Type 70 Maser Cannon

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Type 70 Maser Cannon
Type 70 Maser Cannons in Godzilla vs. Gigan
Height 6 meters[1]
Length 14.5 meters[1]
Weight Unknown[1][note 1]
Width 3.5 meters[1]
Other information Tractor length: 6 meters,[1]
Tractor width: 3 meters,[1]
Tractor height: 2.5 meters,[1]
Tractor weight: Unknown[1]
Targets Anguirus, Gigan, King Ghidorah, Megalon
Piloted by Multiple
First appearance Godzilla vs. Gigan

The Type 70 Maser Cannon (70式メーサー殺獣光線車,   Nanajū Shiki Mēsā Satsujū Kōsensha, lit. Type 70 Maser Beast Killer Beam Car) is a fictional weapon that first appeared in the 1972 Toho Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Gigan.

An improved streamlined model developed after the success of the Type 66 Maser Cannon, the Type 70 Maser Cannon was first called into action to prevent Anguirus from landing at Sagami Bay. Type 70 Maser Cannons were deployed once again to confront the space monsters Gigan and King Ghidorah after they annihilated Tokyo. While effective against Gigan at first, the Type 70 Maser Cannons were quickly wiped out by King Ghidorah's gravity beams, leaving Godzilla and Anguirus as the Earth's only hope against the alien aggressors. Type 70 Maser Cannons next saw action against the monster Megalon, who easily destroyed them with the laser fired from his horn.

Development

The Type 70 Maser Cannons were repurposed from the Type 66 Maser Cannon miniatures, which were themselves modified A-Cycle Light Ray Gun car props.[2] To depict the vehicles being destroyed by King Ghidorah's gravity beams, two of these modified miniatures without the trailers attached to them were set on fire and burned. In addition to the use of modified Type 66 Maser Cannon props, stock footage of the Type 66 from The War of the Gargantuas was utilized in both Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Megalon to show the Type 70 Maser Cannons moving and firing their beams. However, the footage was edited so as to make it match the newly filmed special effects footage.[2] The Type 70 Maser Cannons in Godzilla vs. Megalon are depicted entirely through stock footage from The War of the Gargantuas and Godzilla vs. Gigan, with footage of King Ghidorah's gravity beams destroying the Maser Cannons from the latter film standing in for Megalon's horn beam performing the same action.

Design

The Type 70 Maser Cannons closely resemble their Type 66 counterparts, but the turret has been considerably streamlined, with the coils and other parts flanking it removed. In addition, the rounded area of the turret where the cannon's arm attaches to the rest of the vehicle has been recolored either blue or red depending on the individual unit, as opposed to the silver coloration of this part on the Type 66. The parabolic section of the cannon where the beam is fired is slightly different between the red and blue Type 70 cannons. On the red ones, there are parts holding a secondary lens in front of the lens that the beam initially passes through, while on the blue ones the beam is fired directly from the lens in the center the satellite dish-shaped area. This does not seem to affect how the beam fires, however.

History

Showa era

Godzilla vs. Gigan

A Type 70 Maser Cannon in Godzilla vs. Gigan

When Anguirus escaped Monster Island to travel to Japan and investigate the nefarious plan of the M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens, the JSDF deployed forces to prevent the monster from landing at Sagami Bay, unaware of his intentions. Anguirus was met at the shore with a huge number of military units, including the newly-introduced Type 70 Maser Cannons. The JSDF opened fire on Anguirus, who, not looking for conflict, turned around and returned to Monster Island to ask Godzilla for assistance. While the JSDF believed it had neutralized a threat, it was blissfully unaware of the true threat that Anguirus had been trying to counter. The Nebulans soon summoned the space monsters Gigan and King Ghidorah to Earth and ordered them to attack Tokyo. Once the monsters razed their way through the capital and entered the countryside, several Type 70 Maser Cannons assembled and opened fire. Gigan was brought to his knees by the Maser beams and attempted to crawl behind the surrounding trees for cover, only for the Maser beams to slice through them and strike him. When the Type 70 Maser Cannons opened fire on King Ghidorah however, he retaliated with his gravity beams and effortlessly annihilated all of them. With the JSDF unable to hold off the space monsters, Godzilla and Anguirus became the world's only hope as they made their way to Japan to confront the space monsters.

Godzilla vs. Megalon

After the Seatopians sent their guardian monster Megalon to attack the surface world, a squadron of Type 70 Maser Cannons confronted him in a clearing. However, the beams had little effect on Megalon, who promptly fired lightning from his horn that eradicated the attacking forces before continuing his rampage.

Capabilities

Maser Cannon

  • Armed with a gigantic cannon that fires an electromagnetic Maser beam. The cannon is attached to an arm that can raise and lower and swivel side-to-side, allowing the beams to strike moving targets.
  • Runs on a nuclear reactor which can be powered up by injections from liquid oxygen tanks.[3]
  • Operated by a crew of four people.

Tractor

  • Operated by a crew of three people.

Filmography

Gallery

Screenshots

Merchandise

References

This is a list of references for Type 70 Maser Cannon. 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]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Type 70 Maser Cannon stats.jpg
  2. 2.0 2.1 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. pp. 106–109, 152–155. ISBN 9784864910132.
  3. "Type 66 Maser Beam Tank". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  4. "RocketPunchArmy's review of Aoshima Bunka Kyouzai's Type 70 Maser Cannon Gokin Model Kit". Retrieved 23 July 2020.

Notes

  1. While the weight of the Type 70 Maser Cannon is unknown, it is stated to be lighter than the 80 metric ton Type 66 Maser Cannon.

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Vehicle
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