The Hermes Equation: Cluster Lensing from a Frozen Galaxy Gate

The Hermes equation (McGinty 2026a) was built for disk-galaxy rotation curves: two measured inputs, no adjustable constants per galaxy. On 133 SPARC galaxies it is competitive with MOND. We apply that same frozen gate, with no new constants, to published CLASH lensing profiles and baryon models, fitting one amplitude K per cluster. On seven relaxed clusters the radial shape scores χ²/dof = 1.617 against 2.313 for MOND given the same freedom, winning five of seven boards. The amplitude is fitted. The shape is not. Because wear enters as one number per cluster, K absorbs age exactly; this test constrains the gate, not the clock. Under the published gas continuation the Hermes equation fits the shape better; under an alternative outer-gas treatment the ranking reverses. We report both. This is a proof of concept, and an invitation to break it.