OVA
Description
Born in Side 3 (UC 0060), Bernard "Bernie" Wiseman faced drafting into the Zeon military immediately after high school (September UC 0079). His qualifications landed him in an accelerated mobile suit aviation program due to wartime urgency. Following basic training, he joined a mobile suit unit within the 7th Division, Assault Mobile Force, stationed at Granada.
During his first combat mission invading neutral Side 6 colony Libot, Bernie's MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai was shot down, crash-landing inside the colony. Stranded, he befriended eleven-year-old Alfred Izuruha, who idolized mobile suit pilots. Bernie spun tales of being nearly an ace to impress Al. In exchange for Al's video footage revealing suspicious Federation activity, Bernie traded his Zeon rank badge. This intelligence proved vital, securing his transfer to the elite Cyclops Team, a special forces unit commanded by Steiner Hardy.
The Cyclops Team was tasked with Operation Rubicon: destroying the Federation's hidden prototype RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 "Alex" within Libot. Veteran team members saw Bernie as a liability, resenting him for replacing the deceased Andy Strauss. Steiner assigned Bernie menial duties, including monitoring Al ostensibly to prevent leaks, effectively sidelining him from high-risk operations. During this time, Bernie encountered Al's neighbor, Christina Mackenzie, who mistook him for a prowler and knocked him unconscious with a baseball bat. Al intervened, claiming Bernie was his stepbrother, establishing a cover story. Despite the rocky start, Bernie and Chris developed a mutual attraction, unaware Chris was the Gundam Alex test pilot and Bernie was a Zeon operative.
Bernie participated in the Cyclops Team's disguised infiltration of the Federation base to destroy the Gundam. The mission failed when Bernie blew their cover by incorrectly describing Australian seasons during interrogation. A firefight erupted, killing most team members. Bernie escaped with the mortally wounded Steiner, who died shortly after.
Following Rubicon's failure, Zeon Colonel Killing ordered the nuclear destruction of Side 6 to eliminate the Gundam. Learning of this through the spy Charlie, Bernie initially planned to flee to the luxury colony Francheska. While waiting at the spaceport, he spotted a woman resembling Chris, prompting him to reconsider. He chose to stay and destroy the Gundam himself to avert the colony's annihilation. With Al's help, Bernie repaired his damaged Zaku II Kai and set traps for a final confrontation against the Gundam NT-1. Before deploying, he recorded a message for Al to play only if he died. It contained intelligence about the nuclear threat and urged Al not to resent the Federation or the Gundam's pilot, emphasizing soldiers on both sides fought for their beliefs.
On Christmas Day UC 0079, Bernie engaged the Gundam NT-1 in the colony's forest sector. Neither pilot knew the other: Chris defended the colony under orders, while Bernie sought to prevent nuclear strike. Bernie used tactical preparation and environment to damage the Gundam severely, destroying its head unit with a heat hawk. During the fight, Chris impaled the Zaku's cockpit with a beam saber, triggering a reactor detonation that killed him instantly. His remains were unrecognizable. Al witnessed the battle's end but arrived too late. Chris survived injured, unaware she killed Bernie. She later asked Al to convey her farewells, which he honored without revealing the truth.
An alternate continuity novelization depicts Bernie surviving his Zaku's destruction, though non-canonical to the primary narrative. Across video game appearances, his statistics reflect his rookie status, showing higher melee combat ratings than shooting skills—a reference to his heat hawk effectiveness against the Gundam NT-1.
During his first combat mission invading neutral Side 6 colony Libot, Bernie's MS-06FZ Zaku II Kai was shot down, crash-landing inside the colony. Stranded, he befriended eleven-year-old Alfred Izuruha, who idolized mobile suit pilots. Bernie spun tales of being nearly an ace to impress Al. In exchange for Al's video footage revealing suspicious Federation activity, Bernie traded his Zeon rank badge. This intelligence proved vital, securing his transfer to the elite Cyclops Team, a special forces unit commanded by Steiner Hardy.
The Cyclops Team was tasked with Operation Rubicon: destroying the Federation's hidden prototype RX-78NT-1 Gundam NT-1 "Alex" within Libot. Veteran team members saw Bernie as a liability, resenting him for replacing the deceased Andy Strauss. Steiner assigned Bernie menial duties, including monitoring Al ostensibly to prevent leaks, effectively sidelining him from high-risk operations. During this time, Bernie encountered Al's neighbor, Christina Mackenzie, who mistook him for a prowler and knocked him unconscious with a baseball bat. Al intervened, claiming Bernie was his stepbrother, establishing a cover story. Despite the rocky start, Bernie and Chris developed a mutual attraction, unaware Chris was the Gundam Alex test pilot and Bernie was a Zeon operative.
Bernie participated in the Cyclops Team's disguised infiltration of the Federation base to destroy the Gundam. The mission failed when Bernie blew their cover by incorrectly describing Australian seasons during interrogation. A firefight erupted, killing most team members. Bernie escaped with the mortally wounded Steiner, who died shortly after.
Following Rubicon's failure, Zeon Colonel Killing ordered the nuclear destruction of Side 6 to eliminate the Gundam. Learning of this through the spy Charlie, Bernie initially planned to flee to the luxury colony Francheska. While waiting at the spaceport, he spotted a woman resembling Chris, prompting him to reconsider. He chose to stay and destroy the Gundam himself to avert the colony's annihilation. With Al's help, Bernie repaired his damaged Zaku II Kai and set traps for a final confrontation against the Gundam NT-1. Before deploying, he recorded a message for Al to play only if he died. It contained intelligence about the nuclear threat and urged Al not to resent the Federation or the Gundam's pilot, emphasizing soldiers on both sides fought for their beliefs.
On Christmas Day UC 0079, Bernie engaged the Gundam NT-1 in the colony's forest sector. Neither pilot knew the other: Chris defended the colony under orders, while Bernie sought to prevent nuclear strike. Bernie used tactical preparation and environment to damage the Gundam severely, destroying its head unit with a heat hawk. During the fight, Chris impaled the Zaku's cockpit with a beam saber, triggering a reactor detonation that killed him instantly. His remains were unrecognizable. Al witnessed the battle's end but arrived too late. Chris survived injured, unaware she killed Bernie. She later asked Al to convey her farewells, which he honored without revealing the truth.
An alternate continuity novelization depicts Bernie surviving his Zaku's destruction, though non-canonical to the primary narrative. Across video game appearances, his statistics reflect his rookie status, showing higher melee combat ratings than shooting skills—a reference to his heat hawk effectiveness against the Gundam NT-1.