Godzilla (Godzilla: Cataclysm)
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They were gone. The monsters. Gone at last. And we prayed. Even those who were too young to remember the era of the kaiju offered their prayers... As if paying homage to ancient gods. Some prayed to Mothra for good fortune. Others called on Ghidorah to bring the rain. Still others believed Ebirah would bring plentiful fishing trips. Even I prayed. I did not believe the monsters to be gods. I knew better. But I prayed just the same. I prayed to Godzilla. I prayed... begging Godzilla to never return. But... in my experience... prayers are seldom answered.
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— Hiroshi's narration (Godzilla: Cataclysm #2) |
Godzilla is a kaiju who appears in IDW Publishing's 2014 comic book series Godzilla: Cataclysm. Alongside his fellow kaiju, Godzilla was responsible for bringing about the downfall of civilization and wiping out most of the human race in an apocalyptic war. Following the destruction of the world, Godzilla and other giant monsters disappeared, though when some kaiju finally returned twenty years later, Godzilla followed to inflict vengeance upon humanity for their past misdeeds.
Name
- Main article: Godzilla#Name.
Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira (ゴジラ), comes from a combination of the Japanese approximation of "gorilla" (ゴリラ gorira), and kujira (クジラ), the Japanese word for "whale."
Design
In this series, Godzilla is modeled after his appearance in the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, most notably sporting a large chest marking similar to the scar seen in the film. His skin is a blend of green and charcoal, reminiscent of his 1999-2000 film design. His skin color is matched by his claws and the base of his dorsal plates, the latter of which then fade to a bone-like shade of gray. His eyes generally appear green or black from panel to panel. His dorsal plates from the tail to his nape flare up in blue flames when charging and firing his atomic breath. When he utilizes his spiral heat ray, they glow orange-red instead.
Personality
Godzilla for the most part is a highly aggressive and unpredictable monster, waging conflict with humanity and all other monsters indiscriminately. After humanity's attempt to mind-control monsters in the distant past, Godzilla became especially violent and unforgiving. His anger dimmed after Mothra and Biollante aided him in the destruction of Destoroyah. Noticing Biollante spreading her tendrils throughout the surrounding city, Godzilla returned to the sea without further conflict. The closing narration notes the ambiguity of this action: "Perhaps Godzilla had simply grown weary of the fight. Or he had realized that his anger had outlasted those ignorant fools who had stirred his hatred in the first place. Or maybe he knows that no matter how fierce the cataclysm... no matter how many times death looms overhead... rebirth is always close behind."
Origins
Long prior to the events of the series, Godzilla and other kaiju emerged and waged war against each other and humanity. As the conflict escalated, humanity turned to increasingly dangerous strategies, including an effort to gain control over the monsters and "influence" them via psychic individuals backed up by advanced technology. The plan proved a catastrophic failure when the psychics only succeeded in driving Godzilla and the kaiju wild with rage and pain, causing them to attack humanity en masse and leave civilization in ruin. In the aftermath of the kaiju apocalypse, Godzilla and the other monsters disappeared for nearly twenty years, giving the remnants of humankind a chance to live in worship of the deemed "gods". When monsters such as Kamacuras and Biollante reemerged, Godzilla himself reawakened to confront the latter.
History
- Godzilla: Cataclysm #1-5 (2014)
Godzilla: Cataclysm
Godzilla: Cataclysm #1
Nearly 20 years prior to the present events, Godzilla was caught up in a fierce battle consisting of himself, humanity, King Ghidorah, Mothra, Anguirus, and Manda. Personally engaged with King Ghidorah, Godzilla endured electrical bites from the three-headed-dragon and missile fire from nearby jets before suplexing his enemy over his head and into a building. Godzilla proceeded to defeat King Ghidorah with his atomic breath before turning around to face Mothra and Anguirus charging at him.
In the present day, when Biollante emerged to attack a group of Kamacuras hunting a scouting party, the plant monster received a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath to her underbelly, signifying the return of the Kaiju. As human witnesses Arata and Shiori watch in horror, Godzilla engaged Biollante.
Godzilla: Cataclysm #2
As Biollante ensnared him with her tendrils, Godzilla tore through some of them with his raw strength. Strangled, he fired another atomic blast at Biollante to free himself and leave her severely injured. Godzilla subsequently tackled his opponent into a building as their fight became increasingly violent, biting into her neck and clawing at her body. Suddenly, Mothra rammed Godzilla away from Biollante, buying the plant monster a moment to regenerate from Godzilla's attacks. The tides turned when Godzilla retaliated with a blast of atomic breath that cleaved Biollante into pieces and a second blast that scorched the tip of Mothra's wing, sending her spiraling in mid-flight. With both of his enemies defeated, Godzilla roared in triumph.
Hiroshi, Arata's grandfather and an elder survivor, awoke from memories of Godzilla's conflict with humanity. In a flashback, Godzilla is seen enraged and rampaging in an unspecified city in addition to Hiroshi's involvement in a technological experiment with his cohorts.
Godzilla: Cataclysm #3
Arata and Shiori recalled Godzilla's intent on destroying Biollante, though her core was rescued. As Hiroshi spoke his part on the matter, he again remembered his own involvement in a technological effort during the conflict between kaiju and humanity that consisted of him and his colleagues wearing advanced equipment. While speaking to Arata and Shiori, Hiroshi revealed that he was involved in an effort to psychically control monsters with advanced technological assistance. This effort somehow resulted in immense pain being inflicted on Godzilla, tremendously enraging him.
Godzilla would suddenly make an appearance in the present again following the arrival of Megaguirus and her Meganulon subjects, who pursued the human survivors and fed on Biollante's tendrils growing from her core. He suddenly shot Megaguirus out of the sky and into a nearby building with his atomic breath, nearly missing Mothra and making his intentions clear. While Hiroshi hid Biollante's core from sight with Arata and Shiori, Godzilla squared off with Mothra as they prepared to wage battle once more.
Godzilla: Cataclysm #4
Godzilla found himself being shocked by Mothra's arc lightning as they fought and soon retaliated against the insect with a tail swipe that floored her.
As the monsters fought, Hiroshi elaborated on Godzilla's past and humanity's various attempts at fending off the monsters, which included a Mecha doppelganger of Godzilla among other terrible weapons and the attempt of psychically controlling and influencing the monsters. Initially, the latter attempt appeared successful, managing to work on Anguirus, Manda, and Rodan. Unfortunately, the psychic effort got overconfident and instead of maintaining an influence over the monsters, it aroused the monsters' anger, consequently implanting Godzilla's intense rage towards humankind.
In the present moment, Godzilla endured a second barrage of Mothra's arc lightning before retaliating with his atomic breath to no avail as Mothra dodged the attack. Mothra subsequently blasted Godzilla with her hypersonic beams, knocking him backwards off his feet. As he fell into a building, Godzilla once more blasted Mothra's wing with his atomic breath, this time nearly cleaving it off and sending Mothra crashing down with her damaged wing lit aflame. Godzilla rose to his feet before blasting his spiral heat ray at Mothra.
Nearby, Hiroshi recalled when he first made psychic contact with Godzilla and how frightened he was by Godzilla and the other so deemed "demons", including Destoroyah, who rose out of the ocean nearby.
Godzilla: Cataclysm #5
As Destoroyah chased the human survivors in his juvenile forms, Hiroshi "prayed" for Godzilla. In the pursuit, Hiroshi found himself impaled by Destoroyah from behind, leaving him slowly dying. As if his pleas were answered, Godzilla arrived. Destoroyah subsequently transformed into his flying form to attack Godzilla, who proceeded to duck under before finding himself with Destoroyah's tail wrapped around his neck and being dragged over a great distance by the crustacean. In a futile attempt, Godzilla fired his atomic breath at the sky before Destoroyah ceased his attack and flew back around while the King of Monsters returned to his feet. Destoroyah proceeded to strike Godzilla's nape with his laser horn before dodging a blast of Godzilla's atomic breath. Subsequently, Godzilla watched as Mothra flew into the fight and inflicted her own attack on Destoroyah, only to be killed by Destoroyah's micro-oxygen beam after he turned back into his perfect form. Godzilla seized the opportunity to blast his enemy at the back of his head, knocking him down and leaving him vulnerable. Godzilla watched as Biollante ensnared and restrained Destoroyah with her tendrils before unleashing a powerful point-blank blast of his spiral heat ray at Destoroyah, fatally incinerating the crustacean beyond his regenerative capabilities. Triumphant, Godzilla roared victoriously before noticing Biollante's tendrils spreading throughout the city. Seemingly satisfied, Godzilla peacefully returned to the sea.
Abilities
Physical abilities
Godzilla is a heavily strong and competent combatant, easily overpowering King Ghidorah and flipping the three-headed dragon over his head in the distant past. Additionally, he fought the likes of Anguirus and Mechagodzilla, two beings that don’t return in the present. Godzilla proves superior to Biollante in spite of his size disadvantage, easily overpowering her as well as inflicting a claw mark and a bite wound on her neck. When he charged up his atomic breath, Godzilla's dorsal plates severed Biollante's mouthed vines and tendrils through their sharpness and the intense heat they emitted. Though Mothra proved a tricky opponent due to her flight capabilities and repertoire of projectile weapons, Godzilla succeeded in tail-slamming her onto her back. Though he required aid against Destoroyah, Godzilla fared enough to see through the crustacean's demise.
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Godzilla flipping King Ghidorah over his head -
Godzilla dueling with Anguirus -
Godzilla facing down Anguirus and Mothra -
Godzilla tearing Biollante's tendrils off -
Godzilla overpowering Biollante -
Godzilla biting into Biollante -
Godzilla's dorsal plates cutting and incinerating Biollante's mouthed vines and tendrils -
Godzilla physically dominating Biollante -
Godzilla tail-slamming Mothra's attempt to flank him.
Atomic Breath
Godzilla possesses the trademark atomic breath. It is capable of causing fires and explosions, reaching great distances, and can critically inflict damage on other monsters. He succeeded in obliterating King Ghidorah in the distant past with it. Godzilla left Biollante's underbelly singed with a single blast and later left her critically damaged when Godzilla utilized a more powerful blast to cleave her into pieces and reduce her to a nucleus-like structure small enough to be carried by people. Godzilla’s atomic breath also succeeded in damaging one of both Mothra and Megaguirus' wings, resulting in the former being weakened and the latter crashing down onto a building ruins. It even proved powerful enough to knock Destoroyah down when shot at the back of his head.
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Godzilla obliterating King Ghidorah -
An atomic blast to Biollante's underbelly -
Godzilla singeing Biollante -
The atomic breath cleaving Biollante into pieces -
First time Godzilla shot Mothra's wing -
Godzilla shooting down Megaguirus -
Second time Godzilla shot Mothra's wing -
Godzilla forcing down Destoroyah with his atomic breath
Spiral Heat Ray
Godzilla possesses a more powerful, spiral-surrounded, orange-red variation of his atomic breath that he utilized against Mothra and later Destoroyah. It proved sufficient in harming Mothra the first time he used it. When he fired a more powerful, point-blank blast of it at Destoroyah, it killed him and left his face gruesomely burned.
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Godzilla's spiral heat ray -
Godzilla's dorsal plates charging up the breath beam attack -
Godzilla killing Destoroyah -
Destoroyah's corpse
Amphibousness
Following his triumph over Destoroyah, Godzilla returned to the ocean.
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Godzilla peacefully returning to the sea
Intelligence
Godzilla possesses a degree of cunning and tactical prowess that he utilizes in sync with his strength. He nearly killed Biollante by firing his atomic breath at her underbelly and cleaving her in half, forcing her to take a smaller form to survive. He also used his atomic breath to hinder Mothra's ability to fly as well as send Megaguirus crashing down. In the distant past, Godzilla thwarted humanity's attempts to stop him, including the creation of a robot built in his image and the utilization of psychic influence. When Destoroyah proved too overwhelming for him alone, Godzilla recognized Mothra and Biollante's acts of aid and reacted accordingly. He finished off Destoroyah with a point-blank blast of his spiral heat ray.
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Godzilla rampaging in the distant past as humanity attempts to acquire psychic control over him -
Results of the attempt of psychically controlling the monsters failing -
Godzilla and Anguirus separately waging conflict with humanity and Mechagodzilla in the distant past -
Godzilla facing off multiple successfully mind-controlled monsters -
Godzilla ducking as Destoroyah flies past him -
Godzilla watching Mothra attack Destoroyah -
Godzilla flanking Destoroyah with his atomic breath -
Godzilla overseeing Biollante ensnaring Destoroyah in place for him
Durability
Godzilla possesses incredible durability and a resilient hide that can take attacks from even his strongest enemies. He stood unaffected by King Ghidorah's electrical powers, ignored Biollante's mouthed vines biting into his neck and her tendrils strangling him, endured Mothra's arc lightning and ultrasonic beams without sustaining any injuries, and even took attacks from Destoroyah. The crustacean failed to effectively harm Godzilla with his attempt to drag the King of Monsters by the neck with his tail. When Destoroyah flew back to slash Godzilla's nape with his horn, his efforts proved futile as Godzilla's skin remain unscratched.
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Godzilla taking King Ghidorah's electrical powers -
Godzilla enduring Biollante's attacks -
Godzilla getting knocked over by Mothra -
Godzilla enduring Mothra's arc lightning -
Godzilla enduring a second round of Mothra's arc lightning -
Godzilla enduring Mothra's ultrasonic beams -
Godzilla getting dragged by the neck by Destoroyah -
Destoroyah striking Godzilla's nape
Regeneration
Godzilla possesses incredible regenerative capabilities, instantaneously regenerating from Biollante's mouthed vines biting into his neck.
Psychic abilities
Godzilla possesses some degree of psychic powers that have connected him to the elderly human survivor, Hiroshi. Through these powers, Godzilla may or may not have heard the "prayers" sent to him by Hiroshi in addition to being able to locate the old man's whereabouts as well as sensing his state of being.
Weaknesses
While Godzilla is incredibly resilient, some Kaiju are still capable of inflicting pain on him. Biollante's mouthed vines drew blood from his neck. Mothra, Destoroyah, and humanity's psychic mind control attempt all caused Godzilla some degree of pain, the third of which inflicted enough to arouse his ruthless rage. Destoroyah proved too troublesome in his flying form for Godzilla on his own and thus required help to defeat him.
Gallery
Trivia
- Destoroyah dragging Godzilla along the ground by the neck with his tail as he flies is a direct reference to a strikingly similar scene in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, although it is by his flying form in the comic rather than his final form.
- Godzilla's role in the series is very similar to that of his counterpart in the continuity of Godzilla: Oblivion, with both incarnations leaving the Earth in ruins through their battled with humanity and other kaiju. Additionally, the main characters of both series are responsible for causing Godzilla and the other monsters to destroy human civilization.
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