GunHazardAMercenarysIronLegs
The year is 2064. An age of chaos borne of regional conflicts and political instability has finally been brought to a close by the overwhelming military might dispatched by the group, the "Kernelight Association". This age calls for heroes who fight in the shadows - charging through the battlefield in their mighty wanzers. These incredibly skilled mercenary pilots, who complete their missions with unparalleled precision, secretly lock away their past lives behind the weight of armor and steel. Just what was it that drove them to the mercenary life? This is the story of these mercenary soldiers. A novelization of the popular Super Famicom game, Front Mission: Gun Hazard.
Summary
Gun Hazard: A Mercenary's Iron Legs is a novel which was released on June 7, 1996. The A Mercenary's Iron Legs novel is an expanded universe supplement to Front Mission: Gun Hazard. Although the novel is a partial adaptation of the video game, it is mostly comprised of new story content. As the subtitle implies, the novel revolves around the members of the Kernelight Association, such as Luven Al-Hadi and Akihito Sakata. It also focuses on the relationship between Albert Grabner and Leros Arendal. Although a large segment of it is set before Front Mission: Gun Hazard, there are parts of it which are set during the video game. In these segments, the focus shifts to the other characters seen in the video game.
A Mercenary's Iron Legs begins two years before the events of Front Mission: Gun Hazard in January 2062, and ends before the video game does in December 2064. The story of A Mercenary's Iron Legs can be split into three acts.
1. Albert and Leros begin qualification training to become soldiers of NORAD's Norwegian branch. Around the same time, Luven starts working for the ARS Army and is tasked to recon a Zohar Alliance weapon codenamed "Galeon".
2. Dr. Akihito Sakata completes development of an experimental shield that can block energy fired from particle beam weaponry. Upon meeting mercenaries from Kernelight Association, he decides to test it out in live combat against them.
3. In their efforts to locate the Society's headquarters, the Kernelight mercenaries search for clues at several of their bases. They soon begin to notice connections between the development of the ATLAS orbital elevator and the Society.
Dramatis Personae:
The main dramatis personae of the manga are Albert Grabner, Brenda Lockheart, Leros Arendal, Luven Al-Hadi, and Akihito Sakata. Other notable dramatis personae include Clark Wilson, Emil Szynsky, Axel Bongo, Anita Diamonte, Moss Orwen, and Ark Hellbrand.
Major Sub-plots
- Albert's friendly rivalry and eventual friendship with Leros.
- Leros' suspicions of Ark and his ambitions to govern Norway.
- Luven's motivation to join the ARS Army and defeat the Zohar Alliance.
- Akihito's regrets on the world's abandonment of the ATLAS Project.
- The fall of the Middle East due to scarcity of natural resources.
- The depth of the Society's corruption among governments worldwide.
Other Notes
- Leros' appearance in the novel correlates with that of Karen Meure's in the manga Front Mission Comics. Both character have suspicions of horrible events to come, and both end up being victimized of the said events.
- The events of the novel strongly correlate with the events of the manga Front Mission Series: Gun Hazard. This was likely done as both products were simultaneously planned during the development of Front Mission: Gun Hazard.
- There are seven black-and-white (B&W) illustrations inside the novel.
Information
Gun Hazard - A Mercenary's Iron Legs
- Publisher: Aspect Novels
- Writer: Hiroshi Yamaguchi
- Illustrator: Taishu Matsuda
- Length: 226 pages
- ISBN: 978-4-8936-6513-3
- Audience: Mature, intended for readers ages 18 and older.
- Chapter List:
- Prologue
- A Law of Steel and Iron
- Friendship in the Iron Wall
- A Sub-Zero Pursuit
- Epilogue