Griffon
|
- Do not confuse with Gryphon, or the GX-813 Griffon.
Griffon (グリホン is a genetically altered lion Gurihon)Template:Kaiju created by Toho that first appeared in the 1969 Toho film, Latitude Zero.
Name
The Griffon's name comes from the mythological beast griffon, which is usually depicted as a winged lion-like creature.
In Griffon's debut film, Latitude Zero, she is never given an actual name, but rather referred to as "Kroiga," which is also the name of the Black Shark captain whose brain was used for the monster's creation. Because of this, some fans argue that Kroiga is in fact the official name for the monster. Further adding confusion to the matter, Toho International eventually decided on making Griffon's international name "Black Moth," which is the literal translation of Kroiga; the combination of kuroi (黒い) meaning black, and ga (蛾) meaning moth. However, in countless Japanese publications including the Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia, the monster is listed as Griffon (グリホン Gurihon)[2][3], showing that Toho Company Ltd. still uses this name to refer to the creature in recent media.
Appearance
The Griffon is a giant lion with huge black condor wings grafted to her body.
History
Showa Series
Latitude Zero
The Griffon was created by Malik, who surgically implanted the brain of the Black Shark's captain, Kroiga, into a lion and then grafted condor wings onto her. He also gave her some of his special growth serum. Malik ordered her to intercept the crew of Alpha, but she disobeyed and stayed perched in the mountains. Later, after the Black Shark had been caught in a magnetic field, Griffon swooped in to seek revenge on her creator. Griffon managed to redirect the submarine's laser turret, which discharged at the mountainside, causing an avalanche which buried her and the Black Shark as she continued to attack it.
Abilities
- Griffon is as strong as a lion and even more so because of Malik's growth serum.
- Griffon can fly at Mach 2.
- Physical weapons include claws and powerful jaws.
Gallery
- Main article: Griffon/Gallery.
Trivia
- Despite being named Griffon, the monster more closely resembles another mythological beast, the manticore.
References
This is a list of references for Griffon. 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]
|