Notes on the ideology of The Man From Jupiter
Published
This article is a work in progress.
Scirocco pledged his loyalty to Jamitov Hymen on June 21, UC 0088. After signing the document, he sealed it with his thumbprint, inked with his own blood. (Zeta, ep. 21.)
This becomes relevant later.
Scirocco decides to recruit a young Titans officer, TKTK.
Ensign Mouar Pharoah: Please forgive my rudeness for asking, sir, but what’s your objective here, Lieutenant?
Lieutenant Scirocco: My mission here is to liberate people whose souls are being pulled by gravity.
Mouar: But that’s the AEUG’s goal!
Paptimus: Not so. The AEUG talks a lot about “space” this and “space” that, but they’re actually no different from the people of the Earth Federation Government. They are also tied to the Earth Sphere. — You don’t look very pleased, Jerid.
Jerid: Your philosophy makes it sound like you’re a Newtype of some sort.
Scirocco: Really? I’m just thinking that the times will not change unless I do something about it myself. Jamitov has turned the Earth Federation Forces into the Titans, with the goal of eradicating the people pulled down by Earth.
Jerid: What!?
Scirocco: By starting this war, he plans to bring Earth’s economy to the point of total collapse. The planet’s population will starve and then vanish.
Mouar: Well in that case, Jamitov’s goals don’t sound that different from the AEUG’s objectives.
Scirocco: The difference is what happens after that. It all depends on who rules humanity after the war is finally over. Anything can be made of the Earth Sphere. Wouldn’t you agree that the Earth Sphere should have some kind of genius to rule over it?
Jerid: And that genius is you?
Scirocco: I believe that the ruler of the world will probably be a woman.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 21, English dub.
The Man from Jupiter wants to liberate the Earth Sphere from Earth-centric politics, and to install a genius to run it, but probably not him. Instead, he thinks a woman would rule. This is echoed decades later by the Zanscare Empire’s guillotine matriarchy.
When Haman Karn goes to talk with the Titans, Scirocco says he doesn’t trust her. He watches as Haman’s negotiation with Jamitov leads to Axis’ betrayal of the Titans, Two versions of his remarks on the subject are given:
Paptimus: [laughs] That woman. She’s as clever as they come.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 44, English dub.
Paptimus: [laughs] Damn, Haman. How shrewd.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 44, English dub.
Haman escapes with the AEUG’s assistance, and Paptimus sits on the sidelines, laughing at her victory.
For reasons, Paptimus had sent CPO Sarah Zabiarov to interfere with the AEUG’s interception of the Titans. Sarah is captured by the AEUG during the fray, and is imprisoned aboard the Argama. Paptimus sends former AEUG member Reccoa Londe to retrieve her, using a new mobile suit: the Palace Athene. She disables the Argama, and Sarah escapes.
During the following brawl, Reccoa and AEUG pilot Fa Yuiry are carried into the Gate of Zedan. Their suits crash and they discuss why Reccoa left the AEUG to join Scirocco:
Fa Yuiry: Why did you betray us, Reccoa?
Reccoa Londe: Do you really think it’s as simple as that, Fa?
Fa: Yes of course it is!
Reccoa: You know I was never that interested in politics. I was only living a grey life day-to-day, searching for a way to restore my human feelings, that I lost in the war.
Fa: Do you really believe that you don’t have any human feeling? Why did you have mercy on me instead of shooting me down?
Reccoa: It’s probably because I remember the good times we all shared. But my life’s different now. I feel more fulfilled as a woman, because my life’s in balance.
Fa: That is so selfish of you! It’s been an ordeal for me, and for Kamille! He’s really suffering from it.
Reccoa: I know. Kamille is a man, after all.
Fa: That has nothing to do with it!
Reccoa: In this world of ours, you’re either a man, or a woman. Politics and ideology have nothing to do with that. All of the men on the Argama were only concerned with their own matters.
Fa: Are you talking about Lieutenant Quattro?
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 44, English dub.
They are interrupted by Kamille’s arrival in the Zeta Gundam. In this version of the conversation, Reccoa joined Scirocco because he cured her depression.
A different version of the conversation gives a slightly different reason:
Reccoa: I was never an ideological person. I’ve been looking for a way to restore my affections, which I lost to war.
Fa: Then why is it that you didn’t shoot me down out of pity?! Without even becoming emotional!
Reccoa: Right now, I feel very content as a woman. I feel stable. However, I still do remember the past, from time to time.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 44, official English subtitles.
Whereas in this verson of the conversation, Reccoa joined because Paptimus is emotionally fulfilling. (He’s hot and he fucks.)
Contemporaneously, Ensign Sarah Zabiarov and AEUG Ensign Katz:
Katz: Do you want to return to Scirocco that badly?
Sarah: I do! So stay out of my way! I’d met Scirocco before I ever saw you.
Katz: That’s hardly an excuse now, is it!
Sarah: So you don’t understand…. Fine then! Just hurry up and shoot me! You can shoot me down right now!
Katz: Stop doing this to me! I can’t bear it! I wanna talk with you, Sarah!
Sarah: Don’t say that! Even if you did feel that way, a real man would never say such a thing! That’s the reason I could never truly love you, Katz.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 44, English dub.
From these conversations, I conclude that Paptimus Scirocco is an emotionally-intelligent, sophisticated man.
But what of his Zeonism?
After Char’s speech to the Federation Assembly in Dakar, which denounced the Titans, the three principal forces opposing the Earth Federatoin in space meet aboard the Gwadan: Haman Karn for the Republic, Paptimus Scirocco for the Jupiter Energy Fleet, and Jamitov Hymen for the Titans. What follows is a cunning set of betrayals:
Haman: Reliable sources have told me that the Earth Federation Forces are on the verge of severing all ties with the Titans.
Jamitov: That— That’s absurd! THose bureaucrats can’t change their minds so easily.
Haman: I don’t care one way or another. What matters is that I control outer space. You and your Titans, whose souls are dragged down by Earth’s gravity, are hardly a threat.
Jamitov: What a bold girl you are. I was considering giving you a chance to form an alliance with us, but after these remarks….
Haman: Well, maybe you’re the ones who should be thinking of joining me. And what of the Man from Jupiter, Scirocco?
Paptimus: I believe your views are correct. Those whose souls are weighed down by gravity are unfit to lead the people of outer space. [Jamitov frowns] But that doesn’t matter, for I have pledged my loyalty to His Excellency, and sealed it with blood.
[Paptimus draws his gun on Haman]
Haman: You know what will happen if you shoot me here, in the very heart of my ship?
Paptimus: Of course. But it’s still less dangerous than letting you live.
Haman: That’s one way of looking at it.
[Char enters, shoots Scirocco in the arm. Sarah Zabiarov, still in her mobile suit in the mobile suit hangar, detects his injury with Newtype intuition. Char shoots Jamitov’s assistant. Sarah fires a beam towards the conference room, separating the combatants. Haman escapes. Char escapes. In the smoke-filled room, Scirocco turns to Jamitov.]
Jamitov: Where’s Char? Where did he go? … Where’s Haman?
Paptimus: It looks like there’s no one here but us two … [aims his pistol at Jamitov] … Excellency.
Jamitov: Scirocco! Then this—
Paptimus: — was a trap for you. Goodbye, Jamitov.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 46, English dub.
Sarah escorts Paptimus off the Gwadan. Once in free space, Paptimus contacts the Titans:
Paptimus: Attention! This is an open message to the entire Titans fleet. Our leader, His Excellency Jamitov Hymem, is slain at the hands of Haman Karn. With his last words, His Excellency gave these orders: “Wipe the Gwadan from the skies!” We must avenge His Excellency!
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 46, English dub.
Lies and deceit! But he follows through: The Titans, whose souls are bound down by gravity, will not rule space.
The Titans fleet and the Axis fleet fire on each other. Paptimus Scirocco in the The-O and Haman Karn in the Quebeley fight, and their mobile suits enter a psychoframe resonance that is only disrupted by Sarah Zabiarov’s death, when she protects Scirocco from a beam.
Rather than avenge Sarah’s death, he calls a retreat, telling Reccoa Londe that “I won’t lose you as well.” From this, I think it follows that he does, in fact, care about the women in his life.
Paptimus’ control of the Titans does not extend to the fleet under control of commander Bask Om, centered on the Dogosse Giar, but Titans mobile suit teams under Scirocco’s control destroy the Dogosse Giar and Om with it.
After the death of many AEUG soldiers drives the young Newtype Kamille Bidan mad, Paptimus detects Kamille’s emotions.
Paptimus Scirocco: I can’t stand this sensation. Why do they have to fight with such naked emotions? There’s clearly no quality of character evidenced. None whatsoever! It’s chaos out there; the people need to be led properly. We need a leader with absolute control!
Reccoa Londe: You don’t think that people might change after this war is over, Scirocco?
Scirocco: No, I don’t. They need someone to make them change…. Someone like you.
Reccoa: Why me? I risked everything for you.
Scirocco: Yes, I know. I have a plan now; the rest will be simple. Come! Let’s fight together.
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam , episode 49, English dub.
Scirocco and Reccoa go out to fight; Reccoa dies at the point of an AEUG beam saber. Scirocco flies off to destroy the Gryps II colony laser, which is now controlled by the AEUG. Scirocco is followed by Char Aznable and Haman Karn; they fight. Gryps II fires and destroys the Titans fleet. Axis Zeon retreats from the field, leaving the Jupitris alone to confront the AEUG.
Paptimus is chased down by Kamille Bidan, who pilots the Zeta Gundam, a mobile suit capable of transforming the power of thought into action. When Kamille rams the nose of the Zeta through the cockpit of Paptimus’ The O, crushing him, the Zeta is empowered by the spirits of Four Murasume, Rosamia Badem, Reccoa Londe, Emma Sheen, Sarah Zabiarov, and Katz Kobayashi.
The Man from Jupiter, who believed that the Earth Sphere would eventually be ruled by a woman, was ultimately rejected by the avatar of the women he had led in pursuit of that goal.