XM-X Crossbone Gundam

The XM-X Crossbone Gundam, also known as the F97 Gundam Formula 97, is a series of high-performance mobile suits developed by the Earth Federation's Strategic Naval Research Institute (SNRI) in the Universal Century timeline of the fictional Gundam metaseries. It appears in Yoshiyuki Tomino's manga "Mobile Suit Crossbone Gundam", as well as its sequels "Skull Heart" and "Steel Seven".

Background

After the Crossbone Vanguard crisis of the Frontier Side came to an end with the death of Caruzzo "Iron Mask" Ronah, the Cosmos Babylonia collapsed from civil conflicts after Berah Ronah (Cecily Fairchild) denounced the nation's aristocratic ideals. However, new threat to peace began to surface as Berah and her love Seabook Arno discovered the Jupiter Empire's conspiracy to invade and conquer the Earth Sphere. After staging their death to avoid attention from the Jupiter Empire, Berah Ronah's new Crossbone Vanguard secretly received from SNRI the newly designed Formula 97 series mobile suits, which were based on the success of SNRI's F91 series.

Unlike many mobile suits developed by the SNRI, which were designed to operate around the Earth orbits, the F97 is specifically designed to be used in Jupiter's strong gravitational field, which will generate serious propulsion problems. On Earth and around Earth orbit, the trend for high mobility involves putting numerous thrusters all over its body. However, under Jupiter's gravitational influence, this would require enlargement of the thrusters, which will lead to increase of the mobile suit's size and mass. Also, in order to use the larger thrusters, this will require a more powerful, and thus larger and more massive, generator, which becomes deadweight when not in use, adding a further dilemma to the design.

To solve this problem, the F97 is equipped with a long variable X-shaped thrusters: with the addition of AMBAC, the main thrusters, composed of four thrusters can be pointed at any direction, or combined into one huge rocket column for increased speed, allowing high mobility around Jupiter's orbit without increasing the size and mass of the mobile suit. Due to the fact that it was designed specifically for use in Jupiter's orbit, the F97 can also be used on Earth, abeit with slight difficulty for the pilot. In order to increase the pilot survivability, the Crossbone Gundam was equipped with a plug-in type core fighter, to which the variable thrusters and the two standard beam sabers were attached.

Another new feature utilized by the F97 is the anti-beam coating cloak, which can be stored in the back and unfolded when needed. When unfolded, it covered the entire body, and dispersed energy over the cloak. It could usually withstand five standard beam shots without using any energy, and it had the additional advantage of stealth. Other armaments included the standard beam sabers, daggers (underneath the feet), "scissor anchor" (mounted on front skirts, as hidden weapons), as well as two "brand markers", which could either act as beam shields or a shorter beam saber. Like its predecessor F91, the F97's mouth could be opened as a vent to dissipate excess heat from its bio-computer system.

In total, three F97 units were made, and all given to Berah's new Crossbone Vanguard. In order to cover this under-the-table deal, the "F97" designation was re-assigned as XM-X, and the three suits into Crossbone Gundam X-1, X-2 and X-3 respectively.

The XM-X1 Crossbone Gundam X-1, colored in the standard blue-on-white, was piloted by Kincado Nau (the alias used by Seabook Arno). The X-1 was equipped with a Zanbuster beam rifle, which could separate with the barrel and front handle into a beam rifle called "buster gun", while its rear into a cutlass-like beam saber named "beam zanber". In addition, the Gundam's beam shield could also be used as a punching dagger, nicknamed the "brand marker" as it would leave a distinctive X-shaped burn on the target. The X-1 was later modified to better combat the EMS-VSX1 Quavarze, which had a long snake-like slicing arm. The modification, named the "X-1 Kai", involved adding screw whips — long heat whips with a spinning drill at the end — on its rear skirt armor. The whips could penetrate armor quite easily, including the thick cockpit armor of the large mobile armor EMA-10 Divinidad. The X-1 Kai also became one of the only few mobile suits at the time capable of re-entry without ballute modules — thanks to Kincado's ingenuity. When his X-1 Kai (previously damaged from a fight of misunderstanding with Earth Federation's F91 squad) was attacked and kicked into the Earth's atmosphere by a treachrous Zabine Chareux, Kincado survived the fall by innovatively using the beam shield for re-entry. The maneuver marked a trend for later mobile suit pilots as this technique was widely adopted for reentry operations.

The XM-X2 Crossbone Gundam X-2, colored entirely in black, was piloted by Zabine Chareux, the former ace leader of the old Crossbone Vanguard's elite "Black Vanguard" squadron. In addition to the identical weapon system as the X-1, the X-2 was also equipped with a shot lancer, a habitual customization from Zabine's old Crossbone Vanguard years. Zabine Chareux later defected to the Jupiter Empire, but his X-2 was left without a cockpit after a captured Tobia Arronax managed to hijack the core fighter and escape during Crux Dogatie's "entertainment" arena battle. The Jupiter Empire then had to rebuild a standard cockpit for the X2, with X-shaped thrusters that were permanently attached to the mobile suit, as well as mounting additional thrusters. This refitted X-2 Kai was destroyed when Zabine was overpowered in battle by a returned Kincado Nau.

The XM-X3 Crossbone Gundam X-3, however, was drastically different from the other two. Instead of mounting beam shields, it was equipped with two I-field generators on each arm, which could completely disperse beam attacks, sometimes even those from VSBRs and battleship-grade beam cannons (which beam shields cannot block). However, even after being used for so many years, I-fields still suffered the problem of overheating. As a result, each generator could only operate for 105 seconds before needing to cool off for another 120 seconds. Even when alternating between the two I-field generators, the Gundam still would be defenseless for about 15 seconds. The X-3's main weapon was replaced with the Muramasa blaster, which is a large sword mounting a beam cannon at its tip and a set of 14 beam sabers on its side (7 on each side). Effectively, this is the most powerful mobile suit during U.C.0133, but it was piloted by Tobia Arronax, who was a mere amateur during the first Jupiter conflict. The X-3 was eventually sacrificed on Earth with a suicide ram in order to destroy Dogatie's massive EMA-10 Divinidad mobile armor.

After the X-3 was destroyed in battle with Crux Dougachi, Kincado (now readopted his true name as Seabook) retired to marry Berah (Cecily), and his X-1 Kai fell into Tobia's hands. The X-1 Kai was then modified into the X-1 Kai Kai "Skull Heart" (as it now featured a skull & crossbones on its chest much like the X-3). Its new weapon was the Peacock Smasher, which is a beam "crossbow" with 9 mounted beam guns. The Skull Heart's later Full Armor variant gained further offensive capabilities with a reactor-fed Hi-Muramasa Blaster and the Pile Bunker, a large shield mounting two powerful pile driver spikes. With this armor it was also nicknamed the "X-4".

In U.C.0136, remnants of the Jupiter Empire emerged, lead by a psyker named Callisto, a relative of Dougachi's. During a battle with the advanced mobile suit Kolnigs, the Skull Heart was badly damaged. Left with few resources, CV engineer Umon Samon repaired the Gundam using leftover parts from the X-3. The resultant "Patchwork" featured an odd combination of features from the X-1 and X-3, sporting a beam shield on one arm and an I-field in the other, among other changes. Later in the conflict, the Patchwork was fully repaired into Crossbone Gundam Full Cloth, which featured an armored version of the ABC cloak and a pair of I-Field generators that doubled as skull-shaped "boxing gloves".

A simplified version of the Crossbones, the XM-10 Flint, was produced by SNRI for a trial mass-production. The Flint retained the X-shaped thruster and core fighter, as well as having the ABC cloak, a pair of beam sabers, a pair of beam shields, the head vulcan and a beam rifle. One notable feature was its movable right "eyepatch", which was a special weapon targeting sensor normally sitting on the forehead. The Flints were field in limited mass-production during the first and second Jupiter conflicts, only for the remaining Flints to be defeated by Jupiter Empire's unmanned Amakusa mobile suit (which has an AI "clone" system based on the legendary Amuro Ray).

pecifications

XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber; grenade, fired from buster gun; atomic shell, fired from buster gun
Pilot(s): Kincado Nau (aka Seabook Arno), Tobia Arronax, Umon Samon

XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; 2 x screw whip, mounted in rear skirt armor, hand-carried in use; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber; rifle grenade, fired from buster gun; atomic shell, fired from buster gun
Pilot: Kincado Nau (aka Seabook Arno)

XM-X1 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-1 Kai Kai "Skull Heart"

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera; worker mobile suit disguise; Full Armor system
Standard Armament: 2 x 60 mm vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; 2 x screw whip, mounted in rear skirt armor, hand-carried in use; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber; rifle grenade, fired from buster gun; atomic shell, fired from buster gun
Optional Full armor equipment: Muramasa Hi-Buster, handheld, connected to reactor; screw drill, mounted in left shield

Pilot: Tobia Arronax

XM-X2 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-2

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; shot lancer with mounted 4-barrel heavy machine gun; buster launcher; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber
Pilot(s): Zabine Chareux, Rosemarie, Tobia Arronax

XM-X2 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-2 Kai

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard, Jupiter Empire
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; shot lancer with mounted 4-barrel heavy machine gun; buster launcher; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber
Pilot: Zabine Chareux

XM-X3 (F97) Crossbone Gundam X-3

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard, Jupiter Empire
Unit type: prototype general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: head height 15.9 meters
Weight: empty 9.5 metric tons; max gross 24.8 metric tons
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, output rated at 5280 kW
Special Equipment: dummy launchers in hands; special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera; 2 x I-field generator, mounted in forearms
Armament: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinecannon, fire-linked, mounted in torso; 2 x mega machinegun, fire-linked, mounted in chest; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 4 x heat dagger, stored one in each foot and one in each calf, hand-carried or foot-mounted in use; 2 x scissor anchor, mounted on front skirt armor; muramasa blaster, large sword with 1 x beam gun and 14 x beam saber; buster gun, can be stored on right hip armor; beam zanber, can be stored on left hip armor; zanbuster, combined buster gun/beam zanber; grenade, fired from buster gun; atomic shell, fired from buster gun
Pilot: Tobia Arronax

XM-10 Flint

Manufacturer: Strategic Naval Research Institute
Operator: Crossbone Vanguard
Unit type: trial mass-production general purpose mobile suit
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
Powerplant: Minovsky type ultracompact fusion reactor, power output rating unknown
Special Equipment: special weapons targeting sensor in head, can be deployed over right eye sensor/camera; anti-beam coating cloak, mounts on main body; booster, mounts on X-thrusters; Blackrow Shipping worker mobile suit disguise, mounts over main body
Armaments: 2 x vulcan gun, fire-linked, mounted in head; 2 x mega machinegun, fire-linked, mounted in chest; 2 x beam saber, stored in recharge racks in shoulder armor, hand-carried in use; 2 x heat dagger, stored in calves, hand-carried in use; 2 x beam shield/brand marker, mounted on forearms; 120mm machine gun; beam rifle; beam zanber
Pilot: Umon Samon, Yona, Jared

References