Gamera 2006, otherwise known as “Toto,” made his debut in the 2006 film, “Gamera: The Brave”. In this film, in 1973, Gamera, the giant turtle kaiju, perished while saving an entire sea shore village from an attack by a flock of flying kaiju called Gyaos, sacrificing himself in an explosion to defeat the evil kaiju. Thirty-three years later, in 2006, a grown man returns to the same spot he watched the battle all those years ago when he was a small boy. The piece of land where Gamera exploded doesn't exist anymore, but a small island was created by the explosion. Soon we learn that he is a father now and has a son named Toru Aizawa. Also, Toru's mother has recently died in a car crash, and this is his first summer without her. One day, Toru is walking around on the island and spots a mysterious red sparkling object, which turns out to be a rock that holds an egg and soon thereafter, a baby turtle hatches out of the egg. Toru takes the baby turtle home, keeping it a secret from his father, and spends a lot of time with it, naming the young reptile “Toto.” Toto quickly doubles in size and begins to display some very unusual behavior, like flying and spitting fireballs from his mouth. Due to this and after an incident with his father and his female friend, Mai, who lives next door, Toru thinks that it might be a good idea to get rid of the strange turtle and brings it back to the island. However, upon returning home, he thinks that maybe he should have kept Toto, but Toto has actually followed Toru home and he decides to keep him. As Toto continues to grow rapidly, he decides to tell the Mai (who suspects that Toto is actually the son of Gamera) and two of his friends about the mystical turtle and they all bring Toto to a shed near the sea together, but a few days later, Toto disappears.
Meanwhile, off the coast of Iseshima, several bizarre shipping disasters have been occurring with many fishing boats being destroyed and their whole crews lost at sea. No one knows what is happening, or what is causing these disasters. Soon, however, we learn the cause of these incidents as the monster Zedus appears from behind a mountain and attacks the village, feasting on every human in site. Toru and his father run for their lives from the frilled kaiju, but spot one of Toru’s friends trapped in rubble near Zedus and when they try to free him, Zedus turns his attention to them and prepares to devour them. But just as he tries, Toto (now much larger and sporting tusks, but not yet fully grown) suddenly comes flying from the side and strikes Zedus in the head, saving them. Zedus is angered and a battle between the two kaiju ensues, with the young Gamera getting his shell kicked by the flesh-eating Zedus. Toto is severely wounded by Zedus’s long, piercing tongue and the government quickly arrives to capture and research him while Zedus turns its attention to the Japanese city of Nagoya, where the government has taken Toto. Realizing that Toto is their ally and Zedus their enemy, the scientists researching Toto hook the young Gamera up to a machine which feeds him a liquid version of the strange red stone that Toru had found the egg in, which scientists theorize give the Gameras their power. However, before they can revive Toto, Zedus arrives and destroys the building the young Gamera is being held in. But from the rubble and debris springs Toto, now even bigger than before and attacks Zedus, but the tide of battle quickly turns in favor of the still more powerful frilled kaiju and Zedus knocks Toto into the upper floors of a skyscraper, where he remains.
Soon it is revealed that Toto needs to consume the red stone that his egg was found in to become powerful enough to defeat Zedus. Unfortunately, Toru had given the stone to Mai earlier for good luck in her hospital operation, but thanks to a news report, Mai also knows of the stone's power, and begins a handoff of the stone from child to child, until the stone eventually reaches Toru, who runs into the evacuated city to give Toto the stone. However, his father chases after him and tries to stop Toru, fearing that he will be killed if Toto self-destructs like Gamera did all those years ago, but he is eventually convinced that they must do this and father and son continue to head for Toto. They go to the top of the building where Zedus had thrown Toto earlier and Toru throws the stone into Toto's mouth. Toto then breaks free of the building, now fully grown and the new Gamera. Gamera (Toto) then makes short work of Zedus, first destroying the flesh-eating kaiju’s long tongue and then blasting him with his fireballs, completely defeating him. The government then surrounds Gamera in order to study him, but Toru stalls them long enough for Gamera to escape into the sky.
Toto’s maximum height was 35 meters tall and his weight is unknown. While not a very experienced fighter since he was so young when he battled Zedus, Gamera (Toto) learned quickly and employed his fireballs, teeth, tusks, claws, flight, incredibly tough shell, regeneration, and excellent swimming ability to overcome his first enemy.
Check out this section in February, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... ZEDUS!
FEBRUARY 2007
ZEDUS
Zedus made his debut in the 2006 film, “Gamera: The Brave”. In this film, off the coast of Iseshima, several bizarre shipping disasters have been occurring with many fishing boats being destroyed and their whole crews lost at sea. No one knows what is happening, or what is causing these disasters. Soon, however, we learn the cause of these incidents as the monster Zedus appears from behind a mountain and attacks the village, feasting on every human in site. A young boy named Toru and his father run for their lives from the frilled kaiju, but spot one of Toru’s friends trapped in rubble near Zedus and when they try to free him, Zedus turns his attention to them and prepares to devour them. But just as he tries, Toto, the son of Gamera, suddenly comes flying from the sky and strikes Zedus in the head, saving them. Zedus is angered and a battle between the two kaiju ensues, with the young Gamera getting his shell kicked by the flesh-eating Zedus. Toto is severely wounded by Zedus’s long, piercing tongue and the government quickly arrives to capture and research him while Zedus turns its attention to the Japanese city of Nagoya, where the government has taken Toto. Realizing that Toto is their ally and Zedus their enemy, the scientists researching Toto hook the young Gamera up to a machine which feeds him a liquid version of the strange red stone that Toru had found his egg in, which scientists theorize give the Gameras their power. However, before they can revive Toto, Zedus arrives and destroys the building the young Gamera is being held in. But from the rubble and debris springs Toto, now even bigger than before and attacks Zedus, but the tide of battle quickly turns in favor of the still more powerful frilled kaiju and Zedus knocks Toto into the upper floors of a skyscraper, where he remains.
Soon it is revealed that Toto needs to consume the red stone that his egg was found in to become powerful enough to defeat Zedus. Unfortunately, Toru had given the stone to Mai, his friend, earlier for good luck in her hospital operation, but thanks to a news report, Mai also knows of the stone's power, and begins a handoff of the stone from child to child, until the stone eventually reaches Toru, who runs into the evacuated city to give Toto the stone. However, his father chases after him and tries to stop Toru, fearing that he will be killed if Toto self-destructs like the original, adult Gamera did all those years ago to defeat the Gyaos, but he is eventually convinced that they must do this and father and son continue to head for Toto. They go to the top of the building where Zedus had thrown Toto earlier and Toru throws the stone into Toto's mouth. Toto then breaks free of the building, now fully grown and the new Gamera. Gamera (Toto) then makes short work of Zedus, first destroying the flesh-eating kaiju’s long tongue and then blasting him with his fireballs, completely defeating him.
Zedus' overall stats are unknown to me at this time.
Check out this section in March, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... GINO!
MARCH 2007
GINO
GINO made its debut in the 1998 Tristar film, “Godzilla”. In this film, nuclear testing on uninhabited islands controlled by the French accidentally results in the mutation of an iguana on one of the islands. This creature, dubbed GINO (I refuse to call it Godzilla), soon takes to the sea and heads for Central America, destroying a fishing trawler along the way and landing at Panama, where he left some very large tracks. However, soon the giant iguana makes his way to New York City and rampages through the town, destroying buildings and eluding the U.S. military at every turn. The French government, embarrassed by this abomination of nature they accidentally created, even sends a team of secret agents to try and stop GINO. However, it is soon revealed that GINO is pregnant and lays eggs in the abandoned Madison Square Garden. GINO then does battle with military once again and leaps into the Hudson, where it is seemingly destroyed by the missiles of submarines. Back in Madison Square Garden, however, the eggs hatch to reveal human-size Baby GINOs, who attack the French agents and Nick Tatopolas. They manage to escape the Garden and seal the Baby GINOs in before U.S. jets destroy the building and all the Baby GINOs inside. Then the adult GINO returns and the enraged mutated iguana goes on a rampage, chasing the main characters, who are in a taxi, through the streets of NYC. However, GINO eventually gets tangled in the wires of the Brooklyn Bridge and is destroyed by jets that fire missiles into its body, but in the end, one of the Baby GINOs is revealed to still be alive.
GINO stood at a height of 95 meters tall, was 150 meters long, and weighed 35,000 tons. This mutation kaiju, while never seeing any kaiju-on-kaiju battle, did have its offensive and defensive capabilities. For close-range combat, GINO could employ his claws, teeth, and tail to battle his foes, but if the battle became too extreme (which would more than likely happen all the time seeing how this kaiju is very skiddish in nature) and being devoid of any long-range weapons, Zilla could use its speed, its excellent swimming capabilities, and its ability to use a sort of “wind breath” to escape its foes and fight another day. Unfortunately for GINO, it was not quick enough to escape the jets once it was entangled in the Brooklyn Bridge.
Check out this section in April, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... The V-REX!
APRIL 2007
VASTATOSAURUS REX
The Vastatosaurus Rex made its debut in the 2005 remake of the 1933 classic, “King Kong”. In this film, the Vastatosaurus Rex, a much larger descendant of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, was first discovered by civilized man in 1933, when documentary film maker Carl Denham makes an unauthorized and illegal expedition to find the long lost and mysterious Skull Island in order to make a film about it. Denham charters a tramp steamer called the “Venture” and along with a crew that includes play-write Jack Driscoll, Actress Ann Darrow, Venture Captain Englehorn, Englehorn’s crew, and his own filming crew, he heads for the island under false pretenses of going to Singapore. Soon the crew discovers Denham’s real intentions and after a radio message from New York about Denham stealing a film, Englehorn finds out that Denham has a warrant out for his arrest and decides to change course. However, a thick fog sets in and they all soon find themselves on Skull Island, crashing the boat into massive rocks.
As the crew tries to fix the ship, Denham, Driscoll, Ann, and the film crew go ashore where they are attacked by a mob of angry natives. Some of the crew are killed, but Denham and the rest of the landing party are saved by Captain Englehorn and the rest of the crew. They return to the boat and make preparations to leave, but a native slips on board and kidnaps Ann. She is soon tied up and placed on the other side of a massive wall that separates the natives from the rest of the island. The ship's crew arm themselves and attempt a rescue mission, but are too late as Denham watches Ann be abducted by a giant ape known as Kong and carried off into the island’s jungle. Driscoll and Denham quickly form a rescue party and head into the jungle to save Ann, but are unaware of the dangers they will have to face.
One of these dangers includes the humongous and vicious Vasatosaurus Rex or “V-Rex”. The V-Rex is one of Skull Island’s top predators, second only to the giant ape King Kong, whom it is always in conflict with and was probably in conflict with other members of Kong’s species before they died out. In fact, during Ann Darrow’s abduction by Kong, she briefly escaped him and encountered three Vastatosaurus Rexes who attempted to devour her, but she was saved by the mighty Kong, who took on and defeated all three V-Rexes after a lengthy battle, killing two of them. The V-Rex’s name means Ravager-Lizard King and as stated before, it seems to be a larger descendant of the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex, with several differences. The V-Rex is roughly ten feet larger than the T-Rex with a much thicker and bulkier skull, and seems to have developed an extra finger on their small arms which acts as a thumb. These carnivores were at the top of Skull Island’s food chain, with their only natural rivals being the apes of Kong's species and each other. However, when Kong was taken to New York and killed, the Vastatosaurus Rexes became Skull Island’s top predators.
The Vastatosaurus Rexes stood at a height of 6.15 – 7.69 meters, were 12.3 – 15.3 meters long, and weighed roughly 7.5 tons. While not actually a kaiju, but a mythical dinosaur, this mighty creature could hold its own against the likes of the powerful King Kong. In battle, the V-Rex would use it's strength, speed, razor-sharp teeth and claws, and tail to attack it's enemies or prey.
Check out this section in May, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... The VENATOSAURUS!
MAY 2007
VENATOSAURUS
The Venatosaurus made its debut in the 2005 remake of the 1933 classic, “King Kong”. In this film, the Venatosaurus, a likely descendant of the Velociraptor and the Deinonychus, was first discovered by civilized man in 1933, when documentary film maker Carl Denham makes an unauthorized and illegal expedition to find the long lost and mysterious Skull Island in order to make a film about it. Denham charters a tramp steamer called the “Venture” and along with a crew that includes play-write Jack Driscoll, Actress Ann Darrow, Venture Captain Englehorn, Englehorn’s crew, and his own filming crew and heads for the island under false pretenses of going to Singapore. Soon the crew discovers Denham’s real intentions and after a radio message from New York about Denham stealing a film, Englehorn finds out that Denham has a warrant out for his arrest and decides to change course. However, a thick fog sets in and they all soon find themselves on Skull Island, crashing the boat into massive rocks.
As the crew tries to fix the ship, Denham, Driscoll, Ann, and the film crew go ashore, where they are attacked by a mob of angry natives. Some of the crew are killed, but Denham and the rest of the landing party are saved by Captain Englehorn and the rest of the crew. They return to the boat and make preparations to leave, but a native slips on board and kidnaps Ann. She is soon tied up and placed on the other side of a massive wall that separates the natives from the rest of the island. The ship's crew arm themselves and attempt a rescue mission, but are too late as Denham watches Ann be abducted by a giant ape known as Kong and carried off into the island’s jungle. Driscoll and Denham quickly form a rescue party and head into the jungle to save Ann, but are unaware of the dangers they will have to face.
One of these dangers includes the quick and vicious Ventatosaurus, whose name means “furious hunter lizard”. These dinosaurs were larger and meaner than their ancestors, but retained several traits from them; traits such as intelligence and the social structure of a pack. The intelligence of the Venatosaurus helped them learn to use their environment to their advantage and to hunt in packs, developing tactics to take down much larger animals. These tactics specifically came in handy when herding their prey, such as the Brontosaurus, when Carl Denham’s rescue party first encountered both species on Skull Island while attempting to rescue Ann Darrow from King Kong (they also killed Denham’s cameraman). The Venatosaurs were found mainly in the jungle regions of Skull Island, almost always avoiding the lowland regions where the Vastatosaurus Rexes dwell since they would kill them if given the chance.
The Venatosaurus were 4.9 – 7.4 meters long, and weighed roughly 0.25 tons (estimate). While not actually a kaiju, but a mythical dinosaur, these ravenous creatures stalked the herbivores of Skull Island for food, using their strength, speed, razor-sharp teeth and claws to attack their prey in packs and take them down.
Check out this section in June, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... JIRAS!
JUNE 2007
JIRAS
Jiras made his debut in the episode 10 of Ultraman back in 1966. In this episode, it is 1966 and Ultraman’s Science Patrol was called in to a lake teeming with fish, where it is soon revealed that a mad scientist once thought lost while investigating Loch Ness has actually created the monster Jiras. Upon discovering the monster and after some local fisherman try to poison the fish of the lake in order to kill him, Jiras goes on a rampage, killing the scientist who created him and threatening the Science Patrol. Ultraman soon appears and a battle ensues between him and Jiras, with Ultraman ultimately killing his reptilian kaiju opponent. Then Ultraman, in a sign of respect he never shows another enemy monster, places the frill he ripped off back on Jiras's neck and pauses for a moment of silence over his fallen foe.
Jiras stood at a height of 45 meters tall and weighed 30,000 tons. This mutation kaiju used his teeth, claws, and tail for close-range combat, while employing his volt charge (fired from his mouth) and boulder throwing for long-range combat. These fighting tactics, however, didn't work out in Jiras's favor as he was soundly defeated and killed by Ultraman.
Check out this section in July, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... ULTRAMAN!
JULY 2007
ULTRAMAN
Ultraman made his debut in the first episode of his self-titled series "Ultraman" back in 1966. In this series, it is the near future from the 1960s (apparently the early 1990s), evil aliens and kaiju are a constant threat to civilization and humanity itself. The only Earth organization that is able to deal with these hostile invaders is the Science Patrol, a special police force with branches all over the world who are equipped with high-tech weapons and vehicles. One of the main branches, the one located in Tokyo, Japan, is led by Captain Muramatsu and is always ready to protect the Earth from rampaging monsters, often getting in way over their heads. However, when this occurs, Hayata, the Science Patrol's most capable member, saves the day with his Beta Capsule which, when activated, allows him to secretly transform into the giant space super-human Ultraman, who battled and defeated many giant monsters who threatened the Earth. While active as Ultraman, Hayata's human body goes into a type of deep coma, reviving only after the threat has been neutralized and Ultraman willingly departs.
Victory is never certain, however, as Ultraman's powers come from rapidly depleted, stored solar energy. At the beginning of each transformation from Hayata into Ultraman, the warning light on the giant's chest begins as a steady blue color. However, as Ultraman battles and uses up his energy, the light changes to red, then blinks slowly at first then increasingly faster as his energy supply runs out and if Ultraman ever completely runs out of energy, he will never rise again. In fact, in episode 39, Ultraman’s warning light is damaged by a monster and without being able to measure his energy supply; Ultraman stays in his too long and collapses, falling unconscious. The Science Patrol, however, were able to defeat the monster on their own before Zoffy, Ultraman's superior, came to Earth to retrieve him. Upon reviving, Ultraman pleads with Zoffy for Hayata's life and even offers his life so that Hayata could live as a normal man. Zoffy then tells Ultraman that he has brought two lives and that he will give one to Hayata. He then separates Hayata and Ultraman, leaving Hayata with no memory of his time as Ultraman (which is a different ending than the English dubbed version which stated Ultraman would return and that Hayata retained his Beta Capsule as he awaited Ultraman's return).
In the 1960s, Ultraman stood at a height of 40 meters tall and weighed 35,000 tons. This giant super-human from space used many different abilities, both long-range offensive and short-range defensive, in battling his many foes. These abilities included, but weren't limited to his Specium ray, Ultra Slash, Attack Beam, Ultra See-Through Beam, Ultra Air-Catch, Ultra water stream, Teleportation, a rectangular laser shield, strength, agility, and his ability to shrink back to human size.
Check out this section in August, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... THE GIANT SEA SNAKE!
AUGUST 2007
THE GIANT SEA SNAKE
The Giant Sea Snake made his debut in the 1967 film, “King Kong Escapes”. In this film, King Kong was discovered living on Mondo Island by a United Nations research team lead by Carl Nelson, Susan Watson, and Jiro Nomura. Kong soon finds and rescues Ms. Watson from the jaws of Gorosaurus, taking a liking to his newfound “beauty”. During the battle with Gorosaurus, Carl and Jiro come to Susan’s aid and the three try to escape the island to their submarine, but they are blocked by a Giant Sea Snake swimming in the waters off Mondo Island. After defeating Gorosaurus, Kong rushes after Susan and intercepts the Sea Snake, tossing boulders at the serpent in order to distract it from its intended target, but it has little effect. Kong then dives into the water and attacks the Sea Snake, beginning a short, but fierce battle where Kong quickly defeats the Giant Sea Snake and drives it away.
The Giant Sea Snake is 85 meters long and weighs about 4,000 tons (estimate). While not a very strong or smart fighter, the Giant Sea Snake is an excellent swimmer and could very well achieve victory agaist weaker kaiju by clamping onto them with his sharp teeth and suffocating them with his constricting coils.
Check out this section in September, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... KIKO - THE SON OF KONG!
SEPTEMBER 2007
KIKO - THE SON OF KONG
Kiko, the son of King Kong, made his debut in the 1933 film, “Son of Kong”. In this film, in the aftermath of the destruction caused by the giant ape King Kong in New York City, adventurer and filmmaker Carl Denham finds himself implicated in several lawsuits brought against him by the city for his “attraction” running amok. A distraught Denham begins to wish that he had never brought King Kong to civilization when Charlie, the cook from the Venture, the freighter that brought Denham to Skull Island earlier in the year, comes to Denham and tells him that Captain Englehorn would like to speak with him. Denham meets up with Englehorn on the ship, where the captain makes the filmmaker a proposition to sail to the Dutch East Indies with him to make a living as cargo shipping agents. With all the lawsuits and the threat of the Grand Jury indicting him hanging over his head, Denham agrees and they soon set sail, leaving New York City behind. After some time at sea, they eventually run into a man named Niles Helstrom, the very same man who sold the map of Skull Island to Denham almost a year earlier, and he wants to catch a ride on the Venture. So Helstrom makes up a story about their being hidden treasure on Skull Island and feeds it to Denham and Captain Englehorn, who fall for it and they soon set sail to return to Kong’s homeland. Along the way they discover a stow away named Hilda, who had been part of a traveling show run by her recently deceased father. Unable to turn back, they press on and eventually arrive back on Skull Island, where a mutiny takes place and Denham, Englehorn, Charlie, Hilda, and Helstrom are kicked off the Venture and make for Skull Island in a life boat.
Once on the island, they run into the natives and the chief recognizes Denham immediately, reacting hostile toward the man who took Kong and forces them off the island. They then take the life boat out and reenter the island through a hidden cave, where Denham and Hilda explore and run into King Kong’s much smaller and gentler son Kiko (a name used in production, but never spoken in the film), who is trapped in quicksand. They look around and locate a small tree, which Denham pushes over and the son of Kong grabs it and pulls himself out. After befriending Kiko, the group soon finds evidence of a temple and wonders if the treasure might be stored inside. Along the way they encounter the island’s dinosaurs and a Giant Cave Bear, which Denham fires at, but when Hilda screams, Kiko comes to the rescue and battles the bear. During the fight Kiko clubs the Giant Cave Bear with a tree to defeat it, but injures his finger in the process, a wound to which Carl Denham tends to in order to try and “make up” for what he did to his father, King Kong. Continuing toward the temple, Englehorn, Charlie, and Helstrom becomes separated from Denham and Hilda, who are continuously aided by the befriending son of Kong, who helps them get inside the temple where they locate some massive diamonds. However, an Apatosaurus soon enters the area and attacks, but Kiko quickly comes to the rescue and stops the marauding quadruped dinosaur.
Englehorn and the others soon arrive and Helstrom, not knowing that Denham had actually found a treasure, confessed that he lied to them about the riches of Skull Island. Helstrom then tries to escape the island via the life boat, but a sea creature attacks and kills him. With Helstrom now dead and gone, an earthquake soon strikes Skull Island and begins to tear it apart, causing it to sink into the ocean. Englehorn, Hilda, and Charlie board the now vacant life boat and quickly row away from the island, but Denham and Kiko make for the highest point on the doomed island, which too begins to become submerged. However, Carl Denham’s life is saved when Kiko picks him up and holds him above the rising water as long as he can. The life boat finally arrives and picks up Denham, but the son of Kong drowns in the ocean depths. Some time later a ship arrives, rescues the survivors, and the treasure is split among them.
The Son of Kong was 4 meters tall and weighed about 2 tons (estimate). Like his father, Kiko was a very intelligent creature and fought with his brain as well as his fists, strength, and teeth. Kiko would also employ his surroundings to take on his opponents, for example using an uprooted tree as a club against the Giant Cave Bear. However, for all his strength and intelligence, Kiko, like most apes, could not swim and succumbed to drowning.
Check out this section in October, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... THE GIANT BEHEMOTH!
OCTOBER 2007
THE GIANT BEHEMOTH
The Giant Behemoth made its debut in the 1959 film, “The Giant Behemoth”. In this film, thanks to the dumping of radioactive waste into the English Channel, something has gone horribly wrong within the water’s depths. Ships and submarines are going missing, thousands upon thousands of dead fish are washing up on shore, and an old man dies along the beach from mysterious burns, screaming something about a Giant Behemoth before he passes. With all these happenings people begin to suspect that radioactivity has something to do with it, since these situations are much like that of the aftermath of Hiroshima, but a scan of the beach turns up nothing. However, when one of the dead fish is dissected and examined by main character Steven Karnes, it turns out to contain radiation. With this new information, Karnes hopes onto a boat, but catches a glimpse of a giant creature, one he has suspected to exist. He also locates a shipwreck with severely burning passengers and a large, dinosaur-like footprint is discovered. Meanwhile, a helicopter spots the Giant Behemoth, but is blown up by the giant dinosaur, which soon makes landfall in London and attacks the great city after destroying a few boats. The military attempts to destroy the Behemoth, but it is discovered that if it is destroyed, a large amount of radioactive contamination will engulf the entire country. The military then refrains from attacking the monster as it wrecks the city of London before returning to the sea. In the water, Karnes boards a submarine and fires a specially equipped torpedo at the Giant Behemoth, which hits the creature and injects it with a high dose radiation, destroying it. However, radio reports soon come in that more dead fish are washing ashore, but this time along the Atlantic coast of the United States!
I am unaware of the stats for the Giant Behemoth and the mutated dinosaur had no fight record.
Check out this section in November, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... GOMORA!
NOVEMBER 2007
GOMORA
Gomora made his debut in episodes 26 and 27 of Ultraman back in 1966. In these episodes, Professor Nakatani, aided by Science Patrol member Arashi who is acting as his guard, goes on a scientific expedition to the Johnson Islands. They discover that the legendary monster, a 150 year old dinosaur named Gomora, is still alive and Nakatani decides to bring the still-living monster to a museum for the World's Fair. The Science Patrol agrees, despite the utter illogic and danger of bringing a living monster to a largely populated city. Before the monster attacks them, however, Arashi tranquilizes the monster with the UNG Dart, and the Patrol airlifts the monster via nets with the Jet VTOL. Unfortunately, the Gomora awakens an hour early due to atmospheric changes between the island and the mainland and the VTOL is forced to release the nets holding him, causing the monster to free-fall and crash to the ground. Enraged, Gomora goes on a rampage on Mount Rokko, with Ultraman soon arriving to take on the ancient dinosaur kaiju, but is unable to stop the rampaging monster and is beaten. Even worse, during the battle Ultraman’s Beta Capsule is knocked free from Ultraman and is retrieved by a kid nicknamed the “Monster Prince” due to his fascination with monsters.
As Gomora continues his rampage, Ide of the Science Patrol uses the powerful Mars 133 gun on Gomora, succeeding in severing his tail. However, the monster quickly burrows under the ground in retreat, later surfacing near Osaka Castle and destroying it. Then, as the monster pursues Ide and Arashi, the child nicknamed the “Monster Prince” returns the Beta Capsule to Hayata. Hayata tells the kid to get to safety and uses the Beta Capsule to transform back into Ultraman. Ultraman and Gomora then do battle once again, this time with Ultraman being the victor.
Gomora stood at a height of 60 meters tall and weighed 50,000 tons. This ancient dinosaur kaiju used his teeth, claws, horns, and powerful tail to attack his opponents offensively, while using his armored torso for defense. When the tide of battle didn’t quite go Gomora’s way, he would use his burrowing ability to burrow underground and escape to fight another day. Unfortunately for him, even though he defeated him once, he could not do it again and was beaten by Ultraman in their second battle.
Check out this section in December, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... REDKING!
DECEMBER 2007
REDKING
Red King made his debut in episode 8 of Ultraman back in 1966. In this episode, the monster Red King was first discovered on a remote island along with a slew of other kaiju by a small group of scientists. These scientists were terrorized by the monsters and in the end, all but one of them were killed. Red King, however, seemed to be the bully of the island’s monsters, attacking and defeating the monster Chandlar by tearing off one of its limbs and throwing it and some rocks at the wounded kaiju as it fled, never to be seen again. Another kaiju on the island, Magla also survived Red King’s onslaught, but was eventually killed by the Science Patrol. Due to all the commotion, and after Red King killed the friendly monster Pigmon, Ultraman soon arrived and engaged Red King in battle and defeated him when he knocked the mutation kaiju out after flipping the monster several times.
Red King, however, would not be kept down for long and later returned as part of another trio of monsters, which included the monsters Dorako and Gigas. Just as before, Red King bullied the kaiju he kept company with and killed Dorako by ripping it’s wings off. He also drove off Gigas, who would later fall victim to an experimental Science Patrol bomb. Later it was discovered that all three monsters were awakened by the radiation of a nearby comet. However, apparently during the time between now and his last battle with Ultraman, Red King had swallowed a long-lost atomic weapon. Upon learning this, Ultraman and Red King battled again, with the giant space warrior ultimately paralyzing Red King and raising him off the ground with telekinesis. Ultraman then used two of his energy rings to slice Red King into thirds, then grabbed the head and neck of the mutation kaiju, where the atomic bomb apparently rested, and flew the severed body parts into space, where the atomic bomb detonated harmlessly.
Red King stood at a height of 45 meters tall and weighed 20,000 tons. This seemingly mutation kaiju used his incredible strength, fangs, and armored skin to overpower his opponents, usually killing them in the process. However, Red King was no match for Ultraman, who defeated him twice and ultimately met death at the hands of the superhuman space man.
Check out this section in JANUARY, when the Kaiju of the Month will be... THE GIANT SEA LOUSE!
