Kamacuras
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Kamacuras (カマキラス Kamakirasu) is a giant praying mantis Template:Kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1967 Godzilla series film, Son of Godzilla.
Name
Kamacuras's name comes from kamakiri (蟷螂), the Japanese word for "mantis."
In the original English dub of Son of Godzilla, the Kamacuras are called "Gimantis," which comes from combining "giant" and "mantis."
Appearance
- Main articles: ShodaiKama, [[, FinalKama]].
Kamacuras' appearance is heavily reminiscent of the animal it is based on, the praying mantis. Kamacuras boasts large bug eyes, six limbs (two forelimbs with large sickles and four back limbs), and a segmented body with a large, long abdomen.
History
Showa Series
Son of Godzilla
When an American 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 atomic breath, but one managed to escape. Later, Kumonga, the giant spider, killed the third Kamacuras in battle when he entangled it in his webbing and jabbed it with his poison stinger.
All Monsters Attack
Kamacuras makes a brief appearance in Ichiro Miki's dreams in All Monsters Attack, as a small pack of them attack Godzilla, only to be killed quickly and easily by him.
Godzilla vs. Gigan
A Kamacuras later turned up on Monster Island, living in peace with the other monsters.
Godzilla Island
Kamacuras also made an appearance in the 12th story arc of Godzilla Island. In the story, Kamacuras arrives on the island under false pretenses, claiming to have escaped from an ever-growing monster army being assembled by the Xilien aliens. However, Kamacuras is already a part of that army and has arrived to set a trap for Godzilla. Ultimately, Kamacuras fails and flees.
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 extraterrestrial beings known as the Xiliens. It attacks Paris and is soon confronted by the Eclair. The two clash, but soon, Kamacuras is teleported away by an unidentified flying object. Eventually, it is discovered that the Xiliens were controlling the monsters, who are returned to finish their rampages. The city of Paris and the Eclair are destroyed by the combined forces of the Xilien ships and Kamacuras. Then, Godzilla is released from Antarctica and he soon eliminates Gigan in Antarctica, Zilla in Sydney and Kumonga in New Guinea. Godzilla soon reaches the shores of Kanto, Japan, where the Xiliens place Kamacuras to battle against him. Ready to do battle from a nearby bridge, the structure is, however, destroyed by the tidal waves coming in front of Godzilla. Kamacuras flies off and disguises itself by matching the appearance of the hillside. Godzilla is unfazed by the trick, and fires his atomic breath at the hillside to smoke out Kamacuras. 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 Kamacuras away, causing it to tumble backwards and fall onto an electrical transmission tower. The tower pierces through Kamacuras's exoskeleton and kills it.
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 to have the power to alter its natural color, allowing Kamacuras to camouflage and blend in with its surroundings.
Filmography
- Son of Godzilla
- All Monsters Attack
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (Stock Footage)
- Godzilla Island
- Godzilla: Final Wars
Video Game Appearances
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Gameboy)
- Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!
- Godzilla Movie Studio Tour
- Godzilla: Trading Battle
- Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
- Godzilla: The Game (Kaiju Guide)
Godzilla: The Game
Kaiju Guide
Kamacuras, the Praying Mantis Monster
The original Kamacuras first appeared in the film "Son of Godzilla" (1967) and was a type of large Tenodera aridifolia praying mantis indigenous to Solgell Island. A group of the mantises turned into monsters due to a failed weather-control experiment. They are huge, carnivorous insects that possess the intelligence to act collectively when engaging in predatory activity or combat with an enemy.
The Kamacuras in "Godzilla: Final Wars" (2004) was controlled by the Xiliens and attacked Paris. It fought with the Earth Defense Force (EDF)'s aerial battleship Eclair and forced it down. When it engaged Godzilla on the coast of Manazuru, however, the overwhelming difference in strength between the two creatures made it easy for Godzilla to overpower it, throwing it to the ground and frying it with his atomic breath.
The original Kamacuras was operated with piano wire. Three models—small, medium, and large—were often used in scenes together in order to emphasize perspective.
■ Specifications
● Original
Length:
50 meters
Weight:
2800 tons
Abilities:
Pincers and spear-shaped forelegs
Appearances:
"Son of Godzilla"
"All Monsters Attack"
● "Godzilla: Final Wars"
Length:
90 meters
Body Height:
40 meters
Sickle Length:
20 meters
Weight:
20,000 tons
Abilities:
Piton crush
Appearances:
"Godzilla: Final Wars"
Kamacuras in Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Comics
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Before making an actual appearance in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kamacuras was present on the massive cave mural on Infant Island, as part of the monsters of the sky. Kamacuras made its first appearance in the series in issue #23, appearing in a flashback where it is attacked by Mothra, who unintentionally causes the death of Minette and Mallory's mother. After a brief skirmish, Kamacuras flies away and is chased by Mothra. Kamacuras at one point, was captured and copied by the Trilopods. It was held in the massive hive, along with many other monsters, but was freed by King Caesar. The mantis along with the other Earth monsters broke out of the hive into Los Angeles and joined the vastly outnumbered Godzilla in the battle against the Trilopods. After being freed, Kamacuras strangely disappeared and was not seen taking part in the battle against the Trilopods and Magita, nor was it seen along with the other Earth monsters after the battle.
- RoE Kamacuras.jpg
Kamacuras in the Infant Island cave mural
Godzilla: Cataclysm
Kamacuras finally appears in issue #1 of the miniseries Godzilla: Cataclysm. A group of scavengers are attacked by several Kamacuras while searching the ruin of Tokyo for useful items. The Kamacuras manage to kill several members of the party before Biollante shows up and kills some of the Kamacuras with her vines.
Gallery
- Main article: Kamacuras/Gallery.
Roar
Kamacuras' roar is actually the screech of Ebirah, only sped up. Kamacuras's roar would later be used for the iconic Ultra Series kaiju Eleking.
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In Other Languages
- Chinese: 卡马奇拉斯 (Kǎmǎqílāsī)
Trivia
- The original Kamacuras puppets created by Teisho Arikawa for Son of Godzilla were marionettes operated by overhead wires (the same effects were also used for the Kumonga puppet and the infant Minilla puppet).
- Kamacuras, Kumonga, Destoroyah and Manda were meant to be part of the Trendmasters Godzilla toy line, but the company went bankrupt beforehand. Prototypes of Kamacuras's toy exist.
- A vaguely humanoid race of mantis creatures who heavily resemble the Kamacuras appear in the 1998 novel Godzilla at World's End, serving as guards and soldiers to the Ancient Ones and their mutated human agent Zoe Kemmering. Because of the similarities between these smaller insects and the much larger Kamacuras, these beings are referred to as 'Kamakites' by the book's protagonists.
References
This is a list of references for Kamacuras. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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