Gabara (ガバラ, Gabara) is a fictional monster featured in the 1969 Japanese tokusatsu film All Monsters Attack, the tenth Godzilla film to be produced by Toho, which would later be brought to the US under the title Godzilla's Revenge. Gabara is the primary antagonist of the film. History All Monsters Attack Just as All Monsters Attack is one of the more distinctive entries in the Godzilla canon, Gabara is very unique amongst the other Toho-made monsters. It seems that Gabara exists entirely inside the dreams of lead child character Ichiro. In the context of the film, Gabara is a resident of Ichiro's imaginary Monster Island, and a constant tormentor to the much smaller Minilla, inspired by Ichiro's own real life problems with bullies around his neighborhood. After receiving combat training from his father Godzilla, and extra assistance from the human protagonist, Minilla does successfully challenge the bully. Finally, Gabara was confronted by Godzilla himself, given a sound thrashing, and sent to lick his wounds deep in the jungles of Monster Island. Despite the film's overuse of stock footage, Gabara was the only original monsters created for the film, along with newly filmed fight scenes and effects. Go! Greenman The character did not make any further appearances in the Godzilla film franchise, but did make a 'guest spot' in the fourteenth episode of the short Kyodai (giant superhero) television series Ike! Greenman (Go! Greenman). However, despite this, it's unclear if this means Gabara exists outside of Ichiro's dreams, that Greenman's adventures (or at least that episode) take place within them, or if the two are totally unrelated. The best way to view this situation is similar to Godzilla's appearances on Zone Fighter...only more obscure. Appearance The audio commentary for Classic Media's 2008 DVD release of All Monsters Attack humorously compares Gabara to a bipedal cat with car engine problems. Although not based on any real animal (living or extinct), Gabara is very similar to (and more then likely based on) the Oni of Japanese mythology and folklore. His costume design is very reminiscent of these demonic ogre / troll-like beings, further mixing the turquoise scales of a reptile with orange, cat-like fur. He also has three horns on his head, again much like the Oni, whose horns varied between one-to-three on average. Gabara's ability to electrocute things on contact is possibly a reference to Oni lore, as they too were sometimes associated with the natural forces of lighting and thunder. Its roar sounds like mocking laughter. Abilities Electric bolts generated from its arms and 'Power Horn', of which Gabara can then electrify anything or anyone it touches. Trivia
Within the context of the film, Gabara is a representation within the dreams of Ichiro, the main character, of a schoolyard bully of the same name. Similarly, Ichiro is represented by Minilla, Godzilla's son. After Godzilla defends his offspring in Ichiro's dreams, Ichiro is able to overcome his fears and confront the real Gabara. Gabara is the only monster in the Toho universe that exists only in a dream; that is to say, it does not exist in the real world like Toho's other kaiju. Gabara is the second monster to be defeated by both Godzilla and Minilla. The first was Kumonga. Gabara is probably an imaginative take on the Oni, an ogre-like race in Japanese mythology. Confirmed Kaiju that are Oni can often be seen in the ongoing Ultraman franchise, with characters like Oni-On, from episode 27 of Ultraman Leo, and Sukunaoni from episode 16 of Ultraman Tiga. Oni are major mainstays in Japanese culture, and are often depicted in fantasy films and TV series beyond the Kaiju Eiga genre, including American produced projects like the 2006 animated movie Hellboy: Sword of Storms. In a 1990's Monstervision commercial for Turner Network Television (TNT), which used Godzilla film footage with Blue Oyster Cult's related song in a music video like fashion, Gabara is incorrectly referred to as 'Baragon'. In the Simpsons episode "30 minutes over Tokyo", in the end Gamera, Rodan, Mothra and Godzilla are attacking the Simpsons and Gabara's Laugh like roar is heard.
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Battra (バトラ Batora) is a fictional kaiju (Japanese giant monster) appearing in the Heisei Godzilla film Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth. He is the main antagonist of the film. Like Mothra, Battra has both larval and adult forms. Biography Battra was created by Earth's life force to defend the planet from various threats, such as meteorites and human destruction of the environment. Over 12,000 years ago there was an advanced human civilization which originally lived in harmony with the Earth, but when they created a device to control the climate, this offended the living Earth, which sent Battra to destroy the device. Unfortunately, Battra, as the physical embodiment of the Earth's anger, continued its rage well beyond its task, and began to harm the very Earth itself. Mothra was sent to stop Battra's rampage and restore the natural order. In the fierce battle between Mothra and Battra, the existing human civilization was destroyed in a tremendous flood. After the battle, Battra rested in the Arctic Ocean, whereas Mothra retired to Infant Island, accompanied by the two Cosmos. It was intended that Battra would reawaken in 1999 to prevent a large meteorite from destroying the Earth. Instead he awoke when a smaller meteorite hit the Earth in 1992, seven years too early. With no assigned task, the Cosmos expressed concern for what Battra might do. As predicted, Battra once again vented his wrath on human civilization. The larval Battra was drawn to the newly hatched incarnation of Mothra, but was distracted by the presence of Godzilla, who had also been awakened by the meteorite. Godzilla, as the epitome of ecological imbalance and human violation of the Earth, became Battra's target instead of Mothra, who escaped while the two fought. Godzilla and Battra battled on the ocean floor, until they caused a rift to open between tectonic plates. Both monsters were swallowed up into the Earth's crust. Battra emerged from the sea later, apparently unharmed by the searing lava, and set off after Mothra and Godzilla. After a fierce aerial battle with Mothra, in which Mothra was injured, Battra attacked Godzilla. Godzilla severely wounded Battra, and was about to finish him off, but Mothra suddenly intervened to save Battra. Mothra then gave Battra an influx of light and sparkling energy, and the Cosmos were delighted that their two charges had become friends. Godzilla then attacked again, wounding Mothra. As the mutant dinosaur was about to strike the killing blow, Battra intervened this time, saving Mothra's life. The two insects then had a conversation, much to the amazement of the observing humans. During this communication, Mothra made a promise to Battra. The two then worked as a team to get rid of Godzilla, and together carried him back out to sea. Unfortunately, Godzilla had mortally wounded Battra, and he died. Godzilla showed the power of his double rows of teeth, being able to easily crunch through Battra's tough armor. The promise Mothra made to Battra was to take on Battra's task of preventing the destruction of the Earth, should Battra not survive. At the end of the film, Mothra leaves Earth to fulfill this promise. Battle statistics In its larval form, Battra was a horribly brutal opponent who was relentless and remorseless in its attack. In this form, he wielded a massive yellow horn which could be put to use as a battering ram or bludgeoning weapon. From the horn, he was also capable of firing off furious electrical blasts of an orange-yellow color. He could fire similar electrical blasts of a purple color from his crimson eyes. However, these beams would often fly wildly about, Battra not having precise control over them yet. Unlike Mothra, Battra did not require a chrysalis in order to metamorphose into his adult form, and had no Cosmos to represent him. In its imago form, Battra had lost the ability to burrow or swim, but attained flight with its new wings, allowing for easier and more efficient travel for further destruction. The once prominent horn had disappeared and had been replaced with three smaller horns. These horns were incapable of releasing energy anymore, but Battra had developed more powerful optic beams, known as prism beams. Unlike the beams used in his larval form, adult Battra had complete control over the beams. He also developed three pairs of legs and would utilize them for grasping objects. Comics Battra has appeared in a number of issues of IDW's Godzilla comic series. Video games He made his boss appearance inSuper Godzilla after the defeat of King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla and Biollante and before Godzilla confronts Mecha King Ghidorah and his new enemy Bagan. His only appearance in Godzilla: Save the Earth is as a summonable sidekick. Battra later appeared in Godzilla: Unleashed as a playable character. Battra is one of the 2 monsters who is conformed to be playable in all versions of an upcoming sequel, the other being Titanosaurus (Godzilla). Trivia
Battra is also the name of a bird-like charabom in Bomberman Jetters. Battra's roar is actually an edited version of Rodan's roar. Within Godzilla vs. Mothra, there is a continuity discrepancy involving Battra that deserves mention. In the film, the Cosmos explain Battra's origins and it's defeat at the hands of Mothra. They state that Battra's body (either lifeless or still barely alive) was deposited in the Northern Sea. Thousands of years later, in 1993, Battra emerges, in his larval form, from his Siberian ice prison and departs the Northern Sea, heading for Japan. However, the cave painting on Infant Island clearly depicts an adult Battra in combat with Mothra. This raises several questions about the nature of Battra itself, including a possibility of the Battra from 12,000 years ago being a different Battra altogether, and the 1993 Battra being a second creature created by Earth's life force (probably from the remains of the original Battra). If they are, in fact, the same creature, then the fact that it emerges 12,000 years after it's defeat, once again in it's larval form is a contradiction that can only be reconciled by the viewer's personal opinion on the matter. Of course, if Battra is able to reincarnate and become a larva again, like Mothra, then the contradiction can be explained. This reincarnation ability would also indicate that Battra is not permanently dead, only resting until he is needed again. It is possible that Battra can revert back to larva form at will. Battra was originally meant to be an evil twin of Mothra named "Gigamoth" whose abilities resemble Hedorah in an unmade film[1], but this project was scrapped and replaced with Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle For Earth. In Godzilla: Save the Earth, Battra is seen helping the player when they are fighting via the particular power up, as seen in the video at 4:23-4:24 and the whole fight, during the fight between Godzilla (Heisei) & Godzilla 2000. Battra makes a cameo as stock footage from Godzilla vs Mothra in Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla when the characters are explaining how SpaceGodzilla came to be. Battra is the only monster in the Heisei series who's origin is not at all influenced by Godzilla. SpaceGodzilla (スペースゴジラ SupēsuGojira), is a modified clone of Godzilla featured in the Heisei Godzilla film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994). SpaceGodzilla is the main antagonist of the film. Its physical appearance is nearly identical to Super Godzilla, a variant version of Godzilla himself from a 1993 video game by the same title. The kaiju has not appeared since his titular debut in any other films, although an action figure of him can be seen in the 2004 Millennium film Godzilla: Final Wars; however, it has appeared in a number of video games. Origins Film origin SpaceGodzilla's origins in the film are not concretely stated, as the human characters in the film suggest two possibilities for how the monster came to exist, although both versions suggest one common thread. The first is that Godzilla cells were sent into space when Biollante departed the planet after her battle with Godzilla in the 1989 film Godzilla vs. Biollante. The other possibility is that Mothra took Godzilla cells into space when she departed the planet in order to destroy a massive asteroid which was supposedly going to impact the planet in 1999 in the 1992 film Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth. Both origins describe these Godzilla cells as being sucked into a Black Hole and heavily altered, then being returned to our universe via a White Hole. Trendmasters "Godzilla Wars" toyline origin When Spacegodzilla was adapted for Trendmasters' Godzilla Wars toyline, his origin was changed. Biollante was now the definitive cause of the Godzilla cells finding their way into space, but instead of being sucked into a black hole, they instead encountered and fused with a crystalline entity, which then became Spacegodzilla. This version of Spacegodzilla, like his film counterpart, immediately made his way to Earth with the singular purpose of defeating/destroying the original Godzilla. In the Doom Island line of figures, SpaceGodzilla was to battle two Ankylosaurs in a monster vs. dinosaur pack. Powers SpaceGodzilla possesses powers similar to those of Godzilla, including the benefits of Godzilla's physical near-invulnerability and atomic breath. The crystals extending from his shoulders grant SpaceGodzilla control over gravity; allowing SpaceGodzilla to fire gravity beams like those used by King Ghidorah from them, levitate himself or other objects, or even hurl his enemies through the air. As his power derives from cosmic energy, SpaceGodzilla can strengthen himself by materializing crystalline growths out of the ground to turn the Fukuoka Tower into a massive energy conduit. These crystals can also be used by SpaceGodzilla as impromptu projectiles through the use of his gravity manipulation or even as a cage which he used to imprison Little Godzilla. Other powers include a crystal force field strong enough to deflect Godzilla's atomic breath and the ability to encase himself within a harness of crystals which sprout from its back. While in its crystalline form, SpaceGodzilla gains powers of flight as well as increased defensive/offensive abilities. During its battle against the anti-Godzilla robot Moguera in the asteroid belt, the crystals blocked the machine's plasma lasers and carved deep gashes into Moguera's hull with their sharpened points. SpaceGodzilla's crystalline form is also capable of firing gravity beams in any direction and can also cause disruptions in electrical equipment as it flies overhead. SpaceGodzilla's tail is surprisingly strong, as he managed to stab his tail through Moguera as well as release a burst of energy into Moguera through his tail. Finally, SpaceGodzilla seems to have the ability to home in on Godzilla himself; first landing on Birth Island, where Godzilla and his son reside. Notes Unlike Godzilla, who in the Heisei series of films is depicted as a force of nature, and being neither good nor evil, SpaceGodzilla appears to have an element of true malice, as the monster was said by the Cosmos to be headed to Earth for the purpose of killing Godzilla. According to the cosmos, SpaceGodzilla was planning to kill Godzilla so that he could dominate the Earth. Like Biollante upon defeat, SpaceGodzilla's physical body changed into particles of energy. Much like many other monsters of the Heisei era, SpaceGodzilla's roar is recycled- Gigan's roar is used and lowered in pitch. Conceptual origins SpaceGodzilla was an older idea that was originally planned to continue the Showa series (along with Godzilla vs. the Devil) after Terror of Mechagodzilla, but which had been scrapped. The concept would be pulled from obscurity in 1994, following the failure of TriStar Pictures to begin production on a planned Hollywood Godzilla film, which would be another four years in the making. The design was based on an alternate form of Godzilla featured in the 1993 Super NES videogame Super Godzilla; the design was reworked to incorporate crystals into the kaiju's form. Original versions of the script called for SpaceGodzilla to face Godzilla and a second Mechagodzilla, a plan scrapped when it was realized that against the combined might of Godzilla and the machine which very nearly killed him the previous year would make the battle too one-sided. Instead, Moguera was revived and updated for this purpose. Video game appearances
SpaceGodzilla also appeared in Godzilla: Giant Monster March for the Game Gear. SpaceGodzilla was considered for Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, But he was scrapped due to 2 Godzilla's were being already in the game and it was the same has Godzilla 1954 and the Fighting Roster size was shorted. SpaceGodzilla's made another appearance in Godzilla: Save the Earth. He replaces Orga as the final opponent in hard mode. It can be implied that the Vortaak, after their defeat in Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee, ran into SpaceGodzilla and made a deal with him: SpaceGodzilla would control all of the monsters under the Vortaaks control using his psychic abilities as well as control the monsters on Earth and help the Vortaak conquer Earth and in the return, the Vortaak would give SpaceGodzilla control of the entire planet. In the game's climax Godzilla blasts off SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals causing a black hole to form. SpaceGodzilla is sucked in and is seemingly destroyed forever. Though later it is revealed that he simply became trapped in the black hole. SpaceGodzilla returned in Godzilla: Unleashed as the final boss in story mode and the game's main antagonist. In the PlayStation 2 version, he is responsible for the crystals, and probably Obsidius' and Krystalak's creator. After being imprisoned in Save the Earth, SpaceGodzilla tried to escape his prison, causing the crystals appearing across the planet. In the Wii version, he uses the crystals' radiation to escape his prison but is defeated by the combined efforts of the Earth Defenders and GDF. Two alternative endings include the mutants win and Spacegodzilla takes over the world and the aliens win and kill SpaceGodzilla and use his energy to empower their monsters. Guilala A.K.A.: Gilala, Girara, and Monster X is an alien kaiju from outer space. History A species of kaiju created by the explosions of stars, Guilala was made out of a special form of condensed energy normally found in little contained spores. An unknown alien race once attached spores to a space ship from Earth. One spore was carried back and the guilalium was taken off. The spore broke open and Guilala came out and grew to monstrous proportions! It destroyed most of Japan in the search for energy. Lured by powerful nuclear energy to the Mt. Fuji spaceport, but was covered in guilalium. Blocked from the energy all around, Guilala became a spore again, and was sent on a rocket to orbit the sun forever. Eventually, another UFO crashed to Earth, bringing yet another Guilala to the planet during the time of a G8 Summit. Realizing the danger of the creature, the president of the United States of America convinces the other world leaders to personally fight back against Guilala instead of fleeing, and each country decides to use their own secret weaponry against the beast. A North Korean general plans to destroy the Guilala with a nuclear missile, but he has been warned that if he did it he will spawn hundred, even thousands of Guilalas. However, the monster is not rendered successfully taken care of until two Japanese journalists discover the legend of Take-Majin, a god which must be awakened to save mankind from the monster. This attempt finally succeeds and Guilala was defeated for a second time. Fighting Ability Like a lot of kaiju, most human defenses just bounce right off of him. However, he seems to be a bit better at blocking attacks then most kajiu. He once demonstrated these skills when taking a direct hit to the head by a kamikaze jet without even flinching. Not only does he have strong defense, but strong offense. His striking skills are average, but he does have some original attacks. He can launch fireballs out of his mouth, absorb energy to become stronger, and even turn into a ball of energy to move from one place to the other while destroying everything around itself. Even though he has strong attacks and a tough hide, he is still very fast. Appearances
The X from Outer Space (1968) The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit (2008) The Gipsy Danger is the American Jaeger. Launched in 2017, it is the second oldest of the five known Jaegers, with Coyote Tango being the only one known to be older. County of Origin: United States of America Date of Launch : July 10th, 2017 Speed: 7 Strength: 8 Armor: 6 Kaiju Kill Count: 5 Height: 79m (260ft) Weight: 1,980 Tons Classification: Mark-3 Pacific Rim Despite being one of the older Jaegers, it remains in service with a record of five confirmed Kaiju kills. It is a Mark-3 class, being 79 meters (260 feet) tall, and weighing 1,980 tons. In trailers Gipsy Danger appears to be one of the main jaegers in the film; it is shown throughout the trailer more than any other Jaeger as well as its pilots. Gipsy Danger is seen battling a Leatherback in a mass of containers and tackling an Otachi with a ship. However, it is also shown in the trailer falling to its knees with its arm ripped off and the pilot climbing out of the head, although the second pilot isn't seen following... Trivia
It is speculated that the second pilot of Gipsy Danger (the other being Raleigh Becket) dies after an unseen battle that severely damages Gipsy Danger's left side, costing it it's arm as well as a deep wound on its left breastplate. Of the two pilots piloting Gipsy, only Raleigh emerges from the wreckage. After this incident, Becket and Gipsy Danger retire for a unknown period of time, but are later called back to service when humanity begins losing the war against the Kaijus. The replacement pilot is an untested trainee called Mako Mori. Moguera (モゲラ Mogera) is a Kaiju (Japanese giant monster) featured in two of Toho's science fiction films. The name is derived from mogura (土竜(もぐら) the Japanese word for mole. Appearance The Mysterians and Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla Showa In The Mysterians, Moguera is a robot used by the Mysterians to assist in destroying humanity to make them bend to their will and supply them with a sufficient amount of land and women. It attacked a small village with its eye beams, and proved immune to machinegun fire, flamethrowers, and mortar rounds. It was destroyed when the bridge it was standing on collapsed due to the military dynamiting it. A second Moguera appeared as Markalite beam cannons assaulted the Mysterians' base. This Moguera tried to destroy one of the Markalites by burrowing underneath it, but the weapon fell on top of it, crushing and destroying the short-lived second Moguera. Heisei In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, M.O.G.U.E.R.A (Mobile Operation Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-Type) was a UN-built mecha designed to fight Godzilla following the failure of G-Force's Mechagodzilla. Mogera has an expansive arsenal of weapons. The most heavily-utilized and standard weapon are the plasma laser cannons built into its eyes, which rapidly fire yellow plasma shots. A drill bit is located in the center of its face, which can be used for close range fighting. It's cone-shaped hands are capable of releasing blue energy beams, known as autolasers. Furthermore, the hands can open up and launch spiral grenade missiles. Its chest secretly conceals a plasma maser cannon, a powerful energy weapon. It can fly through earth's atmosphere at Mach 1 and through space at Mach 44. It is also capable of moving on land via independent leg action, or with the treads built into its feet and legs. Moguera is the aggregate form of two vehicles: Land Mogera, a tracked armoured fighting vehicle able to drill through the earth; and Star Falcon, a VTOL craft capable of space flight. Moguera's first assignment was to intercept SpaceGodzilla, which was discovered on a course toward Earth. A battle ensued in the asteroid belt leaving Moguera seriously damaged, though able to return to Earth for repairs. It was during the repairs that it was fitted with the spiral grenade missiles, and the plasma maser cannon. Following the devastation caused by SpaceGodzilla, Moguera (under its new pilot Yuki Gondo) aligned itself with Godzilla to destroy the greater threat. It shattered SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals (thus preventing SpaceGodzilla from absorbing power from crystals), but was damaged beyond repair during the battle; its remains were subsequently obliterated by Godzilla's spiral ray. Originally, Godzilla was planned to battle Spacegodzilla and a second Mechagodzilla, but it was thought it'd be too onesided for Godzilla to face the same robotic twin that very nearly killed him the year before, so the weaker Moguera was revived as an ally to Godzilla. Other Appearances In the ending credits of Godzilla: Final Wars, we see a boy playing with Godzilla plastic-designed figures; one certain figure among the toys was Moguera from the Showa series. It appeared in one of the Toho website non-commercial cartoons, Retro Moguera, directed by Miles Rilehoff. Moguera appeared in the TV show Godzilla Island (1997-1998), and was known as "Proto-Moguera". In the "Proto-Moguera Saga", the machine is taken over by the series' villianess and used to fight Godzilla in a bizarre Whack-A-Mole-type conflict. Trivia Ironically, Moguera's name is derived from the term Mogura meaning "mole" since it is a robot that is not only used for combat, but for digging purposes as well. Moguera was the first robot monster in the Toho universe. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. is the only monster that cannot roar. It only can say it's name. In fact, this attribute makes M.O.G.U.E.R.A. the only giant monster who can say his own name, let alone speak English. It is a reference to Pokemon, as many of them says their names.
As the purpose for M.O.G.U.E.R.A.'s construction was to do what Mechagodzilla had come so close to doing, killing Godzilla, it is quite possible that M.O.G.U.E.R.A. was, or was going to be, outfitted with a G-Crusher system like Mechagodzilla's. Without one, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. would be no more useful against Godzilla then Mechagodzilla was before it was outfitted with it's G-Crusher. However the Spiral Grenade Missiles that are equipped to M.O.G.U.E.R.A. could possibly have been made to preform the same function, as they clearly have the power to penetrate a kaiju's hide when they demolished Spacegodzilla's shoulder crystals. In a strange way, M.O.G.U.E.R.A. could be considered the "grand-child" of Mecha-King Ghidorah, as it was constructed from the wreckage of Mechagodzilla, who was himself constructed from Mecha-King Ghidorah's wreckage. Hedorah (ヘドラ Hedora), also known as the Smog Monster, is a fictional character in the 1971 film Godzilla vs. Hedorah. The monster was named for hedoro (へどろ), the Japanese word for sludge, vomit, slime or chemical ooze. He is the main antagonist of the film. Description Hedorah is an extraterrestrial kaiju formed from pollution that could feed on pollution. Falling to Earth as a cloud of spores, Hedorah hatched into millions of microscopic tadpole-like organisms which began to feed upon the toxins with which mankind had poisoned its air and water. As they increased in number and power, they began to merge into a giant monster of living sludge capable of reducing the entire planet to an uninhabitable wasteland. Hedorah's transformations and composite physiology are thought to be the inspiration for the Heisei monster Destoroyah. Surprisingly, Hedorah has become one of the most famous Godzilla monsters. At the time of his creation, he was without a doubt, alongside King Ghidorah, Godzilla's most challenging enemy. In the course of their fights, the King of the Monsters was continuously injured and found it very difficult to defeat him. Hedorah, with King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, SpaceGodzilla and Destoroyah, are considered to be some of Godzilla's most powerful enemies. Although in Final Wars, Godzilla defeated Hedorah with ease, he is still considered to be a powerful enemy of Godzilla simply because of the fact that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Powers and abilities Hedorah possesses many special abilities. As a composite kaiju formed from millions of smaller organisms, Hedorah is capable of assuming a number of different shapes to suit the particular situation. For traveling through water, Hedorah transformed into a giant tadpole monster similar to the base organism that composed it. For traveling on land, Hedorah became a four-legged pile of slime resembling a gigantic salamander and it also could assume a saucer-like shape which granted it flight capabilities. After being driven back by Godzilla several times, Hedorah assumed a gigantic humanoid shape that even dwarfed the king of the monsters. Thanks to the protean nature of its body, ordinary weapons passed right through Hedorah while even Godzilla's atomic ray was unable to inflict any lasting harm. Finally, since Hedorah fed on pollution, so long as a piece of it remained alive then Hedorah could retreat to absorb more pollution in order to regenerate itself. Hedorah's primary form of attack was by spurting globs of its own corrosive sludge at its opponent. The slime was so acidic it was even capable of scarring Godzilla's usually impenetrable hide. It was also able to project crimson energy beams from its eyes while its flying form created a byproduct of sulphuric acid mist that melted any living creature that came in contact with it down to its skeletal frame just like the Oxygen Destroyer. Origins Showa Hedorah was an alien life form that landed on Earth and began feeding on pollution. Hedorah's actions soon gained the attention of Godzilla, who attacked the Smog Monster as he was feeding off of a smokestack. At the time, Hedorah was still in a young form, and was easily trounced by Godzilla. The two creatures had a series of battles across Japan, and Hedorah continued to grow bigger and stronger, and achieved a flying saucer-like form, allowing him to fly and spread sulfuric acid mist across Japan while destroying many factories. Hedorah and Godzilla had a final showdown near Mt. Fuji, in which Hedorah achieved his final form, a bipedal, humanoid pile of sludge. Thanks to his acidic, poisonous body, as well as his lethal eye bolts, Hedorah very nearly put an end to Godzilla in their struggle. However, mankind had built a pair of gigantic electrodes near the warring kaiju with the intention of creating a superheated zone that would dry Hedorah out. During a period of the fight where Godzilla was knocked out, Hedorah was lured between the electrodes. Unfortunately, a fuse was blown, and the electrodes were useless. Thankfully, Godzilla quickly came to the rescue again, using his breath to re-energize the electrodes. Badly dehydrated by their electricity, Hedorah tried to escape when in the film's most famous moment, Godzilla used his atomic ray as a jet to propel himself through the air after the sludge monster whereupon he returned Hedorah to the electrodes to be dried out completely. Sensing still wet sludge within Hedorah's husk, Godzilla proceeded to rip out Hedorah's innards and then used the electrodes to finally slay the last remnants of the polluted monster. Millennium In Godzilla: Final Wars, Hedorah, along with Ebirah, is seen being blasted out of Tokyo Harbor by Godzilla and crashing into a building, with one of Ebirah's claws piercing one of Hedorah's eyes. The Smog Monster and the Sea Monster are then knocked out by a blast of Godzilla's atomic ray. Appearances in other media
Hedorah appears as a villain in the 1988 NES game Godzilla: Monster of the Monsters, as well as the sequel, War of the Monsters. Hedorah was also an enemy in the Godzilla Game Boy title, in which it, along with King Ghidorah, was the only monster unaffected by Godzilla's blows. Hedorah also makes a cameo appearance in the video game Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, where it randomly appears in disc form and slows the energy recovery. It can be killed, though this is difficult. Hedorah is a boss in Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash. Hedorah is one of the title antagonists of the 1996 children's book Godzilla vs. Gigan and the Smog Monster, written by Alice Alfonsi, and published by Random House. The book's plot concerns Hedorah and Gigan's assault on Los Angeles, until both are challenged and ultimately defeated by the heroic Godzilla and Rodan. Godzilla At World's End, a 1998 young adult novel by Marc Cerasini, and also published by Random House, features Hedorah among a global army of artificially created monsters; all sent forth by the mysterious crystalline beings dubbed The Ancient Ones, in order to eradicate mankind from the Earth. The television series Godzilla Island featured Hedorah in several episodes, along with a related, but otherwise original character named Neo-Heodrah; a brightly colored blue and pink 'clone' that could spawn mutant mushrooms in mass, to infest the title island, and thus overwhelming the show's heroes. Hedorah is the name of a British indie guitar band from Reading (UK). Hedorah made an appearance in the IDW comic book series Godzilla: Kingdom of the Monsters in the 10th issue Hedorah makes several appearances in the webcomic Bob the Angry Flower, most recently as a member of Bob's peculiar legal team. Hedorah appears as part of Gary Panter's cover art for the album cover of Frank Zappa's 1978 LP record, Sleep Dirt. Hedorah is set to appear in the fourth issue of the comic book miniseries Godzilla Legends. Gaira Dwelling within the pitch-blackness of the ocean depth, a powerful green giant lurked. Armed with unquestionable strength and a bloodlust matched by nothing, Gaira showed itself to be a murderous creature. Acting like the right hand of the devil, the ape like creature not only defeated the Giant Octopus, but attacked the very ship that the sea beast was just latched upon. Shoving the vessel beneath the waves, Gaira devoured most of the crew members that managed to flee the boat. Like rats from a sinking ship, they paddled their way through the waves. Unfortunately their efforts would be in vain, as the beast swam after them hungrily. But the monster's belly called for more than just a few scrapes of humans on ships, and Gaira made his way to land. First arriving at an airport, the sea beast made its presence known to the mainland. After eating a poor woman he snatched up, Gaira finally left as the sun pulled itself from the darkened clouds. Mulling over the destruction, the Japanese military went into action shortly after and set a trap for the beast. Waiting for the right time, the brave men and woman lured the creature deeper and deeper into the mainland. Burning villages and blasting with tanks together forced the creature to the electrified lake. Once he stepped into the sapphire waters the trap was sprung and Japan now had Gaira on the ropes. Electrified with over a million volts of sizzling power, the monster looked that its reign would be over, that is until his brother Sanda intervened. Saving his kin, the twin giants ran. However, it was not long before their differences in regards to human life tore them apart. Realizing that human life meant nothing to Gaira, after gazing at the torn tourists cloths that laid beside the killer, Sanda attacked his brother. However, even in his weakened condition, the murdering beast Gaira was able to flee. Within a few days the brothers made it to Tokyo and continued their battle where they had left off. Like Cain and Able they fought, each knowing that only one would survive. So intense was their battle, that not even the land could contain their fury. Throwing themselves into the harbor, the gargantuas continued to battle in the ocean's waters. Even the countless bombs that mankind dropped from their helicopters did little to detour their lust. Yet, as fate would have it the bombs trigged an undersea volcano. Erupting with godly force, their bodies were soon engulfed in the flames. Their bodies soon destroyed in the molten fires, burning their images from existence… Powers/Weapons Able to grow back body parts; severed cell tissue can take on a life of its own Films The War of the Gargantuas (1966) Other Appearances: Godzilla vs. Gigan (stock footage, mistake); Godzilla vs. Megalon (stock footage, mistake); Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (stock footage); Godzilla: Final Wars (stock footage) Sanda Dwelling within the mountains, Sanda, the offspring of Frankenstein, lived. Finding peace and solitude in his mountainous lair, the giant grew with love for humankind. As a child, he was found and cared for at Doctor Paul Stewart's lab, where he quickly befriend one of the doctor's aids: Akemi. The warmth of human kindness stayed with the giant, even as it escaped the laboratory. However, blood is thicker than water as they say, and Sanda, upon hearing the screeching cries of Gaira, rushed to his brother's aid. Tearing the electrodes from their generators, the monster lifted, and carried, his kin away from the stunned military. However, in time, Sanda realized that his brother didn't share his same compassion toward humanity, as Gaira continued to kill and eat innocent humans. The act angered the brown giant beyond anything, sending him to attack his bloodied brother with malicious hate. The green gargantuan was sent into retreat from the assault, running straight to Tokyo, traveling through the dark waters of its harbor. Citizens ran in fear from the killer, until Sanda arrived again. Pleading with his brother, the brown gargantuan tried to get his kin to turn away from civilization, but the call went unheard and the two giants fought. Dragging their battle into the ocean, both of the monsters were destroyed in an undersea volcano. Taken by a power greater than their own. Powers/Weapons
Able to grow back body parts; severed cell tissue can take on a life of its own Films The War of the Gargantuas (1966) Irys (sometimes spelt Iris in the East) is the main antagonist Kaiju from the third & final film in the Heisei Gamera trilogy, Gamera 3: Revenge of Irys. Irys is Gamera's last and most powerful opponent he has ever faced. Form and abilities The baby Iris has an armored, mouth-less head with small black eyes, and several long tentacles which sprout from a snail-like shell. It can absorb the life force of organic matter by stabbing them with its tentacle spears, leaving decayed corpses in its wake. The Behind The Scenes feature on ADV Film's DVD shows it was realised on-screen by a remotely-operated puppet. The adult Iris is basically a bipedal creature with two hooved legs and retractable sword-like arms, topped by a head that resembles a pointed seashell. Its back is a mass of saw-edged plates, and from its sides spring four tentacles hundreds of meters long. Each of these is tipped with a bony spearhead, from which Iris can fire a sonic beam similar to the Gyaos. Iris can still drain the life force from its victims, and in the case of Gamera it was able to absorb the monster's abilities and produce its own fireballs. Its chest region is also covered in glossy, bioluminescent patches. The center patch can suck things into its body. While Legion is the biggest monster Gamera has ever fought Irys is the most powerful. History Iris begins its life as a stone egg, sealed within a small underground temple in Nara village and guarded over by a family line named Moribe - local legend said it was the resting place of a demon called Ryu-Sei-Cho. (A character explains this name to be linked to Chinese mythology) A stone of unknown origin is said to keep the demon dormant as long as it's not moved. A young girl named Ayana Hirasaka - left an orphan by the 1995 Gamera/Gyaos battle and blaming Gamera for her parent's deaths - entered the cave on a dare and moved the stone. In the process she and the latest son of the Mirobe line discover both the egg & an amulet, similar to the one that linked Asagi to Gamera in the first film. The egg later hatched, produced an infant Iris. Ayana gains a link to the creature via the amulet and feels a kinship with the creature, stating at one point "Gamera killed its family too"; driven by total hatred for Gamera, she raises Iris (naming it after her dead pet cat) in hopes that it will become strong enough to kill him for her. It was shown to have an affectionate nature, but this is shown alongside the sinister way it eats and, later in the film, the woodland animals it leaves dead. It is not long before Iris it attempts to merge with Ayana - and her actions show she's willingly letting it do so - by sealing her in a cocoon. Moribe discovers her and cuts her free. She is then taken to a hospital. While Ayana is gone, Iris grows kaiju-sized in the woods as it devours several villagers, including Ayana's adoptive parents and brother. Shortly, the monster grows into its adult form. The Japanese Self Defense Forces quickly deploys and surrounds Iris as it sleeps, attempting to take it out with machine guns and bazookas. Some of the soldiers are killed before Iris takes to the sky and heads for Kyoto, where Ayana had been transferred earlier. The JSDF sends two F-15s in an attempt to shoot Iris down, but it is able to evade them and almost kills them. The fighter pilots are saved by the sudden arrival of Gamera, who engages Iris in a mid-air battle. The JSDF ends the battle by shooting at Gamera, which slows him down and allows Iris to continue on to Kyoto. Soon, Iris lands in Kyoto and fights Gamera on land with Ayana watching and commanding to kill it. Iris manages to knock Gamera down for the count and then attempts again to merge with Ayana; when Moribe intervenes, the creature swats him aside and sucks her into its body against her will. While inside, Ayana realizes that she fueled Iris' destruction with her emotions - it was her hatred that led to the death of her adopted parents, and Super Gyaos instead of Gamera actually killed her parents. All seems lost until Gamera suddenly punches through Iris' armor and rips Ayana out. Infuriated, Iris pins Gamera's hand to a wall with its spear hand and begins to absorb Gamera's energy. Its tentacles begin to form plasma balls, when Gamera quickly uses a plasma ball himself to sever his own hand. Iris fires the absorbed plasma balls at Gamera who uses his stump to turn the plasma into a plasma fist. Gamera then uses the fist to slice through Iris' chest, killing it and ending its reign of terror. Unconfirmed origins and motives The origins of Iris are not explained, and instead the film presents Chinese mythology as explained by Ayana's adoptive brother, the beliefs of the Moribe clan matriach, the theories of government agent/misanthropic recluse Kurata Shinji and the actions of government agent & cultist Ms Asukara. Grandmother Moribe states that the Ryu-Sei-Cho is a demonic creature that will destroy the world if it is ever released. In contrast, the mythology that the Ryu-Sei-Cho name comes from suggests that the being is the mythical "Guardian of the South", who will defend against a threat from the South; a tortoise (hinted to be Gamera) is said to be Guardian of the North and Ayana asks if the two Guardians are rivals (this was unconfirmed). Asukara, who (at the start of the Kyoto battle) Kurata refers to as a former shrine priestess and hints her bloodline goes back to the Atlanteans, believes Iris to be a savior against the "evil spirit" Gamera who threatens to destroy Heaven and Earth. With Kurata's help, she has Ayana moved from hospital to Kyoto, where she's built a shrine and where she attempts to use Ayana & her amulet to deliberately draw Iris to Kyoto. She later seizes the amulet for herself to join with Iris against Gamera (calling it "the God Naibo") and the amulet does appear to react, but no serious connection is made and she was killed in the process. Kurata's belief is that Iris was designed by "the ancients" (Atlanteans), as Gamera and Gyaos was, but with the specific intention to stop Gamera from saving humanity from the Gyaos - "there could be a worse future for Earth than our extinction" and Iris was created to stop that future. He theories it will permanently merge with Ayana to gain power, similar to how Gamera bonded with Asagi but to a greater degree so it can overpower the guardian. Here, Iris is basically out to ensure extinction of mankind (something he openly likes the sound of). Kurata's belief fits in with what is shown of Iris and its actions: it is specifically awoken by the Gamera-hating Ayana, who lifts a stone it is stated a sumo wrestler couldn't move; like Gamera, it has an Atlantean amulet that links it to a human (effectively making it the anti-Gamera); through Asukara, said to be an Atlantean descendant, it is shown there is a long-running religious belief that Iris will protect Earth from destruction by Gamera; and after it is destroyed and Gamera is wounded, Gyaos flock towards Japan as if they know it's left them an opening. It is also shown that Ayana's hatred and malice drives Iris, and it was her influence that caused it to massacre her village & adoptive family and seemingly her influence that causes it to attack Gamera. This could mean Iris' development was warped by contact with Ayana and it would not have been hostile otherwise, or simply that the creature was designed to be awoken by and to seek out individuals with such hostility in them.
The Maser Cannon is a fictional weapon featured in many of Toho Studio's sci-fi and fantasy films. There have been several varieties, but each function in a similar way and have a similar appearence. Variations of the Maser have appeared in 12 films thus far. Origins Many fans consider the inspiration for the final version of the Maser Cannon to be the Markalite Cannon from 1957's The Mysterians. The gigantic satelite-like weapon fired a ray/beam from its center, and proved to be very effective. A similar weapon also appeared in 1959's Battle in Outer Space. In 1961, the movie Mothra featured the famous Atomic Heat Ray Gun, a Markalite-like weapon that took the basic design that was featured in the previous films and placed it on wheels. The tank-like form was taken to the next level five years later for the film War of the Gargantuas, the first film to feature an official Maser Cannon. Overview Although there are several different types of Masers, most have a similar appearence and all function in about the same way. The Maser is basically a large tank that supports a laser firing system in the form of a large arm ending in a satelite-like head. Usually, the arm lowers down when the tank is moving, and rises to take aim at the intended target. The head then fires a steady beam that resembles a laser beam or stream of lightning. The beam has proven to be very effective against some monsters, the best example being Gaira. Masers were also very effective in driving off such monsters as Anguirus and Godzilla (only in The Return of Godzilla), and a variation of the Maser, called the DAG-MB96 or ULT Laser Cannon (which appeared in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)) even succeded in killing the monster Destoroyah at the film's climax. However, most of the time, the Masers fell before the might of the monsters. Maser weapons were utilized by Kiryu, as mouth cannons and the chest-mounted Hyper Maser Cannon, in the Millennium series films. Different Incarnations Type 66 Maser Cannon Hyper Laser Cannon MBT-92 MBAW-93 DAG-MB96 (also known as the ULT (Ultra Low Temporature) maser Cannon) Type 90 Maser Cannon Type 90 Maser Cannon (Second Generation) Cryogenic Tank (Godzilla: Unleashed) Film Profiles Type 66 Maser Cannon Length: 14.5 meters Height: 6 meters Mass: 80 tons Created back in the mid 1960's, this piece of machinery would soon be the leader in Japan's military forces. Able to emit a thin, jagged beam of plasma energy, the weapon proved to be able to hurt many a kaiju. Leading against such foes as Gaira, Gigan, King Ghidorah, and Megalon, the weapon gained respect within minutes. Unfortunately the weapon did have its flaws, like all the others. Because of the fragility of the reactor's core, the machine could not handle any extreme heat. Meaning if that it was struck with a kaiju's energy blast, it would definatly not survive. Hyper Laser Cannon Length: 20 meters Height: 5.34 meters Mass: 120 tons In secret, the Japanese government developed highly advanced technologies during the waning years of the Cold War. Among these military vehicles were the aerial battle-mech: the Super X, and the ground-based beam weapon: the hyper laser cannon. When Godzilla attacked Tokyo in 1984, almost 30 years after his predecessor's initial strike, the JSDF finally put these weapons into commission, to help rid the nation of this terror. Meanwhile, an esteemed professor continued his work on a crude, yet highly effective mind-control device, a brilliant blueprint for what would be Godzilla's not-so-ultimate defeat... As the Japanese government continued to allow Dr. Hayashida's experiment to run its course, two hyper laser cannons were dispatched to contend with the towering terror. The avian frequency device, used to trick Godzilla's mind into following whoever wields the machine, began to lead the monster barreling straight into Dr. Hayashida's lab. Those trapped within the laboratory watched in horror as the cold eyes of the lumbering leviathan approached, but luckily, the piercing chirp of a concentrated beam collided with Godzilla. The curious creature turned to face this exotic weaponry, and in the process, damaged the building in which Dr. Hayashida was conducting his experiments. The beast continued to turn toward the laboratory from which he sensed the familiar frequencies, but was quickly distracted by the mild challenge that the relatively diminutive hyper laser cannons posed... Both tanks continued to unleash their powerful beams at Godzilla, but the monster barely reared at the searing strikes. The two devices, firing from two separate angles, blasted Godzilla and managed to lure the monster through the park and away from the lab. Fortunately, the ultimate weapon, the Super X, had finally arrived to relieve the burden off of the ineffective beam cannons. It was certain that this new weapon would be the device that would succeed where so many others failed. The hyper laser cannons bid a silent retreat. MBT-92 Length: 16 meters Height: 4.8 meters Mass: 85 tons The MBT-92 would replace the hyper laser cannon when the threat of godzilla return in the late 80s. It would first encounter godzilla in 1989 were it would prove its usefulness against the atomic dragon. Later throughout the the 1990s the MBT-92 would encounter godzilla multiple times. However despite the combination of firepower, armor and mobility the MBT-92 would eventually in every encounter with godzilla or an other kaji be defeated. The MBT-92 Is six wheeled and very armored with An maser cannon that can project an single ray. In Godzilla vs Destroyah the MBT-92 is equipped with an Ultra-Low Temperature laser and additonal missile pods. DAG-MB96 Length: 10.5 meters Height: 7.9 meters Mass: 105 tons A new spin was placed on the favored Maser Cannon design that had so aided Japan's Self Defense Force in the mid 1990's. The go-ahead to produce this new "freezing gun" was given when Godzilla was transformed into a ticking time bomb. The new Burning Godzilla threatened to be overtaken by his nuclear heart and detonate, taking all of Japan with it in a Chinese Syndrome. A plan of action to cool down the giant was immediately taken into play. Oddly enough, though, Godzilla wasn't the first monster to face the improved DAG-MB96. Instead, the machines were called against the gathering Destoroyah forces. Joined with the Apaches and Type 90 tanks, the DAG-MB96's unleashed their fury. Freezing missiles, and glacier blast of ionized energy cut into the armies of the Destoroyahs. The weapon was proving its worth, until the Precambrian life forms merged into a single giant. Within seconds they outgrew the pitiful gnat like stings of the Freezing masers and destroyed all that laid before it. Worrying over their losses, the second wave of vehicles were used a bit more wisely. The Self Defense Force waited until the closing minutes of Burning Godzilla and Destoroyah's fight before striking. As the armored giant tried to flee from Godzilla's grasp, the military was deployed. They stole the victory from the nuclear giant, killing and ending Destoroyah's reign of terror forever. However, there was no time to gloat over the victory, as their next target, the overheating Godzilla, was about to reach critical mass. They showered the monster with icy man made weapons, but they could not halt the inevitable. However, in Godzilla's fleeting moments of life he was able to instill his energy in Junior, reviving him, and avoiding the explosion for which the SDF feared. Type 90 Maser Cannon Length: 19 meters Height: 6.1 meters Mass: 132 tons Following in a line of effective maser weapons, the Type 90, which shares similarities in such things such as design with the earlier Type 66 Maser Cannon, was one of the most powerful weapons in the arsenal of the Japanese Self Defense Forces. Unfortunately, it did have a few weaknesses with the most important being that if it had to fight against a kaiju in a rainstorm, the rain would reduce the power of the energy beam. Eventually they met their match in 1999 at the hands of Godzilla who easily destroyed the Type 90s maser cannons during a battle around Tateyama. Their ineffectiveness persuaded the Japanese Prime Minister at the time, Machiko Tsuge, to sanction the development of new weapons, including one that used the bones of the original Godzilla as its basis. Despite the weapon's ineffectiveness against Godzilla, the Type 90 maser cannon continued to see action in subsequent battles against the king of the monsters. Type 90 Maser Cannon (Second Generation) Length: 19 meters Height: 6.1 meters Mass: 132 tons One of the many military weapons in the arsenal of the Japanese Self-Defense Force, the Type 90 Maser Cannon was utilized during an epic battle with Godzilla in the mid-1960s. The snow and ice of the Antarctic landscape gave way to these technological wonders as they made their approach toward Godzilla. The searing streams of electricity fired, and along with a wide variety of other military weaponry and a brutal storm, it appeared as though the advantage was immediately on the side of the humans. Shortly after the assault commenced, however, the wretched reptile began to regain his composure and retaliate. Among his primary targets were these devices that inflicted pain and agony in their flowing currents, and it did not take long for a single atomic ray to wipe out the maser resistance. Their usefulness was immediately proven worthless... Film Appearances
War of the Gargantuas (1966) Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) The Return of Godzilla (1984) Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992) Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993) Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003) Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Trivia The original Maser that appeared in War of the Gargantuas had a head that always remained parallel to the ground benieth it. This was due to the fact that the light bulb used to light the Maser prop could only function parallel to the floor of the set. In George Lucas' Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), durring the climactic battle between the clone and droid armies on the planet Geonosis, the clones unleash a laser tank against the escaping Trade Federation starships that bears a striking resemblance to Toho's Maser Cannon. Both rest on tanks and fire a blue beam from a satelite-like head. While it is unknown weather or not Lucas used the Maser Cannon for inspiration, it is extremely likely given the similarities. (This is not without precedent; Lucas had referenced Japanese cinema previously in the Star Wars series. The characters of C-3PO and R2-D2 were based on the always bickering peasants in Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece The Hidden Fortress. Also, the Rancor, a giant alien monster that had made an appearence in Episode VI: The Return of the Jedi, was based on Godzilla himself, and was originally planned to be realized via suitmation.) |
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