Cherno Alpha (Черный Альфа Cherniy Alfa) is a Mark-1 Russian Jaeger. Piloted by husband and wife duo Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky, Cherno Alpha was the last of the Mark-1 Jaeger series and the oldest Jaeger still active in combat before its destruction in 2025.
History
Early Combat History
Launched in 2015, Cherno Alpha is tasked to defend the coastline of Russia and the Siberian perimeter of the Anti-Kaiju Wall. Under the Jaeger’s watch, the Siberian Wall goes unbreached for six years.[5] During that time, Cherno Alpha responds to over six Kaiju attacks in six different locations on the Pacific Rim.[6]
By 2025, Cherno Alpha is one of the four surviving Jaegers left in the war. Upon the closure of the program by the United Nations, the Jaeger and its pilots are relocated to the last active Shatterdome in Hong Kong, China.[5]
Hong Kong Incident
Cherno Alpha was to defend Striker Eureka alongside Gipsy Danger and Crimson Typhoon on the assault against the breach during Operation Pitfall, but is deployed with Crimson Typhoon in Victoria Harbour when the Double Event occurs. Marshal Stacker Pentecost orders Striker not to engage as he wanted the Jaeger to remain undamaged so it could carry the bomb. Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon are left to engage Otachi and the other Category IV Kaiju, Leatherback, in combat.[5]
As Striker Eureka remains a fair distance away from the battle, the Jaegers hold their own in a two against one advantage against Otachi. The Kaiju begins its assault against Crimson Typhoon, who, after a brief brawl, hurls it toward Cherno who catches her in a headlock and proceeds to pummel her face using its Telsa Fists. Otachi manages to break free by using her tail to knock Cherno Alpha off its feet.[5]
As Crimson Typhoon moves to assist Cherno Alpha, the Wei Tang Brothers are caught off guard by Otachi's tail pincer. The Kaiju crushes Crimson Typhoon's Conn-Pod and tears it from its neck, causing the leaderless Jaeger to collapse into the harbor. Striker Eureka's pilots, unable to sit back any longer and watch their comrades die, disobey orders and rush to Cherno Alpha's aid.[5]
Otachi changes tactics as Cherno taunts her by slamming its fists together. As Cherno Alpha moves to re-engage the Kaiju, Otachi spits a stream of corrosive acid at its reactor. The acid melts through the Jaeger's armor, compromising the Conn-Pod and damaging the reactor and fuel reserves.[5]
Cherno Alpha is ambushed from behind.
Before Striker Eureka can reach Cherno Alpha, the Russian Jaeger is ambushed from behind by Leatherback. Leatherback leaps onto Cherno's back as Otachi tears at its right hand, leaving Cherno all but defenseless.
When Otachi moves to intercept Striker Eureka, Leatherback smashes Cherno's reactor and uses its weight to drag the Jaeger down into the harbor. The Jaeger's Conn-Pod is flooded with water, however, Leatherback crushes it in an underwater explosion before the Kaidonovskys even have time to drown.[5]
Features
Cherno is one of the heaviest, oldest, and best-armored Jaegers, as well as one of the slowest. It ties with Coyote Tango for the tallest height on a Mark-1 Jaeger. Visually, Cherno Alpha was designed and patterned to resemble "Russian military painting schemes", and in particular, Russian tanks.[3] Cherno Alpha is built to endure long tours of duty and sustain as much damage from Kaiju attacks as it is able to return in kind.[3] Oppositely, its heavy armor makes it one of the slowest Jaegers of any Mark series and vulnerable to attack from quicker enemies. Cherno Alpha's heavily armored arms are equipped with a weapon codenamed "Roll of Nickels"; cylinders that Cherno Alpha can grip and increase the power of its punches. When using "Roll of Nickels", the environment is said to shake from each blow it lands against a Kaiju.[3]
Cherno's Tesla fists.
Its arms also appear to be spring loaded, although can be supplemented by hydraulics for increased impact potential. Similarly, Cherno Alpha's Z14 Fists are powered by Tesla cells, allowing for a formation of simultaneous electric arc impulse, with force up to 415kv into a Kaiju, usually to the effect of smashing both fists to induce maximum current at the sides of a Kaiju's head, usually stunning or incapacitating most targets.
Before battle, Cherno Alpha taunts its enemies by smashing its fists together multiple times. Whenever this happens, interconnected panels on the Jaeger's torso fluctuate. Cherno Alpha's Conn-Pod, also known as the Atmoscan, is located at the heart of the Jaeger; making it one of the most secure cockpit environments built for a Jaeger. However, it lacks an escape mechanism; Russian Rangers fight to win against the Kaiju or die trying.[3] Cherno's foot spikes provide additional support and balance for the Jaeger. Cherno Alpha's MGS112 Recharging Energy Cell, a nuclear reactor, holds unprecedented energy reserves and incendiary fuel, while acting as a strong decoy for a Kaiju seeking the Jaeger's head.[7]
Kaiju Killed
- The following is a roster of named Kaiju defeated by Cherno Alpha, assisted or on its own.
| Kaiju | Date | Location | Jaeger Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raythe | 11/6/2018 | Okhotsk Sea | Solo |
| Atticon | 11/10/2020 | Seoul, South Korea | Solo |
| KM-24 | 4/7/2024 | Kamchatka Peninsula | Solo |
| Taranais | 9/14/2024 | Queen Charlotte Sound | Solo |
Trivia
- Cherno Alpha's nuclear reactor is modeled after the Mr. Fusion Energy Reactor attached to Doc Brown's DeLorean in Back to the Future.[3]
- Stacker Pentecost describes Cherno Alpha as "the last of the T-90's"[5], a term which has yet to be defined in the Pacific Rim universe. According to Guillermo del Toro, T-90 Jaegers don't exist but wanted to give Cherno Alpha the sense that it evolved from the Russians "wanting a tank" and needing to power it with a nuclear plant.[3] Out of universe, the T-90 is a third generation Russian main battle tank.
- NECA's Pacific Rim Series Three includes a Cherno Alpha Action Figure, released around February 2014.[8]
- Cherno Alpha is one of the three named Jaegers that defended the Anti-Kaiju Wall.
- In Russian dub, its name is "Cherniy Alfa" (Black Alpha). "Cherno" is the short form of the adjective and doesn't agree with a noun in that case. "Черно" is pronounced as "chyerno". For "cherniy" to be accurate as a transliteration, it would have to be spelled "Черный", which is Russian for "black."[9]
- "Cherno Alpha" is a reference to the Slavic demon Chernobog. Concept art of the Jaeger's leg joints reveal Cherno Alpha was originally named "Chernabog Alpha".[10]
- Cherno Alpha beats fellow Mark-1 Jaeger, Romeo Blue, in every category according to its stat card. Having a speed of 3 to Romeo Blue's 2, and a Strength and Armor of 10 to Romeo's Strength of 7 and Armor of 6.
- Guillermo del Toro states that Cherno Alpha was inspired by the MS-06 Zaku II from the classic anime series Mobile Suit Gundam.[11]
- According to the novelization, the Kaidonovsky's listen to Ukrainian Hard House inside Cherno's Conn-Pod.[12]
- The novelization mentions that Cherno Alpha was considered as an alternative to Striker Eureka to carry the bomb in Operation Pitfall, due to having slightly superior armor.[citation needed]
- NECA's tagline for Cherno Alpha is "Hammer Slammer"[13] and may be a reference to Hammer's Slammers.
Gallery
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An image gallery is available for Cherno Alpha (Jaeger)
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 @travisbeacham
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Cherno Alpha Poster
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Info taken from: Pacific Rim: Man, Machines & Monsters, pages 74-73
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Cherno Alpha Blueprints
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 Pacific Rim
- ↑ Combat Dossier: Cherno Alpha
- ↑ Pan Pacific Defense Corps: Shatterdome
- ↑ NECA confirms Cherno Alpha
- ↑ Error Talk:Cherno Apha - Translation Error
- ↑ Cherno Alpha Joint concept art
- ↑ Guillermo, Rinko, Mana on Odaiba Tour (Pacific Rim)
- ↑ Pacific Rim: The Official Movie Novelization, page 213
- ↑ NECA: Cherno Alpha tagline
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