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The Third Moon (ザ・サードムーン) is a recurring setting in the series, serving as Grandmaster Meio's artificial satellite base and the final stage in the original Strider Arcade game and its two sequels.

Models[]

Strider[]

Str third moon sketch

The Third Moon sketch

The Third Moon is a giant space station that serves as Grandmaster Meio's main base and the center of power for his dictatorship[1]. Built with the most advanced technology and resources found on Earth, it's an almost impregnable fortress high above the sky.

Grandmaster Meio watches over the Earth from this giant station, while conducting experiments to satiate his ambitions, such as sending the dinosaurs he created (and later Lago) into the Amazon to turn a tribe of Amazoness into devote followers. With the creation and installation of an Anti-Gravity Device, however, Meio devised the diabolical "The Third Moon Plan": by moving the station out of orbit in a way it'd erradiate all life on Earth, it'd be free for him to repopulate with his own lifeforms.[2]

Hiryu invades and destroys the Third Moon during the last step in his mission to assassinate Grandmaster Meio, shortly after discovering about the "Third Moon Plan".[3]

Strider 2[]

St2 thirdmoon

Modern Third Moon

A new, modern take of the original Third Moon, serving as the main enemy headquarters[4]. Grandmaster Meio appears to spent all his time within the station, conducting experiments. Its most notable addition is the "New Life Development Section", a massive laboratory where Meio conducts genetic research on his human lifeforms, which are seen in tubes lining up the walls of the whole section. These turn out to be most of the human enemies Hiryu has faced thus far.

Unlike the original, this time the Third Moon is not as important or pivotal in Meio's schemes, particularly following the creation of Caduceus, the "path to the stars"[5] with which he planned to leave Earth and travel the galaxy in search of another planet to experiment again, but not before destroying Earth.

Infiltrating through the Third Moon's spaceport, Hiryu damages the station from the inside, including destroying its Gravity Core. During the final battle, the Third Moon sustains enough damage to finally explode violently.

Strider (2014)[]

The Third Moon Base is a mysterious space station that appeared orbiting Earth at the same time the Grandmaster made his appearance. The station serves as his true residence and is pivotal in Meio's plan to kill off all living beings on Earth, planning to use its giant Gravitron to influence Earth's atmosphere and produce several cataclysmic events on its surface.[6].

Although described as a space station large enough to be visible from the planet's surface[6], there are only several large pieces of scrap metal and a set of Gravitrons floating in orbit when Hiryu arrives at its location. In either case, the area serves as the final battleground where Hiryu fights Meio's true form, Meio Prime.

Other Appearances[]

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes
In Hiryu's home stage, "Neo St. Petersburg", the silhouette of the Third Moon can be seen standing in front of the actual moon in the upper part of the stage (requires a Super Jump to see). This image is possibly inspired by the early artwork piece showing Hiryu looking at the station on the distance, in front of the moon.

Nxc thirdmoon intro

The Third Moon as seen in the intro

Namco × Capcom

The Third Moon appears between Chapter 20 and 22 in the crossover game Namco × Capcom. Several characters are transported through time and space into the Third Moon, just as Hiryu infiltrates it to carry out Meio's assassination. Split in groups, the playable characters face off against Tong Pooh and Shtrom in an Anti-Gravity Corridor (反重力通路) in Chapter 20, Druk and MegaMan Juno in the Entrance (エントランス) in Chapter 21 and Hien in the Unified Earth Control Section (地球包括管制セクション) in Chapter 22. Near the end of the chapter, Solo appears and reveals that Meio has decided to set the Third Moon into self-destruct in an attempt to kill everyone inside it. The group, joined by Hiryu, finally escape the exploding station aboard Roll Caskett's Flutter.

The Third Moon is also briefly seen (and destroyed) during the game's animated intro.

MvCI knowmoon artwork

Knowmoon artwork

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite

In the crossover game Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite the Third Moon, due to the actions of Ultron Sigma, merges with the Marvel location Knowhere to become Knowmoon. The outside appearance of the station is based on its Strider 2 design (a half-circle with a round top), while internally it takes elements from both its 2014 game's version and Meio's Tower. In-game, there are two stages set inside Knowmoon: the first located in one of several walkways and the other right in front of the station's Gravitron Core.

During Story Mode, Knowmoon is infiltrated by Hiryu, Gamora, Nova, Captain Marvel, Rocket Raccoon and X. Hiryu and Gamora teleport inside and create a diversion while the others try to reach the station's core and retrieve the Power Stone. On their way, X and Rocket Raccoon stay behind to face Zero, now an enforcer under Grandmaster Meio's control, while Marvel and Nova reach the Gravitron Core and are confronted by Meio himself and an army of Ultron Drones. Shortly afterwards, Hiryu and Gamora arrive and eliminate Meio after a short exchange. The group then retrieves the Power Stone, but are unable to stop its core (turned into a biological weapon able to spread the Sigma Virus worldwide) from ejecting on a collision course towards Earth.

References[]

  1. Sega (September 1990, Mega Drive). Strider Hiryû (Japanese). Instruction manual, Pg. 4
  2. Capcom (October 2006, PlayStation). Gamebook: Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Pg. 42. ISBN 4-86233-076-2.
  3. Capcom (October 2006, PlayStation). Gamebook: Strider Hiryu (Japanese). Pg. 36. ISBN 4-86233-076-2.
  4. Capcom (December 1999, Arcade). Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Stage 5 Briefing
  5. Capcom (December 1999, Arcade). Strider Hiryu 2 (Japanese). Stage 5 Epilogue
  6. 6.0 6.1 Capcom (February 2014, multi). Strider (English). Story Intel #11: Third Moon Base
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