples mixed with the emerald eyes and windows give it a very unique look compared to other kits, and the asymmetry present in the design not only gives the kit a unique look, but keeps the actual building process interesting throughout.
My first foray into mech enjoyment came with transformers, so having a kit that transforms into several modes brought me a large dose of euphoria. The kit even came with a flight stand so the other modes could properly posed and displayed.
Taken together, it's a very unique kit with a lot of really cool features and I've absolutely adored my time with it. Although the actual build and lining process was a lot more involved then I would have expected, it does make the thought of making a small army of them feel less enjoyable tenable.
The Gaza-C and Quebley are besties ^.^
I'm a little quirky so transforming suits like these make me happy. (；^ω^）
Panel lining these tubes was a nightmare and one of the reasons I'm discouraged from building a whole army (´-﹏-`；)
Conclusion
The Gundam franchise as a whole sports a bevy of interesting mech designs, but the Gaza-C really stuck out to me as a very minor detail that ended up giving a lot of insight into the story and characters. This was definitely a lot to go over so I hope anyone that read this far enjoyed and can possibly also share my appreciation for this suit! This was my first time writing anything of this nature (and first time writing at all in years) so if there's any feedback please let me know!
Unlike Haman, I won't react badly to criticism (Probably)
I don't actually have a caption for this, I just wanted to share more ZZ please watch it. I promise it gets better, the early episodes have some whiplash coming off of Zeta but I think the series actually works really well as a more light hearted Gundam experience with a cast of loveable charac-
Bandai has the perfect opportunity to make a Build Fighters style line without it being a Build Fighters line. It’d have to be exclusive to UC but that’s the most populated line anyways. Just make them kits for a Crossbone spinoff. Dust already has plenty to choose from it’d be so simple and would probably require less retooling than the regular build fighters stuff.
yousharknotpass
izzy806
titsay
janainaart
germansingergirl
