TV-Series
Description
Mickey Simon, full name Micky Simon, is an American mercenary pilot and a central supporting character in the anime and manga series Area 88. He was born into a wealthy family, the son of a company president, and he was engaged to be married before his military service. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, he served as a pilot in the United States Navy, seeing combat in the Vietnam War as a member of a squadron aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. His experiences in Vietnam left him unable to readjust to a normal, peaceful life after the war. Plagued by psychological distress and a sense of disgrace, he signed up as a hired fighter for the Asranian government, joining the mercenary air wing stationed at the secret desert base known as Area 88.
Mickey has a bright, outwardly easygoing, and somewhat flamboyant personality. He often acts as the mood maker of the base, organizing parties and maintaining a lighthearted demeanor even in the face of danger. This cheerful exterior, however, masks deep-seated trauma. He carries the heavy burden of a dark episode from the Vietnam War, known as the Fireball incident, in which he was forced to single-handedly burn down a village to contain an outbreak of disease. This memory haunts him and is a source of profound personal shame. His motivations for remaining a mercenary are not purely financial; like many at Area 88, he is a man who has found a place where his skills are valued and where the violent realities of life are an accepted norm. He is a pragmatist who has fully accepted the battlefield as his home, contrasting sharply with the protagonist Shin Kazama, who desperately seeks escape.
In the story, Mickey is the self-proclaimed number-two pilot of Area 88, consistently ranking just below Shin in terms of aerial victories and combat skill. He is Shin's primary and closest friend within the unit, forming a deep bond of trust that allows them to rely on one another completely in battle. Despite their occasional clashes, their friendship is a bedrock of the narrative. When the base commander Saki Vashtar is absent, Mickey often steps up to lead the squadron, demonstrating strong leadership and earning the respect of the other pilots. His key relationships include a respectful but strained professional dynamic with Saki, an old war rivalry turned personal conflict with McBurn, a fellow former U.S. Navy pilot who later works for the enemy organization Project 4, and a romantic relationship with fellow pilot Sela Barnak, which tragically ends with their deaths together.
Mickey's development throughout the series shows his gradual acceptance of his own trauma and his growing sense of responsibility toward his comrades, moving from a purely hedonistic mercenary to a capable and respected leader. His primary creed in air combat is a hit-and-run tactic: to strike hard and withdraw. His most notable abilities are exceptional aerial combat skills, particularly in dogfighting, though he is somewhat less effective at ground attack missions. He is most at home in the F-14 Tomcat, an aircraft he flew during Vietnam and which he considers his favorite. He also operates a variety of other aircraft over the course of the story, including the F-100 Super Sabre, A-4 Skyhawk, and F/A-18 Hornet. His personal emblem, a rabbit head resembling the Playboy bunny, is painted on his aircraft.
Mickey has a bright, outwardly easygoing, and somewhat flamboyant personality. He often acts as the mood maker of the base, organizing parties and maintaining a lighthearted demeanor even in the face of danger. This cheerful exterior, however, masks deep-seated trauma. He carries the heavy burden of a dark episode from the Vietnam War, known as the Fireball incident, in which he was forced to single-handedly burn down a village to contain an outbreak of disease. This memory haunts him and is a source of profound personal shame. His motivations for remaining a mercenary are not purely financial; like many at Area 88, he is a man who has found a place where his skills are valued and where the violent realities of life are an accepted norm. He is a pragmatist who has fully accepted the battlefield as his home, contrasting sharply with the protagonist Shin Kazama, who desperately seeks escape.
In the story, Mickey is the self-proclaimed number-two pilot of Area 88, consistently ranking just below Shin in terms of aerial victories and combat skill. He is Shin's primary and closest friend within the unit, forming a deep bond of trust that allows them to rely on one another completely in battle. Despite their occasional clashes, their friendship is a bedrock of the narrative. When the base commander Saki Vashtar is absent, Mickey often steps up to lead the squadron, demonstrating strong leadership and earning the respect of the other pilots. His key relationships include a respectful but strained professional dynamic with Saki, an old war rivalry turned personal conflict with McBurn, a fellow former U.S. Navy pilot who later works for the enemy organization Project 4, and a romantic relationship with fellow pilot Sela Barnak, which tragically ends with their deaths together.
Mickey's development throughout the series shows his gradual acceptance of his own trauma and his growing sense of responsibility toward his comrades, moving from a purely hedonistic mercenary to a capable and respected leader. His primary creed in air combat is a hit-and-run tactic: to strike hard and withdraw. His most notable abilities are exceptional aerial combat skills, particularly in dogfighting, though he is somewhat less effective at ground attack missions. He is most at home in the F-14 Tomcat, an aircraft he flew during Vietnam and which he considers his favorite. He also operates a variety of other aircraft over the course of the story, including the F-100 Super Sabre, A-4 Skyhawk, and F/A-18 Hornet. His personal emblem, a rabbit head resembling the Playboy bunny, is painted on his aircraft.