Type 90 Maser Cannon
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Type 90 Maser Cannon (90式メーサー殺獣光線車 Kyūjū-shiki Mēsā Satsujū Kōsen-sha, lit. "Type 90 Maser Beast-Killer Beam Car") is a fictional weapon that first appeared in the 2002 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla.
Developed in 1990 as a direct successor to the Type 66 Maser Cannon, the Type 90 did not see action until the emergence of a second Godzilla in Tateyama in 1999. The JSDF's Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) was shocked at how little effect the Type 90's beams had against the King of the Monsters, and the battle proved to be a disaster. The Japanese government began construction of a new anti-Godzilla weapon, Kiryu, which was completed by 2003. However, Type 90 Maser Cannons were still used to support Kiryu in his battle against Godzilla in Tokyo. The following year, the Type 90 was upgraded into the Type 90 Maser Cannon (Improved) (90式メーサー殺獣光線車<改> Kyūjū-shiki Mēsā Satsujū Kōsen-sha <Aratame>, lit. Type 90 Maser Beast-Killer Beam Car (Improved)), now equipped with the more powerful yellow-colored Maser beam fired from Kiryu's mouth cannon. An improved Type 90 tried to hold off Godzilla from approaching Tokyo again, but was unsuccessful. Fortunately, Godzilla was defeated by the combined efforts of Mothra, her twin larvae, and the upgraded Kiryu.
In the continuity of Godzilla Final Wars, the Type 90 Maser Cannon was utilized during the Earth Defense Force's decisive final battle against Godzilla in Antarctica. While the Maser Cannons were destroyed, the Gotengo successfully sealed Godzilla under the ice.
Development
|
[citation(s) needed] — This article is missing references. Please improve this article by including relevant citations. As a reader, exercise caution when encountering unsourced statements. |
|---|
The Type 90 Maser Cannon was primarily designed by Hiroshi Maruyama, with contributions by Shinji Nishikawa. Initially, it was planned to simply use the Type 66 Maser Cannon from The War of the Gargantuas mostly unchanged in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, but the designers ultimately created a more modern and improved successor model. The designers initially planned to have the tractor pulling the Type 90 move on wheels, but director Masaaki Tezuka chose to have it move on tank treads like the Type 66. Tezuka wanted to include Maser Cannons in the film as he felt they were an iconic symbol of Toho's special effects movies aside from Godzilla.
Both large and small miniatures were created for the Type 90, as well as a full-size tractor. The Type 90 was designed with all personnel inside the tractor rather than having some inside the cannon itself, the only model of Maser Cannon besides the CLT-95 to do so.
For Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, a miniature of a Type 90 Maser Cannon was created to be depicted on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier for a battle with Godzilla at sea. The scene was never filmed, but the miniature was used to depict a Type 90 being destroyed by Godzilla's atomic breath.
History
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2003)
- Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
- Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
Millennium era
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
In 1999, when a second Godzilla attacked Tateyama, the AMF deployed their newest Maser Cannon model, the Type 90, to stop him. The Maser's power, already reduced by the rain, was ineffective against Godzilla. After Maser gunner Akane Yashiro tried to target his eyes, he returned fire, triggering a landslide above her commanding officer's truck. As he tried to avoid it, Akane accidentally sideswiped him. The truck tumbled further down the hill before Godzilla brought his foot down onto it, then sliced off the Maser Cannon's ray with a flick of his tail. Following this failure, the AMF began construction of a new anti-Godzilla weapon, Kiryu, which featured a Type-99 Double Maser Cannon in his mouth. Construction on Kiryu was completed in 2003. A Type 90 Maser Cannon was among the forces standing by when Kiryu went berserk during its first operation against Godzilla, but ultimately never received the order to attack. Two Type 90s took part in a JXSDF offensive against Godzilla at Tokyo Bay to buy time for evacuees and Kiryu's deployment. He swiftly destroyed them both with his atomic breath. After Kiryu ran out of power and the JXSDF moved to recharge him, two more Type 90s engaged Godzilla. Their fate is unknown.
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
By 2004, the Type 90 had received an upgrade and was now equipped with the more powerful yellow-colored Maser beam fired from Kiryu's mouth cannon. When Godzilla came ashore in Tokyo, one of the improved Type 90 Maser Cannons was deployed with JXSDF forces to delay his advance while Kiryu was being readied. Though it targeted the chest scar Kiryu had left the previous year, the King of the Monsters easily obliterated it with his atomic breath. Another improved Type 90 helped distract Godzilla while Yoshito Chujo performed emergency repairs on Kiryu. It met the same fate.
Godzilla Final Wars
At least one Type 90 Maser Cannon was deployed by the Earth Defense Force against Godzilla in Antarctica in a decisive final confrontation. By the time the Gotengo arrived on the scene, he had already destroyed it.
Capabilities
Maser Cannon
Armed with a 150,000 volt atomic heat ray. In Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, it suffered a 30% reduction in power in the rain.
Hyper Maser Cannon
In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the Type 90 Maser Cannon was armed with a upgraded weapon called the Hyper Maser Cannon.
Tractor
Operated by a crew of two people.
Gallery
Production
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
The Type 90 Maser Cannon and tank props on set
Screenshots
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
Godzilla Final Wars
Magazines
Merchandise
Choro Q Type 90 Maser Cannon
Bandai Toho Machine Chronicles Type 90 Maser Cannon
Trivia
- The English dub for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla states that the Type 90 Maser Cannon's ray strength fell 70% in the rain, although an onscreen graphic shows its strength falling to 70%, thus indicating the reduction in power as being significantly less, merely 30% instead.
- In the English dub for Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the Type 90 Maser Cannon (Improved) is called a "Hyper Maser." One of Kiryu's new weapons, the Triple Hyper Maser Cannon, is given the same name.
- During certain closeup shots, the Type 90 Maser Cannon is portrayed by a Type 90 Tank. This is especially apparent during the scene in which Akane Yashiro is turning the Maser around, just before a Type 73 Light Truck (Shin) backs into it. The front of the machine normally appears wider around the front, and features no side skirt chutes except in these shots. Furthermore, in place of the normal "特自" mark abbreviating the AMF, it features a "戦教-2" (Battle School 2) mark on the right of the front, which signifies that it belongs to the Meteor Mark MBT squad frequently used in Masaaki Tezuka's films. In a shortly following shot, as the Type 73 Light Truck is rolling off the guard rail, the Type 90 Maser Tank is portrayed by a Type 73 Armored Personnel Carrier, which is made obvious by the shape, headlights, and lack of side skirt on the fender.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Comments
Showing 1 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
