Baby Head, known as Hoover (フーバー Fūbā) in Japan and going by the codename Baby Commando on the character select screen, is a character from the beat 'em up game Captain Commando.
Story[]
Baby Head is a 2-years old super genius baby and member of the Commando Team, who fights using a robot of his own design known as Silverfist. Originally a scientist and the teacher to Commando's father Dr. Alexander, he was part of the group involved in researching Mack's technology in total secrecy, taking great effort in hiding its presence from Scumocide[1]. Eventually, however, Scumocide found out and killed the entire scientist group. Through unexplained circumstances, however, he managed to survive by reincarnating himself into his granddaughter's son[1], becoming the super genius baby he is now. In order to put an end to Scumocide and his Super Criminals, Baby Head joins Captain Commando.[2]
As a super genius, Baby-Head presents himself as logical and analytical. He is quick to provide information when needed, and has a knack for explaining things in a highly formal manner, betraying his current apperance and often catching others by surprise.
Powers and Abilities[]
Equipment[]
Baby Head is equipped for battle with the following:
- Silverfist (シルバーフィスト Shirubāfisuto): The Silverfist Vehicle is Baby Head's robot and main method of fighting. It possess 12,000 horsepower, weights 582 kilograms (1280.4 pounds), and has mounted fuzzy-logic control. His friends call it the "Baby Carriage".
- Stable Cradle (フーバークライドル Fūbā Kuraidoru): Known as the "Hoover Cradle" in Japan. This cradle keeps the robot from rocking, no matter how far it's tilted.
- Missile Launcher (ミサイル発射口 Misairu Hassha-kuchi): A missile production facility built inside Silverfist's legs, providing ammunitions for Baby Head's attacks. Missiles are constantly manufactured within the robot.
- Jet Hover (ジェットホバー Jetto Hobā): Located on Silverfist's foot, it is used for high-speed position shifting.
- Talking Machine (おしゃぶり型 通話器 Oshaburi-gata tsūwaki): Known as the Pacifier-type Handset in Japan. Resembling a baby pacifier, it allows Baby Head to speak over the 3 million languages in the cosmos.
Fighting Techniques[]
Baby Head's fighting vehicle Silverfist is not only powerful but fairly agile, allowing him to fight alongside the other members of the team. His Special Move is his Knee Rocket (ニークラッシュ・ミサイル Nī Kurasshu Misairu, lit. Knee Crush Missile), a sure-killing technique that launches a missile from the robot's knee. His dash attacks are Rolling Punch (ローリングパンチ Rōringu Panchi) and Elbow Smash (エルボードロップ Erubō Doroppu, lit. Elbow Drop). Rolling Punch is a strong punch that spins like a drill. Elbow Smash crushes the enemy under an elbow blow coming off a jump. He can grab his enemies and do either a knee kick, a Pile Driver or a "Fling-Away".
In the Marvel vs. Capcom series, he can be summoned by Captain Commando to attack, by launching himself with a missile from the robot's torso, falling back in the robot after hitting the enemy; and he combines with the other members of the team to perform Captain Commando's Hyper Combos "Captain Sword" and "Captain Storm". In Namco x Capcom, he can use the Rolling Punch, Elbow Smash and the Pile Driver as normal attacks, the Knee Rocket as a special attack, and the Hoover Missile (フーバーミサイル Fūbā Misairu) as a counter attack. When teamed up with Tron Bonne, he can use the Double Rolling Punch (ダブルローリングパンチ Daburu Rōringu Panchi), where he and Tron throws two enemies up with the Knee Rocket and Bonne Bazooka, and hit them at the same time with a Rolling Punch during their fall. He also appears with the rest of the team (and Guy) for Commando's Captain Sword and Captain Storm Multiple Assaults.
Manga appearance[]
In the Captain Commando manga, Hoover is given the full name Hoover J. Estefan[3]. Since "Baby Head" doesn't work as an actual name, UDON decided for its English localization to keep it as a codename and use his Japanese name Hoover as his real name. Instead of his teacher, Hoover was a researcher and childhood friend of Alexander, both working to fulfill their dreams of helping humanity in their field of expertise. Hoover specialized in the research of artificial life and was involved on a project codenamed "Try Hanyiel", working together with Dr. T.W. They created a little girl with special abilities codenamed T-91 (which he preferred to call "Tina"). While Hoover wanted her to have a normal life despite her unnatural birth, Dr. T.W. berated him for wanting her to have useless emotions, since a "living weapon" (as he called her) has no need for such concepts, much to Hoover's constant irritation.
Some time later Dr. T.W. betrayed Hoover and kidnapped Tina, confronting him in the burning laboratory and leaving him to die there with a fatal gunshot. With little time left, Hoover transferred his consciousness into another artificial experimental body, that of a little baby.
He spend some time in an incubator tank unable to do anything until Captain Commando, after taking over as CEO of the company, found him during a check-up visit on the ruined laboratory. Ever since then he has helped the Captain in his super-hero antics by developing technology for him and offering advice. In the last half of the story he meets again with Tina after she escaped Dr. T.W. and renewed his vow to protect her, although he's unable to stop Blood from recapturing her.
Other appearances[]
- Baby Head appears as part of Captain Commando's movelist in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes and Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes, performing an assist attack in Commando's "Commando Strike" move and joining the full team for his Hyper Combos. He also appears in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 in the image for the Captain Commando support card in the Heroes and Heralds mode.
- Baby Head appears as a playable pair unit in Namco X Capcom, fighting alongside Mack the Knife.
- Baby Head is one of the many Capcom characters presenting quizzes in Adventure Quiz: Capcom World 2.
- Baby Head appears as a card in all three games in the SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters series.
- Baby Head makes a cameo appearance in PTX-40A's ending from Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.
- Baby Head was one of the playable characters in the cancelled Capcom Super League Online.
Gallery[]
Baby Head walking.
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Staff (1996). "Capcom Gamest Mook Vol. 17: Capcom Illustrations". Shinseisha. Pg. 95
- ↑ Capcom Staff (Autumn 1993). Club Capcom (#1). "Game investigation Squad: Captain Commando", pg. 62.
- ↑ The name appears in a computer screen in English in all versions of the manga, so it lacks official writing in kana.