Godzilla (III)

Godzilla is a fictional monster known in Japan as a daikaiju. He is the main character of the Godzilla film series produced by Toho Company and has appeared in numerous sequels and has also been adapted in cartoons, video games, comic books and various merchandise. The first comic book illustrated version of the character was brought to life in 1977 when Marvel Comics briefly acquired license to produce material based on the character. Though he looked slightly different from his more recognizable live-action predecessors, the comic Godzilla began his rampage in the first issue of Godzilla, King of the Monsters and continued stomping his way across the United States for twenty-three more issues before being canceled in 1979. Although Marvel Comics lost the license to use the Godzilla property since the discontinuation of the series, the character has still managed to crop up every now and again, though never referenced as Godzilla and usually sporting a dramatic alteration in appearance. His first post-series appearance was in Iron Man, Volume 1 #193-196. He appeared in The Thing #31, Uncanny X-Men #506-507 and The Mighty Avengers #1.

Biography
Awakened from an eons-long slumber at the bottom of the Pacific ocean off the shores of Japan in 1956 by a joint-nation H-Bomb experiment, Godzilla ravaged the Japanese countryside for years. Although a terrible menace, the monster also seemed to regard Japan as his personal domain and a home, defending the country from a number of strange aliens and other mutant monsters on several occasions. Godzilla disappeared for some years in the late 1970's before re-appearing in Alaska, bursting from a massive iceberg in which he had lain dormant.

Godzilla soon made his way down into mainland America, with the super-agency S.H.I.E.L.D. trying their best to contain and capture the giant reptile. Over the course of his journey, the monster battled many strange foes, from the super weapons of S.H.I.E.L.D., to superhuman heroes like the Champions and outrageous monsters such as Batragon and Yetrigar. Godzilla was even instrumental in thwarting the alien Megans in their attempt to conquer the Earth.

Eventually, the shrinking gas of Dr. Hank Pym, known at the time as Yellowjacket, was employed against Godzilla. A time machine created by Doctor Doom, ruler of Latveria, was employed to send the beast back to the late Cretaceous. However, Godzilla's atomic nature made him unstable in his new setting, and after a brief encounter with Devil Dinosaur and Moon Boy, Godzilla returned to present day New York, once again at his full, mammoth size. Godzilla went on a rampage, opposed by the combined might of the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Godzilla Squad. In the end, however, it was the pleas of a little boy, Rob Takiguchi, that subdued the giant monster. Godzilla turned away from the city, swimming out into the Atlantic ocean and disappearing from view.

A severely mutated, horned reptilian creature that was formerly Godzilla was later captured and controlled by the evil Doctor Demonicus, and defeated by Iron Man[4]. This same amphibious dinosaur would later appear on an isolated island, menacing a film crew and the Fantastic Four's the Thing.

A creature who may have been Godzilla was seen on Mole Man's Monster Isle. Having seemingly reverted to his original form, this creature was part of an assemblage of the Mole Man's monster horde that attacked Manhattan.

Another creature, possibly the original Godzilla, was sighted on Kunashir Island in Japan. Scientist Yuriko Takiguchi manned a small laboratory on the island and maintained this creature as a prospective "self destruct event", should the need arise[5]. Angel would later kill Godzilla once and for all.

Notes & Trivia

 * This version of Godzilla was created by writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe and inker Jim Mooney.


 * Godzilla (Marvel Comics) redirects to this page.