The original Mothra, first seen in her debut film “Mothra” in 1961, was a big departure from Toho’s other kaiju at that point (Godzilla, Anguirus, Rodan, Varan, and Moguera). Mothra’s image was that of a kaiju that could inspire beauty, but still instill terror. The suit was actually a very accurate representation of a moth. Complete with glowing blue compound eyes, two small antennae, a small insect mouth, large, beautifully color patterned wings (colored red, black, which, and yellow), a colorful body, and six tiny clawed legs. The abdomen of the marionette was striped red and white with a black underside. Also, between the first film in 1961 and 1964’s “Mothra vs. Godzilla”, Mothra develops a more bee-like insectoid snout, a bit more pointed out than in the original film. Mothra's rear wings were also larger in the original movie, but were scaled down for both “Mothra vs. Godzilla” and 1966’s “Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster”. All Mothra adult marionettes were performed by off-screen technicians moving large wires to make the marionette move. This technique has been used all the way up to present day, but now CGI is also used to make the movements of these marionettes look much more realistic.
