Sandbox:Anti-Megalosaurus Force
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The Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF), known in Japan as the Japan Counter-Xenomorph Self Defence Force (J.X.S.D.F) [対特殊生物自衛隊 Tai Tokushu Seibutsu Jieitai], is a kaiju-fighting organization which stars in the 2002 Godzilla film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and its 2003 sequel Godzilla: Tokyo SOS. Following the appearance of Godzilla in 1954, an increasing number of giant monster attacks in Japan necessitated the formation of the AMF in 1966. The fourth branch of Japan's Self-Defense Forces after the Ground, Maritime, and Air Force, the AMF swiftly adopted the JGSDF's Maser technology which they had implemented into the Type 66 Maser Cannons that repelled the monster Gaira earlier in 1966. By 1990, the AMF had completed a new and improved Maser Cannon of their own, the Type 90, but found it to have little effect against a second Godzilla who suddenly appeared on the Boso Peninsula in 1999. Due to this failure, the AMF turned to the skeletal remains of the first Godzilla, using it as a framework to construct their ultimate weapon: the colossal bio-robot Kiryu. Completed in 2003, the operation of Kiryu was entrusted to a specially-trained task force of the AMF known as the Kiryu Squad (機龍隊 Kiryū-tai).
A similarly-named organization, the Anti Megalosaurus Force (A.M.F.) [アンチ・メガロサウルス・フォース Anchi Megarosaurus Fōsu], is featured in IDW Publishing's 2012 comic series Godzilla: The Half-Century War. This A.M.F. is an international organization which existed since at least 1954, culling personnel from both the JSDF and U.S. Armed Forces. Boasting an ever-developing arsenal of superweaponry including Masers, Mechagodzillas, and the black hole cannon the Dimension Tide, the A.M.F. monitored and responded to the attacks of the globetrotting Godzilla for nearly 50 years, battling several other monsters along the way.
Name
The AMF is known in Japanese as 対特殊生物自衛隊 (Tai Tokushu Seibutsu Jieitai), translating to "Anti-Special Creature Defense Force." This is frequently abbreviated as 特生自衛隊 (Tokusei Jieitai), translating roughly to "Special Life Defense Force." It may also be further abbreviated as 特自隊 (Tokujitai) or simply 特自 (Tokuji), the latter used on the exteriors of their weaponry. The organization's official English name in the Japanese versions of Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo SOS is the Japan Counter-Xenomorph Self Defence Force. This is more or less a translation of the Japanese name, though with the Special Creature (特殊生物 Tokushu Seibutsu) portion approximated to "Xenomorph": a word derived from the Greek xénos meaning "foreign," "strange," or "alien" and morphḗ meaning "form" or "shape." The word's use to refer to strange or alien creatures was popularized by the 1986 American science-fiction film Aliens.
While the initialisms of the real-world Japanese Defense Forces do not include periods, patches on AMF members' clothing render its Japanese abbreviation as J.X.S.D.F (without a final period). The initialism "JXSDF" is occasionally used in external media however, including the Kaiju Guide in the PlayStation 3/4 Godzilla game and the Codex in the mobile game Godzilla Defense Force. Both games also use irregular renderings of the expanded name. The former refers to it as the "Japan Counter-Xenomorph Self-Defense Force," inserting a hyphen between Self and Defence, and using the American spelling of Defence rather than the Commonwealth spelling which appears in the movies. The latter game refers to the organization differently depending on the Codex entry: Japan Xenomorph Self Defense Force in Godzilla ('02)'s entry, Japan Counter-Xenomorph Self Defense Force in Mechagodzilla ('02)'s entry, and Japanese Xenomorph Self Defense Force in Mechagodzilla ('03)'s entry.
In the films' international English versions, the J.X.S.D.F name is replaced by Anti-Megalosaurus Force. This name also roughly mirrors the original Japanese, but with the Special Creature portion translated as "Megalosaurus" rather than Xenomorph. Megalosaurus, a combination of the Greek megálos meaning "giant" or "great" and sauros meaning "lizard," is also the name of the first genus of non-avian dinosaur to ever be formally classified. Its usage here is strange, however, as numerous kaiju canonically documented by the JSDF and AMF are not reptiles, including the aquatic humanoid monster Gaira whom the JSDF faced the same year as the AMF's establishment. The comic series Godzilla: The Half-Century War uses a similar name for its featured organization, but removes the hyphen to become "Anti Megalosaurus Force." While onscreen text in the export version of Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla abbreviates the organization's name as AMF with no periods, the comic changes this to "A.M.F." Furthermore, Phase Six's Japanese translation of The Half-Century War does not use the AMF's original Japanese name from the Kiryu films, but instead simply transliterates the English name as Anchi Megarosaurusu Fōsu (アンチ・メガロサウルス・フォース).
History
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
- Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
Millennium era
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
One day in 1999, members of the Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) prepared for a typhoon forecasted to hit Tateyama in Chiba Prefecture. As the typhoon poured during the night, the city's residents were shocked to see it was no ordinary storm when a second Godzilla appeared from the raging sea and came ashore. The AMF scrambled Type 90 Maser Cannons, Type 90 tanks, and missile launchers to intercept the beast. Godzilla was unharmed by the AMF's assault and annihilated the attacking forces with his atomic breath. Maser operator Akane Yashiro attempted to evade Godzilla's advance but accidentally backed into another vehicle, sending her commanding officer and its other occupants straight into Godzilla's path. Akane watched in horror as Godzilla stepped on the vehicle, killing its occupants, before striking her Maser vehicle with his tail. She watched helplessly as Godzilla roared into the sky, lightning striking his dorsal fins.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Japan's Prime Minister Machiko Tsuge met with Minister of Science and Technology Hayato Igarashi to discuss countermeasures. They recalled how the country was helpless in the wake of the first Godzilla's attack on Tokyo in 1954 before Dr. Daisuke Serizawa used his invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, to kill the monster and himself to ensure it could never be used again. Godzilla proved to be the first of many monsters to raid Japan over the ensuing years, with Mothra attacking Tokyo seven years later in 1961. The JSDF used experimental Atomic Heat Ray Guns loaned by the Rolisican military to combat her, and by 1966 adapted this technology into the Type 66 Maser Cannon which it used in its battle with Gaira. With the appearance of a new Godzilla, and the more advanced Type 90 Maser Cannon ineffective against him, Tsuge and Igarashi both realized the necessity of developing a new weapon to defend the people of Japan. Accordingly, Igarashi gathered the most brilliant scientific minds in Japan, including Professor Tokumitsu Yuhara, to help develop a new anti-Godzilla weapon. Using the skeletal remains and DNA of the first Godzilla, the government moved forward with building a bio-robotic, mechanical Godzilla. Following an investigation into the accident that claimed the lives of her comrades, the AMF demoted Akane to a desk job. During this time, Akane continued to train rigorously, intent on working her way back into active duty.
By 2003, development on the AMF's anti-Godzilla cyborg, designated Kiryu, was complete. Lieutenant Togashi was assigned to lead the Kiryu Squad operating the machine, and he selected Akane to serve as its primary pilot. Pilot Susumu Hayama was distrustful and hostile toward Akane, blaming her for his brother's death in 1999. Kiryu was operated remotely from an accompanying fleet of AC-3 White Herons, which could transport and supply him with more energy using a large microwave dish. The AMF soon formally revealed Kiryu to the world at large, demonstrating the machine's capabilities and weapons. Kiryu's most powerful weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon, emitted light at a temperature of 0 kelvin, instantly freezing and smashing the atoms of its target. During the presentation, an AMF Mitsubishi SH-60J detected Godzilla approaching Tokyo Bay. Kiryu was deployed and intercepted Godzilla near Yokohama, bombarding the beast with volleys of rockets and missiles before firing the Maser beam from his mouth. As Godzilla was pushed back by Kiryu's onslaught, he let out a roar that awakened the first Godzilla's consciousness which was still attached to the skeletal remains within Kiryu. Akane attempted to activate the Absolute Zero Cannon, but found she can no longer control Kiryu. Godzilla took advantange of the opportunity to escape back into Tokyo Bay. As the White Herons closed in to transport Kiryu, he opened fire at Hayama's Heron with his wrist-mounted railgun. Kiryu began destroying the surrounding area with his weapons, acting as if he was Godzilla. Hayama attempted to draw Kiryu away from the city, but was shot down by the cyborg's missiles. Akane rushed into the downed White Heron and rescued Hayama before it exploded, prompting him to ask why she bothered to save him. The AMF's operators were unable to remotely shut down Kiryu, making their only option to wait until he ran out of energy in about an hour. After walking through a building, Kiryu finally shut down as his energy reserves completely depleted.
Following the incident, Igarashi, now the Prime Minister, accepted public responsibility for Kiryu running wild and said he rushed the project. The AMF frantically tried to find the cause of Kiryu's malfunction, with Dr. Yuhara eventually realizing that Godzilla's roar activated the original Godzilla's consciousness and allowed it to possess the machine. He implemented countermeasures into Kiryu's system to prevent it from happening again, but Igarashi was hesitant to allow Kiryu to be launched again.
Soon, Godzilla was detected by the Hatsuyuki-class destroyer JS Hatsuyuki's sonar, approaching Tokyo. The AMF once again deployed conventional forces and Maser Cannons to intercept him, but just as before their weapons were useless against the monster. With evacuations in Shinagawa still underway, Togashi went to the Prime Minister's office to ask Igarashi to give the order to deploy Kiryu. Igarashi was still hesitant despite Togashi's insistence that Kiryu would not run wild again, but ultimately gave the order. Kiryu was launched and flown over Tokyo, but with Godzilla closing in on evacuating civilians, Akane released him from the White Herons' cables. Kiryu used his boosters to fly toward the ground and ram into Godzilla before they battled once again. Kiryu fired at Godzilla with all his ranged weapons before fighting him hand-to-hand. Weakened by Kiryu's onslaught, Godzilla collapsed to the ground. With Kiryu's energy reserves waning, the AMF ordered Akane to finish Godzilla with the Absolute Zero Cannon. Just as the weapon charged, Godzilla used his atomic breath to knock Kiryu backward, causing the weapon to misfire and vaporize several buildings. Kiryu's control system was damaged by Godzilla's atomic breath, rendering him inoperable from the White Heron. Akane volunteered to board Kiryu and pilot him manually. The AMF used its Maser ground units to distract Godzilla long enough for Akane to enter the cockpit inside of Kiryu. The local power companies in Yokohama and the Tokyo area compiled their electricity and allowed the AMF to transmit it into Kiryu, rendering him operational once more.
Seeing Godzilla about to fire his atomic breath again at Kiryu, Hayama forced his copilot to eject and flew his White Heron into the path of the blast. While the blast destroyed most of Hayama's Heron, Godzilla bit the cockpit and held it in his mouth. Hayama told Akane to ignore him and fire the Absolute Zero while Godzilla couldn't fire his beam. Instead, Akane flew Kiryu into Godzilla while the Absolute Zero Cannon charged, tore the White Heron out of his mouth so that Hayama could safely eject, and carried Godzilla over Tokyo Bay. Kiryu and Godzilla crashed into the bay, and Akane activated the Absolute Zero Cannon underwater. A huge blast of water erupted from the bay and promptly freezes solid before finally shattering. After a few moments, Godzilla rose from the water with a bloody gaping wound in his chest. He weakly turned around and began making his way out to sea as the damaged Kiryu rose from the water behind him. With Kiryu missing an arm, out of power, and his Absolute Zero Cannon destroyed, Akane reported that she was unable to pursue Godzilla. Yuhara reassured Akane that she did a great job, and Togashi told her that a White Heron was coming to rescue her. Igarashi remarked that although Kiryu did not kill Godzilla, he managed to drive him away. Japan finally has a weapon more powerful than Godzilla; Igarashi asserted this represented a great victory. Akane stood atop Kiryu's shoulder and watched Godzilla disappear into the horizon.
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
TBA
Video games
- Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 [mentioned, Kaiju Guide]
- City Shrouded in Shadow (2017) - PlayStation 4 [unnamed]
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android, iOS [mentioned, Codex]
Comics
- Godzilla: The Half-Century War #1–5 (2012–2013)
- Godzilla: 70th Anniversary (2024) ["The Half-Century Bore"]
Godzilla: The Half-Century War
"Japan, 1954"
In 1954, Godzilla suddenly appeared in Tokyo, emerging from Tokyo Bay into Shinagawa concealed in a cloud of smoke with the exception of his dorsal fins, which illuminated the surrounding area in an intense glow of white. Nearby, Lieutenant Ota Murakami and his best friend, Kentaro Yoshihara, were stationed with their Sherman Tank platoon to aid in disaster relief under the advised expectation of "bad weather." Suddenly, a bright, fiery beam of energy cleaved through a building in close proximity. Before the members of the platoon could comprehend the situation, a thunderous roar followed by a massive step unveiled the source of the destruction: Godzilla. The King of the Monsters' sheer mass sent many buildings crumbling to the ground before Murakami gave the order to open fire. The tank shell barrage having only succeeded in getting his attention, Godzilla turned to his attackers as his dorsal fins glowed. He subsequently fired a blast of atomic breath that obliterated the entire platoon with the exception of the tank housing Murakami and Yoshihara, who barely drove off the street in time. Godzilla continued east downtown towards North Shinagawa, where civilian evacuation was stalled. With "Group 2" for whatever reason unable to tend to the situation, Murakami and Yoshihara put it upon themselves to keep Godzilla occupied long enough for the civilians to evacuate. Before long, Godzilla gained in on a fleeing crowd, only to be halted by the fire of the remaining Sherman tank. Coldly enraged, Godzilla bellowed and stomped into pursuit of the vessel, managing to almost hit it with his atomic breath. While the two soldiers believed they had lost Godzilla in the surrounding smoke, the King of the Monsters cleaved a building in half with his tail to topple on them, from which they again barely escaped. When they had once again thought to have eluded him, Godzilla suddenly appeared behind them and nearly stepped on them. Persisting the pursuit, Godzilla charged up his atomic breath once more before an artillery barrage stopped him from firing. With no other option, Murakami ordered Yoshihara to drive off the street into the canal, saving themselves as Godzilla came to a stop. Surrounded by smoke, Godzilla stared off into the sky before returning to the bay off-panel.
Some time later, Godzilla was tracked down just outside of Tokyo Bay. There, as "the guys in the company" explained to Murakami and Yoshihara after they experienced the event, a "new secret weapon" presumably killed Godzilla.
Multiple times over the course of a few months, Godzilla had been spotted at multiple nearby locations such as Bikini Atoll and the Sea of Japan. Whether Godzilla had survived or a new individual was discovered, Murakami and Yoshihara joined the Anti-Megalosaurus Force or A.M.F.
"Vietnam, 1967"
TBA
"Ghana, 1975"
TBA
"Bombay, 1987"
TBA
"2002: The End of the World"
TBA
Godzilla: 70th Anniversary
"The Half-Century Bore"
TBA
Members
Kiryu series
The AMF had employed 4,072 personnel as of 1999, falling to 4,068 by 2004. Known members include:
- Ichiryu, chief of staff
- Kanzaki, Kiryu maintenance squad leader
- Nikaido, Special Work Party manager
- Lieutenant Colonel Togashi, Kiryu Squad leader
- Captain Kenji Sekine, former White Heron pilot
- First Lieutenant Akane Yashiro, former Kiryu pilot
- First Lieutenant Susumu Hayama, former White Heron pilot
- Second Lieutenant Shosuke Akiba, Kiryu pilot
- Second Lieutenant Asuza Kisaragi, White Heron pilot
- Sergeant First Class Yoshito Chujo, Kiryu mechanic
- Tadokoro, Kiryu mechanic
- Mochizuki, Kiryu mechanic
- Second Lieutenant Hayama (deceased)
Godzilla: The Half-Century War
- Captain Ota Murakami, former Lieutenant (deceased)
- Lieutenant Kentaro Yoshihara, former tank driver
- Colonel Schooler, TBA (deceased)
- Dr. Randall, engineer
- Dr. Deverich, scientist (formerly)
- Mehmet Yilmaz
- Ömer Bulut
Weapons
Trivia
- A 2025 Transformers toy named "Optimus Prime Type MFS-3" features a robot mode based on Kiryu and a truck mode based on AMF ground vehicles, the latter even including the AMF's Japanese name on the sides of its trailer. A backstory provided on the collaboration's website explains that Optimus scanned Kiryu and the AMF vehicles to reproduce elements from them, so that he could fight against the Godzilla-inspired "Megatron Type Godzilla" and the actual Godzilla.
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