[Akichan]

Originally Posted by loki9x

Good episode! I wish my Japanese were stronger...

And while Armstrong and Izumi are awesome fighters, the battle was much less dramatic than it could have been.

So we have a study in how homunculi are born. Please correct any errors or misunderstandings of mine.

Spoiler:

First off, the kid is Wrath, and Envy and Sloth know this. Envy didn't just give him the name him/herself, so presumably the "father" did. And the kid does become pretty wrathful. Given how many episodes are left, I don't think it likely that there's an extra homunculus hiding in the woodwork somewhere who no one's interested in talking about. I'd bet cash that the manga's Wrath is now Pride and that there are only seven sins and seven homunculi and we know who all of them are.

Second: we have a process for homunculus creation. A failed human transmutation is performed. Then, the body is taken by the Truth. Afterwards, the creature created develops into a full homunculus and appears to age at the same rate as a human would. It is at this point that what would become Wrath was interrupted in its usual development by Ed's revival of his brother. But the process continues, and eventually another act as yet unexplained releases the creature into the physical world. This is presumably done by the "father."

Now we have a good explanation of how homunculi can simultaneously be children of their "father" and the creations of someone completely different: eg, Sloth by Ed and Al, Wrath by Izumi.

What I don't understand: the freaks created by human transmutation take human-looking bodies when they enter the Truth. But Izumi consciously took her child there to be disposed of. Ed never did the same with his mother; the body simply vanished. How?

The only problem with your theory (and it's VERY good) is that we have to remember Izumi did her transmutation first. She was already coughing blood up before she met the Elrics. Now, granted, if those events happened exactly at the same time, I could see that. (the reason I speculate this is because Izumi doesn't show up the next day, it's some unspecified amount of time after). I love your thoughts. Well done.