Mass Production Evangelions
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"Making something... Nurturing something is really great. You can see and learn so many things from the process." |
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words... |
| Mass Production Evangelions | |
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| エヴァンゲリオン量産機 （エヴァシリーズ） | |
| Model Type | Mass Production Model[1] |
|---|---|
| Pilot(s) | Dummy System (Kaworu version) |
| Soul(s) | Unknown |
| First Sortie | Episode 25' |
Profile
The Mass Production Evangelions (エヴァンゲリオン量産機, Evangerion Ryousanki)[2] are the final Eva units to be produced. They were manufactured in secrecy under Seele's mandate at seven different facilities around the world, including ones in Germany and China.
Nine MP Evangelions were created out of an originally planned twelve Evangelions (through Eva-16). However, Seele had to advance the construction schedule for them, as they wanted to initiate Third Impact as soon as the final Angel was destroyed, and, as a result, three units were never completed. The nine are deployed as part of Seele's assault on the Nerv HQ Geofront, but their primary function is to carry out Seele's version of Third Impact, which ends up utilizing Evangelion Unit-01.
Within the series itself, these Evas are referred to almost exclusively as the "Eva Series" (エヴァシリーズ). This is slightly confusing, since the "Eva Series" technically encompasses every Evangelion ever made.
Features
The MP Evangelions have all been furnished with S² Engines, eliminating the need for umbilical cables or internal batteries. However, unlike Angels, they do not utilize their organs for regenerative purposes (even though they theoretically could).
They also possess large, fully retractable, mechanical wings (with an extended "tail" piece), attached to their shoulders. Considering the Evas' size and weight, traditional powered flight (as observed in birds, bats, and pterosaurs) would normally be impossible, so the wings would feasibly be used in concert with A.T. Field-based levitation. The Evas are observed levitating in a manner similar to flight-capable Angels (such as Ramiel and Zeruel) later on, with their wings spread but serving no apparent function.
Rather than being controlled by living pilots, they synchronize with dummy systems generated from Kaworu Nagisa's thought patterns. This presumably allows for a greater degree of control over the Evangelions than with a living pilot, who would be susceptible to sympathetic pain and emotions such as panic, fear, or rage which would impair the Evas' combat ability. Mass Production Evangelions, like all other Evangelions, truly die only if their cores are destroyed. Eva-02 did not succeed in destroying the cores of any of the attacking Evas in its final battle, which resulted in their revival and Eva-02's subsequent demise.
They carry no armament except for replicas of the Spear of Longinus, colored blue-gray and initially disguised as giant, gray swords ("ooken").
Operational History
The nine completed Mass Production Evangelions are ordered to deploy by Seele in Episode 25', in order to neutralize Evangelion Unit-02. The Mass Production Evangelions are first deployed individually using an aircraft, similar to the one used to deploy Eva-01 in Episode 07.[3] Following deployment, they use their wings to glide down towards Eva-02.
During their operation, each of the Mass Production Evangelions engages in combat with, and is wounded severely by Asuka in Eva-02. However, their sustained injuries do not prevent them from assisting in the initiation of Third Impact, likely due to their possession of S² Engines.
In Episode 26', they play a role in performing the ritual of Third Impact and in enacting the Human Instrumentality Project.
Role in Third Impact
The Mass Production Evas begin by activating their S² Engines, and "merging" with the awakened Lilith.[4] Shortly after merging, the Mass Production Evas spawn growths from their mouths covered in faces of Rei. This begins to cause Shinji Ikari to lose his ego boundary.[5]
The Mass Production Evangelions also seem to have a role within opening Lilith's Doors of Guf. The Mass Production Evas use their replicas of the Spear of Longinus to impale themselves, in an act of suicide. Following the suicide of all 9 units, the souls of humanity are released, and begin to be gathered by Lilith.
Following Shinji's rejection of Instrumentality, the impaled Spears of Longinus are destroyed, and the Mass Production Evas fall back to the surface of the Earth, each posed in the shape of a cross.[6]
Specific Eva Units
Very brief run-down.
For more detailed information, including notes on continuity errors, see Specific Mass Production Evangelions.
In Other Continuities
In Sadamoto's Manga
In Sadamoto's Manga, the units have a nearly identical operational history. However, it is following Third Impact where events differ from the Original Series. At an unspecified point following the events of Third Impact, the remains of the Mass Production Evas can be seen dotting the landscape on the way to Tokyo. Shiji overhears a mother on the train describe them as "relics" and explain that "great scholars have examined them many times, but they couldn't explain when they were built, who built them and for what purpose".[7]
In Other Evangelion Media
In Girlfriend of Steel 2, Kaworu Nagisa pilots an MP Evangelion in battle alongside the other Eva units.
References
- ↑ The MP Evas were designed by Takeshi Honda.
- ↑ Another popular and fairly wide-spread nickname for these Evangelions in the English-speaking fan community is "harpies."
- ↑ Each individual aircraft is numbered, which supposedly reflects the MP Eva's unit number.
- ↑ As Fuyutsuki questions in Episode 26', "Have they begun to merge with Rei?".
- ↑ Ego boundary likely refers to Shinji's ability to maintain his own AT Field.
- ↑ The pose bears a resemblance to Jesus Christ as he was on the crucifix. The resemblance is likely intentional.
- ↑ Description is lifted from Volume 14 of the Manga.
| Evangelions |
| Evangelions (general) |
| Failed Evangelion Prototypes | Simulation Bodies |
| Eva-00 | Eva-01 | Eva-02 | Eva-03 | Eva-04 | Mass Production Evangelions (Evas 05~13) |
| Rebuild of Evangelion: Mark.04 | Eva-05 | Mark.06 | Eva-08 | Mark.09 | Eva-13 |
| Eva 8+2 | Mass Production Evangelions | Failures of Infinity |
| Other: Extracanonical Evas |
