Martha Vist Carbine

Martha Vist Carbine was a powerful businesswoman and one of the main antagonists of the Laplace Incident in UC 0096. Born into the influential Vist family, she married into the Carbine family to strengthen ties with Anaheim Electronics and seized control of the Vist Foundation following her brother Cardeas Vist’s death.

Biography

Early life

Martha Vist was born in UC 0041 as a granddaughter of Syam Vist, the founder of the Vist Foundation. Her early years were marked by tragedy when her father was killed by her grandfather, an event that significantly shaped her callous personality and ruthless approach to business. To the Vist family, it was considered a rarity to bear a woman of such sharp character and ambitious nature.

Martha strategically married Melanie Hue Carbine, the chairman of Anaheim Electronics, to maintain the Vist Foundation’s control over the Earth Sphere. Through this marriage, she became known as “The Empress Of The Moon”, referring to her position at the head of the Carbine family, which had established Anaheim Electronics. This alliance provided the Vist Foundation with significant influence over both the arms industry and high-ranking Federation officials.

The Laplace Incident

In UC 0096, Martha orchestrated a campaign to prevent her brother Cardeas from delivering Laplace’s Box to the Sleeves. She manipulated her nephew Alberto Vist into joining the Londo Bell taskforce sent to Industrial 7, ordering him to stop Cardeas’s plan by any means necessary. When Alberto fatally shot his own father during the Federation’s raid on the Vist mansion, Martha effectively seized control of the Foundation.

Following Cardeas’s death, Martha took control of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam and its pilot Banagher Links. She relocated operations to the Augusta Newtype Laboratory in North America, where she subjected the captured Cyber Newtype Marida Cruz to reconditioning. Martha provided Alberto with schematics for the RX-0 Banshee and manipulated Marida into piloting it against the Unicorn.

Confrontation and capture

Martha’s operations culminated aboard the Garuda-class vessel Garuda in low orbit, where she attempted to extract the La+ coordinates from Banagher. When direct coercion failed, she tried to use Mineva Lao Zabi to convince Banagher to surrender the codes, revealing that Cardeas was Banagher’s father. During the ensuing battle between the Unicorn and Banshee, a psychofield threatened to destroy the Garuda, forcing Martha and Alberto to retreat to the escort ship Klimit.

As the crisis escalated, Martha proposed the use of the Gryps 2 colony laser to destroy Magallanica and prevent the opening of Laplace’s Box. However, her plan was thwarted by the combined efforts of the Unicorn and Banshee Gundams, and Bright Noa subsequently arrested her for her role in the incident.

Imprisonment and escape

Martha was tried and imprisoned for her involvement in the Laplace Incident. Despite her confinement, she maintained her confident attitude and remained dignified throughout her imprisonment. In UC 0097, during the so-called “Phoenix Hunt”, Martha was broken out of prison by the private army of Luio & Co., who sought her cooperation and information regarding the testing of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam Unit 3 Phenex.

Personality & traits

Martha Vist Carbine possessed a sharp intellect and ruthless business acumen that surpassed even her husband’s considerable abilities. Described as having a “sharper mouth” than Melanie Hue Carbine, she was known for her shrewd negotiating skills and willingness to employ underhanded methods to achieve her goals. Her elegant appearance—featuring shoulder-length blonde hair, tight cheeks, and deep eyes that gave off a cold magnetism—masked a calculating and ambitious personality shaped by the trauma of her father’s murder.

Martha demonstrated a pragmatic approach to family relationships, viewing them primarily through the lens of utility and control. Whilst she showed some sentiment towards Alberto as family, she simultaneously distrusted his abilities and manipulated him into patricide. Her treatment of Marida Cruz revealed her callous nature, as she subjected the young woman to psychological conditioning whilst justifying it as liberation from a “flawed male-dominated society”.

Skills & abilities

As a businesswoman, Martha possessed exceptional strategic thinking and political acumen. Her ability to navigate the complex web of relationships between the Vist Foundation, Anaheim Electronics, and the Earth Federation demonstrated her skill in corporate manipulation and influence peddling. She successfully maintained control over Anaheim Electronics through her marriage whilst simultaneously leveraging the Foundation’s secrets to manipulate Federation policy.

Martha showed considerable tactical planning abilities during the Laplace Incident, coordinating military operations, managing intelligence assets, and attempting to control the narrative around Laplace’s Box. Her understanding of both mobile suit technology and psychological warfare proved instrumental in her manipulation of Marida Cruz and her attempts to control the Unicorn Gundam.

Relationships

Cardeas Vist

Martha’s relationship with her elder brother Cardeas was marked by fundamental disagreements over the future of the Vist Foundation and Laplace’s Box. Whilst both were grandchildren of Syam Vist, they represented opposing philosophies—Cardeas believing in revealing the truth to correct the Universal Century’s flaws, and Martha prioritising the preservation of the Foundation’s power and influence. Their sibling rivalry ultimately led to Martha orchestrating Cardeas’s death through Alberto’s manipulation.

Alberto Vist

As Alberto’s aunt, Martha served as a maternal figure during his youth, particularly as his relationship with Cardeas deteriorated over philosophical differences. Alberto’s hatred of his father’s “ends-justify-the-means” philosophy drew him closer to Martha, who exploited this relationship to manipulate him into opposing Cardeas. Despite her familial feelings towards Alberto, Martha ultimately viewed him as a useful tool rather than truly trusting his abilities or judgement.

Melanie Hue Carbine

Martha’s marriage to the chairman of Anaheim Electronics was primarily strategic, designed to cement the Vist Foundation’s control over the major arms manufacturer. However, their partnership appeared to be built on mutual respect for each other’s business acumen. Martha’s sharper personality complemented Melanie’s more reserved nature, making her an effective public face for their joint interests.

Banagher Links

Martha initially viewed her illegitimate nephew Banagher merely as a means to access Laplace’s Box, showing little regard for his wellbeing or autonomy. However, she demonstrated tactical respect for his abilities as the Unicorn’s pilot and his potential value as leverage against both Cardeas’s plans and Federation interests.

Behind the scenes

Martha Vist Carbine was voiced by Tomoko Shiota in the Japanese version and Ellyn Stern in the English dub of Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. Her character design emphasised the contrast between her elegant appearance and her ruthless personality, reflecting the theme of hidden corruption within the Universal Century’s power structures.

The character served as a representation of corporate influence in politics and the military-industrial complex’s role in perpetuating conflict. Her nickname “The Empress Of The Moon” highlighted the extent of her influence over Luna-based operations and her position within the space-based power elite.

Appearances

• Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn
• Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096
• Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative