Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash

Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway's Flash (機動戦士ガンダム 閃光のハサウェイ, Kidō Senshi Gundam: Senkō no Hasauei) is a series of three novels set in the Universal Century timeline of the Gundam universe. Penned by Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino and released by Kadokawa Shoten from February 1989 to May 1990, the series depicts the adventures of Hathaway Noa, the only son of original series character Bright Noa, 12 years after the events of the 1988 theatrical film Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack.

The series has not been animated, but its mobile suits and characters have been featured in other Gundam-related games such as SD Gundam G Generation.

Plot summary

Seven years after Char's Counterattack, the Earth Federation accepts the Republic of Zeon back in the fold. However, over the next few years, the Federation uses its powers to find undesirables around the world and deport them to the space colonies. A terrorist organization called Mafty starts a campaign to stop the Federation's abuses. The Earth Federation Space Force assembles the Circe Unit to fight them.

The climax of the novel sees Mafty deploy the powerful RX-105 Ξ Gundam in an attack against a Federation cabinet meeting in Adelaide, Australia to force them to vote down a provision that reinforces the Federation's authority. Mafty is defeated and Hathaway is executed to the shock of his father, Bright Noa.

Production

The novel is part of a timeline that follows Beltorchika's Children, the novel version of Char's Counterattack. Moriki Yasuhiro, mechanical designer of Hades Project Zeorymer, provided the mobile suit designs. Kazumi Fujita revamped them for SD Gundam G Generation. Noted Macross character illustrator Haruhiko Mikimoto joined the project as character designer.

Characters

Mafty

• Hathaway Noa

The novel's lead protagonist, Hathaway has been working as a special botany researcher making trips to Earth. However, he still cannot get over killing Quess Paraya despite getting the attention of destroying her mobile armor in the movie. Disgusted with the Federation's corruption, he joins and leads the Mafty terrorist group under the name Mafty Navilles Erin and pilots the RX-105 Ξ Gundam prototype mobile suit. He is captured and later executed by firing squad at the end of the novel, but not before Quess appears to him one last time to tell him she never loved him at all which broke his heart.

Earth Federation Forces

• Bright Noa

Still in active duty at the start of the series, Bright oversees the capture of Mafty Navilles Erin and condemns him to execution by musketry. However, he would only know that Mafty Erin is Hathaway just before the execution, but could not stop it from being carried out. Guilt-ridden over the death sentence, Bright retires from service and eventually runs a restaurant with his wife Mirai and daughter Cheimin.

• Kenneth Sleg

A colonel in the Earth Federation Space Force, Kenneth first meets Hathaway during a high-profile hijacking of a Federation shuttle and becomes close friends with him. When Mafty steals the Ξ Gundam, he assembles the Circe Unit to fight them. However, their skirmishes result in Kenneth discovering that Hathaway leads the group, but does not tell Bright. Kenneth retires sometime after the battle.

• Lane Aim

A lieutenant in the EFSF, Lane is assigned to pilot the RX-104FF Penelope despite a lack of experience and apparent mental instability, which only results in losing against Mafty many times. In the final battle over Adelaide, he lures Hathaway into beam barrier traps that ensnare the Ξ Gundam.

Releases

• Printed media

The first volume was released on February 28, 1989. The latter two were released on April 1 and May 1, 1990.

• Toys/Models

Bandai released a Gundam Fix Figuration figure of the RX-105 Ξ Gundam in May 2005. The release contains parts to change the Ξ into the RX-104 Odysseus, plus parts to combine it as the Penelope. In September 2013, Bandai produced the RX-105 Ξ Gundam as part of the Robot Spirits line.

External links

All the Gundam Novels page