Gabara

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Gabara
Gabara in All Monsters Attack
Alternate names Gabarah, Gabala, Gavalla, Gavara, Gaborik, Gebara, Gabera, Gabra[1]
Subtitle(s) Heinous Monster
(凶悪怪獣,   Kyōaku Kaijū)[2]
Heinous New Monster
(凶悪な新怪獣,   Kyōakuna Shin Kaijū)[3]
Furious New Monster
(猛烈新怪獣,   Mōretsu Shin Kaijū)
Toad Monster (ガマ怪獣,   Gama Kaijū)[4]
Heinous Toad Monster
(凶悪ガマ怪獣,   Kyōaku Gama Kaijū)G:TB
Species Mutant AmphibianAMA[5], G!Go,
Gluttonous Minion of Maoh MutationG!Gr
Height 58 meters[2][6]
10 metersG:MA[7]
Weight 23,000 metric tons[2][6]
Forms Human SizeG!Gr
Controlled by TonchikiG!Gr
Relations Tonchiki (Creator)G!Gr
Allies Tonchiki, Maoh
Enemies Godzilla, Minilla, Godman, Greenman
Conceived of by Ishiro Honda, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by Shinichi Sekizawa
Designed by Teizo Toshimitsu, Kan Komura
Modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, Kanju Yagi,
Yasuei Yagi, Keizo Murase
Played by Yasuhiko Kakuko
First appearance Latest appearance
All Monsters Attack Go! Greenman
Roar(s)
More roars
That Gabara has lost again. Go home, Gabara, you are a loser!
„ 

Ichiro Miki, after having witnessed the defeat of Gabara at the hands of Godzilla and Minilla. (All Monsters Attack)

Gabara (ガバラ,   Gabara) is a dream kaiju created by Toho that first first appeared in the 1969 Godzilla film, All Monsters Attack.

A malicious bully of a monster, Gabara existed within the dreams of Ichiro Miki in All Monsters Attack, as a representation of Ichiro's real-life bully also nicknamed "Gabara." Gabara liked to bully Minilla, who was too small and weak to fight back and couldn't rely on his father for assistance. Ichiro befriended Minilla and helped him to defeat Gabara using an elaborate trap. Gabara retaliated by attacking Godzilla himself, who promptly beat Gabara into submission. Gabara also made an appearance in Toho's 1970's tokusatsu shows Go! Godman and Go! Greenman, where he fought against the titular heroes.

Name

In the context of All Monsters Attack, Gabara gets its name from Ichiro Miki's real-life bully Sanko, who he gives the nickname "Gabara."

Originally, Gabara was to be called Gebara (ゲバラ,   Gebara),[8] but Toho decided to change his name to Gabara in order to avoid confusion with the American biopic film Che!, which was released in Japan as Guevara! (ゲバラ!,   Gebara!) earlier in 1969.[5] The monster's original name "Gebara" can be seen on some early concept art.

Development

Finalized Gabara concept art by Kan Komura

The initial design for Gabara was handled by Teizo Toshimitsu,[8] who drew the concept at actual size in order to aid in the eventual modeling of the suit. The concept was later re-drawn by art assistant Kan Komura, refining the facial expression and touches to the chest and abdomen.[9]

For Gabara's suit, the head was modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu,[8] purportedly modified from that of a prior Godzilla suit.[10] All Monsters Attack would be the last Godzilla project Toshimitsu would work on.[9] Because Toshimitsu worked on the suits of both Gabara and King Ghidorah, there are similarities between the horns modeled on the top of their heads.[8] Gabara's body was handled by the Yagi brothers Kanju and Yasuei, and its form is said to take the overall shape of a tailless Godzilla.[8] Keizo Murase also acted as an assistant modeler for Gabara.[9]

Design

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 he is said to be based on a toad,[5] Gabara is very similar to—and more than likely partially 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 and distinctly-mammalian facial features. 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.

In Go! Godman, Gabara's skin tone is changed to a dark, greenish-blue color, and he lacks his trademark ginger hair. Due to mild deterioration of the suit's face, his eyes appear to take on a more confused or surprised expression. This damage was repaired in time for the show's followup, Go! Greenman. In this show, Gabara's skin is now a lighter shade of green, and the plates on his torso are almost gold in color.

Origins

In All Monsters Attack, Gabara exists only within the dreams of protagonist Ichiro Miki. In the context of Ichiro's dreams, Gabara is a toad that was mutated by nuclear explosions into a giant bipedal ogre-like monster.[5]

In Go! Godman, Gabara is a mutated bullfrog. In its follow-up series, Go! Greenman, Gabara is created by Tonchiki and placed inside of a toy of Red King, and reveals himself when a group of children play with the figure.

History

Showa Series

All Monsters Attack

Gabara was a resident of Ichiro Miki'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 successfully beat Gabara by luring him onto a giant teeter-totter contraption, which launched Gabara high into the air after Minilla grew to full size and jumped on it. Just as Godzilla arrived to congratulate his son, Gabara retaliated and bit Godzilla, who proceeded to unleash his full fury against Gabara. Godzilla beat Gabara senseless and then threw him over his shoulder, sending Gabara running away in defeat.

Go! Godman

Gabara in Go! Godman

A mutated bullfrog, Gabara did battle with the hero Godman, but was defeated.

Go! Greenman

Gabara in Go! Greenman

Gabara was created for Maoh by Tonchiki, and placed within a figure of the popular Ultra Series kaiju, Red King. When the action figure was hit with a stick by the children, Gabara revealed himself, and devoured one of the kids whole. The remaining children frantically ran from the monster before finally summoning Greenman. Upon arriving on Earth, Greenman engaged Gabara in a decisive battle, and with much difficulty was able to safely retrieve the swallowed boy before destroying Gabara.

Abilities

Electrical Current

Gabara shocks Minilla with electricity

Gabara can channel energy through his body in the form of electricity. He can then channel it into his arms, and electrify anything he touches.


Hammer Punch

Gabara, after having shocked Minilla, strikes him with a Hammer Punch

Gabara can perform a powerful punch with his right arm, called the Hammer Punch (ハンマー・パンチ).[5] This was used in tandem with his electric abilities against Minilla.


Venom

Though this ability is never demonstrated onscreen, Gabara is said to be able to emit a green venom from his body.[5] The Kaiju Guide in the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla game states that this venom comes specifically from Gabara's warts.[10]

Smoke Breath

Gabara fires his smoke breath at Godman

In Go! Godman, Gabara could spew a noxious, blue smoke from his mouth.


Detachable Claws

Gabara throws one of his claws at Greenman, injecting him with venom

In Go! Greenman, Gabara can detach and throw his own claws, which are tipped with venom and can cause powerful explosions.


Human Engulfment

Gabara engulfs a child into his stomach

In Go! Greenman, Gabara can trap children by engulfing them into his body. This was shown when he engulfed an innocent boy before being repelled by Greenman.


Filmography

Video Games

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

Main article: Godzilla (2014 video game)/Kaiju Guide#Gabara.

Books

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

Gabara was a 10 meter-tall monster that lived in the Amazon rainforest and frequently slaughtered local wildlife such as crocodiles. It was reported to have been injured in a thermite explosion and then fell into a river, where it was eaten by crocodiles and piranhas.[7]

Sightings

  • 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."
  • At the end of the Simpsons episode Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo, Gamera, Rodan, Mothra and Godzilla are seen attacking the Simpsons, as Gabara's laugh-like roar is heard.

Gallery

Main article: Gabara/Gallery.

Roar

Gabara's roar sounds like mocking laughter.

Gabara's roars

In Other Languages

  • German: Gabarah
  • Russian: Габара

Trivia

  • Within the context of the film, Gabara is a representation within the dreams of Ichiro Miki, the main character, of a schoolyard bully of the same name. Similarly, Ichiro is represented by Minilla, Godzilla's son. After Godzilla defends his son in Ichiro's dreams, Ichiro is able to overcome his fears and confront the real Gabara.
  • Of all the main antagonist kaiju introduced in the Showa series, Gabara and Megalon are the only ones to have never appeared in another film since the end of the Showa series, although each has been featured in at least one television program since their debut films (Go! Godman and Go! Greenman for Gabara, and Godzilla Island for Megalon).
  • Gabara is the one of only two monsters in the Toho universe that exists only in dreams, the other being the Maneater; that is to say, they do not exist in the "real" world like Toho's other kaiju.
    • In both of his television appearances, Gabara appears in the real world. However, as both Go! Godman and Go! Greenman are set in their own continuities, this means that Gabara still only exists in a dream in the context of the Godzilla series.
    • Gabara also acts as a very real threat in the Japanese story book Giant Dragon Manda, where he teams up with Moguera to antagonize Manda among other villainous acts across the world.
  • 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 Ultraman franchise, with characters like Oni-On, from episode 27 of Ultraman Leo, and Sakunaoni from episode 16 of Ultraman Tiga.
  • The Tsuburaya Productions kaiju Yadokarin, Femigon, Doragory, and Kyasshi all use differently modified Gabara roars.
  • Gabara might have inspired the Godzilla: The Series monster Crackler, as they are both monsters from dreams and their powers are based on electricity.
  • Gabara Pond is a location on Godzilla Island in the show of the same name.
  • The Godzilla Wars series of trading cards states that Gabara hails from Sollgel Island, while a map in the book Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction shows Gabara present on Monsterland.

References

This is a list of references for Gabara. 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]

  1. All Monsters Attack Poster United States 1.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. p. 134. ISBN 978-4091014702. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. Kyooakuna Kaijuu Gabara.png
  4. Definitive Edition of Toho Monster Movies!! Godzilla Special Effects Complete Works. Natsumesha. 21 December 1994. p. 53. ISBN 978-4816317750. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. 28 September 2012. pp. 134–135. ISBN 4-864-91013-8. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. 6.0 6.1 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 123. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Compendium4.png
  7. 7.0 7.1 Renji Ōki (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 77–84.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. pp. 150–151. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection. ASCII MEDIA WORKS. 29 November 2014. pp. 103, 109. ISBN 978-4-04-866999-3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. 10.0 10.1 Gabara Kaiju Guide.png

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