Manda (マンダ) is a fictional Kaiju (Japanese giant monster) created by the Japanese film making company, Toho. Manda is a serpentine creature similar to a Japanese dragon with four small legs and prominent horns. Manda does not have any special weapons, but can wrap his body around an enemy and crush them in the manner of a constrictor snake. Manda can also swim very fast and breathe underwater. His first appearance is in Atragon (1963). Origins Showa Series In Atragon, Manda is a sea-dwelling dragon that lives in the sea and is the guardian of Mu, an underwater kingdom. Manda is one of the primary antagonists along with the Empress. When the submarine warship Gotengo attacks, Manda fights it and wraps his body around the ship, trying to crush it. But the Gotengo discharges electricity on Manda and shocks him. Manda unwraps itself and tries to swim away, but the Gotengo pursues him, later firing its Absolute Zero Cannon to freeze Manda. Manda reappears again on Monster Island (along with several other kaiju including Godzilla, Rodan and Anguirus) in Destroy All Monsters. Aliens called Kilaaks come to Earth and take control of Manda and the other monsters, making them attack cities worldwide until the humans manage to free the monsters from alien mind control. After this the monsters are sent to fight King Ghidorah, although Manda does not fight in the battle, merely watching from the sidelines with Varan and Baragon. After Ghidorah is killed, Manda and the other monsters return to Monster Island. The Manda prop used in Destroy All Monsters had no horns or whiskers on his face and the long fuzz running down his back was gone. Millennium series In the Millennium series, Manda is the first monster to be killed in Godzilla: Final Wars, playing a minor role, once again as an adversary of the Gotengo. The Gotengo attacks Manda who is wrapped around its hull. The super-submarine manages to shake him off and sails into an underwater volcano to see if it can lure Manda inside. The plan works, but Manda is merely injured and continues to pursue the Gotengo. The submarine then whips around and fires its Zero Cannon which hits Manda, causing him to freeze instantly, after which Gotengo uses its drill to easily pierce the frozen Manda, causing the monster to shatter and die. In this movie Manda (along with Zilla and Kamacuras while flying) is computer generated. Movie Appearances Atragon (1963) Destroy All Monsters (1968) All Monsters Attack (1969, stock footage) Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975, stock footage) Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Other Appearances
He also appeared in Godzilla: Monster War. Manda is used as the name for a giant snake, and boss of the Snake Summons in the Naruto manga series.
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Megaguirus (メガギラス Megagirasu) is a kaiju, a type of fictional monster, who first appeared in the 2000 movie Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. A mutated version of the fictional meganulon, Megaguirus is regarded as the queen of the species; according to Toho, she is about 50 meters (164 feet) in length, has a wingspan of 80 meters (262 feet) and weighs roughly 12,000 tonnes (13,220 tons). The first and only major appearance of the creature was in the 2000 film Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, she also had a brief cameo appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars. Character history Although the species of meganulon, the origin of Megaguirus, were first depicted in the 1956 movie Rodan, the monster itself did not appear until its debut in 2000. Megaguirus was first mentioned in the movie Godzilla vs. Megaguirus after a swarm of meganulon absorbed energy from Godzilla and quickly fled to a flooded section of Tokyo. After diving into the flood waters, the entire swarm latched on to an enormous, mutated version of meganulon. This mutated creature, regarded as the queen, begins to molt once enough energy had been obtained. After leaving behind its exoskeleton, Megaguirus rose above the water's surface and entered the skies of Tokyo. Immediately after getting above water, Megaguirus began its rampage of Tokyo, destroying numerous buildings by creating super sonic shock waves with its wings. The Japanese military, already deployed to the city to assist in evacuating residents caught in the flood, was helpless to stop Megaguirus. In addition to being practically immune to bullets, its wings emitted a piercing buzz which forced people to stop what they were doing and cover their ears in pain. Before leaving the city, the creature leveled a skyscraper and caused a chain reaction of explosions in several other buildings near where it was born. Several days later, Megaguirus returned to Tokyo in pursuit of Godzilla. Moments before Megaguirus's second arrival in Tokyo, the G-Graspers a legion of anti-Godzilla soldiers in the Japan Self Defense Unit, attempts to take down Godzilla "once and for all." However, Megaguirus interrupts this and begins a lengthy duel with Godzilla. Initially, Megaguirus takes Godzilla by surprise, using its speed to avoid Godzilla's attacks, including its atomic breath, as well as knock it over multiple times. Eventually, Megaguirus grabs onto Godzilla's neck with its vice-like claws. Although Godzilla breaks free of the grasp and begins to charge up his atomic breath, Megaguirus jabs Godzilla with her stinger and begins absorbing energy, preventing Godzilla from using its atomic breath while giving more power to Megaguirus. After having its stinger pulled out of Godzilla, Megaguirus uses the newly obtained energy to pick Godzilla up and throw him into a building. Once Godzilla recovered, Megaguirus again stabs him with her stinger, but this time, Godzilla grabs Megaguirus's tail and slams it into the ground and follows through by tackling her. Shortly thereafter, Megaguirus uses the absorbed energy to launch an "atomic blast" which caused Godzilla to collapse. Seemingly having defeated Godzilla, Megaguirus goes in for the kill, but just as she makes her move, Godzilla quickly gets up and bites off Megaguirus's stinger. Stunned, Megaguirus floats backwards from Godzilla, only to be set aflame by his atomic breath. To ensure his victory, Godzilla hits Megaguirus again, causing her to explode into a ball of fire before the burning remains fell to the ground and exploded for a final time. Abilities Similar to nearly every monster in the Godzilla series, Megaguirus was at one point exposed to radioactive materials, resulting in a substantial increase in strength, speed and size. After obtaining energy from the minor meganulon, Megaguirus is able to fly at incredibly fast speeds, up to mach 4. It is able to flap its dragonfly-like wings at super-sonic speeds, creating shock waves that can destroy buildings. Its enlarged tail works similar to the stinger of a scorpion, it jabs its foe and latches on to it. Once the stinger is in Megaguirus's opponent, it can either absorb energy for itself or release a blast of energy composed of its opponents beam weapon. Additionally, while flying, its wings cause electronic disturbances. Video games Megaguirus has appeared in three video games produced by Atari since Godzilla vs. Megaguirus came out in 2000. Of these, the creature is a playable character in two and an AI-controlled boss or enemy in one. Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004): One of 18 playable characters in this melee game. Megaguirus is regarded as the fastest creature in the game and retains one of its signature features as an attack, stealing energy through its tail. The game was designed for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 platforms. Godzilla: Unleashed (2007): One of 26 playable characters in this 3D fighting game. Megaguirus is part of the "Mutant" faction of monsters and remains the fastest character. This game was designed for the Wii and PlayStation 2 platforms. Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (2007): A shorter, less encompassing version of Godzilla: Unleashed designed for the Nintendo DS. However, unlike the console version, in Double Smash, Megaguirus is not a playable character and has a minimal part in the game. Trivia
Skeetera from Godzilla: the Series has similar powers as Megaguirus. This is the first prehistoric insect to fight Godzilla. There is a useful glitch in Godzilla: Unleashed, where Megaguirus is able to use a beam indefinitely (forever), taking the weapon after stealing the opponents energy first. The Meganulon are based off of an actual prehistoric species of dragonfly, called Meganeura. These dragonflies lived before the dinosaurs, in the Carboniferous era, and were as large as seagulls. Many giant insects evolved during the carboniferous because of the high amount of oxygen in the air. In the movie, it is unclear as to whether Megaguirus is prehistoric or extradimensional, because her egg was brought to Earth (or possibly mutated, it never says) by a man-made black hole called the Dimension Tide. The Meganulon's first appearance was actually in the movie Rodan. Kamacuras (カマキラス, Kamakirasu) is a giant mantis (sometimes a species of mantis) that first appeared in the film Son of Godzilla. History Showa Series Son of Godzilla When a United Nations weather control experiment on the Solgell Island accidentally caused a radioactive storm in 1967, the island was doused in a radioactive rainstorm that caused at least three of the island’s already two-meter-long praying mantis' to mutate into 50-meter monsters. After scaring the United Nations crew for a while, the Kamacuras uncovered and attacked Minilla's egg, breaking it open and then proceeding to try and devour the young monster. Godzilla, hearing the cries of Minilla, arrived on the island and quickly killed two of the Kamacuras with his radioactive heat ray, but one managed to escape. Later, Kumonga, the giant spider, killed the third Kamacuras in battle when he entangled the giant mantis in his webbing and jabbed it with his poison stinger. All Monsters Attack The monsters also makes a breif appearance in All Monsters Attack, as a small pack of them attack Godzilla, only to be killed quickly and easily by the King of Monsters (along with Kumonga, Ebirah, Giant Condor, and a few fighter jets). Of course, this is all in the mind of young Ichiro. Godzilla vs. Gigan Thought to have been wiped out by Kumonga on Solgell Island, a Kamacuras later turned up on Ogasawara Island, living in peace with the other monsters. Godzilla Island Series Aside from Kamacuras' big screen appearences, the monster mantis also made an appearence in the 12th Story Arc of the television show Godzilla Island (1997-1998). In the story, Kamacuras arives on the island under false pretenses, claiming to have escaped from an ever growing "100 Monster Army" being assembled by the Xilian alians. However, Kamacuras is already a part of that army (which consists of only two monsters) and has arived to set a trap for Godzilla and recruit the island's heroic monsters into the evil army. Ultimatly, Kamacuras fails and flees the island, never to be heared from again. Millennium series Godzilla: Final Wars In the 2004 film, Godzilla: Final Wars, Kamacuras made an appearance as one of the many controlled monsters of a race of superior extraterrestrial beings known as the Xilians. It attacks Paris and is soon confronted by the indomitable warship known as the Ecalir; the two proceed to have a heart-racing clash against one another, but soon, the giant manits is teleported away by an enormous UFO to make it seem as if the Xilians eliminated every monster. Eventually, it is discovered that the Xiliens were controlling the the monster, who are returned to finish their rampages. The city of Paris is destroyed by the combined forces of the Xilien ships and Kamacuras. Then, Godzilla is released from his subzero prison and he soon eliminates Gigan in Antarctica, Zilla in Sydney and Kumonga in Arizona. Godzilla soon reaches the shores of Kanto, Japan, where the Xiliens place Kamacuras to battle against the nuclear menace. Ready to do battle from a nearby bridge, the structure is, however, destroyed by the tidal waves advancing in front of Godzilla. The giant mantis quickly flies off, and disguises itself by matching the appearance of the hillside. The King of the Monsters is unfazed by the trick, and nukes the hillside to smoke out the large insect. Kamacuras, left with no other choice, leaps forth, just in time to dodge Godzilla's ray, and readies itself to engage its opponent in close combat. However, Godzilla easily throws the giant mantis away, causing the creature to tumble backwards and fall onto an electrical transmission tower. The tower pierces through the creature's exoskeleton, as its eyes begin to dim and death overtakes it. Godzilla then proceeds to walk away in triumph to face his next challenge. Powers and abilities As a giant mantis, Kamacuras has all the natural abilities a normal praying mantis would have, such as flight and spiked claws. In the film Godzilla: Final Wars, Kamacuras is shown with a new deadly ability: the power to alter its natural color, thus allowing Kamacuras to camouflage and blend in with its surroundings, waiting to ambush its unwary opponent. Filmography Son of Godzilla All Monsters Attack Godzilla vs. Gigan Godzilla Island Godzilla: Final Wars Video Game Appearances Kaiju-Oh Godzilla Godzilla Trading Battle Trivia
The original Kamacuras created by Teisho Arikawa for Son of Godzilla were marionetts opperated by overhead wires (the same effects were also used for the monsters Kumonga and the infant Minilla). The effects stand out as some of the best in the Showa series. A videogame called "War Of The Monsters" has a monster named Preytor who clearly resembles Kamacuras. Kamacuras was considered for Godzilla: Unleashed, but was dropped due to his similarities to the character Preytor in the game War Of The Monsters. Jet Jaguar (ジェットジャガー Jetto Jagā) is a fictional character who appears in the Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973). History Created from the brilliant mind of Goro Ibuki, Jet Jaguar represented the advancement of technology to its utmost. Working in secret in his lab, the inventor's triumphs didn't go unnoticed. Watching from a distance, agents of Seatopia awaited for their chance to capture the scientist and take hold of the marvelous robot. Lying in shrouding mystery, they awaited to spring their trap at last. Seizing hold of the man and a small boy, they sought to bring him to the undersea kingdom, until the rising Megalon revealed its ghastly face. Unknowingly setting free the humans, the insect raged into its set path, dumbly following the Seatopia controlled Jet Jaguar. Only by using his medallion with its built in override voice command, was Goro able to overthrow Seatopia's control. Witnessing the threat at hand, the inventor immediately ordered the humanoid robot to retrieve Godzilla from the devastated Monster Island. Flying at an unimaginable speed of over mach three, the machine accomplished its mission as it flew ahead of the nuclear saurian that it had summoned. Instead of obeying the voice override once it returned, though, the metallic warrior dipped into the recesses of its programming and began to operate on its own accord. Seeing the danger that Megalon possessed to life, the machine grew to match the insect's own daunting stature and proceeded to face the creature. Matching and overcoming each tactical move of the Seatopian god, it seemed that the giant would win the day, until another entered the fray. Swooping down from the lisping clouds, the cyborg Gigan stole the victory. Adding its tremendous power to Megalon's, the creatures overtook the robot in a matter of minutes. It wasn't until the summoned Godzilla's arrived did Earth breath a sigh of relief. Fighting back against the duo, Jet Jaguar and Godzilla pushed back the two demons into retreat. Following in an impressive show of intelligence, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar shook hands, the machine showing his gratitude. Watching the dorsal finned behemoth leave, the humanoid robot shrank back down to size, and once again reverted to being controlled through its voice control system. The survival program now lay dormant that Earth is safe. Origins Jet Jaguar was the result of a contest Toho had in mid-to-late 1972 for fans to come up with a new hero for them to use (to capitalize on the many tokusatsu and anime superhero and super robot shows that were all the rage at the time). The winner of the contest submitted the drawing of a robot called Red Alone. The robot resembled Ultraman, Spectreman, and Mazinger Z (all of which were very popular at the time). The robot was renamed Jet Jaguar and was set to star in a film vehicle for him, titled Jet Jaguar vs. Megalon, which pitted him against Megalon (a previously unused Godzilla villain). However, Toho figured Jet Jaguar would not be able to carry the film on his own, in screen appearance or marketing value, so during pre-production, even after doing some tests and storyboards, the project was shut down for several weeks, until screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa was called in to rewrite the script to add Godzilla and Gigan to have more marquee value. The resulting film, Godzilla vs. Megalon, paired Godzilla with Jet Jaguar against both Megalon and Gigan. Film Appearances Godzilla vs. Megalon Other appearances
Jet Jaguar appears in the video games Godzilla Trading Battle (1998), Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004), Godzilla: Unleashed (2007), and Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (2007). Ebirah (エビラ Ebira), is a fictional kaiju (Japanese giant monster) that first appeared in the Showa Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. He is one of the two main antagonists of the film. So far Ebirah has also appeared in All Monsters Attack and Godzilla: Final Wars. Origin Showa series In Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, a terrorist organization called the Red Bamboo had set up a base of operations on Letchi Island. The giant shrimp Ebirah was successfully used to destroy any ship that came too close to the island. The Red Bamboo ships used a special extract from the island’s fruit to protect themselves from Ebirah. When a small group of people stranded on the island saw the mutant dinosaur Godzilla sleeping in a cave, they woke him so he could fight Ebirah. Godzilla easily won and injured the crustacean with his atomic ray. The day after, a Red Bamboo ship appeared, but they unknowingly used a placebo and not the fruit extract. Ebirah attacked and tore the ship apart. Godzilla reappeared, but this time, Godzilla pulled off Ebirah’s claws. The wounded Ebirah then fled. Ebirah was not seen again until he appeared on Monster Island in Ichiro’s dreams in All Monsters Attack. His appearance in this film is simply stock footage utilized from Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster. Ebirah was originally going to appear in Destroy All Monsters, but did not make it to the final draft. Millennium series In the Millennium era, Ebirah makes an appearance in Godzilla: Final Wars as one of the many controlled monsters of the Xiliens, a race of extraterrestrial beings. He destroys a factory near Tokyo, and the military forces are sent to destroy him, but are outmatched by the immense crustacean. Instead, the mutant soldiers are called to stop the kaiju. The mutants successfully defeat Ebirah and are about to kill him, when he disappears in a flash of light. The Xiliens arrive and say that they destroyed the monsters to save Earth. However, it is soon found out that the monsters were in fact controlled by the Xiliens all along. The Gotengo then frees Godzilla from the Antarctic so he could fight the controlled kaiju. The plan is a success and Godzilla successfully defeats all of the kaiju. When he arrives in Tokyo Bay, he faces Ebirah and the smog monster Hedorah. However, they are no match for Godzilla, who blasts them out of the water with his atomic ray and the duo crash into a building, where Ebirah's claw stabs Hedorah's eye. Godzilla fires another blast and knocks out both Ebirah and Hedorah. Video game appearances Ebirah has been featured in as a non-playable enemy kaiju in three video games: Godzilla, King of the Monsters Godzilla: Save the Earth Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash Ebirah was only featured as a playable character in the Japan-only game Godzilla Trading Battle. Appearances in comic book
Ebirah made an appearance in the IDW comic book series Godzilla: The Half-Century War. 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. 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. 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. |
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