Alex Louis Armstrong

Major Alex Louis Armstrong (アレックス・ルイ・アームストロング, Arekkusu Rui Āmusutorongu?), the "Strong Arm Alchemist", is a large and comically emotional State Alchemist. He will burst into tears or joyous praise given the right situation, and embraces others in an effort to console them. Because he is an extremely strong character, this usually causes others great personal injury. Armstrong is very proud of his strength and of his muscular physique, frequently taking off his shirt so that he can flex for others' benefit. As a final element of his comedic properties, he has the tendency to "sparkle"; when first appearing in a scene or taking off his shirt, pink stars radiate from his body. Despite his humorous tendencies, Armstrong can be very serious when the situation calls for it. He is not fond of violence and will try to end conflicts peacefully, and will break down and cry if an innocent person is killed. Armstrong comes from a wealthy family of aristocrats who have earned renown in most professions. He has mastered many of his family's talents for himself, and when displaying such a talent he remarks it to have been "passed down the Armstrong line for generations". His alchemical skills are also a remnant of his family's history; by using a unique kind of brass knuckles, Armstrong can reshape any solid object that he punches. In addition to projectiles and barriers for combat purposes, he can use this talent to create buildings and at times sculptures of himself. Armstrong is a valuable ally of Roy Mustang and the Elric brothers, even if they are not always happy to be in his emotional company. He takes his honor as a soldier and as a leader seriously, and always looks out for his peers' and subordinates' best interests.

2003 anime series
Major Armstrong is first introduced to the anime series as a member of King Bradley's entourage moving from Central City to East City to escape from Scar's rampage. In Episode 15, when Edward and Alphonse Elric search for Dr. Marcoh according to Colonel Roy Mustang's directions, the brothers realize that they are being followed and recognize the pursuing soldier from Bradley's group. They manage to throw Armstrong off their trail and escape with Dr. Marcoh, but when Scar corners the alchemists in a tunnel and makes his move to kill, the Strong Arm Alchemist reappears to save them, revealing that he had been ordered to keep tabs on Edward by Colonel Mustang and not the Fuhrer.

Manga
In the manga, Major Armstrong is first introduced in Chapter 6 when he arrives in East City from Central City with Lt. Col. Maes Hughes to collect Shou Tucker for trial. Unfortunately, the arrest becomes an investigation when Tucker is found murdered in his home and Armstrong recognizes the manner of Sewing-Life's death as similar to the style of State Alchemist killings in Central. He and Hughes discuss the matter with Colonel Mustang, describing their suspect as a mysterious man known only by the X-shaped scar on his face. When The Scarred Man attacks Edward Elric, Armstrong steps in and reveals his own combat alchemy proficiency by taking the fugitive head on. As the first State Alchemist to see Scar's combat style and live, Armstrong is also the first to realize that the murderer uses alchemy himself, stopping at the Deconstruction stage. Surrounded, Scar escapes and Armstrong regroups with the others.

Both badly damaged, Edward and Alphonse Elric prepare to head to Resembool for repairs and, as no one in Mustang's Unit have the time or capabilities to escort them while Scar is hunting them down, Armstrong exuberantly takes up the task. On the way to Resembool, however, he recognizes his old colleague from the Ishval Civil War, Bio-alchemist Dr. Tim Marcoh. Edward insists that they get off the train and pursue the fleeing doctor to his home, where (after convincing the war-deserter that they have not come to arrest or silence him) the three alchemists have a talk. Though Marcoh's research into the Philosopher's Stone was a military secret and his whereabouts would be valuable to Central Command, Armstrong decides not to report him and continues to Resembool with the Elric brothers. While there, Alex becomes acquainted with Winry and Pinako Rockbell and learns more about the tragedy of Ed and Al's past.

Once the Elrics are back to top fighting shape, the three alchemists make their way back to Central City to investigate a tip Marcoh had given them about the National Central Library and the secret alchemical notes he had hidden there. As Armstrong must return to his usual responsibilities in Central, he hands off his escort duties to two of his subordinates - 2nd Lt. Maria Ross and Sgt. Denny Brosh. Several days later, Armstrong returns to check up on the young Elrics and discovers (after pressuring his subordinates, who had been sworn to secrecy by Edward) the hardships that the Fullmetal Alchemist had had to endure regarding the burning of the National Central Library, the difficulty deciphering Marcoh's notes and the discovery of the Philosopher's Stone's terrible secret. Bursting into the boys' hotel room to console them, Armstrong witnesses Edward's second wind and helps decipher the "Truth Behind the Truth" that Marcoh had mentioned. Together, Alex and Edward deduce that the military experiments to construct the Philosopher's Stone had taken place in Central Alchemical Laboratory #5 and that the prison next to it has used as a harvesting ground for live humans to serve as ingredients for the stone. Major Armstrong leaves to investigate any possible links between Lab 5 and members of Military Command and orders the Elric brothers to stay in their room and away from Lab 5 until he returns - an order the young alchemists promptly disobey.

After Edward is injured in the debacle at Lab 5 and Armstrong escorts Winry to his hospital room to repair his arm, the Major, the Elrics and Lt. Col. Hughes discuss the new information they have gathered regarding the Philosopher's Stone, the mysterious agents with Ouroboros tattoos and their link to Military Command. King Bradley appears suddenly, revealing his knowledge of Armstrong's clandestine investigations and expressing concern over the matter. He forbids all present to discuss the incident and findings with anyone else and orders that they not stick their necks further into the mystery. When Hughes is murdered soon afterward, Alex attends the military funeral and is questioned by Col. Mustang regarding the circumstances surrounding Maes' death. Though forbidden to speak of the matter, the major purposely phrases his refusal to comply in a manner that allows Roy to deduce that Hughes may have been killed by an organization whose existence has been proven but whose members have not yet been identified, that one or more members of Military Command are involved in some way and that the situation has to do with the Philosopher's Stone.

The Strong Arm Alchemist next appears in the south, having been chosen to bodyguard the Fuhrer on his inspection of the Southern Headquarters, and coincidentally runs into Edward Elric, who had made a last minute venture from Dublith in order to turn in his yearly State Alchemist evaluation paper. Under the orders of King Bradley, who wishes to meet and recruit Izumi Curtis into the State Alchemist program, Armstrong uses his secret tracking skills to follow Edward to Dublith with the Fuhrer in tow. When Sig Curtis refuses to allow Bradley to see his wife, Alex attempts to persuade the beefy butcher to comply by showing off his physique. Sig responds in kind, removing his clothes so as to display his manly burl and the two muscular men come to terms, forging a friendship through flexing. Meanwhile, Bradley overhears Edward discussing Greed and his holding Al hostage in The Devil's Nest and - after Edward leaves to rescue his brother - orders a raid on the bar, of which the Strong Arm Alchemist is to be a part. Once inside, Armstrong is thrust into battle with Roa, one of Greed's human chimera bodyguards. After using alchemy to weaken Roa's weapon, Armstrong watches in shock as the enemy before his eyes transforms into an ox-man. Roa and Alex engage in a blood-broiling fistfight, which the major ultimately wins, causing Roa to reveal himself an ex-soldier and admirer of the Strong Arm's campaign in Ishval. Armstrong - preferring discussion to a death-brawl, especially with a former comrade - asks Roa to surrender, but Bradley intervenes, striking down Roa and his friends before reminding the major that his orders were to kill everyone except the Elric brothers and Greed. Before leaving he adds that Armstrong's mercy toward enemies is the reason he has never been promoted.

Alchemy
Major Alex Armstrong utilizes a style of combat alchemy that has apparently been passed down the Armstrong line for generations and mixes alchemical skill with physical prowess. With the aid of two metal gauntlets strapped to his fists (both marked with transmutation circles), Armstrong transmutes objects mainly by punching them. It is possible that this method transfers the kinetic energy of his blows into the alchemical energy, enhancing the speed and force of his transmutations, since he mainly uses alchemy to rapidly produce large stone spikes, walls or other objects from the earth. Additionally, the Armstrong style allows Alex to double as a source of heavy artillery, transforming raw stone or brickwork into projectiles which are then launched with the force of his punch.

Armstrong's gauntlets both are inscribed with encircled triangles and a trio of runes. Inside the triangle appears to be the Hebrew symbol for "God" (as described by Edward Elric in Chapter 53). Additionally, there is a ring of inscribed text around the outermost circle on each gauntlet. While difficult to make out, the text on the right gauntlet (as shown in Chapter 7) reads "Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen" while the left gauntlet (whose text is made legible at the end of Chapter 58) reads "Froh, wie seine Sonnen fliegen Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan, Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn, Freudig, wie ein Held". In Chapter 59, the text on the right gauntlet is shown to be identical to that of the left. It is unclear whether this is a continuity alteration or whether Armstrong had the text altered in the years since the Ishval Civil War (since chapters 58-9 take place during the flashback of Volume 15).

note: Froh, / wie seine Sonnen fliegen / Durch des Himmels prächt’gen Plan,/ Laufet, Brüder, eure Bahn,/ Freudig, wie ein Held zum Siegen is a line from Friederich Schiller's poem An die Freude (called "Ode to Joy" in English) and translates to "Glad, / Whose suns fly / Through the Heavens’ glorious plan, / Praise, brothers, your path, / Joyful, like a hero to victory."