Ribbons Almark
Ribbons Almark is a male anime and manga character who features in Mobile Suit Gundam 00.
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Biography
Ribbons Almark (Japanese: リボンズ・アルマーク, Hepburn: Ribonzu Arumāku) was a genetically engineered Innovade where he was developed as the first of his kind produced by Celestial Being. Created as a combat-type Innovade, he was chosen to be a Gundam Meister and tasked with fulfilling Aeolia Schenberg's Plan which was the evolution of all of humanity to the state of Innovators in order to prepare for the great dialogue which was contact with extraterrestrial life. In this time, Ribbons was deployed to various conflict zones around the planet where he covertly helped stem the scale of human conflict. During his time as a Gundam Meister, Almark came to see many contradictions in human nature to the point that he began to detest enacting Aeolia's Plan for the sake of humanity. He would later learn that Gundam Meisters were expected to perish during the effect of the Plan causing Ribbon's to lose all motivation in the role. One of his deployments was to Kurdistan intervention in 2301 A.D. where in order to keep this intervention secret he was supposed to eliminate anyone who witnessed this event. However, he encountered a young Soran Ebrahim where Almark chose to spare the boy because of the way he looked up at him with such awe and reverence. This made Ribbons believe in his own special place in the greater scheme of events. Thus, he started to organized his plan to become the personification of Aeolia's Plan. He eventually left his post as a Gundam Meister to see the entirety of the Plan under his own direction. Before departing, he would make preparations to have Soran chosen to be a Gundam Meister and act as a replacement pilot for one of the mecha.
Initially, Ribbons was seen aiding Alejandro Corner, who affectionately calls him an angel whom he found one day on the streets, in his overzealous quest for world domination. Being a altered human like Tieria Erde, Ribbons has the unique ability to interface with Veda, the supercomputer for Celestial Being. He uses this ability to help Alejandro access all levels of Veda, eventually uncovering the preserved body of Aeolia Schenberg, the founder of Celestial Being. Alejandro quickly takes advantage of the situation and murders Schenberg, but this sets off a system trap that triggers the Trans-Am system of the completed GN Drives. Enraged by Schenberg's trickery, Corner turns to Ribbons and demands to know the meaning of this, but Ribbons claims to have no knowledge of it. Later when Alejandro was defeated in battle by Setsuna F. Seiei, Ribbons contacts Alejandro and revealed that he had been manipulating him the whole time. He called Alejandro and smugly declares that he will be the one who leads the new world. Ribbons also tells him that it is no longer Aeolia's plan and rather that it has turned into his own plan. Alejandro slams his fist against Ribbons' countenance on the screen and curses him just before he dies as his Alvaaron explodes. Four years later, Ribbons and his Innovator comrades take center stage in the international arena to begin the next step of his plan
It was revealed Ribbons is the de facto leader of the Earth Sphere Federation's A-Laws, directing global military campaigns aimed at bringing about "international unity" while controlling the Federation's leadership from the shadows. Initially, he seems pleasantly surprised by the reappearance of the Gundams and Wang Liu Mei. Throughout the season, Ribbons is usually seen watching the battles between his forces and Celestial Being unfold from the comfort of his lair. Upon seeing the new GN-0000 00 Gundam, Ribbons is surprised to see Celestial Being's Twin Drive System.[6] He curses Aeolia Schenberg for neglecting to inform him of this detail. Although he looks down on regular humans, Ribbons tells Louise Halevy that he needs her wealth and financial power in order to "defeat the Gundams" during a party with A-Laws financial backers.[7] Ribbons silently expresses his frustration over the recent actions of Regene Regetta[7] to entice Tieria Erde to join them. During a one-on-one meeting with Tieria Erde, Ribbons offers Tieria the option of regaining full access to Veda and reveals that it was he who disabled the Trial System when Tieria used it on the Throne Gundams. Ribbons also claims that Celestial Being - Tieria himself included - were originally planned to have been destroyed four years ago. Tieria vocally challenges these claims, even highlighting how Aeolia had granted Celestial Being 'trump cards' such as the Trans-Am System upon Veda being compromised. Ribbons mocks Tieria for letting Lockon Stratos cloud his judgment and transform him into a "stupid human". Enraged, Tieria pulls his gun on Ribbons, but is taken off guard when Healing Care, Ribbons' biological twin and fellow Innovator, opens fire on him.
After Tieria's departure, Ribbons tells his fellow Innovators that it is necessary to have Celestial Being as an enemy in order to fulfill Schenberg's plan. Ribbons accelerates his plans for world unity by deploying the orbital space laser cannon Memento Mori, which he uses to lay waste to the Kingdom of Suiller. Later on, his first instance of him losing control over his emotions is displayed when he witnesses the 00 Raiser undergo quantization durng Setsuna's battle with Bring Stabity and Revive Revival. He displays evident disbelief and anger, roughly slapping a nonchalant Wang Liu Mei when she asks what happened without concern, calling her a "selfish girl". During a face-to-face meeting with Setsuna F Seiei, it is revealed that Ribbons was the pilot of the 0 Gundam during the Kurdistan intervention in 2301 A.D (as shown in episode 1 of season 1). In order to keep this intervention secret, he was supposed to eliminate anyone who witnessed this event but he chose to spare Setsuna because of the way he looked up at him with such awe and reverence. Ribbons goes on to reveal to Setsuna that he was the one responsible for his appointment as a Gundam Meister. Towards the end of their conversation, Ribbons claims that the 00 Gundam was originally intended for him and now he wants it back (despite not knowing about the 00 and its abilities until it was introduced), but Setsuna angrily refuses, going so far as to attempt to shoot him.
He once again orders the use of Memento Mori to suppress Hank Hercules`s Orbital Elevator coup. The elevator is destroyed, resulting not just in the death of thousands of people trying to evacuate but also endangering the lives of those living in nearby cities. In that same episode, in a conversation with Regetta, Ribbons claims that humans, with their limited lifespans, are incapable of learning from their past mistakes and are therefore bound to repeat them. Such was the reason Aeolia created the Innovators, claims Regene, to which Ribbons replies he alone had been created by Aeolia and then proceeded to create them. Therefore, he self-appoints himself as ruler of the world. He was later seen with Louise Halevy in an A-LAWS ship, speaking with her about obtaining a new type of medicine in order to contain the cellular anomaly that's eating away at her body. He also proceeds to erase what doubt Louise has by forcibly commanding her through the use of Veda- revealing that Louise has become an Innovator- and by mentioning that she is in the A-LAWS to create a united world and to avenge her parents, also mentioning that he wants her to be the leader of humanity, the first Innovator amongst humans. It should be noted that, although Ribbons was thoroughly displeased towards Setsuna, a human, undergoing metamorphosis into an Innovator, his attitude towards Louise becoming the same is markedly different for reasons unknown. He is also the one who controls Anew Returner in her final moments, and also displays shock at the 00 Raiser's over-saturation of the area with true GN Particles forcibly cutting off his link to Anew.
After claiming once again that he is "The Creator" and revealing to Regene that he is aware of his treachery, as well as creating a clone of himself for the moment Regene actually tries to kill him, Regene realizes too late after losing his temper with the clone he believed to be Ribbons and falling into Ribbons' trap before Ali kills Regene off. Ribbons than precedes to begin the final phase of his plan in the massive colony ship he claims to be where all of Aeolia's planning originated from. During the ensuing battle, Ribbons is surprised to find Tieria has managed to survive Seravee's near-destruction to make his way into Veda's core with the intention of killing him. However, refusing to accept his nature as an artificial imitation of an ideal Innovator, Ribbons shoots Tieria repeatedly, killing his physical body. But much like Regene Regetta, Tieria's consciousness merges into Veda and stops Ribbons' plans in its tracks. Refusing to let his plan die, Ribbons reveals himself in the Reborn Gundam to fight Setsuna, starting the first round of their final battle with mankind's future on the line. But after both machines are damaged, Ribbons takes one of 00 Gundam's GN drives to repower his 0 Gundam to battle Setsuna in the his rebuilt Exia in a heated battle until the 0 Gundam is destroyed. Ribbons' ultimate fate is never shown; however, an interview with the series' voice actors revealed that he was run through by the Exia's GN Sword R. As the weapon burns with an extreme amount of heat, Ribbons' body was cut in two and incinerated. As a result, while they wanted to show his death on screen, It was deemed too gruesome to show on television; they instead used the 0 Gundam's shutting down as a sign that Ribbons was dead.
Overview
Personality and attributes
He demonstrated a superiority complex where he valued his own qualities above that of others, especially humans. Almark considered humanity to be 'foolish' and inferior species that were limited by their own values to the point where he compared mankind to herd animals. Even among his fellow Innovades, he considered himself to be superior to his kin. Ribbons did not consider anyone important beyond himself in the fulfilment of Aeolia Schenberg's plan. In fact, he viewed other people as mere tools and expendables which he manipulated for his own purposes; after which, he leads them to their own demise, befitting his own entertainment.
Ribbons thought of himself as the perfect incarnation of Aeolia's Plan. He called himself the messiah and the guide for humanity. He reached the point to affirm that he was an existence over Aeolia's Plan.
Almark believed himself to be the maker of the Innovades and thus their superior in every way. He came to believe that he was even superior to purebred Innovators. Ribbons held nothing but contempt for humanity and rejected the idea that he was equal to them as he saw them as being superior. It was this reason that he had a god complex as he believed he was greater than everyone.
Powers and abilities
As an Innovade, Ribbons was a genetically engineered being that was meant to be superior to ordinary humans with the ability to utilise quantum brainwaves. He possessed nano-machines in his body that stopped him from aging and allowed him to live in space despite its harsh conditions. With regards to his ability to use Quantum Brainwaves, he was categorized among the Level-B Quantum Brainwave users. Almark was created as a combat-type Innovades where his efficient use of quantum brainwaves afforded him greater coordination using his heightened reflexes. This provided Ribbon's great ability when piloting a mobile suit and superb combat capabilities while in variety of situations.
He had the ability to link with Veda at any time and place using his quantum brainwaves. In fact, Ribbons was able to access information up to Level 7.
Following his control of Veda, Ribbons was no longer restricted to a single body and utilised a number of cloned bodies. These allowed him to operate even after the death of one of his clones.
Originally, Ribbons Almark was a member of Celestial Being and had been trained as a Gundam Meister.
Notes
- Ribbons Almark was voiced by Japanese voice actor Tōru Furuya, using the pseudonym Noboru Sougetsu with English actor Michael Adamthwaite voicing the character in the dubbed series.
Appearances
- Mobile Suit Gundam 00:
External Links
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