Zoospora
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
SPOILER WARNING: This article may contain major plot and/or ending details. Proceed at your own discretion. |
|---|
“
|
I've been here for millennia. Quiet. Content to coexist. But the Earth is in peril now. And there seems only one solution. Kill the humans.
|
„
|
— The Talking Cave (Godzilla: War for Humanity) |
Zoospora is a fungus monster who serves as the antagonist of the 2023-2024 IDW comic series Godzilla: War for Humanity.
A monster capable of turning other kaiju into mindless zombies, Zoospora wasted no time spreading chaos across the globe as it infected Gorosaurus, Manda, and Anguirus within a matter of days and sent them on rampages. A task force formed to stop the monster lured Godzilla to Zoospora using Minilla as bait in a desperate plan. The threat of Zoospora came to a head in the heart of Tokyo in which Godzilla and the task force's Super MOGUERA battled against Zoospora and an army of monsters who had fallen under the fungus kaiju's influence.
Design
Zoospora is a massive, bipedal fungus monster. It has a large mouth and no visible eyes with its head and back covered in asymmetrical bulges and mushroom-like bumps. Additionally, its chest is covered by growths resembling oyster mushrooms. Zoospora's feet are composed of a network of mycelia vine-like tendrils.
The Talking Cave, which acts as Zoospora's brain, appears as a dark green, noseless face in a cave with various tendrils spreading around the cave into the earth. The top of its head resembles a brain, which is a lighter green in color.
Origins
While speaking with Dr. Yuko Honda, the entity known as the Talking Cave revealed that it had existed on Earth for millennia and was content to share the planet with humanity. However, as humans became increasingly careless and destructive of the Earth, the Talking Cave realized that coexistence was no longer an option and created Zoospora as an extension of itself with the goal of exterminating the human race.
Comics
- Godzilla: War for Humanity #1-5 (2023-2024)
Godzilla: War for Humanity
A mysterious new kaiju, Zoospora first made its presence known by attacking Gorosaurus while the kaiju were migrating. After entwining Gorosaurus within its tendrils, Zoospora secreted an unknown substance onto him, temporarily paralyzing him before disappearing beneath the Earth. Following Gorosaurus' recovery, the theropod kaiju changed migration patterns and went on a rampage in the nearest populated area. Zoospora later attacked Manda, who similarly went berserk upon being exposed to Zoospora's secretions.
While Anguirus was migrating through Madagascar, Zoospora suddenly erupted out of the Earth and ensnared the unsuspecting monster with its tendrils. After freeing himself, Anguirus fought back against the fungus kaiju, violently ripping Zoospora's arm off with ease. However, Zoospora simply regenerated the limb within seconds and was able to successfully restrain Anguirus. Using its tendrils, Zoospora pried the the helpless kaiju's jaw open and secreted a purple liquid into his mouth, paralyzing him. Soon after, MOGUERA arrived and prepared to launch an all-out assault against Zoospora. Before the mecha could fire its Plasma Maser Cannon, however, a revived and berserk Anguirus attacked it, inadvertently saving Zoospora. Zoospora then tossed Anguirus out of the way to secrete more fluids onto the downed MOGUERA, which flooded the mecha's cockpit and began affecting its human pilots, who, like the kaiju, began demonstrating uncontrollable rage and madness.
Zoospora ambushed Rodan as the winged kaiju emerged from the Taal Volcano in the Philippines. Caught by surprise, Rodan was unable to defend himself as Zoospora discharged its fluids into Rodan's mouth, claiming yet another victim. Concurrently, Gorosaurus, Manda, and Anguirus, who were still under Zoospora's influence, converged on Tokyo. Desperate to gain Godzilla's help in the fight, Dr. Yuko Honda and her team used MOGUERA to kidnap Minilla in efforts to lure the King of the Monsters to Tokyo, which proved to be successful.
After incapacitating the brainwashed Anguirus, Manda, and Gorosaurus, Godzilla set his sights on Rodan before Zoozpora's tendrils burst out of the ground and grabbed the King of the Monsters. While pulling Godzilla back, the fungus monster rose out of the ground in the middle of the city and began to secrete its substance onto him. However, Godzilla latched onto the larger monster and began ripping it out of the ground, tearing Zoospora's body from its roots which it needed to survive. Godzilla then fired his atomic breath point-blank at Zoospora, which seemingly destroyed the beast. However, mere moments later, a significantly larger Zoospora erupted out of the Earth behind Godzilla and sent him flying back, revealing that Zoospora could simply regrow its entire body wherever its roots are present. The battle continued into the night, though Godzilla struggled to stop the monster. Eventually, Mothra entered the battle upon recovering from an earlier attack by the infected Rodan. Mothra blasted Zoospora with her antenna beams, only to be ensnared by Zoospora's tendrils and pulled out of the sky, where Zoospora promptly drenched the divine moth in its mouth secretions. Now infected, Mothra joined the rest of Zoospora's contaminated kaiju, who had also since recovered, in attacking Godzilla. With Godzilla preoccupied, Zoospora made its move on Minilla and grabbed the baby kaiju by his tail. Godzilla roared at Zoospora, desperate to save Minilla, but was unable to overcome the combined might of the five kaiju holding him back. Just as Zoospora brought Minilla to its mouth to infect him, Star Falcon arrived to stop the fungal kaiju, striking it with lasers that caused it to drop Minilla. However, Zoospora promptly used its tendrils to grab Star Falcon, snuffing out the brief ray of hope humanity had. Zoospora then prepared to infect the pilot of Star Falcon - Samantha, Dr. Honda's daughter.
To be added.
Abilities
Secretion
Zoospora can secrete a substance that places other kaiju into a frenzied and berserk state and causes them to go on rampages, even if they are otherwise peaceful. In this state, infected kaiju also never attack Zoospora and even defended it from the attacking Godzilla, suggesting that they are doing Zoospora's bidding. This secretion can also induce similar reactions in any humans who are exposed to it, effectively turning them into violent, mindless zombies.
Burrowing
Zoospora can burrow up through the Earth wherever its roots are present underground.
Tendrils
Zoospora features a mass of tendrils stemming from each foot that can be used to constrict and restrain other kaiju with ease. Additionally, Zoozpora can elongate its fingers into tendrils as well. Zoospora can extend its tendrils at remarkable speeds, to the point where it was able to snatch Mothra and the Star Falcon out of the sky while they were flying around its body.
Regeneration
Zoospora can regenerate entire limbs almost instantaneously, as demonstrated during its battle against Anguirus.
Regrowth
As a fungus monster, Zoospora can simply regrow its entire body from its roots. After Godzilla destroyed one of its bodies, Zoospora simply regrew another that was several times larger than its previous body within mere moments.
Telepathy
While the Talking Cave was purported to be capable of telepathically communicating with Godzilla and other kaiju, it later confessed this to be a lie. However, the Cave nevertheless appears to have some degree of telepathic capabilities, as it identified Dr. Yuko Honda by name before she had a chance to introduce herself.
Weaknesses
Dr. Johnny Wiggum theorized that Zoospora was susceptible to fire, which was seemingly confirmed when Godzilla burned one of its bodies with his atomic breath to destroy it. Zoospora also never loses connection with the ground and must remain connected to its roots at all times. Being a fungus, Zoospora requires nutrients from the ground to survive, and its body will die if separated from its roots within the Earth.
Zoospora’s brain, also known as the Talking Cave and hidden in a cave in Mongolia, is vulnerable to pistol fire, as Samantha killed with a single bullet. The giant Zoospora was simultaneously destroyed by Godzilla's atomic breath, which was powered up after he absorbed energy from Super MOGEURA's reactor, finally ending the threat.
Gallery
Trivia
- Zoospora is the first original monster to appear as a major antagonist in an IDW Publishing Godzilla comic since the Trilopods from Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, which concluded in 2015.
- While Zoospora's height is unknown and can vary, even its smallest observed height towered over all of the kaiju it encountered, including Godzilla, who was noted to be 355 feet tall in issue #3.
|
|
|
Comments
Showing 14 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators.
