Gustav Zelman

Gustav Zelman is a major member of Cerberus Garde and the main antagonist of Front Mission Alternative.

Biography
A former EC Special Forces operative, he was discharged when he lost both his legs in combat though he did receive prosthetic replacements. From there he joined Cerberus Garde; operating as a negotiator and liaison between the EC, corporations, and unit. He was chosen as the prime director of a plot devised with Schnecke to supply forces of rebellion and disorder throughout the African continent with Wanderwagen and Mobile Weapons by overseeing a factory secretly built inside the Union of North African States that would utilize refugees as workers and Zaftran engineers as managers. He then recruited Dr. Lamboldt and Sinsemilla to assist in the operation. Before the operation was discovered Gustav, Dr. Lamboldt, and Schnecke wanted to acquire a means of developing beam weapon technology and attempted to steal such technology from the OCU Japan based Yagisawa Industries when they tested a beam weapon during the later stages of the war in 2034. This was thwarted and, with the additional defeat of Sinsemilla's attempt to assassinate the African leaders when gathered for a ceasefire negotiation, tipped the International Mobile Assault Company off to the relative position of Zelman's factory and the conspiracy. The IMAC raided his factory where he, with Sinsemilla, attempted to resist using the Mobile Weapon Uragan. Gustav failed and was killed in the process; his plot exposed by the IMAC's efforts.

Legacy
While largely a background character rather than a pilot, the discovery of the Cerberus Garde plot would permanently stain the relationship between African conglomerates and the EC, besides further damaging the EC's world political standing. EC Forces would never be legally allowed to operate within any African territory in any capacity nor trade with the OAC. This was reflected on in Front Mission 4, Front Mission 5: Scars of the War, and is alluded to in Front Mission Evolved where by that time relations became more reconciliatory.