Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Kodansha manga)
Godzilla, King of the Monsters (怪獣王ゴジラ Kaijū Ō Gojira, lit. Monster King Godzilla) was a short-lived manga series published by Kodansha Comics in 1992.
The manga showcases Godzilla squaring off against various kaiju (who are revived or genetically altered by a mad scientist called Oniyama) in extremely violent and bloody battles. The monsters Godzilla defeats are usually defeated by his Atomic Breath, and most of the enemy monster's attacks focus on Godzilla's chest, usually causing dramatic injuries.
Plot
A mad scientist named Doctor Oniyama attempts to take over the Earth, and wants to use Godzilla as his main pawn. To get the beast, though, he has to deal with a young boy, Miko Hideo, his friends, and Godzilla himself. Reviving and altering the DNA of several monsters including Megalon, Biollante, Gigan, and others, he attempts to use a time machine to alter the past. The manga ends when Godzilla, King Godzilla and Oniyama fall into the crater of a volcano.
Monsters
Godzilla
Godzilla is awoken from his slumber after the fight between himself, Mothra and Battra. Making his way inland, he fights several other monsters. The series ends with a brutally wounded Godzilla fighting a genetic twin of his, King Godzilla, and both falling into a volcanic crater.
Sea Baragon
Using the corpse of the original Baragon from 1965, Doctor Oniyama splices its DNA with that of a walrus and narwhal to create a Sea Baragon. Sea Baragon is the first foe of Godzilla in the series and has no special powers, instead opting for brute force and stabbing attacks using its horn.
Neo Biollante
A revived Biollante called Neo Biollante appeared shortly after death of Sea Baragon, and was joined by Megalon in battle against Godzilla. While essentially the same as the first Biollante, Neo Biollante could use her vines to create 'cages' in an attempt to trap Godzilla [1], but required doses of water to stay alive, like a real plant. Despite being rooted to the ground and weighing much more than twice his weight, Godzilla was able to lift and throw Biollante. She retains most of her powers from her film incarnation, and her Corrosive Sap plays a vital role in helping Godzilla defeat King Godzilla. She was killed by Megalon after he accidentally used his Horn Lightning on her after Godzilla threw her at him. Biollante's DNA was later revealed to be part of King Godzilla's genetic makeup, and her head was used as his ultimate weapon, being repurposed to fire a powerful beam from his chest.
Megalon
Megalon surfaces and fights Godzilla, who was fighting with a revived Biollante, accidentally killing her with his horn lightning. Godzilla then broke off Megalon's horn and destroyed him with his atomic breath. It is unknown if this is the same Megalon from 1973.
Mechagodzilla III
Doctor Oniyama apparently rebuilt the original Mechagodzilla, calling it Mechagodzilla III, and sent it and a newly reconstructed Mechani-Kong II to fight Godzilla, impaling him through the chest and damaging his eyes using his eye beams. Mechagodzilla III was destroyed when Godzilla slammed Mechani-Kong II onto its head, causing it to sink into Tokyo Bay. It is unknown if it kept any of its other powers from the films.
Mechani-Kong II
Mechani-Kong is reconstructed by Doctor Oniyama, and used to double team Godzilla, holding the beast while Mechagodzilla III impales him with its hand. Mechani-Kong II is then flung over Godzilla's shoulder and slammed into Mechagodzilla III, destroying both robots.
Rodan
A Rodan appears under the control of Doctor Oniyama, flying across Tokyo and dropping large bombs from his talons. He later attacks Godzilla while he is out at sea and carries him off, only to get slammed into the ground and get his wing torn off by Godzilla.
Anguirus
Unlike the original Anguirus, this one was a new species on display at a Dinosaur Expo Festival whose remains where irradiated by Doctor Oniyama to turn into a kaiju. It was killed when Godzilla rammed one of Rodan's extra bombs down its throat. Unlike its counterparts, this version of Anguirus can tuck its head and limbs into its body to spin rapidly.
Gigan
Gigan travelled to Earth with King Ghidorah. He appears to have been refurbished, and has a variety of powers that he originally didn't have. He was ultimately defeated by Godzilla in the second volume.
King Ghidorah
Another King Ghidorah, called King Ghidorah III, appears in the second volume, arriving on Earth with the purpose to fight Godzilla. He sported the new power of being able to turn himself invisible. King Ghidorah III died when Godzilla ripped two of his heads off with a Nuclear Pulse. His DNA was collected by Doctor Oniyama to form King Godzilla, with two of his heads forming King Godzilla's arms.
Flying Ebirah
First appearing in a South Pacific Beach resort, a member of the Ebirah species was given insect-like wings by Doctor Oniyama, who claims insects and crustaceans are very similar. It used its new wings to fly around and stab at Godzilla, but was impaled on a palm tree and having its new wings torn off by Godzilla. It was then frozen and destroyed.
Neo Gigan
Appearing shortly after the defeat of Flying Ebirah, Neo Gigan was lent to Doctor Oniyama by the Nebulian Space Hunters to fight Godzilla. Due to the liquid nitrogen that was used to freeze Ebirah cooling the area around it, Godzilla was forced into a hibernation-like state, which Neo Gigan took to its advantage, attacking Godzilla. Neo Gigan was later torn in half by Godzilla's brute force. Unlike the original Gigan, Neo Gigan could fire heat beams from its claws, launch its hooked hands, and napalm arms.
Machine G
A powerful Mechagodzilla controlled by G-Force, Machine G was sent by the G-Force to battle Godzilla along with a jet mounted with cannons. Later on, he was deployed by the G-Force again, this time to help Godzilla in his fight against Oniyama's finest creation, King Godzilla. He was nearly destroyed by King Godzilla, but managed to break free and assist in steadily disarming the clone's abilities.
Battra
The same Battra from 1992 is mentioned but only when Doctor Oniyama uses its brain and wings to enhance his "King Godzilla" monster.
King Godzilla
King Godzilla is a monster created by Doctor Oniyama that had the body of Godzilla, two heads and legs from King Ghidorah, and the wings and brain of Battra, and the concealed head of Biollante. Godzilla, weakened from his nonstop brawling stood no chance, until Machine G appeared to assist him. King Godzilla managed to regenerate almost any damage incurred upon him, forcing Machine G to stall the clone until Godzilla, mortally wounded by a set of spikes that King Godzilla dropped him onto, managed to throw himself into a active volcanic crater whilst holding King Godzilla. King Godzilla, Godzilla and Oniyama fell into the crater and all burned to death.
Gallery
Volume 1
Godzilla appears
Sea Baragon stabs Godzilla's chest with his horn
Godzilla breaks off Sea Baragon's horn
Godzilla killing Sea Baragon
Megalon rises from underneath the ground
Megalon drills into Godzilla's chest
Godzilla disintegrates Megalon with his atomic breath
- Biollante appears.JPG
Biollante appears
- Godzilla uproots Biollante.JPG
Godzilla hefts Biollante, despite her immense weight and size
Megalon fires his Lightning Bolt at Godzilla, but it disintegrates Biollante instead
Megalon loses his horn after Godzilla snaps it in half using his tail
Mechagodzilla III appears
Mechani-Kong II grabs Godzilla
Mechagodzilla III mocks Godzilla whilst Mechani-Kong tightens his grip
Mechagodzilla III stabs Godzilla with his arm whilst Mechani-Kong II holds Godzilla steady
Godzilla, now free from Mechani-Kong II's grasp, tosses him over his head, causing Mechani-Kong II's arm to break
- MechaGodzilla 1's inner workings.JPG
Mechagodzilla III has part of his casing removed after Godzilla throws Mechani-Kong II at him, showing his mechanisms underneath
Rodan dive-bombs Godzilla
Rodan carries Godzilla away, with a Fighter Jet in hot pursuit
Godzilla rips off Rodan's wing
Godzilla vaporizes the now one-winged Rodan
Anguirus ripping into Godzilla's chest with his spikes
Anguirus has one of Rodan's shells shoved down his throat
Anguirus explodes after the shell Godzilla shoved down his throat explodes
Gigan and King Ghidorah approach Earth at the end of the manga's first volume
Volume 2
- Flying Ebirah.jpg
Gigan launching his head off his body in his fight against Godzilla
Trivia
- The very first kaiju Godzilla fights seems to be a hybrid between Baragon, a walrus and narwhal, called Sea Baragon.
- Although Biollante is by far the heaviest Godzilla series monster, in the manga Godzilla is easily able to lift Biollante above his head and throw her for a very long distance. The manga also portrays Biollante as being rooted into the ground, as opposed to being able to move with her stumpy legs and tendrils as seen in Godzilla vs. Biollante.
- The above incident of Godzilla lifting Biollante is just one of many examples in the manga of monsters defying the usual traditions brought about by the films. Anguirus is destroyed by a single (oversized) shell which Godzilla rams down his throat, even though Earth weaponry is generally ineffective against giant monsters, and any beam weaponry including Megalon's lightning beam can immediately disintegrate any monster it strikes, even Biollante, who was destroyed by just one blast of Megalon's attack.
- It seems that this manga is an alternative Heisei continuity that connects the Showa Timeline and the Heisei Timeline together.
External links
- Volume 1 review by Nicholas Driscoll, Toho Kingdom
References
This is a list of references for Godzilla, King of the Monsters (Kodansha manga). 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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