Andy Strauss

Andy Strauss (アンディ・ストロース, Andi Sutorōsu) was a Principality of Zeon mobile suit pilot and member of the elite Cyclops Team special forces unit during the One Year War. He participated in Operation Rubicon and survived the initial assault on the RX-78NT-1 Gundam “Alex”, though he was severely wounded and unable to continue the mission.

Biography

Cyclops Team

Andy served as a mobile suit pilot within Cyclops Team, the special forces unit led by Lieutenant Hardie Steiner. The team included Mikhail Kaminsky, Gabriel Ramirez Garcia, and later Bernard Wiseman.

Operation Rubicon

In December UC 0079, Cyclops Team infiltrated the neutral Side 6 colony cluster to destroy the RX-78NT-1 “Alex”, a prototype Gundam being developed for Amuro Ray. Andy participated in the team’s reconnaissance, infiltration, and ultimately the assault on the Federation development facility.

During the mission’s planning and preparation phases, Andy worked with his teammates to gather intelligence on the Alex’s capabilities and the facility’s defences. The team’s discovery that the Alex was designed specifically for Newtype pilots and intended for Amuro Ray elevated the mission’s urgency – preventing the Federation’s deadliest ace from receiving an even more powerful mobile suit could significantly impact the war’s final stages.

Battle and Injury

During the assault on the Federation facility on 24-25 December UC 0079, Andy piloted a mobile suit in the attack. The battle proved far more intense than anticipated, with Federation defenders mounting fierce resistance to protect their prototype.

In the brutal combat, Andy was severely wounded. The exact nature of his injuries and whether he survived the war remains unclear in official records, though he was unable to continue participating in the operation. Mikhail Kaminsky, Gabriel Ramirez Garcia, and Hardie Steiner were all killed in action, leaving Andy and Bernard Wiseman as the only survivors of the initial assault.

Bernie would subsequently pilot the MS-18E Kämpfer in a solo assault on the Alex, a mission that would claim his life as well, making Andy possibly the sole survivor of Cyclops Team.

Significance

Andy’s survival (and severe wounding) served as a sobering reminder of the cost of Cyclops Team’s mission. Even “success” – the team did ultimately destroy the Alex – came at catastrophic human cost. For a six-member special forces team to suffer 80-100% casualties on a single operation, even one that achieved its objective, illustrated the brutality of the One Year War’s final days.

His fate also highlighted the tragedy of the mission’s timing – the operation succeeded on 25 December UC 0079, less than a week before Zeon’s defeat and the war’s end. All of Cyclops Team’s sacrifices, including Andy’s severe injuries, achieved an objective that had no impact on the war’s outcome.

Behind the Scenes

Andy Strauss was created for Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket as part of the Cyclops Team. His role as a survivor who was too wounded to continue fighting added another layer to the OVA’s anti-war message – not all casualties die, and living with severe injuries and survivor’s guilt could be its own form of tragedy.

Character designer Mikimoto Haruhiko gave Andy a distinct visual design that made him recognizable among the Cyclops Team members during their brief screen time.

Appearances

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket

External links

Andy Strauss on the Gundam Wiki