RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis"

The RX-78GP02A Gundam "Physalis" is the second of four mobile suits appearing in Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory from the Gundam Development Project. Originally owned by the Earth Federation, it was stolen and piloted by Anavel Gato of the Delaz Fleet.

screenshot - Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory CD Cinema episode 2, "Mayfly of Space".

Gundam "Physalis" was originally intended to be an assault-use, heavy mobile suit comparable to the Dom series from the Principality of Zeon. This was later abandoned in favor of the goal of becoming the most powerful MS to date. Inadvertently, the Physalis was outfitted with the most lethal weapon available, a nuclear bomb. Anaheim Electronics' second research division, in responsible of designing the Physalis, was mostly made up of former Zeon developers, hence Zeon-based technology is heavily incorporated into the mobile suit.

Variations

The Gundam Physalis has two known variants; the Type-MLRS and the Bazooka Type, these variations were first featured in Hajime Katoki's original design series Harmony of Gundam.

• Type-MLRS
• The Earth Federation created the Gundam GP02A (Type-MLRS) to strike enemy bases or provide mid-range support to friendly forces. It includes the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which serves as an alternate weapon for the Gundam Physalis when the nuclear warhead is not needed in battle. The original atomic bazooka is removed in this configuration, and the MS is instead outfitted with a six-tube MLRS, with three tubes positioned on each side of the backpack.
• Bazooka Type
• The Delaz Fleet created this replacement equipment for Gundam Physalis after it used up its only nuclear weapon, rendering the atomic bazooka ineffective. The beam bazooka, like the atomic bazooka, has two parts, with the front portion kept in the shield and the back portion positioned on the back of the right shoulder. The beam bazooka's firepower can rival that of a giant particle gun on a large size mobile armor like the MA-05 Bigro.

GunPla entries

During its debut appearance in the OVA, the Gundam Physalis became available in a few GunPla grades. The first kit was released in 1991 to commemorate the successful run of the 13-episode OVA Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. It has a beautiful illustration of Yuji Kaida for its box art.

Bandai developed a Master Grade version of the Gundam Physalis in 1998, exhibiting an inner framing that was precise enough at the time.

Bandai also included the mobile suit in their HGUC lineup in 2006 to fulfill GunPla standards of the time, as well as to commemorate the OVA's 15th anniversary.

A year after Bandai debuted the Physalis, this MLRS-Type variant also made its way to the High Grade Universal Century (HGUC) GunPla series.

In the year 2000, the Gundam Physalis received a couple more kits, including a special coating version of its Master Grade release and its first SD GunPla entry under the SD Gundam G Generation Model Series.

Both series' and GunPla enthusiasts have been hoping for a Master Grade Ver. Ka of the Physalis to appear one day.

OVA Screenshots