Titanosaurus

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Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus in Terror of Mechagodzilla
Alternate names Chitanosaurus, Chitano-Saurus,[1] Titannosaurus,[2] Titano Kong[3]
Subtitle(s) Dinosaur Monster
(恐竜怪獣,   Kyōryū Kaijū)
New Monster (新怪獣,   Shin Kaijū)[4]
Amphibious Monster
(水陸両棲怪獣,   Surikuryōsei Kaijū)[5]
Primeval Dinosaur
(原始恐竜,   Genshi Kyōryū)G:TB
Species Aquatic dinosaur
Height 60 meters[6]
Weight 30,000 metric tons[6]
Underwater speed 200 kilometers per hour[7]
Place(s) of emergence Ogasawara seabed[8]
Controlled by Black Hole Planet 3 AliensToMG, DevoniansGRoE, United EarthG:PM
Allies Mechagodzilla 2, Battra, GezoraGRoE, MandaGRoE, DestoroyahGRoE, GodzillaGRoE, King CaesarGRoE, KamacurasGRoE, RodanGRoE, AnguirusGRoE, KamoebasGRoE, GorosaurusGRoE, KumongaGRoE, VaranGRoE, BaragonGRoE, ZillaGRoE, SandaGRoE, GairaGRoE, Jet JaguarGRoE
Enemies Godzilla, Rodan, Kumonga, SpaceGodzilla, Trilopod, Magita
Conceived of by Yukiko Takayama
Designed by Akihiko Iguchi
Modeled by Keizo Murase
Played by Tatsumi Nikamoto
First appearance Terror of Mechagodzilla
Roar(s)
More roars
He claimed to have found a dinosaur living under the sea near the Bonin Islands. He claimed to control it. He even called it Titanosaurus. That cost him his career as a scientist.
„ 

— Professor Ota explains how Shinzo Mafune's discovery of Titanosaurus cost him his scientific career (Terror of Mechagodzilla)

Titanosaurus (チタノザウルス,   Chitanozaurusu) is a giant aquatic dinosaur kaiju who first appeared in the 1975 Toho Godzilla film, Terror of Mechagodzilla.

Originally a peaceful, sea-dwelling dinosaur, Titanosaurus was discovered by Japanese marine biologist Shinzo Mafune, who was undertaking experiments involving controlling sea life. When Mafune claimed to his colleagues that he had discovered Titanosaurus and had complete control over him, he was laughed out of the scientific community and began a 15-year quest for vengeance upon the civilization that had mocked and shunned him. When approached by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, Mafune offered Titanosaurus' services to them for their invasion of Earth, being promised a place in their new utopian world order along with his daughter. Titanosaurus was unleashed alongside the aliens' Mechagodzilla 2, and the two beasts began obliterating Tokyo before they were confronted by Godzilla. Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla's combination proved formidable, but the intervention of INTERPOL allowed Godzilla to destroy Mechagodzilla and easily defeat Titanosaurus in single combat after he was weakened by a sonic wave oscillator. Though he hasn't been featured in any films since his debut, Titanosaurus has appeared in some licensed video games and comic books based on the Godzilla franchise.

Name

Titanosaurus' name comes from the word "Titan," referring to a member of the first divine pantheon in Greek mythology, and "-saurus," a common suffix for reptiles, derived from the Greek word for lizard, sauros. While "Titan" is usually transliterated to Japanese as Taitan (タイタン), the "Titano-" portion of Titanosaurus' name is pronounced Chitano (チタノ), similar to the Japanese name for the element titanium (チタン,   chitan).

Titanosaurus also coincidentally shares a name with a dubious genus of sauropod dinosaur, though he bears little resemblance to actual titanosaurs.

Development

Titanosaurus concept art

In Terror of Mechagodzilla screenwriter Yukiko Takayama's original scenario, the role of Titanosaurus was filled by two dinosaurs called Titans, who became violent only when their necks were entangled.[9] The Titans were of the same species, one male and the other female.[10] Eventually, the Titans would fuse together into a creature simply called "Titan." Titan was referred to primarily as a female creature.[11]

Titanosaurus was designed by Akihiko Iguchi[12] and modeled under Keizo Murase. A suit, a puppet of Titanosaurus' head and neck to scale with the suit,[8][12] a model of his tail with the ability to open and close its fan,[8] and swimming puppets with the mouth and tail fan open and closed were created.[13] Tatsumi Nikamoto was chosen as Titanosaurus' suit actor on the basis that he had previously worked with Godzilla's suit actor Toru Kawai on Ultraman Leo.[14] The neck of the suit was incredibly long, causing the head to bob back and forth repeatedly and creating intense vibration that made Nikamoto's performance difficult.[14] Special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, operating under the theory that dinosaurs were colorful, had Titanosaurus given flashy colors and differently-colored warts on his body.

Design

Titanosaurus is a deep-sea dwelling creature who sports a fin on his tail and along his back up to the top of his head. He also has a pair of smaller fins on the sides of his head. Titanosaurus' neck is very long, and he has two antennae protruding from the top of his head. Titanosaurus's skin is bright red with black and yellow flecks, and he has a beige underbelly, most likely for countershading purposes. Titanosaurus's eyes are relatively large and are bright yellow-orange in color. The monster also has a forked tongue.

Personality

Titanosaurus is said to have been "a very quiet, friendly dinosaur" by screenwriter Yukiko Takayama.[9] The monster is shown to have a gentle disposition, retreating from his first battle against Godzilla as soon as he was free of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens' and Dr. Shinzo Mafune's control. Under their influence, however, he fights as fiercely as any kaiju, and displayed a knack for coordinating attacks with Mechagodzilla.

The instruction manual for the game Godzilla: Unleashed describes Titanosaurus as not being "specifically evil," though it states that humanity's disturbances of him have resulted in him becoming aggressive. In this game he acts in line with the other members of the Mutant faction, seeking to secure additional power for himself by harnessing the energy of SpaceGodzilla's crystals.

In the main continuity of IDW's Godzilla comics, Titanosaurus is shown to be aggressive toward other kaiju, as he battles Rodan on his own volition. However, he is naturally a defender of the Earth, as he teams up with Battra to fight SpaceGodzilla and later helps Godzilla and the other Earth monsters battle the Trilopods. He briefly fights under the command of the Devonian aliens in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, attacking ships and fighting against Godzilla along with the aliens' other controlled monsters.

Origins

Titanosaurus was a gigantic, docile sea-dwelling dinosaur. He was discovered by Dr. Shinzo Mafune in 1960 while Mafune was researching ways to control sea animals. Mafune set his sights on controlling Titanosaurus, but this caused him to be laughed out of the scientific community. Mafune persisted in working on his Titanosaurus controller for many years with the help of his daughter Katsura, eventually completing it in 1975 with the help of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens. Under the influence of this device, the once-peaceful Titanosaurus became a violent, rampaging monster.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Titanosaurus is depicted on an ancient mural found on Infant Island, indicating that he is part of the planet's natural order. He is classified among the "water" monsters in this mural.

History

Showa era

Terror of Mechagodzilla

Titanosaurus battling Godzilla in Terror of Mechagodzilla

Esteemed marine biologist Shinzo Mafune had begun studying the brain patterns of marine life in an attempt to gain control over sea creatures and establish vast undersea ranches, when he discovered Titanosaurus living under the sea. Mafune began developing a means of controlling Titanosaurus, but when he reported this to his academic peers, he was mocked and cast out of the scientific community. Quickly descending into madness, Mafune retreated into seclusion with his daughter Katsura at his home in Manazuru, where he began work on a plan to use Titanosaurus to take revenge on the society which had shunned him. Fifteen years after his dismissal from the oceanographic institute, Mafune was approached by Tsuda, a representative of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens. With their assistance, Mafune was able to complete the device that gave him complete mental control over Titanosaurus, and unleashed the monster to destroy the Akatsuki, a submarine attempting to recover the remains of Mechagodzilla. The normally peaceful Titanosaurus became a frightening, intense monster, and crushed the Akatsuki with his bare hands.

With Mafune's plan to control Titanosaurus a success, the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens brought him to their base near Mount Amagi, where they were busy rebuilding Mechagodzilla. The aliens' commander, Mugal, promised Mafune and his daughter a place in their new utopian civilization on Earth if he would lend his scientific expertise, as well as the use of Titanosaurus, to their cause. When INTERPOL dispatched a second Akatsuki to search for Titanosaurus, Katsura sent the dinosaur to destroy it, only for the sub's sonar to interfere with the device controlling Titanosaurus and cause him to writhe in pain. Mafune meanwhile helped the aliens repair and perfect Mechagodzilla, but became frustrated while waiting for their word to begin their assault on Tokyo. Mafune took matters into his own hands and unleashed Titanosaurus into the city while Katsura left to sabotage a sonic wave oscillator INTERPOL was constructing to use against Titanosaurus. Godzilla arrived to fight Titanosaurus, who fled back to the sea after Katsura was shot and Mafune deactivated his control device. The aliens' surgeons were able to revive Katsura and installed Mechagodzilla's control device inside of her, all while Mugal warned Mafune to never act against his orders again. Mafune agreed, and the aliens moved their base of operations to his lab in Manazuru.

Finally, Titanosaurus and the newly-completed Mechagodzilla 2 were unleashed in Tokyo, savagely annihilating the city. As Mechagodzilla bombarded the city streets with his vast array of weaponry, Titanosaurus swept away the ruined buildings by generating gusts of wind with his tail fin. Godzilla arrived once again to fight off the aliens' monsters, but found himself outmatched by the duo. Titanosaurus grappled with Godzilla up close, while Mechagodzilla blasted Godzilla with lasers and missiles. Finally, the onslaught was too much and Godzilla was knocked unconscious. Titanosaurus kicked Godzilla into a ditch, and Mechagodzilla used its missiles to bury him alive under the Earth. Titanosaurus began stomping on Godzilla's earthen grave, while INTERPOL mounted their completed sonic wave oscillator onto a helicopter. The chopper flew overhead and began bombarding Titanosaurus with supersonic waves, placing the creature in agonizing pain. Mechagodzilla prepared to shoot down the helicopter, but Godzilla emerged from the ground and blasted the machine with his atomic breath. With Titanosaurus incapacitated by the sonic wave oscillator, Godzilla fought and destroyed Mechagodzilla for good. Meanwhile, INTERPOL assaulted Mafune's lab, killing Mafune and forcing the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens to flee. Katsura had killed herself to disable Mechagodzilla, leaving no one to control Titanosaurus any longer. Unaware that Titanosaurus was no longer under the aliens' control, Godzilla blasted him repeatedly with his atomic breath, causing Titanosaurus to fall off a cliff into the water below, his fate unknown.

Millennium era

Godzilla Final Wars

Titanosaurus was one of countless monsters that threatened humanity during the 20th century. In the year 20XX, a Canadian child was playing with numerous toys of monsters, including one of Titanosaurus, before he noticed a news report showing Anguirus attacking Shanghai on TV.

Abilities

Tail fan

Titanosaurus decimates Tokyo with a whirlwind in Terror of Mechagodzilla

Titanosaurus can generate gale-force winds (or a whirlpool, if underwater) by swinging his tail fan. These winds can reach speeds of up to 320 meters per second.[7] These winds were strong enough to blow away buildings and vehicles and even knocked Godzilla off his feet.

Jumping

Titanosaurus leaps into the air and swats two fighter jets

Despite his weight, Titanosaurus is capable of jumping to impressive heights. He used this ability to leap into the path of two fighter jets, causing them to fly into him and explode on impact.


Amphibiousness

A primarily aquatic creature, Titanosaurus can breathe underwater and swim very efficiently at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour[7] in addition to walking on land.

Physical strength

Titanosaurus lifting Godzilla with his jaw in Terror of Mechagodzilla

Titanosaurus possesses enormous physical strength, and proved to be more than a match for Godzilla in close combat, pummeling him with punches and kicks, sending him flying with a kick, and was even able to lift the 20,000-ton kaiju clear off the ground using only the grip of his jaw.

Sonic waves

In Godzilla: Unleashed, Titanosaurus can expel a sonic wave from his mouth that damages other monsters. This ability is somewhat ironic given that sonic waves were Titanosaurus' greatest weakness in his film appearance.

Weaknesses

Titanosaurus is repeatedly shot with the sonar device, hurting him

Supersonic waves interfere with the control mechanism Dr. Mafune fitted onto Titanosaurus' head, and cause him tremendous pain. The sonar on the Akatsuki II and INTERPOL's sonic wave oscillator were sufficient to render Titanosaurus completely incapacitated.

Filmography

Video games

Titanosaurus was cut from Godzilla: Save the Earth due to a "licensing issue," with Megaguirus taking his place in the roster.[15] He can still be seen in the concept art, wading in the water of an icy level. Titanosaurus appears as a playable character in Godzilla: Unleashed, as a member of the Mutant faction.

Godzilla: Unleashed

Titanosaurus in Godzilla: Unleashed

Height: 115 meters
Weight: 61,000 tons

"Titanosaurus is a prehistoric throwback-a primitive monster from an ancient age who has managed somehow to persist in contemporary times. Titanosaurus lives deep in the ocean, hibernating for hundreds of years in a stretch. In recent years, humans have disturbed Titanosaurus, increasingly incurring his wrath. Though not specifically evil, Titanosaurus holds no allegiance to any particular ideology, and would not hesitate to secure additional power for himself should the opportunity arise. This frequently places himself in opposition to Earth Defenders and the Global Defense Force. Titanosaurus employs his towering height, powerful tail, and sonic waves to intimidate or subjugate any beings who dare to disrupt his ancient lifecycle."

Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)

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

Books

GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla

Titanosaurus was a sea monster discovered in the Pacific Ocean. Two individuals of the species were captured and controlled by the United Earth as part of "Operation: LTF," a research project based in the Ogasawara Islands aiming to make monsters fight against each other. Titanosaurus was deployed against Godzilla in the 2040s as part of this operation.[16]

Comics

Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths

Titanosaurus appeared in issue #4 of the miniseries Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths as one of the monsters that attacked Tokyo when the Elias were captured. In issue #5, once the Elias were retrieved, Titanosaurus departed peacefully along with the other monsters.

Godzilla: Legends

Titanosaurus was the focus of issue #3 of IDW's miniseries Godzilla: Legends. In this issue, a psychic boy named Travis was enrolled in an academy for psychics run by Miki Saegusa and the mysterious Mugal. Travis unwittingly formed a psychic link with Titanosaurus and drew the monster to civilization, where he caused major destruction. It was later revealed that Mugal was a member of the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens, an alien race whose homeworld was dying. Mugal had intentionally manipulated Tristan to form a link with Titanosaurus so that the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens would be able to use Titanosaurus along with two Mechagodzillas to conquer Earth.

Godzilla

Titanosaurus first appeared in Godzilla #4 attacking Tokyo, where he was engaged by Boxer and his "Kaiju Kill Crew." Rodan soon appeared in the city and did battle with Titanosaurus. Boxer's team managed to detonate a building and topple it onto the two monsters. Rodan flew away, but Titanosaurus was captured and taken to Monster Island.

Later, in issue #10, the now-free Titanosaurus joined forces with Battra and battled SpaceGodzilla in London. Despite the two Earth monsters' efforts, they were defeated and SpaceGodzilla escaped.

Godzilla: Rulers of Earth

Titanosaurus, along with fellow aquatic monsters Gezora and Manda, attacked a fleet of aircraft carriers in the ocean. The attack was halted by Godzilla, who sent the three into retreat. Godzilla gave chase but couldn't catch up with them. It was revealed by Mothra's Shobijin that Titanosaurus and his two allies were not actual alien kaiju, but were three water monsters that normally upheld the natural balance and were currently being controlled by the Devonian aliens.

Titanosaurus was later seen being transported to the new Monster Islands, but joined the brawl between Godzilla, Gezora, Manda and the newly revived Destoroyah. The military intervened and sent the three aquatic monsters into retreat with a blast from their new sonar guns, only with Godzilla grabbing onto Titanosaurus' foot, dragging him down. Titanosaurus suffered a broken arm in the fight, but he went on to destroy the Cryogs' spaceship, before retreating to heal his injuries. Titanosaurus was later seen in the oceans of the Monster Islands.

It was revealed later that the Trilopods captured Titanosaurus and took on his characteristics, then imprisoned him in their hive. When King Caesar went on a rampage in the Trilopod hive, Titanosaurus was among the monsters set free. Titanosaurus and the other monsters then joined with Godzilla to battle the Trilopods in Los Angeles. Titanosaurus briefly battled his Trilopod clone before Zilla stepped in and mauled it. He later took part in the battle against Magita, but did little but annoy the massive Trilopod. After the defeat of Magita, Titanosaurus and the other monsters followed Godzilla back to the ocean.

Gallery

Main article: Titanosaurus/Gallery.

Roar

Titanosaurus's roars are modified from the roars of Brocken, a kaiju from the sixth episode of Ultraman Ace. Brocken's roars themselves were modified from elephant trumpeting. According to special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, the roars of Titanosaurus and Mechagodzilla were created "with a mixture of sounds from music instruments and electronic sounds," including violins.[17] In Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash, Titanosaurus erroneously utilizes the roar of Hedorah's Landing Stage, while his actual roars are used by Manda.

Titanosaurus's Roars

In other languages

Language Name Meaning
Flagicon Germany.png German Titanosaurier Adapted from English name, German -saurier in place of -saurus
Flagicon Italy.png Italian Titano Kong (Italian theatrical release of Terror of Mechagodzilla[3]) Titano (titan) and Kong from King Kong, who was commonly included in marketing for Godzilla films in Italy
Flagicon Russia.png Russian Титанозавр Titanozavr Adapted from English name, Russian -zavr in place of -saurus
Flagicon Serbia.png Serbian Титаносаурус Titanosaurus Transcription of English name
Flagicon Spain.png Spanish Titanosaurio Adapted from English name, Spanish -saurio in place of -saurus

Trivia

Videos

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Titanosaurus

References

This is a list of references for Titanosaurus. 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. Encyclopedia of Godzilla (Mechagodzilla Edition). Gakken. 10 December 1993. p. 108. ISBN 405600174X.
  2. The Godzilla Chronicles Ver. 3. Chikushobo. December 1999. ISBN 978-4812405819.Seasar, Titannosaurus, Jet-Jagger - The Godzilla Chronicles.jpg
  3. 3.0 3.1 Romero, Anthony (9 September 2006). "What's in a Name?". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  4. Japanese Terror of Mechagodzilla trailer
    Shin Kaiju Chitanozaurusu.png
  5. Definitive Edition of Toho Monster Movies!! Godzilla Special Effects Complete Works. Natsumesha. 21 December 1994. p. 53. ISBN 978-4816317750.
  6. 6.0 6.1 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 140. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
    Compendium30.png
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Toho Special Effects All Monster Encyclopedia. Shogakukan. 23 July 2014. pp. 70–71. ISBN 4-096-82090-3.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. pp. 165, 168. ISBN 978-4091014702.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 G-Fan #91. "Words from the Heart: Yukiko Takayama Remembers Terror of Mechagodzilla." Daikaiju Publishing. 2010. pp. 10-14.
  10. Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. p. 186. ISBN 4-864-91013-8.
  11. Ishiro Honda: Uncrowned Master. Yosensha. 6 November 2014. p. 415. ISBN 9784800302212.
  12. 12.0 12.1 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. p. 187. ISBN 9784864910132.
  13. Godzilla Toho Champion Festival Perfection. ASCII MEDIA WORKS. 29 November 2014. pp. 103, 174. ISBN 978-4-04-866999-3.
  14. 14.0 14.1 Tokusatsu Hiho vol. 3. Yosensha. 13 March 2016. pp. 280–283. ISBN 978-4-8003-0865-8.
  15. Toho Kingdom - Interview with Simon Strange
  16. Oki, Renji (25 April 2018). GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla. Kadokawa. ISBN 9784041063453.
  17. G-Fan #90. Daikaiju Publishing. 2010.

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