“Damn, Godzilla. You're mistaken if you think your powers are a match for Mechagodzilla.”
—Kuronuma, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
MechaGodzilla (メカゴジラ Mekagojira) is the antagonistic kaiju mecha who first appears in the 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla and later appears a year later in Terror of Mechagodzilla.
Profile[]
A weaponized anti-Godzilla robot created by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens based on research of Earth's strongest living being, Godzilla. Stored in a secret dock underneath Mt. Fuji, it is controlled remotely by voice commands from an operating base concealed in a limestone cave in Okinawa.
When it first appeared, its entire body was covered in pseudo-skin that disguised it as Godzilla, but it was eventually attacked by Anguirus, who had notice something strange and decided to investigate. It drove Anguirus away and went on a rampage in Tokyo Bay's industrial sector. "Fake Godzilla" has a metallic sounding voice, and its radioactive breath emits a glowing yellow color.
It has a body made of "space titanium", an element stronger than steel, and an internal automated missile factory that can supply a limitless supply of warheads. In addition, it can also fly at high speeds using the jets in the soles of its feet. With its sizeable number of thermal lasers, it was able to overwhelm and corner Godzilla, but Godzilla managed to paralyze it after electro-magnetizing his body, plucking off its head and leaving it to sinks to the depths off Okinawa's coast.
History[]
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla[]
MechaGodzilla first appeared from Mount Fuji disguised as Godzilla and rampaged through the countryside. Anguirus emerged from underground and suddenly attacked it, but was brutally beaten, even having his jaw broken.
MechaGodzilla then moved on to Tokyo, where it was intercepted by the real Godzilla. After a brief skirmish, Mechagodzilla shed its disguise and revealed the full extent of its weaponry. Mechagodzilla blasted Godzilla with its finger missiles and fired its laser vision at Godzilla. Godzilla countered with his atomic breath, causing the beams to lock and explode, severely damaging MechaGodzilla and badly wounding Godzilla. MechaGodzilla was called back to the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens' base in Okinawa to be repaired. The aliens captured a human scientist, Hideto Miyajima, and forced him to repair MechaGodzilla in exchange for his daughter's life.
After MechaGodzilla was completed, it was unleashed once again and sent to destroy King Caesar, an ancient guardian monster of Okinawa. Mechagodzilla dominated the battle, but before it could defeat King Caesar, Godzilla appeared once again, seeking a rematch. Godzilla and King Caesar then joined forces against Mechagodzilla, and eventually forced the mechanical monster to attempt to retreat. Godzilla called upon his newfound magnetic powers to pull MechaGodzilla toward him. Godzilla held Mechagodzilla still while King Caesar repeatedly attacked it, then twisted the machine's head off. Mechagodzilla's body then exploded along with the aliens' base, ending the invasion.
Terror of MechaGodzilla[]
MechaGodzilla was rebuilt by the Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens in Terror of Mechagodzilla in another attempt to take over the Earth. Its wreckage was recovered in the waters off Okinawa, and the machine was rebuilt in an underground base in the Japanese countryside. This time, the aliens recruited the help of a deranged Earthling scientist, Shinzo Mafune, for their invasion. Mafune helped the aliens to improve Mechagodzilla, and also offered them the assistance of the monster Titanosaurus, which he controlled. The aliens installed the control device for Mechagodzilla inside of Mafune's cybernetically-modified daughter, Katsura, because Mafune said that Mechagodzilla required living brain tissue to be perfect.
To show off Mechagodzilla's upgraded weaponry, Mechagodzilla was deployed in Tokyo, with Titanosaurus providing backup. Unleashing wave after wave of his eye beams, Mechagodzilla set large areas of the city on fire, and his finger missiles now had the capability to explode with such force as to throw buildings and vehicles into the air. Titanosaurus also wreaked havoc by creating gale-force winds with his tail that demolished structures with little effort. Titanosaurus was suddenly attacked, and fell to the ground. Revealing himself from behind a curtain of smoke, Godzilla arrived to challenge the monsters, but was outmatched. While Titanosaurus battled Godzilla head-on, Mechagodzilla blasted his organic counterpart with various weapons. Titanosaurus kicked Godzilla into a ditch, while Mechagodzilla buried him with his missiles.
The humans intervened and distracted Titanosaurus with a sonic wave oscillator, allowing Godzilla to take on Mechagodzilla one-on-one. Godzilla removed Mechagodzilla's head once again, but this time the mechanical monster had a small "brain" placed in its neck, allowing it to continue to operate without its head and fire a powerful concentrated laser. However, Katsura Mafune committed suicide to stop Mechagodzilla, and the machine shut down. Godzilla seized the opportunity and threw Mechagodzilla into a ravine, then destroyed his mechanical doppelganger for good with a blast of his atomic breath. The ravine then collapsed on top of Mechagodzilla's ruins, preventing the aliens from retrieving and rebuilding Mechagodzilla again.
Crossover Appearances[]
Project X Zone 3: War of Infinite Worlds
MechaGodzilla appears as a Boss Unit, piloted by Sheath on occasion to fight the heroes.
The Showa MechaGodzilla appears initially as an enemy mecha, piloted by the aliens from the Black Hole Planet 3, or sometimes by Sheath. It is unlocked to be playable after completing Story Mode.
Trivia[]
- Despite this Mechagodzilla being labeled "MechaGodzilla 2" in Terror of MechaGodzilla, the name "MechaGodzilla 2" is commonly given to the Heisei MechaGodzilla, both by some fans and in a considerable amount of recent media in which the various MechaGodzillas are portrayed as separate characters that exist in the same continuity, such as the IDW Comics and the Atari games, because the English title of the movie it appeared in was "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla 2" and it was the second distinct incarnation of the character, although it was first and only one to appear in its respective era.
- Mechagodzilla's suit is one of the oldest known suits to be in good condition, as it was put on display in the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, where it remains to this day.
- The Showa Mechagodzilla is the only Mechagodzilla that was created or controlled by aliens. The Heisei Mechagodzilla and Kiryu were both human-made weapons.
- Mechagodzilla was the second monster to make both Godzilla and Anguirus bleed, after Gigan in Godzilla vs. Gigan.
- The Mechagodzilla from Godzilla: Unleashed has a smaller head and an almost non-existent tail compared to its counterpart from the movies.
- The Showa Mechagodzilla's appeared multiple times outside of the Godzilla series.
- In the Ugly Americans episode "The Kong of Queens", Kong breaks open the wall of his next door neighbor, Mechagodzilla, who is eating cereal.
- Mechagodzilla is seen in one of the online game "Movie Star Planet"'s television commercials, as well as the game itself.