Episode
                  41: Crossfire at Barge 
                  Airing Date
                  2000-05-01
              
            The majority of this episode revolves around a massive battle in 
            outer space. OZ, which has already lost control of its nearly 
            completed Libra space fortress, pulls back and focuses all its 
            energies on the Barge space station. White Fang, meanwhile, moves in 
            for the final kill. A fleet of Mobile Dolls heads for the Barge 
            while OZ's men ready themselves for an all-out battle in their 
            Taurus Mobile Suits. Both sides know that whoever wins will control 
            the future of outer space. The one advantage that OZ has is the 
            deadly laser cannon aboard the Barge. Without it, they'd surely be 
            overrun by White Fang's Mobile Dolls. Before we discuss the outcome, 
            though, let's first look at the battle itself. 
            You've got to assume that White Fang will prevail since they have 
            numbers on their side. They've also got the all-powerful Gundam 
            Epyon, which is piloted by Commander Milliardo Peacecraft, AKA Zechs 
            Merquise. Of all the Gundams, only one can go toe-to-toe with the 
            Epyon and that's Heero Yuy's Wing Zero. Since Heero's still on Earth 
            battling OZ's planetary defenses, it's really a foregone conclusion 
            who'll be victorious here. What's cool is that once OZ's laser 
            cannon goes into action, it actually looks like the underdogs might 
            prevail. For a minute. Unfortunately, Zechs' Epyon is unstoppable. 
            It's too bad that the Gundams can't be presented a little more 
            realistically. Let's be honest -- can one pilot in a giant robot, no 
            matter how good he is, destroy an entire army and a space station? 
            It makes for cool superheroics, but it's a less dramatic fight when 
            we already know who's going to come out on top. Predictably, just as 
            the Barge is about to finish off White Fang's Mobile Dolls, Zechs 
            zooms in and literally cuts the Barge in two. Like the Death Star 
            after Luke sinks his final putt, the Barge implodes and becomes 
            nothing more than space debris. 

                  No longer Queen of the world, huh? Wonder if I can collect 
                  Unemployment...? 
            There's one moment in the battle that has the potential of becoming 
            one of the great anime fight sequences of all time. You know what 
            I'm talking about, right? Zechs faces off against Duo & Quatre in 
            their Gundams with Trowa and Lucrezia Noin backing them up in Taurus 
            Mobile Suits. Although it's four against one, I wouldn't put any 
            money on this fight. As it turns out, Duo & Quatre race off toward 
            Barge to prevent it from decimating the White Fang. Showing its 
            total superiority, the Epyon hangs around long enough to have a 
            conversation with Miss Noin and then heads for Barge -- Zechs still 
            reaches the laser cannon first! We look forward to the day when all 
            five Gundam pilots take Zechs on. Until then, though, Zechs is BMIS 
            (Big Man In Space). 
            The other major development in "Crossfire At Barge" is that Treize 
            Khushrenada returns to Earth and stages a coup d'etat. He takes over 
            the Romefeller Foundation and gives Relena her walking papers. He 
            even strips the poor girl of her Queen title. With both Zechs and 
            Treize in control of opposing forces, the days ahead are gonna be 
            interesting. 

            --Ross Brooks, who wonders if Relena will put Former Queen of the 
            World on her resume.