The bionic arm (バイオニック・アーム), also known as wire gun (ワイヤー・ガン),^[1] and wire (ワイヤー),^[2] is the primary equipment from the playable commandos in the Bionic Commando series, a retractable wire hook.

Functions

The bionic arm is mainly used to attach its wire to surfaces in order to climb buildings or move between places by swinging through the air, being useful to move through dangerous environments, or simply as a faster form of transportation.

In some games the bionic arm can also be used as a weapon, the hook being a powerful projectile able to push or smash targets and take objects to use them as shields or weapons. It is able to throw objects much larger than the average human size.

Early appearances

In artworks from the arcade and the English NES versions of Bionic Commando, the bionic arm's wire and hook are on the side of the arm, being separated from Super Joe's and Rad Spencer's hands, being unknown if it is an attachment from their arms (as their English titles suggest) or an equipment. In the Famicom (Japanese NES) version, the bionic arm is only called as wire and is an equipment that is not part of the user's arm, the wire having a handle on the opposite side of the hook.^[2]

In the Game Boy Bionic Commando, Rad's bionic arm is described as being part of a carbon alloy exo-suit that is controlled by small sensors within the exo-suit's gloves.^[3]

Each commando from Bionic Commando: Elite Forces has a Bionic Claw,^[4] a bionic arm with a claw instead of a hook. This version appears to be an artificial arm due to the claw being in front of the arm instead of the side, with no hand in sight.

Bionic Commando Rearmed and sequels

In Bionic Commando Rearmed, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2, and Bionic Commando (2009), Spencer's bionic arm was the first modern bioengineering technology that can be successfully attached to a human host and controlled at will by the host.^[5]

The bionic arm was developed by FSA's military intelligence agency, TASC, at a cost of over half a billion dollars. It is an artificial arm made from a lightweight, durable graphite composite and is powered by a replaceable, micro hydrogen fuel cell. The dual-purpose, replaceable prosthetic arm comes standard with a retractable wire hook that is approximately 20 meters (65 feet) long. There is almost no surface it cannot hook onto. The bionic arm's capabilities greatly increase the strength and mobility of the host, allowing them to far exceed the capabilities of conventional soldiers.

Unlike conventional prosthetic limbs, the bionic arm is not merely a removable appendage. It is fully integrated with the host's nervous system, connected to the spine and brain stem, allowing the host to process and respond to brain signals as they are sent to it. Because moving one's own limbs no longer requires thought or skill, soldiers over time prefer to "enhance" their natural limbs.

After Nathan "Rad" Spencer lost his arm in a grenade explosion, he was assigned to the TASC Research and Development Division, where he became the first test subject for bionic military technology, gaining his bionic arm. Unknown to Spencer, bionic limbs required a catalyst to function properly, the best catalysts being people with a strong connection with the host. FSA abducted his wife, Emily Spencer, to turn her into the catalyst from Spencer's bionics.^[6][7] When TASC spy Joseph "Super Joe" Gibson was captured, Spencer was transferred from the Research and Development Division to TASC's "Bionic Commandos" Special Forces and assigned to rescue him, using his bionic arm with great efficiency and being successful in his mission.

The unexpected success of this new technology, brought about by a sudden experiment, has led to the creation of bionic parts for legs and other parts of the body. Enhanced by these technologies, TASC special forces have become a feared presence on battlefields around the world. Other countries have attempted to develop similar technology, but none have been able to overcome the barrier of creating an input/output system that can process information at the same speed as the human brain.

Spencer's bionic arm was removed when he was court-martialed and sentenced to death, spending five years on death row until Gibson released him and returned his bionic arm to investigate what happened in Ascension City. During his mission, Spencer learned the dark truth behind his bionics.

Other appearances

• As part of his body, the bionic arm appeared in all games Spencer appeared.
• In Namco ✕ Capcom, the wire is used by Sylphie in Wire Action, her evasive move.

References