TX-55 Metal Gear

TX-55 Metal Gear was a nuclear-armed bipedal tank created in Outer Heaven.

Origins
After founding the nation of Outer Heaven, Big Boss knew that he would need a powerful deterrent in order to truly stand a chance at opposing Zero and the Patriots. Following the examples of GRU Colonel Volgin and FOX commander Gene before him, Big Boss constructed the one thing that he knew the West would fear more than anything else: Metal Gear.

A first attempt made in 1974 resulted in the creation of Metal Gear ZEKE, which was built from the scrap parts of the Peace Walker AI weapons. After ZEKE was completed, however, it was hijacked by Cipher agent Pacifica Ocean, forcing Big Boss to damage ZEKE to regain control.

"When it's finished, a nuclear strike can be launched from anywhere on the planet. We must do everything we can to destroy it before it's completed."

- Gray Fox to Solid Snake, during Operation Intrude N313.

In 1995, Big Boss enlisted the aid of the foremost expert in the field of robotics to build a new Metal Gear: the Eastern scientist Drago Pettrovich Madnar. While Dr. Madnar understood the power and inherent evil of his creation, the kidnapping of his daughter forced him to complete it.

TX-55 Metal Gear was a revolutionary weapon because of its ability to launch a nuclear attack from any stable territory, without the need for a nuclear silo. Unlike its predecessor, ZEKE, it possessed two nuclear warhead launchers, yet it had a much more compact size. Feared by the Western powers, its mere presence in Outer Heaven made the country virtually untouchable, except by a covert mission.

TX-55's weak spot were its feet, which could only be destroyed by placing plastic explosives over them in a determined order. TX-55 was armed with a 15 mm Vulcan gun, a laser cannon and multiple medium-range warheads. However, none of its arsenal was put to use as the TX-55 was destroyed by Solid Snake before its completion.

The TX-55 was later revealed to be a prototype for Metal Gear D, the construction of which was commissioned by Big Boss during the Zanzibar Land Disturbance.

Information
TX-55 Metal Gear utilized three sensors: a camera sight, a TV sight, and a lower sight. In addition, a sky alert radar is equipped onto its nuclear launch module, along with a rear alert pulse sensor. It was also equipped with both a polyphonic and monophonic antenna.

TX-55's gun module houses a 15 mm Vulcan cannon, and a 20 cm laser cannon. The cockpit itself is also heavily armored. Air nozzles are also equipped to the nuclear launcher. It also possesses a large projector. Its overall armor is composed of 30-110 mm tungsten armor with a special heat-resistant ceramic. The armor was weakest on its legs, though it is built in such a way to resist direct attempts at sabotage, requiring a specific pattern to destroying them.

Trivia

 * TX-55 Metal Gear was foreseen in Elisa and Ursula's prophetic vision in 1970.
 * When firing a nuclear missile, TX-55 would extend a stabilizing leg from its rear and secure itself to the ground in order to conduct an accurate launch.
 * Though its very existence was considered to be a direct threat to the Western powers, TX-55's main purpose was to act as Outer Heaven's nuclear deterrent. By contrast, Metal Gear REX (one of the TX-55's successors) was created in 2005 under the false premise of being a Theater Missile Defense (TMD) system.

Behind the scenes
TX-55 is the first Metal Gear in the series that the player does not confront directly. Instead, the player must avoid two gun cameras that protect it, while planting explosives at TX-55's feet.

Although the TX-55 was mentioned in the NES version, it was never fought at all. Instead, Snake was to destroy the Super Computer with C4 explosives (without it being in any order) in the 100th basement floor that controlled TX-55 Metal Gear's activities, suggesting that the TX-55 was unmanned.

In the non-canonical Snake's Revenge, mass-produced models of the TX-55 appear, which are referred to as "Metal Gear 1" and "Metal Gear VRC-4." In the game, they can be seen on board an enemy cargo ship, in which they are being transported. Metal Gear 1 is given the following specifications in the game's opening:


 * Code No: VRC-4 // Capacity: 1 // Weight: 226 tons (205 t) // Height: 22 ft (6.7 m) // Speed: 31 mph (50 km/h) // Armor: 3.5 in (89 mm)


 * Although most of these are similar to the original specs, the armor thickness is defined and the weight is implied to be ten times heavier than the original model (this is possibly a mistake during conversion to imperial units).

The wreckage of the original TX-55 also appears in Stage 11 of Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

In the Metal Gear summary of the Previous Operations section of Metal Gear Solid, as well as its remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, it was stated to utilize antitank missiles.

Appearances

 * Metal Gear
 * Snake's Revenge (non-canon)
 * Metal Gear: Ghost Babel (non-canon)
 * Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (prophetic vision)