King Kong

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King Kong
King Kong in Godzilla vs. Kong
Name information
null
Alternate names Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World,
The Eighth Wonder, The Beast, The Greatest King, Monkey, Kingkong[1]
Subtitle(s) Demon King of the Jungle
(ジャングルの魔王,   Janguru no Maō)KK33[2]
Great Strong Monster
(大怪力怪獣,   Daikairiki Kaijū)KKvG, KKE[3]
Giant Demon God
(巨大なる魔神,   Kyodainaru Majin)KKvG[3]
Demon of the South Seas
(南海の魔神,   Nankai no Majin)KKvG[4][5]
Giant Monster
(大怪獣,   Daikaijū)[6]
Ruler of the South Seas
(南海の王者,   Nankai no Ōja)KKE
King of the World
(世界の王者,   Sekai no Ōja)TKKS
Guardian God of Skull Island
(髑髏島の守護神,   Dokurotō no Shugoshin)K:SI
The-Mountain-Who-Thunders-Death
Guardian Deity (守護神,   Shugoshin)GvK
Physical information
null
Species Giant ape (Megaprimatus kongKK05, Titanus KongMV)
Height 15.24 metersKK33, KK76-KKL,
45 metersKKvG,[7][8]
20 metersKKE,[8]
7.62 metersKK05,
31.6 metersKSI[9][10]
102 metersGvK[11]
Weight 20,500 metric tonsKKvG,[8]
10,000 metric tonsKKE,[8]
5 tonsKK05,
158 tonsKSI[9][10]
Forms Mega KongKTAS,
BabyKKotA, JuvenileKKotA
Affiliation information
null
Place(s) of emergence Faro IslandKKvG,[3]
Mondo IslandKKE[3]
Controlled by Dr. WhoKKE (temporarily)
Relations Kiko, Baby Kong (sons),
Lady Kong (mate)
Jason Jenkins ("brother")
Allies Lady Kong,
Jason JenkinsKTAS, Ann DarrowKK05, James ConradKSI, Mason WeaverKSI, Hank MarlowKSI, JiaGvK, GodzillaGvK
Enemies Meat-Eater, Elasmosaurus, Pteranodon, Godzilla, Gorosaurus, Giant Octopus, Mechani-Kong, Giant Sea Serpent, Giant Boa, V. rex, Terapusmordax, Skullcrawlers, Mire Squid, Preston Packard, Death Jackals, Sirenjaw, Mother Longlegs, Camazotz, Warbats, Hellhawks, Mechagodzilla
Real world information
null
Created by Merian C. Cooper
Played by Stop-motion animationKK33,
Shoichi HiroseKKvG,
Haruo NakajimaKKE,
Rick BakerKK76,
Peter Cullen (vocals)KK76-KKL,
Peter ElliottKKL,
Scott McNealK:TAS,
Andy SerkisKK05,
Frank Welker{{KKG}},
Seth Green (voice)TLBM,
Tobey Kebbell and Terry NotaryK:SI[12],
Eric PeteyGvK[13]
Other information
null
First appearance Latest appearance
King Kong (1933) Space Jam: A New Legacy
Roar(s)
19331962-196719761986The Mighty KongThe Animated Series2005King of the Apes20172021 More roars
And now, ladies and gentlemen, before I tell you any more, I'm going to show you the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld. He was a king and a god in the world he knew, but now he comes to civilization merely a captive, a show to gratify your curiosity. Ladies and gentlemen, look at Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World!
„ 

Carl Denham (King Kong)

King Kong (キングコング,   Kingu Kongu) is a giant ape monster who first appeared in the 1933 RKO Radio Pictures film King Kong. His first appearance in a Toho film was the 1962 Godzilla film King Kong vs. Godzilla.

One of the most well-known monsters in all of cinema, Kong made his debut in the 1933 film bearing his name. Though he has been reimagined many times in many different films, Kong is always depicted as a gigantic gorilla-like ape residing on a remote island hidden from civilization and inhabited by other bizarre creatures. Typically, Kong is worshiped as a god by the natives living on the island, who often sacrifice young women to him, whom he accepts as his "brides." In the original film and its two remakes, Kong is taken away from his island by an expedition team from the United States and brought back to New York, where he escapes and goes on a violent rampage before climbing a skyscraper, then being gunned down by military aircraft and falling to his death. Toho acquired the rights to use Kong for their 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla, where he was drastically scaled up and pitted against Toho's flagship monster Godzilla. Toho made another film featuring Kong, King Kong Escapes, in 1967, where Kong battled an evil robot duplicate of himself named Mechani-Kong. The original King Kong was remade in 1976 by Dino De Laurentiis and Paramount Pictures, and a sequel to this remake titled King Kong Lives was released in 1986. Universal Pictures released their own remake in 2005, directed by Peter Jackson. In 2017, Kong became part of Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.' MonsterVerse after appearing in the film Kong: Skull Island, which set up another confrontation with Godzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong, released in 2021.

This is an overview page. To view information on specific incarnations of King Kong, please visit the King Kong incarnation subpages.

Name

King Kong was named by Merian C. Cooper who, after consulting with his friend W. Douglas Burden, decided upon the name "Kong" due to his liking of single-syllable film titles with peculiar sounds and liking of the hard 'K' sound. The prefix "King" was later attached to the original film's title, and by extent Kong himself, after a complaint from executives at RKO who refused to accept the title due to it having "a Chinese sound" and being too similar to the name of Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack's 1927 film, Chang. Prior to King Kong being decided upon, the titles "The Eighth Wonder" and "The Beast" were considered,[14] the former of which would be extended to The Eighth Wonder of the World and used as a nickname for Kong within the film.

For Kong's appearances in the Japanese Toho films King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes, as well as Japanese releases of the other American Kong films, his name is converted into katakana as Kingu Kongu (キングコング). These incarnations of Kong are also given several Japanese subtitles, including Great Strong Monster (大怪力怪獣,   Dai Kairiki Kaijū), Giant Devil (巨大なる魔神,   Kyodainaru Majin),[3] and Demon of the South Seas (南海の魔神,   Nankai no Majin).[4][5] In King Kong Escapes, the Mondo Islanders refer to Kong as Bon Kong (ボーコング,   Bō Kongu), with 'Bon' meaning "King" in their language. The King Kong from Kong: Skull Island is given the subtitle Guardian God of Skull Island (髑髏島の守護神,   Dokurotō no Shugoshin) and is referred to as the Giant God of Skull Island (髑髏島の巨神,   Dokurotō no Kyoshin) and The Greatest King (最大の王,   Saidai no Ō) by the film's Japanese title and trailer, respectively.

The incarnation of King Kong featured in King Kong Escapes is sometimes denoted as the Second Generation King Kong (2代目キングコング,   Nidaime Kingu Kongu).[15] After Toho lost the rights to the character, they displayed the suit from this film at a public event under the name King Gorilla (キングゴリラ,   Kingu Gorira).[16]

The character is often referred to as just Kong, with the "King" title only used during the ill-fated promotional events exhibiting him to the public. In King Kong vs. Godzilla and King Kong Escapes, he is referred to primarily by his full name of "King Kong." In Escapes specifically, he is initially known only as "Kong" before Carl Nelson hears a native of Mondo Island refer to him as Bon Kong, which he translates as "King Kong." In the MonsterVerse, he is only referred to as "Kong" onscreen and in the films' titles, though tie-in media such as Kong: Skull Island - The Official Movie Novelization, Kong: Skull Island - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and solicitations for Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, as well as the Japanese title for Kong: Skull Island, do use his full name of "King Kong."

Design

In all of his appearances, Kong mostly resembles a giant silverback gorilla, with either light black or brown fur. Kong varies between knuckle-walking like a real gorilla and walking upright like a human, sometimes utilizing both forms of locomotion in the same film. Kong typically has an upright human-like posture and primarily walks upright, although in the 2005 film, he more anatomically resembles a real gorilla and moves like one. In this film, Kong's entire body is covered in scars, in order to give him the appearance of being both old and battle-hardened.

Personality

In all of his appearances, Kong is portrayed as a tragic and sympathetic monster. Kong lives a very solitary and difficult existence, constantly being attacked by the vicious giant creatures that live on his island. Kong rarely attacks unless provoked, and is capable of causing mass destruction due to his size and strength, which causes human beings to fear and attack him. Kong has a soft spot for human women and will do anything to protect a woman that he likes, whether it be battling against another monster or military forces. As a result of his experience in fighting other creatures, Kong displays a degree of strategy in his battles and rarely ends a fight without making sure that his opponent is either dead or incapacitated.

Kong demonstrates at least semi-sapience in all of his film appearances. He frequently utilizes environmental objects while fighting, and learns over the course of a battle. In the 2005 film, Kong repeated the sign for "beautiful" to Ann Darrow, who had shown it to him earlier, showing just how intelligent he is.

In Kong: Skull Island, Kong demonstrates a degree of altruism, rescuing a Sker Buffalo that is pinned underneath a downed helicopter, and later rescuing Mason Weaver during his battle with the Skull Devil. The film's official tie-in comic, Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, establishes that Kong actively fights to protect life on the island, as he intervenes on several occasions to defend humans from attacking creatures like Death Jackals, Sirenjaws, and Mother Longlegs. While Kong will kill humans if they are actively attacking him or causing harm to life on the island, he is never aggressive towards innocents or non-hostile individuals. Confident in his noble intentions, Monarch entrusts Kong to defend Skull Island and keep its MUTO ecosystem in check.

Origins

In the original 1933 film, the 1976 remake, King Kong Lives, and the 2005 remake, Kong is among the last living members of a giant species of ape that lives on the mysterious Skull Island, which is inhabited by other giant creatures as well as a tribe of natives that worship him as a god. Supplementary materials for the 2005 film reveal that incarnation of Kong to be the last surviving member of a species called Megaprimatus kong, and that his kind are likely descended from Gigantopithecus, the largest known primate to have ever lived and a close relative of modern orangutans rather than gorillas.

The 1933 Kong's backstory is elaborated upon in the 2005 prequel novel Kong: King of Skull Island. According to this novel, Kong is the last surviving member of a species of huge apes known as kongs that once were numerous on Skull Island. While he was still an adolescent, Kong and his parents were attacked by a pack of dinosaurs called Deathrunners and their huge matriarch, Gaw. Kong's mother and father were both brutally killed in the attack, but Kong survived and grew up with an intense hatred for Gaw and all the meat-eating dinosaurs on the island. Eventually, Kong took his revenge by killing Gaw, establishing himself as the undisputed king of Skull Island and the god worshiped by the natives.

Members of Kong's species battling Skullcrawlers in Skull Island: The Birth of Kong

The backstory for the 2005 Kong has been given off-screen by people involved in the making of the film. In an interview with the BBC, director Peter Jackson states that Kong never knew his parents because they were "probably killed by dinosaurs" when he was still young and that he had siblings which were also deceased.[17] In Cinefex #104, Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop explained of the giant gorilla bones in Kong's lair by stating "We decided to give Kong a graveyard of his ancestors. [...] Gorillas do mourn their dead, and this was where Kong mourned the loss of the only thing that he had social interaction with — it could be his father or mother."[18] The Making of King Kong: The Official Guide to the Motion Picture states that the skull seen among the gorilla remains was Kong's father.[19]

In King Kong vs. Godzilla, Kong instead comes from an island called Faro Island, where he is worshiped by the local natives as their mighty god. In King Kong Escapes, Kong is a legendary giant ape that resides on Mondo Island.

In Kong: Skull Island, Kong is established as the last living member of his species, and still a growing adolescent. Kong's family was wiped out fending off malevolent creatures called Skullcrawlers that threatened all other life on the island. A painting inside the Iwis' temple to Kong depicts what appears to be Kong kneeling in front of the carcasses of his parents, suggesting that he witnessed their deaths. Kong's birth is shown in detail in the official tie-in comic Skull Island: The Birth of Kong. Kong's parents were the last two members of their kind on Skull Island, and when his mother went into labor with him, they were attacked by a pack of giant Skullcrawlers. Kong's father fought the beasts off while his mate delivered their son, and hid the infant away inside a nearby cave. Kong's parents were both subsequently slaughtered by the Skullcrawlers in front of him, and died lying next to each other. The infant Kong knelt in front of their corpses and wept for the parents he never knew, and from that day on used his rage to protect the other creatures of the island from malevolent monsters like the Skullcrawlers.

Incarnations

These are incarnations of King Kong that have their own pages or subpages devoted to them.

History

RKO Films

Main article: King Kong/1933.

King Kong was created by Merian C. Cooper, who licensed the character and story to RKO Radio Pictures. RKO released the original King Kong film in 1933. Later that same year, RKO released Son of Kong as a sequel to the film. Though a cancelled film pitting Kong against a giant version of the Frankenstein Monster entitled King Kong vs. Prometheus was reportedly considered, King Kong did not appear in another film until 1962.

King Kong (1933)

King Kong in King Kong (1933)

King Kong was first discovered on Skull Island by an American film crew led by Carl Denham. The natives on the island kidnapped Ann Darrow, the crew's leading lady, and sacrificed her to Kong, who carried Ann off into the jungles of the island. At one point, Kong left Ann on a tree and wandered off to deal with the rest of the film crew, who were pursuing him. As the crew attempted to cross a chasm on a crude log bridge, Kong lifted the log and twisted it, causing much of the crew to fall to their deaths in the abyss below. Jack Driscoll survived, and crossed the chasm to rescue Ann. Meanwhile, a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered Ann on the tree and attempted to eat her. Kong arrived and battled the T-rex, and killed it by breaking its jaw. Kong took Ann to his home in a cave on a mountain, where he was attacked by a giant cave serpent. Jack reached the cave and reunited with Ann, and the two managed to escape from Kong while he was distracted by a Pteranodon. Enraged, Kong followed the two to the native's village, tearing down the wall and wreaking havoc. Using a store of gas bombs he brought on the voyage, Carl Denham and his crew managed to knock Kong unconscious and subdue him.

Denham brought Kong back to New York on board the crew's ship, the Venture, intending to profit from showing Kong to the public. Denham arranged a show at a theater in New York, where he publicly showed the captured Kong to an audience, accompanied by Jack and Ann. When photographers began taking pictures of Ann and Jack took her arm, Kong believed they were attacking her and broke free from his chains, destroying the theater in a fit of rage. Ann, Jack, and Denham escaped unharmed, but Kong broke free from the theater into the streets, where he overturned cars, stomped on fleeing citizens, and destroyed a train. Kong began to scale buildings looking for Ann. He eventually found her in a hotel room that she fled to, and abducted her again. Finding himself pursued and attacked by police, Kong climbed the Empire State Building to escape. The military sent a fleet of biplanes armed with machine guns to stop Kong and save Ann. Atop the Empire State Building, Kong swatted down and destroyed several of the planes, but was mortally wounded by machine gun fire. Kong set Ann down gently and fell off the building, plummeting to the streets below. As crowds gathered around Kong's dead body, a bystander remarked that the airplanes finally got Kong, to which Denham replied that "It was beauty killed the beast."

Son of Kong

Main article: Kiko.

Only a matter of months after King Kong's rampage and subsequent death in New York, Carl Denham returned to Skull Island with another crew, where he encountered Kong's albino son, Kiko. Kiko protected Denham and Hilda, a stowaway on the Venture, from various creatures on Skull Island, before drowning when an earthquake destroyed Skull Island by causing it to sink beneath the ocean, saving Denham's life as his dying act.


Toho Films

In 1962, RKO licensed the character of King Kong to Toho, who produced a crossover film featuring King Kong and Godzilla. Toho considered producing another King Kong film in 1966, Operation Robinson Crusoe: King Kong vs. Ebirah, but replaced Kong with Godzilla and produced Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. Toho then co-produced another King Kong movie, King Kong Escapes, with Rankin/Bass Productions the very next year. Toho's rights to King Kong expired shortly afterward, but they still used the Kong suit from King Kong Escapes in their TV series Go! Greenman in 1974, portraying a monster named "Gorilla."

King Kong vs. Godzilla

Main article: King Kong/1962.

King Kong was discovered by an expedition to Faro Island, which was sent there by Mr. Tako, a marketing executive for Pacific Pharmaceuticals, in order to find a legendary monster worshiped by the natives. The expedition only heard Kong's roar from the mountains, but saw the beast himself when he battled a Giant Octopus that attacked a village on the island. After chasing the octopus off, Kong began to drink jugs of the Farolacton berry juice that the natives had prepared, and fell asleep. The expedition members had Kong tied to a raft and taken back to Japan to be used as publicity for the company, but their boat was stopped by the Japanese Coast Guard, who informed Tako that he would be liable for any damage caused by King Kong in Japan. Suddenly, Kong began to stir and try to break free of the raft. The crew members opened fire on the dynamite attached to the raft, causing it to explode. Kong emerged from the water unharmed and swam to the Japanese mainland. Kong rampaged along the coastline until he encountered Godzilla in the wilderness. Kong tossed a boulder at Godzilla, who responded with a blast of his thermonuclear breath, which singed Kong's fur and set much of the forest ablaze. Kong scratched his head and walked away in defeat.

Later, Kong arrived in Tokyo and easily passed the electrical barrier that had been used to repel Godzilla earlier, actually drawing strength from the electrical currents. Kong smashed several buildings in his path and grabbed a train, and while looking inside was smitten with Fumiko Sakurai. Kong grabbed Fumiko and dropped the train, then climbed to the top of the National Diet Building. The JSDF surrounded the building and loaded rockets with the Farolacton berry juice while playing a recording of the Faro Islanders' chant, hoping to lull Kong back to sleep. After a few minutes, Kong fell unconscious and slid off the building, allowing the JSDF to rescue Fumiko. The JSDF then formed a desperate plan: bring Kong to Mount Fuji so he can fight Godzilla and the two monsters will destroy each other. Kong was tied to several large balloons with indestructible metal wire and carried to Mt. Fuji. Kong was dropped onto Godzilla, and the two titans resumed their battle. Godzilla again claimed the upper hand, eventually battering Kong into unconsciousness and razing him with his atomic breath. Luckily for Kong, a lightning storm passed overhead and Kong was struck by lightning, re-energizing him and surging an electrical current through his body. Kong grabbed Godzilla's tail, electrocuting him with his touch, and the battle raged on, this time with both combatants on equal footing. The monsters fought across the Fuji wilderness until they reached Atami Castle, which they destroyed before tackling each other into the ocean below, causing an earthquake. After the tremors settled, Kong emerged from Sagami Bay, with Godzilla nowhere in sight, and began to swim back to his home on Faro Island.

King Kong Escapes

Main article: King Kong/1967.

King Kong was discovered on Mondo Island by a United Nations scientific expedition, led by Commander Carl Nelson. When Lieutenant Susan Watson, a member of the expedition, was attacked by Gorosaurus, Kong saved her and defeated Gorosaurus. Later, when the crew tried to leave Mondo in their Hover Car, they were attacked by a Giant Sea Serpent. Kong swam out to sea and fought off the snake, allowing the sub to escape safely. New of Kong's discovery alerted the evil Dr. Who, who kidnapped Kong and placed him under mind control, forcing him to mine a radioactive element called Element X so that Who could sell it to the mysterious Madame Piranha. Kong managed to break free of the mind control and escape Who's base. Enraged, Who sent his robot version of Kong, Mechani-Kong, to Tokyo to recapture Kong. Mechani-Kong kidnapped Susan and climbed the Tokyo Tower, and Kong pursued them. Kong rescued Susan and battled Mechani-Kong. Mechani-Kong eventually fell from the tower and onto the street, destroying it. Kong then attacked Dr. Who's ship in Tokyo Bay and destroyed it, killing Who and ending his evil plans. Kong then returned to Mondo Island to live in peace.


The King Kong Show

King Kong in The King Kong Show

In 1966, Rankin-Bass acquired the rights to King Kong and co-produced an anime series with Toei Animation called The King Kong Show. This series featured Kong befriending a human family and protecting them from various monsters and villains. The success of the series led Rankin-Bass to approach Toho, who produced King Kong vs. Godzilla in 1962 and offer to co-produce a new King Kong movie with them. The resulting film, King Kong Escapes, borrowed several elements from The King Kong Show, including the monster Mechani-Kong, Kong's island home of Mondo Island, and the recurring human villain Dr. Who.

Paramount / De Laurentiis Films

Main article: King Kong/De Laurentiis.

In the early 1970s, Universal Pictures, who owned King Kong's copyright in the United States, planned to produce a remake of the 1933 film entitled The Legend of King Kong. However, Dino De Laurentiis and Paramount Pictures purchased the film rights to King Kong from RKO and produced a remake instead. Paramount's 1976 remake was a modest success, and 10 years later De Laurentiis Entertainment Group produced a sequel entitled King Kong Lives, which received very negative reviews.

King Kong (1976)

King Kong in King Kong (1976)

King Kong was discovered on a mysterious fog-blanketed island in the Indian Ocean by an expedition from the Petrox Oil Company. The head of the expedition, Fred Wilson, believed that the previously-uncharted island contained valuable oil reserves, but instead, the expedition found that the island was inhabited by a tribe of natives who lived in a village protected by a giant wall, which separated them from a fearsome god they called "Kong." The natives kidnapped Dwan, a castaway that had been picked up by the expedition team's ship, and attempted to sacrifice her to Kong. Kong emerged from the jungle and grabbed Dwan, then immediately carried her back off to the jungle. Kong took Dwan to a waterfall and washed her underneath it, then blew on her to dry her. Dwan was surprised at how gentle Kong actually was, and began to no longer fear him. Meanwhile, Jack Prescott, a primate paleontologist who had stowed away onto the expedition's ship earlier, joined with several members of the crew to look for Kong. En route, they reached a giant fallen log that acted as a bridge over a deep chasm. Kong spotted the men as they crossed the log bridge and grabbed the bridge, twisting it until all of the men except Prescott and another named Boan fell to their deaths. Prescott decided to continue pursuing Kong on his own and headed deeper into the jungle. Kong took Dwan to his lair and prepared to undress her, but found himself attacked by a gigantic boa. Kong set Dwan down and battled the snake, just as Prescott caught up and found Dwan. The two escaped and headed back to the village, while Kong tore the giant boa's jaws apart and killed it. Kong followed Dwan and Prescott back to the village and broke through the wall. However, Wilson and the crew had sprung a trap, which Kong fell into. Kong was then smothered with chloroform and knocked unconscious. With no oil to bring back to New York after the oil deposits on the island were found to be worthless, Wilson decided to bring Kong back instead and use him as a publicity stunt. Kong was loaded into the cargo bay of the ship and fed with tons and tons of fruit. When Kong began to go berserk and smash against the wall of the cargo bay, Dwan fell into it, only for Kong to catch her. Dwan's presence calmed Kong, and he set her down then fell asleep for the remainder of the voyage.

When the expedition returned to New York, Wilson arranged a grand exposition for Kong to promote his company. He imprisoned Kong in a giant metal cage and placed a giant crown on his head. When Kong was mobbed by hordes of media reporters taking pictures, he became enraged and tore through the metal bars restraining him. Wilson tried to run away but was stepped on and killed by Kong. Kong rampaged through the city, destroying cars, stomping on fleeing citizens, and even destroying a train. Prescott and Dwan escaped over the Queensboro Bridge, expecting that Kong would not be able to swim across the East River. However, Kong merely waded across the river in pursuit of Dwan. Kong found Dwan in an abandoned bar and carried her off. Kong noticed the World Trade Center in the distance, and it reminded him of his lair back on his island. Kong climbed the South Tower with Dwan, while the military pursued him. When Kong reached the top of the tower, he was attacked by a group of soldiers wielding flamethrowers. Kong jumped across the two towers and landed on the North Tower. Out of options, the military sent helicopters armed with machine guns to take Kong down. Kong set Dwan down and swatted at the helicopters, but was mercilessly blasted by machine gun bullets, causing him to bleed profusely. After destroying two choppers, Kong succumbed to his injuries and fell from the tower, plummeting onto the World Trade Center plaza. As crowds of reporters and spectators gathered around Kong, Dwan approached him and looked at him tearfully just as his heart stopped beating.

King Kong Lives

King Kong in King Kong Lives

After being shot off of the World Trade Center in 1976, King Kong was not actually killed, but placed into a coma. Kong was taken to the Atlantic Institute and kept alive but comatose for a decade. Dr, Amy Franklin, the surgeon in charge of Kong, found a way to fully revive Kong by giving him an artificial heart. However, Kong had lost so much blood that he required a blood transfusion for the procedure to work. Thankfully, a female member of Kong's species dubbed "Lady Kong" was discovered in Borneo by Hank Mitchell and brought back to the Atlantic Institute to provide blood for Kong. The transplant was a success, and Kong was revived. However, Kong and Lady Kong mated while in captivity at the Institute and escaped together. The United States army relentlessly pursued both apes and tracked them down in the wilderness. Kong fell from a cliff and presumably died in the resulting battle, and Lady Kong was captured and taken to a military base. At the base, it was discovered that Lady Kong was pregnant with Kong's child. Meanwhile, Kong survived the fall and rampaged through the countryside in search of Lady Kong, although his artificial heart was slowly failing. As Lady Kong went into labor, King Kong arrived near the military base and was attacked by the military. Kong was gruesomely wounded in the battle, but managed to destroy the military's forces and kill the insane army colonel who tried to kill him and his mate. Kong entered the base and collapsed in front of Lady Kong, who had just given birth to their son, Baby Kong. Gravely injured and with his heart about to shut down, Kong smiled as he looked at his newborn child before finally dying. Following Kong's death, Lady Kong and Baby Kong were transported back to Borneo to live in peace together.

Kong: The Animated Series

While Universal decided to postpone production on their King Kong film in the late 1990s, BKN International produced an animated series starring Kong to capitalize on the success of TriStar Pictures's Godzilla: The Series in 2000. Kong: The Animated Series was moderately successful, featuring 40 episodes and two spin-off direct-to-DVD films released after its cancellation. The series features a clone of the original King Kong, made from his DNA after he fell to his death from the Empire State Building in 1933. In the present day, Kong resides on Kong Island, where he is cared for by the scientist who cloned him, Dr. Lorna Jenkins. When a mad scientist, Professor Ramone De La Porta, attempts to use the magical Primal Stones located on the island to unleash the demon Chiros, Kong must join forces with Dr. Jenkins' grandson Jason, his friend Eric, and the native girl Lua to reclaim the Primal Stones and battle Chiros' forces.

Universal Film

Main article: King Kong/2005.

In 1976, a federal judge ruled that the character and film rights to King Kong (aside from the 1933 film, which belonged to RKO, and the 1976 film and its sequel, which belonged to De Laurentiis and Paramount) belonged to Merian C. Cooper's estate, and the majority of the rights to King Kong reverted to Cooper's son, Richard. Cooper almost immediately sold all of his rights to Universal Pictures, who retains them to this day. Universal considered producing their own remake of the 1933 film in the late 1990s, but the releases of a remake of Mighty Joe Young and GODZILLA in 1998 caused them to postpone it. Universal finally produced a remake in 2005, which was financially and critically successful. In 2014, Universal entered a legal partnership with Legendary Pictures, and the two companies began work on a new film, Kong: Skull Island, set for a 2017 release. In 2015, Legendary moved the production from Universal to its previous partner, Warner Bros.

King Kong (2005)

King Kong in King Kong (2005)

King Kong, possibly the last living member of a species of gigantic ape called Megaprimatus kong, was living on Skull Island in 1933, when a film crew led by Carl Denham arrived on a ship called the Venture to shoot a film. The natives of the island did not take kindly to the film crew's presence and attacked them when they set foot on the island, killing two members of the expedition. The crew returned to the Venture and remained on board, debating whether or not to return to the island and continue shooting. At night, the natives pole-vaulted to get onto the Venture and kidnapped Ann Darrow, the leading lady. They brought her back to their village on the island and attempted to sacrifice her to their god, Kong. Kong soon emerged from the jungle and grabbed the terrified Ann, then took her away into the jungle. The film crew ran onto the island to rescue Ann and followed Kong into the jungle. Kong took Ann to his lair, where she saw the remains of several of Kong's previous sacrifices along the way. Ann tried to get free, but to no avail. Ann tried to distract Kong by dancing, which caused Kong to laugh. When Ann became tired and refused to perform anymore, Kong stormed off angrily. Kong then encountered the search party crossing a log bridge spanning a ravine. Kong grabbed the bridge and twisted it, sending the party falling into the chasm below, where most of them were killed by gigantic insects. Jack Driscoll managed to escape from the pit and climb to the other side of the ravine, then continued pursuing Kong.

While Kong was gone, Ann tried to run away but found herself being pursued by a Foetodon, a giant crocodilian-like reptile. Ann ran from it, only to witness the Foetodon being eaten by a Vastatosaurus rex, a modern descendant of the Tyrannosaurus rex. The V-rex then chased Ann and was joined by another member of its kind. Kong arrived just in time and tried to fight the V-rexes off. A third V-rex entered the battle and the odds were turned against Kong. Kong killed one of the V-rexes, but the other two continued relentlessly attacking him and Ann. Eventually, Kong and the two remaining V-rexes fell over a cliff and into a thick layer of vines. Kong grappled with the V-rexes, causing one to become entangled and trapped in the vines. Ann and one of the V-rexes fell from the vines to the ground while Kong finished off the other one. Kong fought with the V-rex once again, and this time gained the upper hand. Kong restrained the V-rex and pried its jaws apart until they snapped, killing it. Ann, grateful for Kong saving her life, allowed herself to be taken by Kong back to his mountain lair. Kong set Ann down in his lair and sat on a ledge overlooking the sunset. Ann approached Kong and tried to communicate with him using sign language. Jack arrived in Kong's lair and found Ann. Kong then awoke from his slumber and angrily attacked Jack. Suddenly, they were attacked by a swarm of Terapusmordax, giant bats. As Kong fought the bats off, Jack and Ann began rappelling down a vine to escape but Kong noticed and tried to grab them. Jack then grabbed hold of an attacking Teraspumordax with Ann clinging to him as the bat lowered them down and they fell into the water below. Enraged, Kong stormed off from his lair and gave chase. Jack and Ann retreated to the village, where Carl and the remaining members of the expedition were waiting. Kong arrived and broke down the wall. The crew used chloroform bombs to subdue Kong, knocking him unconscious on the shore. Denham decided to bring Kong back to New York and display him as "the Eighth Wonder of the World."

Kong was taken back to New York onboard the Venture, and was placed in chrome steel chains and put on display inside a Broadway theater. As the crowds were stunned by Kong and photographers aggressively took pictures of him, Kong became agitated. He broke free from his chains and grabbed the actress pretending to be Ann. Realizing she was a fake, he tossed her aside and tore through the theater, eventually emerging out into the streets of New York. Kong overturned cars and smashed lampposts in rage, searching for Ann. Witnessing the destruction Kong was causing because of her, Ann walked into the open near Kong and allowed him to pick her up again. Kong calmed down and took Ann to Central Park, where he slid on a frozen lake. As Kong began to regain his footing, he was thrown forward when a tank shell blasted the ice. With the military pursuing him, Kong fled to the Empire State Building and climbed it. After reaching the top of the building, Kong sat and looked out over the sunrise. He looked at Ann and made the sign for "beautiful," showing that he understood and remembered the sign she showed him earlier. The peace was interrupted when a group of biplanes armed with machine guns flew near the building and opened fire on Kong. Kong set Ann down and roared defiantly at the planes. He swatted at them and managed to destroy some of them. Unfortunately for Kong, the gunfire was too much and he began to succumb to his wounds. Kong slumped over the top of the tower and looked at Ann sorrowfully, then slid off of the building and plummeted to his death in the streets below. As crowds gathered around Kong's colossal corpse, someone remarked that the airplanes got Kong. Carl Denham sorrowfully said that it was not the airplanes, as "It was beauty killed the beast."

Kong: King of the Apes

In 2016, 41 Entertainment and Arad Animation co-produced a Netflix-exclusive animated series starring King Kong. The series revolves around Kong battling a mad scientist's army of robotic dinosaurs in the year 2050.

The infant Kong, who, at the time of his discovery, was thought to be the last great ape alive in the wild, was taken from his home by poachers and was able to use his abnormal strength to escape their helicopter and find his way into the California Redwood forests where he was discovered by Lukas Remy, who treated Kong like a brother. The two were later framed for terrorism by Lucas' brother Richard Remy who pursued them throughout the show until they are all forced down a volcano into a more traditional Kong setting full of dinosaurs and large insects in the season finale.

Supporting roles in Warner Bros. films

The LEGO Batman Movie

King Kong was imprisoned in the Phantom Zone along with other notorious villains of the LEGO multiverse. He was one of the villains freed by the Joker as part of his plan to exact revenge on Batman and destroy Gotham City. Kong was defeated when Robin crashed the Batmobile into his face, knocking him unconscious into the water.

Ready Player One

King Kong in Ready Player One

James Halliday, the creator of a popular virtual reality game called the OASIS, devised a series of challenges called Anorak's Quest to determine his successor after his death. In the first challenge, players raced through the streets of a simulated New York City, evading various obstacles. King Kong was the final hazard, leaping off the Empire State Building to attack the racers. Just before the finish line, Kong would crash through the racetrack itself and lurk out of sight, swatting any player who tried to drive over him. It is possible that Halliday programmed Kong to be impassible; the solution that Wade Watts discovered was to drive in reverse at the start of the race, revealing a hidden corridor that ran underneath the racetrack.

Space Jam: A New Legacy

As a resident of the virtual Serververse where Warner Bros. properties reside, King Kong attended the high-stakes basketball match between teams led by LeBron James and his son Dom. He pouted when the malevolent artificial intelligence Al-G assumed control of Dom's team and boasted, "King Kong ain't got nothing on me."

MonsterVerse

Main article: King Kong/Legendary.

In 2014, Legendary Pictures entered a distribution partnership with Universal. One of the films they announced as part of this partnership was Skull Island, a King Kong origin story, set for release on November 4, 2016. It was later retitled Kong: Skull Island and pushed back to March 10, 2017. Legendary ultimately moved the production to its previous partner, Warner Bros., to enable a remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla. Legendary announced Godzilla vs. Kong for a 2021 release, a year after the sequel to Legendary's Godzilla.

Kong: Skull Island

After crash-landing on Skull Island in 1944, American fighter pilot Hank Marlow and Japanese pilot Gunpei Ikari engaged in a fight to the death. After Ikari gained the upper hand and prepared to fatally stab Marlow with a dagger, Kong appeared over a cliff, leading the two shocked men to end their struggle.

In 1973, the scientific organization Monarch organized an expedition to Skull Island, escorted by the Sky Devils helicopter squadron led by Lt. Colonel Preston Packard. One of the helicopters carrying the expedition members cleared the storm cell surrounding the island and began flying over land, they immediately began dropping seismic charges onto the ground below, allegedly to map the island. The explosions drew out Kong, who responded by throwing a tree through one of the choppers. The remaining choppers formed a perimeter around Kong and opened fire on him. The bullets did little more than irritate Kong, who proceeded to rip the helicopters out of the sky and smash them. After downing all of the choppers, Kong wandered back off into the jungle. Kong eventually reached a river, where he noticed the wounds he had sustained from the choppers' rotor blades. Kong winced in pain briefly before beginning to drink from the lake. Suddenly, Kong realized that a Mire Squid was in the water and grabbed one of the creature's tentacles. The Mire Squid then attacked Kong with all of its tentacles, trying to strangle him to death. Kong was able to crush the creature's head under his foot and kill it, then proceeded to eat several of its tentacles. Kong then grabbed the squid's carcass and dragged it away, presumably back to his lair.

After meeting Marlow, some of the surviving expedition members were brought back to the village of the island's indigenous tribe, the Iwis. There, Marlow explained that Kong was perceived as a god by the islanders, and generally acted as a guardian on the island that kept the most dangerous creatures there under control. He stated that Kong attacked the helicopters because the seismic charges they dropped had drawn creatures he called Skullcrawlers to the surface. According to Marlow, Skullcrawlers were the most vicious and dangerous animals on the island and were responsible for killing Kong's family. At this time, Kong was being attacked by two Skullcrawlers but was able to easily dispatch the two smaller creatures. One of the expedition members, Mason Weaver, found a Sker Buffalo pinned underneath a downed helicopter and tried to free it, only for Kong to arrive and free the buffalo himself. Kong gave Weaver an indifferent glance and simply wandered off.

After surviving an encounter with a Skullcrawler and several Leafwings, Weaver and James Conrad stood atop a cliff and looked out over the island, only to witness Kong approach them. To their surprise, Kong did not seem violent or aggressive at all and even allowed Weaver to place her hand on his face. Suddenly, explosions appeared over the distance, and Kong immediately raced toward them. Weaver and Conrad knew that Packard and his men were setting a trap for Kong, intending to kill him. The two of them, joined by Marlow, rushed to the scene to try and save Kong. When Kong arrived at the scene of the explosions, he saw Packard and his men in the distance. As Kong crossed a lake to reach them, Packard ignited the napalm he had dumped into the water, causing the entire lake to erupt into flames. Kong swung his arm angrily at the water, causing the flaming napalm to hit some of the soldiers, before collapsing onto the ground. Packard placed leftover seismic charges around Kong, preparing to finish him, but Weaver, Conrad, and Marlow arrived and aimed their guns at him, demanding for him to stop. Packard refused and was prepared to detonate the charges and blow them all sky-high when suddenly a gigantic Skullcrawler, known as the Skull Devil, erupted from the lake. Everyone except Packard fled, while Kong regained consciousness and promptly smashed Packard under his fist. The Skull Devil attacked Kong, and the humans were forced to leave the giant ape to his fate.

The following morning, as the surviving expedition members neared the extraction point on the north side of the island, they were confronted by the giant Skullcrawler. Fortunately, Kong arrived and smashed the monster in the face with a boulder. Kong engaged in battle with the Skull Devil, buying time for the humans to get to safety. The weakened Kong simply was not a match for the Skull Devil and was knocked into an old shipwreck and entangled in its anchor chain. Weaver had managed to reach a vantage point and fired a flare into the Skull Devil's eye, enraging it. Kong finally broke free of the chain and managed to create a makeshift flail when it became entangled with the ship's propeller. Kong swung the flail at the Skull Devil, embedding the propeller into its back. Kong pulled the propeller out and slammed the Skull Devil into the same hill Weaver was standing on, causing her to fall into the water below. He then sliced the creature across its throat, seemingly killing it. Kong then pulled Weaver out of the water and took a second to stare at her in his hand, only for the Skull Devil to get back up and clamp its jaws onto his arm. Kong battled the Skullcrawler again, trying to keep Weaver away from its mouth, but the beast used its prehensile tongue to pull Kong's hand, with Weaver held in it, down its throat. Mustering all his strength, Kong pulled his hand free of the Skull Devil's gullet, ripping out the beast's innards and killing it instantly. Kong gently set Weaver down on the ground, while Conrad immediately ran to her to ensure she was okay. As Weaver regained consciousness and embraced Conrad, Kong looked back at the two of them before walking away. Once the survivors were finally rescued from the island, Kong stood triumphantly in his domain, beating his chest and letting out a mighty roar.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

After King Ghidorah issued a call that awakened the majority of the planet's dormant Titans and summoned them to his aid, Kong did not respond and remained on Skull Island. Once Godzilla defeated Ghidorah and reclaimed his title as King of the Monsters, the newly awakened Titans began migrating to Skull Island, which had become unstable due to recent seismic activity.


Godzilla vs. Kong

King Kong in Godzilla vs. Kong

By 2024, a storm generated by King Ghidorah had combined with the storm cell perpetually surrounding Skull Island, causing the island to be consumed by a never-ending storm. Monarch constructed Outpost #236, a large dome-like structure with an artificial recreation of Skull Island's original environment, to contain Kong. One morning, Kong woke up as a flock of Leafwings flew overhead. He wandered into a nearby lake and stood under a waterfall, then uprooted a tree. Jia, a young orphaned Iwi girl with whom Kong shared a bond, approached him and showed him her doll of him. Kong leaned forward and inspected it, then reared back and threw the tree into the false sky over the containment unit. Dr. Ilene Andrews, an anthropological linguist who was assigned to watch over Kong, discussed the current situation with Ben, another Monarch member. It was clear that Kong was becoming too large for his surroundings, and that the containment unit would not be able to hold him forever. Ben suggested they look into relocating the Titan, but Andrews believed this would be a death sentence. There could not be two alpha Titans, she said, and the moment Kong left the island, Godzilla would come for him.

Meanwhile, Godzilla unexpectedly attacked an Apex Cybernetics facility in Pensacola, Florida, causing mankind to turn against him. Apex CEO Walter Simmons and Chief Technology Officer Ren Serizawa approached ex-Monarch geologist Nathan Lind and proposed a joint Apex-Monarch expedition to the Hollow Earth in order to find an energy source which would allow Apex to create a weapon capable of standing up to Godzilla. Lind was convinced but further explained that due to all Titans sharing genetic memory which instinctively led them to their evolutionary source, a Titan could lead the way. Lind traveled to Outpost #236 and explained the plan to Andrews, who rejected it again on the basis that Godzilla would come for Kong as soon as he left the island. Lind stated that they needed to find this energy source in order to stop Godzilla and that in the process they could find Kong a new home. Andrews was finally convinced but accepted on the condition that she was in charge of Kong. Kong was sedated and placed on a ship, which was escorted by a naval fleet en route to Antarctica. One night, Kong became restless and began tugging at the chains restraining him. Jia came onto the deck and held out her finger to Kong, who responded by touching it with his finger. Andrews rushed onto the deck and asked Jia what she was doing, and Jia responded by signing to her that Kong was sad and angry. Andrews signed that Kong did not understand that they were trying to help him, but Jia signed back that Kong did not believe that. Andrews asked how she knew, and Jia signed that Kong told her. To Andrews' amazement, Kong proceeded to sign the word "home."

The next day, Andrews and Lind discussed what happened the night before. Andrews explained that she had spent years trying to establish communication with Kong, teaching him the alphabet and basic commands. Though Kong showed signs of recognition, he had never openly communicated with her. Lind asked if it was possible for Jia to give commands to Kong, but Andrews rejected the idea, saying Jia was just a child. When the storm wiped out most of the Iwi people, Jia's parents were killed, and she and Kong both took up the responsibility to protect her. Jia, meanwhile, felt something approaching the ship and ran to warn Andrews. Lind asked what was going on, and Andrews responded that Godzilla was coming. Battleships and fighter jets opened fire on Godzilla but did nothing to slow his approach. As Godzilla submerged near his ship, Kong roared into the sea below, only for Godzilla to burst up from underwater and capsize the ship. As the ship filled with water, Lind released Kong's chains, allowing him to fight back. He held back Godzilla as he snapped at him with his jaws, then freed himself as the ship righted itself. Kong stood on the ship and watched as Godzilla circled around the fleet. He then jumped on a destroyer then onto an aircraft carrier. As Godzilla approached, Kong grabbed a jet and threw it at him. Godzilla climbed aboard the carrier and was promptly greeted by a punch from Kong. Godzilla retaliated by slashing at Kong's face with his claws, knocking him down. Godzilla charged his atomic breath, but a fighter jet managed to interrupt him before he could fire it. Kong punched Godzilla, then got back to his feet and shoved him off the carrier. Godzilla fired his atomic breath at the carrier from underwater, with Kong leaping off just in time to avoid the blast. Godzilla grabbed Kong in the water and tried to pull him down, but Kong kicked himself free and tried to surface. Godzilla wrapped his tail around Kong and began pulling him down again. Andrews told the commander that they had to disorient Godzilla somehow before he drowned Kong, and suggested depth charges. The ships fired depth charges into the sea, which exploded. After a few moments, Kong pulled himself back onto the ship, coughing up water before falling onto his back. Lind told the commander to shut down all of the fleet's power in order to make Godzilla think he had won. The commander obliged, and Godzilla soon surfaced amidst the burning remnants of several ships. Kong scowled at Godzilla, who finally departed the area. Andrews told Lind that Godzilla would return the second they started moving again, so Lind suggested airlifting Kong instead.

Kong was transported in a net carried by numerous helicopters and Ospreys, then deposited in Antarctica. Kong inspected the snow surrounding him, then looked to see Jia and the others standing on a nearby ledge. Jia signed to Kong that his home was through the entrance to the Hollow Earth behind him, but Kong did not go through. Lind told Andrews to tell Kong there could be others like him down there, so Andrews asked Jia to sign this to Kong. Jia signed to Kong that his family could be down there, and Kong immediately charged through. Everyone else boarded Apex's Hollow Earth Aerial Vehicles and followed Kong. Kong swung himself along the pipes on the ceiling of the tunnel before losing his grip and falling through a crater. Kong and the HEAVs passed through a vortex that eventually spits them out into the Hollow Earth. Kong ran across the terrain with the HEAVs in pursuit. Suddenly, one HEAV was destroyed by a Warbat. Before the creature could attack another HEAV, Kong grabbed it by its tail and slammed it on the ground, killing it. A second Warbat flew toward Kong, who swung the other's corpse into it. The Warbat recovered and roared at Kong, then proceeded to constrict its body around him. It pulled its wing over Kong's face in an attempt to suffocate him, but a HEAV interrupted it by firing missiles at it. Kong freed himself and began pummeling the Warbat into the dirt before tearing off its head and drinking the contents of its skull. Kong continued moving across the Hollow Earth before reaching a cliff. Kong jumped off the cliff and floated through the air onto another surface. Kong eventually reached a gigantic temple, with the imprint of his species' hand on the door. Kong placed his hand over the imprint and pushed the door open, opening it into a huge chamber. Kong roared loudly, but his roar echoed through the temple unanswered. Kong began walking through the temple and picked up an axe he found lodged in the skull of a fallen Titan, beating his chest triumphantly as he wielded it. He then sat on a giant throne as the expedition members disembarked from the HEAVs. Apex's Maia Simmons asked where the energy source was, while the blade of Kong's axe began to glow blue. Kong found an indentation in the ground in the shape of the axe, and placed the axe into it. The ground around him began glowing blue; they had found the energy source. Apex deployed a drone to harvest the material and scan it, sending the data to Apex HQ in Hong Kong. The Monarch members objected to Apex mining the energy source, so Maia had her guards aim their weapons at them, causing Kong to roar angrily at the guards. Suddenly, the temple began to shake, causing the Hellhawks roosting on the ceiling to become active and attack. Maia and her guards boarded a HEAV and tried to escape, while a Hellhawk cornered the Monarch members. Just then, Godzilla's atomic breath burst into the temple, opening up a tunnel directly to Hong Kong. As her HEAV tried to escape, Maia ordered it to fire on Kong, who grabbed it in his hand and crushed it. Kong then grabbed his axe, leaped through the tunnel and climbed his way into Hong Kong.

Kong surfaced in Hong Kong to confront Godzilla. Both Titans exchanged roars before beginning to fight. Kong swung his axe at Godzilla, but it became lodged in a building. Kong then tried to fight Godzilla hand-to-hand. Godzilla tried to fire his atomic breath, but Kong stopped him. Godzilla freed himself from Kong's grip, only for Kong to bring down both of his fists onto Godzilla's head. Kong then jumped and kicked Godzilla to the ground, after which Godzilla tried to fire his atomic breath again. Thinking quickly, Kong grabbed his axe and shoved it into Godzilla's mouth, stopping him from firing it. Godzilla fired his atomic breath again, but Kong blocked it with the blade of his axe. Godzilla then tackled Kong, who stabbed his axe into Godzilla's leg. Godzilla retaliated by pushing Kong into the water, then tore the axe out of his leg with his mouth. Godzilla fired his atomic breath, forcing Kong to run through the city to avoid it. One blast did eventually hit Kong in the back, burning him and knocking him down. Kong got back up, only for Godzilla to fire his atomic breath again. Kong once more avoided the blast and climbed onto a skyscraper, which Godzilla knocked over with his atomic breath. The surviving HEAV, with Lind, Andrews, and Jia in tow, flew through the tunnel from the Hollow Earth and narrowly avoided crashing into Kong and then Godzilla's atomic breath. Kong tears off a radio dish from a surrounding building to utilize as a makeshift shield against the beam. Closing the distance, Kong grabbed his axe and jumped off the skyscraper, with Godzilla firing his atomic breath. Kong used the axe to block the blast and absorb its energy, then brought it down on Godzilla, creating a massive shockwave that blew both Titans back. The axe lost its charge as Lind remarked that it appeared Kong won the second round.

Both Titans got back to their feet, with Godzilla dropping onto all fours and hunting for Kong, angered following the impact of his axe. Kong climbed a building and threw a crane to distract Godzilla, then jumped off the building and pushed Godzilla headfirst through another building. The Titans exchanged blows again before Godzilla pulled Kong off his back and threw into a building, dislocating his shoulder. In a fit of primal rage, Godzilla dropped onto all fours again and aggressively pursued Kong, who kicked at his face as Godzilla snapped his jaws at his feet. Godzilla then jumped onto Kong, clawing into his chest repeatedly before stomping on it. Kong punched at Godzilla's leg, who roared in pain before bringing his foot down on Kong's chest again. Kong weakly tried to pull Godzilla's foot off of him but to no avail. Godzilla then roared in Kong's face, but Kong answered with a roar of his own. Godzilla finally took his foot off of Kong and began to walk away. Kong weakly got back to his feet and tried to pursue him, only to fall backward and pass out.

Meanwhile, Apex's ultimate weapon, Mechagodzilla, had gone out of control after being infused with the energy source from the Hollow Earth, prompting the consciousness of Ghidorah to possess the mecha. It killed its creators and freed itself from under Victoria Peak with its proton scream. Godzilla tried to battle Mechagodzilla alone but was severely outmatched by its physical strength, agility, and powerful weaponry. The HEAV landed near the fallen Kong as Godzilla and his mechanical duplicate fought. Jia placed her hand on the ground and reported that she could feel Kong's heart slowing down. Andrews said there was nothing they could do, as restarting his heart would require a huge electrical charge. Lind remembered that Maia told him earlier that the HEAVs possessed enough power to "light up Las Vegas for a week," and decided to use the HEAV to revive Kong. Lind flew the HEAV onto Kong's chest, then set it to self-destruct. He quickly escaped the craft and ran to safety just as the HEAV exploded. The electrical charge released by the explosion instantly revived Kong. Jia got Kong's attention and signed to him that Godzilla was not the enemy. Kong roared angrily, but Jia pointed to Mechagodzilla and signed that that was the enemy. Kong finally accepted this and got back to his feet. He then rammed his shoulder into a building, resetting his arm. As Mechagodzilla pried apart Godzilla's jaws and prepared to fire its proton scream down his throat, Kong leaped onto Mechagodzilla's back and forced it to fire the beam into the sky. Mechagodzilla threw Kong off of it, but Godzilla recovered and grabbed it by the arm. Kong grabbed the other arm, and both Titans proceeded to pull Mechagodzilla through a building. The mechanical Titan got back up and tried to punch the Titans, who interrupted its punches. Finally, Mechagodzilla overpowered Kong and Godzilla and knocked both aside. Kong saw his axe and ran to get it as the mecha focused its wrath on Godzilla. Kong reentered the battle and swung his axe into Mechagodzilla repeatedly. Mechagodzilla pinned Kong against a building and began spinning the blades on its tail and trying to shove them into Kong's face. Kong held back the spinning blades with all of his might, but could not hold on for long. When Josh Valentine, Madison Russell, and Bernie Hayes failed to stop Mechagodzilla from its control room, Bernie suggested they have one last drink before they died. This gave Josh an idea, as he grabbed Bernie's flask and poured its contents all over Mechagodzilla's control monitor. This caused Mechagodzilla to briefly stall, allowing Godzilla to fire his atomic breath at Kong's axe and charge it. Kong immediately hacked off Mechagodzilla's tail with the axe, then cut off both of its arms and one of its legs. Mechagodzilla fell to the ground but defiantly charged one last proton scream. Kong did not hesitate to bring the axe down on the mecha's neck, then proceeded to grab its head and tear it off. Kong held Mechagodzilla's head into the air and roared triumphantly before slumping down from exhaustion.

Godzilla roared and began approaching Kong, who weakly got back to his feet and picked up his axe again. The two Titans stared each other down before Kong finally dropped his axe. Godzilla roared in acknowledgment and turned to return to the sea. Kong and the gathered humans watched as Godzilla dove below the waves.

Sometime later, Andrews, Lind, and Jia watched from a monitoring station inside the Hollow Earth as Kong passed by on his morning walk. Kong signed "home" to Jia, who smiled back at him. Kong then swung from vines onto a cliff, then pounded his chest and roared triumphantly.

Abilities

Physical abilities

In all of his film appearances, King Kong displays immense physical strength. Kong can fight toe-to-toe with various giant creatures, such as dinosaurs and giant snakes, and come out on top. Kong exhibits impressive agility, as he can jump over great distances (such as the 250 meters between the World Trade Center's Twin Towers) and land on his feet. Kong also demonstrates durability when he continued fighting against airplanes (helicopters in the 1976 version) and even destroy some of them after being riddled with bullets. In the 1976 film, Kong survives getting shredded by machine-gun fire and falling from the top of the South Tower of the World Trade Center before falling into a coma. In Kong: Skull Island, Kong is even more resilient and shows complete resistance to any gunfire. Kong even withstands being lit on fire after swimming through a lake filled with napalm, although it weakens him and causes him to pass out.

Kong is also remarkably intelligent. He makes use of environmental objects like trees or rocks when fighting, and even when overwhelmed by more powerful or more numerous opponents he can think on his feet and find a way to win. In the 2005 film, Kong demonstrated the ability to understand and use sign language to Ann.

In both of his Toho incarnations, King Kong is an extremely capable melee combatant, using his large arms, powerful muscles, and mighty fists to strike fear in foes such as Gorosaurus, the Giant Octopus, and even Godzilla himself. In his first incarnation in King Kong vs. Godzilla, the mighty primate cannot be harmed by electrical currents, and instead, feeds on their power in order to revitalize or awaken him from a state of unconsciousness. He can also use those same electrical currents, whether they are man-made or natural, to allow him to release surges of electricity from his hands, a powerful tool against Godzilla. The second incarnation of the Toho Kong who appeared in King Kong Escapes lacked these abilities but instead was immune to the radioactive Element X.

King Kong appears to be particularly resistant to Godzilla's atomic breath. He is hit by it multiple times throughout King Kong vs. Godzilla, and usually suffers little more than having some of his fur singed.

Filmography

Video games

Konami Wai Wai World

Age: 8 years old
Blood type: O
Height: 250 centimeters
Weight: 1.5 metric tons

King Kong, simply called Kong here, is imprisoned in the game's fifth stage, City Stage. After freeing him, Kong becomes a playable character. His power-up item(s) are bunches of throwable bananas.

Books and short stories

MonsterVerse tie-ins

All of the MonsterVerse films received novelizations, with Godzilla: King of the Monsters - The Official Movie Novelization adding a scene in which Kong prepares to defend Skull Island against an onslaught of Skullcrawlers provoked by Ghidorah's call. Kong also appeared in two kid-friendly tie-ins to Godzilla vs. Kong. He explores Skull Island with the Iwi girl Jia in Kong and Me and travels the world with Godzilla to demonstrate key tenets of friendship in Godzilla vs. Kong: Sometimes Friends Fight (But They Always Make Up).

Comics

Gallery

Main article: King Kong/Gallery.

Roar

In the original 1933 film, King Kong's roar was adapted from tiger and lion roars and altered in pitch.

King Kong's roar in the two Toho films was later reused for King Caesar, Gaira, Sanda, Daigoro, and Manda in Godzilla Singular Point.

In the 1976 remake, King Kong's roars are primarily derived from stock roars dating back to the 1957 films The Land Unknown and The Deadly Mantis, with additional vocalizations provided by an uncredited Peter Cullen. The stock roars would go on to be used in countless other monster movies, and were even used for Toto in Gamera the Brave 30 years later.

In the 2005 remake, Kong's motion-capture actor Andy Serkis provided vocalizations for Kong that were then lowered in pitch to match those of a real gorilla, and then mixed with various other animal sounds.

Kong's roars in Kong: Skull Island were created by sound designer Al Nelson and adapted from the sounds of lions, gorillas, and monkeys. The use of lion roars was inspired by how sound editor Murray Spivak created Kong's roars in the original film.

King Kong's roars in the 1933 film
King Kong's roars in the Showa series
King Kong's roars in the 1976 film
King Kong's roars and sound effects in the 2005 film
King Kong's roars and sound effects throughout the MonsterVerse

Trivia

  • King Kong was Godzilla's first opponent in a color film.
  • King Kong was the first American-made monster to fight Godzilla in a movie, the second being Zilla, and the third being the MUTOs.
  • King Kong's relatively small size outside of the Toho and MonsterVerse films fits with the scientific understanding of the Square Cube Law, in which large animals have a low surface area, and therefore are less efficient at processes such as gas exchange, placing an upper limit on their size. King Kong's size in the 1933 film is close to the largest size a terrestrial animal can be under the currently understood constraints.
  • According to an interview with Ishiro Honda, an early draft for the 1968 film Destroy All Monsters called for "all monsters" to appear. It is possible that Kong was to be among them, but it is unconfirmed.
  • Toho had planned to feature Kong in the Heisei series of Godzilla films in a remake of King Kong vs. Godzilla titled Godzilla vs. King Kong. According to designer Shinji Nishikawa [21], the film would have Kong fall in love with a scientist who eventually converts him into a cyborg. Turner Entertainment, by then the copyright owners of the original 1933 film, requested payment from Toho for the rights to use the character, and the film was ultimately scrapped. Toho later considered several projects pitting Godzilla against Kong's mechanical doppelganger, Mechani-Kong, but these films never came to pass either.
  • Kong is one of the many kaiju who share "King" in their names. Some examples are King Ghidorah, King Caesar, Red King, Kingsaurus III, Jumbo King, Live King, Grand King, King of Mons and Five King, as well as Godzilla, who is given the title "King of the Monsters."
  • In the Toho films, Kong is much taller than the original King Kong, who was said to stand at 50 feet tall in the original 1933 film. Kong is approximately 145 feet tall in King Kong vs. Godzilla, and 60 feet tall in King Kong Escapes.
  • Toho's King Kong was the basis for the American/Japanese anime TV series, The King Kong Show. Toho was not involved in its development, though they later collaborated with the show's makers, Rankin/Bass Productions, to produce the film King Kong Escapes, which adapted several elements from the show.
  • The 1962 King Kong suit would later be loaned to Tsuburaya Productions for the second episode of Ultra Q where he was given more pronounced eyebrows, a tail, and more visible ears, to portray the massive monkey, Goro.
  • A popular urban legend claims that two different endings were shot for the Japanese and American versions of King Kong vs. Godzilla, with Kong winning in the American version and Godzilla emerging triumphant in the original Japanese version. However, this rumor is certifiably false, as both versions end with only Kong emerging from the ocean, and Godzilla nowhere to be seen. Both Toho's 1963 international sales booklet and the company's official English-language site state the Kong was the victor,[22][23] while producer Tomoyuki Tanaka declared the outcome a draw in his 1984 book Definitive Edition Godzilla Introduction. Regardless, there is no version of the film in which Godzilla defeats Kong.
  • King Kong's roars from the Toho films have been used for many other kaiju, particularly in the Ultra Series. Gudon, a kaiju from Return of Ultraman and King Caesar are among the best known of these examples. Some of the stock roars used by Kong in the 1976 film were later used for Toto in Gamera the Brave.
  • Some of the German releases of the Showa era films changed the names of various unrelated characters to King Kong. For instance, both Jet Jaguar from Godzilla vs. Megalon and Mechagodzilla are called King Kong in the dubs. However, unlike what many people believe, they are not stated to actually be the real King Kong wearing robot suits or confusion with Mechani-Kong. The name "King Kong" carried great marquee value, and this is likely the reason why the German distributors changed the names around.
  • There were two known unlicensed Japanese King Kong films produced in the 1930s, Japanese King Kong and The King Kong That Appeared in Edo. They are notable for being two of the first-ever tokusatsu/kaiju films ever made, predating Godzilla by two decades. Unfortunately, all prints of these films are believed lost and very few records of their existence remain. Kong's name also influenced the first kaiju television series, Marine Kong, although the titular monster was a robot dinosaur.
  • Shunsuke Fujita, the producer of the PlayStation 3 and 4 Godzilla game, stated in an interview that the developers and he "definitely wanted" to include King Kong in the game, but were unable due to licensing issues.[24]
  • Kong is killed or seemingly killed at the end of the majority of his live-action film appearances, with the two Toho films and Kong: Skull Island being the only exceptions.
  • While Kong is only mentioned in dialogue and shown through stock footage in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he is included in a piece of concept art featured in The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters[25] depicting the film's final scene as one of the kaiju surrounding Godzilla.
  • In the 80th Academy Awards opening, for a brief moment Peter Jackson's King Kong can be seen fighting against TriStar's Godzilla.[26]

Videos

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Toho King Kong
Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: King Kong 2017

References

This is a list of references for King Kong. 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. KK.PNG
  2. King Kong 1933 Japanese Poster.jpg
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 30, 46. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Godzilla All Giant Monsters Pictorial Book. Kodansha. 6 July 2021. p. 62. ISBN 978-4-06-523491-4.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Godzilla Toho Giant Monster Pictorial Book. Shogakukan. 1 April 2005. p. 78. ISBN 4-09-280052-5.
  6. 168777604 805732120040348 382744355706474449 n.jpg
  7. J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 131. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
    Compendium17.png
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia (4th ed.). Kodansha. 15 March 1994. p. 26. ISBN 978-4063042702.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Warner Bros. JP Tweet
  10. 10.0 10.1 Kong-Sized
  11. Kong2021Height.jpeg
  12. Toby Kebbell clears up Kong: Skull Island rumors - Entertainment Weekly
  13. Ian Failes (8 May 2021). "How Kong's ocean showdown with Godzilla was made". befores & afters.
  14. Rudy Behlmer (28 September 2010). King Kong Blu-ray DigiBook. Warner Bros. pp. 5, 22.
  15. Nomura, Kohei (5 December 2004). Godzilla Dictionary. ISBN 4773002921. Text "publisher" ignored (help); Text "Kasakura Publishing" ignored (help)
  16. Kong display.png
  17. Applebuam, Steven. (September 12, 2005) Interview - Peter Jackson. BBC Movies
  18. Fordham, Joe. (Januray 2006) Return of the King. Cinefex, 104, p. 75
  19. Wake, Jenny. (December 13, 2005) The Making of King Kong: The Official Guide to the Motion Picture, p. 118. Pocket Books. ISBN 1416505180. 978-1416505181.
  20. Lawrence, Derek (4 March 2021). "Dream Team: LeBron James joins the Tune Squad in Space Jam: A New Legacy first look". Entertainment Weekly.
  21. [1]13
  22. Tohofilms8.png
  23. King Kong vs. Godzilla | TOHO
  24. Godzilla Developer Was So Passionate About Their Favorite Monster They Snuck It In The Game - Siliconera
  25. 6240338 2380115275640964 7569062263025887966 n.jpg
  26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YomFIbvApZY

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