| “ | What is all this? What's happening to our planet? | „ |
| ~ Yuzo Tsuchiashi witnessing Battra's arrival. |
Battra is a giant black moth guardian and the dark counterpart of Mothra who appears as the main antagonist in the 1992 science fantasy Heisei Godzilla film, Godzilla vs. Mothra. He is Mothra's archenemy.
Like Mothra, Battra has both larva and imago (adult) forms. Battra's name most likely comes from the common Japanese practice of shortening two words to make one; in this case, the combination of the Japanese spelling of Battle Mothra (Batoru Mosura), as described in the Super Godzilla video game manual. He was referred to as the "Black Mothra" in Godzilla vs. Mothra. Battra debuted in Godzilla vs. Mothra, also known as Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth, which was presented in the Heisei series. Battra also appeared in the 1997-1998 television show Godzilla Island, but plays more of a negative role as one of the villain monsters of the show. He also appears in a few novels and numerous comic series (including two manga adaptations of his debut film).
Biography[]
12,000 years ago, the spirit of Earth created Battra (also known as the Black Mothra). Battra was created to destroy a device built by an ancient civilization to control Earth's climate. Battra began to do his job well beyond his purpose and Mothra was forced to intervene. There was a huge battle between Mothra and Battra. When Mothra finally won, Battra was laid to rest in the North Sea, while Mothra survived in the mountains with the Cosmos. Unlike his benevolent twin Mothra, Battra sees humanity as a blight on Earth, and will not stop until humanity is removed from the planet. It is because of this that Battra came into conflict with Mothra, who seems intent on protecting humanity.
Thousands of years later, Battra was awoken by a meteorite in Siberia. Battra swam to the coast of Japan and burrowed, reappearing and attacking Nagoya. The JSDF fought Battra but were no match, and Battra left a wrecked city behind as he burrowed again. Battra appeared in the waters off the archipelago of the Philippines, where Godzilla and Mothra were battling. Battra engaged Godzilla, who was the bigger threat. The two monsters battled down to the seafloor in the Philippine Trench, where a volcanic eruption supposedly killed them. But Battra and Godzilla lived on, appearing near Mount Fuji, with Godzilla exiting an erupting volcano and Battra emerging from the ocean's depths. Upon metamorphosing from his larval form, he flew to Tokyo to exact his revenge on Mothra. The sinister moth seemed to have an upper hand against his less violent counterpart, but soon, in the heat of the battle, Godzilla appeared. Mothra and Battra teamed up to combat Godzilla together in defense of both Earth and humankind. Once Godzilla was defeated, Battra and Mothra carried him out to sea. However, Godzilla, still conscious, killed Battra by attacking him with an atomic ray at point-blank range while he was being transported. Mothra released Godzilla while he and Battra dropped into the ocean below. For giving Battra a final farewell, Mothra flew around in a circle, creating a glyph of friendship to her beloved companion.
Powers and Abilities[]
In its larval form, Battra was a horribly brutal and dangerous opponent who was relentless and remorseless in its attack. In this form, he wielded a massive yellow horn which could be put to use as a battering ram or bludgeoning weapon. From the horn, he was also capable of firing off furious electrical blasts of an orange-yellow color. He could fire similar electrical blasts of a purple color from his crimson eyes. However, these beams would often fly wildly about, Battra not appearing to have precise control over their direction. The titanic larva could also create energy pulses from his massive horn as another form of attack.
In its imago form, Battra had lost the ability to burrow or swim, but attained flight with its new wings, allowing for easier and more efficient travel for further destruction. The once prominent horn had disappeared and had been replaced with three smaller horns. These horns were incapable of releasing energy anymore, but Battra had developed more powerful optic beams, known as "Prism" beams. Unlike the beams used in his larval form, adult Battra had complete control over the Prism Beams, which also are far more powerful in this form. He also had developed three pairs of legs and would utilize them for grasping objects. The imago form of Battra could also release an "energy shock" from its feet in order to subdue foes while in close combat. However, in the manga adaptation of Godzilla vs. Mothra, the dark insect can unleash damaging energy spheres from his horn, discharge energy through the stinger-like attachment on his tail, and instantly from his cocoon which also acts as a defensive shield.
In Godzilla Island episode 166 "Baby Mothra Awakes", Battra can also emit powder from his wings just like Mothra except that the powder is red instead of yellow like Mothra's.
Gallery:[]
Trivia[]
- Battra's redemption that also costs its life was similar with Darth Vader's, in which both were eventually convinced to the good side by the hero (Mothra managed to convince Battra to help her against Godzilla whom proved to be worse threat than him, whilst Luke managed to snap Vader so that he returned to the good side whilst tortured by the furious Palpatine) and commit an act of redemption which caused the main villain's defeat at cost of their lives due to the villain's energy blast (Battra was blasted by Godzilla in the middle of the transport and ultimately dying to his wounds, while Vader was mortally wounded due to Palpatine's Force lightning which ended up electrocuting him instead of Luke as he threw Palpatine to his death).
- Within Godzilla vs. Mothra, there is a continuity discrepancy involving Battra's origins. In the film the Cosmos explain Battra's origins and his defeat at the hands of Mothra. They state that Battra's body was deposited in the Northern Sea. Thousands of years later, in 1993, Battra emerges, in his larval form, from his Siberian ice prison and departs the Northern Sea, heading for Japan. However, the cave painting on Infant Island clearly depicts an imago Battra in combat with Mothra. This raises several questions about the nature of Battra himself, including a possibility of the Battra from 12,000 years ago being a different Battra altogether, and the 1993 Battra being a second creature created by Earth's life force, probably from the remains of the original Battra. If they are, in fact, the same creature, then the fact that it emerges 12,000 years after his defeat, once again in his larval form is a contradiction. It is possible that Battra can revert back to larva form at will.
- Battra is the only new monster Godzilla fought in the Heisei series whose origin is not at all influenced by or related to Godzilla at all, instead being connected to Mothra as her either counterpart or relatives.
- Battra is one of the few villain monsters in the Godzilla franchise to reform.
- In Super Godzilla, when the first Battra is defeated and Godzilla arrives to deal with the second Battra, Battra is said to be in an cocoon state, but the cocoon resembles a Battra larva.
- Technically, Battra is not entirely a villain, he is more of an anti-hero since his purpose was to protect the Earth.
