Schwarzwald, born Michael Seebach, is the rival of Roger Smith and the dominus of Big Duo. A former reporter for the Paradigm Press, Schwarzwald now works to expose "the truth" behind Paradigm City and the events of 40 years ago.
Biography[]
Schwarzwald first appears in "Underground Terror". His real name is Michael Seebach, a reporter for Paradigm Press. As a reporter, Seebach was obsessed with bringing the truth to the people of Paradigm City, but became frustrated as the Paradigm Corporation continually censored his work. Eventually his search for the truth would become an obsession, and Seebach began living a double life. In time he became even more obsessed with his work and he cut himself off from human contact, including his wife and children. But Seebach's obsession also resulted with an attempt on his life by Paradigm which disfigured his face.
Seebach eventually decided to journey into the underground of Paradigm City, where he encounters a Megadeus Archetype, with him fleeing after Big O's fight with the Archetype. He apparently was burned to death during this fight, reported by Roger Smith. It is later corrected by Alex Rosewater that he survived that incident.
He reappears in "Enemy Is Another Big!", as the pilot of Big Duo. Before Big Duo's appearance, Roger Smith is requested by Alex to negotiate with him, as he refused to take his severance pay from Paradigm Press. Schwarzwald takes a mummy wrapped Megadeus and refuses to reason with Roger, entering it and begins a brief fight with Big O. Blasted by multiple missiles, the mummy falls to the ground with its bandages burnt off, revealing its true self, Big Duo. Big Duo deploys a smoke screen and vanishes, with Schwarzwald declaring he is saving the ultimate attack for the main stage.
Roger is later informed by Angel that he would be at a masquerade party. Suspicious of why Angel knows about Michael Seebach as Schwarzwald, he attends the party. It is revealed that Schwarzwald arranged the party for Roger to see the corruption of Paradigm city. When presented with the cheque that offers an astronomical sum of cash for his severance pay, he ridicules Alex and burns the cheque with a lighter installed on his finger. After revealing the plan of making the people learn the truth and experience what happened 40 years ago with Big Duo, the masks in the party incinerate and causing most participants to catch fire, Roger is unaffected since he does not put on the mask and throw it away as it catches fire. Schwarzwald then jumps off the building, throwing his mask away while calling Big Duo to come, which the latter flies into the dome from above and he pilots it.
Big Duo outmaneuvers Big O with flight and lands several blows, with Schwarzwald calling Roger's retaliations futile. He confidently launches 2 megaton missiles at the position of Big O, only to find Big O hoisted itself above the ground with its anchor. Big Duo, on the ground to survey the destruction, fails to start up the propeller in time, letting Big O drop onto it and Roger is able to destroy the head. Before Schwarzwald is secured by Big O, Big Duo reactivates itself and stands up, he manages to jump off the megadeus in time, witnessing the erratic sentience of Big Duo and remarking it as the same event happening 40 years ago. He wonders if the Megadeus do not need a master or if they choose their master, and asks whether Dominus controls Megadeus or the opposite, before he vanishes.
In "Leviathan", thousands of copies of Schwarzwald's writings, a prophecy foretelling the coming of the Leviathan, blanket the city. By episode's end, it is revealed by Angel that Schwarzwald has been dead for a long time. Schwarzwald appears to Big Duo's new pilot, Alan Gabriel, in "The Big Fight".
The apparition declares Gabriel not worthy of piloting it and, subsequently, the megadeus kills him. Schwarzwald's final act is a letter delivered to Roger Smith. The contents of the letter are unknown, but may be the monologue on the nature of "truth" delivered by Schwartzwald in voice over. Roger Smith wondered "if [Schwarzwald] was still wandering the city relentlessly in search of his own personal truth, even after his body had perished."
Appearance[]
The real face of Schwarzwald is not revealed. He can jump off a building 12 stories off the ground and suffer no injuries. He has a lighter on his finger covered by his gloves. He survives multiple third degree burns with no sign of disabilities, so it is probable his body is not human.
Manga[]
In the manga, his appearance before the accident is revealed. He seemed to be a middle age man with a short beard, dressed in a trench coat and hat. It also reveals the origin to his alias, as it was part of a poem his mother taught him when he was a child.
Trivia[]
- The name "Schwarzwald" is German for "black forest".
- He was implied to be a ghost the entire time on-screen, as Angel says in "Leviathan" that he died before "Enemy Is Another Big!".
- The leaflets artwork from "Leviathan" are based upon William Blakes' engraving from his "Illustrations of The Book of Job", Plate 15 "Behemoth and Leviathan".
- He would normally fall under the label of conspiracy theorist. However, he is later proven right that there are secrets.
- His final revelation about the truth is cut off by Big Duo Inferno's destruction.
Gallery[]
