The Black Gears (in Japanese: 黒い歯車 Kuroi Haguruma) are flying, mechanical dark gears of varying size with DigiCode symbols inscribed on them that are the villainous tools in Digimon Adventure 01. Those mind control devices are used by the sinister Champion Level Digimon Devimon to create his own minions in his war against the DigiDestined by twisting good Digimon as other Digimon (evil or neutral) into evil as well as often sending them into an angry, berserker rage.
The Black Gears are evil devices used by Devimon to control good Digimon and turn them evil. Although Devimon himself did not invented the Black Gears, but he can summon them and transform other Digimon into them. The Black Gears are built into the very structure of the File Island so that the island and its pieces of land can be split or united by operating them, and reformatting the geography of the island itself. The Black Gears can also be used to cause innocent Digimon to become insanely hostile, or further empower evil Digimon. Interestingly, the Black Gears themselves are stored within the interiors of the Infinity Mountain whose peak is the site of Devimon's Castle.
However, the Digimon under their influence can be set free by destroying the gear or by the light of a DigiDestined's Digivice which, expels evil, can expel Black Gears from one of their victims, thus returning those infected Digimon to their normal personality, and completely destroying these gears.
After Angemon destroys a giant Devimon empowered by all remaining Black Gears from all over the File Island during the DigiDestined's ultimate battle with him at the Infinity Mountain, all the Black Gears are forever destroyed and the entire File Island returned to it's normal with it's lands restored and united together.
These devices are only featured in Digimon Adventure, but the theme is revisited in Digimon Adventure 02 via Dark Rings, Dark Spirals, and Dark Spores as well as the Black Digi-Core in Digimon Next.
Instances of Use
Meramon is the first known Digimon to be controlled by a Black Gear at Mount Mihirashi near the Yokomon Village. It is destroyed when Biyomon first digivolves to Birdramon and fights him ("Biyomon Gets Firepower").
When the DigiDestined activate the machinery at Factorial Town, a Black Gear slips into Andromon's exposed leg and controls him. It is destroyed by Kabuterimon's Electro Shocker in his debut appearance ("Kabuterimon's Electro Shocker").
The Black Gear in Monzaemon causes him to turn the tables against kids by making the kids in Toy Town act as the toys for toys. Togemon takes care of it when she first appears ("Togemon in Toy Town").
On their trek up Infinity Mountain, Joe Kido and Gomamon are attacked by an Unimon controlled with a Black Gear. Joe attempts to remove it himself, but Gomamon saves the day as Ikkakumon ("Ikkakumon's Harpoon Torpedo").
Both Frigimon, who is rescued by Agumon, and Mojyamon, fought by Frigimon, Greymon, and Garurumon, are controlled by Black Gears on the Freezeland portions of the broken File Island ("Subzero Ice Punch").
When Devimon breaks apart File Island to separate the DigiDestined, the children are able to piece the island back together by damaging the Black Gears within it ("Subzero Ice Punch").
Centarumon is under the influence of a Black Gear in the Great Canyon, and it takes both Togemon and Kabuterimon to free him ("A Clue From The Digi-Past").
Leomon is infected by Devimon with the Touch of Evil, and he is later powered by Black Gears which turn him into a larger, darkened version of himself. By using the light of their Digivices, Taichi "Tai" Kamiya and Yamato "Matt" Ishida manage to return Leomon to normal by driving out the Black Gears ("The Legend of the Digidestined").
By drawing a large amount of Black Gears into his body, Devimon grows to a massive size and strength, defeating most of the DigiDestined's Digimon in the resulting battle. It takes Angemon absorbing the light from the Digivices as well as sacrificing himself in order to defeat him.
Though Devimon by this point has been destroyed, Black Gears continue to live on in Digimon that were already under their influence. Whamon and Drimogemon are both under the influence of the Gears, but are both freed by the DigiDestined. Drimogemon is of particular interest as Devimon used him to guard the DigiDestined's Tags, possibly preparing for the event of his death ("Departure for a New Continent").
Known Digimon under the control of Black Gears (by order of appearance)
Meramon
Andromon
Monzaemon
Unimon
Frigimon
Mojyamon
Centarumon
Leomon
Ogremon
Whamon
Drimogemon
Gallery
One of the Black Gears.
An artwork of the mechanical Black Gears.
Trivia
The Black Gears are the subject of several cards: Bo-103: Kuroi Haguruma and Bo-104: Black Gears.
A Black Gear being expelled from Andromon's leg.
The Bleack Gears could even work on Ultimate Level Digimon like Andromon; however, the effect was a malfunction that caused him to believe everyone was an enemy.
Devimon's signature attack, "Touch of Evil" is similarly used to directly control a Digimon.
Hagurumon, a group of Machine Digimon whose Machine Digimon whose name and appearance are derived from gears (歯車, Haguruma), were also known to create Black Gears.
