Episode
                  37: Zero vs. Epyon 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-04-25


            "Zero vs. Epyon," despite its title, tells three stories, all 
            equally interesting. There's the main event -- the rumble over the 
            jungle -- between Heero Yuy in the Gundam Epyon and Zechs Merquise 
            (once the Alliance's best Mobile Suit pilot before the OZ rebellion) 
            in the Wing Gundam Zero. There's also a major offensive in outer 
            space as a group of rebel colonists make their presence known. 
            Finally, back on Earth, Relena Peacecraft meets with her Alliance 
            captors, who shock the young princess by making her an offer she 
            can't refuse. Interested? Read on, then, Gundam warriors. 
            When we last saw Heero, he was ravaging through the Sanc Kingdom's 
            countryside and laying waste to the Alliance's Mobile Dolls (Mobile 
            Suits which operate without pilots). The effect of his Gundam 
            Epyon's Zero System was taking its toll, though, and our hero Heero 
            was losing his mind. When Zechs realizes what's going on in his 
            homeland, he races to intercede in the Wing Gundam Zero. Zechs is 
            too late, of course, as his sister Relena has already surrendered 
            herself to the hated Alliance and has been whisked away to discuss 
            terms of the Sanc Kingdom's break-up. Zechs and Heero begin to 
            tangle and it's a battle royale. 
            These two Gundam weapons, with each pilot struggling to counter the 
            effects of their mind-warping Zero Systems, throw knockout punches 
            yet neither warrior gives. The battle continues until both units 
            experience a meltdown. The pilots eject and realize that they'd be 
            better off fighting their common enemy -- the Alliance. Heero takes 
            the Wing Zero and rushes off to face a new front of Mobile Dolls 
            heading for the shoreline. Zechs takes controls of his buddy 
            Treize's Epyon. It's a nice twist that Zechs gets his best friend's 
            mysterious Gundam -- you get the feeling that both Zechs and Heero 
            wind up with Gundams they can control. You hope, at least. 

                  I'm being driven insane, but damn, don't I look good? 
            Relena, meanwhile, is offered the opportunity to become Chief 
            Representative of the Romefeller Foundation. Duke Dermail tells her 
            that her message of total pacifism was a big hit with the citizens 
            of Earth. If she accepts Romefeller's offer, it'll look like the 
            Foundation actually promotes peace. If she won't take the position, 
            war will rage on and millions will die. Once again in a tough 
            position, Relena relents and accepts the job. Whether or not she has 
            the wardrobe to be Queen of the world is another story. 
            In outer space, while the Foundation works around the clock to 
            complete construction of its space fortress Libra, a group of former 
            OZ officers, now members of Treize's rebellion faction, rename 
            themselves White Fang and go on the offensive. They capture the 
            lunar base and ready themselves for an all-out war. Dedicated to 
            providing total freedom for all five space colonies, these 
            well-trained soldiers offer a great new hope for the defeat of the 
            Alliance. It seems that the five Gundam pilots now have a formidable 
            ally on their side. Of course in space, no one hears you change 
            sides. Which happens a lot in the vacuum of Gundam Wing. 

            --Ross Brooks yearns for the old days when cartoons were about 
            rabbits making ducks look silly.