M Space Hunter Nebula Alien

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M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens
The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens wearing their human disguises in Godzilla vs. Gigan
An M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens' true form in Godzilla vs. Gigan
Leader Fumio Sudo
Pawns Gigan, King Ghidorah, MegalonGRAT
Average height 1.7 meters (human form)[1]
2 meters (true form)[1]
Average weight 60 kilograms (human form)[1]
100 kilograms (true form)[1]
Homeworld M Space Hunter Nebula
Forms True cockroach-like form,[1]
human-disguised form
Allies Seatopians,
XiliensGI
Enemies Humans
First appearance Latest appearance
Godzilla vs. Gigan Godzilla Island

The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens (M宇宙ハンター星雲人,   Emu Uchū Hantā Seiunjin, lit. "M Space Hunter Nebula People"), also known as the Nebulans, are an alien species who first appeared in the 1972 Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Gigan.

Insect-like aliens resembling gigantic upright cockroaches, the Nebulans hail from an unnamed homeworld located within the M Space Hunter Nebula. Having evolved into the dominant lifeforms on their planet following the extinction of a human-like species that existed before them, the Nebulans were forced to seek out a new home planet as the lasting pollution left behind by their predecessors rendered their world uninhabitable. The Nebulans discovered Earth, a planet similar to their own inhabited by a species much like their predecessors who were in the process of destroying the planet through industrial pollution. Planning to save the Earth from humanity and establish a new peaceful utopia for their kind, a Nebulan invasion force posed as a charitable organization constructing the World Children's Land theme park, using the park's Godzilla Tower attraction as a staging ground for their invasion. The Nebulans summoned their own cybernetic monster creation, Gigan, along with the dreaded King Ghidorah to eradicate human civilization. A group of humans who were privy to the conspiracy foiled the Nebulans and destroyed their base of operations, while Godzilla and Anguirus drove off the space monsters. A year later, the Seatopians, themselves in the process of launching an invasion of the surface world with their own monster Megalon, contacted the Nebulans and asked for Gigan's assistance. The Nebulans obliged and sent Gigan to assist in the invasion, but both he and Megalon were repelled by Godzilla and Jet Jaguar.

While only having directly appeared in one film to date, the Nebulans have since made appearances in some non-film media such as video games and comics. A single Nebulan appears in the television series Godzilla Island as an ally of the Xiliens, while the Nebulans are featured as the primary antagonists of two comic issues from IDW Publishing.

Name

This race's official name, the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens, simply comes from the name of the location of their homeworld, the M Space Hunter Nebula. They are often called the Nebulans for short by English-speaking fans, and are referred to by this name in IDW Publishing's Godzilla comics and the English subtitles for Godzilla Island. (In the Japanese dialogue for Godzilla Island, they are known as the M Space Hunter Aliens (M宇宙ハンター星人,   Emu Uchū Hantā Seijin).[2]) The book Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works also given them the English name Aliens from M Space Nebula Hunter.[2]

Design

The Nebulans descended from cockroach-like creatures that became the dominant lifeforms on their home planet after the advanced human-like civilization there died out. As such, they resemble gigantic cockroaches, though they disguise themselves as humans while operating on Earth by creating "flesh-suits" from recently-deceased humans. While in their human disguises, the Nebulans all wear orange uniforms. In Godzilla Island, they are completely identical to cockroaches in both appearance and size.

In Godzilla Rivals, the Nebulan leader generally resembles a large, humanoid cockroach, though there are several features unique to this design. The head is more humanlike in shape, complete with a jaw which sports mandibles on either side of the mouth. Most notably, he sports giant, red eyes that take up a significant portion of his head alongside smaller red ovals on his forehead that may be additional eyes. He has four arms, two legs, and wears a blue vest-like garment. Outside of the Nebulan leader, two other Nebulans with green heads and large ear-like features can also be seen in the background; these Nebulans are noticeably more humanoid in appearance, only sporting two arms each. The other Nebulans in the comic utilize human disguises and wear identical uniforms similar to their film appearance, though their shirts are white instead of orange.

History

Showa era

Godzilla vs. Gigan

The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens in their true form

As the adverse conditions brought about by the pollution on their home planet in M Space Hunter Nebula continued to worsen, the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens deployed an invasion force to Earth, a planet that was very similar to their own, and had not yet been completely destroyed by the native humans. As they were unable to survive exposure to Earth's comparatively milder conditions as a result of their adaptations to the harsh nature of their home, the Nebulans took the forms of recently deceased humans and established a base of operations in Japan, disguising it as a theme park called World Children's Land. The Nebulans modeled the park's attractions after Monster Island, the home of the planet's monsters, including Godzilla, and operated primarily out of a tower made to resemble Godzilla. The Nebulans planned to eventually invade Monster Island and exterminate all of the monsters there, seeing them as threats to their invasion. The Nebulans prepared special "action tapes" to relay orders to their own monsters, Gigan and King Ghidorah, from the Godzilla Tower. Machiko Shima, the sister of a worker that the Nebulans had taken prisoner, stole one of the action tapes and played it. Although she and her allies could not interpret it, the tape was overheard by Godzilla and Anguirus on Monster Island, alerting them to the aliens' plans, and the two monsters set off towards Japan.

Gengo Odaka, a manga artist employed by World Children's Land, had learned that his employers' intentions were not as they appeared and breached Godzilla Tower with his girlfriend Tomoko to rescue Machiko's brother Takeshi. They were caught by the Nebulans, who revealed to them their true identities and plans to invade Earth. They summoned King Ghidorah and Gigan to Earth and ordered them to attack Tokyo. While Godzilla and Anguirus tried to fend off the space monsters, Gengo and the others escaped the Tower to regroup with their allies. They planted explosives in an elevator on the Tower, and tricked the Nebulans into opening fire on them when the elevator reached the top floor, triggering an explosion that crippled the tower and killed most of the Nebulans' men. As the leaders of the invasion force, Fumio Sudo and Kubota, lay dying under burning debris, they wondered how their plan could have possibly failed. The Nebulans' invasion was ended for good when Godzilla completely destroyed the Godzilla Tower, severing the aliens' control over Gigan and King Ghidorah. Godzilla and Anguirus then drove the monsters back into outer space.

Godzilla vs. Megalon

The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens were contacted a year after their failed invasion by their allies, the Seatopians. The Seatopians requested for the Nebulans to send Gigan to Earth to aid their monster Megalon in wiping out the surface-dwelling humans. The Nebulans obliged, and deployed Gigan to Earth.

Godzilla Island

An M Space Hunter Alien in Godzilla Island

While reading a newspaper detailing her recent failures aboard her ship, Zagreth noticed a cockroach approach her. Before she could kill it with her rolled-up newspaper, however, the cockroach spoke, revealing himself to be an M Space Hunter Alien. The Nebulan alien promptly offered Gigan's services to the Xilien agent to help her take over Godzilla Island in exchange for Zagreth's help in saving ten billion Nebulans that were currently confined to their own spaceship. Zagreth accepted the offer, though she soon became frustrated by Gigan's slow tactics as well as his steadfast sense of honor, which Zagreth believed impeded his chances of defeating Godzilla. Nevertheless, the Nebulan repeatedly assured Zagreth that Gigan would eventually prove victorious in the conflict. Despite his initial confidence, the Nebulan became worried upon witnessing the aura of Godzilla’s newfound power following his training under King Caesar. The Nebulan begged Gigan to retreat, but Gigan did not listen, which led to his defeat. With Gigan vanquished, Zagreth decided that she had entertained the Nebulan long enough and swiftly squashed him with the rolled-up newspaper, resolving to take over Godzilla Island by herself. The fate of the other Nebulans and their craft was left unknown.

Video games

Godzilla: Trading Battle

In this game, an M Space Hunter Nebula Alien is among the various opponents who can challenge the player to a duel.

Symphogear XD UNLIMITED

In the Godzilla vs. Symphogear collaboration event, the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens are revealed to have secretly infiltrated G-Force by killing various personnel, including the G-Force Commander, and wearing their corpses as suits.

Comics

Godzilla: Rage Across Time

Nebulan commander Zhenjin Khan in Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1

Under the guise of Mongol troops, the Nebulans launched an invasion of Japan during the 13th century, intending on claiming Earth for themselves. Led by Zhenjin Khan, the Dragon-Master, the army battled Japan's greatest warriors with the aid of Gigan and Megalon, who Khan had gained control over using a special Nebulan relic. Just before the Nebulan-controlled monsters reached the Emperor's castle, Godzilla appeared and fought them. While the Japanese warriors battled the Nebulans, infamous woman warrior Akio noticed Khan wielding the device controlling the monsters and destroyed it with an arrow, freeing Gigan and Megalon from his control. After Gigan and Megalon retreated, Godzilla destroyed the Nebulans' fleet with his atomic breath, saving Japan.

Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Gigan

The Nebulan Leader in Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Gigan

In 2008, the Nebulans sent Gigan to attack Seattle, Washington. The Nebulan leader broadcast a message to the world, announcing his intent to use Gigan to exterminate humanity so the Nebulans could claim Earth for their own. As Godzilla appeared and fought Gigan, teenager Joaquin recognized Gigan’s moves from a video game made by Hexapod Games. Suspicious, Joaquin’s sister Nancy hacked into Hexapod's servers and discovered Hexapod Games to be a front for the Nebulans, who used the data collected from millions of players online and uploaded it directly into their cyborg monstrosity, making Gigan unstoppable. Alarmed by the hacking of Hexapod’s servers, the Nebulan leader demanded that Gigan finish Godzilla off quickly, but it was too late – Nancy had discovered a way to reduce Gigan's data feed to Joaquin’s controller alone, and once he stopped using it, Gigan ceased his attacks. With Gigan helpless, Godzilla quickly defeated the cyborg much to the Nebulan leader’s dismay, though he still voiced his intention to recover Gigan’s body to rebuild it. Unfortunately for him, Nancy was able to hack into the propulsion systems of the Nebulan spacecraft hidden beneath Hexapod's headquarters where the Nebulans had been monitoring Gigan's battle. Piloting their ship remotely, Nancy steered the craft in front of Godzilla, who promptly destroyed it and killed all the Nebulans within.

Gallery

Concept art

Comics

Production

Godzilla vs. Gigan

Screenshots

Godzilla vs. Gigan

Godzilla Island

Merchandise

Trivia

  • In the majority of their appearances, the Nebulans' true identities as giant cockroaches are revealed through their shadows, which exposed their true forms in both their debut film and in both of their comic book appearances.
  • The Nebulans make a cameo during the end-credits of the Godzilla animated series Godzilla Singular Point, in which their shadows also resemble giant cockroaches.
  • A story illustrated by Yuji Kaida in the March 1983 issue of Terebi Magazine features an alliance of Toho's various malevolent alien races from the Showa era called the Dark Mysterious Star Alliance, which includes the Nebulans. The invaders collaborate to construct a robot called Mecha-Ghidorah in order to conquer the Earth.[3]
  • According to Chris Mowry in an interview conducted by Toho Kingdom, the Nebulans appeared in some of the miniseries pitches he used to build the story for Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, but they were replaced by the Cryogs since, at the time, IDW was unable to use any human or alien characters from the Toho films. Likewise, the Seatopians were replaced with the Devonians.[4] IDW would go on to introduce the Nebulans in Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1 a few years later.
  • Artist Christian Gonzalez redesigned the Nebulans for their appearance in Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Gigan and provided a reference sheet intended to explain several details about the Nebulans as depicted in the comic. However, the final designs of the Nebulans would differ dramatically from these designs, and the following details are not acknowledged within the book itself:
    • The Nebulans' facial plates have evolved to mimic the faces of humanoid races, with their nostrils acting as false eyes which can flare to mimic facial expressions. Their mandibles also resemble facial hair. Furthermore, the "cowl" behind their heads serves as a status symbol, while their wings have evolved into a "cloak" in order to conceal their true forms.
    • The Nebulans' technology is modified from existing technology scavenged from other alien races, including their weapons and spacecraft. Their UFOs include Space Titanium plating, and are equipped with grappling hooks designed for gathering space debris. The UFOs are pronged with large blades which are also used for their monster Gigan's Bloody Triggers.
  • The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens are referenced in the novel GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla through the name of the character Michael N. Hunter, a United Earth medical officer who served in Operation Long March and came into possession of one of Gigan's scales, vowing to return it to Siberia as a gesture of gratitude for the monster's sacrifice on behalf of mankind.

References

This is a list of references for M Space Hunter Nebula Alien. 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 1.4 Godzilla Giant Monsters Super Encyclopedia (4th ed.). Kodansha. 15 March 1994. p. 30. ISBN 978-4063042702.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. pp. 183, 196. ISBN 978-4091014702.
  3. Driscoll, Nicholas (2 March 2020). "Space Super Monster Robo! Mecha-Ghidorah vs. Monster King Godzilla". Toho Kingdom.
  4. Mirjahangir, Chris (27 September 2015). "Interview: Matt Frank and Chris Mowry". Toho Kingdom.

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