Murderfish
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“
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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) |
Murderfish are large aquatic monsters who appear in the 2021 Legendary Comics graphic novel Godzilla Dominion, a prequel to Godzilla vs. Kong. Traveling in a swarm, the Murderfish share a hive mind with their leader, called a genitor, who led them into a territorial battle against Godzilla.
Name
The Murderfish are not referred to by any specific name in Godzilla Dominion, nor was a name devised for them by writer Greg Keyes. In his script for the comic, Keyes used the term "genitor" to refer to the creatures' leader, 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 creatures Murderfish, a name which was jokingly suggested by his editor,[3] and referred to the genitor as King Murderfish in at least one tweet.[1]
Design
The Murderfish strongly resemble extinct placoderms, specifically Dunkleosteus, due to Greg Keyes' childhood interest with the animal.[4] The Murderfish genitor 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, instead of teeth 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 Murderfish genitor was shown to be highly territorial, fighting Godzilla over leftover radiation in the latter's old lair. After the genitor was killed and its control over them severed, the Murderfish ravenously devoured its carcass.
Origins
When explaining the meaning of the Murderfish genitor's title, Greg Keyes referred to it as the "creator" of the other Murderfish in addition to their controller.[2]
History
- Godzilla Dominion (2021)
Godzilla Dominion
After Godzilla arrived at his destroyed lair, he witnessed the swarm of Murderfish congregating in the area. Godzilla was taken by surprise when he was ambushed by the Murderfish genitor, sinking its teeth into his neck after it erupted from the ground. Godzilla then proceeded to tear its spine out, killing it. With the genitor's connection to its swarm severed, the swarm descended to feed on its carcass. Godzilla promptly incinerated them all with his atomic breath.
Abilities
Physical abilities
The Murderfish genitor possesses a strong bite, being able to draw blood from Godzilla's neck.
Tunneling
According to Greg Keyes, the Murderfish genitor is "probably" able to dig, reasoning that it possibly tunneled to the surface from the Hollow Earth.[5]
Hive mind
The genitor controls the Murderfish swarm in a hive mind, allowing collective decisions to be made in the group. This connection was severed with the genitor's death.
Weaknesses
Godzilla easily ripped out the Murderfish genitor's spine, then incinerated the smaller Murderfish with his atomic breath.
Trivia
- It is unknown how the Murderfish would be categorized by Monarch. Greg Keyes has used the non-canon term "sub-Titans",[2] while Drew Edward Johnson opined that the genitor is "like a sub-species below that of a Titan".[3]
References
This is a list of references for Murderfish. 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.
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