Villains Wiki

Hi. This is Thesecret1070. I am an admin of this site. Edit as much as you wish, but one little thing... If you are going to edit a lot, then make yourself a user and login. Other than that, enjoy Villains Wiki!!!

READ MORE

Villains Wiki
Register
Advertisement

Godzilla shouldn't be destroyed, He should be studied.
~ Kyohei Yamane on Godzilla.

The 1954 Godzilla (ゴジラ) is the titular main antagonist of the 1954 film Gojira and the overarching antagonist of many other films in the Godzilla franchise, most notably Godzilla vs Destoroyah. He was a symbol for nuclear warfare and destruction. This is apparent as the film he originates from came out less then 10 years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the end of World War II.

He was portrayed by the late Haruo Nakajima who would go on to portray Godzilla in eleven more films after the first one. He would also go on to portray Gaira in War of the Gargantuas.

Biography[]

After the sinking of the fishing boat Eiko Maru and rescue ship Bingo-Maru, several journalists came to Odo Island and outside of Japan as some survivors had washed ashore. They said that the ocean was boiling, which convinced an elder that the cause was Godzilla, a sea monster from their folklore who attacked the boats.

One night during a powerful storm, many houses were destroyed from above by a great force. One person said he saw giant monster stomp on his house causing the deaths of his mother and brother. The Japanese government sent a fact-finding party with palaeontologist Kyohei Yamane leading the operation, which found a large depression in the ground which was radioactive. Inside the depression they found a trilobite, and came to the conclusion that the hole is a massive footprint from some kind of giant animal. Not long after this, a warning was sounded from the other side of the island. the party rushed up the side of a hill and that's hen they first saw Godzilla himself. He bellowed at the people and then walked back into the ocean.

In a special meeting at the National Diet building, Yamane would state his theory that Godzilla had been living in a cavern under the ocean, possibly since the age of the dinosaurs. The presence of strontium-90 in the soil from the footprint suggested that Godzilla had been disturbed from his existence and his habitat destroyed by the hydrogen tests in the same place he was in. At the conference, people debated about whether making this information public or not was something they should do. Eventually warnings were issued in case Godzilla did come to Japan.

As the government looked for ways to destroy Godzilla, Yamane protested as he thought that Godzilla's capability to survive the detonation of a Hydrogen bomb meant that he should be studied not killed.  The Japanese Navy dropped depth charges into the ocean where they thought Godzilla was. However, before they could say he was dead, he raised his head out of the water close to a pleasure boat in Tokyo Bay. Godzilla then headed for Shinagawa City, smashing through the port area and even derailing a train before lumbering back to the sea.

Countermeasures were taken for Godzilla's return. Tokyo's citizens and others near Tokyo were evacuated during a huge barrier of power lines carrying 50,000 volts of electricity was stood up around the entire metropolitan area. The plan sadly failed and he rampaged through the middle of Tokyo, setting the city alight with his atomic breath and destroying many landmarks with his sheer bulk. He would continue to move and would upturn the Kachidoki Bridge and went back into Tokyo Bay.

Survivors of the attack were poisoned by the radiation that Godzilla left behind. After seeing this Yamane's daughter Emiko broke a promise that she made to her long time friend Dr. Daisuke Serizawa. She said to her fiancé Hideto Ogata that Dr. Serizawa had invented a weapon, a great chemical compound which dissolved oxygen molecules underwater, liquefying all life in it's radius. Believing that it could destroy Godzilla once and for all, they went to see Serizawa and begged him to use the invention to kill Godzilla. Serizawa refused as he feared politicians would make it a weapon worse then nuclear weapons. However after seeing a televised "Prayer for Peace" sung by schoolgirls choir from Tokyo, he changed his mind and agreed but before doing so destroyed his research note on the device.

Later Yamane, Ogata, Emiko and Serizawa travelled out to Tokyo Bay where Godzilla was. Serizawa wanted to detonate the bomb himself, but Ogata, who was a trained diver, insisted that he should go with him. Both men went under water and found Godzilla sleeping. They walked up to the monster before Serizawa pulled Ogata back up to the surface and activated the Oxygen Destroyer. Before he could go up to the surface himself, Serizawa wished Emiko and Ogata a happy life together as he cut his own line, taking the secret of the Oxygen Destroyer to his grave. Godzilla himself would be liquefied.

Appearance[]

He is shown as a huge grey beast with plates and spines sticking out of his back and arms with four fingers. His face includes a pronounced brow, big fangs and small pointed ears. His skin is covered in ridges and bumps that are reminiscent of burns from survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

His appearance is an iconic one and is used as a template for all later Godzilla designs to this day.

References in later films[]

The original Godzilla has been referenced throughout various films.

In Godzilla 1985, photos of the first Godzilla were shown to help someone who had seen the new Godzilla identify the creature.

In Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, he was mentioned as in the film the current Godzilla is having a nuclear meltdown and the people say that the only thing that could stop him from destroying Earth is the Oxygen Destroyer.

In Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla simply returns to the ocean after destroying Tokyo and returns 12 years later, with the humans' efforts to destroy him accidentally summoning the monster Megaguirus to the present day.

In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla's preserved body is possessed by the spiris of fallen World War 2 soldiers and menaces Japan once again.

In the Kiryu Saga, his skeleton is used as a template to construct Kiryu, an anti-Godzilla weapon that becomes possessed by the original Godzilla and goes on a rampage.

In Godzilla Final Wars, after being awakened in 1954, Godzilla goes on to become mankind's greatest nemesis and is eventually used to fight off the invading Xilliens.

Trivia[]

  • There were two suits constructed for the first Godzilla film because the first one was so heavy and stiff that Haruo Nakajima could hardly move inside it.
  • His roar was created by the films composer Akira Ifukube when he used a leather glove covered in pine tar to rub on the strings of a double bass.
  • Akira Ifukube was also responsible for composing the main Godzilla theme.
  • The first suit that was made was cut in half and the bottom half was used for close-up shots of his feet while the top half was used for upward facing shots.

External Links[]

Navigation[]

           Godzillalogo Villains

Movies
Showa
Godzilla (1954 | Showa) | Anguirus | Rodan | Meganulon | Moguera | Mysterians (Mysterian Leader) | H-Man | Natarls | Varan | Telegian | Human Vapor | Clark Nelson | Maguma | Oodako | Matango | Manda | Muans (Mu Empress) | Jiro Torahata | Kumayama | King Ghidorah | Malness | Dogora | Baragon | Xiliens (Controller of Planet X) | Gaira | Ebirah | Red Bamboo (Captain Ryuui) | Kamacuras | Kumonga | Gorosaurus | Kilaaks (Queen Kilaak | Fire Dragon) | Griffon | Bat People | Giant Rat | Malic | Lucretia | Captain Kuroiga | Gabara | Vampire Doll | Yog | Gezora | Ganimes | Kamoebas | Hedorah | Gigan | M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens (Fumio Sudo | Kubota) | Megalon | Seatopians (Emperor Antonio) | Mechagodzilla | Black Hole Planet 3 Aliens (Kuronuma | Shinji Mafune | Mugal | Yanagawa | Tsuda | Katsura Mafune) | Titanosaurus | Space Beastman | Messiah 13 Third Planet of Yomi Aliens (Commander Hell)

Heisei
Godzilla (Heisei) | Biollante | SSS9 | Bio-Major (John Lee | Michael Low) | Futurians (Chuck Wilson | Grenchiko | M10) | King Ghidorah | Battra | SpaceGodzilla | Dr. Susumu Okubo | Destoroyah | Belvera | Garu Garu | Desghidorah | Dagahra | Moguera | Grand King Ghidorah

TriStar
Zilla | Baby Zilla

Millennium
Godzilla (2000 | GMK | Kiryu Saga) | Millennians (Orga | Millennian UFO) | Mitsuo Katagiri | Megaguirus | Meganulon | Xiliens (Controller X | Controller of Planet X) | Keizer Ghidorah | Gigan | Rodan | Anguirus | Hedorah | Ebirah | Kumonga | Kamacuras | Manda | Zilla

MonsterVerse
Titans (King Ghidorah | Rodan | Genitor | Genitor Swarm | Scylla | Amhuluk | Tiamat | Ion Dragon | Frost Vark | Skar King | Shimo) | M.U.T.O. (M.U.T.O. Prime) | Shinomura | Apex Cybernetics (Walter Simmons | Ren Serizawa | Maia Simmons | Brenda Holland | Mechagodzilla) | Terrorists (Alan Jonah | Emma Russell | Asher Jonah | Asaj | Sergeant Baker | Lieutenant Bottin | Corporal Winston | Sergeant Travis)

Reiwa
Godzilla (Filius | Shin | Earth | Minus One) | Metphies | Mulu-elu Galu-gu | Servum | Mechagodzilla | King Ghidorah

Television
Alexandra Springer | Anguirus (Singular Point) | Battra | Cameron Winter | Destoroyah | Dororin | Garogas | Gigan | Godzilla (Singular Point) | Hedorah | King Ghidorah (Showa) | Xiliens (Landes | Zagres) | Giant Dark Emperor | Kumonga (Singular Point) | M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens | Manda (Singular Point) | Megalon | Rodan (Singular Point) | Salunga | SpaceGodzilla | Xiliens | Zilla (Cyber-Zilla)

Zone Fighter
Garogas| Red Spark | Jikiro | Destro-King | Dorola | Wargilgar | Spyler | King Ghidorah | Dragon King | Gilmaras | Gelderah | Garoga Spider | Garoga Gorilla | Spider Uros | Shipdraw | Shadorah | Gigan | Barakidon | Garoborg | Detragon | Zandora | Moguranda | Balgaras | Gandarguirus | Goram | Jellar | Kastam Jellar Super Jikiro

Video Games
Anguirus | Bagan | Battra | Biollante | Desghidorah | Destoroyah | Ebirah | Gabara | General Gyozen | Gezora | Gigan | Godzilla | Gorosaurus | Hedorah | Kamacuras | Keizer Ghidorah | King Ghidorah | Krystalak | Kumonga | Mechagodzilla | Megaguirus | Megalon | Millennians | Obsidius | Orga | Rodan | SpaceGodzilla | Titanosaurus | Xiliens | Zilla

Comics and Manga
Bagorah | Battra | Biollante | Cryog | Destoroyah | Dr. Deverich | Ebirah | Gamoni | Gezora | Gigan | Godzilla Hedorah | Kamacuras | Keizer Ghidorah | King Ghidorah | Kumonga | M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens | Manda | Mechagodzilla | Megaguirus | Megalon | Mugal | MUTO Prime | Orga | Rita Repulsa | Rodan | Ryota Takahashi | Shinomura | SpaceGodzilla | Titanosaurus | Trilopods | Zilla

Other
Gigan Rex | King Ghidorah (Godzilla vs. Evangelion) | King Ghidorah (Godzilla the Ride)

Advertisement