Monster Island

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Monster Island in All Monsters Attack

Monster Island (怪獣島,   Kaijūtō) is a fictional island located somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, which is inhabited by Godzilla and several of Earth's kaiju in the Godzilla films of the late Showa series. In its first appearance in the film All Monsters Attack, the island exists only within the dreams of protagonist Ichiro Miki; however, it would later be incorporated into the main continuity of the series, starting in Godzilla vs. Gigan.

Monster Island should not be confused with Monsterland, a similar location featured in the film Destroy All Monsters, although stock footage of the latter was used to depict the former in several films. Though Monster Island has not reappeared in a film since the Showa series, it has been featured in numerous non-film media, such as Godzilla: The Series, the Atari/Pipeworks Godzilla video games, and IDW Publishing's Godzilla comics. A Monster Island-like locale called Baas Island was also featured in the Heisei series film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.

History

Showa era

All Monsters Attack

Young Ichiro Miki dreamed of visiting Monster Island, where he met and befriended Godzilla's son, Minilla. Ichiro and Minilla watched Godzilla battle some of the other monsters on the island, such as Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Ebirah. Minilla was constantly bullied by Gabara, a giant toad monster that was a manifestation of one of Ichiro's real-life bullies. Ichiro helped Minilla stand up to and finally defeat Gabara, who attacked Godzilla in retaliation. Godzilla then attacked Gabara himself, causing the heinous creature to flee. Learning from the experiences on Monster Island in his dreams, Ichiro escaped from two bank robbers that kidnapped him, and later stood up to his real-life bullies and earned their respect.

Godzilla vs. Gigan

Godzilla, Anguirus, and many of the other monsters of Earth were contained on Monster Island, where they were kept far away from human civilization. The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens, posing as a charitable organization, planned to personally kill all of the monsters on the island under the guise of promoting "absolute peace," in reality hoping to eliminate all possible resistance to their invasion of Earth. When Godzilla overheard the Nebulans' action tape containing their sinister plan being played, he sent his ally Anguirus to Japan to investigate. Anguirus was attacked by the JSDF upon arriving, and returned to Monster Island to alert Godzilla. Both monsters then escaped the island together and traveled to Tokyo to confront the Nebulans' monster servants, Gigan and King Ghidorah. After destroying the Nebulans' base of operations and driving Gigan and King Ghidorah back into outer space, Godzilla and Anguirus returned home to Monster Island.

Godzilla vs. Megalon

In the year 197X, an underground nuclear test conducted in the Aleutian Islands produced devastating seismic aftershocks that were felt as far away as Monster Island. Godzilla, Rodan, and Anguirus were disturbed as Monster Island was torn apart by a powerful earthquake. Anguirus tried to escape the island, but was swallowed by a fissure that opened beneath him. Godzilla remained behind on the damaged island and was visited by Jet Jaguar, who informed him that a monster called Megalon was currently attacking Japan. Godzilla left the island and traveled to Japan to assist Jet Jaguar in battle against Megalon and Gigan.

Godzilla: The Series

During the Monster Wars trilogy, the Isle del Diablo island chain (or Site Omega, as the aliens called it) was taken over by the Leviathan Aliens in their plot to take over the world. They used the island as a staging point to gather Earth's monsters and send them to destroy six of the world's cities in a bid to weaken Earth's defenses and colonize Earth. They were ultimately defeated and most of the monsters rendered unconscious in the process.

Three of them - Crustaceous Rex, the Giant Bat, and the King Cobra - were rounded up and imprisoned on one of the islands. The island utilized massive force fields to keep the King Cobra and Crustaceous Rex from fighting each other. The Giant Bat was allowed to roam freely, but prevented from using its sonic shrieks by a special collar and kept from leaving the island by lasers.

Later, the terrorist organization S.C.A.L.E. was able to find and sneak into the facility by smuggling a tracking device onto the H.E.A.T. Seeker when it went to the island to study a new captive known as Skeetera, a giant mutant mosquito. They quickly took over the island, took both H.E.A.T. and the military personnel captive and set the monsters free.

Godzilla also broke into the island to protect his adoptive father Nick Tatopoulos and pacified the monsters, which gave the military a needed opening to regain control over the island. In other episodes, numerous other monsters were also captured by the military: the Giant Mutant Hummingbirds, the Shrewster, numerous monsters from the Mutant Mania circus, and numerous monsters from the Spiel Colosseum.

In an alternate timeline where bio-engineered monsters known as D.R.A.G.M.A.s have ravaged the planet, an elderly Anthony Hicks mentioned releasing every monster on Monster Island in a desperate attempt to stop the creatures, but even they fell.

Inhabitants

In stock footage

These monsters were, according to the films they appeared in, living on Monster Island. However, this was only in stock footage form in either Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Megalon.

In dreams

These monsters lived on Monster Island in the dreams of Ichiro Miki.

In Godzilla: The Series

These monsters were imprisoned on the island chain in Godzilla: The Series.

The Giant Mutant Hummingbirds were said to have been brought to Monster Island, but were never seen there.

In video games

In comics

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths

Godzilla: Ongoing

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, there is an archipelago of islands in the Pacific Ocean called the Monster Islands, instead of a single island.

Filmography

Video games

Monster Island has appeared in Atari's Godzilla games. In Godzilla: Save the Earth, it is a playable arena that has a sub-arena, Monster Island Bay. The island has a mud pit, a waterfall, and even a volcanic section. Some of the challenges like Vorillium Basketball and Monster Bowling appear to take place on Monster Island, though it is never explicitly confirmed.

In Godzilla: Unleashed, the island is the first location to be bombarded by crystals. The resulting chaos allows the Earth Defenders to successfully deactivate the forcefield barriers and escape. In Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash, the monsters are released as in Unleashed, but end up returning for a final battle against Destoroyah and SpaceGodzilla.

Comics

IDW Comics

Monster Island appeared in three comics by IDW Publishing. In Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths, it is an island that seems to be a mixture of Monster Island and Infant Island with the presence of Mothra and the Elias. Monster Island also appeared in Godzilla: Ongoing as a containment island much like the original where the monsters defeated by Boxer and his Monster Wrecking Crew are rounded up to be used as weapons. Eventually, the monsters are set free from the island by Kiryu in order to help fight off the space monsters invading Earth. In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, an entire chain of islands dubbed the "Monster Islands" is set aside to contain captured monsters. The monsters on these islands are transported there by CKR mechas Kiryu, Jet Jaguar, and MOGUERA and are observed by a team of scientists.

Gallery

Trivia

  • Sollgel Island from Son of Godzilla is referred to as "Monster Island" in the film's Japanese title, as well as in a line of dialogue by the character Goro Maki.
  • Monster Island was featured in the screenplay for GODZILLA 2, the unmade sequel to TriStar Pictures' 1998 film GODZILLA. In this film, Monster Island would have been the site of a 1968 French nuclear test conducted in French Polynesia, the same test responsible for spawning Godzilla. By the year 2000, the island would be inhabited by a colony of giant mutant termites led by the Queen Bitch, and would have been the site of the final battle between Godzilla and the Queen Bitch.
  • In Godzilla: Awakening, the prequel comic to the 2014 film, Godzilla battles Shinomura on an island called "Moansta Island," a clear reference to Monster Island.

See also

Locations
Showa
Countries Japan (HiroshimaNagasakiTokyoKobeOsakaNagoyaOkinawaHokkaidoKyotoFukuoka) • China (Beijing) • Philippines (Manila) • United States (New York City) • United Kingdom (London) • France (Paris) • Russia (Moscow) • Rolisica (New Kirk City)Selgina
Geographic points Mount AsoMount FujiPacific Ocean (Odo IslandIwato IslandKamiko IslandFaro IslandMatango IslandInfant IslandSergio IslandLetchi IslandSollgel IslandMonster IslandMondo IslandMonsterlandJapan Trench) • Tokyo BayOsaka Bay
Planets and continents Earth (AsiaAmericaEurope) • MysteroidPlanet RPlanet PairaVenusMarsJupiterPlanet XMoonGorathTerraPlanet Fire GodDark Gaseous Nebula of the OrionM Space Hunter NebulaPlanet PeacelandPlanet GarogaPlanet BulgarBlack Hole Planet 3
Miscellaneous National Diet BuildingTokyo TowerOsaka CastleSaikai BridgeHaneda AirportAtami CastleMuNagoya TV TowerNagoya CastleWakato BridgeKurobe DamArc de TriompheGodzilla TowerSeatopiaUnderground Cave
Heisei
Countries Japan (TokyoOsakaHokkaido (Sapporo) • FukuokaNagoyaYokohama (Minato Mirai 21) • KyotoKobeKagoshimaKumamotoOkinawaOmaezakiSendaiAshikaga) • China (Hong Kong) • PhilippinesRussiaSaradia
Geographic points Mount MiharaMount FujiLake AshiPacific Ocean (Lagos IslandSea of OkhotskInfant IslandAdonoa IslandBaas IslandGodzilla IslandMatango IslandBungo ChannelYakushimaNilai-Kanai Temple)
Planets and continents Earth (Asia) • MarsJupiterMonster PlanetPlanet Torendiru
Miscellaneous Mihama Nuclear Power PlantNational Diet BuildingFukuoka TowerSapporo TV TowerNagoya CastleNagoya TV TowerYokohama Landmark TowerYokohama Bay BridgeCosmo Clock 21Tokyo TowerKai Tak AirportTokyo Bay Aqua-LineTokyo Metropolitan Government BuildingTokyo Telecom CenterIkata Nuclear Power PlantHaneda AirportAriake ColiseumUnderworld
Millennium
Countries Japan (TokyoOkinawaTokaiManazuruHokkaido (Nemuro) • OsakaYokohamaTateyama) • United States (New York CityArizona) • France (Paris) • Australia (Sydney) • New Guinea (Papua New Guinea) • China (Shanghai)
Geographic points Pacific Ocean (KiganjimaInfant IslandJapan Trench) • Atlantic Ocean (English Channel) • Mount MyokoLake IkedaAokigaharaMount FujiArea G
Planets and continents Earth (AsiaAmericaEuropeOceaniaAntarcticaNew Guinea) • GorathPlanet Fire God
Miscellaneous National Diet BuildingTokyo TowerTokai Nuclear Power PlantYokohama Landmark TowerYokohama Bay BridgeSydney Opera HouseEiffel TowerTokyo Bay
Reiwa
Countries Japan (TokyoKamataShinagawaKamakuraMechagodzilla CityNigashio) • United Kingdom (London) • United StatesIndia
Geographic points Mount FujiTanzawa PassPacific OceanAtlantic Ocean (English Channel) • Tokyo BaySagami BayBōsō Peninsula
Planets and continents Earth (AsiaEuropeAmerica) • Kepler-452bTau Ceti e
Miscellaneous National Diet BuildingTokyo TowerTokyo StationAratrumOratioUnion Compound India
American films
Countries United States (New York CityHawaiiNevadaSan FranciscoBostonSedonaPhoenixHobokenWashington, D.C.Pensacola) • France (French Polynesia) • JamaicaPhilippinesJapan (Janjira) • VietnamMexico (Isla de Mara) • Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) • Germany (Munich) • Russia (Moscow) • United Kingdom (London) • Italy (Rome) • Sudan (Jebel Barkal) • Egypt (Cairo) • China (Hong Kong)
Geographic points Pacific Ocean (Bikini AtollSkull IslandTasman Sea) • Yunnan RainforestMount FujiInfant IslandVictoria Peak
Planets and continents Earth (AmericaOceaniaEuropeAsiaAntarctica)
Miscellaneous Empire State BuildingWorld Trade CenterMadison Square GardenBrooklyn BridgeHonolulu International AirportGolden Gate BridgeYucca Mountain Nuclear Waste RepositoryFenway ParkApex CyberneticsColosseum
Printed media
Countries United States (CaliforniaNew York CityTexasWashington, D.C.Seattle) • Japan (Tokyo) • Brazil • (Sao Paulo) • South Korea (Seoul) • Russia (Moscow) • Mexico
Geographic points Pacific Ocean (Monster IslandMonster IslandsInfant IslandMoansta IslandSatan Atoll)
Planets and continents Earth (AmericaAsiaEurope)
Miscellaneous Golden Gate BridgeEiffel TowerHell

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