Ad Stella (A.S.) timeline

Ad Stella (A.S.) is the timeline of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. It depicts an era when multiple corporations entered space and built a huge economic system, marking humanity’s journey to the stars. The timeline is notable for featuring the first female Gundam protagonist and exploring themes of corporate capitalism, technological advancement, and the ethical implications of human augmentation technology.

The Ad Stella era is characterised by the dominance of mega-corporations in space, the stark divide between Spacians and Earthians, and the controversial GUND Format technology that gave rise to mobile suits known as GUND-ARMS or “Gundams”. This timeline introduced unique elements such as the mining of Permet—a special element with information-sharing properties—and the use of space colonies called Fronts.

Timeline

Main article: Ad Stella timeline

The Ad Stella timeline spans from the early days of space colonisation to the events of The Witch from Mercury. The main events centre around the development and prohibition of GUND technology, the corporate control of space, and the struggle between different factions over the future of humanity’s expansion into space.

Series	Year
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury PROLOGUE	A.S. 101
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury	A.S. 122

History

The Ad Stella era began when humanity successfully colonised space and established numerous corporations beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Multiple companies advanced into space and constructed space colonies known as Fronts at Lagrange points, creating a massive economic zone that stretched across the solar system. As these corporations grew in power and influence, they began to dominate both space and Earth’s affairs.

Early space development

During the early Ad Stella period, the Space Administration Agency was established under the Space Development Treaty to serve as a central governing body in space. Front Communities were placed under its jurisdiction to oversee each Lagrange point area. However, as various challenges emerged during space development, the Space Administration Agency struggled to address these issues, whilst space corporations experienced rapid economic growth.

The relationship between Front Communities and corporations naturally favoured the corporate side, as companies shouldered the enormous costs of constructing and operating the Fronts. This led to a dramatic shift in the power balance towards corporate dominance in space.

The GUND Format development

In A.S. 101, researchers at the Vanadis Institute created GUND, an advanced brain-computer interface that enabled the human nervous system to control artificial appendages and organs. The purpose of GUND was to enable humans to survive in the harsh environment of space by compensating for physical disabilities caused by living beyond Earth’s atmosphere.

After receiving funding from mobile suit manufacturer Ochs Earth, the technology was developed into the GUND Format and employed for military uses. This led to the creation of GUND-ARMS—mobile suits that used the GUND Format to increase the performance of their pilots through enhanced spatial awareness and control capabilities.

The Vanadis Incident

However, extensive use of GUND-ARMS resulted in pilots being crippled or even killed due to the harmful side effects of the technology. In response, the Mobile Suit Development Council, led by the top mobile suit development companies, ordered a permanent ban on the GUND Format and all its applications.

Council member Delling Rembran, president of the Benerit Group, deployed the special forces team Dominicus to destroy the Vanadis research facility Fólkvangr, killing everyone aboard to erase all traces of the technology. Only two people survived: mobile suit test pilot Elnora Samaya and her four-year-old daughter Ericht Samaya.

In the aftermath, those responsible for the development of the GUND Format were ostracised, and because the team was primarily composed of women, they became known as “witches”. This event became known as the Vanadis Incident.

Corporate consolidation

Following the Vanadis Incident, the Benerit Group emerged as the dominant force in space, controlling 157 member corporations and establishing the Asticassia School of Technology as the premier mobile suit training academy. The Group’s influence extended to both space and Earth, using mobile suits to quell Earthian protests against Spacian exploitation.

As tensions between space corporations escalated and the risk of armed conflict loomed, the Space Liaison Council Treaty was established to restrict invasion of other Fronts and testing of weapons of mass destruction in space. The Space Front Community (SFC) was launched as a practical forum for resolving inter-Front disputes.

Mercury colonisation

As space colonisation progressed, Mercury was colonised and became a significant mining operation for Permet extraction. The planet’s colonisation brought a new timekeeping measure alongside Earth years, with dates recorded in both systems. Mercury’s harsh environment made it a dangerous place to live and work, considered quite out of the way from the main centres of civilisation.

Technology

The Ad Stella timeline is distinguished by several unique technological elements that define its setting and conflicts.

Permet technology

Permet is a special element mined throughout the solar system, particularly on Mercury and the Moon. It possesses information-sharing properties between its particles, with these connections referred to as “Permet Links”. The substance can be mixed with both structural materials and propellants and serves as the basis for GUND augmentations to the human body.

Nearly all Ad Stella technology operates using Permet, making it the foundation of the timeline’s technological advancement. Permet can share information between its particles, enabling advanced computer interfaces and control systems.

GUND Format

The GUND Format is a technology that uses the data-sharing properties of Permet for body-function augmentation. Originally developed for medical purposes to help humanity venture into space, it was later adapted for military use in mobile suits.

Mobile suits incorporating the GUND Format gained cross-disciplinary fighting abilities and were collectively called GUND-ARMS, which people across the world came to call “Gundams”. These mobile suits provided pilots with enhanced capabilities but carried significant risks, including physical and mental harm from prolonged exposure.

Fronts and space colonies

Fronts are space colonies positioned at Lagrange points, where gravitational forces between Earth and the Moon achieve equilibrium. Unlike the cylindrical O’Neill type colonies seen in other timelines, Ad Stella Fronts typically employ a torus design with a circular ring structure.

As of the A.S. 120s, humanity lacked the scientific capability to construct massive structures in empty space, so Fronts were built using asteroids as foundations, expanding outward from these natural anchors. The standardised modules were manufactured in factories and transported in a compact, folded state to minimise shipping costs before being assembled on-site.

Society and politics

The Ad Stella timeline is characterised by a corporatocracy where mega-corporations wield immense power over both space and Earth. This has created a stark divide between different groups of humanity.

Spacians and Earthians

A significant social divide exists between Spacians—those living in space colonies—and Earthians—those remaining on Earth. Spacians generally enjoy superior living conditions and greater political power, whilst Earthians face exploitation and discrimination from the space-based corporations.

The Benerit Group and other mega-corporations are overwhelmingly Spacian in makeup and treat Earthians with massive indifference at best. To these corporations, Earth exists primarily for their parasitic war-profiteering and resource extraction, requiring it to be kept in line through campaigns of mass terror when necessary.

Corporate governance

Corporate conglomerates have transformed space into a major economic hub, with the Benerit Group serving as the most powerful entity. The Group consists of 157 member corporations, with the most profitable and successful members wielding greater influence. Companies that fail to turn a profit face potential ruin and exclusion from the group’s resources.

The corporations’ power extends to education through institutions like the Asticassia School of Technology, which serves primarily the children of Benerit Group employees and corporate heirs. The school’s duelling system, where conflicts are resolved through mobile suit combat, reflects the militaristic nature of corporate culture.

Mecha

Main article: Ad Stella mecha

The mobile weapons of the Ad Stella timeline are distinguished by their use of GUND Format technology and Permet-based systems. The most notable mobile suits are the GUND-ARMS, also known as Gundams, which provide enhanced pilot performance through advanced human-machine interfaces.

GUND-ARMS

GUND-ARMS are mobile suits that incorporate the GUND Format technology, giving them superior capabilities compared to conventional mobile suits. Notable examples include:

XGF-02 Gundam Lfrith - The prototype that sparked the Vanadis Incident
XVX-016 Gundam Aerial - The main mobile suit of The Witch from Mercury
XVX-016RN Gundam Aerial Rebuild - An upgraded version of the Aerial
X-EX01 Gundam Calibarn - An advanced GUND-ARM unit

Conventional mobile suits

Standard mobile suits in the Ad Stella timeline include various models used by the Benerit Group corporations and other factions:

MD-0032G Dilanza - A general-purpose mobile suit
FP/A-77 Gundam Pharact - A high-performance unit
MD-0064 Darilbalde - An advanced mobile suit design

Series & films

List of Ad Stella Gundam animated series and films in order of release:

Title	Type	Release date
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury PROLOGUE	Web anime	14 July 2022
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury	TV	2 October 2022–2 July 2023

Manga

List of Ad Stella Gundam manga:

Title	Author(s)	Release date(s)
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – Vanadis Heart	Kō Yoneyama (writer) Chika Tōjō (illustrator)	25 March 2023–Present
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury – Frontier of Youth	TBA	Spring 2025 (announced)

Novels

Title	Author	Release date
Cradle Planet (web novel)	Ichirō Ōkouchi	2 October 2022
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (light novel)	Yūya Takashima	26 November 2022–Present

Legacy

Despite being the newest timeline in the Gundam franchise, Ad Stella has already made a significant impact. The Witch from Mercury marked several firsts for the franchise:

The first mainline Gundam TV series to feature a female protagonist
The first Gundam series to air during Japan’s Reiwa era
The first Gundam series in seven years since Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
The first TV series in the franchise to feature an LGBTQ protagonist

The series has been praised for its fresh take on Gundam themes, exploring corporate capitalism and technological ethics through the lens of a school setting. Its focus on a female protagonist and LGBTQ representation has opened new avenues for storytelling within the franchise.

The timeline’s emphasis on corporate control and technological advancement reflects contemporary concerns about mega-corporations and the ethics of human augmentation technology. The stark divide between Spacians and Earthians serves as a commentary on economic inequality and social stratification.

Reception

The Witch from Mercury was well-received both critically and commercially, attracting both longtime Gundam fans and new audiences. The series was noted for its high-quality animation, compelling character development, and sophisticated themes that balanced accessibility for newcomers with the complex political and technological elements expected from Gundam.

The series’ exploration of themes such as corporate control, technological ethics, and human relationships resonated with audiences, while its groundbreaking representation brought new perspectives to the franchise. The relationship between protagonists Suletta Mercury and Miorine Rembran was particularly celebrated for its authentic portrayal.

External links

Official Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury website
Ad Stella on the Gundam Wiki