Godzilla

For other uses of this name, see Godzilla (disambiguation).

Godzilla is a monster who features Godzilla.

Biography

Origin

Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ, Hepburn: Gojira) was a gigantic mutated dinosaur kaiju created by nuclear testing in 1954. Its name came from the inhabitants of Odo Island, who were among the first to encounter the creature. Travelling to Japan, the monster devastated the nation's cities, using its massive size and strength along with its ability to fire blasts of atomic fire. The monster was finally slain by Dr. Serizawa's oxygen destroyer weapon.

Showa Era

Originally known as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, he first appeared a few years after the death of Godzilla and attacked Japan, eventually competing with another monster known as Anguirus. Eventually imprisoned in an northern iceberg by a pair of intrepid pilots, Gigantis escaped and, renamed Godzilla, began to rampage anew.

Over the years, Godzilla battled numerous other monsters as well as the Japanese Self-Defense Force, but gradually began to take on other monsters out of a seeming desire to defend humanity. By the time he was battling monsters such as Megalon and Mechagodzilla, he was more or less a hero, dwelling on Monster Island with his friend Anguirus and his "son" Minilla.

By 1999, however, Godzilla was among those monsters imprisoned on Monster Island, and was used by the Kilaaks to attack New York City. Once freed from the aliens' control, he led other monsters to defeat King Ghidorah before returning to his home.

Heisei Era

Apparently the original Godzilla, somehow reborn, he returned to ravage Tokyo in 1985 and proceeded to endanger Japan and battle other kaiju for many years afterward. Godzilla was originally a Godzillasaurus, possibly last of his species, who lived on Lagos Island. During World War II, the Godzillasaurus (inadvertently) saved a troop of Japanese soldiers from an American assault, being grievously wounded in the process. This island was later subject to an atomic test, transforming him into the monster that attacked Japan in 1954.

A group of time-travellers from the 23rd century, seeking to prevent Japan from becoming an economic superpower in the future, transported Godzilla from his original location to an island in the Bering Sea, replacing him with three genetically-engineered dorats which became King Ghidorah. However, rather than preventing Godzilla's existence, they accidentally placed him where a sunken nuclear sub would expose him to more radiation, creating a larger, stronger and more aggressive Godzilla that destroyed Ghidorah during its assault on Japan.

Godzilla battled on, eventually adopting another Godzillasaurus-like creature (that eventually became known as Godzilla Junior) as his "son." The kaiju eventually battled Destoroyah, spawn of the oxygen destroyer, as its radioactive heart began to melt down. Godzilla finally died after that fight, but Godzilla Jr. was mutated by his radiation into a new Godzilla.

Millennium Era

There have been several different Godzillas in the Millennium series of films, each having its origins in the original but taking different paths. Unless otherwise indicated, it can be assumed each of these versions exists in its own unique continuity.

• Godzilla 2000: Possibly the Godzilla that was once Godzilla Junior, its origins are never detailed, save that it was known to the people of Japan. It attacked Japan and battled Orga.
• Godzilla vs. Megaguirus: This Godzila attacked Japan repeatedly since 1954, each time destroying things related to nuclear power or other unusual energy sources. It was attracted to Japan in 2002, battling Megaguirus and destroying a secret energy experiment.
• Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack: Different on a basic level from the others, this Godzilla was empowered by the angry spirits of the dead from the Pacific theatre of World War II; since more were enemies of Japan than Japanese, it attacked Japan. It battled the Guardian Monsters and was barely defeated thanks to a Japanese hero. However its heart survived, meaning it may regenerate to attack again.
• Godzilla X Mechagodzilla, Godzilla, Mechagodzilla, Mothra: Tokyo S.O.S.: This incarnation (which is apparently a variation of the Showa version) was one of a string of creatures that attacked Japan over the years; however, it was not the original, whose skeleton survived and (along with Godzilla's DNA) was incorporated into the systems of Kiryu.
• Godzilla: Final Wars: ?

Overview

Personality and attributes

He came to be the most feared of the kaiju leading to him gaining the title of King of the Monsters.

Powers and abilities

Though technically a reptile and not an amphibian, Godzilla has an amphibious lifestyle. He spends half of his life in water and the other on land. He is as adept a fighter underwater as he is on land. Capable of marching on the seafloor or swimming by undulating his tail like a crocodile, Godzilla is displayed as being able to breathe underwater, or occasionally hibernating in the ocean depths between movies.

Godzilla displayed an immunity to conventional weaponry, virtually impervious to everything the JSDF threw at him. Dr. Yamane states that the very fact Godzilla survived exposure to a hydrogen bomb explosion is a testament to his durability.

As attributed to his size, weight and mass, Godzilla has displayed varied levels of physical strength that are, at the very least, sufficient enough to lift weights exceeding 2,000 tons and smash skyscrapers.

Godzilla was known for its G-Cells, which gave it incredible regenerative ability, and its ability to feed on radiation.

Godzilla's signature weapon was an atomic heat beam referred to as an 'atomic breath'. This led to it releasing nuclear energy which was generated inside of its body, uses electromagnetic force to concentrate it into a laser-like high velocity projectile and unleashes it from its jaws in the form of a blue or red radioactive beam. While Godzilla's atomic breath, initially called either Incandescent Light (白熱光 Hakunekkō?) or Radioactivity Extrusion (放射能噴出 Hōshanō Funshutsu?) and later known as Radioactive Flame (放射火炎 Hōsha Kaen?) or Radioactive Heat Ray (放射熱線 Hōsha Nessen?), has typically been shown to set entire city blocks ablaze and easily obliterate most military weaponry, many of Godzilla's opponents have shown the ability to withstand it, at least in its standard intensity

Godzilla developed many powers over the years (most of which made only single appearances), such as the ability to fly with controlled atomic breath blasts and super-magnetism.

Notes

• Godzilla was created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Ishirō Honda and Eiji Tsubaraya where he featured in the setting of the Godzilla universe.
• The creature's actual Japanese name was "Gojira." All of the different Godzilla incarnations above followed the original version, although each obviously followed very different paths. The American Godzilla apparently existed in the same universe as the events of Giant Monsters All-Out Attack,and definatly in Final Wars.
• Godzilla allied with Zonefighter.

In other media

Television

• In Godzilla: The Series, Godzilla appeared in the setting of the animated television series sequel to the 1998 film. As shown in the film, Godzilla died but one of its offspring managed to survive whereupon after hatching it came to imprint on Dr. Nick Tatopoulos.
• In Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Godzilla made appearances in the setting of the live-action television series set in the MonsterVerse.

Films

• In Godzilla, Godzilla appeared in the setting of the 1998 live-action American film. This incarnation of Godzilla had a different design with a more dinosaur-like form who was giant mutated marine iguana originating from a nuclear test in the Maruroa Atoll Islands of French Polynesia while it was still an egg. As the test was done in the summer of 1968, the creature grew over a period of approximately thirty years. His irradiated genes caused him to achieve a height of about sixty meters.
• In Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla appeared in the setting of the 2017 CGI film. Godzilla Earth's first seen devastating Earth, in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the year 2030, with monster attacks ravaging humanity since 1999. Humanity's efforts to nuke him are demonstrated, but the strategy had no effect on Godzilla who continued to wipe out every monster and most of humanity over the course of 18 years. In 2048 when humanity was forced to abandon Earth, Godzilla arrived near a port for airships where the Aratrum was supposed to depart, where he subsequently destroyed a landing ship with his atomic breath, with the explosion resulting in the destruction of the buses carrying Haruo Sakaki's parents. However a few airships, including the Aratrum itself, survived and departed Earth. In the years following, a detailed plan to destroy the monster was presented in a meeting on the Aratrum, with Haruo detailing a potential weakness in his shielding, which could be used to destroy him. Here, Godzilla's regeneration was also brought up. The idea of the monster multiplying in the time since humanity left the planet was also established. An idea that, while initially dismissed, turned out to be true. Godzilla Earth then made his true appearance, shortly after Godzilla Filius fell. He blindsided everyone involved with the prior operation, as he appeared from underneath a nearby mountain, with his very arrival destroying much of the operation's remaining equipment. Haruo urged everyone to retreat from the titan, by any means necessary, stating he'd attempt to distract the monster while everyone fled. Godzilla utilized his oscillatory wave to completely annihilate landing craft attempting to escape, and also used a tail-produced shockwave to destroy much of the area in front of him. Haruo's vehicle ended up being damaged before he could put any major effort into distracting the beast, and he ended up being incapacitated under rubble, before attempting to vow to kill the monster as he passed out, with Godzilla Earth returning to a slumbering state, shortly after.
• In Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, Godzilla returned in the setting of the animated sequel CGI film. Shortly after Earth's arrival and attack, the crew of the Aratrum would begin to run over his abilities and power, with basic calculations estimating his atomic breath would be able to reach the ship, should he somehow notice them. It was here that Endurph would speak up on how this Godzilla was "the one" from humanity's distant past, resulting in the other crew members debating on what to do, with Halu-elu Dolu-do stating they should retreat, whereas Takeshi J. Hamamoto suggested staying behind to launch and receive rescue ships. Eventually, Unberto Mori stated they would wait for 48 hours for any contact, and if none was received, they would leave. Godzilla Earth would be physically seen sometime after his attack on humanity's forces, slumbering in a forest during night. He would be awakened later, following the ceased production of camouflaging fog from Mechagodzilla City. Making his way to Mount Fuji promptly, he began to siege the city, launching a long-range assault with his atomic breath. This was deflected by the city's shielding, and Earth simply began to stride to the city, apparently sensing a long-range attack would be useless. Haruo, assisted by Yuko Tani and Rilu-elu Belu-be, then took control of three Vulture units, and began a barrage on Godzilla, intending to distract Godzilla and attempt to lure him to a trap point. The Vultures flew around Godzilla and fired their cannons at him, but Godzilla simply ignored their fire. Haruo ordered the Vultures to fly closer and attack Godzilla, which prompted him to fire a super oscillatory wave. The wave scattered the Vultures and nearly hit Yuko's, but all three were unharmed. Haruo and Belu-be's Vultures began firing at Godzilla in unison, finally succeeding in drawing his attention and changing his course. Godzilla continued to follow the Vultures until he reached the trap point. Even though Mechagodzilla City's preparations were not entirely complete yet, Haruo ordered Galu-gu to spring the trap anyway. The ground beneath Godzilla exploded, causing him to fall into a pit. A channel was opened directly in front of Godzilla, leading directly to a capture point. A thermal energy buffer layer was deployed in the channel, and the Vultures continued leading Godzilla along. Godzilla prepared to fire his atomic breath directly at Haruo's Vulture, but the Houtua twins Miana and Maina telepathically warned him of the attack, allowing him to evade in time. The blast was deflected by the buffer layer, and was scattered into smaller beams that struck some of Mechagodzilla City's buildings.
• In the Monsterverse, Godzilla made a number of appearances in the shared continuity setting:
  • In Godzilla, Godzilla first appeared in the setting of the live-action film. This version was described as being an ancient Titan who lived long ago during a time when the Earth was far more inhospitable.
  • In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla appeared in the setting of the live-action film sequel. He was given the scientific designation of Titanus Gojira and listed as one of the Titans.
• In Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla featured in the setting of the 2023 live-action film. Godzilla was revealed to had been a reptile that had been mutated by the United States' Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll. The dinosaur-like Godzilla appeared at the end of World War II in 1945 during the night and attacked Odo Island. This saw him killing everybody except kamikaze pilot Kōichi Shikishima and lead mechanic Sōsaku Tachibana. Two years later, Japan began deploying mines to help stop Godzilla from approaching the island. A minesweeper crew came to release a mine into Godzilla's mouth and detonate it, but Godzilla regenerates from its injury. Heavy cruiser Takao then arrives and engages Godzilla but is subsequently destroyed when Godzilla unleashes its atomic breath.

Video games

• In various video games for the NES, Super NES, and Gamecube, Godzilla was an implacable foe of various invading aliens.

Comics

• Godzilla also battled additional foes in the present and across time.
• In Godzilla v1 #1 (1977), Godzilla appeared in the series published by Marvel Comics. According to the research of Dr. Yuriko Takiguchi, Godzilla was spawned during Pacific nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s. Per Takiguchi's original account, the first recorded moment when the monster attacked Tokyo was in 1956. Records of the creature after that point are spotty at best. However, Godzilla eventually became trapped in ice off the coast of Alaska and only managed to break free during the modern age. With the creature cutting a swath of destruction across the northern state, the spy agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. formed a new Godzilla Squad to try and stop the monster. This squad included S.H.I.E.L.D. veterans Dum Dum Dugan and Jimmy Woo along with Dr. Takiguchi, his grandson Robert, and scientist Tamara Hashioka. Although they failed to stop the creature in Alaska, the Godzilla Squad vowed to stop the monster no matter what.
• In Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters v1 #1 (2011), Godzilla appeared in the series published by IDW Publishing. In 2011, Godzilla emerged from the beach, killing a pair of children in the process, and then heading towards the nearby town. After conventional weaponry fails to neutralize the beast, military proceeds to detonate a nuclear bomb with Godzilla inside the explosion. This resulted Godzilla gaining an ability to shoot an atomic breath out his mouth, which Godzilla utilized after resuming his rampage across the town. Later, Godzilla went towards Tokyo, with military powerless to stop it. The man, whose children were killed by Godzilla at the beach, found a truck filled with explosives nearby After getting on the top of a building Godzilla was walking by, a man, wearing all explosives from the truck he could carry, jumped off the roof. With tears in his eyes, a man detonated the explosives directly on Godzilla's head. However, this has done little to no damage to Godzilla, who continued to devastate Japan's capital until nothing of it remained.

Novels

• Godzilla's return heralded a new age of kaiju attacks across the world.

Appearances

• Godzilla: (1954)

External Links

• WikiZilla Entry
• Godzilla Wiki Entry
• Wikipedia Entry

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