King Broodfish
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All gone now. But something new is here. He does not know these creatures. But they do not belong here. They carry the scent of the deep hollows, the world beneath the world. They do not act alone, but as if they share the same mind.
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„
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— Narrator (Godzilla Dominion) |
The King Broodfish is an aquatic superspecies that appears in the 2021 Legendary Comics graphic novel Godzilla Dominion, a prequel to Godzilla vs. Kong. With a swarm of smaller members of its species under its control, one specimen engaged Godzilla in a territorial battle deep under the sea. The King of the Monsters ultimately prevailed, slaying the creature and its subjects.
Name
Neither the King Broodfish nor its swarm were referred to by any specific name in Godzilla Dominion, and writer Greg Keyes did not originally devise names for them. In his script for the comic, Keyes used the term "genitor" to refer to the King Broodfish, which he explained is "not a name, it is a description-- a gender neutral term I used in the script to denote something like a queen bee".[2] Illustrator Drew Edward Johnson took to calling the species Murderfish, a name jokingly suggested by his editor,[3] and referred to the leader as King Murderfish in at least one tweet.[4]
The King Broodfish was finally christened in 2026's The Monarch Files: A Monsterverse Manual, written by Keyes. It is given the cryptozoological classification Dinichthys Eusocial, a combination of Dinichthys, the name of an extinct genus of arthrodires, and the word "eusocial", referring to the highest level of sociality in organisms. The term "genitor" is never used in the book and is presumably non-canon. It also gives no name for the King Broodfish's subjects, referring to them only as "a swarm of much smaller fish of the same species" and simply "the swarm" or "the smaller fish".[1]
Design
The King Broodfish strongly resembles extinct placoderms, specifically Dunkleosteus, due to Greg Keyes' childhood interest with the animal.[5] It has a rough blue body, pectoral fins that possess red undersides with three fingers, a dorsal fin that is made up of red ribbon-like flesh, and pelvic fins that are long and thin and also have the same red ribbon-like flesh. Its eyes are red, it has two pairs of sharp bony plates that form a beak-like structure, and it has a tail fin that also has the same red ribbon-like flesh surrounding it.
Behavior
The King Broodfish was shown to be highly territorial, fighting Godzilla over leftover radiation in the latter's old lair. After it was killed and its control over them severed, the smaller fish in its swarm ravenously devoured its carcass.
Origins
Greg Keyes has referred to the King Broodfish as the "creator" of its swarm,[2] but this has not been established as canon. According to Monarch, the King Broodfish "seems to be biologically male, which has led to much speculation about whether there is a Queen Broodfish and what the life cycle of this superspecies might be". The species was first catalogued by Monarch when the remains of the King Broodfish killed by Godzilla were discovered by the organization's drones.[1]
History
- Godzilla Dominion (2021)
Godzilla Dominion
After Godzilla arrived at his destroyed lair, he witnessed a swarm of fish-like creatures congregating in the area. Godzilla was taken by surprise when he was ambushed by their leader, a King Broodfish, which erupted from the ground and sank its teeth into his neck. Godzilla proceeded to tear the creature's spine out, killing it. With the King Broodfish's connection to its swarm severed, the fish descended to feed on its carcass. Godzilla promptly incinerated them all with his atomic breath.
Abilities
Physical abilities
The King Broodfish possesses a strong bite, with one being able to draw blood from Godzilla's neck.
Tunneling
According to Greg Keyes, the King Broodfish is "probably" able to dig, reasoning that it possibly tunneled to the surface from the Hollow Earth.[6]
Swarm
King Broodfish are accompanied by a "swarm" of smaller members of their species.[1] The narrator in Godzilla Dominion observes it is "as if [the swarm] share the same mind". According to Monarch, "it is hypothesized" that the King Broodfish controls its swarm with "some sort of telepathy or electromagnetic impulses".[1]
Weaknesses
Godzilla easily ripped out the King Broodfish's spine, then incinerated its swarm with his atomic breath. According to Monarch, without their leader, the smaller fish "[seem] to lack the ability to care for themselves" and are "without guidance".[1]
Trivia
- Prior to the King Broodfish officially being categorized as a superspecies, Greg Keyes used the non-canon term "sub-Titan" for it,[2] while Drew Edward Johnson opined it is "like a sub-species below that of a Titan".[3]
References
This is a list of references for King Broodfish. 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]
Bibliography/videography
- Keyes, Greg (6 April 2021). Godzilla Dominion. Legendary Comics. ISBN 978-1-68116-078-8.
- Godzilla Guy (7 January 2024). "LIVE Interview With Greg Keyes Writter Of The Novelizations Of KOTM, GVK, And GXK!". YouTube.
- Keyes, Greg (23 June 2026). The Monarch Files: A Monsterverse Manual. Insight Editions. ISBN 979-8886636321.
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