Unlike other Evangelions, Unit 04 did not make any appearances in the anime, but rather in secondary sources. However, like Unit 03, Unit 04 was also constructed in America and therefore shares an identical design, save for its silver colour scheme.
While classified as a Production Model, Unit 04 also served as a testbed for NERV's own experimental S2 engine, in an attempt to overcome the Evangelions' major weakness: its reliance on external power to operate, along with its very limited internal battery run-time.
Unfortunately, testing proved to be a disaster. Upon activation of Unit 04 and its S2 engine, the entire Nevada facility, along with Unit 04 were wiped out by a massive explosion.
With the destruction of Evangelion Unit 04 and the experimental S2 engine, along with an entire Nerv facility, it would seem that further research in to new power sources for Evangelions was halted for a time. At the very least, it led to Unit 03 being quickly sent to Japan for final activation testing.
Rebuild of Evangelion
Like the TV series, Unit 04 itself does not make an appearance in the films. However, it has made apperances in secondary materials, such as figures and model kits, pachinko games and a special 3D presentation. However, there have been at least two different interpretations of Unit 04 for the Rebuild series.
In one form, Unit 04 seems to bear a very close resemblance to its TV series counterpart, in that its design was almost identical to Unit 03 with the exception for its color scheme. This version of Unit 04, has been seen equipped with a unique transparent shield and the Spear of Longinus.
However, in the 3D presentation of Unit 04, it is not classified as a Production Model. It is instead classified as a "Next Gen Testbed," due to its purpose being the testing of a new experimental engine that would have given the Evangelion an extended, if not unlimited, operational time without need for external power.
What is even more interesting is this particular iteration's weapon loadout. It is equipped with a pair of Rapid Borers that are locked on to the forearms, but will then swing forward and lock in to the Evangelion's hands, effectively becoming boxing gloves. Even more interesting is the Rapid Borers being used in conjuction with a "beast mode," similar to Unit 02, but the Rapid Borers will unfold and become a pair of bat-like wings for Unit 04, apparently utilising an AT Field for flight.
However, these two iterations are more "what-if" scenarios for Evangelion Unit 04. Canonically, the films' iteration of Unit 04 shares the same fate as its TV show counterpart.
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