Rodan (Showa)

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Rodan Incarnations
None
Showa Rodan
Heisei Rodan
Rodan™ (Showa) trademark icon
Rodan (Showa)
Rodan in Destroy All Monsters
Baby Rodan in Rodan
Alternate names Radon, Rado, First Generation Rodan, Second Generation Rodan,
Monster Zero-Two
Subtitle(s) Giant Monster of the Sky
(空の大怪獣,   Sora no Daikaijū)[1]
Species Irradiated Pteranodon
Height 50 meters[2][3]
Wingspan 120 metersROD-GtTHM[2][3],
150 metersIoAM-DAM
Weight 15,000 metric tons[3]
Egg Size 80 meters[4]
Forms BabyROD, Adult
Controlled by XiliensIoAM, KilaaksDAM
Relations Other Rodan (Mate)ROD
Allies Godzilla, Second Generation Mothra,
Third Generation Mothra, Anguirus, Minilla, Gorosaurus, Baragon, Manda, Varan, Kumonga
Enemies Godzilla (At first), King Ghidorah
Created by Ken Kuronuma, Ishiro Honda,
Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya
Played by Haruo NakajimaROD, Kōji SoraGTHM,
Masaki ShinoharaIoAM, Teruo AragakiDAM
First appearance Latest appearance
Rodan Destroy All Monsters
Roar(s)
19561964-1968More roars

The Showa Rodan (ラドン,   Radon) is an incarnation of Rodan that first appeared in the 1956 Toho film Rodan, and debuted in the Godzilla series in the 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster.

In the character's debut film, there were two Rodans, a male and a female. Both Rodans were seemingly killed at the film's climax, but in Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster a single Rodan emerged from the site where the Rodans apparently perished. This Rodan reappeared throughout the remainder of the Showa series. Whether it was a surviving Rodan from 1956 or possibly one of their offspring is unclear.

Name

Rodan's Japanese name, Radon, is a truncation of "Pteranodon." It may also have been chosen to suggest radiation. The name was changed to "Rodan" in English-speaking markets, possibly to avoid confusion with the element Radon. Toho eventually trademarked the name "Rodan," making it the monster's official English name.

The two Rodans that appeared in Rodan are referred to as First Generation Rodan (初代ラドン,   Shodai Radon), while the Rodan featured from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster onward is denoted as Second Generation Rodan (二代目ラドン,   Nidaime Radon), though it is presumed to be one of the surviving Rodans from their debut film. In Invasion of Astro-Monster, the Xiliens refer to Rodan as Monster Zero-Two (怪物02,   Kaibutsu Zerotsū).

Design

Rodan resembles a giant pterosaur that stands upright on two legs. Rodan possesses a spiky chest, two horns on the back of his head and a pointed beak on his face. In Rodan's debut film, its skin is a mahogany color, while in subsequent films it is brown.

Personality

In the original Rodan, the two Rodans are depicted as horrific and dangerous creatures who, despite their destructive nature, care deeply for each other and are unwilling to live without the other. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Rodan displays a great deal of personality, openly mocking Godzilla when the latter is covered in Mothra's silk, and shakes his head in an irritated fashion after Godzilla's atomic breath has no effect on him. According to the translation of the monsters' conversation by the Shobijin, Rodan agrees with Godzilla's sentiment that he only hates humans because they hate him. Rodan claims he has no obligation to protect human beings and prefers to continue his pointless fight with Godzilla. However, upon seeing Mothra bravely take on King Ghidorah by herself, Rodan joins with Godzilla to battle the extraterrestrial creature. In subsequent films in the Showa series, Rodan is seen as a loyal ally of Godzilla who assists him and the other Earth monsters in fighting off King Ghidorah.

Origins

Rodan is a pteranodon that survived in an egg underneath Mount Aso for millions of years. Radiation from nuclear testing seeped into the cavern containing Rodan's egg, and in combination with accumulated volcanic gases, caused him to reach gigantic size. When the cavern containing Rodan's egg was unearthed, his egg hatched, and he grew quickly by feeding on Meganulon in the cavern. A second Rodan also appeared around the same time, and mated with the other.

In 1964, eight years after the Rodans were seemingly killed in the fires of Mt. Aso, the accumulation of volcanic gases in the volcano awakened a Rodan from the volcano's crater. The identity of this Rodan is ambiguous, and it is unclear if it is a surviving Rodan from 1956, or potentially one of their offspring. Selina Salno seems to suggest it is a surviving Rodan, as she claims the volcanic gases have resurrected it.

History

Showa Series

Rodan

Rodan in Rodan

While assisting the JSDF in exterminating the Meganulon in the mine in Kitamatsu, Shigeru Kawamura was sent falling into a cavern underneath Mount Aso by a sudden avalanche. When Shigeru regained consciousness, he found himself in front of a colossal egg, and surrounded by countless Meganulon. Suddenly, the egg began to crack, and from it emerged the hatchling Rodan. The creature broke the rest of its eggshell with its wings and roared loudly before grabbing the Meganulon in its beak and eating them. Horrified by the sight, Shigeru went into shock, and was rescued sometime later by a group of villagers. Shigeru was left in a catatonic state, and the authorities could not gain any information from him regarding what he saw. In the meantime, Rodan began an aerial prowl across the Pacific Ocean, being sighted above China, the Philippines and Hong Kong. Eyewitnesses couldn't make out what they saw, labeling it simply a UFO. The JASDF tried to take down the UFO when it was sighted over Japan, but Rodan used its supersonic flight to evade its attackers and destroy them.

Both Rodans attempt to flee from the erupting Mount Aso.

As Rodan's rampage continued, it attacked a young couple near Mt. Aso, though its victims did take a partial photograph of the beast before they were killed. When Shigeru emerged from his catatonic state and told his story to the authorities, Dr. Kashiwagi cross-referenced his story with the photograph and a piece of eggshell found near Mt. Aso, and determined that the UFO was actually a giant Pteranodon. Rodan emerged from the crater of Mt. Aso shortly afterward, and began flying to the city of Fukuoka. The JASDF engaged the beast in a dogfight, during which a F-86 Sabre crashed into the beast's wing, injuring it and causing it to lose its supersonic flight. Rodan touched down in Fukuoka, blowing away buildings and vehicles by flapping its wings. The JSDF deployed all its forces to attack Rodan, but they were blown away by the powerful winds. A second Rodan soon appeared over the city, and assisted its mate in fighting off the JSDF before escorting it back to their nest inside Mt. Aso.

As the two Rodans entered hibernation inside the mountain, the JSDF formed a last-ditch plan to destroy them: they would bombard the volcano with missiles, triggering an eruption and hopefully incinerating both monsters. Several Honest John Missile Launchers were stationed around Mt. Aso, and opened fire on the slopes of the volcano. The missiles triggered a small earthquake, which brought forth lava from the volcano and caused it to erupt. The two Rodans broke out of the mountain and began to fly away, but the intense heat caused one Rodan to fall into the lava below, where it began to burn alive. Unwilling to live without its companion, the other Rodan flew down into the lava flow next to its mate, where the two Rodans appeared to die together.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

In 1964, eight years after the two Rodans seemingly perished in the eruption of Mount Aso, a mysterious woman claiming to come from Venus appeared in Japan and warned that a terrible disaster would soon occur at the volcano. While seismologists claimed that Mt. Aso showed no danger of erupting, the Venusian arrived at the volcano's crater and warned all the people there to flee. She claimed that accumulated volcanic gases would soon resurrect Rodan, only for the spectators to laugh at her. The Venusian's prediction came true however, when Rodan emerged from the volcano's crater and let out a terrifying roar. Rodan took flight and rose from the crater, causing the crowds to scatter and flee. Rodan flew over a nearby bridge, causing it to collapse into the water below. Rodan then flew to Yokohama, where Godzilla had just surfaced from the harbor. When he saw Rodan flying overhead, Godzilla roared and followed him to the foot of Mount Fuji, where the two monsters began a titanic battle. Meanwhile, a meteor that crashed in Kurobe Valley split open and unleashed King Ghidorah, an evil space monster that had previously destroyed the civilization of Venus. As King Ghidorah terrorized Japan while Godzilla and Rodan battled, humanity turned to the Shobijin for aid. The Shobijin claimed that Mothra stood no chance against any of those monsters, but if she worked together with Godzilla and Rodan they may have a chance to fend off King Ghidorah. Mothra left Infant Island and arrived at Mt. Fuji, where she interrupted Godzilla and Rodan's ongoing battle. Mothra tried to convince Godzilla and Rodan to aid her, but the two monsters stubbornly insisted that the other apologize, and refused to assist humanity because humanity had always attacked them. Mothra tried to tell them that the Earth belonged to all creatures, and that it was their duty to defend it, but the monsters still refused. Mothra tried to take on King Ghidorah by herself, but was brutally overpowered by the space monster. Godzilla and Rodan were inspired by the larva's courage, and decided to put aside their differences to help her. Together, the three monsters gained the upper hand against their extraterrestrial foe. Rodan allowed Mothra to ride on his back and spit silk at King Ghidorah while Godzilla held King Ghidorah still from behind. Godzilla threw King Ghidorah off a cliff and pelted him with boulders, finally leading the beast to retreat back to outer space. Godzilla and Rodan then watched Mothra and the Shobijin swim back to Infant Island.

Invasion of Astro-Monster

In 196X, astronauts Kazuo Fuji and Glenn arrived on the newly-discovered Planet X, where they encountered an intelligent alien race known as the Xiliens. The Xiliens' leader, the Controller of Planet X, informed the astronauts that their planet was under constant attack by a space monster known as Monster Zero, which was revealed to be none other than King Ghidorah. The Controller asked to "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan from Earth, knowing they successfully drove away King Ghidorah in the past. Glenn and Fuji said they would consider the offer, then returned to Earth. In secret, several Xiliens traveled to Earth and discovered the locations of Godzilla and Rodan. When the Xiliens' presence was discovered, they met with several of Earth's leaders and stated that they had the capacity to retrieve and transport both monsters to Planet X. After the Xiliens gained permission to take the kaiju, one Xilien UFO blasted away the side of a mountain, revealing Rodan sleeping inside. The UFO then brought Rodan to Planet X, with another carrying Godzilla. The monsters were released on the planet's surface, after which King Ghidorah arrived. Godzilla and Rodan worked together and eventually drove King Ghidorah off. The Controller thanked Glenn and Fuji, and provided them with a tape he claimed contained the cure for cancer. When the astronauts returned to Earth, they found that the tape was an ultimatum from the Xiliens, demanding that the Earth surrender and become a colony of Planet X. When humanity would not yield, the Xiliens released Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah, all of whom were under their control, to attack Earth's major cities. Thankfully, Fuji discovered that the Xiliens' mind-control rays could be severed by special light rays, and the JSDF constructed several A-Cycle Light Ray Guns to break the aliens' control over the monsters. In addition, the humans broadcast a sound that was lethal to the Xiliens, allowing them to be easily defeated by the JSDF's forces. After the Xiliens were defeated, the monsters regained consciousness, and Godzilla and Rodan again joined forces against King Ghidorah. After a brief battle, Rodan grabbed hold of Godzilla and flew into King Ghidorah, sending all three monsters toppling off a cliff into the ocean. King Ghidorah surfaced and flew back into space after a few moments, but Godzilla and Rodan disappeared. However, humanity was fairly certain neither monster had been killed.

Destroy All Monsters

By the end of the 20th century, Rodan and most of Earth's other monsters had been captured and contained on Monsterland, a human-monitored island in the Ogasawara chain. Rodan lived peacefully on the island, restrained only by a magnetic barrier that extended slightly past the island. As such, Rodan was able to freely fly over Monsterland and even over the surrounding waters, where he could catch and eat his fill of sea creatures. However, the peace would be disturbed when the Kilaaks seized Monsterland, taking control of the monsters and sending them to attack the Earth's major cities. Rodan first attacked Moscow, then later appeared in Tokyo alongside Godzilla, Mothra and Manda. After destroying Tokyo, Rodan reappeared in the area around Mount Fuji, where he attacked the Moonlight SY-3 before it escaped into outer space. When the Kilaaks' mind control over the monsters was severed, the monsters assembled near Mt. Fuji, ready to destroy the Kilaaks' base of operations. The Kilaaks then unleashed their trump card, King Ghidorah, and sent him to attack the monsters. Rodan did not directly take part in the battle, but merely watched as the other monsters overpowered and finally killed King Ghidorah. The Kilaaks then unleashed the Fire Dragon, which flew past Rodan and set him on fire before heading to Tokyo. The Moonlight SY-3 destroyed the Fire Dragon, and Rodan and all the other monsters were subsequently returned to Monsterland to live in peace.

Godzilla vs. Gigan

In 1972, Rodan was living on Monster Island alongside Godzilla, Anguirus, Mothra, Minilla, Kamacuras, Kumonga and Gorosaurus. The M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens were planning to wipe out the monsters on the island, but their plans to invade Earth were foiled by Godzilla and Anguirus after they escaped the island.

Godzilla vs. Megalon

In 197X, an underground nuclear test conducted near the Aleutian Islands produced far-reaching seismic anomalies. In addition to damaging the capital of Seatopia, the detonation caused an earthquake that tore apart Monster Island, causing Rodan to fall from his perch onto Anguirus.

Terror of Mechagodzilla

To try and dissuade her father from giving Titanosaurus' services to the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, Katsura Mafune reminded him of the destruction wrought by other kaiju, such as Rodan, King Ghidorah and Manda.

Abilities

Supersonic Flight

Rodan can fly at speeds of Mach 1.5,[4][1] allowing him to cover large distances quickly in the air and easily evade and catch enemy aircraft.

Shockwaves

Rodan produces destructive shockwaves while flying, which can destroy anything below him, such as bridges and buildings.

Wind Gusts

While on the ground or hovering in the air, Rodan can produce gusts of hurricane force winds by flapping his wings repeatedly. These winds are capable of destroying buildings and blowing away vehicles. These winds will also produce a cloud of debris around Rodan, making it harder for Rodan's enemies to hit him.

Physical Abilities

Despite his speed, Rodan is actually a very physically powerful opponent. Rodan can knock enemies like King Ghidorah out of the sky by ramming them at full speed while flying. Rodan can also use his chest spikes and talons to attack opponents while flying. Rodan can lift enemies in excess of his own weight, shown when he grabs Godzilla and carries him into the air before dropping him onto a power line.

Durability

Rodan is extremely durable, resisting all conventional weaponry that is fired at him. Rodan is also seemingly unaffected by both Godzilla's atomic breath and King Ghidorah's gravity beams, only shaking his head in annoyance when blasted point-blank with Godzilla's atomic breath. It is possible that Rodan survived being submerged in molten lava, if the Rodan that appeared in 1964 was in fact a surviving Rodan from 1956.

Wind Breath

In his debut film, Rodan can fire a blast of radioactive wind from his mouth, which is capable of destroying objects in its path. This ability has never been used since.

Amphibiousness

Rodan is capable of surviving when submerged underwater, as well as swimming short distances. This is first demonstrated in his debut film when he dives into a river, then flies out of the water a short distance ahead. Rodan also survives after falling into the ocean at the end of Invasion of Astro-Monster, where he remains submerged underwater for a considerable length of time. In Destroy All Monsters, Rodan is shown diving into the water to catch food.

Weaknesses

The two Rodans are both seemingly killed at the end of their debut film by burning to death after being submerged in molten lava flows.

Filmography

Video Games

Godzilla (PlayStation 4)

Rodan in Godzilla

Rodan appears exclusively in the PlayStation 4 version of Godzilla as a playable monster. He is based on his 1956 appearance from Rodan. Rodan has the ability to fly around the map far faster than the other flying monsters in the game, and can produce powerful sonic booms by clapping his wings together.

Moveset

  • Square
    • One tap: Peck
    • Two taps: Peck
    • Three taps: Multi-Peck
  • Triangle
    • Tap: Kick Up
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Double Kick
  • X
    • Tap: Jump
    • Hold: Hover
    • Roar + Tap: Swooping Shockwave
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Land
  • Circle
    • Tap: Wing Shockwave
    • Roar + Tap: Sonic Ram
    • Tap (Mid-Air): Wing Shockwave
  • R2
    • Tap: Area Shockwave

Kaiju Guide

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

Gallery

Main article: Rodan/Gallery.

Roar

Rodan's roar was modified from Godzilla's roars, and would later be itself modified for several other monsters throughout the Showa and Heisei series.

Rodan's roars in Rodan (Raw Materials)
Rodan's roars in Rodan
Rodan's roars from 1964 to 1968

References

This is a list of references for Rodan (Showa). 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 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 14, 37. ISBN 4-096-82090-3. 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. 138. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help). Check date values in: |date= (help)
    Compendium28.png
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 ゴジラ完全解読 (別冊宝島 2207). The Monsters that Time Forgot; Page 102.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Godzilla Monsters All Overall Encyclopedia (7th Edition). Shogakukan. 10 November 1993. p. 82. ISBN 4-09-281104-7.

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