Godzilla (Godzilla: Rage Across Time)
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[M]aybe... just maybe... Godzilla has changed our history more than we did his.
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Godzilla is a kaiju who appears in IDW Publishing's 2016 comic book miniseries Godzilla: Rage Across Time. Over the course of millions of years, Godzilla fought other kaiju, human armies, and even the gods of Mount Olympus. In the process, he repeatedly altered the course of history, thwarting the Xiliens' first attempt to start human civilization on Earth back in the Cretaceous period, inadvertently carving Hannibal's passage through the Alps in 218 BC, triggering the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, and vanquishing the Mongols during their invasion in AD 1274.
Name
- See also: 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". In Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1, Akio uses this name for Godzilla when she recognizes him as a monster of legend.
Design
In three of the four issues of Godzilla: Rage Across Time in which he appears, Godzilla's appearance is modeled on the suit design from Godzilla 2000: Millennium and Godzilla vs. Megaguirus. In issue #1, Godzilla has slightly wider ears than the 1999-2000 design, as well as pale gold irises with white sclera, although in some panels his eyes appear pure white or red. In issue #2, Godzilla's dorsal fins are a bluish purple during his attack on the warring navies and battle with Poseidon, then adhere closer to the coloration of the 1999 design for the rest of the issue. In close-ups, his eyes possess green irises, yellow or orange sclera, and black pupils. In issue #5, Godzilla has charcoal grey skin, while his dorsal plates are a dull, dark red at their bases and gradually lighten to orange-yellow at their tips.
Pablo Túnica's design for Godzilla in issue #4 is sharply distinct from the others. Godzilla's skin has a scaly, chipped rock-like texture, appearing a dull brown-gray in the daylight and a faded purple or red in other scenes. Godzilla's long dorsal fins possess a more coral-like texture; unusually, they appear to be arranged in at least five rows. They are a light brown in the daylight and blue in other panels, even when not glowing as he charges his atomic breath. Godzilla's snout is short and wide. His ears are unnoticeable in most panels, though they otherwise remain pointy and elongated, while his teeth are large and prominent.
Personality
Highly aggressive, Godzilla attacks virtually every potential foe he sees, even human armies that pose little threat to him, and battles until either he or they are defeated. This ferocity can be manipulated, as Akio lured him into a confrontation with the Mongols' forces simply by shooting him with an enchanted arrow and Hannibal Barca's army buried him in rock by inducing him to fire his atomic breath. As Godzilla burned the Mongol fleet, however, Akio concluded that the monster could not be harnessed as a weapon for conquest, saying, "All we can do is pray his attention does not shift in our direction." He only consciously allies with one being over the course of the series, Anguirus. When Monster X knocked the ankylosaur kaiju into lava, Godzilla responded with a vicious series of attacks.
Origins
At the end of issue #2, historian and archeologist Benjamin Thompson states, "[M]aybe... just maybe... Godzilla has changed our history more than we did his." This implies the scientific community in the Rage Across Time continuity generally believes that Godzilla was first awakened or mutated by humanity in modern times, as is the case for most portrayals of the character. His assistant, Nikki Katsumi, questioned whether the historical evidence they uncovered could point towards the existence of multiple Godzillas throughout the ages, but Thompson believed that each instance was the work of a single, immensely ancient individual. This is borne out through flashbacks, which show Godzilla alive and fully-grown as far back as 136 million years BC.
History
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1-2, 4-5 (2016)
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
"Feudal Japan"
In 1274 AD, samurai Gorou Suda and kunoichi Akio ventured to Mount Purotekuta to employ the eight-headed dragon Yamata no Orochi to defend Japan against the invading Mongols and their kaiju pawns. Godzilla, dormant nearby, was awakened by the explosion of an arrow enhanced by the Shobijin's power and fired at Orochi by Akio, looking up to see the symbol of the Shobijin light up the sky a short distance away. He approached Orochi from behind and announced his arrival with a blast of atomic breath, then bellowed a challenge. The two monsters charged at each other, Orochi biting Godzilla with multiple mouths. Grabbing Orochi by two of his necks, Godzilla retaliated by flipping him over his head and slamming him into the ground. With a point-blank blast of atomic breath, Godzilla slayed Yamata no Orochi. Gorou was horrified at the would-be defender's demise, but Akio quickly took action, firing a Shobijin-enhanced arrow at Godzilla's head and angering him into pursuit. Chasing the human warriors on their horses across the Japanese landscape, Godzilla came to a castle where Gigan and Megalon, the monster duo aiding the Mongols, were engaged with the Japanese army. Blasting Megalon's napalm bomb in mid-air with his atomic breath, causing a massive explosion that startled Gigan, Godzilla promptly engaged the two monsters. He dodged Gigan's buzzsaw as the cyborg flew past him, then tail-whipped him and used him as a shield against Megalon's lightning. Once free, Gigan fired his eye laser, but the King of the Monsters evaded. A second laser struck him in tandem with Megalon's lightning, however, and Megalon pressed their advantage by drilling into his chest. Just when it seemed that the enemy was winning, Akio fired an arrow at the device used to control Gigan and Megalon by Zhenjin Khan, a disguised M Space Hunter Nebula Alien, severing the mind control and briefly stunning the duo. Godzilla promptly torched Gigan with atomic breath while tail-whipping Megalon, sending both into retreat. Roaring in triumph, Godzilla diverted his wrath to the surrounding Mongol forces, crushing Zhenjin and his troops underfoot before lighting up their ships with atomic breath. Shogun Suda believed he could use Godzilla to conquer the world, but Gorou explained that Godzilla was beyond their control. As Godzilla waded further out to sea, Akio added that all they could do was hope to avoid his attention.
In 2016, Dr. Benjamin Thompson and PhD student Nikki Kasumi dove to investigate the Mongol ships at the bottom of Hakata Bay. Thompson believed Godzilla was responsible for repelling the invasion of 1274, with the truth lost due to either the shogun wanting to take credit for the victory or later generations simply finding the tale unbelievable. Finding the ships superheated and petrified, capabilities quite beyond a typhoon, he appeared vindicated.
"Ancient Greece"
During the times of ancient Greece, Godzilla surfaced during a naval battle in the Mediterranean, his dorsal plates slicing through ships on both sides. Hermes brought news of the armies' destruction to Mount Olympus, but Zeus was only amused by the carnage. At Aphrodite's insistence that the gods had a certain responsibility towards humanity, even with worship of them waning, Poseidon traveled to the wreckage of the mortals' ships to investigate the cause. Dispersing some sharks and using his powers over the sea to lift up a ship, Poseidon discovered a trio of massive claw marks upon the wooden hull. He turned to see Godzilla rise from the water. The King of the Monsters promptly slammed his tail down at the god, who narrowly jumped into the sea in time. Poseidon countered with his trident, and even summoned massive waves, but Godzilla ultimately killed him, then flooded the city beneath Mount Olympus and bellowed a mighty roar at the foot of the mountain. Zeus blasted the monster with lightning and cast about furiously for the god responsible for the monster. Ares joined his offensive, jumping down at Godzilla with battle axe in hand, but Godzilla obliterated the god of war with his atomic breath, further enraging Zeus and leaving the other Olympians in dismay. The God of Lightning summoned forth the Hydra, who caught Godzilla off-guard, biting his arm. Godzilla ripped off its head with his jaws; when two more heads began to grow in the original's place, Godzilla blasted them with his atomic breath. Before he could unleash another attack, a bolt of lightning from Zeus struck his neck once again, enraging him further. Tackling the now four-headed Hydra off its feet and tearing into its flesh with his claws and teeth, Godzilla rammed the beast straight into Mount Olympus, watching as the entire mountain crumbled. Now faced by Zeus alone, Godzilla loomed over the god and responded to a blast of lightning to the chest with a swift tail-slam, which Zeus narrowly dodged. Just as his enemy landed, Godzilla stomped him underfoot before being pushed back with another lightning blast. Howling thunderously and enveloped in electricity from a final onslaught of energy by Zeus, Godzilla disappeared, vanquished by the last of the god's power.
Having lost his powers, Zeus decided to live among humans so as to better understand them and perhaps one day regain his godhood, his travels bringing him to Pompeii. In AD 79, Godzilla burst out of Mount Vesuvius, triggering a cataclysmic volcanic explosion that lit up and petrified the surrounding environment. In the modern day, Thompson and Kasumi came upon the preserved remains of Zeus in the ruins of Pompeii. Thompson held up an illustration he found near the petrified body, revealing the subject to be Godzilla.
"Classic Rome"
In the year 218 BC, Roman forces pursuing Hannibal Barca's army into the Alps reached the invaders' base camp, only to find it abandoned. Suddenly, they were met by a group of fleeing elephants consumed in bright blue flames. Nearby, Godzilla rose into view, letting off a mighty bellow into the darkness. Hannibal witnessed the Romans scatter before the monster from afar. He explained to an advisor that while his army had narrowly survived its last encounter with Godzilla, the situation reminded him of the siafu ants he witnessed in his youth, who attacked a rhinoceros and goaded it into rampaging through a village. If they could do the same with Godzilla, they could cross the Alps to attack Rome from the north, where it would be least protected.
Come daylight, Godzilla began moving, promptly gaining the attention of Hannibal, who pursued him on horseback along with several of his men. Hannibal climbed up the monster using a grappling hook, but his sword shattered against the monster's skin and his swinging tail soon caused the warrior to fall to the ground. Hannibal hastily retreated as Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath on his soldiers. Still determined, he ordered all of his mercenary commanders to follow him closely, so they could attack Godzilla as an unbreakable column. When they stopped to rest, they were ambushed by a rival force led by Druid. Godzilla soon blasted both armies with his atomic breath; Hannibal, protected by his shield, narrowly survived. He stared up at Godzilla in hatred before his advisor hurried him away. Returning to his despairing men, he announced he had a new plan, ordering them to boil their remaining wine to make vinegar, then chill the barrels in the snow.
Shortly thereafter, Godzilla's march was halted by a ball of tarred human bodies launched onto his head via catapult by Hannibal himself. Enraged, Godzilla whipped his tail at his aggressor and broke into a furious pursuit that took him to a ravine, where he smashed through stone with his head in an attempt to find Hannibal. Before he could kill the man, however, flaming arrows rained down on his back, meriting a blast of atomic breath at Hannibal's forces, narrowly missing the barrels of vinegar. At the command of Hannibal, his men let the barrels loose onto the flaming walls of the ravine, exploding the cavern ceiling and burying Godzilla beneath rubble. The victorious Hannibal marched on Rome. Meanwhile, Godzilla's eye reopened and the monster fired a blast of atomic breath into the sky, striking fear into a nearby Roman city.
Thompson and Katsumi visited the Alps in 2016, finding evidence of Hannibal's battle against Godzilla in the form of rocks with scorch marks. Thompson postulated that Hannibal's army could never have crossed the Alps to invade Rome without Godzilla's inadvertent assistance.
"The Cretaceous"
In approximately 136 million BC, Godzilla shot down Rodan with his atomic breath in the midst of a massive kaiju war. Aided by Anguirus, he then turned to Baragon and Varan, firing at Baragon. When Varan glided towards him, Godzilla countered the other monster with a judo flip. Suddenly, as Godzilla took a blast of Baragon's magma heat ray, enormous meteors began raining down on the Earth, one of which abruptly knocked Baragon out of the fight. As further meteors devastated their surrounding, Varan smacked Godzilla's head against the ground. Anguirus came to his defense, battering Varan with his spike carapace until another meteor obliterated the ground beneath Varan and sent him tumbling out of sight. Penned in by the ongoing shower, Godzilla blasted a massive meteor heading for him and Anguirus with his atomic breath. This drew the interest of the recently-arrived Keizer Ghidorah, who proceeded to fly at him and Anguirus while transforming into Monster X. Hit with two Destroyed Thunder Beams, Godzilla reeled back before witnessing Monster X knock Anguirus into the nearby lava. Now alone, Godzilla boomed a challenge at Monster X. They leapt at each other, Godzilla tackling Monster X to the ground and pinning him. Before he could press his advantage, however, Godzilla's attention was diverted by the sudden arrival of the Xilien fleet as it rained down lasers. Monster X grabbed Godzilla by the head and flipped him into the lava below. Godzilla fired his atomic breath as he fell, but the alien transformed back into Keizer Ghidorah and flew off, leaving Godzilla sinking into the lava. Shortly after an Xilien dropped off two Neanderthals and tasked them with building a civilization, the ground behind them suddenly quaked and cracked. Godzilla furiously erupted into view before plunging back down into the lava, the heat reducing the Neanderthals and a nearby Velociraptor to skeletons.
In 2016, Thompson and Katsumi uncovered the bones of the Neanderthals and Velociraptor at a dig in Israel.
Abilities
Physical abilities
In issue #1, Godzilla flipped Yamata no Orochi over his head without even touching his dorsal fins, holding the dragon by two of his necks. He kept pace with Akio and Gorou Suda as they rode across Japan on horseback; the average galloping speed of a horse is 25-30 miles per hour.[2] During his battle against Gigan and Megalon, he ducked under Gigan's spinning buzzsaw when the cyborg flew over him, tail-whipped both monsters at different points in the fight, held Gigan in place to be blasted by Megalon's Laser Beast Killer Beam, and stepped out of the way of Gigan's laser at close range.
In issue #2, Godzilla bit into the Hydra's neck before tearing its head off at the base, stretching out its skin in the process. Later, Godzilla easily tackled the Hydra off its feet, clamping down on the base of one of the Hydra's four necks and clawing across its back with one of his hands, drawing blood from both places. Ramming the Hydra into Mount Olympus, Godzilla shattered the entire mountain into rubble. Afterwards, Godzilla landed a stomp against Zeus. Centuries later, in 79 AD, Godzilla crawled up Mount Vesuvius' volcanic system, triggering the infamously destructive eruption.
In issue #4, his tail cut across the stone ceiling of a massive cave, crushing a catapult under rubble.
In issue #5, Godzilla caught Varan in mid-air with his hands and flipped the other monster onto his back with great force. He later leapt off a rock at Monster X and tackled him in mid-air, then pinned him. When the alien resisted, Godzilla bit his face, then held his head in place. Later, Godzilla swam through magma, briefly bursting from the Earth.
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Godzilla judo-flipping Yamata no Orochi without making contact with his dorsal fins
Amphibiousness
In issue #1, Godzilla is first seen rising from a lake, indicating he had been dormant there for some time. He later waded into Hakata Bay to obliterate the Mongol fleet, then appeared to proceed further out to sea.
In issue #2, Godzilla swam with his dorsal fins protruding above the water like a shark, cutting human ships in half. He later bested Poseidon in his own element, then flooded an entire city riding the god's final tidal wave during his aquatic advance on Mount Olympus.
Atomic breath
In issue #1, Godzilla's atomic breath killed Yamata no Orochi in two hits, with only brief physical combat in between. The ray later intercepted Megalon's napalm bomb in mid-air, triggering an explosion that left Megalon's face smoking. When Gigan was stunned by the destruction of Zhenjin Khan's control device, Godzilla forced him into retreat with another blast while simultaneously tail-whipping Megalon. With the duo gone, Godzilla proceeded to torch the Mongol fleet in Hakata Bay with atomic breath, leaving behind a smoking graveyard of ships petrified by the heat of the energy attack.
In issue #2, Godzilla's atomic breath completely incinerated Ares and his battle axe in an instant. Moments later, a funnel-shaped blast macerated the Hydra's two heads while they were regenerating, forcing Zeus to gain his attention to buy the Hydra time to recover. Centuries later, Godzilla's atomic breath appeared to reach out from the erupting Mount Vesuvius to kill and petrify Zeus.
In issue #4, Godzilla's atomic breath carved through stone and earth, first leading to his entombment thanks to Hannibal's scheming and later freeing him from the resulting rubble. Unusually, Roman elephants set aflame by his ray glow light blue while burning, the same blue fire spreading to at least one solider; it is unclear how directly the elephants were struck.
In issue #5, Godzilla shot down Rodan with his atomic breath, later using it to destroy a massive meteor. When Monster X tossed him into lava, Godzilla fired on his way down, though the alien evaded by transforming back into Keizer Ghidorah and flying away.
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Godzilla seemingly lighting up Zeus with atomic breath from miles away -
Zeus' petrified remains in 2016, 1,937 years later -
Godzilla blasting himself free from burial beneath the Alps mountains
Durability
In issue #1, Godzilla sustained no visible damage from any of his foe's attacks, including several bites from Yamata no Orochi, Akio's Shobijin-enchanted arrow, Gigan and Megalon beam weapons, or even Megalon's spinning drill.
In issue #2, Godzilla shrugged off a bite from the Hydra and, until the god unleashed his full power, three lightning blasts from Zeus. He also appeared entirely unharmed while in the midst of the erupting Mount Vesuvius.
In "issue #4, Hannibal's sword shattered against Godzilla's skin. He was only enraged by having a mass of flaming human corpses flung on top of his head.
In issue #5, Godzilla endured an indirect and direct blast of Baragon's magma heat ray. When Monster X confronted him and Anguirus, Godzilla withstood two of the alien's destroyed thunder beams. Though thrown into lava at the conclusion of the fight, he quickly reemerged.
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Godzilla receiving Zeus's full power
Intelligence
In issue #1, Godzilla used Gigan as a shield from Megalon's beam, later sending them both into retreat with a simultaneous tail strike and blast of atomic breath. He trampled Mongolian leader Zhenjin Khan underfoot, although it is unclear if he did so deliberately. It is similarly unclear if he deliberately targeted Zeus by causing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in issue #2 or killed the god by chance. In issue #5, Godzilla displayed particularly advanced combat skills, catching a charging Varan in midair and flipping him and later tackling, pinning, and biting Monster X.
Burrowing
In issue #2, Godzilla triggers the infamous eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD by crawling up the volcano system, forcing his way through magma and rock before bursting out of the crater of the volcano. In issue #5, after falling into lava, Godzilla swam underground, bursting out of the earth before plunging back into the magma.
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Godzilla erupting from the earth before plunging back down
Weaknesses
In issue #1, Gigan and Megalon pained Godzilla with simultaneous beam attacks, with Megalon pressing their advantage by drilling Godzilla in the chest.
In issue #2, the Hydra drew blood from Godzilla by biting his arm. Zeus defeated Godzilla with a concentrated blast of lightning that he believed killed the monster, though in reality it appeared to have merely driven him underground.
In issue #4, Hannibal's forces drew pained howls by firing flaming arrows at his back. Afterwards, they temporarily buried Godzilla beneath an immense mass of rubble by forcing the collapse of an underground cavern.
In issue #5, Varan knocked Godzilla over with a flyby, pushing the side of his head against the ground. Later, Monster X pained Godzilla with two rays directed at his nape and shoulder. Ultimately, the alien prevailed by catching Godzilla off-guard before throwing the King of Monsters overhead and into the lava below them. Defeated and submerged in molten rock, Godzilla caught on fire, and while he briefly burst from beneath the ground near a pair of Neanderthals, he sank back into the lava as quickly as he emerged.
Gallery
Trivia
- Though absent in Godzilla: Rage Across Time #3, Godzilla appears on the issue's retailer incentive cover.
- Throughout the series, Godzilla faces three kaiju who are multi-headed dragons: Yamata no Orochi, the Hydra, and Keizer Ghidorah. The first two were amongst the real-life inspirations for King Ghidorah.
- The three nations besides Japan where Godzilla appears are connected via the Mediterranean Sea: Greece, Italy, and Israel.
References
This is a list of references for Godzilla (Godzilla: Rage Across Time). 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]
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