MMS-01 Serpent

The MMS-01 Serpent was a mass-production mobile suit used by the Mariemaia Army, introduced in Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz. A direct successor to the OZ-06MS Leo, the Serpent was designed to be usable both on Earth and in space without equipment changes, as the importance of space combat became apparent after the appearance of the Operation Meteor Gundams. The Barton Foundation secretly mass-produced 500 Serpent units using the reconstruction budget of Colony X-18999 for use in Dekim Barton’s coup attempt in AC 196.

Overview

The Serpent represented the evolution of mass-production mobile suit design after the Eve Wars. Where the Leo required equipment swaps for different environments, the Serpent was designed from the outset for dual-environment operations. This eliminated logistical complexity and made the Serpent more versatile than its predecessor.

The mobile suit’s only fixed armament were a pair of shoulder-mounted 8-tube missile launchers. The Serpent could carry a variety of hand weapons, including a bazooka, beam cannon, and double gatling gun similar to those carried by the Gundam Heavyarms Custom. However, the Serpent lacked close-combat weapons, putting it at a disadvantage if enemies closed to melee range.

Defence-wise, the Serpent was built using Neo-Titanium alloy—a material half the weight and twice as strong as conventional titanium alloys. The Serpent’s cockpit was identical to the Leo’s aside from enhanced targeting and lock-on systems, allowing pilots to better utilize the mobile suit’s weapons.

The name “Serpent” was derived from “Serpentarius,” which referenced “Ophiuchus”—the thirteenth zodiac sign recognized by astronomers but not used in astrology, fitting the naming convention of OZ-developed mobile suits.

Armament

8-tube missile launchers

Medium-sized missiles equipped on both shoulders. When not in use, the shoulder armor closed up, concealing the missiles. These were the only fixed armament installed on the mobile suit. They possessed enough power to destroy a Leo-class mobile suit.

Double Gatling Gun

A double-barrelled gatling gun nearly identical to those used by the Gundam Heavyarms Custom. When not being used, it was attached to the storage rack on the back of the mobile suit. Unlike Heavyarms Custom, most Serpents only carried one double gatling gun. It was originally intended to be equipped with another firearm, but the production line was changed by the transition to the Barton Foundation.

Bazooka

A weapon of destructive force held over the shoulder when firing. It was stored on the storage rack on the back when not being used. The bazooka provided anti-fortification capability and heavy firepower against hardened targets.

Beam Cannon

A hand-held beam weapon stored on the storage rack when not being used. Whilst it didn’t have a high rate of fire, the cannon compensated with sheer power. The round part at the back was the weapon’s generator. Depending on sources, this beam cannon was derived either from the beam cannons of the Vayeate and Virgo, or from the mega cannon of the Tallgeese III.

Special equipment

Storage Rack

An easy-to-reach storage rack placed on the back of the mobile suit held the double gatling gun, bazooka, and beam cannon when not needed in battle. This modular weapon system allowed Serpent pilots to select appropriate armament for specific missions.

Operational history

Development and secret production

After the appearance of the Gundams, the United Earth Sphere Alliance began developing the Serpent at L3 colony X-18999 and prepared to mass-produce it there, an effort apparently funded by the Barton Foundation. However, when the war ended in AC 195, its development was halted.

Taking advantage of post-war chaos, the Barton Foundation took over the production lines. They began secretly mass-producing the Serpent using the reconstruction budget of X-18999, preparing for an attack on the now-pacifistic Earth Sphere Unified Nation. 500 Serpent units were produced in total.

Mariemaia Khushrenada referred to them as “Christmas presents” entrusted to her by Treize Khushrenada, implying they were developed by OZ, though the Endless Waltz novelization suggested Neo-Titanium (the Serpent’s armor material) was developed by the Romefeller Foundation. The 1/100 HGEW Serpent Custom instruction manual stated it was developed by the United Earth Sphere Alliance military—creating ambiguity about the design’s true origins.

Mariemaia Incident

Trowa Barton briefly piloted a Serpent whilst infiltrating the Mariemaia Army, though he abandoned it in favour of his Gundam after escaping X-18999.

In Brussels, the Tallgeese III and Noin’s Taurus, as well as three Gundams (Deathscythe Hell, Heavyarms Custom, Sandrock Custom), fought a hard battle against more than 400 Serpents. The Gundams and Preventer mobile suits managed to disable most of the Serpents, leaving only around 50, before exhausting their energy and ammunition.

Following the death of Dekim Barton, the remaining Serpents dropped their weapons and surrendered. After the rebellion’s end, Quatre mentioned that the Winner Family planned to melt down all remaining Serpents into Neo-Titanium and use them to reinforce colony walls.

Appearances

The MMS-01 Serpent appeared in the following works:

Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz (OVA and movie)
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Endless Waltz (manga)
Gundam Build Fighters (anime)
Gundam Build Fighters Try (anime)
Gundam Build Divers (anime)

External links

MMS-01 Serpent on the Gundam Wiki