Rebuttal to Max Murphy’s The JENOVA Reunion

by By Logan Rebholz (OmegaZEROCustom)

Original Editorial: The JENOVA Reunion

After reading Max Murphy’s The JENOVA Reunion, I couldn’t help but write up a response about some things flawed in Max’s approach to the subject of JENOVA. I did, however, find the section about SOLDIER quite interesting, and it only served to help my theory. As Max stated at the end of his piece, these are only his interpretations, but as some of them are based on facts stated in the game, I feel they should be pointed out.

First, the facts about JENOVA’s arrival on the Planet are somewhat off. JENOVA landed and created the North Crater; that much is certain. As is the fact that JENOVA did not intend to destroy the Planet. What was incorrectly stated is that the WEAPONS were used to seal JENOVA away. The WEAPONS were created by the Planet to deal with the threat of JENOVA, who wasn’t really a threat to the Planet in the first place. She just made a hard landing and damaged the Planet. The Planet didn’t see it that way. But before the WEAPONS were complete, the last remaining Cetra sealed JENOVA away in the geological stratum where she would be later found. The WEAPONS were then completed anyway, but sealed away by the Planet as protection in case JENOVA were to return. This is stated in the video interviews conducted by Professor Gast, who asks Ifalna, Aeris’ mother, about the Cetra, JENOVA, and the WEAPONS. She explains most of this to him in the tapes that are found in the empty house at Icicle Inn.

Fast-forward 2000 years. The Shinra dug up JENOVA and begin experiments on her. But, since the Shinra now hold her, the Planet does not activate the WEAPONS because she isn’t a real threat. The Sephiroth experiments begin, as do the SOLDIER experiments. This only serves to keep the WEAPONS deactivated, since JENOVA is being spread out more and more with each injection or treatment of the SOLDIER personnel.

Next, when Sephiroth proceeds to learn about the JENOVA project in Nibelheim, he doesn’t necessarily go to JENOVA because he is drawn to her for the Reunion. He does it because he wants to go to see his mother. While JENOVA is not his mother, the reports do not clearly explain that Lucrecia is his biological mother. Sephiroth is then later "killed" at which point he drifts through the Lifestream to the North Crater. The Reunion is then "started" to some extent.

Fast-forward again to the start of the game. Sephiroth has now been "dead" for 5 years. When he returns and steals the portions of JENOVA that Shinra still have, this could be a mental projection of Sephiroth created by the real Sephiroth in the North Crater, or the real Sephiroth, being controlled by JENOVA. Sephiroth could have entered that crystal shortly before the party arrives. No one really knows.

At this point, Meteor is summoned and the WEAPONS are activated. At this point, I’d now like to shift the focus to what happens AFTER the scene with the Black Materia at the North Crater. What follows is pure speculation, but is one possible reason that the WEAPONS are finally activated.

The WEAPONS were created to protect the Planet from the threat of JENOVA. If JENOVA was seen as a great threat, then Meteor must have been seen that way too. The WEAPONS activate to protect the Planet from this new threat. Unfortunately, the WEAPONS are powerless because Meteor is obviously unreachable. At this point, most of the WEAPONS "go dormant" and wait for Meteor.

The WEAPON that attacks Junon, simply known as WEAPON, and Diamond WEAPON have different missions. They attack that which could limit the Planet’s ability to protect itself: The two Mako Reactors at Midgar and Junon, which are fed by the lifeblood of the Planet. We later see the Lifestream protect the Planet at the end of the game. So these two WEAPONS attack the reactors to give the Planet a better chance. Before they succeed, they are both destroyed in similar fashions.

The Ruby and Emerald WEAPONS seem to help support the theory of the WEAPONS waiting for Meteor. If the WEAPONS were released to cause destruction, they wouldn’t just cruise around the sea or wait under the desert. It seems that they "attack" you for the same reason that the Diamond WEAPON attacks you. You got in their way. They don’t want anything to interfere before Meteor arrives, so they "attack" in self-defense.

Last, Ultimate WEAPON and the way it goes wild. It seems to be doing this for reasons similar to the Ruby and Emerald WEAPONS. It may have mistaken the people of Mideel for enemies. In all honesty, this is the weakest part of this theory, so there isn’t much more to it.

In the end, due to the planned demise of all the WEAPON units, we never could see an outcome with them attacking Meteor as it strikes. With Ruby and Emerald as bonus bosses, Diamond and WEAPON being eliminated as part of the story, and Ultimate being defeated to gain Cloud’s final weapon, a WEAPON attacking Meteor is not an option. Had an extra WEAPON been added as neither a boss or an element to drive the story, one scenario could be this WEAPON attacking Meteor up until the Lifestream comes in. As it floods to Midgar, this WEAPON could be absorbed into the Lifestream as yet another bit of strength.

Again, this is all speculation and seeing as the Ruby and Emerald WEAPONS were added to the American version, this wasn’t the intention of the creators of Final Fantasy VII.

Max has some great concepts and theories, but they needed to be backed up with as much fact as the game presented. I hope this serves to help support Max’s interesting ideas, as well as help do what Max set out to do and get you to think of the game and your interpretation. I know he made me think deeper into it.