TX-55 Metal Gear

From the Metal Gear Wiki

"When it's finished, a nuclear strike can be launched from anywhere on the planet. Metal Gear must be destroyed before it is completed!"

— Gray Fox to Solid Snake, Metal Gear

TX-55 Metal Gear, also referred to as Metal Gear TX-55, was a bipedal tank designed at Outer Heaven, based off the technology designed by Aleksandr Leonovitch Granin during the Cold War.

After Big Boss left The Patriots, he knew that in order to truly stand a chance at opposing them, he would need incredible power at his disposal that they would fear. And so, he followed the example of Gene and Volgin before him by constructing the one thing that he knew the West would fear more than anything else: Metal Gear. In order to fully realize Granin's vision of a bipedal walking tank, he enlisted the aid of the foremost expert in the field of robotics: the Eastern scientist Dr. 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 was a revolutionary weapon because of its ability to launch a nuclear attack from any stable territory, without the need for a nuclear silo. Feared by the Western powers, its mere presence in Outer Heaven made the country virtually untouchable, except of course, by a covert mission.

Metal Gear 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 15mm 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 completion.

TX-55 was not the first Metal Gear to be developed, being preceded by Metal Gear RAXA and the ICBMG. It was, however, the first known bipedal model (RAXA and ICBMG were quadrupedal), thus making it the first Metal Gear to fully realize Granin's vision of a bipedal, nuclear-equipped walking tank. TX-55 was succeeded by Metal Gear D, and later, units such as Metal Gear REX and Metal Gear RAY.

Contents 1 Specifications 2 Trivia 3 Other appearances 4 Appearances 5 Gallery

[edit] Specifications

Crew	1
Height	6.05 m
Length	3.25 m
Width	2.75 m
Weight	20.5 t
Speed	50 km/h
Armament	15 mm vulcan gun (2)   20 cm laser cannon
Engine	Unknown
Armor	30-110 mm tungsten armor   + special heat resistant ceramic

[edit] Trivia

• According to the original MSX2 manual for Metal Gear, TX-55 would extend a stabilizing leg from its rear and secure itself to the ground when firing a nuclear missile, in order to conduct an accurate launch.
• Aside from the ICBMG, TX-55 is the only boss Metal Gear in the series that the player doesn't confront directly. Instead, it is protected by two gun cameras, which the player must avoid while planting the explosives at TX-55's feet.
• TX-55 made a cameo appearance in Elisa/Ursula's death scene as part of their prophetic vision.

[edit] Other appearances

• In Snake's Revenge, mass-produced versions of the TX-55 model appear (referred to in the game as "Metal Gear 1"), being transported in an enemy cargo ship.
• The wreckage of the original TX-55 also appears in Stage 9 of Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.
• In Metal Gear Solid 3, TX-55 appears as one of the blueprints of the Metal Gear weapon's designs in Granin's office.
• In Metal Gear Solid 4, it was revealed that Metal Gear TX-55's true purpose was to be used only as a deterrent/defensive weapon to keep the rest of the world from interfering with Outer Heaven's vision. Ironically, one of it's successors, Metal Gear REX, was created under the false premise of being a defense system.

[edit] Appearances

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

[edit] Gallery

Technical specifications for Metal Gear TX-55.

The TX-55 as depicted in The Art of Metal Gear Solid.

Wreckage of Metal Gear TX-55 as seen in Metal Gear: Ghost Babel.

Metal Gears
Main Series
Shagohod — Metal Gear RAXA — ICBMG — Metal Gear TX-55 — Metal Gear D — Metal Gear REX Metal Gear RAY — Arsenal Gear — Metal Gear Gekko — Metal Gear Mk. II
Non-Canon Metal Gears
Metal Gear Chaioth Ha Qadesh — Metal Gear GANDER — Metal Gear KODOQUE