Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla
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Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla is the ninth installment in the IDW Publishing one-shot comic series Godzilla Rivals. It was released on August 30, 2023.[1]
Description
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Some time ago, mysterious crystals fell to an alien planet, becoming the subject of a planetwide religion existing at odds with the planet's government. After years of conflict, the leader of what has become a powerful cult uses the crystals to summon his "god" and unleash it on his world. Little does he know he has only summoned the terrifying SpaceGodzilla! And SpaceGodzilla hears no prayers![1]
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Plot
A translation of an alien tablet on August 30, 2197, is shown in parallel with SpaceGodzilla's invasion of the planet Pellucidia. A religious text, it reveres the monster (which it calls the "Crystal King") and the quartz which powers the planet's economy, while treating social inequality as the result of the quartz's will.
A Pellucidian spaceship discovers a quartz-rich asteroid where SpaceGodzilla lies sleeping. The civilization on the Pellucidia is rigidly divided between the snake-like, upper-class Ophiogans, and the lower-class, insect-like Laitians. One Laitian pleads with the Ophiogan Grand Archpriest to help their family, only to be dismissed. The Ophiogans mine the asteroid for quartz as SpaceGodzilla dreams of his arrival on Earth and confrontation with Godzilla. When one of their lasers strikes his forehead crest, he awakens in a fury, obliterating the asteroid and every ship within reach before plummeting towards the planet below. His impact caused a tremendous explosion, but he emerged unscathed. He senses the presence of a crystalline object on the planet, prompting him to let out a roar. The Archpriest gazes at that same object while Ophiogans and Laitians alike watch his arrival on monitors in the city with horror.
As SpaceGodzilla stomps towards a showdown with the Pellucidian military, a group of Ophiogans aligned with the Archpriest join hands and form a barrier in front of him, only to be heedlessly crushed underfoot. SpaceGodzilla quickly shreds both the land and ground forces, shrugging off their laser blasts. As their family watches a broadcast of the battle, the Laitian is contacted by a Ophiogan and another Laitian on a hidden communications device. The military manages to crack one of SpaceGodzilla's shoulder crystals with the purple rays from two worm-like mechs, but he counters with his telekinesis, slamming one into the other, then spears the survivor with his tail. The military's commander furiously orders a mothership, far larger than SpaceGodzilla, into action. The Ophiogans in the control room are stunned, but only one briefly protests before executing the command. The mothership bombards SpaceGodzilla with lasers, but he shoots it down with a single Corona Beam. As it falls, it ejects a massive coffin-like object. The kaiju Singura bursts out of it and charges at SpaceGodzilla.
As the kaiju clash, the Laitian travels to the underground base of the resistance group, which is frantically readying weapons and equipment. SpaceGodzilla dodges Singura's snapping jaws, only to be caught by the tail and thrown. He counters with his Corona Beam as he falls. Another Ophiogan loyal to the Archpriest shoots the commander, only to be shot himself as he continues firing into the control room. Singura bends backwards and begins using crystals in its chest cavity to generate a black hole. First SpaceGodzilla tries his Corona Beam, but the black hole just absorbs it. As his feet lift off the ground, he switches to telekinesis, shattering the crystals. The black hole devours Singura before disappearing.
SpaceGodzilla faces little resistance as he advances into the Pellucidian city. Some citizens watch him in veneration, but far more evacuate. Beneath the city, the resistance prepares to demolish the crystalline object, only to be confronted by the Archpriest and four guards. The Laitian throws a charge into the air and detonates it, sparking a firefight and escaping in the chaos. SpaceGodzilla soon claws through the ceiling, crushing the pleading Archpriest in the process. He removes the object and it crumbles in his hand, revealing a baby monster. He squeezes his hand and crushes it while channeling power, assuming his flying form while his crystals overtake the city and trigger a volcanic eruption. Only a handful of spaceships take off in time. The Laitian and many others watch helplessly from orbit as SpaceGodzilla leaves their planet, eying a rematch with Godzilla.
Appearances
Monsters
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Weapons, vehicles, and races
Locations |
Development
Shortly after IDW Publishing announced Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in December 2021, Matt Frank contacted the company about drawing a cover for one of the issues.[5] Though they had already hired all the cover artists they needed, they stayed in touch and ultimately asked him to pitch some comic ideas.[5] Of the monsters he inquired about for a Godzilla Rivals issue, SpaceGodzilla was the only one who had yet to receive a pitch or had an issue already in development. He quickly landed on the premise of "SpaceGodzilla on an alien planet."[5]
The idea of tensions between two alien species fueled by religion was inspired by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.[5] To help "the Godzilla franchise continue to inject fresh ideas into its media," Frank included an original kaiju opponent in his pitch, with the intent of pitting SpaceGodzilla against one of the forces that birthed him: a black hole.[5] The issue is one of the few Godzilla comics to lack fully legible dialogue, with the character speaking exclusively in an alien script with no direct English translation, although the story is accompanied by a mostly-complete English translation of a tablet.[5] These choices evolved out of his dislike for third-person omniscient narration, followed by the realization that the aliens wouldn't be speaking English if there was no one around to translate.[5]
Gallery
Concept art
Concept art of Singura and The Baby by Matt Frank
Covers
Cover A by Matt Frank
Cover A art by Matt Frank
Cover B by Alexis Ziritt
Retailer incentive cover by Bob Eggleton
Scans
Art
Videos
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Trivia
- This issue marks Matt Frank's first work outside of just cover art on an IDW Godzilla comic since Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1 in 2016.
- This issue was first advertised, untitled, at the end of Godzilla Rivals: Biollante Vs. Destoroyah. Matt Frank confirmed his involvement on the Toho Kingdom forums ahead of its official announcement.[6]
- Concept art included at the end of the issue indicates that its original title was The Terror of SpaceGodzilla.
- Pellucidia's name is likely derived from Pellucidar, the name given to the Hollow Earth featured in the series of Edgar Rice Burroughs novels that began with At the Earth's Core (1914).
References
This is a list of references for Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla. 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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