A Short, Incomplete History of Kaiju

[The Baron]

(OOC Note: This will not include every possible Kaiju story, only ones that I am especially familiar with.  I shudder to think of even trying to include all forty-odd years of Ultraman series in here, as well as all the various tokusatsu that were essentially Ultraman knock-offs.   Since many of these stories contradict one another, I will  be "adapting" continuity somewhat arbitrarily to suit myself, and what I think makes for a better story.)

Introduction

”Kaiju” is a Japanese word usually translated as “giant monster”, but which would be better rendered as “strange creature’. It is typically applied to a wide range of creatures, including but not limited to:

 

1. Otherwise normal animals of unusually large size.
2. Animals and plant life mutated by exposure to radiation or chemical or other agents.
3. Life forms engineered (by both terrestrial and extraterrestrial civilizations) to serve as living weapons.
4. Extraterrestrial beings.
5. Various as yet unclassified creatures.

The term kaiju was used primarily in Japan for many years before it became known in other parts of the world. There have been objections to the word as "unscientific", but it did enjoy a brief vogue outside Japan in the early Twenty-First Century. Whether the newer term "Titans", which has come into vogue recently. will supplant it remains to be seen. Note that kaiju are distinguished from "mecha", giant robots which are often used as weapons systems, and which often share many characteristics with them.

Prehistory

What little we know about this period in Earth's history comes from scant archaeological evidence and the occasional testimony of the beings known variously as the "Cosmos", the "Elias" and the "Shobijin".

65,000,000 BC:  King Ghidorah visits Earth, wiping out the dinosaurs.  It battles a time-traveling Mothra V from the year 1998.(1)

 

60,000,000 BC:  The spacecraft containing Orgah crashlands on Earth. (2 )

 

10,000,000 BC: Death Ghidorah attacks Earth, but is sealed away by a race of moth-like creatures and their humanoid allies, the Elias. (3)

 

10,000 BC:  Mothra battles Gigan on Infant Island. (4)

The First "Monsters"

AD 1933:   Promoter Carl Denham brings the giant ape named “King Kong” from Skull Island to New York City, where Kong escapes and is destroyed by military airplanes   A subsequent expedition to Skull Island discovers a juvenile giant ape they name “Son of Kong”.  This ape perishes in a volcanic eruption, and the island is believed destroyed. (5)  Sometime later, Denham adopts the alias “Max O’Hara”, and, returning to the U.S., and establishes himself as a theatrical agent.(6)

 

AD 1944:  Events this year include:

• Two  fighter pilots, American Hank Marlow and Japanese Gunpei Ikari, parachute onto a South Pacific island after a dogfight and engage in close combat, but the fight is interrupted by a giant ape. In fact, they had  landed on Skull Island. (7)
• Japanese soldiers stationed on Lagos Island encounter the dinosaur (later designated "godzillasaurus") that will one day become Godzilla VI. It inadvertently saves them by destroying American landing forces.  Wilson's team of time travelers (See 1992) teleports the godzillasaurus into the North Pacific, and surreptitiously leaves three genetically engineered creates called "Dorats" on the island instead. The island is subsequently used for a nuclear test, and the three Dorats fuse and mutate into King Ghidorah II, which then goes into hibernation.(8)

 

AD 1945: The beating, undying heart of Frankenstein’s Monster is taken out of Germany by U-boat and delivered to a Japanese submarine in the Indian Ocean. It is then taken to Hiroshima, where it is presumed destroyed in the atomic blast. (9)

 

AD 1949:  Max O'Hara brings the gorilla called "Mighty Joe Young" to Hollywood. Joe does not enjoy his show business career. After saving some children from a burning orphanage, he is returned to Africa. (10)

 

AD 1953: An American nuclear test (the imaginatively-named "Operation Experiment") in the Arctic awakens a hibernating Rhedosaurus, which proceeds to New York City, where it is destroyed by the military. (11)

The Age of Kaiju: The Early Years

 AD 1954: Nuclear testing in the Pacific awakens and mutates a hibernating dinosaur that comes to be known as “Godzilla”. It attacks Tokyo, but is destroyed by Doctor Daisuke Serizawa’s Oxygen Destroyer.  Serizawa allows himself to be killed so that the secret of the Oxygen Destroyer is lost. (12) 

AD 1955:  A second “Godzilla” appears in Japan.  Godzilla II battles and defeats another newly-appeared monster, Anguirus, before being frozen in an iceberg. (13)  The continued appearance of giant, destructive creatures galvanizes the world’s scientific community.

AD 1956: Seismic activity in Japan awakens two hibernating pterosaur-like creatures that come to be known as Rodan. One Rodan is apparently destroyed by the Japanese military and the other is forced back into hibernation. (14)

AD 1957: Aliens claiming to be from Mysteriod, formerly the fifth planet of the Solar System, land on Earth, demanding land and the right to breed with Earth women. The Mysterians send the robot MOGUERA to attack Japan. They are defeated by Earth forces, and driven from the planet. (15) Galvanized by the reality of extraterrestrial threat, the nations of the world begin the slow process of realizing that humans no longer had the luxury of fighting among themselves.

AD 1958: A monster named Varan is discovered in a Japanese lake. Provoked by the Japanese military, it attacks Tokyo, but is driven off. (16)

AD 1961:  Events this year include:

• Rolisican businessman Clark Nelson kidnaps the Shobijin from Infant Island and takes them to Newkirk City, the Rolisican capital. Mothra goes to Rolisica. and retrieves them.(17)
• A British entrepreneur captures an immature dinosaur he names “Gorgo”, taking it to London to exhibit it. Its parent goes to London to retrieve it, wreaking havoc as it does. (18)
• A mining expedition in Lapland finds the frozen tail of a dinosaur, sending it to Copenhagen. There it regenerates into a creature that is named “Reptilicus”.  U.S. and Danish forces working together manage to destroy it. (19)

AD 1962:  An expedition sponsored by the Pacific Pharmaceutical Company travels to Faro Island near the Solomon Islands.  They find a giant ape they call King Kong II. They capture it and bring it to Japan even as Godzilla II revives. Godzilla II and King Kong II battle inconclusively in Japan before vanishing into the sea. (20)

AD 1963:   The undersea Mu Empire attacks surface shipping with the monster Manda. The Japanese government sends the submarine Gotengo to Mu, where it defeats Manda and the Mu Empire. (21)

AD 1964:  Events this year include:

• The space monster Dagorah attacks Tokyo, but is driven off when humanity discovers its weakness to wasp venom. (22)
• Godzilla II attacks Tokyo, but is driven off with Mothra’s help. Mothra dies during this battle, but two new Mothra larvae hatch from an egg that had washed ashore in Japan. (23)
• King Ghidorah attacks Japan, but is driven off by Godzilla II, Mothra II and a newly-revived Rodan. (24)

AD 1965: Events this year include:  

• The inhabitants of Planet X attack the Earth using the mind-controlled monsters King Ghidorah, Godzilla II and Rodan. They are defeated when Earth’s military and scientists manage to free Godzilla II and Rodan from the aliens’ control. The UN subsequently establishes diplomatic relations with Planet X, and cultural and technological exchanges follow.(25)
• The heart of Frankenstein’s Monster has mutated into a giant humanoid. The giant Frankenstein battles the monster Baragon. (9)
• An accidental atomic explosion revives the giant turtle Gamera. It attacks Tokyo, but is trapped in a rocket and shot into space. (26)

AD 1966: Events this year include:

• The Red Bamboo, a communist paramilitary group working from a base on Letchi Island in the South Pacific, oppresses the local islanders using the giant lobster, Ebirah. Godzilla II destroys both the base and Ebirah, while Mothra II rescues the islanders. (27) At some point after this, Mothra II dies and is replaced by a new larval Mothra, hereafter “Mothra III”.
• In Japan, cells from Frankenstein’s Monster have grown into Sanda, the benevolent Brown Gargantua, and Gailah, the cannibalistic Green Gargantua.  The Gargantuas battle to their mutual destruction in a volcanic eruption. (28)
• Gamera returns to Earth, where it battles the monster Barugon. (29)

AD 1967: Events this year include:

• A U.N. weather control experiment in the South Pacific accidentally causes a spider and several praying mantises to mutate and become the monsters Kumonga and Kamacurus, as well as reviving an immature Godzilla-type creature that they call “Minilla”. When Kumonga and Kamacurus attack Minilla, Godzilla II responds to its distress and drives them off. The weather experiment goes further awry and freezes the island, putting Godzilla II and Minilla into hibernation. (30)
• Gamera battles the monster Gyaos in Japan. (31)
• Japanese scientists capture an immature kaiju they call “Gappa” and study it until its parents reclaim it from them. (32)
• An Asian government hires the criminal scientist Doctor Huu to mine a deposit of Element X. He builds the robot Mechanikong to do it. When this fails, he captures a giant ape dubbed "King Kong III" after watching it battle the dinosaur Gorosaurus on Mondo Island. King Kong III escapes and destroys Mechanikong. (33)
• The monster Yongary attacks Korea, but is destroyed using corrosive chemicals. (34)
• A Mars mission brings back to Earth a spore which grows into the monster Guilala, which has to be destroyed. (35)
• Using technology purchased from Planet X and reverse-engineered from the leavings of various alien invasions, the U.N. gathers the monsters Godzilla II, Rodan, Mothra III, Manda, Varan, Baragon, Anguirus, Gorosaurus, Kumonga and Minilla and confines them in a facility in the Ogasawara Islands called “Monsterland”. (36)  Several kaiju – including Gamera, the Gappas, the Kongs, and others – evaded capture.  Mothra III’s compliance was obtained through the mediation of the Shobijin.

AD 1968:  Events this year include:

• Gamera defeats the alien monster Viras.  (37)
• Aliens called the Kilaaks attempt to conquer the Earth using King Ghidorah as well as the mind-controlled monsters from Monsterland. The Kilaaks are defeated through the combined efforts of humanity and Earth’s monsters. (36) During the Kilaak invasion, Tokyo, Beijing, Moscow, London, Paris and New York City are largely destroyed.  The resultant political dislocation causes a seismic shift in relations between the nations of Earth.  While there will still be conflicts between nations, humans will be increasingly less concerned with fighting among themselves than with potential alien threats.
• Japan moves its capital to Osaka. UN HQ is moved to Geneva.While Tokyo will be rebuilt, it will never be quite what it was. A movement begins in Japan to move out of cities. Going forward, cities in Japan will be built with kaiju attacks in mind.

AD 1969: Events this year include: 

• A young Tokyo boy who dreams of travel to Monsterland helps capture two bank robbers, becoming a minor celebrity, and something of a poster child for “latchkey children” in Japan. (38)
• Aliens from the planet Terra capture two Earth boys. Gamera pursues them to their homeworld, where he battles their guardian monster Guiron, rescues the two boys, and returns them to Earth. (39)

AD  1970: Events this year include:

• Gamera defeats the monster Jiger. (40)
• A extraterrestrial called Yog possesses three Earth creatures, causing them to become the monsters Ganimes, Gezora and Kamoebas. It is defeated when the three creatures are destroyed by an erupting volcano. (41)

AD 1971: Events this year include:

• Minilla, having grown to maturity, becomes known as “Godzilla III”. Godzilla III defeats the monster Hedorah. (42)
• Gamera defeats the alien monster Zigra.(43)

AD 1972: Alien cockroaches from Nebula M Spacehunter use King Ghidorah and Gigan to attempt to conquer the Earth but are stopped by Godzilla III and Anguirus. (44)

AD 1973: Events this year include:

• An expedition by MONARCH visits Skull Island, where they rescue the long-stranded Hank Marlow and discover a giant ape called King Kong IV. (7)
• Tests of weapons designed to fight alien invasions disrupt the undersea kingdom of Seatopia. The Seatopians send Megalon and Gigan to attack Japan. They are defeated by Godzilla III and the robot Jet Jaguar. (45)

AD 1974:  Alien Simians attack Japan with the robot Mechagodzilla, but are defeated by Godzilla III and the Okinawan guardian monster, King Caesar. (46)

AD 1975: The Simians send the dinosaur Titanosaurus and a rebuilt Mechagodzilla to attack Japan, but they are defeated by Godzilla III and the JSDF. (47)

AD 1976: An expedition by the Petrox Oil Company discovers a giant ape called King Kong V on an island in the Indian Ocean.  They capture it and return it to New York City, where they exhibit it.  Predictably, Kong breaks loose and must be killed.(48)

AD 1977:  A Godzilla-type monster, hereafter “Godzilla IV” appears in Alaska and begins making its way across North America.  The US government organization SHIELD is charged with stopping it. (49) When Godzilla IV reaches San Francisco, it battles the American super-hero team known as the Champions. (50)  Godzilla IV subsequently battled monsters created by the criminal Douglas Birely (Doctor Demonicus).

AD 1978:  Events this year include:

• The giant mecha “Red Ronin” is deployed against Godzilla IV.  Godzilla IV battles the monster Yetrigar in the Grand Canyon.  Godzilla IV is subsequently caught up in the war between the Betans and the Megans.
• The crew of the research vessel Calico encounter yet another Godzilla-type kaiju, hereafter Godzilla V, and a smaller creature they call “Godzooky”. They have many adventures together over the next few years.  (51)

AD 1979: Events this year include:

• Reaching New York City, Godzilla IV battles the super-human adventurers known as the Fantastic Four (52) and the super-hero team known as the Avengers (53) Before vanishing into the Atlantic. Its final fate is unknown.
• A new type of mutants first begins being born, designated "M-mutants". Unlike X- mutants, they exhibit the same mutation, enhanced physical strength and speed. (4)  Upon examination, M-mutants are all found to have a chemical compound in their  systems called M-base.They are later found to be the result of genetic manipulation by the Xiliens.
• The alien Followers of Light recruit three humans, Richard Carson,  Genji Odashu and Ilongo  Savage, to battle their ancient enemy, Lord Maur-Kon. For the next two years, the trio pilot the mechas known as Raydeen, Combatra and Dangard Ace before finally defeating Maur-Kon with the help of the Fantastic Four. (54)

AD 1980:  The alien warlord Zanon revives the monsters Gyaos, Jiger, Zigra, Viras, Guiron and Barugon  and sends them to attack Earth. Two super-heroines known as the Spacewomen recruit Gamera, who defeats the monsters, and sacrifices its own life to destroy Zanon. (55)

The Age of Kaiju: The Middle Years

AD 1984:  A Soviet nuclear submarine  sinks in the North Pacific near the hibernating Godzillasaurus, causing it to mutate into Godzilla  VI. (9) It attacks Tokyo, but the Japanese military manages to seal it into a volcano. (56)

AD 1988: The United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center (UNGCC) is formed. One of its first recruits is Saegusa Miki, a young X-mutant. with telepathic and telekinetic powers. (57)

AD 1989: Godzilla VI battles a plant monster called Biollante.  (57)

AD 1991:  Eccentric roboticist Joel Robinson claims to have been visited by Mothra  and Gamera while imprisoned  on the so-called "Satellite  of Love".  His reports are never corroborated, (58)

AD 1992:  Events this year include:

• A time machine commanded by a man named Wilson arrives in this time period. He claims to be from a future in which Godzilla has destroyed Japan, and that he has come back to prevent that'  One of his crew, Emi Kano,  turns against him and reveals that they come from  a future where Japan is economically dominant, and that that is what Wilson has come back to prevent. Wilson uses King Ghidorah II to attack Japan.  Godzilla VI is further mutated when it absorbs energy from a Japanese nuclear submarine. It battles and badly mauls King Ghidorah II.  Emi Kano brings Mecha-King Ghidorah back from the future.  It subdues Godzilla VI but is destroyed in the process. (8) She then returns to  her own time.
• Then newly-hatched Mothra IV gets caught up in a three-way battle with Battra and Godzilla VI. Eventually, it and Battra ally to defeat Godzilla VI, but Battra is killed in the process. (59)

AD 1993: The UNGCC has built its own Mechagodzilla  (hereafter Machagodzilla II) An expedition to Birth Island in the Bering Strait discovers that Rodan III has hatched from an egg. They discover an unhatched egg that they take back to Japan while Godzilla VI battles Rodan III. The egg hatches into a Baby Godzilla. Both Rodan III and Godzilla VI travel to Japan to retrieve it. Rodan III is destroyed by Mechagodzilla II. Godzilla VI destroys Mechagodzilla II, then returns to Birth Island with Baby Godzilla. (60)  The UNGCC rebuilds the remnants of Mechagodzilla II into MOGUERA II, a new robot based on the Mysterians’ design.

AD 1994: Godzilla VI, MOGUERA II and the monster Space Godzilla have a three-way battle in Tokyo in which Space Godzilla and MOGUERA II are destroyed. (61)  A young X-mutant telepath named Ozawa Meru joins the UNGCC. 

AD 1995:  Events this year include:

• Godzilla VI and Baby Godzilla, now known as “Godzilla Junior” battle the monster Destroyah in Tokyo. Destroyah is defeated, but Godzilla VI melts down. Godzilla Junior absorbs the energy released and matures into Godzilla VII. (62) Godzilla VII is subsequently captured and frozen in the ice in Antarctica. (4)
• Gamera II defeats a swarm of Gyaos creatures. (63)

The Age of Kaiju: The Later Years

AD 1996: Events this year include:

• Gamera II defeats the space monster Legion. (64)
• Mothra IV is killed batlting Death Ghidorah. A new Mothra (Mothra V, sometimes also called “Mothra Leo”) hatches and seals Death Ghidorah away.(3)

AD 1997: Mothra  V defeats Dagahra. (65)

AD 1998:  Events this year include:

• Mothra V defeats King Ghidorah III. (1)
• A French nuclear test causes an iguana to mutate into a monster that attacks New York City, and which comes to be known as Godzilla VIII. Godzilla VIII is defeated in battle by the US military. (66)
• One of Godzilla VIII’s offspring, Godzilla IX, battles various monsters, often alongside the Humanitarian Environmental Analysis Team, or “HEAT”. (67)

AD 1999: Events this year include:

•  A new Godzilla-type creature, Godzilla X, defeats Orgah. (2)
• Gamera II defeats the monster Iris. (68)

AD 2000: Events this year include:

• Godzilla X defeats the extradimensional monster Megaguirus. (69)
• As the first generation of M-type reach maturity, many of them are recruited into the newly-formed Earth Defense Force. (4)

AD 2001:  Another Godzilla-type kaiju, Godzilla XI, is possessed by the spirits of those that died in the Pacific War, and attacks Japan.  Three “guardian monsters” – Baragon II, King Ghidorah IV, and Mothra VI – defeat it, but are destroyed in the process. (70)

AD 2002: The JXSDF constructs Mechagodzilla III  (nicknamed “Kiryu”) from the bones of the original Godzilla.  It battles Godzilla X to a draw. (71)

AD 2003:  Mothra  V and Mechagodzilla III battle Godzilla X.  Mothra V is killed in the battle, although two new Mothra larvae appear. (As before, only one Mothra  is seen going forwards. The fate of the other  is unknown.) Mechagodzilla III is also destroyed. (72}

AD 2004: Events this year  include:

• The Gotengo II destroys the monster Manda II.
• Aliens known as Xiliens attack Earth using the monsters Zilla (one of the offspring of Godzilla VIII), Gigan II, Hedorah II, Rodan iV, Anguirus II, Kumonga II, Kamakiras II, Ebirah II and King Seesar. Shanghai, Paris, New York City, and Sydney are destroyed.  The Gotengo II  frees Godzilla VII from its icy prison.  Godzilla VII defeats the other monsters.  The Xiliens are defeated by the EDF and Earth's super-heroes. In Tokyo,  Godzilla VII and  Mothra  VI battle Monster X and Gigan II.  Mothra VI and Gigan II battle to their mutual destruction. Godzilla VII defeats Monster X . It transforms into Kaiser Ghidorah, which is destroyed by Godzilla VII. Godzilla VII then leaves with a new immature Godzilla-type monster, called Minilla II. (4)

AD 2006: A new Gamera-type kaiju, Gamera III, appears and battles the monster Zedus.  (73)

AD 2008: Events this year include:

• Guilala II attacks the G8 Summit, but is driven away by Take-Majin. (74)
• The so-called "Cloverfield" monster attacks New York City, but is quickly defeated by the city’s super-heroes. (75)

AD 2009: Susan "Ginormica" Murphy, B.O.B., the Missing Link, Doctor Cockroach and Insectosaurus defeat Gallaxhar's invasion of Earth.  (76)

AD 2013: Alien invaders send kaiju to attack Earth through a dimensional gateway that comes to be known as "The Breach".  Terrestrial monsters including Godzilla VII and Gamera III defeat the alien monsters, and Earth's heroes seal the Breach. (77)

AD 2014:  A new Godzilla-type creature (hereafter “Godzilla XII”)  appears and battles two creatures known as "MUTOs" in San Francisco. (78)

AD 2016:  A new kaiju that superficially resembles Godzilla, and which comes to be known as Godzilla XIII, attacks Tokyo, but is frozen by Japanese scientists. (79)

AD 2019: Godzilla XII and a new Mothra, Mothra VII, battle King Ghidorah IV and Rodan IV in many places around the world, including Antarctica and Boston. (80)

AD 2021:  Godzilla XII and  King Kong IV battle at sea and in Hong Kong, before allying to defeat Mechagodzilla IV, a robot created by Apex Cybernetics. (81)

AD 2204: Japan has become the world's dominant economic power. A man called Wilson steals a time machine and travels into the past in an attempt to alter history and prevent Japan's rise to power. Emi Kano subsequently returns to this time and has the remains of King Ghidorah  II rebuilt into Mecha-King Ghidorah.  She returns to the 20th Century with Mecha-King Ghidorah to battle Godzilla VI. She returns to her own time when the battle is over. (8)

Notes

1)See Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)  The origin of King Ghidorah and other similar creatures is unknown. I speculate that they may be varying types of living “Doomsday Machines”, remnants of a cosmic war fought unimaginable eons ago, and long since run out of the control of their presumably long-dead creators.

2)See Godzilla 2000 (1999)  The origin of this spacecraft remains unknown,

3)See Rebirth of Mothra (1996) The nature of the relationship between the Mothrae and their tiny companions is unclear, but it does seem to  be symbiotic in nature. Their origins are unknown.

4)See Godzilla: Final Wars (2004) Several civilizations with technology in advance of our own are known to have existed around this time, but they were destroyed in a cataclysm said to have been brought about by their own hubris. Only garbled legends and hidden remnants (Mu, Seatopia) remain.  What little information we have about this period makes it clear that these civilizations engineered what we now call “kaiju” to serve as weapon systems.  It is unknown whether the Gigan of this time period was serving a terrestrial or extraterrestrial agency.

5)See King Kong (1933) and Son of Kong (1933) It is now believed that this original Kong  and his so-called “Son” (Since the “Son”’s body was never retrieved, it is impossible to establish its relationship with Kong, but it seems likely that they were close kin.) were simply extremely large apes of a previously unknown species. It is unknown who constructed the ancient wall that stood on Skull Island.  From the photographs that Denham’s expedition provided, it seems unlikely that the natives could have constructed it. Denham's belief that Skull Island was destroyed would later be proven to have been erroneous.

6)(OOC Note: The idea that these two were the same person was not original with me, but I can't remember where I first saw it.)

7)See Kong: Skull Island (2017) MONARCH (See 1973) was a U.S. government organization tasked with studying the creatures they called "Titans" (i.e., kaiju)

8)See Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

9)See Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965) The story of the infamous scientist Baron Viktor von Frankenstein (1767-1798) is clouded in a miasma of myths and legends, exacerbated by the liberties taken by his biographer, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. How the heart of his creature came into the Nazis' hands is unknown.

10)See Mighty Joe Young (1949)

11)See The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms (1953)

12)See Godzilla (1954) While Godzilla is commonly believed to be a mutated dinosaur, there are still competing theories as to its origins. The fact that there have been multiple “Godzillas” with varying characteristics over the years has clouded the issue.  The name “Godzilla” is an anglicization of “Gojira”, the name of a legendary monster in the culture of Oto Island, near where Godzilla first appeared.

13)See Godzilla Raids Again (1955)  The name “Anguirus” is derived from “ankylosaurus”. Although it was initially believed that Anguirus was killed by Godzilla II, it was later found to have survived.

14)See Rodan (1956)  The fate of the second Rodan is unclear.  That it would be destroyed where the other survived seems unlikely.  The creatures were originally called “Radon” from “PteRAnaDON” (and so it is still called in Japan) but the first English language reports mis-rendered it as ”Rodan”, and so it has remained.

15)See The Mysterians (1957) The exact origins of the Mysterians are unknown, but the fact that they could interbreed with Earth women suggests the possibility that they may be a remnant of one of the ancient Earth civilizations.

16)See Varan the Unbelievable (1958) The creature’s name was derived from a term meaning “father of lizards”.

17)See Mothra (1961) (OOC Note: In the original film, Rolisica is a fictional nation that is obviously a stand-in for the U.S.A. For my purposes, I am treating it as an English-speaking Pacific island nation without a counterpart in our world.)

18)See Gorgo (1961)

19)See Reptilicus (1961)

20)See King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) It is generally accepted that King Kong II was unrelated to the much-smaller original.  As on Skull Island, there was a barrier on Faro Island designed to protect the natives from the island’s unusual fauna. This wall, while well-made, was more primitive than the Skull Island wall, and is believed to be the work of the current inhabitants.  Godzilla  II looked somewhat different than it had before it was frozen, the first instance of the Godzilla-type creatures tendency to mutate periodically.

21)See Atragon (1963) As Mu was devastated by the Gotengo’s attack, little is known of its culture or history.

22)See Dagorah the Space Monster (1964)

23)See Godzilla vs. The Thing (1964) In future, only one of the two Mothra larvea would be seen. The fate of the second is unknown.

24)See Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster (1964) It is speculated but unproven that King Ghidorah’s attack at this time was an initial probing attack from Planet X.

25)See Monster Zero (1965) The origins of the X-ists are unknown, but there is evidence that they are a remnant of one of the ancient Earth civilizations.

26)See Gamera the Invincible (1965) There is strong evidence that Gamera was an artificially-created “living weapon”, manufactured by an ancient civilization. The fact that it seemed to take a particular interest in defending human children would seem to indicate that it was programmed to be a defender of humanity.

27)See Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster (1966)

28)See War of the Gargantuas (1966)

 

29)See Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)

30)See Son of Godzilla (1967)  What relationship there was between Godzilla II and Minilla - if any - is unknown.

31)See Gamera vs Gyaos (1967)

32)See Gappa – The Triphibian Monster (1967)

33)See King Kong Escapes (1967) This “Kong”, although smaller, bore a strong resemblance to the second Kong.  

34)See Yongary (1967)

35)See The X From Outer Space (1967)

36)See Destroy All Monsters (1968)  I'm positing that it took at least a year to set Monsterland up. (OOC Note:  The film gives the year as 1999. I arbitrarily moved it to the film's year of release, because I feel it works better.)

37)See Gamera vs. Viras (1968)

38)See Godzilla’s Revenge (1969)

 

39)See Gamera vs. Guiron (1969) Terra is a sort of “Counter-Earth”, sharing Earth’s orbit on the opposite side of the Sun.  Its very existence set off a furore in astronomical circles which has yet to die down completely.  Of the Terrans themselves little is directly known, as the last two died in their encounter with Gamera.  UN research teams began exploring Terra almost immediately, but gaining a comprehensive understanding of Terran culture and technology is considered at least a lifetime’s job.

40)See Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)

 

41)See Yog – Monster From Space (1970)

42)See Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster (1971) Hedorah is believed to be an extraterrestrial organism of unknown origins. (OOC Note:  Making this "Godzilla" an adult Minilla is arbitrary on my part, to explain how "Godzilla"  became more "human-friendly.)

 

43)See Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

44)See Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)

45)See Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)

46)See Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)  “Caesar” is a misinterpretation of “Shisa”, the traditional Okinawan guardian lion statues.

47)See Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

48)See King Kong (1976)

49)See Marvel Comics Godzilla #1- #24 (1977-1979)  (OOC Note: This timeline does not necessarily include all of the Marvel Universe as we know it, merely the elements of it included in this series.) SHIELD ("Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division") was a U.S. government intelligence organization.

50)The Champions were a short-lived team super-hero based in Los Angeles.  Its members included former (?) Soviet agent Natalia Romanova (The Black Widow), “Hercules” (a person claiming to be the legendary demi-god), the mutants Warren Worthington III (The Angel) and Robert Drake (The Iceman), and John Blaze (The Ghost Rider), a motorcycle stunt-rider allegedly possessed by a demon, although Blaze was not present for the battle with Godzilla IV.

(Note: There are two types of mutants,  "X--mutants" and "M-mutants".  Worthington and Drake were X-mutants. These were individuals who had genetic mutations that gave them unique abilities and/or physical adaptations.  M-mutants will be discussed separately.)

51)See The Godzilla Power Hour (1978-1981) The finals fates of Godzilla V and Godzooky are unknown.

52)The Fantastic Four were Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic), Susan Storm Richards (The Invisible Woman), Jonathan Storm (The Human Torch), and Benjamin Grimm (The Thing), who gained super-powers after being exposed to cosmic rays.

53)The membership of the Avengers varied over the years.  Those present for the battle with Godzilla IV were World War Two veteran Steven Rogers (Captain America), “Thor” (a person claiming to be the Norse god of thunder),  industrialist Anthony Stark (Iron Man), scientist Henry Pym (Yellowjacket),  his wife,Janet Van Dyne Pym (The Wasp) and “The Vision”, an android.  The vigilante/photographer Peter Parker (Spider-Man) was also present, but took  no part in the battle.

54)See Marvel Comics The Shogun Warriors (1979-1980)

55)See Gamera: Super Monster (1980)

56)See Godzilla (1984)

57)See Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

58))See Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988-1999, 2017-2018)

59)See Godzilla vs Mothra (1992)  According to  the Cosmos, Battra was created by the Earth itself to defend against human depredations.

60)See Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1993)

61)See Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla (1994) Space Godzilla's exact origin is unknown.  The most widely-accepted theory is that some of Godzilla's cells were carried into space by one of his extraterrestrial opponents, and once there, they were mutated by cosmic radiation.

62)See Godzilla vs. Destroyah (1995) Destroyah originated from creatures mutated by the original use of the Oxygen Destroyer.

63)See Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe (1995)

64)See Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)

65)See Rebirth of Mothra II (1997) Dagahra was created as a living pollution control device by the lost civilization of Nirai Kanai. 

66)See Godzilla (1998)

67)See Godzilla: The Animated Series (1998 – 2000)

68)See Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris  (1999) The origin  of Iris is unknown.

69)See Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)

70)See Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

71)See Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) The JXSDF was the Japan Xenomorph Self-Defense Force, a branch of the Japanese military.

72)See Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)

73)See Gamera the Brave (2006)

74)See Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008)  Take-Majin's origin is unknown.

75)See Cloverfield (2008) The origin of the "Cloverfield" creature is unknown, although it is believed to be extraterrestrial.

76)See Monsters vs. Aliens (2009)Susan Murphy was a young woman who was exposed to an unknown radiation which cause her to grow to be fifty feet tall.   B.O.B. (Benzoate Ostylezene Bicarbonate) was a from of living protoplasm. The Missing Link was a humanoid amphibian.  Doctor Cockroach was a scientist who accidentally fused himself with a cockroach. Insectosaurus was a gigantic insect of unknown origins.

77)See Pacific Rim (2013) (OOC Note: I'm assuming that a world that has been fighting kaiju for decades, and which has super-heroes, these events would have gone a great deal differently.)

78)See Godzilla (2014)  There is unproven speculation that Godzilla XII was a mature Minilla II.  "MUTO" stood for ""Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism".

79)See Shin Godzilla (2016)Godzilla XIII was perhaps the most unusual of the known kaiju and potentially the most dangerous with its apparent ability to perpetually mutate in the face of new threats.

80)See Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

81)See Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

[The Baron]

Updated through 1995.

[The Baron]

Updated through 1999.

[The Baron]

Updated through 2004.

[The Baron]

Updated through 2204.

[The Baron]

I wanted to give a little thought as to how a world like this would develop differently than ours.   Only one thing, Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, really tried to present a world that differed much from ours. In that film, Japan's capital was moved to Osaka, and Japan abandoned nuclear power, since it seemed to attract Godzilla, and developed alternative power sources.

One way I think this world would be different would be that it would more technologically advanced than ours for two main reasons:

1. The need to fight off, defend against and shelter from kaiju would necessitate the development of new technologies as a matter of course.
2. There would be remnants of alien technology left over from the various invasions, which humanity would do its best to analyze and reverse engineer.  Furthermore, the mere fact that things like interstellar travel were possible would prompt humanity to research and develop them.

Socially, I think there would be a strong movement away from living in large cities , especially in Japan. Tokyo, in particular, would not be the thriving metropolis it is in our world, not after having been knocked over so many times.  Probably only the hardcore Edokko would still live there, and what city there was  would have the ultimate in "monster-proofing" technology.   Speaking of technology, I think that something like the internet would have developed much sooner in this world, out of the need for people to be able to work together without clustering in large urban conglomerations.

Politically, I think the persistent monster attacks and alien invasions would in time cure humanity of its ten thousand year habit of slaughtering one another for various reasons, real or imagined, especially now that they had someone else to fight.

[doc photo]

Your comment reminds me of The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula LeGuin where the protagonist had the ability to dream things into reality. When he dreamed of world peace, the result was an alien invasion of Earth.

The Baron said:

Politically, I think the persistent monster attacks and alien invasions would in time cure humanity of its ten thousand year habit of slaughtering one another for various reasons, real or imagined, especially now that they had someone else to fight.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Sounds like Independence Day.

[Peter Wrexham]

Also reminds me of Watchmen, where Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias tries to bring about world peace by faking an alien invasion.  That was also the theme of a 1940s SF short story "Unite and conquer" by Theodore Sturgeon that I read recently in an old collection of his work.

[The Baron]

Updated for Godzilla vs. Kong.