User blog:Users Afraid/PE Proposal: Asimov from Azure Striker Gunvolt series

You might be asking why i created the blogpost with Azure Striker Gunvolt instead of Gunvolt Chronicles: Luminous Avenger iX, that's because this proposal will be about the character in general in the whole series (he only appeared in two games but still) instead of his Luminous Avenger version, why? i want to make something clear: Luminous Avenger iX is a game from a different timeline from the series, therefore isn't canon (it is, but in different terms), however, it remains ON THE SAME UNIVERSE, that means, same characters with barely any changes at all. I want to make this clear so no one can put the adaptational villainy argument here, this character IS THE SAME in both games, however, in the second he actually has the chance to do evil stuff, reason why i created this proposal. With that clear, lemme start with this:

Alright, 2 weeks already passed since Luminous Avenger iX was released, now i can finally do this proposal. I didn't even made the page for the character, it will be done as soon as i have time, school is beating me up, so please be patient.

What's the Work?
Azure Striker Gunvolt (1, 2 and Luminous Avenger iX) are a series of action-platformer games that follows the story of a futuristic world with persons that have been born with different supernatural powers called Septimas (which goes from control electricity, fire, control metal, AND MANY CRAZY STUFF you can think). Such persons are known in this world as Adepts, and are feared and hated by persons who don't have it. The series follows different conflicts that can be basically be resumed as Humans vs Adepts, there are no good sides on this series, just different individuals that tried to survive in this world full of bloodshed and discrimination, even the villains are sympathetic on this regard. However, there is one, ONLY ONE character that is enough bastard to not feel any sympathy by him and his actions at all, guess who.

Luminous Avenger iX follows the bad ending of the first game (i will explain that later), therefore, the second game didn't exist. On this game, normal humans (who are called Minos) now are the chased and discriminated, being the minority in a world full of Adepts. This game can be resumed as Good vs Bad this time, that is because the villains side is controlled by this bastard.

Who's him?
I will explain the role of Asimov on both games.

On the first game, Asimov is the founder and leader of the Quorum for Unrestricted Information, Law, and Liberty (QUILL), a guerrilla group that fights the Sumeragi foundation, villains of the game, for their egregious treatment to Adept people. His role is basically being an operator on the entire game, but from what we can hear on dramatracks he also works doing regular commander stuff. He is seen as a caring figure who only cares for the equal rights of humans and adepts, and only wants adept people to be treated better.

But by the very, very end of the game, we release about Asimov's true colors, and that he is not better that the foundation he is fighting: he is and extremely xenophobic monster, who despises all non-adepts and makes his main goal to completely eradicate them. He controlled Gunvolt, protagonist of the game and foster child of Asimov, to be his main tool on weakening the Sumeragi Group by killing their leader Nova (that despite of his horrid actions, he had truly good intentions and is a barely sympathetic character) and overthrowing Sumeragi after falling on complete chaos. After Gunvolt killed Nova, Asimov appears and reveals his intentions to him, telling him and Joule (Gunvolt's love interest, and adept that can empowers other Adept's Septimal power) to be their King and Queen, and free the world from all non-adepts. When they OBVIOUSLY refuse, he just disposes them like thrash by shooting them with Copen's gun (that erases all Septimal power) and leaving them for death. Joule dies, but Gunvolt doesn't, the summary is, Gunvolt bashes Asimov's butt to the ground and dies, the end.

Now, despite being the most heinous character on the game, that isn't enought the be considerated Pure Evil. That's were Luminous Avenger iX enters.

As i said, LAiX is on a different timeline, a one situated on the bad ending of the game, the one were Asimov SUCCEEDED on killing both Gunvolt and Joule like pigs.

What does that means? that he succeeded on taking control of the destroyed Sumeragi Group, and turned them into Sumeragi Institute of Human Evolution, i want to make emphasis on the human evolution part, because that means he continued his plan to enhance mankind, by killing all Non-Adepts and turning the world into a completely adept world. Yes, on Luminous Avenger iX normal humans are almost extinct, being mercilessly chased and executed by Sumeragi forces controlled by Asimov (apparently, he also executed all human members of the old Sumeragi Group, as now the soldiers who fight for him are fully Adept-based). At some point of the story, Asimov completely enhanced his Azure Striker septima (oh yeah, i didn't mention he was an adept too), taking a completely purely lightning form. After taking this form, he disguised himself as the Supervisory AI of the Sumeragi Group, and renamed himself to Demerzel, in order to control Sumeragi in the comodity of the shadows. However, thanks to not having a physical body anymore, Asimov is confined to some kind of giant crystal tubes where he can retain the electricity of his body.

His is not fully revealed until the end of the game, until we face him as a now cyborg Copen, the new protagonist (and Gunvolt's rival on the other games). The summary is, Copen fails on finishing him up and gets blasted by Asimov, being on a neard death state. Having thinking he won the battle, Asimov enters on a sleep state in order to self-repair himself after the battle. Kohaku (normal girl that helps Copen) hears Lola's (Copen's AI companion) singing inside the depths Sumeragi's installations, saves Copen, and finishes off a sleeping Asimov by destroying their containing tubes, ending with the monster once and for all.

Heinous Standards
Heinous standards on Gunvolt series is kinda high, with attempted genocide being the average on normal villainy. The thing is, even with that, Asimov ACHIEVES to stand out among the other villains because is the one with truly egregious intentions with nothing good behind it. Let me recapitulate his actions compared to other villains, so you can have an idea...

Nova/Shiden Tsukuyomi-Azure Striker Gunvolt

-Physical torture, experimentation and confinement to Adepts which he can make use. (ex: Lumen was tied up to a chair until his death in order to use his Septima, Elise and Stratos were both kidnapped and stripped from their lifes in order to make use of their Septimal power, ending both insane or with dissociative disorder thanks to extreme experimentation)

-Kidnap to Adepts which he can make use, so he can do the first point.

-Kidnap to Non-Adepts, so he can make them Adepts to do the first point (Septimal power can be made too)

Zonda/Pantera-Azure Striker Gunvolt 2

-Attempted genocide to Non-Adepts

-Mass murder to Non-Adepts

-Torture to Non-Adepts for various reasons (ex: Gibril literally surgically sucked the blood out of Non-adepts to fuel her own Septima, all of this with Zonda's consent and approval)

Asimov/Demerzel-Azure Striker Gunvolt and Luminous Avenger iX 

-Physical torture, experimentation and confinement to Adepts which he can make use.

-Kidnap to Non-Adepts, so he can make them Adepts to do the first point

-ACTUAL genocide to Non-Adepts

In this regard, Asimov is merely similar to Nova about heinous actions, with two important differences: Character traits, and Moral Event Horizon

Character Traits
The big difference on these three villains can be resumed on this:

Nova and Zonda fight to do a better world at their own way, Asimov FIGHTS FOR HIMSELF.

And yeah, despite their horrid actions, Nova and Zonda have ACTUAL INTENTIONS of create a paradise for their actions (Minos and Adepts). Nova tries to use Joule to admnistrate other Adepts Septimas, with this, he tries to asure the peace for his nation. Zonda, on the other hand, is a xenophobic extremist, looking to exterminate all Minos (or non-Adepts, do i really need to use terms at this point?) to create a world for Adepts, who suffer extreme discrimination and segregation from normal humans (that goes to far in this world). Asimov MAY appear like Zonda on this regard, but the difference is that wants to create a world SUITABLE FOR ONLY HIMSELF. His 'i want to help Adepts' personality is a big fake, as he uses Adepts too as tools and weapons in order to fight for him (like Rebellio, an Adept Sumeragi prisoner that was forced to fight on Asimov's fights, otherwise he would be executed). At the end, his ideal of a better world ended up on a wrecked planet and an opressed society were all parts suffer at their own way.

Moral Event Horizon
Asimov crossed the lies several times, like when it's revealed that he ACTUALLY killed Gunvolt and Joule, characters that we have been following in the two games and that make us care so much. Also, at some point of the game it's also revealed that he kidnapped Kohaku's sister, a kind character that helps us in the entire game, in order to turn him on a weapon by artificially implanting her the Azure Striker septima. Asimov not only brainwashed her, but also used her as a human-slayer, forcing her to try to kill her own sister several times.

However, by much far the WORST action not only by him, but the WORST action on all the games is the reveal of what The Butterfly Effect really was. The Butterfly Effect was basically new Sumeragi's Joule, a machine that controls other people Septimas, and that Copen has being trying to find all of his years after Gunvolt's death. When we finally found the dire machine, it is revealed that is Mytyl, Copen's LITTLE SISTER, with his brain being transplanted to a machine were he is forced to do more harm to Adepts. Unlike Kohaku's sister, Mytyl is FULLY aware of what they are doing to her, with every day of his now immortal life being a torture were she is a moveless, voiceless brain trapped forever to a machine, with every day begging to be killed. Basically I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream, but even worse. At the end, Copen is forced to give Mytyl the mercy kill she always wanted after almost 100 years of never-ending torture. Jesus.

Mitigating Factors
Like many Adepts captured by Sumeragi, Asimov was tortured all of his teen years for further experimentation. This does not excuse him for all that he has done, as many other Adepts or non-adepts that have been tortured or hurt by the other faction don't hold a grudge on the others, and even fight to save him (Gunvolt was tortured his whole childhood by non-adepts thanks to his Septima, and even so, fights for the equal rights of both sides). Asimov puts everyone on the same sack, going to far to murder and torture innocents without compassion just because he thinks all are the same. Whereas Asimov was innocent as some point of his life, he is not anymore. After he arose on power after taking control of Sumeragi, his villany goes even further, now being driven by his simply plain evilness instead of his fake sense of justice. As i said before, Asimov tells to people he wants a better world for only Adepts, but even so, he oppresses and uses Adepts as tools for his own purposes. He doesn't want a suitable world for anyone more than himself, with that, he KILLS his own mitigating factors, therefore he has none.

Now, in the second game Copen mentions that Asimov created this madness  because his electronic brain started to malfunction (which has no sense whatsoever, as Asimov is not a cyborg). This phrase can be misunderstood like he is evil because he is mad, but in reality is he is even worse than before. Even with his electronic brain beggining to malfunction, Asimov is not even close to be insane or having moral agency issues, he is still fully aware of his actions and holds his own sense or morality, with the difference that his actions are now not tied up to apathy. Even if his sadism was ocassionated by this, Asimov STILL commited complete genocide on normal humans, and this was before Asimov turned himself on Demerzel.

Conclusion
For me, Asimov was and always will be evil, before and after. What Luminous Avenger iX did was expand his villainy at exorbitant levels, showing things about this character that we were not capable to think before.

But you take the final verdict after all.