Godzilla:  King of Monsters

 Intro:  Mankind has ascribed many names to the ultimate dweller of the abyss and embodiment of destruction.  Tiamat, Bakunawa, Charybdis, Jörmungandr, Leviathan…  The people of isolated little Oto Island had their own name and conception of this monster.  To them, this entity was a very real and ever-imminent threat that loomed over their entire lives, praying every day that its’ wrath would remain unstirred.  They called it… “Gojira”.  The name is translated to English as “Godzilla”.  It is by these two names that this creature has most commonly come to be known in the wake of his historic resurgence into the modern world.

 Story:  Definite reports of Godzilla’s reactivation can be traced back at least to the 1950s, though there have been claims of wartime sightings during both World Wars, particularly around the Oto, Sogel, and Lagos island chains of the southwestern Pacific.  Some even propose that he has infrequently been documented vaguely at various points in ancient human history.

In any case, Oto island and all its people were found to have been seemingly wiped off the face of the earth in the late 1940s.  Investigations into this disaster, as well as the disappearance of several nuclear vessels, resulted in the discovery of a creature of such immensity and power that its’ very existence was deemed a threat to mankind.  Termination was attempted via nuclear strikes, covered up as tests, and culminated in operation Castle Bravo in 1954.  For many decades the mission’s success was indeterminate, since the monster neither reappeared, nor was a body ever recovered.  It became even more dubious in the early 1990s, after a small meteor impact in the central Pacific lead to the discovery of an abyssal chasm far deeper than even the Mariana Trench.  Covert satellite imagery revealed evidence of a large, radioactive mass located near the bottom whose fluctuations suggested a form of metabolism.  Occasional low-frequency sounds were also detected.  Though some of this information inevitably leaked to the public and became the basis for all manner of wild speculations and conspiracies, its’ true nature was kept a guarded secret by the agencies tasked with its’ study.  As the years of watching and studying went by, it was prayed that it would remain dormant for the foreseeable future.  Those prayers would go unheard. 

In 2014, Godzilla made himself known to mankind after attacking first several large sea vessels, then coastal nuclear powerplants in Japan.  During these first appearances he was protected by a cocoon-like secondary layer of skin that, while extremely tough, restricted his movement and forced him to crawl along with his hind limbs during his first terrestrial forays.  This skin leaked a toxic black ooze which may have been some form of highly degenerated and irradiated biological waste matter, and was also swarming with highly aggressive human-sized parasites known as Shockirus.  All attempts at neutralization failed.  After accumulating enough radioactive material, he returned to Japan in 2016, this time shedding the outer skin layer and proceeding to march into Tokyo bipedally.  All attacks continued to be ineffective, until a planned strike with radiation-retardant material seemed to work.  However, Godzilla revived and, enraged, annihilated Tokyo in a devastating display of his own atomic power.  He returned to the sea to stabilize his system, leaving behind a sea of flames.

It was then hypothesized that Godzilla had been attracted to Japan due to it being an ancient resting or spawning ground for his species, and that certain radio frequencies had been mistaken for signals given by creatures similar to him.  This idea was put to the test, and was proven correct when Godzilla was successfully lured near the crater of an active volcano in the south Pacific.  MOAB bombings triggered an eruption which engulfed the monster and sent him plummeting down into the earth.  For now…

 Abilities:  Godzilla is the most feared being on planet Earth.  And for good reason.  His size and mass alone are enough to crush lesser kaiju beneath his feet.  And what remains will be torn apart by wickedly hooked claws and teeth.  The force generated by his swinging tail is enough to cause shockwaves through the air, and shatter bedrock.  The only parts that seem to be more sensitive to pain are the flexible joints around the dorsal plates and gills.  He also seems to have an aversion to sudden bright light, as he makes landfall mostly at night.  His eyes can be shielded by ghostly white, diamond-hard nictitating membranes.  Most of his senses are attuned to nuclear energies, including a directional sense of smell, and an “aura-sense” similar to radar that may have evolved in response to a variety of flying enemies.  He is most maneuverable in water, capable of powered cruising at over 100 knots.  His dorsal fins can be lowered across his back for a more streamlined design.  His tail generates moving whirlpools that aid in thrusting him forward with minimal effort, like hydraulic turbines.  He is less mobile on land, but is capable of striking quickly and efficiently.  Godzilla is also in possession of highly developed regeneration abilities, stemming from a fast-acting prion-like substance dubbed “Regenerator G1”.

His most infamous and notable abilities are, of course, his mastery over atomic power.  The most recognized and frequently used energy attack is his “Atomic Breath”, which can destroy almost any manmade structure.  This attack both burns and poisons opponents and the environment with deadly radiation.  He can also channel this radiation into a more concentrated “Plasma Ball”, like a miniature star, which he can spit with deadly accuracy.  He can also emit a “Nuclear Pulse” from battery-like muscles along his sides that shorts out electronics and stuns other kaiju.  His bite also carries heavy doses of unstable nuclear elements.  Due to trace amounts of certain exotic materials around his jaw, it is speculated that he may even be able to refine his breath attack into a highly effective laser-like weapon.  But this has yet to be observed.

 Character:  In combat, Godzilla is extraordinarily aggressive, to a degree that many consider to be unnatural.  It seems that he may lack a “flight” instinct, as his only observed course of action when confronted by any obstacle or opponent has been to attack.  This has been used to strategic advantage, as provoking him will cause him to alter his course to confront the enemy.  This is not always effective, though, as he will ignore lesser attacks if there is a greater force holding his attention.  Once his mind is set on something, there is no dissuading him.  It is therefore recommended that Godzilla only be engaged when absolutely necessary.  He seems to consider the whole Earth as his territory and spends most of his time hibernating in the abyss, senses alert for any perceived challenge to his dominance.

Despite all that has been learned from him, much of Godzilla’s origin and biology remain a mystery.  Radio-dating methods are controversial, but seem to indicate extreme longevity, possibly dating as far back as the Hadean Eon, the earliest phase of Earth’s history.  If this is true, then Godzilla represents a lineage of lifeforms whose origins may be totally separate and more ancient than all other terrestrial biological life.  It has been proposed that his resemblance to reptilian vertebrates may be the result of a form of viral gene transference over millions of years.  What his original form or composition may have been like, can only be guessed at.

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Godzilla is copyrighted by Toho