Mothra (Rebirth of Mothra)
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- This article is about the parent Mothra from Rebirth of Mothra. For the Mothra featured in the subsequent two films in the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, see Mothra Leo.
The Mothra (モスラ from Mosura)Rebirth of Mothra is an incarnation of Mothra that first appeared in the 1996 film, Rebirth of Mothra.
Name
The name "Mothra" is the suffixation of "-ra" (a common last syllable in kaiju names) to "moth." Since the Japanese language does not have dental fricatives, it is approximated "Mosura" in Japanese.
This Mothra is often called Parent Mothra (親モスラ in order to distinguish her from her son, Oya Mosura)Mothra Leo.
Design
This incarnation of Mothra closely resembles the imago form of the previous Mothra incarnation, to the point of looking almost identical upon first glance. However, there are some differences, such as the different pattern on her wings. This Mothra has a wider face, turquoise colored eyes, and longer and thicker legs. Her antennae are also longer than the previous Mothra's, and feature a tuft of fur at the top, making them more closely resemble the antennae of real moths.
Personality
This incarnation of Mothra retains the traditional benevolent personality of all previous Mothra incarnations. Mothra exists to defend the Earth from threats, with the help of the Elias and Fairy Mothra. Mothra ultimately sacrifices her own life to defend both her son and the rest of the planet from Desghidorah.
Origins
Mothra is one of the last living members of a species of giant moths that defended the Earth in ancient times, and has been living with the Elias and Fairy Mothra on Infant Island for many years. As she reached old age, Mothra summoned forth an egg to continue her legacy once she dies.
History
Heisei Series
Rebirth of Mothra
Millions of years ago, a space monster called Desghidorah arrived to destroy the Earth. This three-headed demonic dragon was forced to deal with resistance in the form of a species of highly advanced, enormous moths, which were known as Mothras. These moths were the protectors of the Elias, a race of tiny, human-like beings, who inhabited the planet. After the ensuing battle, Desghidorah was defeated and sealed within the Earth, although a great deal of life on the planet Earth was lost. Three Elias: Moll, Lora, and Belvera, were all who were left of their once prosperous civilization. Though Moll and Lora remained benevolent defenders of the Earth, Belvera became twisted and vengeful following her race's demise. These tiny fairies, along with one final Mothra, remained in solitude on Infant Island for countless millennia.
In order to preserve her legacy, Mothra summoned an enormous egg, however, she became physically exhausted from the ordeal. Shortly afterwards, a logging company in Hokkaido uncovered the tomb where the Mothras had sealed Desghidorah long ago. When the seal that had bound the creature was removed from the area, Moll and Lora fought Belvera for control of the artifact. Belvera prevailed and managed to release Desghidorah from its rocky tomb, planning to use it to destroy mankind. Mothra was summoned to stop Desghidorah, which was absorbing the life out of the forests. Mothra fought her hardest to stop Desghidorah, but was simply too old and frail to carry on the fight. Moll and Lora reluctantly prayed to the egg, causing it to prematurely hatch into a larva named Mothra Leo. Mothra Leo arrived to assist his mother, but Desghidorah grabbed Leo with his teeth and bit into him. Mothra rescued her son and destroyed a dam, causing Desghidorah to be buried in a flood of water. With her enemy distracted, Mothra carried Leo out over the sea, but her strength failed and she fell into the water. Mothra struggled to stay afloat, as Leo desperately tried to hold her up above the surface, but to no avail. Mothra sank underwater and drowned, leaving Leo to carry on her legacy and stop Desghidorah. Leo then swam to a remote island to transform into his imago stage and continue the battle.
Abilities
Antenna Beams
Like the Heisei Mothra, this incarnation of Mothra can fire twin beams from her antennae.
Arc Lightning
Also like the Heisei Mothra, this Mothra can release arc of lightning from her wings to attack opponents.
Scales
This incarnation of Mothra can release golden scales from her wings that weaken and disorient opponents.
Reproduction
This incarnation of Mothra is able to reproduce asexually by summoning forth an egg.
Filmography
- Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
Gallery
- Main article: Mothra/Gallery.
Trivia
- This incarnation of Mothra is often mistakenly believed to be the same individual as the Mothra that debuted in Godzilla vs. Mothra. However, the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy and the Heisei Godzilla series do not exist in the same continuity, and the two Mothras are separate incarnations of the character.
- Stock footage of this incarnation of Mothra was featured in early trailers for the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
References
This is a list of references for Mothra (Rebirth of Mothra). 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]
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