Incense
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Stefan Segreti, better known by the codename Incense, is a supporting character in IDW Publishing's 2025 ongoing comic series Godzilla. An egotistical internet personality and skilled pyrotechnician, Incense is a member of G-Force USA's field team under Captain Riviera's command and often livestreams his battles against kaiju.
Personality
Self-absorbed and arrogant, Incense appears to be more concerned with catering to his online followers, dubbed "Incensers", than stopping kaiju. As noted by Jacen Braid, Incense lacks discipline in his training and prioritizes showing off over efficiency in battle.
His recurrent antagonizing of Jacen is the result of jealousy, feeling the new recruit has driven a wedge between him and Nuki. Even as Braid fought Godzilla in a rather destructive battle in Las Vegas, his suggestion that the team may have to take Braid out appeared to be more rooted in jealousy than concern for the city or Godzilla.
History
- Godzilla #1–8 (2025–2026)
Godzilla
Godzilla #1
Captain Riviera shared footage of Godzilla's recent attack on Manhattan with his G-Force USA field team, consisting of Incense, Nuki, Dr. Rumi Chiba, and the android Jet Jaguar. The footage depicted a kid named Jacen Braid surviving a direct blast of Godzilla's atomic breath and even delivering a supercharged punch to Godzilla's foot, much to the team's shock. Riviera proceeded to introduce the young man to the team as their latest recruit, revealing him to be a G-Mutant capable of harnessing Kai-Sei energy. Shortly thereafter, the team engaged in a combat training session with their new recruit, during which Braid identified the strengths and weaknesses of his new team. Incense teased Braid for a perceived crush on Nuki, causing Braid to unleash a burst of Kai-Sei energy to send Incense flying across the room. The team was then interrupted by reports of Anguirus had appeared off the coast of Florida, prompting them to rush off to confront the monster. Upon arrival, Riviera reiterated his philosophy that tiny targets such as themselves were harder for massive kaiju to focus on, hence their preference for combating kaiju without the use of tanks or jets. Incense livestreamed his engagement of the monster with his phone, explaining to his followers that while Anguirus may be impervious to magma, he could still use his powers to ignite the oxygen around the monster's head, burning the inside of its mouth. Working together, G-Force USA managed to successfully repel Anguirus from the coast after a short bout and celebrated their victory with drinks on the beach.
Godzilla #2
In the aftermath of the team's battle with Anguirus, Dr. Chiba and Braid encountered giant leeches in Tampa Bay, with Chiba narrowly saving Braid while also bringing a specimen back to headquarters. Incense and Nuki were present as the team determined that the leeches fed on Kai-Sei energy and had already drained Anguirus of its energy, explaining how they were able to fight the monster back with such ease. As Riviera inspected the leech, two more burst forth from its stomach as it was revealed to reproduce asexually, prompting Chiba to order Nuki and Incense to destroy it. However, Riviera intervened, believing the team could use the leeches to weaken Godzilla. The team set sail on a cargo ship off the coast of Bermuda, hoping to lure Godzilla into a trap. At one point, Nuki attempted to talk with Incense, only to find him shirtless as he filmed content for his followers, embarrassing them both. Soon after, the ship came under attack by pirates led by the infamous Captain Carroñero. By the time Incense equipped his gear and arrived to help his team, the pirates had already subdued the others before unwittingly unleashing the leeches - including a massive, multiheaded one as a result of them self-propagating - upon the vessel, with Carroñero dubbing the creatures Yacumama.
Godzilla #3
Incense generated a significant blast to incinerate to largest of the Yacumama, though as he celebrated, he and Nuki were nearly ambushed by a smaller leech until Braid saved them. The team subsequently subdued the pirates and forcibly docked at Bermuda, ignoring the demands of the European Kaiju Defense Force. After learning from G-Force's science division that the Yacumama were synthetic lifeforms created by an unknown intelligence at a test site in Nevada, Riviera departed with Incense and Nuki to locate the source of the Yacumama and acquire more while Chiba and Braid left with Jet Jaguar to intercept Godzilla, who recently appeared in Atlanta using Anguirus's tunnels.
Godzilla #4
At the Upshot-Knothole test site in Nevada, Riviera infiltrated a secret underground facility alongside Nuki and Incense. Riviera's subordinates bickered over Braid, with Incense believing that he and Nuki had chemistry while Nuki confessed to preferring Braid's company over Incense's shallowness. Soon, they came across a massive makeshift laboratory before detecting a giant kaiju approaching. As they turned to attack, the kaiju swatted Nuki and Incense away before revealing itself capable of speech as it identified Riviera by name, already aware of who they were and why they had come as it showed Riviera a vat of Yacumama, which it had created. Riviera quickly struck an alliance with the kaiju, Lament, and even helped the monster with its equipment, though Nuki and Incense expressed their reservations at working with a kaiju. As Lament cryptically alluded to its storied past, Jet Jaguar burst into the lab with Braid and Chiba, closely followed by Godzilla before a massive Yacumama from Lament's lab lunged at the King of the Monsters.
Godzilla #5
Braid reunited with Incense and his teammates while Godzilla engaged the giant Yacumama. Chiba subsequently experienced an intense psychic episode in which she learned of Lament's origins in a catastrophic experiment where scientists attempted and failed to contain and exploit the Earth's natural Kai-Sei energies, giving rise to Lament, who she described as the "Anti-Kai Sei". Though Riviera ordered Braid and the rest of his team not to intervene, Braid sided with Chiba and attacked Lament while Jet Jaguar sought to pry Yacumama off of Godzilla. Nuki quickly joined the mutiny against Riviera, encouraging Incense to do the same. Though initially conflicted, Incense joined the rest of his team and concentrated his firepower on Yacumama. The team's intervention allowed Godzilla to retreat from Yacumama, infuriating their commander. However, Yacumama grabbed Nuki and bounded after Godzilla down a tunnel, where Incense joined his team's rescue party led by Chiba. Godzilla formed a temporary alliance with Braid to break Yacumama apart while Incense and the rest of the team located and rescued Nuki. Working together, Godzilla and G-Force USA destroyed all of the Yacumama, only to be confronted by Lament, whose taunts over knowing Braid's past piqued Riviera's interest. Lament went on to detail her own origins as the formerly-human head of the disastrous Kai-Sei experiment Chiba spoke of until Godzilla detected this and destroyed the facility in an act Lament framed as Godzilla's unwillingness to share its Kai-Sei power with humanity. Lament proceeded to identify herself as Braid's mother, horribly deformed and changed by the accident Godzilla caused, enraging Braid into violently attacking Godzilla, taking their fight to the surface.
Godzilla #6
While Braid battled Godzilla, Jet Jaguar brought the rest of the team to the surface, and they found themselves in Las Vegas. Though Chiba wished to help Godzilla, Riviera decreed their priority was saving the city. Incense suggested that the team may have to take Braid out in order to stop him and his destructive campaign against Godzilla, disgusting Nuki, who refused to entertain the idea while Chiba believed that Braid could be reasoned with. Before they could act, Lament burst from the ground and confronted the team, believing Braid would carry out her wishes to kill Godzilla. The team attacked Lament, only for the talking kaiju to regenerate from all attacks, including Incense's efforts to burn away parts of her body. As the fight continued, Lament batted Nuki and Incense away after depleting them of their respective arsenals, but Chiba saved them from further harm by launching a psychic attack against Lament. The team attempted to fight Lament further before she retreated just as Braid destroyed Godzilla's body, though the kaiju's Kai-Sei lifeforce merged with Braid's in the process.
After recovering Braid, Incense and the rest of the team continued their service for G-Force USA, facing off against kaiju such as Kumonga as they sought to continue protecting the nation.
Abilities
Demolition ex-mech suit
Incense is equipped with an ex-mech suit capable of unleashing powerful incendiary blasts out of specialized gauntlets. When battling Anguirus, he ignited the oxygen around the monster's head in efforts to cut off its oxygen.
Gallery
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Incense with G-Force USA -
Incense and G-Force USA in a training exercise -
Incense livestreams his battle with Anguirus -
Incense's abilities
Comments
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