Kamacuras
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- Goro Maki: “Professor, what could have made them so big?”
- Tsunezo Kusumi: “A mixture of the intense heat and radiation from the storm may have altered their cellular structure.”
- ― Goro Maki and Professor Tsunezo Kusumi react to seeing Kamacuras (Son of Godzilla)
Kamacuras (カマキラス Kamakirasu) is a praying mantis kaiju who first appeared in the 1967 Toho Godzilla film Son of Godzilla.
The result of native giant praying mantises being mutated by United Nations weather-controlling experiments on Sollgel Island, three Kamacuras unearthed Minilla's egg and forced the infant to hatch prematurely, attracting the attention of Godzilla. Godzilla killed two of the Kamacuras, while the surviving one continued to stalk the island's human inhabitants. Eventually, the last Kamacuras was captured and killed by an even more deadly predator, the giant spider Kumonga. The Kamacuras reappeared in All Monsters Attack, where they inhabited Monster Island within the dreams of Ichiro Miki. Kamacuras' next appearance would come 35 years later in Godzilla Final Wars, where a single individual was under the control of the Xiliens and sent to attack Paris. Kamacuras would later battle Godzilla in Kanto, Japan, only to be easily defeated. Kamacuras also exists in the world of the GODZILLA anime trilogy, in which it was the first kaiju to menace humanity, attacking New York City in 1999.
Name
Kamacuras's name comes from kamakiri (蟷螂), the Japanese word for "mantis." In-universe, they are given this name by reporter Goro Maki. Kamacuras' unmutated state is simply referred to as the Giant Praying Mantis (大カマキリ Ōkamakiri).[4]
In both Frontier Enterprises' international English dub and Titan Productions' U.S. English dub for Son of Godzilla, the Kamacuras are called Gimantis, a portmanteau of "giant" and "mantis." Toho eventually trademarked "Kamacuras" as the monsters' official English name, and this name has since replaced "Gimantis" in English-language media. "Kamacuras" was used in the English dub for All Monsters Attack and has been used ever since. The Kamacuras featured in Godzilla Final Wars has been denoted Kamacuras (2nd Generation).[8]
In the universe of Scott Ciencin's Godzilla novels, Kamacuras's name comes from a mishearing of Hiro shouting kamakiri in Godzilla Invades America, with U.S. soldiers repeating it as Kamacuras.
Despite Kamacuras being the trademarked spelling of the monsters' name, it has occasionally been misspelled "Kamacurus", such as on the official Godzilla website Godzilla.com,[9] in the 1998 PC and Mac game Godzilla Movie Studio Tour, and in the mobile game Godzilla Battle Line.
Development
Kamacuras was modeled by Nobuyuki Yasumaru. Unlike the majority of Toho's kaiju, the creature was operated as a marionette with piano wires rather than an actor in a suit. The Kamacuras maquettes were primarily constructed with wood. Resin was also used for the eyes, while the front claws were made with iron.[10] Nine Kamacuras props were made in total: three large, three medium-sized, and three small. This was done in order to provide a more varied perspective of the monsters in different shots. Two of the medium and small Kamacuras props were actually burned during filming to depict the two Kamacuras being incinerated by Godzilla's atomic breath. Electronic lights were installed in the Kamacuras props' eyes which allowed them to glow during night scenes. A full-scale model of Kamacuras' foreleg was constructed for scenes of the monster menacing the film's human characters.[11] The puppeteers controlling Kamacuras operated the piano wire manipulating the props from the ceiling beams above the set. It is said that the intense heat of the studio lights caused the puppeteers to sweat so profusely that their sweat rained down onto the set. The puppetry for Kamacuras has been highly regarded, along with that for Kumonga in the same film.[11][4]
A Kamacuras prop is suspended in the air during filming of Son of Godzilla.
A Kamacuras prop on set
Two years later, Kamacuras was the only kaiju in All Monsters Attack besides Godzilla, Minilla, and Gabara to appear in newly-filmed footage.[4] One of the Kamacuras props from Son of Godzilla that was not burned during filming was utilized for a new shot depicting a Kamacuras passing over a hole that Ichiro Miki had fallen into.[12] All other scenes featuring Kamacuras in the film consisted of stock footage from Son of Godzilla.
The Kamacuras prop in its single new shot from All Monsters Attack
Kamacuras was initially considered as Godzilla's foe in the third entry of the Millennium series. However, as the previous film Godzilla vs. Megaguirus featured the insect kaiju Megaguirus as Godzilla's enemy, director Shusuke Kaneko abandoned this idea and ultimately ended up directing Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.[13]
Kamacuras was one of several kaiju not seen since the Showa series included as part of the ensemble monster cast of Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, Godzilla Final Wars, in 2004. In a draft of the film's screenplay, Kamacuras was to battle against Godzilla alongside the brainwashed Anguirus, Rodan, and King Caesar at Mount Fuji.[12] Shinji Nishikawa, who was responsible for designing most of the monsters in the film, decided to redesign both of Kamacuras' claws to be sickle shaped rather than give it one sickle arm and one spear arm. This was done so that the monster would be able to strike Anguirus while in his "Anguirus Ball" mode during the battle.[12] However, the finished film opted to give Kamacuras its own separate battle with Godzilla at Manazuru and omit it from Godzilla's battle with the other three monsters at Mt. Fuji. Nishikawa has stated that had he known Kamacuras was going to fight alone in the film, he would have kept one of its arms as a spear like in the Showa series.[12] The new Kamacuras prop was modeled under Shinichi Wakasa's company MONSTERS. The mantis kaiju was also depicted extensively through computer-generated imagery, particularly in shots demonstrating its impressive flight speed.
The new Kamacuras prop created for Godzilla Final Wars
Design
Kamacuras is a gigantic praying mantis, characterized by its large sickle-shaped claws and round orange eyes which periodically glow. In the Showa series, Kamacuras' body is reddish-brown and its skin has a rough, bumpy texture. Kamacuras has antennae protruding from its forehead and a row of spikes running from the top of its head down its back. Kamacuras' mouth consists of upper and lower jaws flanked by moving mandibles which are covered in large reddish-orange bristles. Kamacuras wings extend from the top of its abdomen and move up and down like a bellows, enabling it to fly. The top side of its wings are brown like the rest of its body, while the interior membranes are a lighter orange color. The monster's underbelly is covered in dark brown hair, while the bottom of its abdomen is hairless and orange, with a ridged texture. Kamacuras' right arm is sharp and pointed like a spear, while its left claw is larger and shaped like a sickle.
In Godzilla Final Wars, Kamacuras retains the Showa incarnation's large, round, orange eyes and the row of spikes running down its back. However, its skin is now light green with a smooth texture, while the insides of its claws and the bottom of its feet are light reddish-brown. The segments in its body are more visible and its body has a clearly-defined exoskeleton. Rather than jutting forth from its forehead like in the Showa series, Kamacuras' antennae point upward from the top of its head. The spikes on its head are not centered, but rather are located in a row above each eye. The creature's mouth is completely redesigned, with the mandibles flanking its upper and lower jaws reduced to small but sharp tooth-like spikes. It also has a set of approximately four fangs protruding downward from its upper jaw. Kamacuras has four separate wings rather than two individual wings. The larger pair of wings which conceals the other while Kamacuras is not in flight is green like the rest of the monster's body, while the secondary pair is clear. The most noteworthy distinction between the Millennium and Showa Kamacuras is the former's claws, which are both sickle shaped rather than one being a sickle and the other a spear.
Personality
Kamacuras has been portrayed as a villain throughout almost all of its media appearances.
In the Showa series, Kamacuras is extremely aggressive and hostile to other creatures. Even before being mutated, the giant mantises tended to wander near the scientists' outpost on Sollgel Island and were implied to be dangerous to humans. Almost immediately after their mutation, the Kamacuras forcibly unearth and break open Minilla's egg, then proceed to toy with and beat the infant rather than simply eat him. When Godzilla arrives to save Minilla, the Kamacuras refuse to back down and attack him, with the last one retreating only after both of its comrades are killed. This lone Kamacuras continues to stalk and harass the scientists, and even goes out of its way to attack Saeko Matsumiya as she is gathering herbs. When Minilla tries to save her, Kamacuras seems to mock and taunt the weaker monster before ruthlessly attacking him. It also demonstrates cowardice when it immediately retreats once Godzilla arrives and attacked it. The Kamacuras that appear in Ichiro Miki's dream in All Monsters Attack display the same behavior, with one Kamacuras pursuing Ichiro through the jungle. According to Godzilla vs. Gigan, at least one Kamacuras is living in harmony with the other monsters of Monster Island by 1972.
In Godzilla Island, Kamacuras is again portrayed as a villain. He is an ally of the Xiliens who tricks Godzilla and Torema into entering a trap on Matango Island, then tries to manipulate the other residents of Godzilla Island into joining Zagreth's side after attacking them alongside Mecha-King Ghidorah, spreading the lie that Godzilla is dead. A cowardly monster, he refuses to help Mecha-King Ghidorah when the cyborg is swarmed by Godzilla and the island's other residents, instead choosing to flee.
In the Random House Scott Ciencin novels, Kamacuras is portrayed in a heroic light for the first time. In Godzilla Invades America, he participates in gathering food for the younger kaiju with Kumonga. When his mind is read by Tomoyuki for the first time, it's revealed he went after the plane carrying Hiro and Tomoyuki with the intent of delivering them as food to the younger kaiju. Later on when his mind is read again alongside Kumonga's, he is rather vengeful after being forced to flee after the nest he built for his fellow mutations was destroyed. Kamacuras also displays a level of intelligence, putting out the flames on his wings after getting hit by Godzilla's atomic breath. In Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island, Kamacuras looks up to Godzilla as a leader, as well as a sort of familial member, and remains by his side when Varan, Yellowback, and Rattler attempt to attack humans. Kamacuras becomes enraged when he believes that a human ship is a silver creature attempting to consume all the juvenile kaiju, trying to destroy it until Amy O'Neil projects the fear of the younger kaiju into his mind. In Godzilla vs. the Space Monster, he was saddened at the destruction of his nest on Monster Island during King Ghidorah's raid. Later on, he participates in antagonizing Ghidorah with Rodan and Varan, while the other kaiju and humans were developing a plan to stop the dragon.
In Godzilla Final Wars, Kamacuras acts only under the control of the Xiliens, who command it to attack Paris and later to try to fight Godzilla.
Kamacuras retains its villainous persona in the Godzilla comics from IDW Publishing. In Godzilla: Cataclysm, a pack of Kamacuras attack and kill members of a scavenger team in the ruins of Tokyo who accidentally stumble upon them. In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kamacuras caused the death of Minette and Mallory's mother during a battle with Mothra, inspiring the twins' intense misplaced hatred for Mothra. Kamacuras eventually finds itself captured alongside most of Earth's other kaiju by the alien Trilopods. While it fights alongside them to escape the hive, Kamacuras does not assist in the final battle against the Trilopods in Los Angeles, while all of the other escaped kaiju do.
In Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp, however, Kamacuras is portrayed in a more benevolent light, with his rampage being a result of More Inc.'s fracking operations on Monster Island, which send him into a fury. After Godzilla, Minilla, and the group of campers destroy the massive fracking drill responsible for his aggression, Kamacuras approaches them alongside Ebirah and King Caesar, giving his thanks before departing. After More Inc.'s summer camp was converted into the Monster Island Summer Camp, Kamacuras allowed campers to go on walks with him, and even participated in a parade involving humans and monsters.
Origins
In Son of Godzilla, Kamacuras originated as a species of two-meter-long praying mantises native to Sollgel Island. When a United Nations-sanctioned weather experiment conducted on the island went awry, the resulting heatwave and radiation storm mutated the monsters into the 50 meter kaiju known as Kamacuras. Only three Kamacuras are seen on the island and all three are eventually killed, but at least one other Kamacuras was captured and relocated to Monster Island by 1972.
In Godzilla on Monster Island, Kamacuras is an inhabitant of Monster Island.
In the Random House Scott Ciencin novels, Kamacuras is created as a result of an accidental explosion at a Cryo Chemical test site in Nevada, where scientists were experimenting with changing the sizes of animals and objects; the explosion dramatically increased Kamacuras's size.
In the Marc Cersani book Godzilla 2000, 1,000 Kamacuras are created by an asteroid crashing in Osborne County, Kansas; liquid leaks out of the asteroid and infects the local praying mantis population.
In Godzilla Island, Kamacuras is mentioned to be from Matango Island, an island neighboring Godzilla Island, though his origins are otherwise unknown.
In Godzilla Final Wars, Kamacuras is one of the monsters controlled by the Xiliens. Only one Kamacuras is ever seen, and no details about its origin are ever discussed in the film. However, the film's theater program states that Kamacuras is a mutated Japanese giant mantis.
In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kamacuras is seemingly part of the Earth's ancient natural order as are most of the planet's other kaiju. A mural on Infant Island classifies Kamacuras among the "Air Monsters."
History
- Son of Godzilla (1967)
- Destroy All Monsters (1968) [stock footage; erroneous]
- All Monsters Attack (1969)
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972) [stock footage]
- Godzilla Island (TV 1997-1998) [episodes 104-105, 110-114, 119-120]
- Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
- GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters (2017)
- Godziban (Web 2019-) [episodes 43, 48, 54, and 57]
Showa era
Son of Godzilla
A group of scientists working for the United Nations established a research outpost on the remote Sollgel Island to carry out Operation Sherbet, an experiment to try and artificially alter the climate and thus allow for crops to be grown in once-infertile lands and potentially solve world hunger. The members of the operation soon learned that the forests of the island were inhabited by huge human-sized praying mantises which were active at night. The men learned to stay out of the jungle at night lest they risk being attacked by one of the mantises. One night after reporter Goro Maki arrived on the island to cover the story, he heard the hiss of one of the mantises from outside the camp and tried to approach. The other men immediately warned him of the danger and opened fire on the mantis with their rifles before it made its way back into the jungle. The next day, the team members carried out the first trial run of their climate-altering experiment. However, they received radio interference from somewhere on the island, delaying the detonation of the Radioactivity Sonde, producing the opposite intended effect and triggering a massive heatwave on the island. This man-made heatwave included storms of boiling radioactive rain that ravaged the island. The rain had a different effect on the mantises though, mutating them into 50 meter kaiju that Maki dubbed "Kamacuras." Three Kamacuras gathered around a large mound on the island and began to dig it up with their claws, eventually unearthing a colossal egg. The Kamacuras wasted no time in breaking open the egg with their claws, forcibly hatching Minilla, an infant member of Godzilla's species whose brainwave patterns had produced the earlier radio interference. The Kamacuras toyed with the helpless infant, smacking him around with their claws and stomping on him. Fortunately, Minilla's distress calls drew Godzilla to the island, who promptly confronted the Kamacuras to rescue Minilla. The three insect kaiju attacked Godzilla in tandem, but their combined might was not enough to overcome Godzilla's raw strength. Godzilla burned one of the Kamacuras alive with his atomic breath, and dismembered another by repeatedly slamming it on the ground before incinerating the carcass with his atomic breath. Realizing it was outmatched, the surviving Kamacuras took flight and escaped. While no match for Godzilla, the Kamacuras continued to menace the humans, stalking them as they tried to repair one of the telecommunication towers on the island and at one point attacking their camp. The team members took refuge in a cave inhabited by Saeko Matsumiya, the daughter of an archaeologist who once lived on the island. When Saeko went outside one day to gather herbs, Kamacuras appeared and threatened her. As she tried to flee, Saeko lost her footing and collapsed, after which Kamacuras approached. However, Saeko had managed to summon Minilla with her call, who arrived to save her. Unintimidated by the infant, Kamacuras taunted Minilla. Minilla fired an atomic smoke ring at Kamacuras' head, which only seemed to provoke it. Kamacuras approached Minilla and began savagely beating him with its claws until Godzilla arrived to back up his adopted son. Godzilla scared off the giant mantis with a blast of atomic breath, while Maki helped Saeko back to safety.
During his clash with Kamacuras, Minilla unwittingly kicked a boulder into the Valley of Kumonga, awakening the giant spider from his subterranean slumber. Kumonga initially menaced the humans before trapping Minilla in its webbing. Kamacuras flew overhead as Kumonga closed in on his prey, only to be pulled from the sky by Kumonga's web. Kumonga turned his attention to Kamacuras and stabbed it with his venomous stinger, killing it almost instantly.
All Monsters Attack
A small pack of Kamacuras appeared on Monster Island in the dreams of Ichiro Miki, where they attacked and were defeated by Godzilla. A single Kamacuras escaped the battle and chased Ichiro through the jungle, causing him to fall into a pit, where he was rescued by Minilla.
Godzilla vs. Gigan
A Kamacuras later turned up on Monster Island in 1972, living in peace with the other monsters.
Heisei era
Godzilla Island
Goodbye, Torema
Kamacuras, a monster from Matango Island, arrived on Godzilla Island while being chased by Megalon, a pawn of the Xiliens. Megalon suddenly gave up just before Kamacuras landed on the island, with Kamacuras struggling to speak before he collapsed. Kamacuras recovered in the Monster Hospital, where he told G-Guard about an ever-growing army being assembled by the Xiliens on Matango Island. However, when Torema and Godzilla went to the island, it was revealed to be a trap - and Kamacuras revealed to be an ally of the Xiliens. In Godzilla's absence, Mecha-King Ghidorah and Kamacuras attacked the other monsters on the island. Kamacuras then tried to manipulate them into joining the Xiliens by telling them Zagreth was their true ally and lying that Godzilla had died on Matango Island. While most of the monsters resisted Kamacuras's attempts to manipulate them, Gorosaurus and Baragon joined their side. Kamacuras, along with Mecha-King Ghidorah, Gorosaurus, and Baragon, later attacked the G-Guard base and battled the monsters still loyal to the humans. However, Godzilla, having been rescued from Matango Island by Torema, suddenly joined the battle. His appearance convinced Gorosaurus and Baragon to turn on Kamacuras and Mecha-King Ghidorah, with Kamacuras cowardly leaving as his ally was attacked by all the other monsters.
Bonus
Kamacuras was mentioned when Lucas and G-Guard Commander Beisuke Jinguji talked about Matango Island, mentioning the time Kamacuras tricked Godzilla and Torema into going into a trap there.
Millennium era
Godzilla Final Wars
In the year 20XX, Kamacuras appeared suddenly in Paris as other kaiju simultaneously attacked the world's major cities. The Earth Defense Force deployed the flying battleship Eclair to combat the monster. At one point in the battle, Kamacuras landed on top of the craft and pummeled it with its claws, shruggling off the missiles it fired in response. Kamacuras, along with all of the other marauding kaiju, were suddenly teleported away by unidentified flying objects. A huge mothership soon appeared over EDF headquarters in Tokyo, and its inhabitants revealed themselves to the people of the world. Calling themselves Xiliens, the extraterrestrials claimed to have saved humanity from the rampaging monsters, and warned that an asteroid called Gorath would soon impact and destroy the Earth. The EDF and the rest of mankind readily accepted the aliens and their story, but a group inside the EDF learned that the Xiliens had actually infiltrated the EDF and replaced many of Earth's leaders with duplicates. When they exposed the Xiliens' deception on live television, the Xilien staff officer assassinated the Xilien Commander and assumed the role of the Controller of Planet X, unleashing all of the kaiju, whom the Xiliens had controlled the whole time, back upon the Earth. Kamacuras was redeployed in Paris, where he would be seen perched on rubble observing the remains of the city.
The remnants of the EDF mounted a desperate resistance against the invasion, commandeering the Gotengo and using it to free Godzilla from Area G in Antarctica so he could defeat the Xiliens' monsters. After defeating Gigan in Antarctica, Zilla in Sydney, and Kumonga in New Guinea, Godzilla reached Japan and landed at Manazuru. The Xiliens deployed Kamacuras to intercept him, and the mantis kaiju perched itself on a bridge overlooking the sea. As Godzilla arrived and brought with him a massive tidal wave, Kamacuras flew to safety before the bridge was washed away. Kamacuras hid in a nearby hillside, camouflaging itself among the trees, before flying at Godzilla in an attempted surprise attack. Godzilla grabbed Kamacuras by the claw and threw it into a power pylon, which impaled the kaiju through the chest, leaving Kamacuras to flail around helplessly before succumbing to his injury as its eyes dimmed.
Reiwa era
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
Kamacuras was the first kaiju to menace humanity, attacking Boston and New York City in May 1999 and causing 2.5 million deaths.[14]
Godziban
A trio of Kamacuras marched around the island, followed by Godzilla-kun, Little, and Minilla. After the three Godzilla Brothers left the single-file march, the Kamacuras discovered Young Serizawa's growth fumes. Now towering over the Godzilla Brothers, the trio tormented them until Kamachi joined the fight. However, the underdeveloped kaiju was swatted aside easily. As the Kamacuras cornered the Godzilla Brothers, Shin Oji appeared. Using his absorbing skill, he and Kamachi sucked out the energy that grew the mantids, with both growing accordingly. As Shin Oji rested, the massive Kamachi, the trio of Godzillas, and the Kamacuras continued to march and play on his tail.
Abilities
Physical abilities
In Godzilla Invades America, Kamacuras rolled around on the ground to put out the fire on his wings after they were set ablaze by Godzilla's atomic breath. He also repeatedly headbutted Godzilla in the chest. During his fight with Sasori, Kamacuras bit into the scorpion's carapace. Kamacuras was also quick enough to dart out of the way of a falling casino building. In Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island, Kamacuras engaged Varan in a fight by leaping in front of him, and headbutting the varanopode in the chest, before tackling him to the ground. In Godzilla vs. the Space Monster, Kamacuras leapt onto King Ghidorah, digging his legs into the dragon's backside and clinging to him despite Ghidorah thrashing around.
Claws
Kamacuras primarily fights with its claws. In the Showa series, Kamacuras' right claw is shaped like a spear, while its left claw is larger and shaped like a scythe. Thus, Kamacuras can use its spear claw in conjunction with its scythe claw to both stab, grab, or slash at enemies. In Son of Godzilla, a trio of Kamacuras tore apart a mountain with their claws to reveal Minilla's egg, going on to tear apart Minilla's egg and torment the infant as they repeatedly stabbed and clawed at him. A Kamacuras tried to grab Godzilla by the neck with its scythe claw, but Godzilla used his superior strength to lift the Kamacuras into the air and slam it to the ground. Two Kamacuras paddled a boulder back and forth with their claws before launching it straight into Minilla's face. One of the Kamacuras knocked Godzilla over with its claws after flying at him while he was distracted. When challenged by Minilla, the last Kamacuras used its scythe claw to chop at the infant's shoulder, swipe at his neck, and send a boulder into his face.
In Godzilla Final Wars, both of Kamacuras's claws are sickle-shaped, though it still uses them to fight. Kamacuras' ability to attack with its claws in this film is referred to as the Hook Crush (ハーケン・クラッシュ Hāken Kurasshu). Kamacuras repeatedly stabbed the Eclair with its claws, which successfully damaged the aircraft. Kamacuras later tried to use its claws in combat with Godzilla, though it was unable to land a hit. Both of Kamacuras' claws are scythes in this film because originally the kaiju was supposed to aid Anguirus, Rodan, and King Caesar against Godzilla at Mount Fuji, and would have used its claws to strike Anguirus while in his "Anguirus Ball" state.[12]
In Godzilla on Monster Island, Kamacuras tried and failed to break open Mothra's cocoon with his claws. In Godzilla Invades America, Kamacuras destroyed a military transport by raking one of his claws against it. When fighting Godzilla, Kamacuras used his claws to tear away at the ground and buried Godzilla under the rubble. When attacking Las Vegas, Kamacuras destroyed a grand casino with his claws and used the remaining debris to trap the humans left inside. In Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island, Kamacuras clipped the wing of a fighter jet with one of his claws. He was also able to tear apart a ship with them after being put under mind control. In Godzilla vs. the Space Monster, Kamacuras took swipes at King Ghidorah's heads, and attempted to get his claws around one of Ghidorah's necks. In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kamacuras used his claws to pry himself free of the remaining webs that encased him while King Caesar freed other kaiju from the Trilopod Hive. In Godzilla: Cataclysm, a smaller Kamacuras tried to skewer Arata on its claw. In Godzilla Rivals: Vs. King Ghidorah, a Kamacuras stabbed Godzilla in the chest, but only angered him; he proceeded to pull out the claw and impale another Kamacuras with it.
In GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, Kamacuras destroyed the World Trade Center with its claws, along with most of Manhattan.
Mandibles
In Godzilla: Cataclysm, one of the smaller Kamacuras caught a human survivor in its mandibles before consuming them. Later on, a group of Kamacuras fed on some of Biollante's vines with their mandibles.
Flight
Kamacuras is equipped with a set of wings that allow it to take flight. In Son of Godzilla, Godzilla set a Kamacuras ablaze when it tried flying away from him. A second Kamacuras attempted to charge at Godzilla by flying at him, but he evaded. A third Kamacuras was successful in knocking over Godzilla after it flew towards him while he was distracted with Minilla. Kamacuras also appears to use flight as a faster mode of locomotion across Sollgel Island, as it was seen flying before Kumonga snagged it with his webbing.
In the Showa series, Kamacuras's maximum flight speed is only Mach 0.5, while its flight speed in Godzilla Final Wars is unspecified, but visibly faster. The Final Wars Kamacuras created shockwaves by flying around, setting off numerous explosions as it buzzed the Paris streets. It also flew away from a tidal wave heading towards it when Godzilla emerged from the ocean, and later attempted to charge at him before being caught and thrown.
In Godzilla Invades America, Kamacuras rammed into Godzilla while flying through the air, knocking him over. He repeated the technique a second time, which was strong enough to cause Godzilla to lose his grip on Kumonga. When engaging and fleeing from Godzilla, Kamacuras carried Kumonga with him, and would continue to do so in the other books in the series. In Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island, Kamacuras engaged jet fighters after coming to Godzilla's rescue alongside several other kaiju. He next used his flight to carry Kumonga after the arachnid caught a rampaging Yellowback in his webs, proving strong enough to carry the both of them in the air. In Godzilla vs. the Space Monster, Kamacuras also chased after Ghidorah with Rodan, but was not able to keep up with the dragon's speeds, and later taunted him with Varan and Rodan while fighting in the air.
In Godzilla Island, Kamacuras hovered in the air next to Mecha-King Ghidorah as Baragon and Gorosaurus attacked Mechagodzilla.
In Godzilla: Cataclysm, a smaller Kamacuras in flight grabbed a man so swiftly that his companions were unable to clearly see it. In Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Kamacuras flew over a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath.
Camouflage
The Millennium version of Kamacuras is capable of changing the color of its entire body to blend in with its surroundings, making the mantis appear invisible. It used this ability as it attempted to ambush Godzilla by hiding amidst the trees on a hillside, though Godzilla anticipated its attack.
Shuriken
In the Godzilla, King of the Monsters Game Boy game, Kamacuras is able to throw shuriken with his claws.
Durability
In Son of Godzilla, the surviving Kamacuras was entirely unaffected by Minilla's smoke rings, but most impressively, was able to withstand two blasts of Godzilla's atomic breath to the face and live, with the blasts only disorienting it. In Godzilla on Monster Island, Kamacuras endured two blasts of Godzilla's atomic breath before flying away. In Godzilla Invades America, Kamacuras was undeterred by Godzilla's atomic breath hitting him while charging at the reptilian, although his wings were set on fire briefly. He was momentarily disoriented by Godzilla throwing a large boulder at his head. When fighting Sasori, Kamacuras continued to bite into the scorpion despite being cut into by his claws and shocked by his tail's electric blasts, although he was dazed after Sasori kept bashing his claws into Kamacuras's head and underside. In Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island, Kamacuras was momentarily stopped from fighting Godzilla after being struck by a blast of his atomic breath. In Godzilla vs. the Space Monster, Kamacuras endured King Ghidorah slamming his heads into the mantis's head, but was sent retreating after being struck by the dragon's gravity beams. In Godzilla Final Wars, Kamacuras endured the missile barrage fired at it by the Eclair, although it paused in its attack on the aircraft.
Weaknesses
Kamacuras is quite frail for a kaiju. While it could withstand direct hits from Minilla's smoke rings or rifle fire from the humans, both physical attacks and blasts of atomic breath from Godzilla were capable of instantly killing two of the Kamacuras in the Showa series. Kamacuras was unable to free itself from Kumonga's strong webbing, and was highly vulnerable to Kumonga's venom, as it died moments after being injected by his stinger.
In the Millennium series, Kamacuras did not fare much better against Godzilla, as it was caught in the middle of its attack and promptly killed once Godzilla impaled it on a nearby power pylon. In Godzilla: Cataclysm, Biollante effortlessly dismembered scores of Kamacuras with her tendrils.
Godzilla physically overpowers Kamacuras in combat.
Kamacuras is fatally impaled on a power pylon.
Kamacuras is dismembered by Biollante's tendrils.
Video games
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1993) - Nintendo Game Boy
- Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!! (1995) - Sega Pico
- Godzilla Movie Studio Tour (1996) - PC and Mac
- Godzilla: Trading Battle (1998) - Sony PlayStation
- Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
- Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4 [Kaiju Guide]
- Godzilla Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021) - Android, iOS, and PC
- Godzilla (2021) - Pinball
- Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (2011; added in 2024) - Windows 10, Windows 11, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, Fire OS/TV, Android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Samsung Gear VR
Kamacuras in Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly
Kamacuras in Godzilla Kaiju Collection
Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)
- Main article: Godzilla (2014 video game)/Kaiju Guide#Kamacuras.
Godzilla Battle Line
- Kamacuras
- Stars: ★
- Energy cost: 2
- Attack speed: 1.3 seconds
- Target: Leader/Ground/Facility
- Movement speed: 20
- Search range: 50
- Reach: 35
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A balanced group unit that consists of 3 Kamacurus capable of performing various roles on the battlefield. |
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- Kamacuras Swarm
- Stars: ★★
- Energy cost: 5
- Attack speed: 1.3 seconds
- Target: Leader/Ground/Facility
- Movement speed: 20
- Search range: 50
- Reach: 35
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A balanced group unit that consists of 7 Kamacurus capable of performing various roles on the battlefield. |
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Icon
Sticker
Books
- Godzilla on Monster Island (1996)
- Godzilla Invades America (1997)
- Godzilla 2000 (1997)
- Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island (1998)
- Godzilla vs. the Space Monster (1998)
- GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse (2017)
- GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla (2018)
Godzilla on Monster Island
Kamacuras and Kumonga tried to devour Mothra's cocoon on Monster Island, only to be chased away by Godzilla.
Godzilla Invades America
When a Cryo-Chemical lab near the town of Blackstone caused an explosion that affected the molecules of various desert animals, a mantis was mutated and became Kamacuras. Allying with fellow mutation Kumonga, it tended to the younger mutations in a large nest and foraged food for them while attacking all that came close. This lead to the giant mantis downing the investigation plane the military dispatched to figure out the cause behind the Cryo-Chemical explosion. Kamacuras and Kumonga later attacked Las Vegas together in other to secure more food for the other mutations, coming into conflict with the giant scorpion Sasori and Godzilla. The mantis and spider were fended off, but escaped destruction by fleeing into the desert, eventually leaving into the wilderness with the younger mutations.
Godzilla 2000
In May of 1999, a group of asteroids, one of which contained King Ghidorah, approached Earth. One of the smaller asteroids landed in Osborne County, Kansas, and began leaking a parasitic yellow fluid that infected the nearby praying mantis population. These mantises mutated into a swarm of over one thousand Kamacuras and gained a voracious hunger. The swarm moved through the county and ate all edible matter they came across, including the topsoil, and destroyed the cities of Natoma, Plainville, and Codell before going dormant. In the following three days, the U.S. military mobilized squadrons of A-10s, one flown by Jerry Tilson, against the creatures. While the first wave's bombing run saw success, the second run was cut short when the creature revealed they had grown wings while dormant. Two of the four planes were struck down by the airborne insects, while the remaining two aircraft, including Tilson, retreated as the second wave of planes moved in. The A-10s were quickly recalled and replaced with F-111s that scorched the insects with napalm whilst tanks on the banks of nearby Big Creek kept the swarm from moving too far from the battlefield. By June, the swarm had been completely eradicated and any further meteors were collected to prevent another swarm. While a second swarm appeared in Chile, it was quickly destroyed as well.
Godzilla: Journey to Monster Island
Godzilla's fight with Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Sasori was relayed to Amy O'Neil through telepathic visions. Kamacuras later helped Godzilla and the other kaiju fight the U.S. military, dealing with the fighter jets in the sky. After the military retreated, Kamacuras was among the kaiju who gathered around Godzilla and showed visible excitement after Godzilla returned a playful gesture from Varan. Later on, Kamacuras was one of the larger monsters who communicated to Godzilla that they were looking for him and were searching for food. He also grew excited when Godzilla was looking for something to smash after getting frustrated when his communication attempts did not get through to the other kaiju. After receiving a vision of Monster Island, Godzilla led Kamacuras and the other kaiju on a caravan towards the island, which they aimed to make their new home. During their journey, Kamacuras and Kumonga briefly fought each other when the psychic twins Amy and Roy began to bicker, with their actions being mimicked by the group of kaiju, except for Godzilla. When the group of kaiju came across a bridge from a nearby city, Kamacuras remained on Godzilla's side alongside Kumonga after Rattler, Yellowback, and Varan gave into their primitive instincts and went towards it looking for prey. As the three larger kaiju neared the bridge, Godzilla stood in their way with Kamacuras and Kumonga at his side. While Godzilla battled Yellowback and Rattler, Kamacuras took on Varan, headbutting the varanopode in the chest after he drew too close to civilians, crashing down onto the shore. Kamacuras later carried Kumonga whilst flying as the spider had Yellowback stuck in his webbing, in order to restrain the coral snake from continuing his attack, with Kamacuras flying away from the bridge. After things calmed down, Kamacuras and the rest of the kaiju caravan began to go south, as the humans went to go round up the juvenile kaiju that were missing after the bridge incident. A misunderstanding occurred where Kamacuras and the other larger kaiju believed that the ship transporting the young kaiju was actually a giant silver beast eating them, with Kamacuras speeding towards it while flying with Kumonga in his grasp. The conflict was solved quickly after Amy projected the fear the young kaiju were feeling into the minds of the larger kaiju, making them stop in their tracks. Kamacuras was then placed onto a long steel barge with Kumonga, which was towed by the ship the humans and younger kaiju were on. About two weeks later, the trip to Monster Island reached its end and the kaiju made their way onto the island, with Kamacuras holding Kumonga as he flew onto the island. However, terrorists on the island had developed an energy beam that allowed them to mind-control kaiju, with a mind-controlled Rodan causing shockwaves throughout the island with his wings and Anguirus joining in on the rampage. Kamacuras was also controlled by this influence and flew back to the ship that towed him to Monster Island with Kumonga in his claws. Kamacuras then dropped Kumonga onto the ship as they both began to tear it apart, with the mantis ripping it to shreds with his claws. The juvenile kaiju aboard the ship managed to escape, however, swimming to shore before the section of the ship they were housed in was destroyed. Kamacuras next fought Godzilla and Rattler, with the help of Kumonga, Varan, Yellowback, and Rodan, with Kamacuras being hit by a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath. After the mind control was shut down momentarily, all of the previously controlled kaiju (except Anguirus) arrived at the terrorists' base and glared down at its leader, Dr. Mason. In a last-ditch effort, Mason turned on the machine again, sending the kaiju into a frenzy, with Kamacuras and Kumonga attacking Varan. Amy was able to break them out of the mind control one final time after she projected an extremely strong mental image in all of the kaiju's minds of them wanting a home, the entire reason they came to Monster Island. Later, the kaiju lived peacefully on the island after the incident concluded.
GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse
Kamacuras appeared on the island of Manhattan on May 4, 1999, and proceeded to destroy the World Trade Center and devastate much of the city. Kamacuras continued moving northeast over 330 kilometers. At the same time, Kamacuras larvae appeared in the subway system under New York and preyed on people. Because Kamacuras appeared in a densely populated area, the military response was delayed, resulting in an estimated 2.5 million casualties. Kamacuras was finally destroyed by United States Air Force bunker buster bombs in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 72 hours after making landfall. After Godzilla raided the United States in the 2030s, the presence of multiple Kamacuras living in the U.S. was reported.[15]
GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla
Smaller variants of both Kamacuras and Kumonga were present in North Africa in the 2040s.[16]
Comics
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #9, 23, 25 (2014-2015)
- Godzilla: Cataclysm #1, 3 (2014)
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #5 (2016)
- GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters Episode #1 (2018)
- Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3-4 (2022)
- Godzilla Rivals: Vs. King Ghidorah (2022)
- Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp (2024)
- Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons II - Sons of Giants #5 (2024) [flashback]
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Kamacuras was classified as an "air" monster in a cave mural on Infant Island.
Some years ago, Minette and Mallory were playing a prank on their mother by hiding from her when Kamacuras appeared in a forest. Mothra arrived to battle the monster, but their fight unintentionally caused the death of the twins' mother. After a brief skirmish, Kamacuras flew away with Mothra giving chase. Years later, Kamacuras was captured by the Trilopods and held in the creatures' massive hive, along with many other Earth monsters. King Caesar managed to free Kamacuras and the other monsters, who all broke out of the hive into Los Angeles and joined the vastly outnumbered Godzilla in the battle against the Trilopods. After being freed, Kamacuras strangely disappeared and was not seen taking part in the battle against the Trilopods and Magita, nor was it seen along with the other Earth monsters after the battle.
Godzilla: Cataclysm
A group of scavengers were attacked by a swarm of Kamacuras while searching the ruins of Tokyo for supplies and anything of use. The Kamacuras managed to kill several members of the party before Biollante appeared and tore many of the Kamacuras apart with her vines. Arata later realized that the Kamacuras were drawn to the location to feed on Biollante.
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
During the Cretaceous Period, several Kamacuras battled Megalon and Megaguirus.
GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters
Kamacuras was one of the many kaiju that appeared in the 21st century, along with several others such as Dogora, Rodan, Anguirus, Baragon, and Biollante, with Kamacuras attacking New York City. However, all of these terrifying beasts paled in comparison to Godzilla, who killed many of the other kaiju himself and eventually drove humanity from the Earth.
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
After Godzilla and the Megazord destroyed Eye Guy and Rhinoblaster and forced Gigan to retreat, Rita Repulsa demanded that the Supreme Controller of Planet X summon more of the Xiliens' captured monsters. Kamacuras was summoned alongside Kumonga and Megaguirus, who were joined by Rita's servant Scorpina in her monstrous giant form. During the battle, Kamacuras was knocked back by Godzilla's atomic breath before being defeated with a kick to the head by the Megazord.
Godzilla Rivals: Vs. King Ghidorah
After the Xiliens abducted Godzilla from Earth and forced him to fight in the Xilia Arena on Mars, the King of the Monsters was pitted against a trio of Kamacuras. Godzilla attempted to incinerate the weaker kaiju with his atomic breath, but the Xiliens activated a shock collar around his neck that stopped his blast. When one Kamacuras attempted to strike Godzilla with its claw, he simply grabbed its claw and impaled another Kamacuras through the chest with it. Godzilla then made short work of the remaining Kamacuras, preserving his undefeated record in the arena.
Gallery
- Main article: Kamacuras/Gallery.
Roar
Kamacuras's roar is actually the screech of Ebirah, only sped up. Kamacuras's roar was originally used by the iconic Ultra Series kaiju Eleking. Toho reused it decades later for Riseross in The Justirisers.
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In other languages
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Mandarin Chinese
Hebrew
Italian
Russian
Trivia
- Kamacuras, Kumonga, Destoroyah, and Manda were meant to be part of the Trendmasters Godzilla toy line, but the company went bankrupt beforehand. Prototypes of Kamacuras's toy exist.
- A vaguely humanoid race of mantis creatures who heavily resemble the Kamacuras appear in the 1998 novel Godzilla at World's End, serving as guards and soldiers to the Ancient Ones and their mutated human agent Zoe Kemmering. Because of the similarities between these smaller insects and the much larger Kamacuras, these beings are referred to as "Kamakites" by the book's protagonists.
- Due to a stock footage mistake, a Kamacuras trapped in Kumonga's web makes a brief appearance in Destroy All Monsters.
- Kamacuras is featured in concept art included in The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, along with other established kaiju such as Anguirus and Gamera.[17] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, director Michael Dougherty said, "We had thought about using some additional Toho creatures to give them some cameos but every Toho creature comes with a price tag. It was a choice to either shell out more money simply for the rights for these creatures to show up on screen for a few seconds, or embrace the opportunity and the challenge to create new creatures."[18]
External links
References
This is a list of references for Kamacuras. 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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