Megalon
Megalon (メガロ Megaro) is a giant insect kaiju who first appeared in the 1973 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla vs. Megalon.
The guardian of the underground kingdom of Seatopia, Megalon was unleashed upon the surface world after repeated nuclear tests had ravaged Seatopia. Megalon surfaced in Japan and attacked Tokyo, guided by the stolen robot Jet Jaguar. However, Jet Jaguar was soon freed from the Seatopians' control and turned against Megalon. Gigan arrived to aid Megalon, but the two monsters were sent retreating after Godzilla joined Jet Jaguar in battle. To date Megalon has only made a single feature film appearance, but has remained a popular monster nonetheless, appearing in countless Godzilla video games, along with manga and comic books.
Name
Megalon's name likely comes from the combining form "megalo," which means "abnormally large" or "great." His Japanese name does not contain the "n" sound at the end.
Development
The inspiration for Megalon came from Gebara (ゲバラ), a giant mole cricket kaiju that was conceptualized as the villain for All Monsters Attack.[5] During production, Gebara was reworked into a mutant toad and renamed Gabara.[6] The original concept for Gebara was revived during production of the thirteenth Godzilla film, with its design reworked and rechristened "Megalon," a name originally used for a kaiju from the unmade 1972 Godzilla film Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive, who would have fought alongside Gigan and King Ghidorah under the command of the evil alien brain Miko against Godzilla, Anguirus, and the living statue Majin Tuol. In Shinichi Sekizawa's draft for this film, Megalon was described as moving quickly and expelling a gaseous smog from its body, while in Kaoru Mabuchi's treatment he was said to possess eyes on the ends of his antennae.[6]
The designs of Megalon and Jet Jaguar are often attributed to illustrator Akihiko Iguchi,[7] however Iguchi has denied having any involvement in Godzilla vs. Megalon,[4] leaving the true identity of the monsters' designer(s) a mystery. Megalon's design was inspired by a combination of several different kinds of insects; according to special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, his face was based on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle (カブトムシ kabutomushi), his body after cicadas, and his movements after grasshoppers (despite standing upright).[8] Originally, Nakano wanted for the monster to be based on a dragonfly, and ladybugs were also briefly considered, but he ultimately settled on the Japanese rhinoceros beetle, possibly to cash in on their popularity among children at the time.[6][8] Early concept art for Megalon, which was ultimately deemed "no good,"[7] featured the monster with differently-shaped horns and a much brighter, red and orange color scheme.
One-horned Megalon concept art
A scrapped design for Megalon with four horns and a bright red and orange color scheme
Side-view Megalon concept art
Flying Megalon concept art
Megalon's suit was a collaboration between modelers Nobuyuki Yasumaru, and the then newly-hired Tomoki Kobayashi who was responsible for its drill arms.[9] Megalon was portrayed by Hideto Date,[6] though he is often confused in production photos for Kenpachiro Satsuma,[7] who himself portrayed Gigan in both Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon. The suit's horn was constructed of resin, the eyes of acrylic,[9] and the drills and mouth of FRP.[10] Additionally, the suit's back shell was made from a rigid urethane, which was also used for Kamacuras several years prior[9] and later for Rodan's wings in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.[10] Megalon's antennae appear strikingly similar to those of the Garogas, the alien antagonists of the 1973 television series Zone Fighter, which aired its first episode just months after the theatrical release of Godzilla vs. Megalon. This is due to Nobuyuki Yasumaru handling the modeling of both characters and employing similar techniques in each.[10] Megalon's suit was the heaviest one to be created by Toho up to that point, and because of this, the scenes where the monster performs several leaps through the air was exceedingly difficult on the special effects crew, with Teruyoshi Nakano reportedly getting so frustrated during filming that the scenes were nearly cut entirely.[8] Ultimately, the jumps were simulated by a number of crew members who were standing in the studio rafters repeatedly hoisting the suit and its actor up and down.[8] The suit was allegedly very difficult for Hideto Date to hear out of, and therefore a whistle had to be blown by one of the assistant directors to notify him of when to jump.[8]
In addition to the suit, a 1-shaku (Japanese foot)[11] model of Megalon was also created for flying scenes.[1][10]
Suit actor Hideto Date emerges from the Megalon suit
Megalon in flying form, drills combined
1-shaku Megalon flying prop
Design
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Despite being an underground creature, Megalon is noticeably colorful, combining silver and grey mandibles and drills, yellow compound eyes, two antennae that sprout right above his eyes, an orange and brown carapace, and wings that can fold inward or outward. Megalon's horn curves upwards and is four pronged, glowing yellow when he fires his Beast Killer Light Ray. Megalon's forelimbs end with two sharp, half drill-like appendages, which are never seen to be individually prehensile, at least in Godzilla vs. Megalon, always moving in tune with the monster's arms.
Megalon has a more muscular appearance in the 2023 Godzilla vs. Megalon short film. Additionally, his wings and mandibles are realistically insectoid, and he possesses a much greater wingspan when he takes flight. Megalon's drill-like forelimbs are longer and more lance-like, though they can compress into stubbier, sturdier drill appendages that enhance his physical blows. Megalon's eyes are more realistically textured and glow yellow.
Personality
Megalon is sometimes considered one of the least intelligent Toho kaiju. This is demonstrated by the fact that he is easily manipulated by external stimuli. For example, Megalon followed Jet Jaguar simply because he was curious, and he is also very temperamental, as seen when he goes into shock when he loses sight of Jet Jaguar and begins to jump and thrash about. Once Jet Jaguar grows to giant size, Megalon only tilts his head in confusion before being slammed in the face by Jet Jaguar's fist. His battle tactics also seem to be lacking in terms of strategy, as he never once utilizes his lightning horn beam against Godzilla nor Jet Jaguar. Additionally, he seems to enjoy charging at both his enemies headfirst, although all said enemies had to do was simply step out of the way to avoid him. Despite his apparent lack of skill when fighting alone, Megalon does demonstrate some intelligence when working as a team with other monsters, as with Gigan by his side, he was able to handle Godzilla and Jet Jaguar with some proficiency until the duo drove Gigan away. It is highly likely that without Gigan's assistance, he would not have lasted nearly as long as he did during the final confrontation.
In the 1992-1993 Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, Megalon shows more signs of intelligence than his film counterpart, antagonizing Godzilla after Neo Biollante trapped him using her cage vines. He also deemed Neo Biollante to be "in the way" after Godzilla threw her at him, and began boasting of his power after he used his Laser Beast Killer Beam to incinerate her.
In the 2023 short-film, Megalon was a destructive pawn of the Seatopian woman who commanded him, loyally carrying out her orders to attack their enemies on the surface world.
Origins
Megalon is a gigantic insectoid being that lives deep underground in the subterranean kingdom of Seatopia. Megalon is seen as the Seatopians' god, and is called upon by them to defend their home from threats. Megalon mostly retains this origin in the Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, though his status as a god and the identity of the civilization he coexists with remain unconfirmed. He is first seen encased in stone, emerging after energy from Gigan Rex’s carcass is transferred into him.
In Who's Afraid of Godzilla?, Megalon is an inhabitant of Monster Island.
In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Megalon was one of the ancient beings that lived on Earth during prehistoric times, having a quarrel with King Caesar.
In Godzilla: Rage Across Time, Megalon was similarly an incredibly ancient kaiju, shown quarreling with Megaguirus and two Kamacuras just before the Xilien invasion of Earth in 136 million BC. By 1274 AD, he had become a pawn of the Nebulans and their Mongol allies.
History
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
- Godzilla Island (TV 1997-1998) [39 episodes][note 1]
- Godzilla Final Wars (2004) [toy]
- Go! Godman (2008) [toy]
- Godziban (web 2019-2023) [episodes 8-9, 11, 15, 20, and 61-63]
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (2023)
Showa era
Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
After his subterranean kingdom of Seatopia was damaged by underground nuclear testing, Emperor Antonio called upon the guardian deity Megalon to wage war against the surface world. He first destroyed Ogouchi Dam, but accidentally doomed his mission in the process. Seatopian agents were attempting to dispose of Goro Ibuki, the inventor of a robot they needed to guide Megalon, and his brother Rokuro, but Megalon swatted the storage container containing them to safety. The robot, Jet Jaguar, guided the monster towards a showdown with the JSDF. Though their Maser Cannons forced him into a brief retreat, he soon laid waste to them. Fortunately, Goro managed to free Jet Jaguar from the Seatopians' control and told him to travel to Monster Island and recruit Godzilla. Jet Jaguar obliged, prompting Antonio to contact the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens and ask for Gigan to back up Megalon. Though he was disoriented for a time, Megalon managed to get back on task following a JSDF air raid, and laid waste to Tokyo. Jet Jaguar returned to Japan and confronted Megalon in a field, growing to gigantic size to fight him. Monster and machine were equally matched until Gigan arrived. Before they could destroy Jet Jaguar, however, Godzilla arrived to even the odds. The heroes' combined might was enough to overwhelm Megalon and Gigan, the latter hastily retreating back to space. After he faced Godzilla's sliding kick, the Seatopians finally recalled Megalon and sealed all of their passages to the surface world.
Heisei era
Godzilla Island
Megalon was one of the Xiliens' minions. After a couple of team-ups with Battra, G-Guard threw him into prison with Destoroyah, who became his ally for the rest of the series.
Reiwa era
Godziban
Megalon appeared in the Go! Jet Jaguar hand-drawn segments. When Jet Jaguar first grows to aid Godzilla in battling Megalon, it freezes in its tracks to install combat programming, frustrating the two monsters. When Jet Jaguar reboots and is finally ready to take on Megalon, however, a single jab from one of Megalon's claws pops the robot, revealing Jet Jaguar to be an inflatable robot.
Megalon would later cameo in the hand-drawn opening sequence for "The Godzilla Who Came on Christmas Eve!", with his star-horned head serving as a tree topper for the kaiju Christmas party.
Megalon's puppet debut in the series came in the special episode "Aim! Movie Star".
Godzilla vs. Megalon (2023)
In an underground cavern beneath the ocean, Gigan Rex's maimed corpse laid attached to many wires siphoning bright red energy and transferring it to a space in the wall shrouded in shadow as a mysterious, presumably-Seatopian woman held up a small engraved stone and told Megalon to attack the enemies on the surface. After Godzilla suddenly appeared and began walking through Japan, a man livestreaming at a military base noticed the Seatopian surrounded by several soldiers aiming their guns at her. She raised her hand while holding the engraved stone and a flash emanated from it, causing the soldiers to collapse behind her. The stone glowed brighter and the ground rumbled, several buildings falling into the ground as it split open. Megalon erupted from the ground and roared before activating his Geothermal Napalm launcher and firing napalm bullets at the surrounding tanks and a helicopter, lighting them on fire and destroying them. Megalon stood amidst the flames before flying towards Godzilla's location.
Later on in the night, Godzilla continued his march though a city, undeterred by his diminished internal nuclear energy. Fighter jets flew overhead and fired, causing the citizens below to panic while Megalon appeared from the sky, firing more napalm bullets at the tanks on the ground. Godzilla looked up towards his foe as Megalon launched a volley of Geothermal Napalm at Godzilla. He then reached out one of his drill arms, slamming into the ground and flattening a large portion of the city in a huge shock wave. As the dust cleared, Megalon pulled his drill arm from the ground and the two monsters faced off, roaring at each other. Godzilla attempted to hit Megalon with his tail but was too slow, and the insect monster leaped into the air and hovered. Godzilla fired his atomic breath upwards but his opponent dodged that as well, and Megalon retaliated with his Beast Killer Light Ray, electrocuting Godzilla. He then flew down and smashed a drill arm into the King of the Monsters, knocking Godzilla backwards before electrocuting him again with the ray. Godzilla disrupted the beam with a short nuclear pulse and began charging energy, transferring it to his arm as Megalon rushed towards him. When the flying monster reached him. Godzilla punched him in the face, resulting a large explosion that knocked Megalon to the ground. The two engaged in melee combat, with Godzilla hitting Megalon with charged slaps while Megalon defended himself with his drill arms. Megalon attempted to hit his foe with a drill but Godzilla shot him with a short blast of atomic breath. Megalon counterattacked with a barrage of napalm bullets, knocking Godzilla onto his back. Megalon jumped up and flew towards him, but Godzilla used his nuclear pulse to blast himself off the ground and into a flying dropkick, slamming into Megalon and knocking him to the ground. As Megalon was staggered, Godzilla reached him and grabbed his horn, with Megalon struggling to release his grasp by discharging Beast Killer electricity from his horn and stabbing his drill arms into the reptilian. However, Godzilla charged his energy into his hand again and shoved it upwards, uppercutting Megalon with a burst of energy and breaking off his horn. Megalon was sent flying backwards into some buildings, and fell to the ground as Godzilla's arm glowed orange with burn scars.
The Seatopian stood in front of Megalon's face and held the engraved stone up once more. Her whole body glowed, then disappeared in a small flash of light. Megalon rose to his feet, roaring. He spread his wings and put his drills together, interlocking and combining them into a single, large spinning mechanism, and flew into Godzilla, drilling into his flesh and propelling him through the city. As Megalon roared, Godzilla unleashed a single blast of his white atomic breath, vaporizing a large swath of the city and cleaving Megalon in half. The insect monster's top half drifted on his wings before coming to a halt, his eyes dimming.
Abilities
Movement
In Godzilla vs. Megalon, Megalon is able to fly through the air at speeds of Mach 3, drill through the ground at Mach 3, and travel underwater at Mach 4. In addition, Megalon can use his spring-like legs to jump high into the air and is able to travel 10 kilometers at a time using this method.[12] Megalon can combine his abilities to fly and jump to essentially "surf" on air. In video games such as Godzilla: Save the Earth and Godzilla: Unleashed, Megalon's flight varies from his film appearance, as he is no longer able to fly for extended periods of time and can only use his wings to hover for brief periods. He retains full flying capabilities in the 2023 Godzilla vs. Megalon short film. In Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar Vs. Megalon, the way Megalon burrows involves his cranial horn cutting through the surface like a shark fin.
Beast Killer Laser Beam
Megalon can fire a yellow lightning-like beam from his horn, called the Laser Beast Killer Beam (レーザー殺獣光線 Rēzā Satsujū Kōsen)[12] or Beast Killer Laser Beam (殺獣レーザー光線 Satsujū Rēzā Kōsen). His horn glows yellow before firing it. It is mostly depicted using stock footage of King Ghidorah's gravity beams from Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and Godzilla vs. Gigan, melting or exploding vehicles and destroying man-made structures. He fires three green flares from his horn in the game Godzilla: Domination!, while in Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar Vs. Megalon the Beast Killer Laser Beam is blue. In the 1992-3 Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, Megalon's Beast Killer Laser Beam is shown to be extremely powerful, completely destroying Neo Biollante with just a single shot. In Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, the weapon is referred to as Lightning Bolts, while in Godzilla: Save the Earth it is called Horn Lightning. In the 2023 Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, Megalon's Beast Killer Laser Beam wraps around and seemingly restrains Godzilla upon hitting him, which also causes Godzilla to stop firing his Atomic Breath. Some sources call this attack the Assassin Laser.[citation needed]
Megalon using his horn beam in Kodansha's Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga
The ray being used in Godzilla vs. Megalon (2023)
Making contact with Godzilla
Geothermal Napalm
Megalon is able to produce and fire Geothermal Napalm (地熱ナパーム Chinetsu Napāmu), or Geothermal Napalm Bullets (地熱ナパーム弾 Chinetsu Napāmu-dan)[12] from his mouth. His horn glows with a yellow hue when preparing to launch these red bullets. He used them to great effect in his attack on Tokyo, knocked Jet Jaguar out of the sky, and quickly created a ring of flames around Godzilla and Jet Jaguar. Some promotional stills for the film depicted him firing a spiral light beam from his mouth instead. In Kodansha's Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, he spits Geothermal Flame Napalm (地熱火炎ナパーム Chinetsu Kaen Napāmu) which appear as fireballs, but otherwise function similarly to Geothermal Napalm. This version appeared to be highly effective against Godzilla, as several repeated volleys in combination with Megalon's drills left him with visible burn injuries to his chest.
In Godzilla: Great Monster Battle, Megalon's super special move is High Temperature Geothermal Napalm (高熱地熱ナパーム), which lasts longer, is wider, and produces taller flame spires than the regular attack. In Godzilla: Domination!, they resemble pockmarked boulders, and only detonate if they make contact with an enemy or are left untouched for 14 seconds. In Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth, it is simply called Napalm. Other sources call this attack Napalm Bombs.[citation needed] In Godzilla Battle Line, in addition to harming opponents, Megalon's napalm also decreases the attack power of an enemy.
In the Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, Megalon's napalm projectiles take the form of red darts. They have enough power to cause enormous explosions; a point-blank trio of darts also knocked Godzilla over.
Megalon firing a Geothermal Napalm Bullet at a flying Jet jaguar
Megalon firing Geothermal Flame Napalm in Kodansha's Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga
Megalon's Geothermal Napalm in Godzilla vs. Megalon (2023)
Drill arms
Megalon possesses drill-like appendages which can either be used in hand-to-hand combat or combined to form a single rotating drill which allows him to burrow underground.[12] Referred to as Double Drill (ダブルドリル) in Godzilla: Great Monster Battle. In the Atari/Pipeworks Godzilla video games, Megalon's drill hands are capable of grasping objects and monsters. His punches can also drill into an opponent's flesh. In Kodansha's Godzilla, King of the Monsters manga, Megalon was shown to be able to punch straight through Godzilla's skin using his drills, then rotate them whilst they were still embedded in Godzilla's flesh, inflicting significant amounts of pain. In Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar Vs. Megalon, Megalon's drills carved into Jet Jaguar's face, tearing away the metal casing on his right side.
In Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth, Megalon can discharge purple electricity from his drills, making for powerful energy punches in Save the Earth, or Energy Arc in Destroy All Monsters Melee. He can moreover propel this energy from his drill as a spherical projectile, called Advancing Energy Arc in Destroy All Monsters Melee and simply Energy Arc in Save the Earth.
In the Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, Megalon made use of a high-altitude dive and his drill hand to generate a shockwave when he landed on the ground, which was powerful enough to level vast tracts of the city that he and Godzilla battled in. After being revitalized, Megalon immediately merged his drill arms together to form a large lance-like drill and flew straight into Godzilla in an attempt to drill into his chest while forcing him across the city. Though the attack failed to penetrate Godzilla's skin, it did leave an enormous burn mark on his chest.
Megalon's Drill Arms interlocking in Godzilla vs. Megalon (2023)
Physical abilities
Aside from his drill arms, Megalon relies on his large head horn and powerful kicks in hand-to-hand combat. In Godzilla: Domination!, he has a tail long enough to lash out at his enemies and can drain their health using Leech Probe.
Hurricane winds
Megalon is able to produce wind gusts with his wings, reaching speeds of 1,000 meters per second and powerful enough to decimate buildings.[12]
Magnetic Pulse / Magnetic Vortex
Magnetic Vortex, Megalon's rage attack in both Destroy All Monsters Melee and Save the Earth, consists of him generating a magnetic field that draws opponents towards him, before unleashing a powerful electromagnetic pulse that damages enemies and sends them flying. For the monster's get-up attack in Destroy All Monsters Melee and Save the Earth, he releases an electromagnetic pulse to launch foes away from him.
Defensive capabilities
Megalon's body is protected by a shell which is similar in hardness to diamond.[12] While he took a pummeling from the JSDF, including Maser beams to the eyes, he emerged unscathed. His greatest feat of durability was a humiliating one, as he was able to survive accidentally swallowing one of his own Napalm Bullets without his head exploding or suffering fatal injury to his internal tissues, though the incident left him unable to defend himself against Godzilla and Jet Jaguar.
Light beam
Some promotional stills for Godzilla vs. Megalon depicted Megalon firing a spiral light beam from his mouth.
Aura
In Godzilla Battle Line, Megalon generates a purple aura when summoned to the battlefield which temporarily prevents opponents from being healed, unless they can regenerate themselves.
Sensing capabilities
Megalon's horn doubles as a radar and he possesses eyesight superior to that of humans by a hundredfold due to his compound eyes.[12]
Intelligence
In Godzilla Island, Megalon contacted Zagreth's computer and verbally replied to her orders to take Junior to a stronghold. Megalon also demonstrates the ability to use a net in two different occasions, the first in order to kidnap Junior, with the second instance being to steal Mothra's egg.
Revitalization
In the Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, Megalon was given more energy from an unnamed woman after his horn was broken and he was rendered incapacitated. This boost allowed him to stand up and continue fighting.
Weaknesses
In Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), Megalon seemed more interested in tormenting his opponents than actually killing them, using his many powerful abilities sparingly.
In Godzilla: Rage Across Time, Megalon was easily overpowered and outwitted by Godzilla, retreating after the artifact used to control him and Gigan was destroyed. He was harmed by his own napalm projectile when Godzilla's atomic breath sent it back to him, as well as by Gigan's visor beam when Godzilla used him as a shield.
In the Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, Megalon was consistently outwitted and overpowered by Godzilla, despite the Monster King possessing only 30% of his normal thermonuclear energy. Godzilla eventually incapacitated Megalon by breaking his horn off and killed him by cleaving him in half with his special state atomic breath.
Video games
- Godzilla vs. 3 Giant Monsters (1984) - Microsoft MSX
- Godzilla (1993) - Arcade
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1993) - Game Boy
- Godzilla (1993) - NEC/Hudson Soft TurboDuo / PC Engine Duo
- Godzilla: Great Monster Battle (1994) - Nintendo Super Famicom
- Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!! (1995) - Sega Pico
- Godzilla Movie Studio Tour (1998) - PC and Mac
- Godzilla: Trading Battle (1998) - Sony PlayStation
- Godzilla Generations (1998) - Sega Dreamcast
- Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
- Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee (2002) - Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox
- Godzilla: Domination! (2002) - Nintendo Game Boy Advance
- Godzilla: Save the Earth (2004) - Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Xbox
- Godzilla: Unleashed (2007) - Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 2
- Godzilla Unleashed: Double Smash (2007) - Nintendo DS
- Godzilla: Monster Mayhem (2009) - iOS [3D; scrapped]
- Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3 and 4 [Kaiju Guide]
- Godzilla Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS
- PVV! Godzilla Great Monster Assembly!! (2019) - Pachinko
- Godzilla (2021) - Pinball
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021; added in 2023) - Android, iOS, and PC
- 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
Megalon in the Godzilla arcade game
Megalon's sprite in Collect Godzilla: Giant Monster Assembly
Megalon's battle sprite in Godzilla: Domination!
Megalon's sprite in Godzilla: Domination!
Megalon's battle box in Godzilla: Domination!
Megalon's icon in Godzilla: Domination!
Megalon in Godzilla: Save the Earth
Megalon in Godzilla: Unleashed
Megalon in Godzilla Kaiju Collection
Even though Megalon only appeared in one film, he remains a popular character, and has appeared in several computer and video games based upon the Godzilla franchise, including Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Godzilla: Domination!, Godzilla: Save the Earth, and Godzilla: Unleashed.
Godzilla: Domination!
In Godzilla: Domination!, Megalon has the power to do a leech probe, in which Megalon grabs on to his opponent and bites them four times, each time hurting the opponent and healing Megalon. This move can only be done if Megalon is next to a enemy. He also has the ability to unleash three blasts of energy from his horn, which will quickly fly around him before slamming into the ground. In the same game, Megalon's napalm bombs are altered to resemble real bombs or naval mines, and only explode if an enemy walks over them.
Godzilla: Save the Earth
Megalon has the ability to execute an energy punch and create a damaging arc of energy. As a Rage Attack, Megalon can create a Magnetic Vortex, in which Megalon shuffles his wings and all the monsters get drawn close to him. When one is close he releases a mini-pulse of energy, dealing immense damage.
Godzilla: Unleashed
Height: 88 meters[13]
Weight: 64,000 tons[13]
"Megalon is a guardian monster of the Seatopians, who live beneath the earth's oceans. Having no special love for human beings, he has once again aligned himself with the alien invaders in hope of eliminating the human population once and for all. Megalon is a very well-rounded combatant, with decent melee, grappling, and ranged capabilities. He has a special affinity for electricity, allowing him to employ lightning and EMP attacks without danger to himself. Megalon's hands are high-speed drills, which allow him to burrow underground or simply gore his opponents in hand-to-hand combat."
Megalon's bio from page 30 of the Godzilla: Unleashed instruction manual booklet
As a part of the Aliens faction, Megalon has aligned himself with the Vortaak in their quest to take over the Earth. He retains the same abilities he possessed in the previous Atari games, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and Godzilla: Save the Earth.
Godzilla (PlayStation 3 / PlayStation 4)
- Main article: Godzilla (2014 video game)/Kaiju Guide#Megalon.
Godzilla Battle Line
- Stars: ★★★★
- Energy cost: 3
- Attack speed: 2.4 seconds
- Target: Leader/Ground/Aerial/Facility
- Movement speed: 10
- Search range: 75
- Reach: 75
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Battle piece
Books
- Godzilla at World's End (1998)
- Who's Afraid of Godzilla? (1998)
- GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse (2017)
- GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla (2018)
Who's Afraid of Godzilla?
Megalon and Gigan were inhabitants of Monster Island. When Godzilla was sad and swam away from the island, the duo of kaiju took over the island, bullying the likes of Manda and Baragon. The only one to stand up to them was Anguirus and for that, he was pushed into a volcano. When Godzilla returned, he sent the two monsters into hiding.
GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse
Megalon was credited as the monster that caused mankind to lose the continent of Africa. Megalon landed on the west coast of Africa in 2012 and crossed the continent, destroying several small nations along the way. Megalon returned in 2022 and destroyed the Republic of South Africa.[14]
GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla
In 2029, Megalon appeared in India and Pakistan, which were both in the process of rebuilding after a nuclear war against each other. He further devastated the two nations before moving on to the Philippines and then heading north. Megalon broke through the joint Japanese-American defense line and landed at Blue Beach in Okinawa. He was intercepted and defeated by the Okinawan guardian monster King Caesar, though he dealt Caesar mortal wounds in their battle.[15]
Comics
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1976)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters Volume 1 (1992)
- Godzilla: The Half-Century War #3 (2012)
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #9 (2014)
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1, 5 (2016)
- Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #1 (2022)
- Godzilla Rivals: Jet Jaguar Vs. Megalon (2023)
- Godzilla: Valentine's Day Special (2024) [mentioned]
- Godzilla: 70th Anniversary (2024) [CVR RI 1:25; mentioned in "The Half-Century Bore"]
- Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #5 (2024) [energy manifestation]
- Godzilla: Monster Island Summer Camp (2024) [drawing]
- Godzilla: Skate or Die #4 (2024) [vision]
- Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons II - Sons of Giants #5 (2024) [flashback]
Godzilla vs. Megalon
In the American promotional comic produced by Cinema Shares for Godzilla vs. Megalon, Megalon is depicted as not being Seatopian in origin, but rather appearing from beneath the Earth during an undersea eruption, and coming to attack cities to satisfy his "Energy Hunger." He is killed brutally by Godzilla after having the back of his spine bitten into.
Godzilla, King of the Monsters
While Godzilla was trapped in Neo Biollante's Green Jail, Dr. Mad Oniyama summoned Megalon to attack Godzilla. Surfacing from underground, Megalon antagonized Godzilla, then immediately began brutally assaulting him, drilling into his chest with his drills, then following up with several volleys of his Geothermal Flame Napalm, leaving Godzilla so badly injured that he risked dying if the attacks continued for much longer. Having lost all resolve, Godzilla simply stood still, unable to continue the fight until an attack on Neo Biollante's water tanks by Miki Kaneko and Yosuke Kaneko weakened Neo Biollante's vines. Megalon then killed Neo Biollante with his Beast Killer Laser Beam after Godzilla threw her at him, stating that she was "in the way," then began boasting of his power, indicating that he planned to fight the King of the Monsters alone. However, Godzilla broke Megalon's horn with his tail, and set Megalon on fire with his Atomic Breath, killing the giant insect.
Godzilla: The Half-Century War
Following the appearance of Anguirus in 1967, more monsters, including Megalon, began appearing all across the globe. In response, the A.M.F. assembled more teams of kaiju experts, including a team dedicated to researching and combating Megalon.
In 1975, Megalon was among the many kaiju drawn to Ghana by a Psionic Transmitter created and activated by Dr. Deverich. In the ensuing chaos, Megalon engaged Kumonga and later Godzilla before Deverich activated a master control switch on the Psionic Transmitter that summoned all the monsters to attack the power station it was housed in. After the building was destroyed, the monsters departed.
Megalon in Godzilla: The Half-Century War #3
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Long ago, Megalon emerged from the Earth and began to decimate a village under the protection of King Caesar with his Napalm bombs. As he ravaged the village, King Caesar arrived with a flying kick to Megalon's face. The ensuing fight between the two kaiju resulted in so much death and destruction that more monsters began rising up in efforts to correct this disruption of the cosmic balance. Eventually, the great battle was interrupted by the arrival of a Devonian war ship that crashed into the ocean, sending Megalon and King Caesar falling into the Earth's crust. Ultimately, Megalon would never be seen again. He was included among the "fire" monsters in a cave mural on Infant Island.
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
During the Cretaceous Period, Megalon battled Megaguirus and several Kamacuras.
In Feudal Japan, Megalon and Gigan fell under the control of Zhenjin Khan, the Dragon-Master, and were sent to obliterate Japan alongside the Mongolian troops, who were actually the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens in disguise. The warriors of Japan fought back against the Mongolians while the two monsters laid waste to the land. Just when it looked like all hope was lost, the monsters were suddenly hit by an atomic beam that pushed back Megalon's napalm bomb. The source of the beam was revealed to be Godzilla, who was drawn towards the duo's location by a pair of brave warriors. At first, Godzilla had the upper hand in the battle, dodging the monsters' attacks and even causing Megalon to accidentally strike Gigan with his laser beam. However, Godzilla was eventually overwhelmed by his enemies' coordinated teamwork, with Megalon drilling into Godzilla's chest while Gigan held him back. Just when it seemed like Godzilla would be defeated, the Mongol relic that controlled Gigan and Megalon was destroyed by a fire arrow shot from Akio, the infamous woman warrior. With the monsters dazed and confused, Godzilla fired his atomic breath at Gigan and swung his tail at Megalon, forcing the two monsters to retreat and fly off into space while Godzilla destroyed the remainder of the invading army.
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
When the evil Rita Repulsa and her minions used the Multiversal Focus to travel to a universe where her nemeses the Power Rangers did not exist, they found themselves in Angel Grove amidst a battle between Godzilla and Megalon, who were engaged in a Beam-Fight. Megalon proceeded to punch Godzilla with his drill arm, but the latter retaliated by flooring him with a swipe from his tail. Megalon got back to his feet and spat a hail of napalm at the King of the Monsters, who countered with a slash to the face with his claws. Rita noticed an Xilien UFO floating overhead and teleported herself and her minions aboard, where they fought and overpowered the Xiliens aboard while Godzilla and Megalon continued their battle below. Megalon put his drill arms together and rotated them, drilling into Godzilla's chest. Rita watched as Godzilla finally defeated Megalon with a blast of atomic breath, remarking that he would make a fine addition to her arsenal. However, the Supreme Controller of Planet X explained to her that Megalon was simply the latest monster they summoned in an attempt to weaken Earth's defenses for their invasion but, like all of the others, he was no match for the planet's self-appointed defender, Godzilla.
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II
In a bid to stop the Power Rangers once and for all, Rita Repulsa and Astronema located some of Godzilla's most powerful foes throughout the multiverse, including Megalon, whose power was siphoned and transferred into Psycho Black – a member of the evil Psycho Rangers – to become Psycho Ranger Megalon of the Kaiju Psycho Rangers.
Eventually, the Power Rangers used their own kaiju power to stop the Kaiju Psycho Rangers once and for all, forcibly extracting Megalon's energy out of Psycho Black.
Gallery
- Main article: Megalon/Gallery.
Sightings
- Megalon and Godzilla are seen in a magazine in Friday the 13th Part 3.
- In the animated series Megas XLR, a fictional movie monster named Bugra makes numerous appearances and possesses a strong resemblance to Megalon, even though the character has more in common with Godzilla in the sense that he is the star of his own long-running film franchise.
- The design of the beetle-like monster Scaraberes from The Justirisers was based partially on Megalon.
Roar
Like Baragon and Gorosaurus, Megalon's roar is an edited pitch of Varan's roar, whose roar was originally from Godzilla at the end of the original Godzilla film. In addition, Megalon also produces screeching sounds which are adapted from Ebirah's chirps and screeches. Megalon can also emit a deep laugh, created by altering his normal roar. In Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Megalon's roar is written as "REEEOOORRR."
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In other languages
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Cantonese
Mandarin
Hebrew
Russian
Trivia
- Aside from his cameo as a toy in Godzilla Final Wars, Megalon is one of a select few kaiju who debuted in the Showa series to have never had more than one film appearance, with the others being Gabara, Jet Jaguar, and Titanosaurus.
- Despite being a monster native to Earth, Megalon is normally associated with other alien kaiju because of his association with Gigan, and his role as an antagonist in Godzilla vs. Megalon. For this reason, he has traditionally been depicted as an ally of alien invaders in his video game appearances.
- A monster that appears in the opening sequence of Godzilla: The Series is named Megalon.
- The Godzilla Singular Point version of Kumonga is strongly influenced by Megalon, incorporating his drill claws and facial features. Three similar monsters in the show, Kamanga, Hanenga, and Zenbunga, also resemble him.
Related characters
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Video
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Notes
- ↑ Episodes 17-18, 22-24, 26, 28-29, 66, 72, 85, 87-93, 104, 106-107, 111, 115-118, 128, 153-156, 166-167, 222-223, 229-231, 233.
References
This is a list of references for Megalon. 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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