I was converting some HISS tanks into Shad Hyenas** by unleashing the Red Shadow assimilator (red can of spray paint). So I got to the point of putting on the details, and tried to work out the logic behind the markings. I'm a bit stumped, maybe a few people care, and of those very few, some fraction might have some ideas.

(**There is a meta issue here- Do the Red Shadows actually have more then one Hyena? Or is this a one of a kind prototype that the Cobra later mass produce?)

Anyway, what do the the large vehicle markings mean? Anyone have any theories? I trolled through the stories I could think of with Shadow vehicles. The Hyena always has the marking (translated of course)
GKH (I assume that last character is an H? right?), as does the toy (although the toy possibly reads xGKH). For example:







Shadowtraks however, sometimes have no markings [1], or are marked GK [2] or are marked KG [3]. This might not be an artist peculiarity as two different shadowtraks have different markings on the same page [4]. The toy is marked GK.

[1] no markings

[2] GK

[3] KG

[4] both GK and KG

Additionally there are ships, and landing craft seen marked G [1] and KG [2], while a battlecruiser is also marked G [3]. Finally, a banner draped at headquarters is marked G [4] also.

[1] G

[2] KG

[3] battlecruiser marked G

[4] headquarters with G flag

So G seems really important, and KG and GK often turn up, while the Hyena is always GKH. Any ideas? There are too few to be vehicle identification numbers, and vehicles sometimes have the same marking side by side. Right now I might guess maybe these are unit or division insignia. Anyone know what G stands for or the logic of these other markings?

Probably I shall just go get my coat then.

(well it was this or grade papers)

Hmmm.... I always felt the Shadow code looked Russian in origin. Can someone please tell me what KGB stands for? The G may well be Ground, K Kontrol maybe? B for Blood or Baron.



Glad you like the site! Hey, what does HISS actually stand for, and come to that, what's a PACRAT after the acronym?

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Alas, being temporarily robbed of my superpowers, I shall have to rely upon mere human ingenuity.

Thanks, man, but I mean what IS a pacrat? I know what a hiss is, I know what a claw is, but what the hell's a pacrat? Or a mobat come to that? Not really an acronym at all!

I don't which is the more alarming, the fact that Automuton seems to have even more time on his hands than I do, or the way Clemens knows the answers to absolutely everything...

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Alas, being temporarily robbed of my superpowers, I shall have to rely upon mere human ingenuity.

See? He knows everything! Okay, what's RAM stand for?

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Alas, being temporarily robbed of my superpowers, I shall have to rely upon mere human ingenuity.

MOBAT = Motorised Battle Tank. Really strange name for a vehicle when you think about it, cos it seems strange to mention "Oh this tank is motorised", like what else is it gonna be? Pulled by mules? Powered by Hamster wheels? Still the Americans like to call them Mobats. We call them the Z Force Battle Tank.

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There are really only two possibilities: Either there is life in the universe more intelligent than us, or we are the most intelligent form of life in the universe. Either way, it's a pretty worrying thought!