Megalon

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Megalon
Megalon in Godzilla vs. Megalon
Alternate names Megaron, Megalo
Subtitle(s) Insect Monster
(昆虫怪獣,   Konchū Kaijū)[1]
The Guardian of MuG:BL
Species Insectoid Seatopian god
Height 55 meters[2]
Weight 40,000 metric tons[2]
Controlled by SeatopiansGvM, XiliensGI
Allies Gigan, DestoroyahGI, BattraGI
Enemies Godzilla, Jet Jaguar, Rodan, Mothra, Mechagodzilla, MOGUERA,
Mothra Leo, Medical Jet Jaguar,
Fire Fighter Jet Jaguar, Ebirah, Kumonga, BattraGHCW,
King CaesarGRoE, G:PM
Conceived of by Jun Fukuda, Tomoyuki Tanaka
Written by Shinichi Sekizawa, Kaoru Mabuchi
Modeled by Nobuyuki Yasumaru, Tomoki Kobayashi
Played by Hideto Date, Puppets
First appearance Latest appearance
Godzilla vs. Megalon Godziban
Roar(s)
More roars

Megalon (メガロ,   Megaro) is a giant insect kaiju who first appeared in the 1973 Toho Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Megalon.

The guardian of the underground kingdom of Seatopia, Megalon was unleashed upon the surface world after repeated nuclear tests had ravaged Seatopia. Megalon surfaced in Japan and attacked Tokyo, guided by the stolen robot Jet Jaguar. However, Jet Jaguar was soon freed from the Seatopians' control and turned against Megalon. Gigan arrived to aid Megalon, but the two monsters were sent retreating after Godzilla joined Jet Jaguar in battle. To date Megalon has only made a single film appearance, but has remained a popular monster nonetheless, appearing in countless Godzilla video games, along with manga and comic books.

Name

Megalon's name likely comes from the combining form "megalo," which means "abnormally large" or "great." His Japanese name does not contain the "n" sound at the end.

Development

Megalon concept art for Godzilla vs. Megalon, often incorrectly attributed to Akihiko Iguchi.

The inspiration for Megalon actually came from Gebara (ゲバラ), a giant mole cricket kaiju that was conceptualized as the villain for All Monsters Attack.[3] During production, Gebara was reworked into a mutant toad and renamed Gabara.[4] The original concept for Gebara was revived during production of the thirteenth Godzilla film, with its design reworked and rechristened "Megalon," a name originally used for a kaiju from the unmade 1972 Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive, which would have fought alongside Gigan and King Ghidorah under the command of the evil alien brain Miko against Godzilla, Anguirus, and the living statue Majin Tuol. In Shinichi Sekizawa's draft for this film, Megalon was described as moving quickly and expelling a gaseous smog from its body, while in Kaoru Mabuchi's treatment he was said to possess eyes on the ends of his antennae.[4]

The designs of Megalon and Jet Jaguar are often attributed to illustrator Akihiko Iguchi, however Iguchi has openly denied having any involvement in Godzilla vs. Megalon whatsoever, leaving the true identity of the monsters' designer or designers a mystery.[5][6] Megalon's design was based on a combination of several different kinds of insects, with, according to special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, the face being based on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (カブトムシ,   kabutomushi), the body after cicadas, and Megalon's movements being patterned after grasshoppers, despite standing upright.[7] Originally, Nakano wanted for the monster to be designed after a dragonfly, and ladybugs were also briefly considered, however he ultimately settled on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, possibly to cash in on the popularity of them among children at the time.[4][7] Early concept art for Megalon, which was ultimately deemed "no good,"[5] featured the monster with differently-shaped horns and a much brighter red and orange color scheme.

Megalon's suit was a joint-collaboration between modelers Nobuyuki Yasumaru and the then newly-hired Tomoki Kobayashi, who was responsible for its drill arms.[8] Megalon was portrayed by Hideto Date,[4] though he is often confused in production photos for Kenpachiro Satsuma,[5] who himself portrayed Gigan in both Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon. The suit's horn was constructed of resin, the eyes of acrylic,[8] and the drills and mouth of FRP.[9] Additionally, the suit's back shell was made from a rigid urethane, which was also used for Kamacuras several years prior[8] and later for Rodan's wings in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.[9] Megalon's antennae appear strikingly similar to those of the Garogas, the alien antagonists of the 1973 television series Zone Fighter, which aired its first episode just months after the theatrical release of Godzilla vs. Megalon. This is due to Nobuyuki Yasumaru handling the modeling of both characters and employing similar techniques in each.[9] Megalon's suit was the heaviest one to be created by Toho up to that point, and because of this, the scenes where the monster performs several leaps through the air was exceedingly difficult on the special effects crew, with Teruyoshi Nakano reportedly getting so frustrated during filming that the scenes were nearly cut entirely.[7] Ultimately, the jumps were simulated by a number of crew members who were standing in the studio rafters repeatedly hoisting the suit and its actor up and down.[7] The suit was allegedly very difficult for Hideto Date to hear out of, and therefore a whistle had to be blown by one of the assistant directors to notify him of when to jump.[7]

In addition to the suit, a 1-shaku (Japanese foot)[10] model of Megalon was also created for flying scenes.[1][9]

Design

Despite being an underground creature, Megalon is noticeably colorful, combining silver and grey tusks and claws with an orange-and-black carapace and wings. Megalon's forelimbs terminate with two sharp, drill-like appendages, which are never seen to be individually prehensile, at least in Godzilla vs. Megalon, always moving in tune with the monster's arms.

Personality

Megalon is sometimes considered one of the least intelligent Toho kaiju. This is demonstrated by the fact that he is easily manipulated by external stimuli. For example, Megalon followed Jet Jaguar simply because he was curious, and he is also very temperamental, as seen when he goes into shock when he loses sight of Jet Jaguar and begins to jump and thrash about. His battle tactics also seem to be lacking in terms of strategy, as he never once utilizes his lightning horn beam against Godzilla nor Jet Jaguar. Additionally, he seems to enjoy charging at both his enemies headfirst, although all said enemies had to do was simply step out of the way to avoid him. Without Gigan by his side, Megalon would probably not have lasted as long as he did during the film's climactic last battle.

Origins

Megalon is a gigantic insectoid being that lives deep underground in the subterranean kingdom of Seatopia. Megalon is seen as the Seatopians' god, and is called upon by them to defend their home from threats.

History

Showa Series

Godzilla vs. Megalon

Megalon battles Jet Jaguar in Godzilla vs. Megalon

Megalon was the god to the Seatopians, and he was their way to take revenge on the humans who were damaging their world with nuclear tests. They called upon Megalon to destroy the humans and sent the captured Jet Jaguar to guide the monster on his rampage through Japan. The JSDF resisted and attacked the beast, to no avail. Help arrived when Goro Ibuki, the scientist who created Jet Jaguar, managed to free the robot from the control of the Seatopians. He sent Jet Jaguar to Monster Island to find Godzilla. In the time that Jet Jaguar was gone, Megalon was lost and confused. Jet Jaguar returned to Japan and reprogrammed himself to grow to kaiju size then attacked Megalon, causing the Seatopians to contact the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens and ask for Gigan's assistance. Gigan arrived and he and Megalon double-teamed Jet Jaguar. Eventually, Godzilla arrived and joined forces with Jet Jaguar against Gigan and Megalon. After a long battle, Gigan retreated back to outer space, leaving Megalon at the mercy of Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. The two monsters pummeled the helpless Megalon before he finally burrowed back to Seatopia, defeated.

Godzilla Island

Megalon in Godzilla Island


Abilities

Movement

Megalon is able to fly through the air at speeds of Mach 3, drill through the ground at Mach 3, and travel underwater at Mach 4. In addition, Megalon can use his spring-like legs to jump high into the air and is able to travel 10 kilometers at a time using this method.[11] In video games such as Godzilla: Save the Earth and Godzilla: Unleashed, Megalon's flight varies from his film appearance, as he is no longer able to fly for extended periods of time and can only use his wings to hover for brief periods.

Killer Beast Light Ray

Megalon fires the Laser Killer Beast Beam from his horn in Godzilla vs. Megalon

Megalon can fire a yellow, lightning-like beam from his horn, called the Laser Killer Beast Beam (レーザー殺獣光線,   Rēzā Satsujū Kōsen).[11]

Geothermal Napalm Bullets

Megalon is able to produce and fire Geothermal Napalm Bullets (地熱ナパーム弾,   Chinetsu Napāmu-dan) from his mouth.[11]

Drill Arms

Megalon possesses drill-like appendages which can either be used in hand-to-hand combat or combined to form a single rotating drill which allows him to burrow underground.[11] In the Atari and Pipeworks Godzilla video games, Megalon's drill hands are prehensile, making his punches capable of drilling into an opponent's flesh, and he can also discharge electrical energy through his punches.

Hurricane Winds

Megalon is able to produce wind gusts with his wings, reaching speeds of 1,000 meters per second and powerful enough to decimate buildings.[11]

Magnetic Fields

In the Atari and Pipeworks Godzilla video games, Megalon's special ability consists of him generating a magnetic field that draws opponents towards him, before unleashing a powerful electromagnetic pulse that damages enemies and sends them flying.

Defensive Capabilities

Megalon's body is protected by a shell which is similar in hardness to diamond.[11]

Miscellaneous

In addition to the aforementioned abilities, Megalon's horn also doubles as a radar and he possesses eyesight superior to that of humans by a hundredfold due to his compound eyes.[11]

Filmography

Video Games

Even though Megalon only appeared in one film, he remains a popular character, and has appeared in several computer and video games based upon the Godzilla franchise, including Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Godzilla: Domination!, Godzilla: Save the Earth, and Godzilla: Unleashed.

Godzilla: Domination!

In Godzilla: Domination!, Megalon has the power to do a leech probe, in which Megalon grabs on to his opponent and bites them four times, each time hurting the opponent and healing Megalon. This move can only be done if Megalon is next to a enemy. He also has the ability to unleash three blasts of energy from his horn, which will quickly fly around him before slamming into the ground. In the same game, Megalon's napalm bombs are altered to resemble real bombs or naval mines, and only explode if an enemy walks over them.

Godzilla: Save the Earth

Megalon has the ability to execute an energy punch and create a damaging arc of energy. As a Rage Attack, Megalon can create a Magnetic Vortex, in which Megalon shuffles his wings and all the monsters get drawn close to him. When one is close he releases a mini-pulse of energy, dealing immense damage.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 88 meters
Weight: 64,000 tons

"Megalon is a guardian monster of the Seatopians, who live beneath the earth's oceans. Having no special love for human beings, he has once again aligned himself with the alien invaders in hope of eliminating the human population once and for all. Megalon is a very well-rounded combatant, with decent melee, grappling, and ranged capabilities. He has a special affinity for electricity, allowing him to employ lightning and EMP attacks without danger to himself. Megalon's hands are high-speed drills, which allow him to burrow underground or simply gore his opponents in hand-to-hand combat."

As a part of the Aliens faction, Megalon has aligned himself with the Vortaak in their quest to take over the Earth. He retains the same abilities he possessed in the previous Atari games, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth.

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

Main article: Godzilla (2014 video game)/Kaiju Guide#Megalon.

Books

Who's Afraid of Godzilla?

Megalon and Gigan were inhabitants of Monster Island. When Godzilla was sad and swam away from the island, the duo of kaiju took over the island, bullying the likes of Manda and Baragon. The only one to stand up to them was Anguirus and for that, he was pushed into a volcano. When Godzilla returned, he sent the two monsters into hiding.

GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse

Megalon was credited as the monster that caused mankind to lose the continent of Africa. Megalon landed on the west coast of Africa in 2012 and crossed the continent, destroying several small nations along the way. Megalon returned in 2022 and destroyed the Republic of South Africa.[12]

GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla

In 2029, Megalon appeared in India and Pakistan, which were both in the process of rebuilding after a nuclear war against each other. He further devastated the two nations before moving on to the Philippines and then heading north. Megalon broke through the joint Japanese-American defense line and landed at Blue Beach in Okinawa. He was intercepted and defeated by the Okinawan guardian monster King Caesar, who appeared from Cape Manzamo.[13]

Comics

Cinema Shares' Godzilla vs. Megalon Adaptation

In the American promotional comic produced by Cinema Shares for Godzilla vs. Megalon, Megalon is depicted as not being Seatopian in origin, but rather appearing from beneath the Earth during an undersea eruption, and coming to attack cities to satisfy his "Energy Hunger." He is killed brutally by Godzilla after having the back of his spine bitten into.


Godzilla, King of the Monsters

While Godzilla was trapped in Neo Biollante's cage vines, Doctor Oniyama summoned Megalon to attack Godzilla. Surfacing from underground, Megalon antagonized Godzilla before ripping into his chest with his drills, and repeatedly spitting Napalm Bombs at him, severely injuring Godzilla. Having lost all resolve, Godzilla simply stood still, unable to continue the fight until an attack on Neo Biollante's water tanks by Miki Hideo and Yosuke Hideo weakened Neo Biollante's vines. Megalon then accidentally killed Neo Biollante with his Lightning Beam after Godzilla threw her at him. Godzilla then broke Megalon's horn with his tail, and set Megalon on fire with his Atomic Breath, killing the giant insect.

Godzilla: The Half-Century War

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Megalon battles King Caesar on the cover of Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #9

Megalon first appeared in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth issue #9 where he fought the monster King Caesar in a flash back explaining the monsters' origins. Megalon would fall into the Earth's crust with King Caesar when an alien ship crash-landed into the ocean near them as they fought. Megalon's image would be later seen in the mural on Infant Island, next to the other "fire monsters."


Godzilla: Rage Across Time

Megalon appeared in the first issue of Godzilla: Rage Across Time, where he and Gigan were controlled by Zhenjin Khan, the dragon master, and sent to obliterate Japan in the 13th century alongside the Mongolian troops, actually the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens in disguise. The soldiers of Japan fought back against the Mongolians while the two monsters laid waste to the land. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, the monsters were suddenly hit by an atomic beam that pushed back Megalon's napalm bomb. The source of the beam was revealed to be Godzilla, who was drawn towards the duo's location and decided to fight them. At first, Godzilla had the upper hand in the battle, dodging the monsters' attacks and striking hard at them, but was eventually overwhelmed by his enemies' coordinated teamwork. When it seemed like Godzilla would be defeated, the Mongol relic that controlled Gigan and Megalon was destroyed by a fire arrow shot from Akio, the infamous woman warrior. With the monsters dazed and confused, Godzilla fired his atomic breath at Gigan and swung his tail at Megalon, forcing the two monsters to retreat and fly off into space while Godzilla destroyed the remainder of the invading army.

Gallery

Main article: Megalon/Gallery.

Sightings

  • Megalon and Godzilla are seen in a magazine in Friday the 13th Part 3.
  • In the animated series Megas XLR, a fictional movie monster named Bugra makes numerous appearances and possesses a strong resemblance to Megalon even though the character has more in common with Godzilla in the sense that he is the star of his own long-running film franchise.
  • The beetle-like monster Scarabrus from The Justirisers is based off Megalon in both appearance and in some of its abilities.

Roar

Like Baragon and Gorosaurus, Megalon's roar is an edited pitch of Varan's roar, whose roar was originally from Godzilla at the end of the original Godzilla film. In addition, Megalon also produces screeching sounds which are adapted from Ebirah's chirps and screeches. Megalon can also emit a deep laugh, created by altering his normal roar.

Megalon's roars

In Other Languages

Language Name Meaning
Chinese Flagicon Hong Kong.png Cantonese 梅加洛 Transcription of name
China and Taiwan Flags.png Mandarin 梅加洛 Méijiāluò Transcription of name
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Мегалон Transliteration of English name

Trivia

  • With the exception of Godzilla Island, Megalon has not directly appeared in any films or television programs since his debut in 1973. He is also one of a select few kaiju who debuted in the Showa series to have never had more than one film appearance, with the others being Gabara, Jet Jaguar and Titanosaurus.
  • Despite being a monster native to Earth, Megalon is normally associated with other alien kaiju because of his association with Gigan, and his role as an antagonist in Godzilla vs. Megalon. For this reason, he has traditionally been depicted as an ally of alien invaders in his video game appearances.
  • A monster that appears in the opening sequence of Godzilla: The Series is named Megalon.

Notes

  1. Episodes 51-56, 60-63, 66, 72, 107, 110, 113-114, 119-120, and 127.

References

This is a list of references for Megalon. 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 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. p. 152. ISBN 978-4091014702. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 136. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Compendium22.png
  3. Godzilla Chronicle. Sony Magazines. July 1998. p. 285. ISBN 978-4789712941.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. Village Books. September 28, 2012. pp. 135, 154, 159. ISBN 978-4864910132.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection. ASCII MEDIA WORKS. 29 November 2014. pp. 103, 111. ISBN 978-4-04-866999-3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. 井口昭彦さんトークライブ レポート! - Cast
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Tokyo Shock Godzilla vs. Megalon DVD / Blu-ray audio commentary
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th Edition). Yosensha. 4 September 2016. p. 176. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 The Pictorial Book of Godzilla 2. Hobby Japan Co., Ltd. 1 December 1995. pp. 135–136. ISBN 978-4894251175.
  10. メガロ - Japanese Wikipedia
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. p. 67. ISBN 4-096-82090-3. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  12. Renji Ōki (October 25, 2017). GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse. Kadokawa. pp. 19–111.
  13. Oki, Renji (25 April 2018). GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla. Kadokawa. ISBN 9784041063453.

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