Metal Gear RAY (manned)

Metal Gear RAY was an amphibious Metal Gear design created by the United States Marine Corps after the Shadow Moses Incident, and later stolen by the Patriots.

Background
Metal Gear RAY was originally developed as a countermeasure to the abundance of Metal Gear REX derivatives being built around the world, caused by the leaking of REX's exercise data on the black market by Revolver Ocelot, following the Shadow Moses Incident in 2005. This made RAY the first Metal Gear not to be specifically designed to launch nuclear missiles. Its creation was also believed to have been motivated as a result of intense rivalry between the Marines and the United States Army, especially after the latter's part in developing REX. RAY was commissioned by the Pentagon and the Marines, and Commandant General Scott Dolph helped spearhead the project. It was a standalone Marines project that was able to operate independently, without requiring any Naval assistance. While the prototype was operable by a single pilot, RAY's final form was intended to be unmanned.

In 2007, the Marines attempted to transport the Metal Gear RAY prototype, aboard the U.S.S. Discovery, to a testing location more than 500 miles south of the Bermudas, outside of the U.S. Second Fleet's operational range. The anti-Metal Gear NGO Philanthropy had learned of the scheduled testing, and Solid Snake was dispatched to infiltrate the disguised tanker, in an attempt to leak pictures of RAY onto the Internet and expose it to the world. However, Snake was beaten there by Revolver Ocelot, Sergei Gurlukovich, and the Gurlukovich Mercenaries, who took over the vessel in an attempt to steal the new weapon.

In the tanker's holds, Ocelot betrayed his allies, killing both Gulukovich and General Dolph, before detonating explosives planted within the tanker. Just as Snake attempted to stop him from entering RAY's cockpit, Liquid Snake's personality was awakened within Ocelot's body. "Liquid" escaped into RAY, then used the prototype's hydro cutter to break through the ship's hull, sinking the Discovery and taking the Marines and the mercenaries along with it. After Liquid's personality subsided, Ocelot took RAY to his superiors in the Patriots.

Afterwards, the Patriots had RAY redesigned and mass-produced in order to protect Arsenal Gear, a new type of Metal Gear that the U.S. Navy were constructing.

In April 2009, Ocelot gave the original RAY prototype to Solidus Snake, which was used during the takeover of the Big Shell offshore cleanup facility, the disguise of Arsenal Gear. After special forces agent Raiden shot down Solidus's Harrier II, RAY emerged from the waters to catch the fallen aircraft and launched cluster bombs that devastated the surrounding area. After Solidus ordered the Harrier's pilot (Vamp) to flee, RAY took the jet and Solidus beneath the waves. After witnessing RAY's appearance, Raiden believed it to be the new Metal Gear that was in development and, thus, was alarmed that it had already been activated.

After the AI GW became corrupted by Emma Emmerich's worm cluster, Ocelot (after revealing that he was a Patriot agent) attempted to use the prototype RAY to kill Solid Snake, Raiden, and Solidus Snake. First, Ocelot used the gatling gun pods against Solidus, who used his exoskeleton's power to counter. Then, Ocelot used RAY's payload of missiles on the group but Dead Cell leader Fortune was able to shield them all from the attack using her powers of "luck." Just when Ocelot prepared to use RAY's water cutter against the group, "Liquid" suddenly took control of his body, and then jumped from Arsenal within RAY followed by Snake, with Arsenal Gear about to crash into Manhattan. Snake, although unable to stay with RAY, had nonetheless managed to plant a transmitter on RAY so he could track Ocelot's movements.

Name
RAY was named after the manta ray due to its aquatic nature. In 2009, the Patriots informed Raiden that the name "Ray" was also one of the Allied codenames for the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero fighter aircraft used in World War II.

Information
Designed as an amphibious weapon to meet the standards of the U.S. Marine Corps, Metal Gear RAY was a versatile weapon both on the ground and underwater. Standing over twenty meters tall, the original prototype RAY required a pilot to operate it, after having first undergone VR training. The cockpit controls also acted as a harness of sorts, pressuring the pilot into the seat, to avoid being thrown around. The giant "wings" located on each side of the unit acted as a propulsion device. A tail on the hind end of the unit helped to steer the unit underwater.

RAY's initial and most prominent armament was a water cutter housed in the mouth, although its power exceeds that of a normal water cutter. Powered by a massive pump, water would be sucked into an internal tank and then expelled as a narrow stream under extremely high pressure. As RAY's primary weapon, its purpose was to sever and slice almost anything that stood in its way, even dense armor.

Other armaments include gatling gun pods located at the end of each "wing," a missile pod located on its back capable of firing homing missiles and cluster bombs, and knee-mounted missile pods for ground defense. Metal Gear RAY's exterior metallic casing and armor is made of a ceramic-titanium alloy for defense against light to medium projectile assault.

Metal Gear RAY had a more organic design than previous models, both in appearance and in function. Its streamlined shape helped to deflect enemy fire and allowed for greater maneuverability both on land and in water. Its interior workings were also somewhat organic, as it had artificial fibers that contracted when electricity was applied, much like natural muscle, instead of typical hydraulics; this pseudo-muscle tissue made it very maneuverable. It also had a nervous-system-like network of conductive nanotubes, which connected the widely dispersed sensor systems and relay commands from the cockpit to the various parts of RAY's body, automatically bypassing damaged systems and rerouting to auxiliary systems when needed. Another feature was its blood-like armor-repair nanopaste, which was secreted from valves and coagulates wherever the exterior surface was damaged.

Behind the scenes
In the original game plan of Metal Gear Solid 2, Sergei Gulukovich was killed when Ocelot had RAY stomp on the former Spetsnaz colonel (similar to the scene in Metal Gear Solid when Gray Fox was killed by Liquid Snake via Metal Gear REX). In addition, concept art as well as the original game plan indicated that the manned Metal Gear RAY prototype was originally going to be a boss, piloted by Liquid Ocelot, and fought by Solid Snake while Raiden fought Solidus, with RAY also being destroyed.

In an R1 scene for Metal Gear Solid 3, a model for RAY could be witnessed in Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin's office, along with REX and Jehuty. In addition, according to the director's commentary, the Metal Gear D-like design for Granin's blueprints for Metal Gear were actually intended to be that of Metal Gear RAY.

In Metal Gear Solid 4, a manned Metal Gear RAY model sporting traits from both the prototype and unmanned models was utilized by Liquid Ocelot during Act 4 as the boss of the chapter. Although Otacon briefly mentioned that "Liquid had RAY in his hands for some time now," it is not made clear whether the RAY being fought was intended to be the same as the Marine prototype, due to lacking various features identifiable with the Marine prototype, such as the tail. In addition, the novelization by Project Itoh implied that the RAY unit Ocelot was using was a modified version of the unmanned model of RAY reverse-engineered to utilize a human pilot, and that this was also a reason why it ultimately fell against REX despite being developed to have been superior.

In the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Official Art Works book, there was originally supposed to be a monster called M/G Ray in addition to Gear REX that directly resembled its namesake, Metal Gear RAY.

Other appearances
Completing 100% of the missions in Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions will unlock artwork of Metal Gear RAY.

RAY makes a cameo appearance as a model (alongside REX's model) displayed in Granin's office, in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.

RAY makes several cameo appearances in Super Smash Bros. Brawl: in the background of the Shadow Moses stage, as a collectible sticker (which grants the player an increase of 16 in Body and Spin attacks), and as a trophy with this description:

"An amphibious Metal Gear developed by the U.S. Marines. Revisions to the prototype enabled mass production and made it a viable battle weapon with massive firepower and remote operation. Wings and a tail make it look monsterlike, but scarier still is the high-pressure water cannon in its mouth that fires a stream of water that can slice through rock."

Like Metal Gear REX, ThreeA is creating a 1/48th scale figure of RAY. A prototype was showcased at ThreeA's Hong Kong Re-Venture exhibit based upon the Outer Haven model Liquid Ocelot piloted in Metal Gear Solid 4..

Metal Gear RAY was also a participant in the Konami-sponsored E3 Battle, where it defeated Seig from the 2008 Konami game Suikoden Tierkreis, and proceed to face off against The Boss in the second round, where it promptly lost to her (although it seemingly won by percentage points).

"METAL GEAR RAY First appeared in: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (2001) An amphibious Metal Gear created by the United States Marine Corps after the Shadow Moses Incident."

- Metal Gear RAY bio in E3 Battle.

Appearances

 * Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
 * Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots