King Ghidorah (Monsterverse): Difference between revisions

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|type1      =Fire
|type1      =Fire
|type2      =Charcoal
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|name            =King Ghidorah{{tt|®|King Ghidorah is a registered Trademark of Toho Company Ltd., used by Legendary with permission.}} (MonsterVerse)
|name            =King Ghidorah{{tt|®|King Ghidorah is a registered Trademark of Toho Company Ltd., used by Legendary with permission.}} (MonsterVerse)
|dt              =King Ghidorah (MonsterVerse)
|dt              =King Ghidorah (MonsterVerse)
|species          =Giant three-headed dragon
|species          =''Titanus Ghidorah''<ref name="Monarch"/>
|subtitle        =The One Who is Many<ref name="Monarch"/>
|subtitle        =The One Who is Many,<ref name="Monarch"/><br>The Three Headed Monster<ref>[[File:GKOTM merchandise - King Ghidorah, the three headed monster subtitle.png|250px]]</ref>
|nicknames        =Monster Zero,<ref name="KSI Facebook">
|nicknames        =Ghidorah, Monster Zero,<ref name="KSI Facebook">
[https://www.facebook.com/KongSkullIsland/videos/vb.266916443646778/496867573984996/?type=2&theater ''Kong: Skull Island'' on Facebook]</ref><ref name="Monarch">[http://www.monarchsciences.com/ "SPECIMEN: MONSTER ZERO" - Monarch Sciences]<br>[[File:MONSTER ZERO - Monarch Sciences.png|100px]]</ref> The Devil,<ref name="KSI Facebook"/><br>Death Song Of Three Storms<ref name="Monarch"/>
[https://www.facebook.com/KongSkullIsland/videos/vb.266916443646778/496867573984996/?type=2&theater Kong: Skull Island on Facebook: "2016: An extraordinary superspecies is discovered beneath the Antarctic ice. #KongSkullIsland"]</ref><ref name="Monarch">[http://www.monarchsciences.com/ "SPECIMEN: MONSTER ZERO" - Monarch Sciences]<br>[[File:MONSTER ZERO - Monarch Sciences.png|100px]]</ref> The Devil,<ref name="KSI Facebook"/> Death Song Of Three Storms,<ref name="Monarch"/><br>Moe, Larry, and Curly
|height          ={{tt|521 feet|~158.8 meters}}<ref name="Monarch"/>
|height          =521 feet<ref name="Monarch"/><ref name="Superspecies Profile">{{Plain link|[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZCmR9n57eYgg6kNAxsR7aySMkklzL4qf/view Specimen: Titanus Ghidorah]}}</ref> / 158.8 meters<ref>[[File:MonsterVerse King Ghidorah Japanese stats.jpg|150px]]</ref>
|wingspan        =Unknown<ref name="Monarch"/>
|wingspan        =Unknown<ref name="Monarch"/>
|enemies          =[[Godzilla/Legendary|{{tt|Godzilla|as depicted in cave paintings}}]], [[Mothra/Legendary|{{tt|Mothra|as depicted in cave paintings}}]], [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]]
|weight          =141,056 tons<ref name="Superspecies Profile"/>
|stat1            =550 knots<ref name="Superspecies Profile"/>|1=Flight speed
|enemies          =[[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]], [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]], [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]] {{small|(initially)}}
|allies          =[[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]]
|originplace      =[[Antarctica]]
|originplace      =[[Antarctica]]
|portrayed        =Jason Liles, Alan Maxson,<br>Richard Dorton (motion capture)<ref name="Empire">[https://www.empireonline.com/movies/rampage-2/rampage-jason-liles-playing-king-ghidorah-godzilla-king-monsters/ Rampage's Jason Liles Playing King Ghidorah In Godzilla: King Of Monsters - ''Empire'']</ref>
|portrayed        =Jason Liles, Alan Maxson,<br>Richard Dorton (motion capture)<ref name="Empire">{{Cite web|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/rampage-2/rampage-jason-liles-playing-king-ghidorah-godzilla-king-monsters/|title=Rampage's Jason Liles Playing King Ghidorah In Godzilla: King Of Monsters|work=Empire|author=White, James|date=26 April 2018}}</ref>
|firstappearance  =''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''
|firstappearance  =''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''
|roar            =[[File:King Ghidorah 2019 SFX.ogg|180px|center|nocion]]
}}
}}
{{Future}}
{{Spoilers}}
{{Quote|'''The Devil''' has three heads.|Footnote from [[Vivienne Graham]]'s classified field notes on King Ghidorah.<ref name="KSI Facebook"/>}}
{{Quote|'''The Devil''' has three heads.|Footnote from [[Vivienne Graham]]'s classified field notes on King Ghidorah.<ref name="KSI Facebook"/>}}
'''[[King Ghidorah]]''' {{Nihongo|キングギドラ|Kingu Gidora}} is a three-headed dragon [[kaiju]] that appeared in a cave painting in the post-credits scene for the [[2017]] [[Legendary Pictures]] film, ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'', and is set to appear in the upcoming [[2019]] film, ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''.
'''[[King Ghidorah]]''' {{Nihongo|キングギドラ|Kingu Gidora}} is a three-headed [[Titan]] who first appeared in a cave painting in the post-credits scene for the [[2017]] [[Legendary Pictures]] film ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'', then went on to serve as the main antagonist of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' in [[2019]]. He is the first incarnation of King Ghidorah to appear in an [[United States|American]]-made film.


This will be the first incarnation of King Ghidorah to appear in an [[United States|American]]-made film.
An evil alien dragon who invaded [[Earth]] in the ancient past, King Ghidorah clashed with [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] and [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]], who succeeded in sealing him away beneath the [[Antarctica|Antarctic]] ice. The organization [[Monarch]] discovered Ghidorah's resting place in the present day, and established Outpost 32 to study him, dubbing him "Monster Zero." In [[2019]], the eco-terrorist [[Alan Jonah]], working alongside Monarch defector Dr. [[Emma Russell]], unleashed Ghidorah from his frozen tomb in an attempt to release all of the Titans to restore the natural order. Being an invasive species, Ghidorah had no interest in restoring balance and resumed annihilating the global ecosystem, awakening all of the other Titans himself and bending them to his will. Assisted by Monarch, Godzilla and Mothra joined forces and confronted Ghidorah in Boston for a final confrontation. Ghidorah summoned [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]] to his aid to deal with Mothra, while Ghidorah overwhelmed Godzilla in one-on-one combat. After defeating Rodan, Mothra sacrificed her life to save Godzilla from Ghidorah, reinvigorating him with her energy and allowing him to finally destroy Ghidorah once and for all. With the three-headed terror vanquished for good, Godzilla took his place as the King of the Monsters, ending the rampages of the Titans previously under Ghidorah's control.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Name==
==Name==
King Ghidorah's name is composed of "King" {{Nihongo|キング|Kingu}} and "Ghidorah." The "Ghidorah" part of King Ghidorah's name comes from the Japanese word for "hydra" {{Nihongo|ヒドラ|Hidora}}, which is spelled very similarly to the [[Japan]]ese katakana for Ghidorah. [[Monarch]] gives King Ghidorah the designation '''Monster Zero'''. One ancient Sumerian text discovered by Monarch also called him '''Death Song of Three Storms'''.
The "Ghidorah" {{Nihongo|ギドラ|Gidora}} part of King Ghidorah's name comes from the Japanese word for "hydra" {{Nihongo|ヒドラ|Hidora}}, which shares two of its three katakana characters with "Ghidorah." It also, coincidentally or not, sounds very similar to the [[Russia]]n pronunciation of "hydra" (Гидра, ''ˈɡʲidrə''). The addition of "King" {{Nihongo|キング}} to his name may have been influenced by King Dragon {{Nihongo|キング・ドラゴン|Kingu Doragon}}, the name given to [[Wikipedia:Zmei (Russian)|Zmey Gorynych]], upon which King Ghidorah's design was based, in the Japanese version of the Soviet film ''[[wikipedia:Ilya Muromets (film)|Ilya Muromets]]''. [[Monarch]] calls King Ghidorah '''Monster Zero''' {{Nihongo|モンスター・ゼロ|Monsutā Zero}}, and gives him the [[Titan]] designation '''''Titanus Ghidorah'''''.<ref name="Monarch" /> He is typically only ever referred to by these names or just '''Ghidorah''' in-universe, with only merchandise and marketing using his full name, although both Col. [[Diane Foster]] does call him "King Ghidorah" once in the film itself. A tracking label shown on a map in the film also reads "King Ghidorah." One ancient Sumerian text discovered by Monarch also called him '''Death Song of Three Storms'''.
 
Director [[Michael Dougherty]] individually nicknamed Ghidorah's heads '''Ichi''', '''Ni''', and '''San''' during production, literally translating to "one" {{Nihongo|一|ichi}}, "two" {{nihongo|二|ni}}, and "three" {{nihongo|三|san}} in Japanese. The leftmost head, nicknamed San, is also jokingly called "Kevin" by fans due to its more submissive nature and comical antics compared to the other two heads. Dougherty himself even acknowledged this nickname on Twitter.<ref name="DoughertyTweet">[https://twitter.com/Mike_Dougherty/status/1136289119729016833 Mike Dougherty on Twitter: "Center head: Ichi; Right head: Ni; Left head: San... aka Kevin. 🐲🐲🐲#GodzillaMovie"]</ref>
==Design==
==Design==
As revealed by the [[S.H. MonsterArts]] figure, this incarnation of King Ghidorah maintains the traditional core design of the character, being a giant bipedal dragon with three heads on long serpentine necks, two tails, and two large bat-like wings at his sides, which stands upright on his two hind legs. His body is covered in overlapping golden scales, which according to [[Monarch]] actually contain trace amounts of gold. The membranes of King Ghidorah's wings are still gold in color, but are made of smooth skin and not covered in scales. Like past designs, the fronts of King Ghidorah's necks are also not covered in scales, but rather skin with a ridged texture. This skin pattern extends to King Ghidorah's chest, a trait unique to this incarnation. This King Ghidorah's heads are designed similarly to the character's [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|Heisei incarnation]], with a set of horns on each side as opposed to the [[King Ghidorah/Showa|Showa incarnation's]] single pair of horns and manes of hair. Unlike the Heisei King Ghidorah, each of the MonsterVerse King Ghidorah's heads has ten horns, five on each side, rather than eight. These horns are also slightly larger and more curved, as opposed to the thin straight horns of the Heisei design. There is also a small ridge atop each head. King Ghidorah's necks are very long and muscular, with a row of spikes running down the back of each.
This incarnation of King Ghidorah maintains the traditional core design of the character, being a giant bipedal dragon with three heads on long serpentine necks, two tails, and two large bat-like wings at his sides, which stands upright on his two hind legs. His body is covered in overlapping golden scales, which according to [[Monarch]] actually contain trace amounts of gold. The membranes of King Ghidorah's wings are still gold in color, but are made of smooth skin and not covered in scales. Like past designs, the fronts of King Ghidorah's necks are also not covered in scales, but rather skin with a ridged texture. This skin pattern extends to King Ghidorah's chest, a trait unique to this incarnation. This King Ghidorah's heads are designed similarly to the character's [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|Heisei incarnation]], with a set of horns on each side as opposed to the [[King Ghidorah/Showa|Showa incarnation's]] single pair of horns and manes of hair. Unlike the Heisei King Ghidorah, each of the MonsterVerse King Ghidorah's heads has ten horns, five on each side, rather than eight. These horns are also slightly larger and more curved, as opposed to the thin straight horns of the Heisei design. Depending on Ghidorah's emotions, the horns can flare up or flare down. There is also a small ridge atop each head. All three of King Ghidorah's necks are very muscular in addition to being very long. Two rows of spikes run down the back of his center neck, while the left and right necks feature one row apiece. The undersides of his necks glow yellow when he charges his Gravity Beams. The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah's central neck is positioned in front of his left and right necks much like [[Monster X|Keizer Ghidorah's]], whereas all previous incarnations of the character had their middle neck positioned behind the others.
 
King Ghidorah's body is considerably thinner than that of past incarnations, with the outline of his ribcage visible through his skin. Unlike past incarnations, he has defined arms which extend into his wings, with claws at the end of each fold. His wings are much larger than those of past incarnations, and attach to his body well below his hips thanks to elongated ribs that extend from the sides of his body. When fully outstretched, they extend well above his heads. This incarnation can also use his wings for support when standing although he can still stand without using his wings. King Ghidorah's legs are thin but muscular, with his knees bent forward in such a way that he has a slight forward hunch. His feet have at least four digits with defined claws. King Ghidorah's tails end in spiky retractable fans similar to the Heisei King Ghidorah. According to Monarch files, injuries have been discovered on several locations on King Ghidorah's body "reminiscent of claw and scorch marks."<ref name="Monarch"/>.


King Ghidorah's body is considerably thinner than that of past incarnations, with the outline of his ribcage visible through his skin. Unlike past incarnations, he has defined arms which extend into his wings, with claws at the end of each fold. His wings are much larger than those of past incarnations, and attach to his body well below his hips. When fully outstretched, they extend well above his heads. This incarnation also uses his wings for support when standing at times. King Ghidorah's legs are thin but muscular, with his knees bent forward in such a way that he has a slight forward hunch. His feet have at least four digits with defined claws. King Ghidorah's tails end in spiky retractable fans similar to the Heisei King Ghidorah. According to Monarch files, injuries have been discovered on several locations on King Ghidorah's body "reminiscent of claw and scorch marks."<ref name="Monarch"/>.
==Personality==
==Personality==
According to [[Michael Dougherty]], King Ghidorah is akin to three conjoined triplets, each with their own independent thoughts and distinct personalities, with the middle head being the "smartest."
Monarch classifies King Ghidorah's behavior as that of a "destroyer," and considers him "[[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla's]] ultimate nemesis."<ref name="Superspecies Profile" /> He lives up to this reputation upon awakening, acting as an invasive species and commanding the other [[Titan]]s around the world to help him decimate the planet's ecosystems. Ghidorah demonstrates hostility toward humans which are far too small to injure him, such as when he vaporizes a group of soldiers with his Gravity Beams, when he chases down and kills [[Vivienne Graham]], and when he stalks and attempts to kill [[Madison Russell]]. King Ghidorah's three heads each have their own personalities, and are akin to conjoined triplets rather than a single individual with three heads. ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' director [[Michael Dougherty]] described the center head as "the one who's sort of the big brother and the most serious," the right head as "slightly more aggressive and tenacious," and the left head as "[displaying] signs of curiosity."<ref name="EW">{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/movies/2019/05/26/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-king-ghidorah-2/|title=Godzilla: King of the Monsters heavy King Ghidorah is a 'very human' dragon|work=Entertainment Weekly|author=Collis, Clark|date=26 May 2019}}</ref> King Ghidorah uses body language to intimidate Godzilla, shaking the ends of his tails like a rattlesnake and spreading his wings like how a cobra opens its hood. Ghidorah can also flick out his tongues like a snake or lizard.
==Origins==
==Origins==
King Ghidorah's origins are currently unknown. Judging by his appearance in ancient cave paintings, he has appeared sometime in the past, and may have clashed with [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] and [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]]. According to the official [[Monarch]] timeline, King Ghidorah was discovered buried under ice in [[Antarctica]] in [[2016]] by a [[Monarch]] team headed by [[Vivienne Graham]].<ref name="KSI Facebook"/> Monarch links King Ghidorah to mythical creatures such as the [[Wikipedia:Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]] and the [[Wikipedia:Rainbow Serpent|Rainbow Serpent]], and describes him as a "living extinction event."<ref name="Monarch"/>
According to Dr. [[Ilene Chen]], Ghidorah is an ancient creature who was feared by many ancient cultures and was said to have been a "dragon who fell from the stars", suggesting that he is of extraterrestrial origin. Judging by his appearance in ancient cave paintings, he has invaded Earth sometime in the past, and clashed with [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] and [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]]. He was eventually defeated by Godzilla in [[Antarctica]] and sealed beneath the ice.<ref name=Ghidorah's Past Revealed>[[File:Dougherty Reveals Ghidorah's Past.png |200px]]</ref> He was discovered buried under ice in modern-day Antarctica before [[2014]] by a [[Monarch]] team headed by [[Vivienne Graham]].<ref name="Ghidorah Discovery Dates" group="note">The Monarch timeline videos posted to ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' social media accounts in 2017 state that Monarch discovered King Ghidorah in 2016. ''[[Godzilla: Aftershock]]'', set in 2014, shows a containment facility already built around him.</ref> Monarch links King Ghidorah to mythical creatures such as the [[Wikipedia:Lernaean Hydra|Hydra]] and the [[Wikipedia:Rainbow Serpent|Rainbow Serpent]], and describes him as a "living extinction event."<ref name="Monarch"/>
==History==
==History==
===[[MonsterVerse]]===
===[[MonsterVerse]]===
====''[[Kong: Skull Island]]''====
====''[[Kong: Skull Island]]''====
[[File:Kong_Skull_Island_Godzilla_vs._King_Ghidorah_cave_painting.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A cave painting of King Ghidorah battling [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] in ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'']]
[[File:Kong_Skull_Island_Godzilla_vs._King_Ghidorah_cave_painting.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A cave painting of King Ghidorah battling [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] in ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'']]
After their adventure on [[Skull Island]], [[Monarch]] members [[Houston Brooks]] and [[Lin San]] showed [[James Conrad]] and [[Mason Weaver]] two cave paintings of King Ghidorah, along with paintings depicting [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]], [[Mothra]] and [[Rodan]], as proof that the inhabitants of Skull Island were not the only monsters in the world. In the second painting, he was shown fighting Godzilla.
After their adventure on [[Skull Island]], [[Monarch]] members [[Houston Brooks]] and [[Lin San]] showed [[James Conrad]] and [[Mason Weaver]] two cave paintings of King Ghidorah, along with paintings depicting [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]], [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]] and [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]], as proof that the inhabitants of Skull Island were not the only monsters in the world. In the second painting, he was shown fighting Godzilla.
{{Clear}}
{{Clear}}
====''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''====
====''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]''====
On July 26, 2014, King Ghidorah was confirmed to be appearing in ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'', along with [[Mothra]] and [[Rodan]].<ref name="GOD2">[http://www.mtv.com/news/1880162/godzilla-2-confirmed-mothra-rodan-ghidorah/ Holy Mothra: Gareth Edwards Reveals ‘Godzilla 2′ Monsters At Comic-Con]</ref>
After obtaining the ORCA, [[Alan Jonah]] and his men traveled to [[Monarch]]'s Outpost 32 in [[Antarctica]] where they gunned down all of the Monarch personnel. They entered the base and found King Ghidorah frozen within the ice. Jonah's men drilled into the ice and planted explosive charges within it, while [[Emma Russell]] calibrated the ORCA to Ghidorah. Monarch soon arrived and stormed the outpost, engaging in a firefight with Jonah's men. Emma grabbed the detonator for the charges and pressed it, freeing Ghidorah from the ice. After retreating to their stolen Monarch Osprey, Jonah ordered Emma to awaken Ghidorah with the ORCA. She obliged, and the three-headed [[Titan]] rose from the ice. Monarch's G-Team opened fire on Ghidorah's heads as they eyed them curiously before retaliating with devastating gravity beams that vaporized them. Ghidorah completely freed himself from the ice and made his way to Monarch's Ospreys, though Emma used the ORCA to distract him before he attacked them. [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] soon eruped from the ice to confront Ghidorah, and the two Titans collided. Ghidorah was more than a match for Godzilla physically, forcing Godzilla to call upon his atomic breath. Ghidorah's heads weaved out of the way of the blast and countered with their gravity beams, which knocked Godzilla off of the ice shelf. Ghidorah resumed terrorizing the humans, destroying one Osprey and killing Dr. [[Vivienne Graham]] as she and [[Mark Russell]] tried to flee to safety. Before he could kill the others, the [[USS Argo|USS ''Argo'']] flew overhead and bombarded Ghidorah with missiles. As Godzilla crawled back onto the ice, Ghidorah took flight and escaped.
 
Monarch tracked Ghidorah aboard the Osprey, only for him to disappear in a tropical storm over Brazil. Their new priority became dealing with [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]], a winged Titan which Emma had unleashed from Outpost 56 in Isla de Mara, [[Mexico]]. As the ''Argo'' engaged in an aerial chase with Rodan, Ghidorah was detected moving to the location within the tropical storm. Monarch decided to lure Rodan to Ghidorah so they would fight each other. As the ''Argo'' entered the eye of the storm, it dove out of the way as Ghidorah and Rodan collided and began tearing at each other. Ghidorah restrained Rodan's wings with his left and right heads, and fired a gravity beam from his central head that blasted Rodan into the water below. Ghidorah turned his attention to the ''Argo'' and pursued it, only to be dragged underwater by Godzilla. Godzilla pulled Ghidorah under the surface and bit down on his left neck, tearing it off. Just as Godzilla seemed about to win, the military's [[Oxygen Destroyer]] struck the water and produced a colossal green explosion. While Godzilla was severely injured by the blast, Ghidorah was unharmed and flew out of the water, landing atop the Isla de Mara volcano. Ghidorah regenerated his missing head in a matter of moments and spread his wings, shrieking loudly into the sky. His call awakened other Titans around the world, including [[Scylla]], [[Methuselah]], [[Behemoth]], and a [[MUTO]], all of whom began to rampage. Rodan landed at the foot of the volcano and submitted to Ghidorah, doing his bidding along with the other newly-awakened Titans. Ghidorah made his way to the East Coast of the United States, bringing with him a massive hurricane that settled over Washington, D.C. When Monarch learned that Godzilla was still alive, it sent a nuclear submarine to try and revive him while the ''Argo'' battled Ghidorah and Rodan in D.C. along with the military.
 
Horrified at what her mother had helped to unleash, Emma's daughter [[Madison Russell|Madison]] stole the ORCA and brought it to Fenway Park, where she broadcast a signal that calmed the other Titans and lured Ghidorah to Boston. Upon landing, Ghidorah destroyed the loudspeakers broadcasting the sound and fired his gravity beams into the pressbox. Madison managed to escape onto the field, but Ghidorah found her and prepared to fire his gravity beams. However, the now-revitalized Godzilla arrived in the city surrounded by a military escort and blasted Ghidorah with his atomic breath. Ghidorah charged at Godzilla and the Titans collided with each other, producing a shockwave that shook the ''Argo''. Monarch deployed two Ospreys to try and save Madison and recover the ORCA as Godzilla and Ghidorah continued to fight. Ghidorah restrained Godzilla with his heads and pinned him to the ground, but Godzilla used his atomic breath to force him off. [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]] flew overhead and used her silk to pin Ghidorah's heads against a building. As Ghidorah tried to free his heads, Godzilla charged and tackled him through the building. As Ghidorah lay on the ground and witnessed Godzilla approaching, he called to Rodan to intercept Mothra. With Rodan and Mothra fighting in the air, Ghidorah and Godzilla continued their battle on the ground. Ghidorah bit down on a nearby power substation and absorbed the electricity, which he projected through the tips of his wings, blinding and stunning Godzilla. Ghidorah pressed his advantage and leaped onto Godzilla, grabbing him in his claws and carrying him into the sky. Ghidorah used his middle neck to strangle Godzilla until he went limp, then dropped Godzilla from above the clouds. Godzilla struck the ground and was left immobilized as Ghidorah landed near him, ready to finish him off. The injured Mothra weakly crawled onto Godzilla and shielded him with her wings, then flew at Ghidorah as he fired his gravity beams, vaporizing her. After Mothra's energy flowed into Godzilla, Ghidorah bit down on his foe and began siphoning his energy through his mouths. Emma, having had a change of heart, repaired the ORCA with Mark and used it to distract Ghidorah and force him to release Godzilla. In order to allow the Osprey to escape, Emma took the ORCA and lured Ghidorah away in a jeep. Ghidorah pursued Emma and destroyed the vehicle with his gravity beams, launching Emma from the car. Mortally wounded on the ground, Emma looked up at Ghidorah and said "Long live the King" as her final words. Ghidorah turned to see Godzilla, covered in glowing orange cracks and emitting intense heat, approaching him. Godzilla emitted a nuclear pulse shaped like Mothra's wings and making the sound of her roar, with Ghidorah trying to shield his heads with his wings. The blast incinerated the flesh on Ghidorah's wings, and he fired his gravity beams at Godzilla, Godzilla was unaffected and unleashed another pulse, disintegrating Ghidorah's left and right heads. Godzilla stomped on Ghidorah's chest as the accumulated nuclear energy inside him exploded, leveling a huge portion of the city. When the smoke cleared, Ghidorah's last remaining head emerged from the rubble, hanging from Godzilla's mouth. Godzilla fired his atomic breath, which incinerated the head and reduced Ghidorah to nothing but ash.
 
In Isla de Mara, with the sea still devoid of life due to the effects of the Oxygen Destroyer, fishermen had managed to dredge up Ghidorah's severed head which had been torn off by Godzilla. Jonah and his men traveled to a warehouse in Isla de Mara where the head was being kept. After observing the head with sinister intent, Jonah simply remarked "we'll take it."
==Abilities==
==Abilities==
===Flight===
===Flight===
The muscle tendons in King Ghidorah's wings are described as being incredibly hyper-tensile, and their massive aerodynamics could generate hurricane-force winds when flying. When combined with his body's electro-receptor molecular biology, water vapor in the air would be superheated, creating a localized storm system as he flies. The power of King Ghidorah's flight is so great that as a result, "the stratosphere would be torn open by an otherworldly tempest of thunder and lightning [Earth's] sky has never seen."<ref name="Monarch"/>
The muscle tendons in King Ghidorah's wings are described as being incredibly hyper-tensile, and their massive aerodynamics could generate hurricane-force winds when flying. When combined with his body's electro-receptor molecular biology, water vapor in the air would be superheated, creating a localized storm system as he flies, equivalent to a Category 6 hurricane. The power of King Ghidorah's flight is so great that as a result, "the stratosphere would be torn open by an otherworldly tempest of thunder and lightning [Earth's] sky has never seen."<ref name="Monarch"/> King Ghidorah flies at a speed of 550 knots,<ref name="Superspecies Profile"/> or about Mach 0.8, while all previous live-action incarnations of the character could fly at least Mach 3 while in the Earth's atmosphere.
===Conducting Scales===
===Conducting scales===
[[Monarch]] scientists theorize that King Ghidorah's scales are gilded with trace amounts of [[Wikipedia:Gold|aurum]] which act as conductors, capable of carrying bio-electrical currents throughout his body.
[[Monarch]] scientists theorize that King Ghidorah's scales are gilded with trace amounts of [[Wikipedia:Gold|aurum]] which act as conductors, capable of carrying bio-electrical currents throughout his body. This allows Ghidorah to conduct electricity through his body and project it in different ways, either through the gravity beams he spits from his mouth or the lightning bolts he fires from his wings.
===Gravity Beams===
===Gravity Beams===
[[File:GKOTM - Gravity Beams go in.gif|thumb|right|200px|King Ghidorah fires his gravity beams]]
[[File:GKOTM - Gravity Beams go in.gif|thumb|right|200px|King Ghidorah fires his Gravity Beams]]
King Ghidorah is depicted in some paintings spewing beams similar to lightning from his mouths. The trailer for the film shows bright yellow rays of plasma tearing through buildings, which may be King Ghidorah's gravity beams.
King Ghidorah can spit bio-electrical Gravity Beams from each of his mouths that are powerful enough to tear through buildings and to disintegrate human beings.<ref name="Superspecies Profile" /><ref name="MeetTheG-Team">[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OFMgyBnU36s- Meet the G-Team-Godzilla: King of the Monsters]</ref> The fronts of his necks glow yellow while charging this attack. This attack is also shown to cause physical harm to other [[Titan]]s. With only one shot, Ghidorah was able to shoot [[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan]] down and a concentrated barrage was enough to disintegrate [[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra]]. This attack also had enough force to drive [[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla]] off the ice during their first battle in [[Antarctica]].
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===Wing lightning===
[[File:MonsterVerse Ghidorah wing lightning.png|thumb|right|200px|King Ghidorah fires lightning from his wings]]
Like the [[King Ghidorah/Rebirth of Mothra III|incarnation of King Ghidorah]] from ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'', the MonsterVerse King Ghidorah can project lightning from the tips of his wings.<ref name="Wing Lightning">[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=trmxS09ODPY/ Godzilla King Of The Monsters TV Spot]</ref> In addition to damaging aircraft it strikes, this lightning blinds and temporarily stuns Godzilla, allowing Ghidorah to attack him.
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===Intelligence===
===Intelligence===
According to cranial scans, King Ghidorah has a divergent frontal lobe density in the brains of all three heads, indicating that each of his heads can have disparate levels of cognitive functions, possibly including independent thought.
According to cranial scans, King Ghidorah has a divergent frontal lobe density in the brains of all three heads, indicating that each of his heads can have disparate levels of cognitive functions, possibly including independent thought. [[Monarch]] has determined that each of King Ghidorah's heads exhibits its own individual personality.<ref name="Superspecies Profile"/> King Ghidorah shows his intelligence during combat, such as when he bites down on electrical wiring during his battle with Godzilla in Boston, allowing him to temporarily stun his nemesis long enough to attack him. While attempting to free his other heads from Mothra's silk the left head was able to recognize Godzilla was behind him by looking at his own reflection. King Ghidorah also recognizes the ORCA frequency as a potential threat and makes several attempts to take out the source, such as when he destroys the Fenway Park speakers to cut off the sound.
===Tail spikes===
King Ghidorah has retractable spikes on the ends of his tails, though he does not seem to use them specifically in combat.<ref name="5MinuteScene">[https://vimeo.com/328588544 - Godzilla King Of The Monsters 5 Minute TV Spot]</ref> King Ghidorah is seen shaking the ends of his tails in the air like a rattlesnake, possibly as an intimidation display.
===Physical capabilities===
When not using his gravity beams to attack from a distance, King Ghidorah uses his jaws when in close combat in a similar manner to a snake. He also has the ability to constrict an opponent with his three necks and two tails, strangling Godzilla at one point. His strength greatly outclasses that of Rodan, as King Ghidorah was able to easily restrain the winged Titan's wings with his left and right heads, allowing his middle head to fire a Gravity Beam at him. King Ghidorah is also shown to be capable of lifting enemies comparable to him in size without much strain, as seen when he slams Godzilla to the ground and carries him up into the atmosphere in order to drop him.
===Durability===
King Ghidorah is immune to conventional weaponry, and is also able to withstand a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath at point-blank range, though it still pushes him back.<ref name="Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Final Trailer">[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GbXQHYfUhtg]</ref> Due to his extraterrestrial nature, Ghidorah is immune to the effects of the [[Oxygen Destroyer]], which seriously injured Godzilla and killed all other life within a two-mile radius. King Ghidorah was seen using his wings as a shield to protect his heads from missiles. He tried using them to shield his heads from from Godzilla's nuclear pulse, but they were unable to withstand the intense heat and were incinerated.
===Regeneration===
King Ghidorah possesses an exceptional healing factor. After having his left head severed by Godzilla, he was able to completely regenerate it in a matter of moments. According to director [[Michael Dougherty]], when one King Ghidorah's heads is severed and a new one grows, "[t]he newly regenerated head retains the memories and personality of the old one. Most of Ghidorah's neurons are scattered throughout his body and limbs, much like an octopus."<ref name="DoughertyNeurons">[https://twitter.com/mike_dougherty/status/1136281731349323776 Mike Dougherty on Twitter: "The newly regenerated head retains the memories and personality of the old one. Most of Ghidorah's neurons are scattered throughout his body and limbs, much like an octopus. 🐲🐲🐲 #GodzillaMovie]</ref> During his final battle with Godzilla in Boston, Ghidorah regenerated holes and tears in his wings after absorbing electricity from a nearby power substation. Though his regeneration was unable to keep up with Burning Godzilla's nuclear pulse, he survived having his wings, two of his heads, and the entirety of his body incinerated by the attack, and was only finally killed once Godzilla burned away his last head.
===Energy absorption===
King Ghidorah is able to absorb energy through his mouths. He is shown doing this twice in his final battle with Godzilla. At one point, he bites down on a nearby power substation and absorbs the electricity, which he projects through the tips of his wings. Later, he constricts his necks around Godzilla before biting down on him and draining his atomic energy. The energy is visible coursing through Ghidorah's necks as he bites down on Godzilla.
===Weaknesses===
While a skilled fighter on the ground and in his element when in the air, King Ghidorah demonstrates considerable difficulty when fighting in the water, as shown when Godzilla dragged him underwater in Mexico, and likely would've been killed then and there if it weren't for the interference of the Oxygen Destroyer. His regeneration takes time, and he wasn't able to regenerate his wings and left and right heads after they were disintegrated by Burning Godzilla's nuclear pulse, nor when he was reduced to a single head before Godzilla incinerated it with his atomic breath.
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==Filmography==
==Filmography==
*''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' (2017) [cave painting]
*''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' (2017) [cave painting]
*''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019) [post-production]
*''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'' (2019)
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
{{Main|King Ghidorah/Gallery}}
{{Main|King Ghidorah/Gallery}}
==Roar==
According to [[Michael Dougherty]], King Ghidorah's roar in the [[MonsterVerse]] is meant to emulate his original high-pitched cackling roar from the [[Showa era|Showa series]].
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*The script for ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' called for the Iwi petroglyphs inside the ''[[Wanderer]]'' to depict many monsters, including "one with three heads."<ref name="From Script to Screen">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olKQQZ5Verk From Script to Screen - Kong: Skull Island - Wanderer Scene]</ref> In the completed film, only [[King Kong|Kong]] and the [[Skullcrawler]]s were shown. The film's [[Kong: Skull Island - The Official Movie Novelization|novelization]], however, does mention a three-headed creature depicted on the murals, along with several other creatures.
*The script for ''[[Kong: Skull Island]]'' called for the Iwi petroglyphs inside the ''[[Wanderer]]'' to depict many monsters, including "one with three heads."<ref name="From Script to Screen">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olKQQZ5Verk From Script to Screen - Kong: Skull Island - Wanderer Scene]</ref> In the completed film, only [[King Kong|Kong]] and the [[Skullcrawler]]s were shown. The film's [[Kong: Skull Island - The Official Movie Novelization|novelization]], however, does mention a three-headed creature depicted on the murals, along with several other creatures.
*[[Monarch]]'s designation for King Ghidorah, Monster Zero, is the name given to King Ghidorah by the [[Xiliens]] in ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]''.<ref name="KSI Facebook"/>
*[[Monarch]]'s designation for King Ghidorah, Monster Zero, is the name given to King Ghidorah by the [[Xiliens]] in ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]''.<ref name="KSI Facebook" />
*The location where King Ghidorah is frozen in [[Antarctica]], Outpost 32, is a reference to the 1982 film ''[[wikipedia:The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'', in which the primary location is an outpost in Antarctica called Outpost 31. The titular alien monster in ''The Thing'' is also discovered frozen in the Antarctic ice, much like King Ghidorah.
*The location where King Ghidorah is frozen in [[Antarctica]], Outpost 32, is a reference to the 1982 film ''[[wikipedia:The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'', in which the primary location is an outpost in Antarctica called Outpost 31. The titular alien monster in ''The Thing'' is also discovered frozen in the Antarctic ice, much like King Ghidorah.
*Excluding the [[King Ghidorah/Anime|King Ghidorah]] featured in ''[[Godzilla: The Planet Eater|GODZILLA: The Planet Eater]]'' which is an estimated 20 kilometers (65,616.8 feet) in length with no definite "height," this is the tallest incarnation of the character, standing 541 feet (~158.8 meters) in height - approximately 29 feet taller than the [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|Heisei King Ghidorah]], who was 150 meters. The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is also the tallest monster featured in a Godzilla film besides [[Godzilla Earth]], who stands over 1,000 feet tall.
*Excluding the [[King Ghidorah/Anime|King Ghidorah]] featured in ''[[Godzilla: The Planet Eater|GODZILLA: The Planet Eater]]'' which is an estimated 20 kilometers (65,616.8 feet) in length with no definite "height," this is the tallest incarnation of the character, standing 521 feet (158.8 meters) in height - approximately 29 feet taller than the [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|Heisei King Ghidorah]], who was 150 meters. The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is also the tallest monster featured in a Godzilla film besides [[Godzilla Earth]], who stands over 1,000 feet tall.
**The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is also the heaviest incarnation of the character at 141,056 tons, which is nearly double the weight of the [[King Ghidorah/Heisei|Heisei King Ghidorah]], and the heaviest member of the [[Ghidorah]] group. He is also one of the heaviest kaiju in the Godzilla series, behind the [[Mechagodzilla/Heisei|Heisei Mechagodzilla]] at 150,000 metric tons, Super Mechagodzilla at 150,482 metric tons, [[MOGUERA]] at 160,000 metric tons, [[Biollante]]'s Plant Beast Form at 200,000 metric tons, [[Bagan]] at 280,000 metric tons, and [[SpaceGodzilla]]'s Flying Form at 720,000 metric tons.
*The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is the first incarnation of the character to be portrayed through motion capture, as well as the first to be portrayed by three actors simultaneously.
*The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is the first incarnation of the character to be portrayed through motion capture, as well as the first to be portrayed by three actors simultaneously.
*The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah shares some characteristics with the [[King Ghidorah/GMK|incarnation of the character]] from ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''. For example, his feet are bird-like with three large claws and a smaller fourth digit, while his wings have visible phalanges which connect to his body, and can be folded at his sides when not in use. He also possesses electrical abilities in addition to his traditional Gravity Beams, much like the ''GMK'' incarnation of the character. Like the ''GMK'' King Ghidorah, this version of the character is initially discovered frozen in ice.
==See also==
==See also==
*[[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla (MonsterVerse)]]
*[[Godzilla/Legendary|Godzilla (MonsterVerse)]]
*[[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra (MonsterVerse)]]
*[[Mothra/Legendary|Mothra (MonsterVerse)]]
*[[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan (MonsterVerse)]]
*[[Rodan/Legendary|Rodan (MonsterVerse)]]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
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{{Toho Monsters}}
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Revision as of 04:27, 18 August 2019

King Ghidorah incarnations
King Ghidorah 2018
King Ghidorah 2019
None
King Ghidorah® (MonsterVerse) trademark icon
King Ghidorah® (MonsterVerse)
King Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Alternate names Ghidorah, Monster Zero,[1][2] The Devil,[1] Death Song Of Three Storms,[2]
Moe, Larry, and Curly
Subtitle(s) The One Who is Many,[2]
The Three Headed Monster[3]
Species Titanus Ghidorah[2]
Height 521 feet[2][4] / 158.8 meters[5]
Wingspan Unknown[2]
Weight 141,056 tons[4]
Flight speed 550 knots[4]
Place(s) of emergence Antarctica
Allies Rodan
Enemies Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan (initially)
Played by Jason Liles, Alan Maxson,
Richard Dorton (motion capture)[6]
First appearance Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Roar(s)
Spoiler.png SPOILER WARNING: This section may contain major plot and/or ending details.
Proceed at your own discretion.
The Devil has three heads.
„ 

— Footnote from Vivienne Graham's classified field notes on King Ghidorah.[1]

King Ghidorah (キングギドラ,   Kingu Gidora) is a three-headed Titan who first appeared in a cave painting in the post-credits scene for the 2017 Legendary Pictures film Kong: Skull Island, then went on to serve as the main antagonist of Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019. He is the first incarnation of King Ghidorah to appear in an American-made film.

An evil alien dragon who invaded Earth in the ancient past, King Ghidorah clashed with Godzilla and Mothra, who succeeded in sealing him away beneath the Antarctic ice. The organization Monarch discovered Ghidorah's resting place in the present day, and established Outpost 32 to study him, dubbing him "Monster Zero." In 2019, the eco-terrorist Alan Jonah, working alongside Monarch defector Dr. Emma Russell, unleashed Ghidorah from his frozen tomb in an attempt to release all of the Titans to restore the natural order. Being an invasive species, Ghidorah had no interest in restoring balance and resumed annihilating the global ecosystem, awakening all of the other Titans himself and bending them to his will. Assisted by Monarch, Godzilla and Mothra joined forces and confronted Ghidorah in Boston for a final confrontation. Ghidorah summoned Rodan to his aid to deal with Mothra, while Ghidorah overwhelmed Godzilla in one-on-one combat. After defeating Rodan, Mothra sacrificed her life to save Godzilla from Ghidorah, reinvigorating him with her energy and allowing him to finally destroy Ghidorah once and for all. With the three-headed terror vanquished for good, Godzilla took his place as the King of the Monsters, ending the rampages of the Titans previously under Ghidorah's control.

Name

The "Ghidorah" (ギドラ,   Gidora) part of King Ghidorah's name comes from the Japanese word for "hydra" (ヒドラ,   Hidora), which shares two of its three katakana characters with "Ghidorah." It also, coincidentally or not, sounds very similar to the Russian pronunciation of "hydra" (Гидра, ˈɡʲidrə). The addition of "King" (キング) to his name may have been influenced by King Dragon (キング・ドラゴン,   Kingu Doragon), the name given to Zmey Gorynych, upon which King Ghidorah's design was based, in the Japanese version of the Soviet film Ilya Muromets. Monarch calls King Ghidorah Monster Zero (モンスター・ゼロ,   Monsutā Zero), and gives him the Titan designation Titanus Ghidorah.[2] He is typically only ever referred to by these names or just Ghidorah in-universe, with only merchandise and marketing using his full name, although both Col. Diane Foster does call him "King Ghidorah" once in the film itself. A tracking label shown on a map in the film also reads "King Ghidorah." One ancient Sumerian text discovered by Monarch also called him Death Song of Three Storms.

Director Michael Dougherty individually nicknamed Ghidorah's heads Ichi, Ni, and San during production, literally translating to "one" (一,   ichi), "two" (二,   ni), and "three" (三,   san) in Japanese. The leftmost head, nicknamed San, is also jokingly called "Kevin" by fans due to its more submissive nature and comical antics compared to the other two heads. Dougherty himself even acknowledged this nickname on Twitter.[7]

Design

This incarnation of King Ghidorah maintains the traditional core design of the character, being a giant bipedal dragon with three heads on long serpentine necks, two tails, and two large bat-like wings at his sides, which stands upright on his two hind legs. His body is covered in overlapping golden scales, which according to Monarch actually contain trace amounts of gold. The membranes of King Ghidorah's wings are still gold in color, but are made of smooth skin and not covered in scales. Like past designs, the fronts of King Ghidorah's necks are also not covered in scales, but rather skin with a ridged texture. This skin pattern extends to King Ghidorah's chest, a trait unique to this incarnation. This King Ghidorah's heads are designed similarly to the character's Heisei incarnation, with a set of horns on each side as opposed to the Showa incarnation's single pair of horns and manes of hair. Unlike the Heisei King Ghidorah, each of the MonsterVerse King Ghidorah's heads has ten horns, five on each side, rather than eight. These horns are also slightly larger and more curved, as opposed to the thin straight horns of the Heisei design. Depending on Ghidorah's emotions, the horns can flare up or flare down. There is also a small ridge atop each head. All three of King Ghidorah's necks are very muscular in addition to being very long. Two rows of spikes run down the back of his center neck, while the left and right necks feature one row apiece. The undersides of his necks glow yellow when he charges his Gravity Beams. The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah's central neck is positioned in front of his left and right necks much like Keizer Ghidorah's, whereas all previous incarnations of the character had their middle neck positioned behind the others.

King Ghidorah's body is considerably thinner than that of past incarnations, with the outline of his ribcage visible through his skin. Unlike past incarnations, he has defined arms which extend into his wings, with claws at the end of each fold. His wings are much larger than those of past incarnations, and attach to his body well below his hips. When fully outstretched, they extend well above his heads. This incarnation also uses his wings for support when standing at times. King Ghidorah's legs are thin but muscular, with his knees bent forward in such a way that he has a slight forward hunch. His feet have at least four digits with defined claws. King Ghidorah's tails end in spiky retractable fans similar to the Heisei King Ghidorah. According to Monarch files, injuries have been discovered on several locations on King Ghidorah's body "reminiscent of claw and scorch marks."[2].

Personality

Monarch classifies King Ghidorah's behavior as that of a "destroyer," and considers him "Godzilla's ultimate nemesis."[4] He lives up to this reputation upon awakening, acting as an invasive species and commanding the other Titans around the world to help him decimate the planet's ecosystems. Ghidorah demonstrates hostility toward humans which are far too small to injure him, such as when he vaporizes a group of soldiers with his Gravity Beams, when he chases down and kills Vivienne Graham, and when he stalks and attempts to kill Madison Russell. King Ghidorah's three heads each have their own personalities, and are akin to conjoined triplets rather than a single individual with three heads. Godzilla: King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty described the center head as "the one who's sort of the big brother and the most serious," the right head as "slightly more aggressive and tenacious," and the left head as "[displaying] signs of curiosity."[8] King Ghidorah uses body language to intimidate Godzilla, shaking the ends of his tails like a rattlesnake and spreading his wings like how a cobra opens its hood. Ghidorah can also flick out his tongues like a snake or lizard.

Origins

According to Dr. Ilene Chen, Ghidorah is an ancient creature who was feared by many ancient cultures and was said to have been a "dragon who fell from the stars", suggesting that he is of extraterrestrial origin. Judging by his appearance in ancient cave paintings, he has invaded Earth sometime in the past, and clashed with Godzilla and Mothra. He was eventually defeated by Godzilla in Antarctica and sealed beneath the ice.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many He was discovered buried under ice in modern-day Antarctica before 2014 by a Monarch team headed by Vivienne Graham.[note 1] Monarch links King Ghidorah to mythical creatures such as the Hydra and the Rainbow Serpent, and describes him as a "living extinction event."[2]

History

MonsterVerse

Kong: Skull Island

A cave painting of King Ghidorah battling Godzilla in Kong: Skull Island

After their adventure on Skull Island, Monarch members Houston Brooks and Lin San showed James Conrad and Mason Weaver two cave paintings of King Ghidorah, along with paintings depicting Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan, as proof that the inhabitants of Skull Island were not the only monsters in the world. In the second painting, he was shown fighting Godzilla.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

After obtaining the ORCA, Alan Jonah and his men traveled to Monarch's Outpost 32 in Antarctica where they gunned down all of the Monarch personnel. They entered the base and found King Ghidorah frozen within the ice. Jonah's men drilled into the ice and planted explosive charges within it, while Emma Russell calibrated the ORCA to Ghidorah. Monarch soon arrived and stormed the outpost, engaging in a firefight with Jonah's men. Emma grabbed the detonator for the charges and pressed it, freeing Ghidorah from the ice. After retreating to their stolen Monarch Osprey, Jonah ordered Emma to awaken Ghidorah with the ORCA. She obliged, and the three-headed Titan rose from the ice. Monarch's G-Team opened fire on Ghidorah's heads as they eyed them curiously before retaliating with devastating gravity beams that vaporized them. Ghidorah completely freed himself from the ice and made his way to Monarch's Ospreys, though Emma used the ORCA to distract him before he attacked them. Godzilla soon eruped from the ice to confront Ghidorah, and the two Titans collided. Ghidorah was more than a match for Godzilla physically, forcing Godzilla to call upon his atomic breath. Ghidorah's heads weaved out of the way of the blast and countered with their gravity beams, which knocked Godzilla off of the ice shelf. Ghidorah resumed terrorizing the humans, destroying one Osprey and killing Dr. Vivienne Graham as she and Mark Russell tried to flee to safety. Before he could kill the others, the USS Argo flew overhead and bombarded Ghidorah with missiles. As Godzilla crawled back onto the ice, Ghidorah took flight and escaped.

Monarch tracked Ghidorah aboard the Osprey, only for him to disappear in a tropical storm over Brazil. Their new priority became dealing with Rodan, a winged Titan which Emma had unleashed from Outpost 56 in Isla de Mara, Mexico. As the Argo engaged in an aerial chase with Rodan, Ghidorah was detected moving to the location within the tropical storm. Monarch decided to lure Rodan to Ghidorah so they would fight each other. As the Argo entered the eye of the storm, it dove out of the way as Ghidorah and Rodan collided and began tearing at each other. Ghidorah restrained Rodan's wings with his left and right heads, and fired a gravity beam from his central head that blasted Rodan into the water below. Ghidorah turned his attention to the Argo and pursued it, only to be dragged underwater by Godzilla. Godzilla pulled Ghidorah under the surface and bit down on his left neck, tearing it off. Just as Godzilla seemed about to win, the military's Oxygen Destroyer struck the water and produced a colossal green explosion. While Godzilla was severely injured by the blast, Ghidorah was unharmed and flew out of the water, landing atop the Isla de Mara volcano. Ghidorah regenerated his missing head in a matter of moments and spread his wings, shrieking loudly into the sky. His call awakened other Titans around the world, including Scylla, Methuselah, Behemoth, and a MUTO, all of whom began to rampage. Rodan landed at the foot of the volcano and submitted to Ghidorah, doing his bidding along with the other newly-awakened Titans. Ghidorah made his way to the East Coast of the United States, bringing with him a massive hurricane that settled over Washington, D.C. When Monarch learned that Godzilla was still alive, it sent a nuclear submarine to try and revive him while the Argo battled Ghidorah and Rodan in D.C. along with the military.

Horrified at what her mother had helped to unleash, Emma's daughter Madison stole the ORCA and brought it to Fenway Park, where she broadcast a signal that calmed the other Titans and lured Ghidorah to Boston. Upon landing, Ghidorah destroyed the loudspeakers broadcasting the sound and fired his gravity beams into the pressbox. Madison managed to escape onto the field, but Ghidorah found her and prepared to fire his gravity beams. However, the now-revitalized Godzilla arrived in the city surrounded by a military escort and blasted Ghidorah with his atomic breath. Ghidorah charged at Godzilla and the Titans collided with each other, producing a shockwave that shook the Argo. Monarch deployed two Ospreys to try and save Madison and recover the ORCA as Godzilla and Ghidorah continued to fight. Ghidorah restrained Godzilla with his heads and pinned him to the ground, but Godzilla used his atomic breath to force him off. Mothra flew overhead and used her silk to pin Ghidorah's heads against a building. As Ghidorah tried to free his heads, Godzilla charged and tackled him through the building. As Ghidorah lay on the ground and witnessed Godzilla approaching, he called to Rodan to intercept Mothra. With Rodan and Mothra fighting in the air, Ghidorah and Godzilla continued their battle on the ground. Ghidorah bit down on a nearby power substation and absorbed the electricity, which he projected through the tips of his wings, blinding and stunning Godzilla. Ghidorah pressed his advantage and leaped onto Godzilla, grabbing him in his claws and carrying him into the sky. Ghidorah used his middle neck to strangle Godzilla until he went limp, then dropped Godzilla from above the clouds. Godzilla struck the ground and was left immobilized as Ghidorah landed near him, ready to finish him off. The injured Mothra weakly crawled onto Godzilla and shielded him with her wings, then flew at Ghidorah as he fired his gravity beams, vaporizing her. After Mothra's energy flowed into Godzilla, Ghidorah bit down on his foe and began siphoning his energy through his mouths. Emma, having had a change of heart, repaired the ORCA with Mark and used it to distract Ghidorah and force him to release Godzilla. In order to allow the Osprey to escape, Emma took the ORCA and lured Ghidorah away in a jeep. Ghidorah pursued Emma and destroyed the vehicle with his gravity beams, launching Emma from the car. Mortally wounded on the ground, Emma looked up at Ghidorah and said "Long live the King" as her final words. Ghidorah turned to see Godzilla, covered in glowing orange cracks and emitting intense heat, approaching him. Godzilla emitted a nuclear pulse shaped like Mothra's wings and making the sound of her roar, with Ghidorah trying to shield his heads with his wings. The blast incinerated the flesh on Ghidorah's wings, and he fired his gravity beams at Godzilla, Godzilla was unaffected and unleashed another pulse, disintegrating Ghidorah's left and right heads. Godzilla stomped on Ghidorah's chest as the accumulated nuclear energy inside him exploded, leveling a huge portion of the city. When the smoke cleared, Ghidorah's last remaining head emerged from the rubble, hanging from Godzilla's mouth. Godzilla fired his atomic breath, which incinerated the head and reduced Ghidorah to nothing but ash.

In Isla de Mara, with the sea still devoid of life due to the effects of the Oxygen Destroyer, fishermen had managed to dredge up Ghidorah's severed head which had been torn off by Godzilla. Jonah and his men traveled to a warehouse in Isla de Mara where the head was being kept. After observing the head with sinister intent, Jonah simply remarked "we'll take it."

Abilities

Flight

The muscle tendons in King Ghidorah's wings are described as being incredibly hyper-tensile, and their massive aerodynamics could generate hurricane-force winds when flying. When combined with his body's electro-receptor molecular biology, water vapor in the air would be superheated, creating a localized storm system as he flies, equivalent to a Category 6 hurricane. The power of King Ghidorah's flight is so great that as a result, "the stratosphere would be torn open by an otherworldly tempest of thunder and lightning [Earth's] sky has never seen."[2] King Ghidorah flies at a speed of 550 knots,[4] or about Mach 0.8, while all previous live-action incarnations of the character could fly at least Mach 3 while in the Earth's atmosphere.

Conducting scales

Monarch scientists theorize that King Ghidorah's scales are gilded with trace amounts of aurum which act as conductors, capable of carrying bio-electrical currents throughout his body. This allows Ghidorah to conduct electricity through his body and project it in different ways, either through the gravity beams he spits from his mouth or the lightning bolts he fires from his wings.

Gravity Beams

King Ghidorah fires his Gravity Beams

King Ghidorah can spit bio-electrical Gravity Beams from each of his mouths that are powerful enough to tear through buildings and to disintegrate human beings.[4][9] The fronts of his necks glow yellow while charging this attack. This attack is also shown to cause physical harm to other Titans. With only one shot, Ghidorah was able to shoot Rodan down and a concentrated barrage was enough to disintegrate Mothra. This attack also had enough force to drive Godzilla off the ice during their first battle in Antarctica.

Wing lightning

King Ghidorah fires lightning from his wings

Like the incarnation of King Ghidorah from Rebirth of Mothra III, the MonsterVerse King Ghidorah can project lightning from the tips of his wings.[10] In addition to damaging aircraft it strikes, this lightning blinds and temporarily stuns Godzilla, allowing Ghidorah to attack him.

Intelligence

According to cranial scans, King Ghidorah has a divergent frontal lobe density in the brains of all three heads, indicating that each of his heads can have disparate levels of cognitive functions, possibly including independent thought. Monarch has determined that each of King Ghidorah's heads exhibits its own individual personality.[4] King Ghidorah shows his intelligence during combat, such as when he bites down on electrical wiring during his battle with Godzilla in Boston, allowing him to temporarily stun his nemesis long enough to attack him. While attempting to free his other heads from Mothra's silk the left head was able to recognize Godzilla was behind him by looking at his own reflection. King Ghidorah also recognizes the ORCA frequency as a potential threat and makes several attempts to take out the source, such as when he destroys the Fenway Park speakers to cut off the sound.

Tail spikes

King Ghidorah has retractable spikes on the ends of his tails, though he does not seem to use them specifically in combat.[11] King Ghidorah is seen shaking the ends of his tails in the air like a rattlesnake, possibly as an intimidation display.

Physical capabilities

When not using his gravity beams to attack from a distance, King Ghidorah uses his jaws when in close combat in a similar manner to a snake. He also has the ability to constrict an opponent with his three necks and two tails, strangling Godzilla at one point. His strength greatly outclasses that of Rodan, as King Ghidorah was able to easily restrain the winged Titan's wings with his left and right heads, allowing his middle head to fire a Gravity Beam at him. King Ghidorah is also shown to be capable of lifting enemies comparable to him in size without much strain, as seen when he slams Godzilla to the ground and carries him up into the atmosphere in order to drop him.

Durability

King Ghidorah is immune to conventional weaponry, and is also able to withstand a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath at point-blank range, though it still pushes him back.[12] Due to his extraterrestrial nature, Ghidorah is immune to the effects of the Oxygen Destroyer, which seriously injured Godzilla and killed all other life within a two-mile radius. King Ghidorah was seen using his wings as a shield to protect his heads from missiles. He tried using them to shield his heads from from Godzilla's nuclear pulse, but they were unable to withstand the intense heat and were incinerated.

Regeneration

King Ghidorah possesses an exceptional healing factor. After having his left head severed by Godzilla, he was able to completely regenerate it in a matter of moments. According to director Michael Dougherty, when one King Ghidorah's heads is severed and a new one grows, "[t]he newly regenerated head retains the memories and personality of the old one. Most of Ghidorah's neurons are scattered throughout his body and limbs, much like an octopus."[13] During his final battle with Godzilla in Boston, Ghidorah regenerated holes and tears in his wings after absorbing electricity from a nearby power substation. Though his regeneration was unable to keep up with Burning Godzilla's nuclear pulse, he survived having his wings, two of his heads, and the entirety of his body incinerated by the attack, and was only finally killed once Godzilla burned away his last head.

Energy absorption

King Ghidorah is able to absorb energy through his mouths. He is shown doing this twice in his final battle with Godzilla. At one point, he bites down on a nearby power substation and absorbs the electricity, which he projects through the tips of his wings. Later, he constricts his necks around Godzilla before biting down on him and draining his atomic energy. The energy is visible coursing through Ghidorah's necks as he bites down on Godzilla.

Weaknesses

While a skilled fighter on the ground and in his element when in the air, King Ghidorah demonstrates considerable difficulty when fighting in the water, as shown when Godzilla dragged him underwater in Mexico, and likely would've been killed then and there if it weren't for the interference of the Oxygen Destroyer. His regeneration takes time, and he wasn't able to regenerate his wings and left and right heads after they were disintegrated by Burning Godzilla's nuclear pulse, nor when he was reduced to a single head before Godzilla incinerated it with his atomic breath.

Filmography

Gallery

Main article: King Ghidorah/Gallery.

Roar

According to Michael Dougherty, King Ghidorah's roar in the MonsterVerse is meant to emulate his original high-pitched cackling roar from the Showa series.

Trivia

  • The script for Kong: Skull Island called for the Iwi petroglyphs inside the Wanderer to depict many monsters, including "one with three heads."[14] In the completed film, only Kong and the Skullcrawlers were shown. The film's novelization, however, does mention a three-headed creature depicted on the murals, along with several other creatures.
  • Monarch's designation for King Ghidorah, Monster Zero, is the name given to King Ghidorah by the Xiliens in Invasion of Astro-Monster.[1]
  • The location where King Ghidorah is frozen in Antarctica, Outpost 32, is a reference to the 1982 film The Thing, in which the primary location is an outpost in Antarctica called Outpost 31. The titular alien monster in The Thing is also discovered frozen in the Antarctic ice, much like King Ghidorah.
  • Excluding the King Ghidorah featured in GODZILLA: The Planet Eater which is an estimated 20 kilometers (65,616.8 feet) in length with no definite "height," this is the tallest incarnation of the character, standing 521 feet (158.8 meters) in height - approximately 29 feet taller than the Heisei King Ghidorah, who was 150 meters. The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is also the tallest monster featured in a Godzilla film besides Godzilla Earth, who stands over 1,000 feet tall.
    • The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is also the heaviest incarnation of the character at 141,056 tons, which is nearly double the weight of the Heisei King Ghidorah, and the heaviest member of the Ghidorah group. He is also one of the heaviest kaiju in the Godzilla series, behind the Heisei Mechagodzilla at 150,000 metric tons, Super Mechagodzilla at 150,482 metric tons, MOGUERA at 160,000 metric tons, Biollante's Plant Beast Form at 200,000 metric tons, Bagan at 280,000 metric tons, and SpaceGodzilla's Flying Form at 720,000 metric tons.
  • The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah is the first incarnation of the character to be portrayed through motion capture, as well as the first to be portrayed by three actors simultaneously.
  • The MonsterVerse King Ghidorah shares some characteristics with the incarnation of the character from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack. For example, his feet are bird-like with three large claws and a smaller fourth digit, while his wings have visible phalanges which connect to his body, and can be folded at his sides when not in use. He also possesses electrical abilities in addition to his traditional Gravity Beams, much like the GMK incarnation of the character. Like the GMK King Ghidorah, this version of the character is initially discovered frozen in ice.

See also

Notes

  1. The Monarch timeline videos posted to Kong: Skull Island social media accounts in 2017 state that Monarch discovered King Ghidorah in 2016. Godzilla: Aftershock, set in 2014, shows a containment facility already built around him.

References

This is a list of references for King Ghidorah (Monsterverse). 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. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Kong: Skull Island on Facebook: "2016: An extraordinary superspecies is discovered beneath the Antarctic ice. #KongSkullIsland"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 "SPECIMEN: MONSTER ZERO" - Monarch Sciences
    MONSTER ZERO - Monarch Sciences.png
  3. GKOTM merchandise - King Ghidorah, the three headed monster subtitle.png
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Specimen: Titanus Ghidorah
  5. MonsterVerse King Ghidorah Japanese stats.jpg
  6. White, James (26 April 2018). "Rampage's Jason Liles Playing King Ghidorah In Godzilla: King Of Monsters". Empire.
  7. Mike Dougherty on Twitter: "Center head: Ichi; Right head: Ni; Left head: San... aka Kevin. 🐲🐲🐲#GodzillaMovie"
  8. Collis, Clark (26 May 2019). "Godzilla: King of the Monsters heavy King Ghidorah is a 'very human' dragon". Entertainment Weekly.
  9. Meet the G-Team-Godzilla: King of the Monsters
  10. Godzilla King Of The Monsters TV Spot
  11. - Godzilla King Of The Monsters 5 Minute TV Spot
  12. [1]
  13. Mike Dougherty on Twitter: "The newly regenerated head retains the memories and personality of the old one. Most of Ghidorah's neurons are scattered throughout his body and limbs, much like an octopus. 🐲🐲🐲 #GodzillaMovie
  14. From Script to Screen - Kong: Skull Island - Wanderer Scene

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